ASHBURTON PTA NEWSLETTER April 2008

Transcription

1 ASHBURTON PTA NEWSLETTER April 2008 Get Ready to Fling into Spring on April 18! Baskets to Win Teacher Features to Win Games Arts Projects Music Dancing Fitness Fun 7-9 PM, Gym, Cafeteria, and Hallways 5 th Grade Bake Sale, Popcorn, and Food for Sale Volunteers Needed Call Joanne at Come one, come all to the Ledo s Pizza on Westlake Drive on Wednesday, February 6 th between the hours of 5p.m. and closing. Enjoy a delicious dinner and help Ashburton Elementary School at the same time. What a yummy idea! Ledo Pizza Bethesda - Westlake Dr Westlake Dr, Bethesda, MD Wednesday, April 16 th 5 pm until Closing Ashburton Families and Friends Ledos will donate 20% of all dine in sales to our school! And, if you prefer to carry out and eat at home, they will do the same, as long as you mention Ashburton or bring the flyer. PTA Meetings April 1 Topic: Vertical Articulation and Information about the Wiki Site May 3 - Election of Executive Board for 2008/2009 All meetings are at 7:30 pm in the Media Center. School Store Open 8:30 to 8:50 AM Wednesdays and Fridays

2 Ashburton PTA Newsletter Page 2 From the PTA Presidents April 2008 Hello Ashburton Families and Staff! We hope that this newsletter finds everyone doing well. It is hard to believe that April is knocking at our door and that our long awaited Spring Break is over. We hope that everyone took the opportunity to get some down time and create some new family memories. We are now heading into spring with the last marking period, MSA tests, Terra Nova, and the end of the school year. It is hard to remember where the year has gone but it now seems like it is flying by too quickly. Our March PTA meeting was well attended. Ms. Eroh and Ms. Cino provided us with a presentation on testing and provided some useful tips for parents to help prepare students to take these upcoming state tests in the best possible frame of mind. If you were not able to attend or have additional questions, please feel to contact one of the board members, or Ms. Eroh or Ms. Cino. Our next monthly PTA meeting, will be held on Tuesday, April 1st at 7:30pm in the Media Center. The topic for this months meeting is vertical articulation, and Ms. Eroh and Ms. Cino will present information to parents that will be both informative and useful. Also, we will have a presentation by Lien-Anh Van Wagener about our wiki site. Our next monthly Dine Out With Ashburton event will be on April 16 th at Ledo s Pizza on Westlake Drive, from 5-10 p.m. We again welcome your input and participation in any of the events that make Ashburton Elementary School such a great place for our children to learn and grow. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities, so please contact a board member to get involved. As we have said in previous months, please keep in mind, that many of our committee volunteers have students who are moving on to North Bethesda next year, so we will have open positions on several committees. We have heard from some folks who are willing to step up and welcome more volunteers as we plan for the upcoming school year. Many of the events that take place throughout the year come to fruition through the hard work and dedication of parents and guardians like you and cannot continue to happen without parents. It is time to start looking towards next year! We understand how busy everyone is and want you to know that any time you can spare is appreciated. Our annual Spring Fling is fast approaching on Friday, April 18 th. Joanne Forbes is the chairperson for this event and welcomes volunteers. She can be reached at or joanne.forbes@gmail.com. She really needs help so please consider contacting her to find out what areas still need help. As you may already be aware, International night has been rescheduled. The new date is Friday, May 16 th. Dalia Elmekki is the chairperson for this event and she too welcomes all volunteers. She can be reached at or delmekki@yahoo.com Feel free to contact us with your input and suggestions. Regards, Amy and Jim Amy Cohen (301) or snowdancers@verizon.net Jim Parker (301) or james.parker@sba.gov

3 Ashburton PTA Newsletter Page 3 March 2008 PTA Meeting News Principal s Ms. Eroh reported the following: Thank you for the teacher appreciation, it was wonderful. A Green Team club has been established. Ashburton received a grade of an A, one of the highest in the cluster for it s efforts! Many thanks to Sean White and the team. Construction is progressing; we are still scheduled to be in the new building by the next school year. Engraved brick pavers will be sold as a fundraiser. Kindergarten orientation is May 2 nd. The date for the 5 th graders visit to North Bethesda Middle School has been set for May 22 nd. Executive Board President s Report (Amy Cohen / Jim Parker): Thank you to Kathy Cooper and all the volunteers for a fabulous job on the Teacher Appreciation. Treasurer Report (Mark Rashid): We are doing well compared to the budget. There is currently about $49,000 in the bank but there are still large expenditures remaining for the year. Secretary s Report (Ellie Damo): The bylaws are being revised and will be put forth to the membership for a vote. Nominating Committee (Jim Parker): The nominating committee is assembling the slate for next year. Any interested parents should contact Jim. MCCPTA Rep Peter Nickoloff reported the following There is one pending resolution for MCPC to pay for 11 th grade PSAT tests. There is one new resolution to reinstate the school environment surveys that were cancelled due to budgetary issue. There is another resolution regarding finding a new way to conduct Kindergarten testing. The option being proposed would involve a rolling entry and testing on the first day of school. Ms. Eroh provided concerns with this option and asked for feedback from parents.. Congratulations! As of the end of March, Ashburton earned $2, from Giant s A+ BonusBucks program. The program ends April 3, so you have just a few more days to add to our total.

