March 2015 Paw Prints

Paw Prints MARK YOUR CALENDARS

March 10

Arbor Day Celebration

March 11

End of 3rd 9 Weeks

March 14

Spring Outdoor Cleanup

1:30PM

2014-2015 PTO Officers

March 17 Rising 6th Graders Parent Meeting at Simmons Middle School 6:00PM

Georgia Pearson President

March 18

Report Cards Go Home

March 18-19

2nd Grade Space Bubble

Marivee Jerome Vice President

March 19

Walk to School Day

March 19 4th/5th Grades present Patriotic Program at Board 6:00PM March 20

Shamrock Shuffle

March 21 Elementary Lego Competition at Green Valley 9:00AM ALL MONTH

Reach for the Stars Fundraiser (see page 2)

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Mandy Black Vice President Sharon Pierson Treasurer Leslie Black Secretary Michel O’Brien Historian

Michelle Grant Parliamentarian Anna Hart Fundraising Chair Karyn McRee Head Room Mom

March 30-April 3

Ann Welborn K-2nd Teacher Rep Tricia Shanlever 3rd-5th Teacher Rep

FUNDRAISER and book fair We kicked off our Reach for the Stars program Monday, March 9! This is a pledge-based reading incentive program with 100% of the pledges coming back to our school, your child, and your teacher in the form of FREE books and cash for the school. Here is the breakdown: 40% of the pledges enables your child to get free books at the book fair March 23-25 10% of the pledges goes to your child’s teacher in the form of free books for her classroom

Mrs. Shipp’s & Mrs. Flippo’s ted Kindergarten classes presen ctic. research projects on the ar ilt a They researched a topic, bu created model, made a slideshow, & oks! informational pamphlets/bo

50% of the pledges goes to Bluff Park Elementary in cash

The Kindergarten c lasses enjoyed at play at th e Alabama Theatre F ebruary 11th.

Your child is bringing home a calendar and reading journal so you can keep up with the minutes they read each day…be sure to go over the information tonight with your child. The goal of the program is to read 300 minutes over a 2 week period. Have your child begin tonight recording minutes and seeking pledges. The pledges should be FLAT DONATIONS, NOT per minute pledges. Encourage your child to reach the “10X10 Challenge”…10 sponsors for $10 each! Every child who raises at least $100 in pledges gets an extra $10 in books at the book fair!

The student who raises the most money gets a $100 gift card to shop at the book fair…on top of the free books he or she will already be getting. Each class that raises at least $1000 will get a class party!

ld Bluff Park Student Council he Fundraiser a successful $1 Pajama Day er! for the Alabama Organ Cent 01.20 They were able to raise $7 for this worthy cause!

from the

principal The weather has been the main story of the month. The weather creates hard decisions that have to be made about the school day. The impact of a delayed start, early dismissal or closing for the day affects everyone. I know that everyone is ready for warm weather to get here.

Congratulations go to our PTO. They have had a water fountain installed on the playground and worked with the Board of Education to provide transportation from The Park at Wellington for our students. Having to walk from there was a major safety issue for those students.

Testing for grades 3, 4, and 5, starts early in April. More information about testing will be sent home later in the month.

The other item of information is my upcoming retirement.

The board will be approving my retirement effective March 31. Due to changes in the DROP program, I will need to retire then. I will be gone for 30 days, and then the board is going to allow me to come back on a contract to work May and June. The new principal would start July 1st. Counting the time I was a teacher at Bluff Park when it was in the Jefferson County School System, I have worked at Bluff Park for 22 of my 38 years in education. There is no better school, teachers, parents or students anywhere in Alabama. I appreciate having had the opportunity to work in this great community!

So I’ll be gone the month of April but will return for May and June.

David Fancher Principal

GO Panthers!!

from the

president Hi Bluff Park Parents, I would like to start this note with a huge THANK YOU to all who contributed to our Loose Change Week fundraiser. They say every penny counts, & that is certainly true! You were able to raise $2,155!

That is truly amazing! We are so excited to be able to use these funds, combined with a generous $1,000 donation from Paul DeMarco, to purchase a new shade structure for the playground. We are in the process of getting it in place, so please keep a look out for it in the next few months. The teachers will be so thrilled to have a shady place to watch our young ones!

