Berkeley Lake Elementary
"Bear Essentials" Weekly e-Newsletter, October 9, 2019
Principal's Message
Dear Parents,
We need your help. Every year our students, parents, and staff members are required to take the Georgia School Health Survey.
The Parent Survey contains 24 questions about our school. You may complete the survey using your personal computer, smartphone, or tablet. If you do not have access to a device or internet at home, you are welcome to come take the survey in our BLES Parent Center. We would like as many parents as possible to take the survey because the data will be used as part of the calculation of our School Climate Star Rating. Survey responses are anonymous, self-reported, and will be submitted directly to the Georgia Department of Education for analysis. This survey is also available in Spanish. You can select Spanish or English once you click on it to begin the survey. Thank you in advance for taking the time to do this.
Here is the link to the parent survey: https://gshs.gadoe.org/parents
Students in grades 3rd - 5th will also be taking the survey in school. As a parent, you have the right to view the student survey questions or to opt your student out of taking the survey. Copies of the student survey questions and parent opt-out forms are available on the Georgia Student Health Survey webpage at https://www.gadoe.org/schoolsafetyclimate/GSHS-II/Pages/Georgia-Student-Health-Survey-II.aspx
Also, please remember there is no school tomorrow, Friday, or Monday, due to Fall Break. I hope you have a lovely break and safe travels if you are going out of town.
Your Principal and Partner,
Dr. Pendleton
Thank You to the Following Parents for Volunteering in the Lunchroom this Week:
Grace Agbaje
Jaim Heredi
Barbara Babroff
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Opportunity for you to Preview Safety Lessons Counselors Will Be Presenting to Students
We all share a common goal for our children to be safe and protected from all things harmful. Related to that goal, school counselors are required to present annual personal safety lessons designed to prevent sexual abuse. The Think First & Stay Safe™ program is a research-based program that teaches specific personal safety education by way of interactive classroom lessons, classroom posters, role playing and corresponding activities. During the months of November and December, our school counselors will offer the sexual abuse prevention and safety lessons to all K-5 students.
Due to the importance of this topic, the school counselors want you to know when and how you may preview the materials and when the counselors will be presenting this information to your child's class. Please contact your child's counselor, Sara Penland (grades 1st, 3rd, and 5th) at 770-582-7523, and Laura Marantz (grades KG, 2nd, and 4th) at 770-582-7522 to schedule a preview or if you have any questions or concerns. The materials will be available for preview during parent teacher conferences on October 23rd from 1:00- 5:00 and October 24th from 1:00-4:30 in the front lobby of the school.
Field Days a Big Success
The kids had a blast last week during their Field Days Activities! You could feel the excitement in the air, and see the joy on their faces as they played so hard with purpose and fun!
Field days are successful because of our wonderful parents at Berkeley Lake. Thank YOU to all our volunteers who devoted their precious time to the field days.
A special thank you goes to Cathy Shumate who coordinated and followed up with you all through emails, notes home, phone calls and set-up for the Sign-up Genius document that was a new way for you to sign up! This lessened our paper trail for sure! Cathy, you are AMAZING and thank you for your 7 years so far of service to our school and field weeks!
Thank You to PTO for their donation of our delicious popsicles! Popsicles were sorted and divided up amongst the classes, and once again Cathy came to the rescue for organizing, sorting, and labeling all those bags!!
More special "angels" came in time of need to help with set-up, transition of equipment from K-3rd grades to 4th and 5th grades and taking down of equipment! Our wonderful dads were Sam Sims, Stephen Wagner, Jason Ouimette and Kevin Vickery. You were the greatest helpers ever, and I thank you!
We look forward to calling on you all once again next year! Have a great year with your kids and have a great Fall break!
Play On,
Ms. Birozes!
Book Fair Volunteers Needed
Calling all Berkeley Lake Parents! It's Book Fair time at BLES. This year's theme is "Arctic Adventure" and all proceeds benefit our school. The students look forward to the book fair all year, and we need your help to make it a success. The Book Fair will run from October 17 - October 25. Please sign-up to assist students with book selection and check out. Thank you for volunteering! Book Fair Volunteer Sign-up
District Assessments Continue for Students Next Week
International Night is Coming
Berkeley Lake Elementary School is filled with International culture. Help us celebrate our broad range of ethnic backgrounds on Thursday, October 17th, from 6:15 to 7:45pm
If you have something you'd like to share, please contact: Mrs Oviedo at 678-582-7526 or Mrs. Orci at 678-291-4232
3rd Grade Concert
3rd Grade concert, "Our Colorful World!" will be performed on Thursday, October 17 to kick off BLES International Night. Students should meet in their home classrooms between 5:00 and 5:30 pm. We will begin walking to the gym at 5:35. Students may wear a costume (colors or dress representing a country), or may wear a bright colored shirt. The concert will begin at 5:45 pm in the gym. If you have any questions about the 3rd grade music performance, please email our music teacher, Matt Green at Matthew_Green@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Bear Cub Cookout
Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition-
We are excited to announce Young GA Author Writing Competition begins today! All KG through 5th grade BLES students are encouraged to participate! Unlike many writing competitions, Young GA Authors does not provide a prompt for which the writers need to respond. Writers are encouraged to choose their own genre in which to write. For example, a student may choose to write a short story, poetry, expository writing, essay, personal narrative, or any other original writing.
Entry forms, as well as other very important information about the contest can be found in the folder outside Mrs. Asztalos and Mrs. Shaw’s room or on the BLES website.
The entries MUST be the student’s original work- no revisions or edits by anyone other than the author!
All entries must be turned in WITH a completed entry form to Mrs. Shaw no later than Friday, October 18th. Grade Level Winners will be announced the week of October 28th. The district winners of this writing competition will also be entered in the Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition in the spring.
Please click here to view the official guidelines and entry form.
K-Kids Club News
Attendance Matters
Missing only two days of school a month can have an serious negative academic impact, even for children in Kindergarten. Attached is a fact sheet from attendance.org with the research on the negative effects of poor attendance and what parents can do to help.
Click here to read the English version
Click here to read the Spanish version
Positive Behavior Focus for this Week:
PTO News
Canned Food Drive Continues
Canned meat and fish
Canned fruits and vegetables
Cereal
Powdered milk
Peanut butter
Soup
Pasta and rice
Next Spirit Night
Turkey Trot & K-Kids Pancake Breakfast
Thank You
We Need Board Members
The PTO is in need of executive board members. Recently, we’ve had parents move on to other schools. This leaves us with a need of a secretary, two vice presidents and a junior treasurer. If you have questions about any of our roles, take a look at the bylaws on our site. We’d love to talk with you. Contact us at info@blespto.org.
October 21st - 25th is Unity Week
All students may participate in the Unity Week dress-up days, but we are suggesting for $1.00 donation that will go directly to the United Way student campaign. The United Way helps non-profit organizations focus on education, financial stability and health. Students should turn their money into their teacher. Half of all the money we raise in our student campaign will come right back to Berkeley Lake Elementary School.
Digital Learning Days
The Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) 2019-2020 school calendar includes two make-up days to address school days missed due to inclement weather. In addition to these days, GCPS also has the option of making up days missed due to inclement weather using Digital Learning Days.
A Digital Learning Day is considered a school day, so students will be accountable for completing the teacher assignments from home, just as they would do at school. The assignments will be found on the teacher’s eClass course page under the Digital Learning Day icon and will be checked by the teacher and considered in the grading process.
As our teachers begin to prepare for the possibility of Digital Learning Days this year, it is important for them to know about devices and internet available to your student at home. A letter will be sent home in Friday folders in the next week or two to gather more information on whether or not internet & devices are available to your student at home. Please complete the questions at the bottom of the letters and return to your child's teacher so we can begin to plan for the possibility of Digital Learning Days in the future.
