Bobcat Blast

Hello Bethany Families,

Wishing you all an amazing 4-day weekend ahead!

Tomorrow our staff will be engaged in Staff Development. Classroom teachers and other staff who teach reading will be learning about explicit teaching strategies from internationally renowned expert and author, Dr. Anita Archer. (Dr. Anita Archer serves as an educational consultant to state departments and school districts on explicit instruction and literacy. She has presented in all 50 states and many countries including Australia. She is the recipient of 10 awards honoring her contributions to education). We are VERY fortunate to learn from her!

PE and Music departments will be collaborating in their respective groups to share high-leverage strategies and ideas.

Our Behavioral Health and Wellness team will be trained in QPR (Question, Persuade, Respond) which is a suicide prevention program. (The QPR mission is to reduce suicidal behaviors and save lives by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training. The signs of crisis are all around us. We believe that quality education empowers all people, regardless of their background, to make a positive difference in the life of someone they know).

On Monday, school will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day. MLK Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service. HERE is a link to volunteer opportunities in the Portland Area if your family wants to get involved. ❤️

See you back at Bethany on Tuesday. Take care.

Ms. Rosenquist 🌹

January

• 17 - Staff Development, No School
• 20 - Holiday, No School
• 27 - Grading Day No School
• 31 - School Glow Dance, More information below

February

• 5 - PTO Meeting, 7:00 pm
• 10 - 14. Kindness Week, (See more information below)
• 17 - Holiday, No School
• 18 - Staff Workday, No School

Click on the Link Below for the full school year calendar

Monday, January 20, 2025, is Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and National Day of Service. Since its initial recognition and celebration in 1986, the third Monday in January has been observed each year as “a day on, not a day off.”

From The King Center: “Our strategic theme for 2025 is Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365. This theme defines the 2025 King Holiday Observance events and programming while serving as a compass for all the work we will do this upcoming calendar year and beyond. The pioneering work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. demonstrated that Kingian Nonviolence (Nonviolence365™) is the sustainable solution to injustice and violence in our world, ultimately leading to the creation of the Beloved Community, where injustice ceases, and love prevails. The King Center welcomes and invites you to join this movement for a new future as we strive to cultivate a Beloved Community Mindset, and ultimately transform unjust systems.”

MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. SOLVE offers a volunteer opportunity and other ideas for folks looking to take part in community-based ways to honor the holiday.

Bethany's annual Kindness Week will be February 10-14th. During this week, our school will focus on kindness and friendship instead of a traditional Valentine's Day event. The commercial Valentine's Day tends to focus on individual romantic love, but as a school community, we value inclusive kindness, friendship, and caring.

During Kindness Week, classes will plan secret acts of kindness to do as a class throughout the week. Students can also take part in our daily dress-up themes and kindness challenges - more information to come on that. Students will not be exchanging any store-bought cards and treats or having a traditional Valentine’s Day Party. Please do not bring any Valentine's cards or treats to school.

Join us for an exciting FREE family event hosted by the Bethany PTO!

Get ready to dance the night away with glow sticks, glow-in-the-dark temporary tattoos, and a fun photo backdrop with props to capture the memories.

Please note this is a family event—no drop-offs allowed—and no food will be available, so plan accordingly. Come dressed to glow and enjoy an evening of music, lights, and fun for all ages!

Beaverton Safe Routes to School is accepting submissions from students in grades K-8! We can’t wait to see your art!

Contest directions:

• Draw, paint, or design a picture showing a School Bus, Bike Bus or Walking School Bus.

• Please use 8 ½ x 11 paper.

• Drawings, paintings, and digital art accepted.

• Use lots of colors to catch everyone’s attention.

• Limit the number of words on the page.

• Include name, grade, and school on the back of your entry.

• Submit your finished art to your teacher, or school office, for submission.

• Submission deadline is 1/31/25

As we enter the rainy season, our playground often becomes muddy. While we can ask students to avoid the grass, it only takes one misstep for them to end up covered in mud.

We've already had to reach out to several families to bring in fresh clothes. We're suggesting that all parents pack an extra set of clothes in their child's backpack to save everyone a trip. You might think it’s not needed, but trust us, it happens across all grades.

Example: We had 6 students who fell in the mud Tuesday .... 4 within 10 minutes of each other.

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. (Click on the Bethany Drop-Down). After School Classes

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

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/