Bobcat Blast

Dear Bethany Families,

We've had a GREAT week, starting off with a performance by Ali-Olé to celebrate the start of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15th- Oct 15th). Here's a brief overview from their website:

"Cultures of Spain, Mexico and Latin America are explored in this exciting program of world music and dance which traces the origins of these art forms from China, the Middle East and Africa. Ali-Olé is a powerful duo of women artists from Spain and America who take students on an exciting educational and interactive journey of music and dance that illustrates cultural harmony which is decidedly relevant in today’s world.

“De Colores: A Hispanic Music and Dance Journey” celebrates connections across continents and civilizations. History and cultures come alive through the language of the fan, the mystery of castanets and the magic of a shawl in action! Students are invited to learn flamenco footwork and play Palmas (flamenco clapping), interact with the performers with Jaleo (shouts of encouragement) participate in a fan dance and later join in a lively group rumba dance!"

Check out our Instagram or Facebook Post to see the fun!

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Coming up: We will have our first SECURE DRILL tomorrow, Friday, September 20th. In this drill, students and staff practice coming inside (if they are out on the playground or track), make sure perimeter doors are locked (which they should be already) and carry on business-as-usual inside. For everyone that is already inside, staff increase situational awareness, close blinds, and continue what they're doing. The school stays in "Secure Mode" for about 5 minutes. No one is permitted in or out of the school while we are in Secure. There will be NO ALARM. There will be an automated voice on the intercom giving instructions in English and Spanish. Staff will prepare students for the drill in advance. This is for your information only. You do not need to share this with your child ahead of time, but you can use it to debrief when they get home from school. 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend. I hope to see you all soon at the Jog-a-thon on September 27th! 👟

Sincerely,

Ms. Rosenquist

September

• 27 - Jog-A-Thon

October

• 9 - Walk & Bike To School
• 9 - PTO Meeting, 7:00 pm
• 11 - No School: Staff Development
• 15 - Picture Day
• 24 - World Dwarfism Awareness, Wear Green
• 24 - Haunted Hallway, 5:30pm
• 25 - No School: Grading Day

Click on the Link Below for the full school year calendar

Time to Lace up Your Running Shoes, The Jog-A-Thon is next week. The students have been running on the track during PE, building up their endurance. We encourage you to have them out walking and running with you around your neighborhood. They will be running for 20 minutes on Friday, per grade. Check the flyer that went home last week for the launching times for each grade.

We will be having a zoom Jog-A-Thon Meeting next week for those who want to know more about the Jog-A-Thon. We will send out an email early next week with the link.

We have been having raffles this week. To be eligible to be entered into the raffle all you need to do is set up a Pledgestar page! (Setting up a Pledgestar page also gets your child/ren the first level prize automatically!). We have had two raffles this week, with 10 winners.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The QR code on the flyers for how to donate to Boomer the Bobcat leads you to last year’s page. If you are interested in donating to Boomer (any funds donated will be used to randomly “boost” kids to get them closer to their fundraising goals) please use this QR code:

Also, a big thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help! We can still use more volunteers to help with our school’s largest fundraiser. If you are interested please reach out to Melissa at Bobcatsmom32@gmail.com.

There was a Jog-A-Thon Poster making activity after school yesterday. Please check out the pictures below and look for the posters in the halls at school.

It's time to stock the Bethany Staff Room! Please help us out by contributing items listed for our amazing Bethany Staff!

Drop Off

Date: 9/25

Time. 2:15 - 2:45pm

Click on the Link Below to sign-up.

International Walk + Roll to School Day is coming up on October 9th! ​Parents, this is a great chance to get your child excited about active ​transportation. Getting exercise in the fresh air is the best way to get ​mentally and physically prepared for a day in the classroom. Mark your ​calendar and plan your route!

Click below for a video created by BSD.

In Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All, Chanel Miller tells a fun, funny, and poignant story of friendship and community starring Magnolia Wu, a ten-year-old sock detective bent on returning all the lonely only socks left behind in her parents’ NYC laundromat.

We will be hosting an assembly for Bethany's 2nd - 5th graders on Friday, November 1.

Preorder your signed copy of this instant bestseller. Books are being purchased through local independent bookstore Green Bean Books and will be distributed after the assembly.

Ordering Instructions.: To order your copy, please complete the form below, and then follow the directions for placing your order through BSD's online payment system (the same site you used for school supplies). Please make sure you follow the link in order to complete payment.

The deadline for ordering is October 16th. Thank you for supporting our young readers!

This is Bethany First Grader, Haddon Visk, sharing some of her original art this past weekend at the Portland Art Museum! She and some peers from her art class (shout out to Art World School) were invited to display their art in the annual Student Art Show, and she loved being able to show off some of her pieces.

She’s only been in art school for a couple of months, and already has completed more than 10 original pieces, using colored pencils, watercolors, and oil pastels so far. She even received a signed Certificate from the Chief Curator of the Museum! She dreams of opening up her own art studio one day.

Attention Families!!

Are you looking for a FREE after school activity for your child to participate in? Check out these great PTO sponsored clubs! Please submit a form for each child that would like to participate. Submitting a form is not a guarantee that your child will be able to participate. Please be on the lookout for confirmation emails to confirm your child’s spot.

Do you enjoy making cards?? Join Mrs. McGinty and Mrs. Peterson in our card making club!! This class is for students in Grades 1-5. We will be meeting on Monday from 2:20 - 3:15 starting on September 30th and our last class will be December 16th. Please sign up as soon as possible so enough supplies will be available.

