Bulldog Bulletin- Weekly eNews
Here is what's on top at Buena Vista! 3/16/2022
Buena Vista Book Fair--Volunteers Needed!
Our Book Fair is in two and a half weeks! We are still looking for volunteers for our book fair--here is a direct link to the sign up page: https://volunteer.scholastic.com/#/signup/WBUgGuzVu The sign up process involves creating a quick account through Scholastic. Volunteers need to have completed the WCSD Volunteer form in addition to signing up. We especially need parent volunteers before school, after school and at lunch. Please sign-up!
Note from the Principal
Greetings Buena Vista Parents,
I hope you are all well. Things have been rolling along at Buena Vista Elementary. I hope you have had he opportunity to check your child's report card in the Aeries Parent Portal. If you have not, please see directions below and do so. Our teachers have spent quite a bit of time assessing your child's current learning levels in order to give you an accurate account of where they are in their learning. If after reviewing the second trimester report card, you have any questions, please reach out to your student's teacher.
We have shifted relatively seamlessly to our new lunch procedure. We have students eating both inside and outside and have plenty of seating in both areas to accommodate the needs of all of our students. What I notice the most with this shift is students eating much more food with less food waste and taking multiple trips to the produce bar for all students. The favorites this week were the pears, oranges, red pepper slices and cucumbers. (We also had one of our enrichment vendors come for lunch on Tuesday to do a hip-hop dance class demonstration...everybody was up and moving at recess!)
I am excited to announce we have a new Science Specialist who will be able to start running our science lab starting on Monday. I'd like to welcome Mr. Johnnie Cooper as our new Science Specialist. Mr. Cooper has been a highly sought after substitute teacher in our school district this year in addition he as begun working on acquiring his multiple subject teaching credential. He is also a Buena Vista parent. Here is what Mr. Cooper would like you to know:
I wanted to officially introduce myself. I am happy to be your new Science Specialist. I am very excited to be a part of the Buena Vista team and am familiar with many of the staff, as I have had the opportunity to sub for a few of them this year. My son, Devan, is also a first grader in the fabulous Ms.Stessel’s class. I am a graduate of John F. Kennedy University, where I also did my post grad at JFK College of Law.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the Buena Vista team and I look forward to working with our teachers and students in the following weeks.
Upcoming Fun . . . Save the Date!
Our Scholastic Book Fair is the week of March 28 - April 1st. On Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday of this week we are going to have "Lunch in the Breezeway Day." On this day your students are welcomed to invite a special adult (grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, godparent.etc)to come lunch with them outside in our Breezeway. Often the special adult will bring lunch to share with their student. (School lunches are available for students also.) If you'd like after you eat, you can visit our school book fair. Grade levels will be assigned a specific day (to keep us spaced out) however, families that have more than one student in school can come one time for all of their children.
Our lunch times are as follows:
Kindergarten, First and Second Grade 11:30-12:15
Third Grade 11:50-12:35
Fourth and Fifth Grade 12:15-1:00
Lunch in the Breezeway Schedule:
Tuesday, March 29: TK/K, 3rd Grade
Wednesday March 30: 2nd/ 4th...and Mrs. Stessel's Class
Thursday March 31: 1st Grade/ 5th Grade
Reading Night- March 31st at 7pm
Come to school in your jammies for a reading night with a special guest reader from the Contra Costa Library. Come in your jammies, bring a blanket and enjoy milk and cookies during story time. Come early (6pm-7pm) and visit our Scholastic Book Fair!
Updates and Reminders:
**Trimester 2 report cards have been available to view since Friday, March 11th. Report cards can be accessed electronically in the Parent Portal. Please take a moment to review the instruction link below.
Report Card Instructions. Parent Portal Link
**Thank you to those parents who signed up to be on the Diversity, Equity and Belonging Committee I will be reaching out to set up our first meeting shortly. If you did not sign up but are still interested, please sign up below. This committee will be made up of parents and staff to help advise the principal, School Site Council and our Parent Teacher Association on ways we can continue to improve student and family engagement and belonging. I am looking for 5-8 parents to join a few of our staff members. If you are interested, please fill out this form.
