Briarmeadow Charter School

• There are no tardies today due to the rainy weather.
• Please donate to the Girl Scout’s project supporting a shelter for the homeless.
  • You have from now until Thursday to donate.
  • There are boxes for your donations in each cluster and signs around school for extra information.
  • You can donate toiletry items like soap, socks, or chapstick.
  • When you donate you get Free Dress on Thursday October 24.
• Our Volleyball A Team plays their final divisional game today vs. Fallbrook Academy at 5pm at TH Rogers. Please come by and join us if you have the time.
• Thank you to the Dad’s Club for the marvelous BBQ and all that they do. We appreciate you.

Apologies for the delay. My electricity was out for most of today.

Fun Food Friday is an 8th Grade Fundraiser that usually occurs on Early Dismissal Fridays.

• Middle School students can purchase lunch during their scheduled lunch time.
• Students can still get food from the cafeteria should they need it.
• Sometimes 5th grade participates at lunch time; check with your teacher or the school for details for each event. (These are not PTO events.)
• Elementary students can purchase snacks/drinks after school.
• All items are $1.00 each: pizza, nachos, juice, soda, snacks, chips, and desserts.
• If you have questions, please contact Steve Levine.
• 8th Grade Parents & Caregivers–please contact Steve Levine to volunteer with setup, serving, and clean up (generally 11:00 – 1:00).

Each year Briarmeadow participates in the Houston Independent School District’s Name that Book contests.

• Name That Book is an HISD competition sponsored by the Department of Library Services
• In grades 3-5, students will read a list of 25 books.
• At their competition (usually in February or March), students are given a quote and asked to name that book. The six team members must think of the correct title and the scribe writes it on a white board in 45 seconds.
• Name That Book acquaints students with contemporary and classic literature as well as contemporary award-winning books, representing a variety of genres.
• Most of the titles are new and are chosen from the Texas Library Association’s 2×2 and Bluebonnet lists.
• The goal is for students to have fun reading, but Name That Book is also a competition.

There is an informational meeting for grades 3-8 Thursday October 24 3:15-4:00pm in the Library for interested parents & students.

• Ms. Stewart and Ms. Preston will be in contact with parents regarding the K-2 team.
• Ms. Loan looks forward to seeing all those interested next week!

From Mr. Heinze’s morning announcements October 14-18:

ELEMENTARY FIELD DAY IS POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER FORECASTS. it will not be Friday October 25. New date to come.

Elementary Field Day for PK-5th October 25 9am-2pm

• All elementary students should wear comfortable clothes for play and sunscreen. Hats or sunglasses are allowed if they don’t cause any problems.
• Students need to wear a shirt that can get Sharpie marker on it. (Students can decorate the shirts they’re wearing with Sharpie markers in one zone. Dress your elementary kids accordingly!)
• Water will be provided but feel free to send a water bottle.
• Students bring a lunch or eat cafeteria food.
• If you would like to volunteer, please talk to your child’s teacher. Don’t forget to sign in & out with the front desk.
• Like last year, each grade will move around the school in seven zones–some outside, some inside.

(Middle School Field Day was August 30.)

[embeddoc url=”https://briarmeadowpto.digitalpto.com/files/2019/10/Field-Day-Rotation-2019-2020-.pdf”]

Hello, Broncos!

This is the off week for the Charter Chatter Newsletter, but it’s a busy month for BCS. The PTO has some information to share. First the topics list; then the details follow.

New Information:  

1.  Box Tops for Education:  send them in by October 28

Reminders from the last Charter Chatter:

2.  Fall Festival:

2a.  Visit the Fall Festival table in the lobby today before school to buy t-shirts, tickets, and/or talk about sponsorships

2b.  Fall Festival $12 t-shirt orders are due October 18

2c.  Fall Festival sponsorships are due October 18

3.  Dad’s Club BBQ Plate Sale

3a.  October 19 3-7pm: preorder $12, on the day $15

3b.  Treat a teacher or staff to a Dad’s Club BBQ plate by October 18

4.  Fall Fundraiser buy-out payments and chocolate sales money are due October 21

5.  Ice cream at BOOZA for Family Night Out on October 22 noon-10pm

New non-PTO Information

6.  Free Dress on October 18 for donations

7.  Fun Food Friday October 18

8.  Free Dress on October 24 for donations

9.  Elementary Field Day on October 25

New Information:  

1.  Box Tops for Education:  send them in by October 28

• If you have any Box Tops for Education that expire in November 2019, send them to school by October 28 so we can redeem them for $$.
• Put your teacher’s name on the sheet/bag for credit in future Box Tops contests.
• You can print a Box Tops collection sheet here.
• Drop your Box Tops in the PTO Mailbox at the Front Desk.
• The app to scan your receipts with your phone is here.
• More details are here.

Reminders from the last Charter Chatter:

2.  Fall Festival:

2a.  Visit the Fall Festival table in the lobby today before school to buy t-shirts, tickets, and/or talk about sponsorships.

2b.  Fall Festival $12 t-shirt orders are due October 18.

