Bethke Elementary. Honoring All Learners. The vision of. Bethke Elementary

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1 Bethke Elementary Honoring All Learners Page 1 Bethke Elementary March 2013 The vision of Bethke Elementary is to be a place that honors and inspires academic excellence to prepare the whole child for success in the 21st century. Wow, this third quarter has flown. It ends before spring break so report cards will be sent home the Friday after break. As our kids have been busy learning we continue to encourage our healthy lifestyles with our wellness activities. Remember to turn in your push up counts and Schools on the Move logs. Our staff has had a fun, friendly competition staying well this month also! It s been great to see the creative ways kids are celebrating birthdays too! This month our 3-5th graders are taking the Transitional Colorado Assessment, formerly known as CSAP. We are confident our bobcats will demonstrate how much they ve learned. We are so proud of them all. Thanks for supporting them at home with a good night s rest and a healthy breakfast! Good luck this month to our teams competing in the Odyssey of the Mind competition. I know all of our teams have worked hard to prepare. A special thank you to the parents and volunteers for all of their work with each team! Inside this issue: PTO News - page 2 ArtSmarts - page 5 Music - page 6-7 Counselor - page 9 Fitness- page 10 Calendar - page 12 On March 4th, many staff will be attending the Excellence in Education banquet to support our nominee for the PSD Promising Teacher Award, Julie Gerken. Julie demonstrates on a daily basis what we believe in at Bethke as a staff-honoring All Learners. Thank you, Mrs. Gerken, and congratulations from us all! On March 29 we honor one child from each class for integrity. We strive to encourage strong character and look forward to recognizing kids with integrity that set examples for us all. Thanks to our volunteers and families at home who support us each day. We value your partnership as we honor all learners. Ann Alfonso Principal Bethke s Bobcat Facts Address: 5100 School House Dr. Timnath, CO Phone: Fax: Attendance: Principal: Ann Alfonso aalfonso@psdschools.org Advertising in this newsletter does not imply endorsement by Poudre School District.

2 Page 2 Bethke Elementary March 2013 PTO News Spring is around the corner, and that means we are busy finishing up this year s PTO business and planning ahead for next year. We hope you have had a chance to fill out the Parent Feedback Questionnaire. The survey collects feedback from you about PTO priorities, communication, budget, etc. We would love to hear your opinions on how you think things are going in these areas as we start to plan for next year. To participate, please go to: The deadline is March 1st, so please complete it today! PTO At our next PTO meeting on March 11th, we will be reviewing the results of this questionnaire. Additionally, we will also be approving the spring grant requests. We are very fortunate to have the ability to provide much needed resources to our teachers by fulfilling their requests for grants! This is also the meeting where we will begin accepting nominees for the PTO Board Officer Elections for SY Nomination forms, as well as job descriptions for the positions, may be found on the PTO website or on the PTO Bulletin Board. The nomination forms ask that nominations are submitted by March 11th. However, nominations may be made up until the election on April 8th. Serving on the board is a great way to meet other parents and contribute to Bethke. Take a look at the job descriptions and reach out to any of the current board members with any questions you may have. These positions can be shared by two people, so if you would like to serve but are worried about the commitment, please consider nominating yourself and a willing friend. **ATTENTION PARENTS OF NEXT YEAR S K-3RD GRADERS** If you would like to order your child(ren)'s school supplies for next year, you may do so as follows: 1) Online - please see the Bethke PTO webpage for the order forms. And, please be sure to use the order form for the grade your child(ren) will be in next year. Orders may be placed online between February 15 and March 29, 2013.

