
BRIARWOOD ELEMENTARY pta newsletter
September 6th, 2023 www.briarwoodpta.org
MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL LASH
Facility Dog
Last Spring, we welcomed Dove, facility dog, to TEAM Briarwood! Dove is a Labrador Retriever. Liz Peters, 4th grade teacher, qualified to bring a Facility Dog to school and is the primary handler. The dog is trained to provide comfort and support to students, as well as assist with the overall positive climate of the school. Research has shown that facility dogs can provide social, emotional, and academic benefits to students in so many ways. It comes to us from KSDS Assistance Dogs Inc. (http://www.ksds.org/about-us/general-information/) a highly reputable organization that has placed more than 600 dog teams across the country. Dove will be used for the benefit of all students in the building as we are making plans for her to visit classrooms, library, and work with individual students. Please email me directly with any health or medical concerns for your child at chrislash@smsd.org. The Facility Dog will have boundaries set and will be on a leash with a staff member when walking around the school.
Panorama Social-Emotional Survey
The first Panorama Social-Emotional Survey will be given in grades three through 12 between October 16 and November 10, 2023. Only those students whose parent/guardian consented during the registration process will be allowed to participate.
Upcoming Spanish Language Parent Technology Workshops
The Shawnee Mission School District is partnering with the LatinX Education Collaborative and Revolución Educativa to host Parent Technology Workshops in Spanish that will be held at the SMSD Center for Academic Achievement. Please review the workshop flyer for registration information. El Distrito Escolar Shawnee Mission se está asociando con LatinX Education Collaborative y Revolución Educativa para organizar talleres de tecnología para padres que se llevarán a cabo en el Centro de Rendimiento Académico de SMSD. Revise el folleto del taller para obtener información sobre la inscripción.
IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES @ BRIARWOOD
Friday, September 8th
Briarwood Auction Kickoff Party 7-10:30 pm @ The Smith/Ormsby Home
*
Saturday, September 9th
Landscaping Work Day- signup below!
*
Wednesday, September 13th
Dinning Partner: Buffalo State Pizza
*
Friday, September 15th
NO SCHOOL
*
Saturday, September 16th
Landscaping Work Day- signup below!
*
Friday, September 22nd
Family Movie Night @ Briarwood- see flyer below for details
*
Tuesday, September 26th
Skate Party 6-8pm
*
Saturday, September 30
Bulldog Jog - more details to come in the following weeks
*
Wednesday, October 11th
Picture Day **please note date reschedule
Full BW PTA Calendar is available here
JOIN THE PTA! *Join by Oct 1st and you could win 1 of 10 $50 gift cards*
The simple act of joining PTA provides instant financial support for our students! The PTA provides additional activities, programs, and financial assistance not covered by the Shawnee Mission School District. It's also a great way to stay informed about what's happening at school and connect in meaningful ways with other parents.
Together we can do a lot of good. Join now by clicking here!
DONT FORGET TO CREATE/UPDATE YOUR ONLINE DIRECTORY PROFILE
Get started today by visiting https://www.briarwoodpta.org, select “Directory”
- Update or create an account through Membership Toolkit. Once you update/create your account, you can decide what information is shared in the online directory, which is ONLY accessible to other BW registrants.
- Our directory will only be as useful as YOU make it. Please register to help us build a stronger community network for parents/caregivers and students.
- Download the Membership Toolkit app from the App Store or Google Play for on-the-go access.
Questions? Contact Karen Moore: karen.jeanne.moore@gmail.com
Join us for a Briarwood community movie night on Friday, September 22
Bring a picnic dinner, blankets and/or lawn chairs and enjoy the Super Mario Bros. movie with your family and friends!
Families may start arriving to set up at 6:45 pm. The movie will begin at dusk (approx. 7:15 pm). Please arrange blankets/chairs on the soccer field with blankets up front and chairs towards the back.
Parking will be available in the Briarwood parking lot and adjacent neighborhood streets. Families that live in nearby are encouraged to walk to ensure parking is available for families who live further away.
Let's Kick It!!
You’re invited to help us start this year’s auction fundraising at our Auction Kick Off Party THIS Friday, September 8th from 7-10:30pm! This year’s kick off is generously hosted by David Smith & Cindy Ormsby, at 4918 W. 87th St. in Prairie Village. The dress code is casual.
Please bring a cash/check/credit donation OR an item/good/service for the silent or live auction as your “ticket” to the party.
To RSVP for the Kick Off Party and see a list of donation ideas, visit https://www.briarwoodauction.com/donation-party.
Looking for a way to help that doesn’t require any time? We are always looking for monetary donations to help with the cost of our parties! Venmo Craig Dawson (@craig-dawson) to help with the food & beverage cost for our kick off party!
Then mark your calendar to join us for our biennial auction on Saturday, March 2, 2024 as we celebrate Briarwood Night at the Masquerade! Tickets on sale soon! Visit briarwoodauction.com for more info.
JOIN THE 2024 AUCTION COMMITTEE!
We are looking for the next auction leadership team and volunteers to make the March 2024 Briarwood Auction a huge success! The auction is Briarwood's largest fundraiser and funds most of our PTA budget for two years. Do you have a special talent or skill? Are you looking for a way to get involved and give back? We'd love to talk with you and answer any questions you may have. Please reach out to Katie Enger (katieenger@hotmail.com , (913-972-7091) and Clarissa McMillan (mcmillan.clarissa@gmail.com).