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In this after school club, you will have access to a variety of scrap materials (buttons, paper, cardboard, felt, etc.) to create whatever your heart desires. If interested, please join Mrs.Nuno and Mrs.Springer for our Creation Station Club!! This class is for students in Grades K-5.

We will be meeting on Wednesday from 2:20 - 3:15 starting on October 2nd and our last class will be December 4th. Please sign up as soon as possible so enough supplies will be available. Class limit is 30.

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Dates: This class meets twice a week for 3 weeks. 6 sessions: Sept 30th through Oct 16, Mondays and Wednesdays. 2:35-3:35 pm.

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Is your child full of imagination, energy, and creativity? Do they love playing pretend or performing for family and friends? It’s time to nurture that talent with a

Fun & Exciting Drama Class taught by Mrs. George

🎉 Acting Games & Exercises - that build confidence and teamwork.

🎭 Character Creation - to spark their imagination!

🎤 Speaking Skills - to help them shine on and off the stage.

Boost self-confidence 🌟 Develop communication skills 📣 Make new friends 🤗

FALL DRAMA CLASS WILL BE FOR 3-5 GRADERS ONLY

Classes on Monday’s September 30 - December 16

2:20 - 3:15

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Come learn different techniques and building skills to help you create amazing builds with Lego. Students will be grouped into teams for building challenges. We meet in Mrs. Myers room on Mondays from 2:30 to 3:15. This club is available for 1st through 5th grade. This is a 9 week class starting on September 30th and ending on November 16th.

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The Bethany athletic game club is for Grades 3-5. Each session will provide challenging games and activities to increase an athletes confidence. Participants need to bring proper shoes and a water bottle each day. Dates: This class meets twice a week for 3 weeks. 6 sessions: Oct 21- Nov 6th, Mondays and Wednesdays. 2:35-3:35 pm.

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We are excited to reestablish the Bethany Bobcat Choir! I’ve found singing in a choir to be one of the most fulfilling and enriching activities I ever did. I’ve made a lot of friends through choir, and I hope to provide an amazing experience to Bethany 4th and 5th graders. Starting on October 16th the choir will begin rehearsing from 2:30 to 3:30 on Wednesdays after school. The choir will culminate in performances for the community and for our school. We may even be able to perform at the Washington Square Mall! The wheels are churning. If you’re interested, please put Choir as your number one club of choice. There will be a second term of choir later this year if you're not able to attend the first session. Please send a parent square message to Michael Smith, the music teacher, with any questions about choir.

Here are the minutes from the PTO Meeting last week.

September 11th PTO Meeting

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During the year we will have different outside organizations offer classes after school at Bethany. We will put a link to their fliers in the Bobcat Blast. You can also find them on the Bethany website.

Please click on the banner below for more information on Play Fit Fun.

In October or November, all 3rd grade students in Beaverton will be administered the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Screener. This 30-minute test measures students’ learned reasoning abilities through verbal/picture analogies, number analogies and figure matrices. Families whose student scores in the 90th percentile or above on the CogAT screener will be notified and invited to give permission for their students to take the remainder of the test. There will be post-screener testing and full CogAT testing happening in elementary schools up until winter break. For more information about testing, please contact your school’s TAG facilitator. If you would like to read more about the CogAT for students older than 2nd grade, click here.

If your student is on vacation or ill during the 3rd grade screener, we will not be able to accommodate a testing session in advance. When you return, check in with the building TAG Facilitators to see if there is an easy way to add your student to a future testing session.

If your 4th or 5th grade student did not attend a Beaverton school in 3rd grade, or missed the screener for whatever reason, you can tell your student’s classroom teacher that you would like your child to be tested. Students cannot be tested with the CogAT in consecutive years. For example, a 4th grader cannot take the CogAT if they took the screener in 3rd grade.

Parents of 5th grade students, whose students did not take the CogAT as 4th graders, who would like to request their children take the CogAT again can fill out this google form. Parents need to sign up on the google form at least 5 days before the testing is scheduled to happen at their specific school.

We want to thank all of our parents who have signed up in the new volunteer system. If you still need to sign-up please use the link below.

Volunteer Information and Application

You will not find a school supply list for Bethany. Rather than every family having to do their own shopping, we collect money for supplies. We began this a few years ago and it has worked well. This year we are asking for a donation of $35.00 per student.

These donations are flexible, and confidential--only the office knows who donates and how much.

We understand that some families are not able to afford the cost of supplies. All children will receive the same supplies, regardless if they are able to contribute towards the cost. Some families may be in the position to make an extra donation towards helping others. If you would like to help by giving extra money, please click on the "Donations" tab that appears on your child's grade level page.

Instructions for Online Payment System

Free Meals for All

Starting this school year, all BSD students will be eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch at school daily.

Families do not have to apply, and there are no income requirements. This change is due, in part, to more generous eligibility requirements at the federal level and more funding through the state’s Student Success Act. Research indicates that universal free meals improve student health and attendance in addition to reducing bullying and behavioral issues.

Student meals include an entree, sides and a milk. Students must take the entire meal to be eligible for the no-cost option; students who only opt for milk do not qualify for free milk. This is a federal requirement meant to encourage students to eat a well-balanced, school-made meal.

The district will continue to charge for à la carte items such as milk, second entrees and snack items.

Bethany Elementary

Email: BTHY-Communications@beaverton.k12.or.us

• School Office Hours: 7:15am - 3:30pm

School Hours: 7:45am - 2:20pm

Phone: 503-356-2030

Attendance Line: Call the school number and push 1 when prompted for Attendance
Website: https://bethany.beaverton.k12.or.us/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethanyBSD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethanyelementarybsd/