| Upcoming Events | | | 5/14 | May Day | | | 5/20-5/21 | Spring Musical: The Secret Garden | 7pm | | 5/27 | Arts & Academics Night
| | | 5/28 | Volunteer Reception
| After Dropoff | | 5/28 | Noon Dismissal | |
The date for the Variety Show is Tuesday - June 8, 2010 at 1:00pm and 7:00pm that evening. Students in grades three through eight are invited to be a part of the Variety Show. Entry is not based on talent, but tryouts are held to ensure that each child is prepared and to validate the appropriateness of the act. Each interested student is allowed to perform in two acts. Tryouts will be on Tuesday - May 25, 2010 during their music period. 3rd and 4th grade students should come to the music room on May 25th during their recess time to tryout. |  |
| From the BPC | | Support the Hope in Richmond Community Service Project! Starting next week, donation boxes will be available to collect needed items for Grass Roots Youth Soccer and other community projects for a small community of 9,000 in Richmond, South Africa, which is faced with 70% unemployment and a 35% HIV infection rate. Supplies that are urgently needed include: soccer equipment for youth of all ages (used and new cleats, shin guards, goalie gloves, jerseys and shorts, and new soccer balls - deflated); art supplies (glue sticks, construction paper, colorful tissue paper, paper for finger painting, child-safe scissors, markers, crayons); and supplies for a children's library (Play Doh, children's puzzles). The donated items will be hand-carried to Richmond in July by members of local community groups working to meet critical needs in Richmond focused on several key areas: nutrition, health, sanitation, employment and education. Other organizations involved include St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Poolesville, Rotary International, The Episcopal Diocese in Rockville, Monocacy Lion's Club of Poolesville, and the Anglican Church in Quebec, Canada. Please help support our effort by donating anything you can.
Thank You A special thank you to all the parents and students who helped to make last week special for all of our teachers and staff. Your dedication and contributions during the week made for a fun and memorable week. Thanks also to Kristen Waksberg, Amy Slattery, Navada Pleasants, Eve Rothenberg, Susan Tataei, Dawn Walton, Jennifer McKenney, Beth Myers, Joan Kaminski, Jennifer Zuppas, Amy Cubert, Rakhi Handa, Julie Landis, Flo Meit, Susanne Johnson, Gayle Prokopchak, Deb Collins and Lynn Stearns for helping the week run smoothly. -Siena Roberton & Dawn Wilbur | |
| Business Office | | Lunch Orders
Just a friendly reminder from the Business Office that lunch balances are due as soon as possible. Starting this month, lunch balances must be paid before orders for next month can be placed. Please contact Marie Mehala with any questions.
Attention Payment Plan Families:
Thank you for the patience that you have shown as we transition over to the new FACTS online reenrollment.
This is a friendly reminder that you need to enroll online by the 15th of May. Click this link: FACTS Online Enrollment to start the process.
The FACTS enrollment is $38. This fee is in addition to the school service fee as indicated on your enrollment contract. | |
| A Note from Mrs. Nave | | Move –Up – Day Packets Your child should have brought home an envelope with his/her summer work and supply list last Tuesday on Move-up-Day. I have enclosed a health record and a student information sheet in the packet. Please return the health form and student information form to me by June 30. Any health forms needing a doctor’s signature are due in August. In the next few weeks all forms and supply lists will be placed on the Website under forms for your easy access. I will let you know when they are available. Lost and Found Our lost and found is accumulating fast. Please stop by and claim your child’s lost items. Tooth box report- just for fun! Yea! I was given the opportunity to pull a first graders tooth this week. It surprised us both when it came out of her mouth. Three other tooth boxes left my office since the last Bits. There are so many teeth falling out this year. I have ordered more boxes and a chart to keep track of the number of tooth boxes leaving my office in a month. | |
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| | From Our Head of School | | For this week’s Bits, I’d like to write a thank-you note, but instead of sending it just to the intended recipients, I’d like the whole school to read it. Dear Nicole Campbell, Debbie Don, and Jan Hyland: Thank you all so much for bringing about a truly outstanding Spring Fling Gala this past weekend. I have attended over 15 such auctions over my years in education, and I will go on record as saying that this was hands down the best one I’ve ever attended. The mood was lively, the company was delightful, the setting was superb – and somehow you even kept the tent from falling over in all that wind! I don’t know how you all pulled it off…actually, I do know how. You did it through ceaseless hard work and tireless effort. Nicole, with all of your many responsibilities, you still kept this event moving forward and on schedule over many, many months. Debbie & Jan, you volunteered so much of yourselves for the good of the Gala that you practically joined our administrative staff. And I must say, it has been a delight to get to know Kendall, and I have enjoyed my talks with her (in fact, she’s sitting outside my office as I type this, singing a little song). The three of you made for a dynamic team of energy, enthusiasm, and creativity, and the results were fabulous. Janine and I loved the theme, and it was a treat to see everyone’s take on “denim & diamonds”. We certainly have some sharp looking parents in our midst! Personally, I did pretty well to break in my cowboy boots, and I was pleased to know that I wasn’t the only male in the place sporting a diamond earring. There were so many joyful snapshots of the evening – catching up with old friends, talking