3 Page 3 Bethke Elementary March 2013 PTO News continued.. 2) Hardcopy (paper) - please return your completed order form with payment (check only - payable to Bethke PTO) to the school in an envelope marked "EDUKITS ORDER FORM". Hardcopy order forms were sent home in the February 15 Friday Folders, or may be printed from Bethke's PTO webpage. Paper orders are due no later than March 1, Please note that in order to receive the maximum 14% discount from Staples/SchoolKidz, late orders cannot be accepted. For questions, please contact Kim at kross@skybeam.com. A special thanks goes out to Nancy Gray for all of her support with EduKits! Bethke's (5-Year Anniversary) Spring Social is fast approaching, and will be held on Friday, April 26th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. This year's Spring Social will be a combination of the school s 5-Year Anniversary along with a science-based theme. More information will be available in the next few weeks. Thank you to all of the Bethke families who came to the February affinity program at Rollerland! Our school made $174 in just 2 hours! Keep on the lookout for another Rollerland event in early April! Though we are all busy, sometimes a quick dinner (and dessert) out is the easiest way to feed our families! On March 7th, we have a great evening planned to benefit our school. Five Guys (Harmony Road) is donating 10% of all sales during the hours of 5pm-9pm. And, when you've finished dinner, head a few doors down to Spooners! During the same time frame of 5pm-9pm, Spooners is also donating 10% of all sales back to our school that mention BETHKE at the register. Be sure to share this evening with your friends, family, and neighbors. Bethke will benefit from all guests that night! As a reminder, the next PTO meeting is Monday, March 11th at 6:30pm in the Bethke cafeteria. We look forward to seeing everyone there! Don Nohavec PTO Secretary

4 Page 4 Bethke Elementary March 2013 Stuco News Dear Bobcats, Our distracted driving campaign was a huge success! Thank you, students, parents, and staff members who supported our initiative to create a safe drop-off and pick-up zone in the front of our school. We raised $500 selling candy grams in February and are now shopping for a district-approved sign to post on school grounds. We will have to work with the district, so please be patient as we determine what we can post, and where our signs can be posted. Student Council looks forward to making our school parking lot a safer place for our Bobcats. STUCO As TCAP approaches, Student Council will create small care packages for our Bobcats. We will provide each student from third through fifth grade with mints to help them focus prior to the tests and encouraging messages to be shared by their homeroom teachers. Although this is a stressful time for many students, Student Council will work hard to encourage our Bobcats to do their best! Thank you for your continued support! Sincerely, Student Council Representatives & StuCo Sponsors Stacy Gunstream Sarah Bruhn School Store We are excited to have an awesome team of 4th and 5th graders representing Bethke's student-run store. The store is open in the cafeteria every Friday, during each lunch period. Students may purchase items when they are finished eating lunch. We accept cash as payment, as well as BOB Bucks from 4th and 5th graders. Profits raised will go to benefit Respite Care in Fort Collins. Thank you for supporting us! If you have any questions, please contact Miss Taylor (tracyt@psdschools.org) or Mrs. Hause (mhause@psdschools.org).

5 ART Page 5 Bethke Elementary March 2013 ArtSmarts Dear Bethke Community, Teaching art to all Bethke students for the past few weeks has been a fantastic experience. During this time we have completed many of the projects that Mrs. Hazzard started and we are starting many new projects. As each new project begins we always take the time to understand and talk about the background and history of the art we are working on. Once the real work starts the students are eager to explore and make their own creations. I love the enthusiasm they display and their wonderful works of art. What amazing young artists! I love them all! In other Art news, the Larimer Humane Society and Fort Collins Cat Rescue and Spay/Neuter Clinic jointly present Be Kind to Animals Week Poster/ Essay/Poetry Contest. This year s theme is Cats, Cats, Cats! The poster contest is for K-5 th graders. If your child is interested in joining this contest please feel free to stop by at the art room and pick up a flyer for more information about the contest. Deadline for poster submission is Wednesday, April 3, 2013, by noon. Best Regards, Teresa Hanna PSD Substitute Teacher

6 Page 6 Bethke Elementary March 2013 Music Notes 3 rd Grade Musical Performance The Bethke Third Graders will perform their musical on Thursday, April 25 th at 6:30 p.m. and again on Friday, April 26 th at 9:30 a.m. It will be a great show of music Made in America. Be sure to put it on your calendar! MUSIC Musical Show-and-Tell All Bethke students are invited to share their musical talents during weekly music classes. This is a great way for students to perform in a small, safe environment. Please me so that I can schedule time if your child would like to play for us. I have a piano available in the room. If your child plays a different instrument, he or she will need to bring it from home. Parents are welcome to attend, and I m happy to work with your schedule. I always have the kids play during the very beginning of the class. You can contact me at aadams@psdschools.org. Mrs. Adams Website: A Great Source of Information about Music at Bethke You can find a lot of helpful information about the music program at Bethke on Mrs. Adams website: You can also access this website from the Bethke homepage. You will find information about chorus, performance calendars and ukuleles. There are links to music websites for kids. There are also screened You Tube videos that cover a variety of musical topics. Chances are, if you have a question about something happening in music, you will find the answer at this site. Bethke Chorus News The Bethke Chorus is continuing to work on their spring show, A Celebration of Broadway! This show will take place on Thursday, May 9 th at 6:30 p.m., and again on Friday, May 10 th at 9:30 a.m. It s going to be a great show as we sing songs from some of the most popular Broadway musicals of all time! You won t want to miss it! Chorus parents should remember that all communication is via . Please be sure that Mrs. Adams has an updated address for you!

