In this Issue
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December Volunteers of the Month
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 Where's Your
Fridays are Spirit Day, so lets see your Brinker pride. Always available online at the Membership Toolkit.
Can you guess where Jack and Bo Jouette wore their Brinker spirit wear?
 Last week's photo had Shea and Kelly Gleason at Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama! Send us your photos of Where's Your Brinker Been to spiritwear@brinkerpta.org and you may be our next feature!
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Newcomer's Coffee
Did you miss the Newcomer's Coffee last September? Here is your chance to meet other newcomers and ask questions about the school.
Newcomer's Coffee
Friday, Feb 1 11:30am-1:30pm (come & go)
Home of Kimberly Rumbough
4017 Bridgeport Drive (just off Yeary near Willow Bend)
RSVP appreciated at 972-473-7404 or | |
Mark Your Calendar!
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Show Austin Education is a Priority!
Join the Plano ISD Council of PTAs in Austin, February 21, 2013!
The bus will depart the PISD Admin Building at 5:45 am sharp and return around 8:00 pm.
Relax, leave the driving to us and help us show Austin just how important our children are to us. We would love for every school to send a representative!
Click here for more information. RSVP deadline in January 29.
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Presenting...
PISD Special and Gifted Education (SAGE) and the National Austism Association of North Texas present:
The Special Friends
Talent Show Saturday, Feb 23rd
Two Shows: 10am & 11:30am
Plano West Auditorium
for more information.
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Shop Tom Thumb and Earn $$ for Brinker!
It's easy to earn money for the Brinker PTA by shopping at your local Tom Thumb. Just stop by Customer Service and ask them to link your Rewards card with Charity #4857 and a portion of all of your purchases will come back to your school! Click here for a form that you can complete and drop off. | |
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2012-2013 Exec Board and Chair Members
Click here to see a full listing of the names and contact info of the 2012-2013 Executive Board and Chair Members. | |
Questions regarding the Bear Facts Newsletter?
If so, please contact:
Julie Wax
1st VP Communications
Brinker Elementary PTA
communication@brinkerpta.org
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Quick Links
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Mark Your Calendar!
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Jan 18
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Spirit Wear Day!
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Jan 21
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Student/Teacher Holiday
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Jan 24
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Jan 25
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Deadline for Yearbook Preorders
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Feb 1
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Feb 8
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Feb 12
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Feb 14
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Valentine's Classroom Parties
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Feb 18
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Student Holiday
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Feb 19
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Feb 20
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Early Release at Noon
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Feb 22
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Book Fair Setup
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Feb 25 - Mar 1
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Mar 1
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Movie Night with Dad
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Preorder yearbooks!
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Time is running out ...
to preorder the 2012-13 Brinker Yearbook
 Don't miss out on the 2012-13 Brinker Yearbook! The deadline to preorder is Friday, January 25. Log on to brinkerpta.membershiptoolkit.com to complete your preorder today for $25. The PTA will have a limited supply of yearbooks available for purchase at Yearbook Signing Day in May 2013. Once any excess yearbooks are purchased, they are gone and cannot be reordered.
The 2012-2013 yearbook is your child's school year in review!
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PTA Science Program
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Science made FUN
Thanks to Brinker PTA and HighTouch HighTech
Did you know? A significant portion of your PTA dollars are used each year to bring scientists into your child's classroom. Thanks to your PTA donations, during the month of January, HighTouch HighTech, will be at Brinker. HighTouch HighTech is an innovative world leader in hands-on science programs for children. These programs work to increase the scientific and technological literacy of our children through direct, interactive, hands-on scientific experimentation.
Grade-level specific experiments and dates are as follows:
- Kindergarten: January 17th, Let's Make Sense
- 1st: January 31st, Dig It
- 2nd: January 30th, Weather or Not
- 3rd: January 16th, Power of Light
- 4th: January 24th, What Floats Your Boat
- 5th: January 29th, Cosmic Capers
Make sure that you ask your child about the experience they had with these programs!
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MLK Tribute
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Community Invited to MLK Tribute
January 24
Williams High School
Plano ISD invites families and friends to "Boldly Lead, Brilliantly Serve, Continue the Dream," a tribute to the great American leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the many outstanding leaders in Plano ISD and the community.
The tribute will be held on Thursday, January 24, in the Williams High School Auditorium, 1717 17th Street in Plano. A pre-program tribute will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by a 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. program showcasing student performances.
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Nominating Committee
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Nominating Committee needed to elect
PTA Officers 
At the next PTA General Meeting on February 19th, a Nominating Committee will be elected to propose a slate of candidates for the 2013-2014 school year. The Nominating Committee will review forms submitted by the general membership, naming candidates and their qualifications for office.
