Dear Families,
I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break. I enjoyed talking with our students about their break. Many of them shared stories about vacations, field trips at daycare, and time with extended family. I am so glad they enjoyed their time off.
Our Kindergarten Registration event was so fun! It was wonderful meeting so many of our newest Berkeley Bears and families. If you were unable to attend our registration event this week, please call the school to schedule a meeting with our registrar, Ms. Nebie. She will work with you to ensure your child is registered for the 23-24 school year. Additionally, I encourage all families with new kindergarten students to attend our Kindergarten Transition meeting on Monday (4/17) at 9:00 AM in the cafeteria. We will be sharing information on what to expect for the 23-24 school year, family involvement opportunities, and completing a classroom tour.
We are now in the final stretch of the school year with only five and a half weeks left. I am looking forward to finishing the year strong. There will be a lot happening between now and May 24 with schoolwide activities, testing, and end of year events. There will be a strong emphasis on our PBIS expectations (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe) to encourage our students to continue to make good choices and make the most of the last month and a half of school.
I hope many of you can join us for our Title I Planning meeting on Wednesday (4/19) at 5:00 PM. We are seeking feedback from our school community on our Title I program. Topics will include our budget, school/family commitments, and family and student needs. The meeting will be in-person and on Zoom.
As always, I appreciate your continued support. My door is always open for feedback. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Ashley Coughlin
Title I Planning Meeting, 5:00 PM
(Note: This meeting was originally scheduled for Thurs. April 20th)
The Planning Meeting is an opportunity for Berkeley Lake parents and community members to provide input on our Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI) goals for the 23-24 school year. It is also one opportunity for you to provide input on the The Plan... The Promise... and Budget.
When: Wednesday, April 19th at 5:00pm
Where: Zoom and In-Person (Berkeley Lake ES)
Meeting ID: 951 5873 1594
Learn more about the Title I Planning Meeting by watching one of the linked videos below.
If Your Child is Currently a 5th Grader
Please join the BLES Counselors and Parent Liaison for our annual How To Parent Your Rising 6th Grader workshop on April 20th from 6:00-7:00 in person and simultaneously on Zoom. We will meet in the Small Professional Learning Room (room 1.151). The Zoom link will be shared via Class Dojo closer to the event. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be provided.
The workshop is for adults only. It is not intended for students.
Zoom Meeting Link is: https://tinyurl.com/BLES5thGrParentWorkshop
Meeting ID: 997 4364 5887
Deadline for 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Students to Submit Poetry Contest Entries
In celebration, we are excited to announce a poetry contest for all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students.
Students can write an original poem on any subject, no more than 20 lines, and turn it into the Media Center by Friday, April 21st. Each students' poetry entry will be submitted to the National Student Poetry Contest, and it may be selected to be published!
Many great prizes such as a cash, Amazon gift cards, and electronics will be awarded, just for entering the contest!
Important information about the contest and an entry form can be found in the folder outside the Media Center and in the 5th grade hallway.
From Our PTO:
5th grade Promotion Ceremony Slideshow Pictures needed
It’s hard to believe that we are winding down the year and our 5th graders will be soon saying goodbye to their time at Berkeley Lake. The PTO is helping to assist with some awesome promotion activities because we want to make this special for them. Let’s look back at how they’ve grown, so for all 5th grade parents, please send in a baby picture of your 5th graders for the 5th grade promotion slide show! Email pictures to Amy Potter at oakyma2023@gmail.com. Please be sure to include the student's name and teacher in your email.
5th Grade Fun Day t-Shirts/Class of 2030 shirts - Order forms due April 17
Get ready! Get set! They are off and running! Order your kids "Class of 2030" t-shirt! The students picked the design, and it will be the same for all 5th graders in any Duluth Cluster School! It does not matter if your child will be attending Coleman or Duluth Middle School - this will be a shirt he/she can wear for a long time. The best part is that it is only $10 and can be used later on for a t-shirt quilt for the kids! SO COOL! Payment is due this coming Monday the 17th. Please turn in this linked order form.
Please note: MyPaymentsPlus is not available for this.
PTO General Meeting
Join us on May 4, 2023 at 5:30 pm for our PTO/Volunteer Informational Meeting:
Join the PTO for a BIG THANK YOU for helping out the school this year. We will get together at school to discuss what the PTO is all about, how you can help and volunteer at the school and just hang with other parents while we say thank you for all the help you've given to our amazing Berkeley Lake Bears this school year.