Upcoming Duluth Middle School Event
Our first ever DMS Family Fun Day is scheduled for October 19 from 10 am until 2:00 pm. This event is designed to bring our entire community together and Berkeley Lake Elementary staff and families are all welcome to attend!
We have great entertainment and games for all ages, a DJ, a Photo booth, Spanish and English language family education sessions led by our experienced teachers, a car wash and the county library with coding games all for the low cost of FREE!!! We will also have several food trucks with yummy treats for purchase.
Do You Have a Parent Portal Account?
If you need to register with the portal, please print and complete this registration form and turn it in to the main office. Along with the completed form, you are required to show a photo I.D. for verification.
Spring Milestones Schedule Released - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Students
Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center (GEHC) Event
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
Friday, October 18th
5:00pm-9:00pm
All Ages
This is an event that your students are sure to enjoy as they experience the wonders of nocturnal animals! We will have live presentations, tram rides, night treks into the GEHC forest, games, and more!
Admission will be $5/person for Gwinnett County residents
See the flyer below
A Look Ahead...
Monday, October 14
Student Fall Break Holiday/Teacher Work Day
Tuesday, October 15
1st Semester District Assessments (Interims) continue grades 2nd - 5th
9:00am Advanced English Class
3:00pm Green Team
3:15pm Drama Club in room 3.124
Wednesday, October 16
1st Semester District Assessments (Interims) continue grades 2nd - 5th
7:15am Art Club
9:00am Beginner English Class
3:00pm Soccer Club
Thursday, October 17
1st Semester District Assessments (Interims) continue grades 2nd - 5th
Book Fair
7:00am Chorus Club Semester 1
3:00pm Good News Club (Media Center)
3:00pm Robotics Club
3:15pm Club Invention
5:30pm 3rd Grade Music Concert "Our Colorful World"
6:15pm International Night
Friday, October 18
1st Semester District Assessments (Interims) continue grades 2nd - 5th
Book Fair
Bear Cub Cookout during student's regularly scheduled lunch time
Falcon's Friday- Wear Falcon's Colors!
We Have a School Store
Berkeley Lake Recycles
Berkeley Lake recycles aluminum cans and old clothes and shoes (in any condition) in the two bins in the upper parking lot. The Green Team receives 10¢ per pound of donations, which helps pay the fee for the weekly paper and cardboard pick-up. The aluminum cans are recycled at Progressive Recycling on Simpson Circle. Please support our Green Team by recycling these items here at Berkeley Lake. Thank you!
Remember to Save Those Box Tops!
One easy way to support your school is through the PTO Box Tops for Education collection. Send in Box Tops from products you purchase. To help with counting, you can download this Box Tops Collection Sheet.
Make sure to put your Box Tops on the sheet or in a bag with your name and teacher on it. Drop it into the wooden box in the main hallway near the water fountain. Doing this automatically enters you into a contest.
Each month, we’ll hold a random drawing of all students who submit Box Tops. Winners will be announced on the morning announcements at the end of each month. The prize? A coupon for a free ice cream or an item from the student store. This fundraiser has helped us earn hundreds of dollars for our school!
Our Parent Center
The Berkeley Lake Parent Center is open each day from 7:30-3:30. The Parent Center is located across from the front office. For Parent Center support please call Ms. Sandra Orci, Parent Liaison, at 678-291-4232.
Our Mission
To provide learning experiences in a secure and stimulating environment where every child can develop to his/her fullest potential academically, socially, and emotionally.
Our Vision
BLES is a positive safe, nurturing environment that fosters respect among all students, teachers, parents and community members, while forwarding world-class achievement that successfully maximizes each student's individual potential through engaging instruction.
Contact Us:
Berkeley Lake Elementary
4300 S. Berkeley Lake Rd.
Duluth, Georgia 30096
P: (770)446-0947
F: (770)582-7514