BEH Weekly Family Message

Last week brought us news of the tragedy at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend. Whenever these awful events happen, it causes me to reflect on what our safety practices are and whether we should consider adjusting any of these practices. It is always a balance between being proactive and prepared for the worst, while also working to try to create the conditions that allow for people to feel like they have an outlet for being heard and supported. We regularly practice our safety drills and as a staff run through scenarios in staff meetings throughout the year as well. We will continue to reflect on this and are always open to feedback and thoughts as we work to find this balance.

Last week at BEH we kicked off SUN School for the term, had our picture day, earthquake drill, and had Run for BEH. It was definitely a packed week, but it was great to see our students rise up to the occassion. This week will still be busy, but shoud be a little bit more mellow than last week.

Continue reading below to find out what is going on at BEH this week and beyond:

Greetings from the PTA

RUN for BEH was a success! Congratulations to all the runners. It was great to see students giving it their all. They have a lot to be proud of for the work they did on the running track and the work they do every day at school. Many thanks to all of the families that came out for the run, we appreciate your help with the details and cheering students on! Final pledges are due October 28th (online or drop off in the office.) We have less than $1000 to reach our goal of $10,000. That’s amazing! A huge thank you to everyone for getting the word out and supporting our school!

RUN for BEH PreK is scheduled for October 23rd at 1:30 in the gym. Interested in volunteering to make this special for our Pre K crew? Send an email to info@behpta.org.

Harvest Fair is this Thursday, October 22nd at 5:00. We will celebrate the season with games, candy and food! Costumes are encouraged. We need adults to make this fun for everyone. Sign up to volunteer!

Looking ahead to November events

PTA meeting: November 10th 5:30pm
Walk for Ruby Bridges: November 18th 7:00am
Music Night: November 19th 5:00pm

• Supporting the PTA is easy with ongoing fundraisers like Bottle Drop, Fred Meyer Rewards, Raise Right and the BEH Paw shop.

• Follow PTA events and more on BEH Panthers Shared Calendar, click here. Note: this calendar includes events for grades K-5. The pre-K program follows a different calendar. Email info@behpta.org with any questions or corrections.

Our monthly Early Release is this Wednesday, October 21st. This means that school is dismissed at 11:50. Early release days are also our monthly Spirit Days. This month our Student Council decided on a sports theme. They would like students to dress like they are ready to paricipate in their favorite sport. Please make sure that the outfits are still school appropriate and safe for the school day. This means; no cleats, roller skates/blades, or equipment that would be distracting or could get lost in the day.

Black Parent Initiative (BPI) is shifting their Turn Up Tuesdays from last year to Wednesday on early release this year. This is when they join us before school to greet students and families with some music, energy, and treats to kick off the school day. The hope is to have a positive impact on attendance and create a welcoming vibe for all. Here is the flyer with more info for anyone that is interested.

There is no SUN School on Wednesday this week due to the Early Release. SUN School will also be dismissing at 4:30 on Thursday so that students and families can get ready for the PTA Harvest Fair at 5:00 that evening.

We have seen many grade levels starting to go on field trips these last few weeks and we expect many more as we progress through the school year. Please make sure and be checking backpacks so that you can sign and return the permission slips so that students do not miss these great experiences. Also, if you are wanting to join your student on the trip, don't forget to complete your background check through the district website. These background checks last for three years once they are approved.

Oregon Battle of the Books is coming back to BEH! Permission forms went home a few weeks back in your student's Tuesday folder. We are still looking for some competitirs so the deadline to apply has been extended to the end of the month. OBOB encourages a love of reading, builds comprehension, and promotes teamwork through friendly competition. This is an in-school program, and we need volunteers, team coaches, and parents to make it happen. Interested in helping? Email Emily at emilyhoppe2@gmail.com.

Portland Backpack brings together members of the community to provide your child meals for the weekend. If you like your child to receive a meal sack each Friday to bring home for the weekend please complete this form. Each sack contains non-perishable foods; two meals, fruit, two snacks, and two oatmeal packs. One sack provided for each child, if you have more than one student at your school please complete the form for each child.

The Center for Black Excellence was at our Back to School Night sharing about the Third Grade Tutoring, 5th Grade Dream Days, and other amazing work they will be doing with our community. They are currently looking to hire and train tutors to do some of this work this school year. They shared this Indeed link for folks to apply to become a tutor at CBE if you are interested.

October:

• Wednesday the 21st - Early Release @11:50 AM
• Thursday the 22nd - PTA Harvest Fair @5:00 PM
• Thursday the 29th - Grading Day (No School)
• Friday the 30th - Planning Day (No School)