BEAGLE BUGLE - ROCKWELL PTA AND SCHOOL NEWS
contest
FALL PTA MEMBERSHIP CONTEST 
EXTENDED TO 12/1!


Hello, Rockwell Families!

Beagle Families, our membership contest deadline has been extended to December 1. 

The classroom with the most members will win two $49 Amazon gift cards for the teacher to buy classroom supplies.  In the case of a tie, I will randomly choose one teacher. So, if you have been meaning to join the PTA or meaning to update your PTA profile online to include your child's teacher (see below), now is the time!
Regarding our online directly, please be assured that the PTA Board is hard at work to try to fix the issues caused in the last two years by changes in the school district privacy rules. 

You can each help!  We can't fix the directory without you!

Please take a minute or two between now and December 2 and go online to your PTA family profile and update your teacher information for your child. How? Go to  www.normanrockwellpta.org and sign in.  On the left side of the page, there are several purple quick links to items like the school calendar or Bugle News. Toward the bottom of the page, click on "my account". On the new screen, under students, click on edit. Update your child's grade, and choose the correct teacher. You're done!!

If you're new to Rockwell or if you're having issues accessing the online directory at any time please contact Juan, our Webmaster for assistance.

Once the directory is properly organized, I will choose a classroom to win the Amazon gift cards. Thank you!

In other membership news, please join me in congratulating Ms. Yasuda in winning our separate staff membership contest with a prize of a basket full of cozy winter evening items.
Membership chair
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GIFT CARD DRIVE EXTENDED TO 11/27!
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PTA NEWS

Heritage Night

Heritage Night 2019 was a great success!  Thanks to our chairpersons Mansi and Syeda, and all of our booth sponsors and performers for another great event!  We still have a handful of open  volunteer opportunities for 2019/2020.  If you have the heart and time to give, please check them out and reach out to a board member

General Membership Meeting

Thanks to those of you who were able to attend our (very brief) general membership meeting this past Thursday night.  Due to your generous giving, and the efforts of our board and members, we were able to raise very near to our fundraising target.  As a result, the membership voted to fund the remaining three programs that had not yet been funded (STEM Night, the Spring Musical, and the Science Van).  Thank you for your generosity!  

We are still looking for a chairperson for STEM Night which is scheduled for January 23.  Our VP of Events has been hard at work to schedule and confirm several STEM-related companies for the event, so part of the hard work is done!  Please reach out to Denice, our  VP of Events if you are interested in chairing STEM night.
 
Thank you,
PTA President
math
MATH CHALLENGE #5
Due Thursday, December 5

Thank you to all of you who participated in Math Challenge #4. Congratulations to the following winners:   Marc T, Sophie W, London W, Anna M, Jasper T, Allison L, Raina W, Alexa F, Yuchen L, Camden S, Vihaan S, Samantha M.

Math Challenge #5 is now available here . For this challenge, 12 qualified submissions will be randomly selected for a prize. Please feel free to try more questions than the minimum required for your grade level in order to qualify. 

Grab some friends and family and work on the challenge together!

The due date for Math Challenge #5 is Thursday, Dec. 5th (by 3:20 pm).

Let the challenge begin! 
auction
Click here for more information!
A NOTE FROM THE COUNSELOR

 
Hello Rockwell Families!

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, I want to share how grateful I am to work at Rockwell Elementary and get to spend time with all of your amazing kids. I truly feel lucky to be a part of each of their lives.

By now hopefully you have heard about the Gift Card Drive we are hosting at Rockwell. All of the money collected will be redistributed to families within our own Rockwell community. We thank everyone who can donate and look forward to helping as many families as possible. As we are gearing up for the holiday season, there are several school and community resources available to support families in need. If you would like information about programs available, please contact me at [email protected].

In this month's Home & School Connection newsletter, there are articles about creating an atmosphere of learning in your home, a fun way to share what your family is grateful for, mixing math and fitness, and much more. As a counselor, my favorite article this month is about conflict resolution. You can find these articles and more in October's newsletter here.

