February!

Were you able to walk or roll to school today? The Bel Aire PTA helped students celebrate as they entered campus today. If you missed it, you have another chance to get those wheels ready. Parents, dust off those roller blades and join the fun for the next Walk and Roll Day on March 2nd.

Speaking of fun, today was Global School Play Day. Bel Aire teachers participated by blocking off a chunk of time for students to simply play. No screens, no strict structure, just board games and kids connecting with their peers and teachers.

Don't worry, parents and guardians--there is much high-quality teaching and learning happening at Bel Aire as well: writing workshops, differentiated math lessons,

Teachers are honoring Black History Month in special ways:

• Mr. Gist's 5th grade music class is doing a writing activity where students pair up and are asked to create their own verses (in the style of Rap a Tap Tap) about a famous African-American person.In 4th grade, they are doing another call/response song called “Step Back Baby”. In 3rd grade, they did a xylophone song about MLK Day.
• Mrs. Sobhani's class studied Langston Hughes and read the 1619 Born on the Water book. They are also doing the heritage project from Teaching Tolerance website to honor the class' diversity.
• Mrs. Brigulio's class studied Lois Mailou Jones and how she was an influential artist during her seven facade career. Then each child also chose a famous black American to research and we made a banner. Students presented these to the class. They’re also incorporating lessons on many other famous black American in our social studies lesson.

Help wanted! Nature-loving parents need apply! We are looking for a parent volunteer(s) to help with a lunchtime Dirt Diggin' club. What is this, you ask? We have a fair number of kiddos who love to dig in the soil, make rock formations, collect grasses and generally get their hands dirty. We could use help in guiding some of their play and helping them navigate the space. Please send me an email if you'd like more info or may be interested.

I hope you and your families stay healthy!

John DiCosmo

Principal

Greetings from MCOE Wellness,

We are thrilled to shine a light on some exciting work and pass along free mental health tools to you and your teams. We all know that Covid-19 has put children and families under unprecedented stress. We believe that you will find the attached resource helpful.

Child Mind Institute launched the California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Project in partnership with the State of California. This platform of free video and print-based mental health and wellness resources for educators, caregivers, and students is designed to promote children’s emotional health and help us all thrive.

The videos, offered in Spanish and English, include introductions for caregivers and educators that provide an overview of the project, the importance of self-care, and signs that kids may need extra help. Video modules (roughly five minutes each) are tailored for each of three different age groups — elementary, middle, and high school — with five videos for each group.

Finally, we invite you to keep this email and the California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Project top of mind. MCOE Wellness will soon share related resources including offering virtual office hours, so that we might be able to answer your questions and help you take advantage of these resources.

Please bookmark and share the dedicated digital content hubs linked below:

For Parents

For Educators

For Students

Parents, for those of you with adolescents (or soon to be), this important discussion sponsored by the Marin County Office of Education may be of interest.

In the fourth of six conversations in the Let's Talk Community Discussion series for 2021-22, we will talk about Mental Health and Underage Substance Use. The relationship between mental health and substance use goes in both directions. Teens who struggle with mental health challenges are more likely to use substances. In turn, teens who use substances may be more likely to experience mental health challenges in the future. Our speakers will talk about how this is impacting local youth and what parents and caregivers can do to help.

via Zoom on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

Join the discussion: Register Here

By February 14th – Order your special Valentine’s Spirit Wear Tote set

March 2nd – Walk and Roll to School

March 2nd – Bel Aire PTA Meeting

Walk and Roll to School: Walk and Roll to School is back again! On Wednesday, March 2nd grab your bike, jump on your scooter, or lace up those sneakers and walk or roll to school! Prizes will be given to those who participate, so have fun, get some exercise, and start your day off right!

Choicelunch Volunteers: Interested in volunteering on campus this year at Bel Aire? Consider Choicelunch! Every day parent volunteers assist with our incredible Choicelunch program, organizing and handing out lunches to the kids. It's fun, easy and quick. Commitments are for a regular “once a month” shift from 12:00-12:45pm with 3 fellow parent volunteers (don't worry, we can always help find substitutes).

Want to learn more and/or sign-up for a regular shift or as a substitute? Contact our Bel Aire Choicelunch Coordinators, Sarah Abbott (sabbott29@gmail.com) & Keri McCarthy Ferry (keri.l.mccarthy@gmail.com)

Bel Aire Spirit Wear: Show your Bel Aire spirit and support the Bel Aire PTA! Get your Bel Aire Spirit Wear including t-shirts, hoodies, and tote bags featuring the new Bel Aire design. These adorable totes with water bottle are $25 and can be delivered to your doorstep in time for Valentine’s Day. To order, contact Amanda Hyslop at amandahyslop@gmail.com. All proceeds support the Bel Aire PTA.

Bel Aire PTA:

If you are interested in learning more about the PTA or want to get involved, please join us for our next Bel Aire PTA meeting on Wednesday, March 2nd at 9:00 a.m. For more information, contact Bel Aire PTA Site Chair Laura Smith, lauracarolinesmith@gmail.com

Thank you, PTA members for your votes, and to all the candidates for volunteering to serve. The following individuals have been elected to this year’s Nominating Committee:

Amanda Hyslop

Amy Dugdale

Annie Defesche

Christine Neumeier

Sam Chatham

Chuck Hornbrook will serve as alternate. The Nominating Committee will meet over the next several weeks to develop a slate of PTA officers for the 2022-2023 school year. Open positions include Reed Site Chair, Del Mar Site Chair, District Executive Vice President, Auditor & District Treasurer. If you are interested in one of these leadership positions, please contact any of the Nominating Committee members or rusdptasecretary@gmail.com.

Email: jdicosmo@reedschools.org
Website: www.reedschools.org
Location: Bel Aire Elementary School, Karen Way, Belvedere Tiburon, CA, USA
Phone: (415) 388- 7100