Spiritwear Inventory For Sale

Ginger E. (1st grade mom) is our Spiritwear coordinator.  If you are still looking for spiritwear now that the weather has gotten colder, she does have some items available for immediate delivery in limited sizes and quantities.

Size Youth Medium
2 Baseball T-shirts (shown in picture) - $18
1 Long Sleeve T-shirt in Maroon - $13.50
2 Hooded sweatshirt pullovers in Maroon - $20
1 Hooded sweatshirt pullover in Grey - $20
1 Short Sleeve T-shirt in Grey - $8
1 Pink Short Sleeve Ringer T-shirt - $14

Size Adult Small
1 Baseball T-shirt - $18
1 Crewneck sweatshirt in Grey - $16

Misc
2 Hairbow Scrunchies - $6 each
Stuffed Eagle Mascots - $8
Car Window Decals - $1

If you don't see what you want in your size, Ginger will be sending out another order form for special orders sometime later this fall. Contact Ginger to purchase or if you have any questions. Remember that Spiritwear is primarily for Fridays but some items do follow the regular school uniform rules. We've posted a link to the school's dress code under "Useful Links" for your information.

How Can I Get Involved In Small Ways to Help? Meet Your Room Mom!

One of the moms at PTF asked a great question - "How do I get involved at school without having to run a committee?"  When you are new to a school, any school,  it seems like everyone knows everyone else already and that there are lots of people helping out.  Not true!  There are so many ways to get involved and because we are a small school sometimes the needs are greater than you would expect because we have the same activities but fewer parents to share the load.  A great contact person to get to know is your Room Mom.  If you haven't heard from them yet, you will soon.  The Room Moms will be reaching out to you probably through an email to introduce themselves and to let you know about upcoming parties in your classroom.   RMs are in charge of organizing the holiday parties and getting people to help run them.  You can sign up to help at a party and also to donate goodies for the class.  The RM is in regular contact with your teacher, asking about specific needs that they have in each class.  There may be supplies that your teacher needs purchased, special projects coming up where it would be nice to have a parent assist, upcoming field trips that you can chaperone, etc.  If you don't know who your RM is, call Valerie W (4th grade mom) and she'll let you know.  Thank you to all the Room Moms - we appreciate your leadership!

October PTF Meeting

We had a FANTASTIC turnout at the October PTF meeting with 17 parents in attendance, Mrs. hook and Dr Van.  Where to begin?  There were lots of topics to cover - including a very productive discussion on an upcoming fundraiser.  The meeting culminated with a great question and answer period with Dr. Van.  The overwhelming impression that I walked away with is that despite the many ways that the school tries to deliver information to all of us, there are still many questions.  The Friday newsletter, emails from Brenda, information we receive from our teachers, attending PTF meetings, this blog, etc. .....you would think that no one should have any questions about anything at BCA but that is simply not true. 

Is it information overload?  Don't know.  Is it because we just don't know who to ask or what to ask?  Possibly.  Is it because we assume that everyone else seems to know the answer so it's too embarrassing to ask? Whatever the case may be - the school year is still young so let's get you some answers!  The school office (Brenda) is a great source of information.  You can always call and talk to Dr. Van or ask your teacher.  All of the PTF officers are ready and willing to answer any questions you may have.   YOU have to be part of the solution as well.  Any question is a good question so if there is something you want to know about - reach out.  We'll all learn something together!  That's what PTF is all about - it's a fellowship and we are all here together - parents and teachers!  Come to the November meeting - there's more to learn and so many ways we can work together on behalf of our kids.  Thanks to everyone who attended and for the great participation!

Do You Have the Flu?

What's all over the news?  If you've been watching TV or listening to the radio, the talk of the town is the H1N1 Swine Flu virus.  As parents, it's not easy to know what to do when our children don't feel well and to add to our worries, we have to think about the Swine Flu now.  We've added a link to an online self-assessment for H1N1 to the right side of this blog page under the helpful links section.  This site walks you through some questions to determine if your symptoms are indicative of possible flu.  This does NOT replace seeking medical advice from your doctor.  It is simply a quick way to learn whether you have H1N1 symptoms and help you to decide what to do next.  This is only for general information - it is not official medical advice and any decisions you make regarding your child's health are up to you and your doctor.  Stay well everyone and keep washing your hands!

"Find Your Wings" by Mark Harris

This song by Mark Harris really captures the prayers that many of us have for our children and all the hopes and dreams we have for their futures.  The words of this song also summarize what the value of a Christian education is  - that we are investing not only in their education but also in the growth of their faith.  Our school's mascot is the eagle.  What a blessing it would be that years from now each child that has been a student at BCA would grow up to find their wings and do great things for God!

Keep Screaming for Ice Cream!

We still don't have a winner to our contest yet so there's still time to enter.  See the blog entry for September 16th below for contest details.  The ice cream is melting!

