Bethel Springs Elementary School
January 21, 2020
Chinese New Year Begins on January 25th! Happy New Year to Our Families Celebrating This Holiday!
The Chinese New Year celebrates the first day of the first month on the Chinese calendar. It is also called the Spring Festival and is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays.
When is Chinese New Year celebrated?
The Chinese New Year occurs on the first day of the Chinese lunar-solar calendar. The celebration lasts until the 15th day which is also the day of the Lantern Festival.
The dates according to the Western calendar of the Chinese New Year move each year, but always land between January 21st and February 20th. Each year also has an animal associated with it. Here are some of the dates as well as the animals associated with that year:
- 2010-02-14 Tiger
- 2011-02-03 Rabbit
- 2012-01-23 Dragon
- 2013-02-10 Snake
- 2014-01-31 Horse
- 2015-02-19 Goat
- 2016-02-08 Monkey
- 2017-01-28 Rooster
- 2018-02-16 Dog
- 2019-02-05 Pig
- 2020-01-25 Rat
- 2021-02-12 Ox
This day is celebrated by all of China as well as Chinese people throughout the world.
What do people do to celebrate?
The entire first week is usually a national holiday in China. Many people take vacations for the week. The largest celebration is on the night before the start of the Chinese New Year. This night is celebrated with parties and fireworks.
The New Year is also an important time for the Chinese to celebrate family and to honor their elders such as parents and grandparents.
- Dragon Dance or Lion Dance - These dances are often a part of parades and festivities during the holiday. In a dragon dance a large team of people (up to 50) carry portions of the dragon on poles and move the poles in a manner that depicts the movement of the dragon. In a lion dance two people dress in an elaborate lion costume and move and dance to mimic a lion.
- Red Envelopes - Red envelopes filled with money are often handed out as presents to young children or newly married couples. An even amount of money is given for good luck.
- Cleaning the house - Chinese families generally clean their house thoroughly before any celebrations in order get rid of any of last year's bad luck.
- Firecrackers - A traditional part of the celebration is to light a lot firecrackers. The Ancient Chinese believed that the loud noise would scare off evil spirits. In some places, like Hong Kong, lighting real firecrackers has been banned. As a result, many people decorate their homes with colorful plastic firecrackers.
- The color red - The color red is the main color for clothes and decorations. It symbolizes joy and happiness.
YouthTruth Survey
GVSD will once again be administering the Youth Truth Survey to students in grades 3-12 . This survey will be administered in classrooms on February 18th – 19th. The survey should not take longer than 15-20 minutes to complete. While we would like all students to participate, please know that the survey is OPTIONAL. A sample of the survey is attached, as well as an Opt Out Form if you decide that you would not like your student to participate. Similar to our annual LEA Survey for parents and staff, the intent of this survey is to allow our students to share their perspectives on various aspects of their school experiences in Garnet Valley.
Thank you in advance for your attention and consideration. Please feel free to find more information at http://youthtruthsurvey.org. As shared previously, if your student is opting out, please have the Opt Out Form returned to the BSES Main Office by Monday, February 3, 2020. Thank you again!
Sincerely,
Mr. Piasecki and Mrs. Allen
Link to Sample Survey Questions:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By96mv0gfmC-R2hEeFgxZ19UcWpSdHFwRjhkVmxmUDJXbTFR/view?usp=sharing
Link to Opt-out form:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16QIckOarvA0p1DvCq6RztuuOWNlvLV_RDJ_NGK-lIzo/edit?usp=sharing
BSES Observes No Name Calling Week--January 20-24!!!
5th Grader Saketh Are Wins BSES National Geographic Bee!
Front row (l to r): Jason Chamberlain, Kruthika Annapareddy, Saketh Are (Champion), Aria Jayaprakash (1st runner-up)
Back row (l to r): Mr. Piasecki (moderator), Saharsh Narasingolu, Nandana Padmaraj, Rohan Singh, Shruti Sridhar, Sristi Tripathy, Sean Klauder
Saketh will go on to take the test to attempt to qualify for the state level bee in Harrisburg. Good luck to him!
BSES Students Selected for PMEA District 12 Music Festivals!
PMEA District 12 Bandfest Honorees: Chase Craley, Jaeger Kern, and Shruti Sridhar
PMEA District 12 Orchestrafest Honorees: Anika Arunachalam, and Angela Pan
PMEA District 12 Chorusfest Honorees: Kayla Byun, Rachel Hicks, Alexis Weaver, and Sophia Lai
Important Updates From Our Home and School Association
No Name Calling Week/Proud to be Me Day: Don’t forget that this week (January 20th-24th) is No Name Calling Week which culminates with “Proud to be Me” Day on Friday, January 24th. Check out the principals’ portion of the S’more Weekly Update for more details, but don’t forget to help your student dress in a way that reflects that they are proud to be themselves on Friday!
LET’S GET READY TO BINGO!! Bingo Family Fun Night is coming to Bethel Springs on Friday, February 7th, and tickets are going FAST! The event will be held in three separate sessions: Session 1 from 5:15-6:30, Session 2 from 6:45-8:00, and Session 3 from 8:15-9:30. Tickets are $5 per person, and snacks and beverages will be available. Students, siblings, and family members are welcome!
