Trailblazer Tribune
Bridge Valley's Newsletter
January 31, 2014
GOVERNOR'S AWARD
Bridge Valley received the Governor’s Academic Achievement of Excellence award from Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley. This award was given in recognition of Bridge Valley’s outstanding performance based on factors of academic achievement and academic growth. We are proud of the Bridge Valley students, staff, and community who help make our school exceptional.
REPORTING STUDENT PROGRESS
In the January News and Notes, you read about development toward the adoption of a Standards Based Progress Reporting System in Central Bucks Elementary Schools. Mark your calendar for Monday, March 10th at 7:00 PM. Central Bucks staff will make a presentation to the West Cluster at Pine Run Elementary School. Additional resources are also now available for your review. . . Simply click the links below for more information:
- 2 "new" informational videos
- Article from the Intelligencer - Tuesday, Janaury 14, 2014
- Spotlight on ABC News - Tuesday, January 14, 2014
COCHRAN'S CORNER
Bridge Valley Elementary School truly helps Central Bucks to be Leading the Way! I am incredibly impressed by the innovation, creativity, energy, and forward thinking at Bridge Valley. Our open minded and dedicated teachers are continually instilling twenty-first century skills in our students. Take a look at just a few of the exciting happenings at BV:
- Many of our teachers have embraced new technology. BV teacher websites and newsletters are among the most creative and well designed in the district.
- Two of our sixth grade classrooms are the first in CB to provide elementary students with access to Office 365. This program allows students and teachers to connect and collaborate virtually from anywhere, at any time. Students will have access to SkyDrive, Outlook Email, and Web Apps.
- Two Bridge Valley teachers are members of the Reporting Student Progress committee tasked with replacing the current report card with a standards-based reporting system. They have been key contributors to the production of the new report card since the proposal was launched in the spring of 2013.
- Morning announcements are now broadcast live through BV’s state-of-the-art broadcast equipment. Students have already become so proficient with the operation that teachers merely facilitate while the children run the show.
This short list is just a sampling of the ways Bridge Valley teachers are implementing the skills of tomorrow in classrooms today, as well as applying the latest innovations to better communicate with students and families. Bridge Valley validates the Central Bucks’ claim of “Leading the Way.”
CAFETERIA CONTEST WINNERS FOR January
Classes earn a point by following one of our three cafeteria rules; eat quietly, keep a clean space, and listen to directions. The classes with the most points at the end of the month earn gold, silver, or bronze spoons. January’s gold spoon award winning classes were…
First Grade - Mrs. Ledwith, Second Grade - Mrs. Slinka, Third Grade - Mrs. Kardohely, Fourth Grade - Mrs. Hall, Fifth Grade - Mrs. Howley and Sixth Grade - Mr. Controy.
Counselor's Corner - Miss Melberger
The winner of the November Boomerang Award for Asset #29 Personal Competence was Bryce Lolas from Mrs. Slinka’s second grade class.
The winner of the December Boomerang Award for Asset #17 Creative Activities was Jacob Sjostedt from Miss Coombs sixth grade class. Jacob was nominated by Miss Coombs and Mrs. McGregor.
Our Honorary Trailblazer for December was the facility manager from the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology, Mr. Rich Hansen, for his assistance with our school evacuation drill.
The Asset being recognized for February is Asset #26 Caring: A student that places a high value on helping others. If you’d like to nominate a student for the Boomerang Award, please email kmelberg@cbsd.org or complete a nomination form found in the front office.
Bryce Lolas
Jacob Sjostedt
Mr. Rich Hansen
BVE Wellness
TRAILBLAZER TASTY TREAT
Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca
Ingredients
4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 8 thin strips
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Lemon wedges (optional)
Directions
Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Place 3 sage leaves on each cutlet; wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Combine broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture and the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Sandy Gluck, Cooking Light
NOVEMBER 2012The Wellness Team
PEN ROBOTICS CHALLENGE
The 6th grade PEN students participated in a Robotics Challenge at Doyle Elementary School today along with students from Buckingham. The theme of this year’s First Lego League challenge was Nature’s Fury. The students explored all types of natural disasters such as blizzards, tsunami’s, tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes and what can be done when intense natural events meet the places that people live, work and play. The students also learned how to program a robot to complete certain missions in the robot game portion of the challenge. Bridge Valley was represented by four teams. The Revolution earned 85 points, the Spartan Squirrels earned 110 points, the Bubble Bots earned 115 points and the Mindbenders came in first place overall with a final score of 140 points. Congratulations to all of the participants in today’s challenge!