• Only pre-ordered t-shirts will be printed.
• To pay with credit card: visit the PTO Store.
• To pay with cash: fill out the paper form, attach your cash, and drop it in the PTO Mailbox in the Front Lobby.

2c.  Fall Festival sponsorships are due October 18.

• Can you or someone you know sponsor the Fall Festival?
• It doesn’t have to be a dollar amount listed on the Sponsorship Opportunities page. Families often donate a smaller amount to help with the fundraiser.
• Sponsorships are due Friday to allow time for printing signage and t-shirts.
• The latest list is here.

3.  Dad’s Club BBQ Plate Sale

3a.  October 19 3-7pm:  preorder $12, on the day $15

• Pay by PayPal or Venmo:
  • PayPal:   [email protected], as a “personal payment”
  • Venmo:   bcsdadsclub
• More details are here.

3b.  Treat a teacher or staff to a Dad’s Club BBQ plate by October 18

• The Dad’s Club created a sign-up for families to treat our teachers & staff to dinner.

4.  Fall Fundraiser buy-out payments and chocolate sales money are due October 21

• To buy-out with a credit card:  visit the PTO Store.
• To buy-out with cash: visit the lobby before or after school or print the buy-out form, attach your cash, and deposit it into the PTO Mailbox at the Front Desk.
• To get chocolates: visit the lobby before or after school or print & complete the chocolate form and have your student bring the form to the lobby.
• To pay chocolate sales money:  visit the lobby before or after school.

5.  Ice cream at BOOZA for Family Night Out on October 22 noon-10pm

• October 22 is Family “Night” Out at BOOZA ice cream all day long.
• Text your friends and meet up at the same time to enjoy ice cream and fundraise for BCS. Maybe go right after school?
• Treat your teacher to ice cream and let the rest of the class know what time to come along and meet up.
• The BOOZA flyer is here. Visit the BOOZA website. Here is a video about their unique, stretchy ice cream.

New non-PTO Information

6.  Free Dress on October 18 for donations

• Students who donate this week to the Girl Scout toiletries & socks drive may come in free dress on Friday October 18. Details are here.

7.  Fun Food Friday October 18

• Middle School students can purchase fun foods for lunch. (Or students can get food from the cafeteria or bring lunch.)
• Elementary students can purchase snacks/drinks after school.
• All items are $1.00 each:  pizza, nachos, juice, soda, snacks, chips, and desserts

8.  Free Dress on October 24 for donations

• Students who donate next week to the Girl Scout toiletries & socks drive may come in free dress on Thursday October 24. Details are here.

9.  Elementary Field Day on October 25

• New Field Day activity:  students can decorate the shirts they’re wearing with Sharpie markers. Dress your elementary kids accordingly! More details are on LivingTree.

Briarmeadow Charter School Fall Festival – T-Shirt Orders & Sponsorships Due Friday

This year the BCS Fall Festival is Saturday, November 9th from 10AM – 2PM.

• The Fall Festival Planning Committee is staffing a table in the lobby Wednesday morning:  stop by to order t-shirts and tickets and/or talk about sponsorships.
• T-shirt orders are due Friday.
• Sponsorships are due Friday.
• Elementary families, please sign up to volunteer at your booth. When your class fills all 8 hourly spots, the class gets a popsicle party. Volunteer responsibilities generally include:
  • Managing the kids in line (no cutting ahead of people),
  • Counting and taking tickets or checking for wristbands,
  • Telling people where they can buy tickets (if they don’y have them), and
  • Supervising and enforcing safety.
• The next planning meeting is October 24 6pm at Molina’s 7901 Westheimer.
• The PTO Website has more information.
• Please review the Fall Festival Sponsorship Opportunities.  If your family, your business, or a company you know wishes to sponsor the school, please contact John Weatherly at 832-419-3252 / [email protected] to secure your sponsorship today.

Can you or someone you know help fill our Fall Festival sponsorship needs? It doesn’t have to be a dollar amount listed on the Sponsorship Opportunities page. Families often donate a smaller amount to help with the fundraiser. Sponsorships are due Friday to allow time for printing signage and t-shirts.
Thanks, Broncos!

[embeddoc url=”https://briarmeadowpto.digitalpto.com/files/2019/10/BCS-Fall-Fest-Sponsorship-STATUS-10.14.2019.pdf”]

Our Girl Scout troops at Briarmeadow are doing a service project to collect travel-size toiletries and new socks for homeless women and children.

• We will be collecting from October 14 – 24th.
• On Friday, October 18th, we will have free dress for anyone who donated Monday the 14th through Friday the 18th.
• Again free dress will be offered on Thursday October 24th for anyone who donates from Monday the 21st – Thursday the 24th.
• Thank you for your help in making this drive a success!
• The collection boxes are in the clusters. Let your teacher know about your donation for the free dress component. (There is no physical, printed free dress pass.)

BBQ-Treat Our Teachers & Staff to a Meal:

Hello, Broncos! Attached is Issue #5 of Charter Chatter.