TWO WAYS TO REGISTER: Register using the Google Form, and pay with MySchoolBucks. Or, register by completing the Bingo Flyer Return Slip your child brought home from school and send it to school with cash/check payment.
SO MANY FUN PRIZES! We have awesome Bingo prizes like footballs, action figures, stuffed animals, and lava lamps, plus gift cards for the kids (think Bravo Pizza, Oasis, and Mod Pizza!). PLUS, we haven't forgotten you hard-working grown-ups -- you'll have chances to win door prizes from Poke Bros, Real Mexican Kitchen, and more!
MORE WAYS TO WIN: Every ticket holder receives one door prize chance, but it doesn't end there. You can earn even more shots at these outstanding prizes by showing your Jaguar spirit -- one additional chance for each and every piece of Spiritwear you sport on Bingo Night! You can also earn more chances by bringing a donation for the Helping Hands Club’s Cradles to Crayons collection -- one additional chance for each package of NEW kids’ socks, PJs, or underwear you donate!
Gather your family, rally your friends, and join us on Friday, February 7th for Family Fun Bingo Night! Space is limited, so get your tickets now!
SPIRITWEAR SALE AT BSES BINGO NIGHT: Speaking of Spiritwear, we’re making it even easier for your to earn extra raffle tickets by selling Spiritwear right at the BINGO event. Come check out all the wares from 5pm and 9:45pm on Friday, February 7th. Looking forward to seeing you there!
CRADLES TO CRAYONS COLLECTION: The BSES Helping Hands Club is organizing a collection of items for Cradles to Crayons. Collection bins are located in the BSES Lobby, and the collection ends on Friday, February 7th.
And don’t forget that you can earn extra raffle tickets at BINGO Night on Friday, February 7th by donating to this collection (ie-one additional chance for each package of NEW kids’ socks, PJs, or underwear you donate). Thank you!
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:
Nature Trail: Thank you to the Sinor Family for taking such great care of the Nature Trail during this past week! (And don’t forget that there are still some Keeper of the Trail volunteer slots available in January/February; check out the Sign-Up Genius HERE to see what’s available and to sign up.)
UPCOMING DATES:
Mon-Fri, Jan 20-24
No Name Calling Week
Friday, January 24
Proud to be Me Day
For the most up to date information, check out the BSES HSA Website!
Follow us on social media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bseshsa/
Instagram - @bethel_springs_hsa
Twitter - @bseshsa1
Family Bingo Night: Friday, February 7th!
Please Donate to Cradles to Crayons! We will Collect Until Friday, February 7th!
Get Out and Enjoy Nature with Trailblazers!
Trailblazers Christmas Bird Count for Kids
Sat, January 25, 2020, 9am – 12pm
Join Trailblazers as Bethel Springs Elementary School participates in the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count for Kids. The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running wildlife survey in the world! In this survey, ordinary citizens collect scientific data by observing both the types and numbers of birds found in an area. We will begin our day with a presentation highlighting birds of the Nature Trail. Next, we will venture onto the trail in search of birds while practicing field techniques such as binocular use and data collection. The morning will conclude with refreshments as we submit our count data to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s online bird population database, eBird.org. Once we compile our data, every participant will have their own checklist to commemorate this awesome day of birding!
The session will run from 9am-12pm and will meet in the LGI. Bring your own binoculars. If needed, BSES has pairs to lend. Please dress in appropriate footwear and winter clothing in preparation for hiking. This session is for 1st through 8th grade students.
Leaders: Mr. BQ
Location: BSES Collaboration & Innovation Lab
Event Fee: $20.00 Per Family
Flyer for registration:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BqvDsWvzieF96ghoj3s5n9S2smEYEbst/view?usp=sharing
Mr. Quindlen has a variety of speaking engagements at local bird clubs happening this winter and spring. These programs are targeted toward adults, but all of these meetings and programs are open to the general public for free:
Wonderful Winter Waterfowl Workshop of Exton Park
HomeNet Automotive Offices, 224 Valley Creek Blvd #400, Exton, PA 19341
Tuesday, January 21st, 2019 - Doors at 5:30pm, workshop from 6:00pm-7:00pm
"Y Birding: A Retrospective" at the Birding Club of Delaware County
Marple Library, 2599 Sproul Rd, Broomall, PA 19008
Wednesday, February 12th, 2019 at 7:30pm
"Birding with BQ in Arizona" at the West Chester Bird Club
Friends Meeting House, 415 North High Street, West Chester, PA
Monday, March 16th, 2019 at 7:30pm
"Birding with BQ in Arizona" at Wyncote Audubon Society
Plymouth Meeting Friends Meeting House, 2150 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462Friday, May 15th, 2019 at 7:30pm
Brian "Mr. BQ" Quindlen, M.Ed.
Bethel Springs Elementary School
4th Grade Teacher
610-579-3040
Get involved with GV Trailblazers!
January Fitness Challenge from Mrs. McCusker and Mr. Custer
Click link below to view and print form:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Oqz0bgNosc7yjwkuDrFy9KXTthTpz05l/view?usp=sharingParent Workshop Opportunity At DCIU on February 12th
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Click the link below:
https://www.garnetvalleyschools.com/blog/One.aspx?portalId=23561362