SCIENCE ALIVE Still Needs Volunteers!
To make this year a success, Science ALIVE is still looking for volunteers!
To VOLUNTEER FOR YOUR CHILD’S CLASS LAB March 3rd – March 6th- have fun doing prearranged experiments with your child’s class!
LGI Science Lab Volunteer Sign up (for your child’s class)
To VOLUNTEER as a CLASSROOM PRESENTER, Friday, March 7th – share a science topic of your choice with your child’s class!
Classroom Presenter Volunteer Sign up
To VOLUNTEER at the Science Alive FAMILY FUN NIGHT, Monday, March 3rd
Family Fun Night Volunteer Sign up
To DONATE SUPPLIES FOR SCIENCE ALIVE EXPERIMENTS
To learn more about Science Alive, visit the Bridge Valley Website at cbsd.org (under the “Home & School” “Acitivites” tab)
SPELLING BEE
In October, fifth and sixth grade students completed a preliminary paper and pencil spelling quiz which had 50 words. In order to be invited to the next round, the students had to correctly spell at least 37 words. Fifty students were invited to participate in the next round, the tenth annual Bridge Valley Bee. Their names appear below. Family, friends, teachers, administrators, fourth, fifth and sixth grade students were invited to watch.
Mr. Controy’s class: Reagan Curro, Jessica Loffredo, Joshua Welch
Miss Coombs’ class: Christopher Abraham, Tara Babal, Olivia Black, Rachel Huang, Simrin Ponamgi
Miss Moyer’s class: Ryan Dougherty, Jared Farrior, Amanda Foster, Jonathan Hannon, Kristina Holmen, Rutuja Kulkarni, Emma Perrault, Carson Schweitzer, Egan Smith, Jillian Zelinsky
Mrs. Rice’s/Mrs. Brassell’s class: Melody Chen, Evelyn Foster, Remi Hausman, Gabriel Rosen, Matthew Shlewiet, Matteo Spatola
Miss Teeter’s class: Luke Cimakasky, Andrew Van Siclen, Brett Villari
Mrs. Howley’s class: Ava Burchell, Lucy Imperato, Bennett Keeffe, Joseph Stella, Andrew Whinney
Mrs. Jaeger’s class: Ryan Bortolotti, Symir Roberts, Dana Zhang
Mrs. Scott’s class: Maya Slack, Christopher Poon
Mrs. Smith’s class: Sarah Watson
Prior to the Bridge Valley Spelling Bee, the participants attended three practice rounds with Miss Moyer. Mr. Controy, Mrs. Brassell, and Mrs. Scott served as judges during the competition.
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the tenth annual Bridge Valley Spelling Bee on Wednesday, January 29, 2014. We are proud of you. The Spelling Bee lasted one hour and 40 minutes before Simrin Ponamgi from Miss Coombs’ sixth grade class was declared the champion. Congratulations Simrin; we’re proud of you! Simrin is invited to attend the Scripps Regional Bee on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. The Regional Bee will be held at Pennridge High School in Perkasie, PA. If for some reason Simrin is not able to attend the Scripps Regional Bee, Remi Hausman from Mrs. Brassell’s sixth grade class will act as the representative.
JUST RUNNING
Spring is around the corner and we are getting ready for another year of JUST RUNNING. Training will start March 25, 2014 and run through Tuesday, May 13th (8 weeks).
JUST RUNNING is a fun, noncompetitive running program designed to promote fitness and healthy lifestyles for our kids. Each week we’ll focus on exercise, healthy nutrition, and doing good deeds in our community. Our goal race will be the iRun4Life Kids Only 3K Race on Sunday, May 18th. JUST RUNNING is open to 2nd through 6th graders and will take place rain or shine on Tuesdays from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Look for a welcome letter and sign-up sheet in next week’s Thursday Folder.