**We recently have openings at Buena Vista for Noon Duty Supervisor. If you are interested or know of someone who may be interested in either of these positions, please contact me directly--- agramlick@walnutcreeksd.org (The noon duty supervisor position is posted now, the science specialist is internally posted until Monday, but will open up if we do not find an internal candidate.)
**We currently have families that have not completed their intent to return survey for next year. If you have not completed this quick survey, please do so now. Your prompt response helps us plan for accurate grade level classes and staffing. Please complete this year's intent to return form for the 2022-2023 school year ASAP!
**WCSD is enrolling students for 2022-23 Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten NOW. Please see the district enrollment webpage for more information. You can also view the Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Enrollment Flyer.
Lots of great things happening at Buena Vista!
Respectfully,
Angela Gramlick
Principal
BV Give Day
Dear Parents,
We are excited for our upcoming fundraiser, Give Day on March 24th and 25th. You will soon be receiving an email from 99Pledges (sometime next week) with your student’s own webpage to raise funds to support our teachers, students, and community. This is our last fundraiser this year!
We are asking you to reach out to friends and family by email, Facebook, and Twitter, instead of going door-to-door, tracking commitments, and handling checks.
In the coming days, you will receive an email with a link to your child’s online pledge page. You do not need to log in or change anything. All you have to do is make a donation for whatever amount you can, and share your participant's link with friends and family. We are shooting for 100% participation so no amount is too small.
(If you do not receive the email for whatever reason, simply search and find your child’s pledge page here: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/buenavista22)
Here is some sample sharing text:
" NAME is participating in a fundraiser and would love your support. If you'd like to donate, you can do so online at the following link: YOUR PLEDGE PAGE LINK
Thanks for your support!"
Thank you, family.
Participating is Easy:
- Update your child’s page. Copy the link and email as well as share on social media and email friends, family, and colleagues.
- Encourage your followers to give to Buena Vista Elementary on Give Day and to help spread the message even more widely by asking them to share on their social media as well.
Thank you in advance for your participation and support. This fundraiser is all about asking people to make a gift of $5 or $10 to support your student. Our goal is 100% participation and for you to get 20 people to make a $5 or 10 people to make a $10.
Let’s Do This BV!
THANK YOU to all of you for everything you do for our kiddos!
Cari DuBois-Wright
PTA Board Member Elections Coming Next Month!
The PTA Nominating committee met and has presented the slate for the PTA election which will be at our next PTA meeting April 12th. These are tentative names for each role but the slots are open for nominations from the floor. If you are interested in any position even if there is already a name below, you can put your name forward during the election meeting. To vote or take on a role you must be a PTA member for 30 days prior to the election. That means sign up by this coming Saturday March 12th.
To sign up for the PTA visit https://buenavistapta.membershiptoolkit.com/
Three positions are completely open and we do need to fill these spots.
Descriptions of each role are avalible at https://buenavistapta.membershiptoolkit.com/leadership.
If you have any questions please email Jon Faerber at parliamentarian@buenavistapta.org.
After School Enrichment
Buena Vista Elementary Enrichment Program
Spring Session Afterschool Enrichment
After-school enrichment classes will return after spring break! The classes are completely voluntary and are offered by outside vendors for a reasonable fee. After school Enrichment is organized by the PTA and school administrators but vendors provide their own instructors, curriculum and are paid directly.
The preview link is now live, and registration will open at 7pm on Monday, March 21st. Click on the link below to see what is being offered, when and what grades can attend each class. Some classes do fill up so make sure you secure your child's spot! The site will remain open until Wednesday March 30th but availability will decrease the longer you wait to register.
Classes begin the week we come back from Spring Break (April 11). We are excited to announce the following enrichment activities, please see attached link for more details about each class!