Kristin Bauer
School Counselor
425-936-2670


CHOICE SCHOOL APPLICATION NOW OPEN
Closes Friday 12/13

 
  Choice School applications are available now for the 2020-2021 school year . The deadline to apply is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13, 2019, for any school that relies on a lottery to determine enrollment.

Parents of students in fifth grade should have received a Middle School options postcard or High School options postcard in the mail. They outline the opportunities in these respective levels, including information about neighborhood schools and choice schools. Videos about each choice school are posted on the  district website  and  YouTube channel . 


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SKATE AND RAISE!!!
@Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink

This holiday season, there is nothing better than taking your kids to the region's largest covered open-air ice skating rink while helping to raise funds for our school! 

Visit Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink between November 29, 2019 - January 20, 2020 .  The Bellevue Downtown Association will donate $3 from every paying ticket to Norman Rockwell PTA. 

WHERE: Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink , structure at the Bellevue Downtown Park in downtown Bellevue (south of Bellevue Square)

WHEN: November 29, 2019  - January 20, 2020

HOW:  Upon your arrival, notify rink staff that you are affiliated with Norman Rockwell PTA.

Ice skating opens to the public on Friday, November 29 and closes on Monday, January 20  and is a part of the Bellevue Magic Season. Families can make it a night of holiday fun with a visit to Snowflake Lane at The Bellevue Collection and stroll through Garden d’Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. 

More information about the Bellevue Magic Season can be found here . For more information about skating, please visit the  Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink or contact Mike Ogliore for any questions. 

Fundraising VP/ Parent volunteer
CURRENT PTA VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Hello Rockwell Parents! We're still looking to fill a few leadership roles.
  • STEM Fair Chairperson
  • Chess Club Chairperson (after school enrichment)
  • Volunteer Awards Chair
  • Read-a-Thon Chair
Some of these programs may be cancelled if we don't fill these positions!

If you are interested in any of the roles above, please click here for contact information. This page will also show ongoing volunteer opportunities.

*If you plan on handling money and/or volunteering during after school enrichment programs, you must also be a PTA member (click here to join if you haven't already).*

The Norman Rockwell PTA thanks you for your time and dedication!

Vice President of Communications

REFLECTIONS ART COMPETITION
"Look Within"  

BRAVO to everyone who participated in this year's Reflections Art Program! We received a total of 28 entries, 10 of which have been selected* to represent Norman Rockwell Elementary at the District/Council level: 

LITERATURE
  • Elaine Chen (Grade 5) - "Look Within" 
  • Kate Laing (Grade 2) - "A Pair of Glasses"
PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Shyamalan Hancock-Srinivasan (Grade 1) - "Upside Down Selfie"
  • Clara Safadi Marquez (Grade 1) - "Nature in my Heart"
VISUAL ARTS
  • Everleigh Gill (Kindergarten) - "Eye of the Planet"
  • Michael Nefedyev (Grade 4) - "Look Within: In the Arch"
  • Samiksha Ram (Grade 2) - "Girl in Space"
  • Tanisha Sivakumar (Grade 1) - "Friendship is for Everyone"
  • Tharan Sivakumar (Grade 5) - "Imagination Destination"
  • Niharika Vutukuri (Grade 3) - "Ocean's Beauty"

On Thursday 11/7, we had a chance to share with all students, parents, teachers and library visitors, the wonderful pieces of art that were entered in this year's contest. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to appreciate the talented work of our student artists! If you weren't able to attend the art show last week, winning pieces from all area schools, art categories, and grade divisions will be on display at the District Open House Art Show on Friday, 1/10 from 5-8pm at the Lake Washington Resource Center. District finalists will 1) advance to the state level, and 2) be one step closer to having their artwork displayed in Washington DC!