7 Page 7 Bethke Elementary March 2013 Did You Know? Studying music encourages self-discipline and diligence, traits that carry over into intellectual pursuits and that lead to effective study and work habits. An association of music and math has, in fact, long been noted. Creating and performing music promotes self-expression and provides selfgratification while giving pleasure to others. In medicine, increasing published reports demonstrate that music has a healing effect on patients. For all these reasons, it deserves strong support in our educational system, along with the other arts, the sciences, and athletics. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Leading Heart Surgeon, Baylor College of Music. Summer Academy Update Bethke will not be holding a summer academy similar to those of past years which featured a full week of classes on a variety of subjects. However, we will be offering two different all day Science Matters classes the week of June 3 rd. Registration flyers will be sent home soon in Friday Folders. Parents will register directly with Science Matters rather than through Bethke s front office. Activity Zone

8 Page 8 Bethke Elementary March 2013 Breakfast Week at Bethke Be a Star with School Breakfast! Breakfast keeps kids focused, attentive, and energized to help them thrive at school every day. March 4th-8th is National School Breakfast Week. To celebrate, we are serving whole-grain cereals hot and cold, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, and low fat milk, along with many other fun and healthy breakfast items every day that week. Come join us! Breakfast will be served from 8:00 8:30am. As part of the fun you can bring your parent/grandparent to breakfast for FREE on Friday March 8th. Sara Beth Kulman Bethke Kitchen Manager Kids Care Club On February 20, members of the Kids Care Club hosted a visitor from the Meals on Wheels program. We learned how the program provides a nutritious meal for homebound citizens who are in need of some help. After the presentation, the kids created colorful placemats to go along with the meals that are delivered to those in need. It was really fun to see the creations that the kids made. The Meals on Wheels recipients will love the added color and the happy messages that will accompany their meals! The next Kids Care Club meeting will take place on April 17. We will be visiting the Garbage Garage at the Larimer County Landfill in Fort Collins. The meeting will be from 3:45-4:45pm. Please watch for more information to come home soon. May 15 will be our last meeting of the year. At this meeting, we will be cleaning up the grounds of Bethke! So, come one come all and remember to bring along your gloves! All Bethke students are invited to attend the Kids Care Club meetings. No registration is needed. We would love to have more of the older kids participate. They can be such wonderful role models for the younger kids. Remember, there won t be a Kids Care Club meeting in March. Thank, Mrs. Tindall and the Kids Care Club

9 Page 9 Bethke Elementary March 2013 Counselor s Corner Warning Signs of Bullying To wrap up the series on Bullying, I ve compiled some information about warning signs. In classrooms over the last 5 weeks, the students and I have reviewed the difference between bullying and bothering behaviors. We have also discussed appropriate responses to both. If you would like more information on the topic, please contact me at cmcphail@psdschools.org or Christie McPhail Bethke Counselor Students Who are Bullied Students who are being bullied often exhibit some warning signs. These students may: Have few, if any, friends with whom he or she spends time Seem afraid of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the school bus, or taking part in organized activities with peers Lose interest in doing school work, or suddenly begin to do poorly in school Appear sad, moody, teary, or depressed when he or she comes home Complain frequently of headaches, stomachaches, or other physical problems Have trouble sleeping Experience a loss of appetite Appear anxious and suffer from low self-esteem Students Who Bully Others It's important to recognize the characteristics of students who bully, which may help prevent bullying and allow for early intervention. These students may: Have a positive attitude toward violence and the use of violent means Have a strong need to dominate and subdue other students and get their own way Be impulsive, aggressive, or easily angered Lack empathy toward students who are bullied Have defiance and aggression toward adults, including teachers and parents Have greater physical strength than that of others in general and the students they bully in particular (especially in boys)