You can still order a yearbook. Don't miss your opportunity to order your copy of this year's memories. You can still order a yearbook for $35.00 until the sale ends April 19, 2023. Click here to place an order.
Berkeley Lake Elementary is a Computer Science 100 Award Recipient
Over Spring Break, we were recognized at the National Summit for K-5 Computer Science Education with the National CS100 Award for being a top computer science elementary school that is committed to teaching Computer Science to 100% of our K-5 students and go the extra step to cover all grade-level standards in Computer Science for the district. We'd like to thank our Computer Science Specials teacher, Madison Taylor, for all of her work teaching our students the standards. Now, we are nationally recognized for our Computer Science accomplishments this year.
Check out Mrs. Taylor's submission video below to see all of the great things she is doing with our students in all grade levels.
If You Were Unable to Attend This Week's Parent Workshop About Our Gifted Progam
Thank you for those parents who participated in our first ever "Gifted Parent Workshop"! We hope it was informative and you feel empowered to advocate for your child! If you were unable to attend either the Zoom or in-person workshops, you can still access all material that was shared by clicking on this link. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Emma Kraeling at Emma.Kraeling@gcpsk12.org.
The Lost and Found is Full!
Please ask your child to look in the lost and found for missing items. There is an overflow of coats, jackets, sweatshirts, and water bottles. We have put green tags on items that have been in the Lost and Found since before Spring Break. These will be donated to charity on April 21.
April 24th - May 12th, GMAS for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Students
The end of year Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) will take place the following dates and attendance on these dates will be important. Please do not schedule appointments or schedule out-of-town trips during this period if at all possible.
Click here for general information about the Georgia Milestones Assessment.
April 27 (Thursday), Duluth Town Green STEAM Event from Duluth Schools
Join us for a night of science, technology, engineering, art & math on Town Green as students from the Duluth school cluster showcase their project-based learning projects. Students will show off their real-world applications, investigations and more!
May 6 (Saturday)
The Book Mobile 5K will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the Instructional Support Center.
The 5K is our only fundraiser of the year to put new books into kids' hands!
Let’s top last year’s number of 766 registrations and make this an even greater day to support literacy!
Remember: the school with the most 5K registrations wins a visit from the GCPS Book Mobile! The trip fee is waived, and the first 200 books given away are free!
Register at bookmobile5k.com and get the awesome shirt shown here.
If you aren't able to do the 5K and would like to make a donation to the Book Mobile program with a credit or debit card, follow these steps on the GCPS Foundation page:
- Use this link to get started
- Select or type the amount as a one-time gift to the Book Mobile fund
- A $100 donation gets your name or an honoree listed on the back of the race day t-shirt.
- Complete the billing and payment information
- You will receive a confirmation letter from the GCPS Foundation in the mail.
Through May 31: Survey Parents of Students Receiving Special Education Services
If your child is receiving special education services from GCPS, then the state is asking you to participate in a parent survey to measure parent/family perceptions of the success of parents engagement between home and local schools. The survey is now available and will run through May 31st. Click here to access the survey.
Camp Invention Hiring Leaders and Giving Scholarships
Discount Rate for Camp Invention Available Through Scholarship Funds
- Thanks to the generous support of the Nordson Corporation Foundation, a limited number of need-based scholarships are now available for students on a first-come, first-serve basis. The scholarship is for the amount of $150, which leaves a remaining camp fee of $125. If you are interested in this scholarship opportunity for your child, please email Trina.Ashadele@gcpsk12.org.
- More information about Camp Invention can be found in the Summer Camps section below. This camp will run June 5th - June 8th from 8:00AM - 4:00PM, but an extended day option is available for an additional charge.
Camp Invention is in search of Leaders in Training (LIT).
- Leaders in Training are adults or older teens looking who are willing to work the camp and learn more about its program. Leaders in Training can receive special codes to bring their own children to Camp Invention. Click here for more information about this program.
Registration Deadline for Swim Team Sign Up is Tomorrow
Looking for a fun summer activity for your kids? Come join the Berkeley Hills Barracudas Swim Team. Registration is now open. Get a spot before they fill up. Contact Danielle Rankin at (404) 452-2134 or email to derankin73@gmail.com for more information or use the link to visit our website.
Registration deadline is Saturday, April 15.
