BRIARWOOD ELEMENTARY pta newsletter

Pre-K and Kindergarten Enrollment

Please help spread the word that Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten enrollment is beginning soon! Enrollment opens online at 8 a.m. on Friday, February 10, 2023. Families will be able to complete applications and reserve their spots. Those without technology access are encouraged to contact their area school for Kindergarten. Pre-K families are encouraged to contact the Early Childhood office. Everyone in the district is encouraged to share this information with any families who have 4 or 5 year olds. Click here for more information and for the enrollment page that opens on Feb. 10. (to enroll in Kindergarten, your student must be 5 years old by August 31, 2023) Briarwood does not offer a Pre-K program. Please contact the Early Childhood office for information on where it is offered in the district.

Kindergarten Kick-Off at Briarwood will be on Thursday, April 20th at 6pm for incoming Kindergartners AND their parent or guardian. More information about that will be forthcoming. In the meantime, after February 10th, please go ahead and enroll your student so that we have an idea of how many will be attending that evening.

Valentine Classroom Parties

I am excited to share that we will have our Valentine’s parties on Tuesday, February 14th at 2:30. Only designated room parents will be allowed to attend to avoid overcrowding classrooms. Students are allowed to pass out valentines on that day, but we encourage them to be candy free because of food allergies. If the valentines contain candy, they will not be allowed to be consumed at school. I have informed teachers to send students home with any candy they receive.

Traffic Reminders

• We continue to have an increase of students being dropped off at school in the small circle drive during morning drop off between 7:50-8:10, which is causing traffic/safety issues and delays. Only kindergarten students should be dropped off in the small circle drive. It is okay to drop off and pick up using the small circle drive between 8:10-3:00.
  
• Vehicles waiting to pick up in the big circle drive will use Juniper Lane as the preferred waiting que for vehicles. Vehicles may be stacked only on the west side of Juniper. If you would like for your student to walk from school to a designated location for pickup do not park or wait for them on Juniper.

Wednesday, February 8

Briarwood Night at Chipotle

6879 W. 91st Street, OP KS

4:00-8:00 pm

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Friday, February 10

No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences

*

Monday, February 20

No School - Presidents' Day

*

Thursday, February 23, 7:00 pm

PTA General Membership Meeting

Briarwood Cafeteria

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Full BW PTA Calendar is available here

Thank you Suzanne Gunning, Alex Swab and Lindsay Brown for putting on an amazing Trivia Night! Everyone had a great time and our knowledge of all things 90's were put to the test! Congratulations to the trivia and bingo winners....you're all that and a bag of chips!

Please join us for an informative IN-PERSON PTA General Membership. We'll meet in the Briarwood Cafeteria on Thursday, February 23 at 7:00 p.m.

During this meeting, Principal Lash will review the academic progress at Briarwood, Briarwood's social worker, Cassie Horn, will review the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum, and librarian Leigh Martens will introduce our involvement in the Special Olympics Unified Champions Program!

This new program builds on the Special Olympics' values, principles, practices and experiences and will help shape a generation that welcomes everyone. Every class will be engaged in thematic monthly lessons and activities that promote inclusion. January's focus was all about Identity. We read the book All My Stripes by Shaina Rudolph and Danielle Royer. February's theme is Belonging, and March's theme is teamwork!

Come learn what is happening at Briarwood and bring your questions!

We need volunteers to help nominate the PTA chairs for the 2023-2024 school year. This committee will work together to identify candidates in March/April, and is a small time commitment (10 hours or less). Also, if you would like to be involved as a PTA chair next year,
let us know! Contact: Rachel Wymore, (913) 645-0363, RLA08@hotmail.com

This is going to be a rough legislative session for Kansas public schools. Please take 5 minutes to read and learn about these current bills and potential threats here. It's really important that we as a community stay engaged and voice our concerns!

• Voucher bill that diverts public tax dollars to private schools

• Allowing non-public school kids to participate in public school athletics/activities

• Special Education funding
  

FEBRUARY CELEBRATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS

February (full month) Black History Month

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME 2023: RESISTANCE

Black History Month celebrates the rich cultural heritage, triumphs and adversities that are part of our country's history. This year's theme, “Black Resistance,” explores how African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, since the nation's earliest days. By resisting, African Americans continue to mobilize resources and shape social movements to create a space for Black Americans to thrive. Black resistance strategies have served as a model for every other social movement in the country, thus, the legacy and importance of these actions cannot be understated.

THINGS TO DO RELEVANT TO BLACK HISTORY

KCPL Friday Night Family Fun – 2/10/23 – Tribute to Buck O’Neil

Negro League Baseball Museum is FREE for the month of February

TO LEARN MORE:

Celebrating Black Leaders with PBS Kids

Black History Month for Kids – National Geographic

PTA MEMBERSHIP

PTA Memberships are for sale year round in the Briarwood School Store. Individual memberships are $12 and Joint memberships are $24. The Briarwood PTA works to support every student and teacher in our building and our goal is to have 100% participation from our families/caregivers and teachers. PTA memberships are also a fundraiser for Briarwood PTA. PTA members receive exclusive access to the online directory.