10 Page 10 Bethke Elementary March 2013 Fitness News Schools on the Move logs are due to Mrs. Keyworth on or before Monday March 4th by 3:30. Please remember to count the total number of checks, circle your T-shirt size, and get a Parent Signature. We have completed our volleyball unit and had some fun with unicycles and dance in 3rd 5th grade. In the primary grades screams of joy were heard around the school when we had some adventures with the parachute. We continued on our journey of improving our throwing and catching and honed our dance and gymnastic skills. FITNESS Bobcats continue to complete their 2013 push-ups and we are currently up to 9 students who have shown dedication and determination in completing 2013 push-ups. Congratulations to Isabella Kiefer, Tadese Keyworth, Gavin Hagstrom, Ella Arnold, Ava Hause, Trek Keyworth, Andrew Kondratieff, Aiden Stewart, and Kelsey Anderson. Scooter and jog club will begin April 8th. We are currently scheduled on Mondays from 3:15-3:45 and Friday mornings from 8:00-8:20 am. Look for the flier in Green folders at the beginning of April for more information. All Bethke students are welcome! All you have to do is show up with a scooter and a helmet (if you want to scooter) or just show up with comfortable shoes if you want to run. You are not required to attend every club so come and have fun when you are able. Terri Keyworth Bethke P.E. Teacher

11 Page 11 Bethke Elementary March 2013 Reporting Absences We want to make sure that your child is safe and sound. That s why it s important for you to notify us as soon as possible if your child will be absent from school for any reason. This includes absences due to illness, appointments, family travel, and unforeseen family issues. Unreported absences will be investigated to assure that each student is safe and accounted for. To report an absence, call our attendance line at You may leave a message anytime, night or day. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated! No Early Drop Off Parents please do not drop your child off at Bethke prior to 8:15am. There is no supervision available prior to that time either in the building or outside on the playground. If you have a need to drop your child off at an earlier time, please contact BASE camp for before school care. Call Thank you for your cooperation in making sure that students are not at Bethke unsupervised.

12 Page 12 Bethke Elementary March 2013 March 2013 MON TUE WED TH FRI 1 4th Grade Wax Museum 1-3pm - Gym OM - 3:15pm Rm Chorus 7:45am Spanish K-1 & 2nd 7:45am Rms 130 & 110 3rd Grade Coffee Talk 8:35am - Cafeteria OM - 3:15pm Rm Spanish 4th-5th 7:45am Rm 113 OM - 3:15pm Rm 113 Homework Help 3rd-5th 3:15pm Rm Chess Club 7:45am Art Room Spanish 4th-5th 7:45am Rm 113 4th Grade to Capitol - 8:45am Bruhn & Hause Homework Help 3rd-5th 3:15pm Rm 213 OM - 3:15pm Rm Chorus 7:45am Spanish K-1 & 2nd 7:45am Rms 130 & 110 4th Grade to Capitol - 8:45am Gallagher & Wilson Invention Convention pm - Gym Science Matters - 3:15pm Art Room 8 OM - 3:15pm Rm 113 OM - 3:15pm Rm Chorus 7:45am Spanish K-1 & 2nd 7:45am Rms 130 & 110 PTO Meeting - 6:30pm Cafeteria 12 Spanish 4th-5th 7:45am Rm 113 Homework Help 3rd-5th 3:15pm Rm Chess Club 7:45am Art Room Spanish 4th-5th 7:45am Rm 113 Homework Help 3rd-5th 3:15pm Rm Chorus 7:45am Spanish K-1 & 2nd 7:45am Rms 130 & School Closed Teacher Workday 18 School Closed Spring Break 19 School Closed Spring Break 20 School Closed Spring Break 21 School Closed Spring Break 22 School Closed Spring Break 25 Chorus 7:45am 26 TCAP TCAP TCAP Report Cards Sent Home Homework Help 3rd-5th 3:15pm Rm 213 5th Grade Parent Night 6-7pm - Media Center Chess Club 7:45am Art Room Homework Help 3rd-5th 3:15pm Rm 213 Chorus 7:45am Important Upcoming Dates 4/2-4 - TCAP - Grades 3-5 4/8 - PTO Meeting 4/12 - School Closed/Teacher Work Day 4/15 - School Closed/Collaboration Day 4/18 - Paintbox Theatre K-2-10am - Gym 4/19 - Spring Group Picture Day - Gym 4/ Book Fair - Media Center 4/25-3rd Grade Music Performance - 6:30pm - Gym 4/26-3rd Grade Music Performance - 9:30am - Gym 4/26 - PTO Spring Social - 6-8pm 4/26-5th Grade to Middle Schools 4/26 - Midterm

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