Art to Remember Order Forms Distributed

The Art to Remember samples have arrived!  You should have received an envelope containing an order form, pricelist and a magnet created from your child's artwork.  Lisa Z has been passing them out in the parking lot.  Please contact Lisa Z. or the school office if you need your packet.  Reminder that orders need to be turned in by October 16th.  If you choose to keep the magnet, please include $6 to your order, otherwise you can return it at no charge.  The kids did a beautiful job and the magnets look fantastic!    Orders will be delivered in plenty of time for Christimas gift giving.  Happy Shopping!

First Fundraiser - Art to Remember

Can you believe that the kids have been back to school over a month already?  Time is flying and PTF's first fundraiser of the school year is underway.  You may or may not have heard about it so here's a sneak peek.   The kids have been busy drawing their unique masterpieces in class.  "Art to Remember" reproduces your child’s individual artwork on a variety of quality items that make ideal gifts and keepsakes for your friends and family. You will have the opportunity to choose from a range of products featuring your child's artwork.  For every item purchased, the PTF will earn some money for the school.  You will receive a sample product, a magnet, so you can see what the artwork will look like.  If you choose to keep the sample, you can purchase it or you can return it at no cost.  We're excited to see what the kids have drawn!  Look for more information coming soon.

No One Likes Ice Cream?

Okay folks - we're not even close to announcing a winner to the "I Scream For Ice Cream" contest which means that either you don't like ice cream, no one is reading the blog, or you haven't had time to email.  Gotta play to win!  Keep those emails coming!  :-)

Who Screams for Ice Cream?

Since this is the first time the PTF is attempting to join the digital communications age, let's have a fun contest to see who is reading the blog.  Here's the challenge - the 10th person to send an email that says "I Scream For Ice Cream" in the subject line will win a $10 gift card to Oberweiss for their child. PTF officers are excluded from winning but any other BCA parents or faculty are welcome to try to win.  Good luck!  Send your emails to PTF secretary, Donna R., at mourke@juno.com.  One entry per email address so...mom and dad, you can double your child's chances by sending separate email entries. The winner's name will be posted on this blog so keep coming back to read!

A Great First Meeting!

Thanks to all who attended our first PTF meeting of the year!  We had great representation from all grades with a total attendance of 12 individuals, including the PTF officers, Dr Van and Mrs. Woj. Thank you especially to those who attended for the first time.  Your input was greatly appreciated.  There were many constructive comments and many decisions were made regarding how to disperse some of the funds currently in the PTF treasury.  Look for more information in your Friday letters about the upcoming fundraiser, Art to Remember.  It will be a very creative and fun event that your children will really enjoy.  If anyone is interested in finding out about the specific decisions that were made at the meeting, please contact one of the PTF officers for a copy of the minutes and we will email them to you.

Come to the First PTF Meeting of the 2009-10 School Year!

PTF?  This stands for Parent Teacher Fellowship! We are BCA's version of a PTA/PTO.  We meet on the third Tuesday of every month (except December) in the lunchroom.  Our first meeting is Tuesday, September 15th, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  Come join us and hear about the upcoming fundraising activities, learn more about how PTF supports the school through financial support, hear about volunteer opportunites, meet other parents and contribute your ideas.  We will be discussing the allocation of some of the funds that we currently have in our account.  All parents of currently enrolled BCA students are welcome to attend.  On-site childcare will be provided.  We hope to see a lot of new faces!  It's going to be a great year!

Why Blog?

Busy, busy, busy!  It seems like life is so busy and it's hard to keep up especially when you are a parent.  There are many things that happen at school and if you are a busy parent it can seem overwhelming keeping track of information.  It's not always possible to read your Friday letter, and this blog is another opportunity to pass along useful information regarding PTF.  Check back weekly to see what is going on!  It's a digital age and many of us are on the computer regularly so we hope you find this blog interesting and informative.

Got Spirit?

Do you have your spiritwear for Friday school attire? Your child can wear it on field trips, on Friday Spiritwear Day with jeans or wear it just because it's awesome! There are also a few shirts that come in school uniform colors and can be worn on regular school days.  Contact our Spiritwear Coordinator, Ginger E. (1st grade mom) for t-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball shirts, hoodies and much more! Ginger will be placing an initial order with our supplier this week and will be placing additional orders throughout the year.  You can view a catalog of available items in the school office.  Shirts are available in adult sizes as well - there's something for the entire family!

Boo Hoo Breakfast

We had a great turnout at the Boo Hoo (Yahoo!) Breakfast which was held on the first day of school. It was great to welcome many new families to BCA. We heard from our new headmaster, Doctor Van, and Bartlett Baptist's recently appointed Pastor Matthew.  PTF President, Lisa Z. welcomed us all and shared with us what the purpose of the PTF is - to promote fellowship between parents and teachers, to support the school with fundraising activities and to offer volunteerism opportunities to serve our children. Our first fundraiser, "Art to Remember", was mentioned and there was a table displaying samples of the items that will be sold. More information will be coming soon. Ginger E. also had a Spiritwear table setup for those interested in ordering. Thanks to everyone who attended.  We look forward to getting to know you better.  A special thanks to Gina S. who did a great job of decorating and organizing the breakfast.