As I write this letter, the electricity is flickering & the temperature is dropping rapidly as sleet/snow falls. It’s hard to believe that spring weather will be here in just a few weeks (HOPEFULLY!). With this in mind, we have set our annual Spring Cleanup for Saturday, March 14th. This year we have several projects to work on in addition to picking up trash, pressure washing the entrance, pulling weeds, planting flowers & tidying up the outdoor classroom. We’ll be starting the process of creating an Earth Bench from “bottle bricks” created

by Bluff Park Students. Please Google these terms & look at the creations from around the world using these recycled items. You’ll be amazed! We also hope to replace the four large concrete planters in front of the school, which are showing their age. If anyone has a contact that can donate some new planters, let me know . So, bring your gloves, hats, sunscreen, water and labeled gardening tools, & let’s get to work! This is always such a wonderful way to see other families and enjoy showing our school spirit together!

Also coming up quickly is this year’s Shamrock Shuffle on March 20th! The kids feel such a sense of accomplishment after completing this neighborhood run. It takes several volunteers to make this event a success, & I know our fantastic PE coaches would be so appreciative of your help. Click here to volunteer!

Lastly, we have our anual Reach for the Stars!! fundraiser March 2327. Reach for the Stars!! is a pledge-based reading incentive program that works like a "read-a-thon" or reading challenge. Usborne Books puts books into the hands of students and rewards them for reading.

At the same time, it provides the school with cash and books, both of which will be used to support the teachers of Bluff Park Elementary School. The goal of the Reach for the Stars!! program is for the

participants to read, or to be read to, for 300 minutes or more over a two-week period of time. This is an average of 30 minutes per weekday. I encourage you to support your child and their teachers in this fantastic fundraiser!

We are still recruiting for 2015-2016 PTO board members and committee chairs, so if you are interested in becoming more involved in the school, please click here to send me a note. We would love to have you!

As always, we are so excited whenever we have parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles come and volunteer for any of our school events.

Please see the dates below for opportunities to help out. If you ever have any questions about these, please send me a note.

Sincerely, Georgia Pearson, PTO President Parent Volunteer Opportunity Dates March 14 Spring Outdoor Cleanup March 20 Shamrock Shuffle March 23-27 Reach for the Stars!! Fundraiser April 13-17 Teacher Appreciation Week May 6 Tentative Bike to School Day May 15 Spring Fling

Shamrock Shuffle - March 20th We are very excited about this event! This is set up like a community run with start/finish line, number running bibs, finisher’s award and timer. Each grade level will have a set time to run a 1 mile off campus and down Cloudland and back to school.

Kindergarten 9:00-9:20 1st Grade 9:20- 9:40 2nd Grade 9:40-10:00 rd 3 Grade 10:00-10:20 th 4 Grade 10:20-10:40 th 5 Grade 10:40- 11:00

Elementary Lunch

Meatless Monday Entrée

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

2 Dr. Seuss Day! Green Scrambled Eggs Sliced Ham Pancakes w/Syrup Corndog Fresh Orange Halves Fruit & Yogurt Salad Rosati Ice Fruit Cup

3 Pepperoni Hot Pocket BBQ Pork Sandwich Ham & Cheese Sandwich Oven Baked Fries Black Bean Salad 5-way Vegetable Blend Fresh Melon Cup Sliced Pears Cookie Chicken Tenders w/Roll Meatloaf w/Roll Hawaiian Chicken Wrap Seasoned Green Beans Mashed Potatoes & Gravy Fresh Tangerines Canned Peaches Cookie 17

16 Chicken Nuggets Stuffed Cheese Pizza Fruit & Yogurt Salad Brown Rice w/Gravy Sweet Potato Fries Fresh Spinach Salad Fresh Apple Slices Rosati Ice Fruit Cup

Chicken Cordon Blu Beefy Mac & Cheese Greek Salad Meal Dinner Roll Black-Eyed Peas Mashed Potatoes &Gravy Fresh Grapes Mandarin Oranges 23

Hamburger on Bun All-Beef Hotdog on Bun SB & Jelly Sandwich Potato Rounds Baked Beans Cherry Tomatoes w/Dip Fresh Sliced Apples Rosati Ice Fruit Cup

4 Chicken Nuggets w/Roll Sloppy Joe Sandwich Fruit & Yogurt Salad Mashed Potatoes Steamed Squash Pineapple Chunks Fresh Orange Slices