4 Ashburton PTA Newsletter Page 4 Do you want to get involved in your kids school? Our kids NEED HELP during lunch!!!!! The PTA is always looking for volunteers to assist every kid in the cafeteria during lunch and/or recess from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. The children from the lower grades need help opening packages, handling trash, and following cafeteria procedures, and teachers need help during recess. We would also like to encourage the children to eat healthfully and play safely! The following is a calendar for April and May Please circle the days you are available to help out, and return this form to the school with your child or by and we'll send volunteers tips if you need them. Lunch and Recess Volunteers Please Circle one: Name: LUNCH RECESS BOTH address: (write clearly please) Phone number: April 2008 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 04/07 No School 04/08 04/09 04/10 04/11 04/14 04/15 04/16 04/17 04/18 04/21 04/22 04/23 04/24 04/25 04/28 04/29 04/30 May 2008 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 05/05 05/06 05/07 05/08 05/09 05/12 05/13 05/14 05/15 05/16 05/19 05/20 05/21 05/22 05/23 05/26 No School 05/27 05/28 05/29 05/30 You can contact Lucia Aguerre (aguerrelopez@comcast.net) or E.J. Kim (ejkim@verizon.net) in order to organize the chronogram. THANKS!!!!!!!!! THANKS!!!!!!!!! THANKS!!!!!!!!! And more Thanks!

5 Ashburton PTA Newsletter Page 5 STAYING HEALTHY From Janet Bill, School Community Health Nurse BATTLING BUGS Taking an antibiotic when it s not necessary can be harmful. It increases the risk of getting an infection later that antibiotics can t kill. This kind of bacterial resistance could mean more visits to the doctor, a lengthier illness, and possibly the need to take more toxic drugs. What Can You Do: Don t ask for an antibiotic when your doctor says it isn t necessary. Never take an antibiotic for a viral infection such as a cold, a cough, or the flu. Many people mistakenly believe that a green or yellow nasal discharge means they have a bacterial infection. Not true. This is common in viral infections. Know that most upper respiratory tract infections, even those caused by bacteria, get better on their own. Ask for a test if your doctor isn t sure whether your infection is viral or bacterial. Tell your doctor that you know there are problems with taking antibiotics and that you d prefer not to take them unless absolutely necessary. If your child has an earache, wait a couple of days to see if it improves on its own (most do). If not, then see your doctor. Don t take leftover antibiotics or antibiotics prescribed for someone else. These antibiotics may not be appropriate for your current symptoms. Taking the wrong medicine could delay getting correct treatment and allow bacteria to multiply. And If You Do Need An Antibiotic: Always take the entire course of antibiotics to ensure that any resistant bacteria have been killed. Don t stop taking it just because you feel better. Ask for an antibiotic that targets the bacteria making you sick, as opposed to taking a broadspectrum drug that kills more bacteria than necessary. Consider getting vaccinated for the flu and pneumonia. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Hope Health Letter. Help us build a Path to the Future This summer, at Ashburton, we plan to build a Path to the Future and transform the area located between our original school building and our new addition into a courtyard with a customized brick design. This area will provide additional space where students & staff can hold school activities, socialize and enjoy the outdoors and will be special by including personalized bricks from the Ashburton community including you! Go to id=19638 then Click on "Help us Build a Path to the Future". Please download the form and submit to Ashburton. Funds raised from the sale of engraved bricks will help purchase furniture, equipment, and other campus beautification projects needed during the school year and beyond. Small bricks are 4 x 8 x 2 ¼, allow space for 3 lines of custom text and cost $100. Large bricks are 8 x 8 x 2 ¼, allow space for 6 lines of custom text and cost $200. We are also offering the option to add TQ star clipart for an additional $10 to your brick. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jenny DePollar at or at jdepollar@aol. com. DEADLINE: Orders must be received by May 31, 2008!