If you are interested in volunteering as a coach, a traffic guard or helping in any other capacity, please let us know by emailing Michelle Copeland at michelle.copeland@merck.com or Rachel Feldman at rkfeldy@gmail.com. We are looking forward to another great year!
Box Tops for Education
Box Tops for Education Ipod Giveaway!!!
For the 100th day of school we will hold a drawing for a brand new Ipod Shuffle. Want to win like Ayden Carey (the December winner of a Regal Movie Gift Card)?
For every box tops submission sheet with 10 box tops taped or glued on, your child will be entered! Its just that simple! Don’t forget the student’s name on top. SUBMISSION DEADLINE FEBRUARY 7th.
Questions? Please call Ellen Rackas at 215-794-3976 or email elleninpa@comcast.net.
GOOD LUCK!
HOME & SCHOOL INFORMATION
Our officers for the 2013-2014 School Year are as follows:
Co-Presidents
- Mrs. Meredith Eater - meater@verizon.net
- Mrs. Leigh Vlasblom - vlasblom@verizon.net
Vice-President/Assistant Treasurer
- Mrs. Jennifer Duffy - jduffy001@comcast.net
Treasurer
- Mrs. Laurie Landis - llsaylor@aol.com
Secretary
- Mrs. Jodi Snyder - bodijodi@aol.com
Professional Staff Representative
- Mrs. M. Kate Tate - mtate@cbsd.org
Support Staff Representative
- Mrs. Marty Lanza - mlanza@cbsd.org
HOME & SCHOOL NOTES
Each year, Martin Luther King Day serves as a reminder to all of us of the importance of community service but it is important for us to not just think about it on this day. We should think about and practice it throughout the year. Here at Bridge Valley we help those in our community and beyond throughout the year. Through the years, we have donated candy at Halloween to a Women’s Shelter, provided Thanksgiving meals to families in need, donated supplies to the elderly at Neshaminy Manor, decorated and prepared food bags for Tabor House, donated through Blazer Blessings – just to name a few. The end of this month we embark on our biggest contribution at the BV Coffeehouse by spreading education across the globe to an orphanage in Sonsonate, El Salvador. All proceeds made from the evening will be donated directly to the orphanage to help build a permanent remote video linked classroom – the gift of education. Countless hours have been put in from parents and students in preparation for this wonderful evening of community service. The generosity of our community does not stop. Please keep your eyes open for our next community service effort as our 6th graders, with the help of all students, look to support local Bucks County troops deployed abroad. So remember, Community Service does not fall just one day a year but, on this very special day, we all should take a look at what we do to support our communities and how can we do more.
~ Jennifer Duffy
NEW TO BVE?
Whether you are new to our school as the parent of a Kindergartner or a 6th grader, starting at a new school can be a daunting prospect for both parents & children! To help you get your bearings, BVE’s HSA is pleased to feature a comprehensive Welcome Packet, easily accessible in the Home & School area of the BVE website or at New Family Welcome. New families are also invited to contact Welcome Committee members Meredith Eater meater@verizon.net or Patrice Mollick 6moles@comcast.net to get started with the help you need to feel at home at BVE!!
HSA GENERAL MEETINGS
If you missed our January meeting, don’t worry! The minutes will be posted on our BVE website. Mary Worthington, from NOVA, joined us to share with information from her session with BV 5th and 6th graders and cyber safety.
Please join us on April 10, 2014 at 9:30 am for our General Membership Meeting. Our Technology Academy will include 6th graders presenting their assessments.
HSA WEBSITE & VOLUNTEERING
Looking to get involved? Check out the tab under Home & School Sign Up Genius Volunteer Opportunities. All current school-wide SUGenius links will appear on this page. You may also find SUGs on the event specific page, but the Sign Up Genius tab is always a sure bet. Use this as a quick & easy way to sign up for the events for which you’d like to volunteer! We will also continue to send out emails via our CC’s.