Thank you for helping make our 2024 auction a great success!
Donate to the Briarwood Foundation
Did you know that the Briarwood Foundation is separate from the PTA? The Foundation provides that little extra for our students and funds programs and supplies not provided by federal, state, school district or PTA budgets. For more information, click here!
2022-2023 Purchases include:
* 3-D printer for Makerspace
* Primary Haggerty- phonics curriculum
* RAZ Kids- reading curriculum
*New calculators for Mathletics
FRIENDS & FAMILY SIGN
When you purchase a Friends & Family sign for $100, your donation will go directly to the Briarwood Foundation. Your sign will be displayed at Briarwood events such as the Bulldog Jog, Veterans Day, Open House and the Carnival. Please complete and return the form by September 15th.
September Celebrations & Recognitions
National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
National Suicide Prevention Month
September 8th – International Literacy Day
September 12th – National Day of Encouragement
September 16th – Mexican Independence Day
September 17th – Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
September 21st – International Day of Peace
September 23rd – International Day of Sign Language
September 28th – National Good Neighbor Day
Great Reads & Recipes
Great Reads
Children’s Books with Deaf Characters
Picture Books That Celebrate Hispanic and Latine Heritage
Around the World Recipes
Hispanic Kitchen is the ideal venue to reach home cooks and professionals who cherish the foods of their homelands, from Mexico to the Caribbean, and beyond, and also those who wish to discover these wonderful flavors.
Braden's Hope for Childhood Cancer
Braden's Hope, a local Nonprofit Charity organization, is based in Olathe and was founded in 2010. Their mission is to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research to advance cures for children like Braden and their vision is to deliver hope to children and families fighting childhood cancer. Braden’s Hope’s purpose is to accelerate the fight against childhood cancer by funding research across the Midwest to ensure no family hears the words “no known cure” during their fight with cancer.
To read about Braden and his mother Deliece, who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the same time as Braden's diagnosis, click here.
VOLUNTEER CROSSING GUARDS NEEDED
Please help Briarwood students get to school safely! The intersection at 86th and Juniper does not have a SMSD-staffed crossing guard; the school relies on volunteers. All volunteers are welcome, but if your student uses this intersection, please consider signing up once per month.
SHIFTS:
- 7:50 - 8:10 am (school starts at 8:10 a.m. for all grades)
- 3:05 - 3:20 (dismissal at 3:10 p.m. for all grades)
- 12:25 - 12:40 p.m. on half days (half-day dismissal is at 12:30 for all grades; half days are indicated on the sign-up calendar)
CROSSWALK RULES:
- Cars are not permitted to turn LEFT off 86th Street onto Juniper (you may have to remind drivers)
- Students must walk themselves and/or their bikes/scooters across the crosswalk
CROSSING GUARD DUTIES:
- Manage pedestrian and vehicle traffic for safe street crossing
- Remind students to follow street crossing rules
- Help control car and pedestrian traffic conditions
Thank you!
Read Across SMSD
Elementary
"The Coquies Still Sing"
By Karina Nicole González
illustrated by Krystal Quiles
Middle Grade
Young Adult
NOW AVAILABLE: SMORE TRANSLATION
- On the right side of the newsletter, a bar will appear with the Translation feature.
- Click on the Translation bar then click on the Select Language button.
- Choose your language of choice from the drop-down menu of languages and click close. The newsletter will now be translated.
En el lado derecho de la pagina, aparecerá una barra con la función de traducción. Haga clic en la barra de traducción y luego haga clic en el botón Seleccionar idioma. Elija español en el menú desplegable de idiomas y haga clic en cerrar. El boletín ahora se traducirá.
GET SOCIAL - Connect With Us Online!
Website: https://www.briarwoodpta.org/
Twitter: @BriarwoodElem
Instagram: @BriarwoodBulldogs
Facebook: facebook.com/BriarwoodBulldogs
Grade-level Facebook Groups (private):
Briarwood Elementary Class of 2030 (6th grade)
Briarwood Elementary Class of 2031 (5th grade)
Briarwood Elementary Class of 2032 (4th grade)
Briarwood Elementary Class of 2033 (3rd grade)
Briarwood Elementary Class of 2034 (2nd Grade)
Briarwood Elementary Class of 2035 (1st Grade)
Briarwood Elementary Class of 2036 (Kindergarten)
2023-24 PTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Co-Presidents:
Deana Curtin • deanacurtin@gmail.com
Ashley Hunt • ashleyhunt910@gmail.com
President-Elect:
Rachel Wymore • rla08@hotmail.com
VP Administration:
Heather Rowe • hgreenlaw_01@yahoo.com
VP Communications:
Terra Snyder • walker_terra@hotmail.com
VP Community Events:
Kristin McClasky • Kdp1202@gmail.com
VP Student Services:
Susan Jarrold • susan.jarrold@gmail.com
VP Funding:
Jessica Becker • jessica.becker85@gmail.com
VP Finance:
Denise Wheeler • denisetompkins@mac.com
Treasurer:
Michelle Wiens mwiens678@gmail.com
Secretary:
Diana Beckman • dianalbeckman@gmail.com
Briarwood Foundation:
Valerie Moeder • ValerieLMoeder@gmail.com
Diversity & Inclusion Chair:
Craig Dawson • craigdawson@icloud.com