The officers to be elected include: President 1st Vice President - Communications 2nd Vice President - Volunteers 3rd Vice President - Ways and Means Secretary Treasurer Five (5) volunteers and two (2) alternates are needed to serve on the Nominating Committee. Volunteers must be Brinker PTA members (this may include parents and teachers) and volunteers should be familiar with the principles, policies & procedures of the PTA and should also have some knowledge of the candidate that are being considered & their qualifications to evaluate them regarding their desired positions. The time commitment is usually minimal: 1-2 meetings, as determined by the Committee, to review the application forms. Meetings should be held fairly quickly to determine the slate of candidates to allow for publication prior to the March election. If you are interested in volunteering for the Committee, please plan on attending the meeting scheduled for 6:30 on February 19, 2013. Self-nominations are allowed, so you may raise your hand to be considered. Nominations will be made from the floor followed by a ballot vote. We also need 3-5 volunteers who will serve as Tellers who will count ballots and record the vote. If you would like to volunteer as a Teller, or if you have any questions, please contact Hilary Valente, Parliamentarian via email at hvalente@brinkerpta.org or by phone at (214) 986-4857 anytime prior to the February 19th meeting.
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We Need YOU!!
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PTA Volunteer Opportunities
Please help out! 
Please consider volunteering some of your time to help out the school! The following areas are currently in need of volunteers:
1. VIP (Very Important Partner) Tutors
With the end of the 1st semester coming to a close soon, teachers are requesting additional help from you to help our Brinker students with one-on-one (or possible two at a time) tutoring in Math or Reading. These are students who could use a little extra time and attention during the school day. We help these teachers and students through one of our most crucial and successful programs, VIP.
Please consider joining our VIP team of caring mentors beginning in January to provide opportunities for these children to maximize their learning potential. The commitment is once a week for 30 minutes during the school day, with you choosing the day and time most convenient for you. No experience is necessary, just a caring heart. For more information, please contact Tamara Tool at ttool@brinkerpta.org or Julie Barnard at julie.barnard@pisd.edu.
2. Greeter Desk
THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped out with greeter desk this fall! We need you once again to help out this spring. The spring schedule is posted on the Membership Toolkit so please look at your calendars and sign up now as it fills up quickly. We need one volunteer who is security cleared for each day of the week from 7:45-9:30am. It is a great way to be involved in the school and super easy to do! Contact Amy Young with any questions at ayoung@brinkerpta.org.
3. Brinker Workroom
If you can count to 28, staple & cut, then the Brinker Workroom needs YOU! We need 4-5 volunteers each week to help our teachers prepare assignments for the following week. All instructions and supplies are provided.
The Brinker Workroom is located in the back of the school office and is open Tuesday through Thursday, between 7:30am and 2:45pm. This is a great opportunity for you to see what your children are working on and give a helping hand to our amazing & wonderful teachers! Please be sure you have cleared security, you may sign up online at Membership Toolkit. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Nikki Moulinet at nmoulinet@brinkerpta.org.
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| Tuesday Tunes | |
Music speaks when there are no words 
Musicians practice, practice, practice so that they can perfect and perform. TUESDAY TUNES allows Brinker student-musicians the opportunity to showcase their talent (and hard work) in a unique setting! Unlike recitals and stage productions, TUESDAY TUNES takes place in a casual, relaxed environment.
Every Tuesday morning a Brinker student performs in the lobby for students and teachers as they enter the building to start the school day. The student plays his/her instrument continuously from 7:30 am to 7:45 am. Immediately following, the student is introduced as the musician of the day on the "Good Morning Brinker" broadcast!
TUESDAY TUNES...because every performance counts!
If you have any questions regarding Tuesday Tunes, please contact
Katrina Parker at kparker@brinkerpta.org.
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Brinker Chess Program
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 Did you know that chess is not only FUN to the kids playing, but there are many BRAINY BENEFITS of chess too?
NOW ENROLLING - Session III
(1/24 - 2/28)
A simple Google search of chess will lead you to numerous articles and research that show that chess teaches children important life skills.
For example, chess:
- improves logic and reasoning
- builds strategic thinking and problem solving skills
- teaches patience and discipline
- enhances competitive skills while encouraging development of good sportsmanship
- increases attention, focus, and concentration
Whether your child is new to chess or has been playing for several years, they are invited to join Chess Club on Thursdays from 4:00 - 5:15. Coach Bobby Hillman is a staff member at Plano West Senior High and has been teaching chess to Brinker students for years. He is a USCF certified chess instructor and would love to teach your child! Each session runs for 6 weeks and culminates with a Brinker Chess Club chess tournament.
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Bluebonnet and 2x2 Reading
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The 2x2 list is for K-2nd grade, and the Texas Bluebonnet reading list is for 3rd-5th grade. The reading lists can be found online at Texas Library Association Reading Lists. The books are all available both at the Brinker and public libraries.
 As a reward, when your child reads a certain number of books by the specified deadline, they will be invited to attend a pizza/ice cream party after school! (Due to the upcoming school construction, we will not be having two parties for each age range as in years past). To participate, each child must read at least lucky number 13 books. Extra reading logs to track progress are available in the Brinker library. If you need a reading log, just ask the librarian, Kelly Palmer. They are due back to her by the deadlines below. K-2nd Grade Party (2x2 Reading List) - Tues, Feb 12th Deadline to turn in reading log - Fri, Feb 1st 3rd-5th Grade Party (Bluebonnet Reading List) - Tues, Feb 19th Deadline to turn in reading log - Fri, Feb 8th More details to follow as we get closer to the party dates. If you have any questions, please contact Heather Burchett, Literary Enrichment Chair, at hburchett@brinkerpta.org.
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