To join PTA and pay online now, please visit our PTA website at: briarwoodpta.org/join_pta

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN 2022 - TAX INFORMATION

Your support of the PTA in 2022 is appreciated. Donation letters have been sent, as required, to donors who made donations of $250 or more. If you would like a tax donation letter and did not receive one, please contact Michelle Wiens - mwiens678@gmail.com.

Get started today by visiting https://www.briarwoodpta.org, select “Directory”

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Shawnee Mission students have an exciting opportunity to turn their ideas into reality this spring!

The Next Great Idea competition gives students a chance to share their ideas for solving a problem, with an opportunity to win prize money to advance their idea. The Next Great Idea is a part of the district’s Research and Development Forum (R&D Forum), a districtwide celebration of student innovation and achievement.

How to apply: Application information can be found on the R&D webpage. The deadline to apply for the pitch competition is Friday, March 3, 2023. Optional practice sessions with industry mentors will be available for students who apply to compete.

About the contest: Applicants chosen as finalists will pitch their Next Great Idea to a panel of judges during the morning of April 29, 2023, at the Center for Academic Achievement, 8200 W. 71st Street. The pitch competition will be live-streamed so friends and family can participate as well. Top awards are $2,500, of which $1,000 is a cash award to be used by the winner to pursue their passion and education and up to $1,500 will be awarded as "build it" grants to support making the winner's pitch a reality. A People's Choice category, determined by public voters, will be awarded a $500 prize. There will also be an Idea of Promise award with a prize of $500.

More about the R&D Forum

Student Showcase:

The R&D Forum student showcase, with display-only and competitive exhibits, will be held in April 2023. Students, families, and staff members are encouraged to enter student-created projects, experiments, or art projects to share in this district-wide event. All submissions must be registered and information on how to register can be found online. The deadline to register for the showcase is Friday, March 24, 2023.

The SMSD community is invited to take part in this year’s 61st R&D Forum by attending the following events at the Center for Academic Achievement (CAA), 8200 W. 71st Street.

SHOWCASE OPEN HOUSE RECEPTIONS

• April 25, 2023: 4 - 7 pm
• April 26, 2023: 4 - 7 pm
• April 27, 2023: 4 - 7 pm

Entries will be on display at CAA, with a reception for all entrants and families.

NEXT GREAT IDEA LIVE PITCH

April 29, 2023:

• Morning - Finalists will present their Next Great Idea to a panel of judges. Public voting will follow the presentations.
• Afternoon - Awards ceremony for Showcase Entries, Regnier Award winners, and the Next Great Idea Pitch Competition award winners

About the R&D Forum

The Shawnee Mission Research and Development Forum celebrates its 61st year in 2023. It is one of the SMSD’s biggest student project showcases of the year!

Sincere appreciation is extended to the Regnier Family for 61 years of generous support for the SMSD R&D Forum.

Click here for more information and contacts if you have additional questions.

CROSSING GUARDS STILL NEEDED :) Please help us keep our students safe by volunteering to serve as a crossing guard at 86th and Juniper.

• Remind children to walk themselves and/or their bikes/scooters across the crosswalk.
• Help direct the before/after-school traffic and remind drivers that cars are not permitted to turn left off of 86th Street.
• Crosswalk volunteer shifts are 7:50-8:10am and 3:05-3:20pm (12:25pm-12:40pm on half days).

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B44A5A822A64-briarwood

1. On the right side of the newsletter, a bar will appear with the Translation feature.
2. Click on the Translation bar then click on the Select Language button.
3. 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.

Website: https://www.briarwoodpta.org/

Twitter: @BriarwoodElem

Instagram: @BriarwoodBulldogs

Facebook: facebook.com/BriarwoodBulldogs

Grade-level Facebook Groups (private):

Briarwood Elementary Class of 2029 (6th grade)

Briarwood Elementary Class of 2030 (5th grade)

Briarwood Elementary Class of 2031 (4rd grade)

Briarwood Elementary Class of 2032 (3nd grade)

Briarwood Elementary Class of 2033 (2st grade)

Briarwood Elementary Class of 2034 (1st Grade)

Briarwood Elementary Class of 2035 (K)

Briarwood Elementary Class of 2036 (NEW GROUP!)

Co-Presidents:

Mary Boomer • maryseltzerboomer@gmail.com

Deana Curtin • deanacurtin@gmail.com

President-Elect:

Ashley Hunt • ashleyhunt910@gmail.com

VP Administration:

Rachel Wymore • rla08@hotmail.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:

Wendy Hill • Wendyhill329@gmail.com

Diversity & Inclusion Chair:

Jessica Bryon • bryonfamkc@gmail.com