Lindsay Burke and Sheila Gruber

*PTA Reflections Program entries are judged on three criteria (in order of importance): Interpretation of the Theme, Creativity, and Technique. Interpretation of the Theme is the most heavily weighted criterion. This is what makes the program unique; if two entries are tied, the entry with the higher score for interpretation receives more recognition. Entries are divided by category then again by grade division (Primary and Intermediate entries are judged separately). Judging is blind and impartial. Each entry is evaluated by two category judges (volunteers from the community who are not affiliated with Norman Rockwell Elementary, i.e. no teachers, staff or parents of participating students allowed) and scored using a rubric provided by the National PTA Reflections Program. 
SHOP FOR ROCKWELL!

The holidays are fast approaching! Did you know that your purchases can make a difference? 

You can help raising school funds by simply shopping through Rockwell's AmazonSmile link. Be sure to add a bookmark to make it even easier to return and start your shopping!

AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of purchase prices (of eligible purchases) to Norman Rockwell PTA (Lake Washington Council) 2.8.47 when you do your holiday shopping. IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

Thank you for your support!

VP of Fundraising/ Parent Volunteer  
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PHOTOS FOR THE YEARBOOK

If you have any photos from classroom or school events that you'd like to share with the yearbook team, please feel free to e-mail them to [email protected].

Thank you!
ESSAYWSPTA ESSAY CONTEST

This statewide essay contest explores the important and varied influencers in the lives and education of children - from the children's perspective. Every day children are exposed to a variety of people and each one has an opportunity to influence the path a child decides to take. Whether it is someone that sparks an interest in a new topic, helps them work through a problem, shapes the kind of person they want to become by modeling behavior, simply listens to them, or any number of other actions, this is the platform for students to share their appreciation. 

The application deadline is March 1.

You can learn more about the contest here.

YEARBOOK ORDERS!

If you didn't order your yearbook when you completed your First Day Packet online, you can do so by going to LifeTouch and using Yearbook ID # 4886520.

Also, we're still looking for a few more parents to help create the yearbook. Work from home on your schedule to organize all the wonderful photos we're getting! Please email Abigail Welborn ([email protected]) to volunteer.
VOLUNTEER AT ROCKWELL!

Share your talents, gain experience and inspire a child. 

If you're planning to volunteer in the classroom, library or during an after school program, you must be approved by the district.

LWSD recently updated the volunteer application; you can find it here. Your volunteer status will expire after 2 years, at which time you will receive a notice to renew.

Thank you for volunteering!
QUICK LINKS - IN EVERY ISSUE

Places to earn: 
Click here for all the easy ways that your shopping can benefit Rockwell!

View the flyers approved by LWSD and targeted to Rockwell from local organizations...sports tryouts, after school classes, and community events. 
The best way to stay informed!

Join PTA to access all the directory information.

Volunteer Application:  
It's easy to complete and is good for 2 years. Fill yours out or check your renewal status today! Do it now and be ready to volunteer when school begins!
 
Rockwell PTA Facebook Page: 
Stay connected and updated on  Rockwell PTA, school, and community info. 
Stop by and Like Us! Don't miss any posts...after liking us, make sure to hover over the Liked Button to turn on notifications.

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Bugle Article Submissions Welcome
  
The Beagle Bugle welcomes article submissions from students and parents .  Student journalists may submit articles about current events, students opinion-editorials and poems or short stories.  Parents may submit articles about PTA events and school related topics. 

Any article that is unrelated to PTA or Rockwell must be approved by the Lake Washington School District, and may be submitted to the Peach Jar E-flyer system.  The Lake Washington School District website has more information on the submission and approval process.

Short pieces will be edited for inclusion in the Bugle, longer pieces will be posted on the website with a link in the Bugle.  The Deadline for submissions for the next weekly Bugle is the preceding Thursday.  The Bugle Staff reserves the right to be selective regarding the materials that are publicized.
Contact the Bugle staff or submit articles at
Elizabeth Rosemond
Beagle Bugle Editor
Norman Rockwell Elementary PTA
Norman Rockwell Elementary - Redmond, WA