We are looking for a few volunteers that would be interested in being on the BVE Anniversary Committee. This is a temporary committee that will be planning some spring activities to celebrate our 10-year anniversary. Be on the lookout for this Sign Up Genius. We are also looking for the following Committee people:
- Passive Fundraiser Chair: This committee will oversee all of the passive fundraisers, such as: Box Tops for Education, Giant points, Coke Rewards, etc. You will still have individuals coordinating each fundraiser, but you will oversee, coordinate, and help come up with new ideas. If you are interested please reach out to either Leigh Vlasblom or Meredith Eater.
- Science Alive Co-Chair: This Committee will oversee all aspects of our popular Science Alive week. Connie Korb has been doing a fabulous job and is looking for someone to work with her as she prepares to transition out as her children move on to middle school. This would involve at least one year of co-chair with Connie. Perfect for a team of two with younger children!!!
To learn more about the many committees or to join a committee, please visit the Committee Page under Parent/Students/Home and School/Committees or BVE Committees.
Current & Upcoming Sign Up Genius BVE Sign Ups:
- Anniversary Committee
- Blazer Academy
- Science Alive
BVE'S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Our membership drive is down from last year! Please remember that we are doing this instead of fundraisers such as wrapping paper sales. We have a lot of valuable programs that the HSA supports and without your help, we may not be able to afford all of them, or we may have to reinstate our fundraisers next year. It is not too late! We know back to school is a crazy time, so don’t hesitate to join if you are still interested. Additional forms are available at http://www.cbsd.org/Page/1044 (2013 - 2014 Donation Letter). Your generous donations enable BVE HSA to supplement the outstanding instructional, cultural, and enrichment programs at BVE.We appreciate your support!
THANK YOUS!!!
Thank you very much …..
…To all of the BV Coffeehouse Committee members and numerous parent volunteers that made this special fundraising event so successful. The wonderful performances by our talented children were something special to behold. We also enjoyed a moving performance by the children of the orphanage in El Salvador.
… To the Blazer Academy committee for your hard work leading up to and including this year’s new Blazer Academy online registration system.
UPCOMING HSA DATES TO REMEMBER!!
- Market Day February Order (online)
- Blazer Academy – Feb 6 and continuing for 6 weeks
- Science Alive – March 3 – 7, 2014
- Jeff the Framer – Jeff will be available during Science Alive’s Family Fun Night (March 3) – bring your items to be matted & framed and support BVE!!
- Just Running – 2nd half of March – this year’s program will be leading up to the 3K at Doylestown’s Central Park on May 18, 2014
FUNDRAISING (ONGOING)
MARKET DAY
Bridge Valley is continuing to participate in Market Day, our monthly fundraising program. Thank you to all of you who have purchased these foods and/or volunteered their time and energy last year.
Each month, as a participating Market Day school, restaurant quality food products from the same vendors that supply many upscale restaurants will be available for purchase. We choose Market Day because:
· It offers high-quality and nutritious food at affordable prices on a monthly basis.
· By doing your grocery shopping with Market Day, you will be feeding your family while enhancing your child’s education. In fact, we’ll earn a minimum of 10% on every purchase you make.
· Market Day offers a 100% quality guarantee on all products.
Participating in Market Day provides a service to you and our Home and School. The profits raised will help fund classroom and building technology, field trips, assemblies and other important educational needs.
Please consider purchasing Market Day for your family by going online for easy ordering at http://www.marketday.com. Our school account number is 20969, and along with a password of your choosing you can create your own account. If you have any questions please call Kimberly Leff at 215-794-3075 or email kimleff@yahoo.com.
TARGET
Target rebates- Use your Target charge card and Bridge Valley HSA will receive 1% of your Target purchases. Please designate Bridge Valley Home and School as the school of your choice when you apply for your card. If you already have a Target card, go to the customer service desk and complete the paperwork to designate our group.
MY COKE REWARDS
My Coke Rewards - My Coke Rewards for Schools is a way for parents, friends, and others in the community to support local K-12 schools by donating My Coke Rewards points which can be earned from hundreds of participating Coca-Cola products. Schools can turn donated points into a variety of rewards that support students. Donate your My Coke Rewards points and empower students to do, learn and discover more every day. Your points can provide our school with things like athletic equipment, books, classroom supplies and more.