• The Fall Festival Committee meets tomorrow 6pm at Texadelphia. Please come learn about helping with sponsorships, ticket sales and distribution to classrooms, volunteer coordination, etc.
• Pastries with Parents is Friday 7:15am.
• Mr. Vasquez’s parent meeting about BCS’s Odyssey of the Mind team is Friday 3:30pm.
• Wear Orange and Say Hey Day is Monday, part of Bully Prevention Week. Students who wear orange may come in free dress.

Attached is the Charter Chatter packet. The forms and flyers are in chronological order by event/due date:

• Charter Chatter Issue 4, English
• Charter Chatter Issue 4, Spanish
• October 11:  Pastries with Parents flyer
• October 11:  Odyssey of the Mind meeting invitation/flyer
• October 18:  Fall Festival flyer
• October 18:  Fall Festival T-shirt order form
• October 18:  Fall Festival Sponsorship schedule, letter & form
• October 19:  Dad’s Club BBQ Plate Sale flyer
• October 21:  Fall Fundraiser Raffle Prizes flyer
• October 21:  World’s Finest Chocolate form
• October 21:  Fall Fundraiser Buy-out form
• October 22:  Family Night Out at BOOZA ice cream flyer
• October 26:  HISD Special Populations Parent Leadership Conference flyer, English & Spanish
• November 1:  Fall Festival Ticket order form
• November 4-7:  Fall Festival Donations flyer

[embeddoc url=”https://briarmeadowpto.digitalpto.com/files/2019/10/2019-10-09-CC-Packet-FR.pdf”]

You are the PTO and our leaders need your help. Please sign up.

1. October 11 Pastries with Parents:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0f44aaac2daaff2-pastries
2. Our Fall Fundraiser Sign up is full. Thank you!
3. November 9 Fall Festival Elementary Booths:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0f44aaac2daaff2-fall17

Thank you, Broncos, for picking up your chocolates. Supplies are getting low. If you’re not doing the buy-out, come get your chocolates soon or send the form in for chocolates to go to your oldest student’s classroom. Money is due October 21. https://briarmeadowpto.digitalpto.com/worlds-finest-chocol…/

Mr. Vasquez, our Middle School history & social studies teacher
and BCS Odyssey of the Mind coordinator,
is hosting an Odyssey of the Mind informational meeting.

Who:     Interested Kinder – 8th grade parents
When:   Friday October 11 from 3:30-4:30pm
Where:  Mr. Vasquez’s upstairs classroom

Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition for students of all ages. Teams of students select a problem, create a solution, then present their solution in a competition against other teams in the same problem and division. More information is in the attached flyer and here:  https://www.txodyssey.org/whatisom

[embeddoc url=”https://briarmeadowpto.digitalpto.com/files/2019/10/OotMInvitation2019-Vasquez-flyer.pdf”]

From morning announcements October 4th & 7th:

• Wednesday October 9  is HISD’s Fall Holiday and Briarmeadow has no school.
• Our volleyball team defeated IL Texas Windmill Lakes on October 3:  25-20, 25-9. Their next game is October 7 at 5pm vs. Amigos Por Vida.

A big THANK YOU to our Family Night Out coordinator Cara Duggal for a fun time at Jumping World last month. What did you think? Was it a nice change from restaurants? Should we go back?
This month she’s arranged ICE CREAM. October 22 is Family “Night” Out at BOOZA ice cream all day long. Text your friends and meet up at the same time to enjoy ice cream and fundraise for BCS. Maybe go right after school? Treat your teacher to ice cream and let the rest of the class know what time to come along and meet up.
https://www.booza1941.com/

[embeddoc url=”https://briarmeadowpto.digitalpto.com/files/2019/09/Family-Night-Out-Booza-Ice-Cream.pdf”]

If you’ve clipped any Box Tops for Education that expire in November 2019, send them to school by October 28 so we can redeem them for $$.

• Put your teacher’s name on the sheet/bag for credit in future Box Tops contests.
• You can print a Box Tops sheet from here: https://briarmeadowpto.digitalpto.com/files/2019/10/BoxTopsBloom.pdf
• Drop your Box Tops in the PTO Mailbox at the Front Desk.
• You can get the app to scan your receipts with your phone here: https://www.boxtops4education.com
• If you don’t want to scan the receipts yourself, drop your receipts in the PTO Mailbox at the Front Desk and a volunteer will scan them in.
• I think if you buy something with the Box Top to clip, you can also scan the receipt for a second credit.

Thanks, Broncos!

[embeddoc url=”https://briarmeadowpto.digitalpto.com/files/2019/10/BoxTopsBloom.pdf”]

Save the date and pre-buy your meals: October 19 is the Dad’s Club BBQ Fundraiser.

• The Dads are doing the cooking and will have details about a vegetarian option soon.
• See the flyer for more information.
• Advanced on-line sales are encouraged AND DISCOUNTED to help them plan:
  • Pay-Pal/Venmo instructions are:
    • PayPal: [email protected]
    • Venmo: bcsdadsclub
    • If you want the vegetarian option, please add that comment when you pay.
    • When using PayPal, please pay as a PERSONAL PAYMENT. When you enter Goods and Services, the club is charged a fee.

I wonder if they’ll have the awesome cash register from Movie Night?