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9 Breaded Chicken Sandwich Taco Soup & Tortilla Chips Fruit & Yogurt Salad Fresh Garden Salad Sweet Potato Fries Fresh Apple Slices Mandarin Oranges

Thursday

24 Steak Nuggets BBQ Pork Sandwich Fruit & Yogurt Salad Oven Baked Fries Sweet Peas Fresh Spinach Salad Fresh Melon Cup Canned Pear Slices Cookie

Friday 5

Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce Fish Nuggets Garlic Breadstick Southwestern Chicken Salad Fresh Garden Salad Yellow Corn Banana Mandarin Oranges Cookie 11

Beef Taco Salad Chicken Quesadilla Power Salad Seasoned Corn Pinto Beans Fresh Banana Pineapple Tidbits with Blueberries 18

13 Cheese Sticks w/Marinara Turkey Tetrazzini Tuna Goldfish Sandwich Steamed Carrots Breaded Okra Fresh Pear Rosati Ice Fruit Cup

19 Crispito Pulled Pork Nachos Chicken Caesar Salad Seasoned Corn Pinto Beans Fresh Kiwi Canned Pear Slices Cookie

25 Greek Chicken Flatbread Sloppy Joe Sandwich Trio Salad Roasted Red Potatoes Steamed Yellow Squash Greek Garbanzo Salad Fresh Grapes Pineapple Chunks

Personal Pan Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza Cheesy Chicken & Rice Tuna Sandwich Meal Steamed Broccoli Sweet Potato Fries Cucumber Slices w/Dip Fresh Grapes Hawaiian Fruit Cup

12 Corndog Beef Tips & Rice w/Roll Trio Salad Broccoli with Cheese Oven Baked Fries Fresh Grapes Applesauce Pudding Cup

Brunch for Lunch Pancakes w/Syrup Grilled Cheese Sandwich Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich Scrambled Eggs Potato Rounds Sausage Link Fresh Fruit

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20 Hamburger Steak w/gravy Chicken Alfredo Tuna Sandwich Meal Garlic Cheese Stick Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes Seasoned Green Beans Fresh Orange Slices Applesauce

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Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce Personal Pan Cheese Pizza Steak Parmesan Sandwich Cheesy Chicken & Rice Southwestern Chicken Salad Tuna Sandwich Meal Garlic Cheese Breadstick Steamed Broccoli Roasted Brussel Sprouts Sweet Potato Fries Fresh Spinach Salad Cucumber Slices w/Dip Steamed Cauliflower Fresh Orange Slices Fresh Banana Applesauce Mandarin Oranges Cookie

Spring Break: March 30th – April 3rd USDA is an equal opportunity provider & employer

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NATIONAL SCHOOL BREAKFAST WEEK: MARCH 2-6, 2015 Waffle Sticks String Cheese Combo Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast 9 Pancakes String Cheese Combo Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast 16 Waffle Sticks String Cheese Combo Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast 23 Pancakes String Cheese Combo Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

Chicken Croissant Sausage Biscuit Combo Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast 10 Breakfast Pizza Pancake Combo Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast 17 Chicken Croissant Pancake Combo Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast 24 Breakfast Pizza Pancake Combo Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

Sausage Biscuit Belly Bears w/Yogurt Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

Breakfast Burrito Yogurt & Muffin Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

11 Cinnamon Roll Sausage Biscuit Combo Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

12 French Toast Sticks Yogurt & Muffin Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

18 Beef Sausage on Bun Breakfast Burrito Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

19 Egg & Cheese on Bun Yogurt & Muffin Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

25 Cinnamon Roll Beef Sausage on Bun Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

26 French Toast Sticks Yogurt & Muffin Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

Breakfast Bagel Pop-Tart & Yogurt Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast 13 Pancake on a Stick Pop-Tart & Yogurt Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast 20 Breakfast Bagel Pop-Tart & Yogurt Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast 27 Pancake on a Stick Pop-Tart & Yogurt Assorted Cereal with Whole Wheat Toast

Spring Break: March 30th – April 3rd *An Assortment of 100% Fruit Juice, Canned Fruit & Fresh Fruit served daily. *Skim Milk, 1% Milk, Fat-Free Chocolate & Fat-Free Strawberry Milk served daily

USDA is an equal opportunity provider & employer