with new parents, showing off the Barnesville community to our invited guests. Janine and I were even lucky enough to win a few auction items, and we’re already planning a wonderful summer vacation as a result. By the way, did I mention that one of our parents placed a bid sticker on me? (I won’t share who!) And while my feet gave out before the dancing began, I hear that the Strong Mansion staff had to roust us out well before our parents were ready to call it a night! Without question, the highlight of the evening for me was seeing the support of our parents and contributors in our live auction. This support came from not just one or two people, but from numerous individuals throughout the room. And when Melanie Gekas made a special plea for contributions to our financial aid program, many of us were near tears. Such a massive show of support for Barnesville and its programs was quite moving. It speaks to Barnesville’s strength and special place in this upcounty region. Every parent I spoke to at the end of the evening felt this same energy and optimism for the future. Again, thank you Nicole, Debbie, and Jan for your leadership, your passion, and your love of the school. This was truly a special event. I cannot wait for next year’s Gala. On behalf of us all, thank you! John Huber | |
| Middle School | | Field Trips 5th grade had a wonderful trip to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Md. on Monday, May 10th to support their study of the Civil War. 7th grade will be heading to the Buddhist Temple in Poolesville, Md. on Tuesday, May 18th which supports their study of Religions of the World. On June 4th the entire middle school will be attending the Maryland Green School Youth Summit at Sandy Point State Park. We will join 2,000 youth and education leaders from across the state to celebrate the 2010 Maryland Green School Awards. The students will participate in summit roundtables planned for youth by youth. Various artists will be performing and the students will also be able to engage in over 25 Environmental Education learning stations. It promises to be an exciting day so look for a permission form to be coming home very soon. Middle School Musical
Don’t forget!!! Next Thursday and Friday evenings at 7:30 PM our middle school musical cast will be performing The Secret Garden in the Athletic/Performing Arts Center. Admission is free. The kids have been working very hard and are looking forward to us all coming out to support their efforts!! Graduation Dinner R.S.V.P. Just a reminder to eighth grade families to return their reservation forms to Vickie Roos for the graduation dinner on Wednesday, June 9th at 7:00 PM. | |
| Lower School | | Pre-Kindergarten The Pre-Kindergarten students have certainly been enjoying their Star of the Week program- a time where the wonderful uniqueness of each student is celebrated and shared! First Grade Having studied our country and learning the first steps in reading a map, First Grade is now learning about American symbols in Social Studies (items such as the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, and the bald eagle). Second Grade Second Grade will commemorate Children’s Day- a Japanese celebration- next Friday, May 21st. They will have fun with hands-on activities (writing haiku, eating candy sushi, painting kimonos, and doing origami) during the morning and then will culminate the end of their Japanese unit by sharing lunch together at the Miyako Restaurant. Third Grade Currently the third graders are building their African habitats. Also, they are excited about researching their explorer as part of their preparation for their Explorer Museum in a few weeks. Fourth Grade Fourth Grade is gearing up for their State Fair on the morning of Tuesday, May 25th. All fourth grade parents are invited. The parents are working with their children to create a recipe that reflects the popular food of their state. | |
| Admissions and Advancement | | Our Middle School has been busy this week with Admissions visitors! As part of our admissions process, applicants spend a day with their current peer group. This allows our teachers to observe a candidate and provide feedback to the Admissions Committee. Applicants for next year’s 5th, 6th, and 8th grades visited our 4th, 5th, and 7th grades. We already have another Middle School visitor (7th grade applicant) joining our 6th grade next week! A special thanks to their buddies for the day! Additionally, the Admissions office continues to conduct tours. We had four tours this week alone! The passion and dedication of our Faculty & Staff, as well as the joy of our children, is obvious to all who visit our campus! Be sure to let your friends and neighbors know that we are still accepting applications. And don’t forget our referral program! You can be eligible for $1,000 if a family that you refer enrolls a new student between now and August 15th. GO BARNESVILLE! | |
| Communications and Marketing | |  | THANK YOU to everyone who helped make Saturday night a success!
Strong Mansion proved to be the perfect venue for our community to come together to celebrate and support our school. The crowd certainly rose to the occasion, making it one of our most successful galas in terms of fundraising. All of our kids will benefit from the night!
We can’t thank everyone in BITS, but please flip through the pages of your catalog and click here for the addendum of donors and volunteers.
Special thanks to John McMillen, Emily Meceira (alum parent!), Tricia and Bob Nolan, Paula Russin, Jim Snider and Deb Weiss-Collins for stepping aside from the party to work with us that night. And, to Gay Butz, Julie Klingenstein, Michelle Pappas, Lynne Rasmussen, and Kristen Waksberg, for working their magic on Friday to set up the Silent Auction room!
Finally, we need to thank the bidders (although they got plenty of cheers and applause that night!) for their generosity and spirit that carried the night.
And then….we danced! | |
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