Monday
Will Run for Popsicles!, Grades TK-5
Beginning Basketball, Grades TK-3 (New Provider)
Circus Skills, Grades 2-5 (New Class)
Mini Coding Dojo, Grades TK-2nd
Spanish, Grades TK-5th
Tuesday
Clay Class, Grades TK-1st
Upper Grade Dojo, Grades 3rd-5th
Little Veterinarian School, Grades TK-2 (New Provider)
Musical Theater, Grades 3-5 (New Provider) (One Tues/Thurs Class)
Wednesday
Beginning Soccer on Kinder Blacktop, TK-K Only (New Provider)
Capoeira Fitness Fun, Grades TK-5
Clay Class, Grades 2-5
Personal Finance, Young Entrepreneurship & Money Mgmt, Grades 3-5 (New Class)
FUNKMODE Hip Hop and Breakdance, Grades TK-5 (New Provider)
Thursday
Mandarin Chinese, Grades TK-K (New Provider)
Mandarin Chinese, Grades 1-5 (New Provider)
Athletic FUNdamentals, Grades 2-5 (New Provider)
Ticket to Ride with LEGO, Grades K-5 (Returning Provider)
Musical Theater, Grades 3-5 (New Provider) (One Tues/Thurs Class)
Friday
RobotEd|GameBOTS, Grades 1-5th
Chess, Grades 1st-5th
Spanish, Grades TK-5 (New 2nd Day Offered)
A shout out to our Office Staff especially Shelley Purcell who is helping navigate some enrichment administrative updates. This is no small task. Thank You, Thank You!
View Class Details Here (Registration opens Monday at 7pm):
https://www.homeroom.com/sites/buena-vista-elementary-walnut-creek
Need a bit of help Registering or Creating an Account? Click the link below for instructions.
Amy Maggiore and Natalie Kwan Lloyd, BV PTA Enrichment Co-Coordinators
Lost and Found! Please come and get it!!!
Important Dates and Events!
- Wednesday, March 23rd, School Site Council- 3:15pm ---Room 32
- Starting March 25th-through April--5th Grade Fitness Testing-Please make sure students wear comfortable clothing and tennis or runnings shoes on Fridays
- March-28th-April 1st---Scholastic Book Fair
- March 29-31- "Lunch in the Breezeway" -- Invite a special adult to lunch with you!
- March 31st- Reading Night- 7pm- Come for stories and milk and cookies and visit the Book Fair from 6-7pm.--Sponsored by our PTA and fabulous Library Specialist
- April 4th-8th--Spring Break- No School
BV 2022 Yearbook is Now on Sale! Price $28
Online Link: https://bit.ly/3GdezIE
SAVE THE DATE: WCEF’s FORE! Education Golf Tournament—May 16, 2022
Mark your calendar and start gathering your foursome for WCEF’s FORE! Education at Rossmoor. Let’s gather, celebrate, and play some golf in support of our schools. Everyone is welcome
Our Summer Camp Guide is Here!
The weather is heating up and we've got amazing Summer Camp options for all kids, ages 4-17. Plus, when you register with our WCEF partners you are supporting a local business who supports our public schools. Click here to see our partners and support the businesses who support your child!
Business Partner Spotlight: Main Street Automotive
Servicing your car shouldn’t be a chore. Our business partner, Main Street Automotive, owned by Tice Creek and WCI parent, Andrei Obolenskiy is your expert resource for vehicle maintenance and repairs. It’s important to find a trusted professional who makes the car care experience easy and painless. Main Street Automotive makes that happen with their philosophy of “Smart, Simple, Fixed.”
You can find Main Street Automotive at 2040 N. Main Street, Suite 2; (925) 945-0691; or click here.
COMING UP! Spring Recycling Event—March 26
Get your spring cleaning going! We’ve made it easy to recycle your e-waste and get old documents securely shredded and support our schools at the Spring Recycling Event. Put Saturday, March 26, on your calendar and head down to the WCSD parking lot from 10am-4pm. Recycling fees are based on size and shredding is $10 per bankers box. A percentage of fees collected come back to WCEF!
Important Links and Resources!
Is your child home from school?
Parents, please remember to call the attendance line if you student will not be coming to school: (925) 944-6822 ext 3801
Thank you!
It's a great day to be a bulldog!
Angela Gramlick-Principal
Email: agramlick@walnutcreedsd.org
Website: https://www.walnutcreeksd.org/Subsite001
Location: 2355 San Juan Avenue, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Phone: 925-944-6822