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Originally delivered on 6/4/2018 2:29 pm

SUBJECT: June 2018 PTA Newsletter


 

JUNE 2018

Letter from our PTA President - Alison Grzyb

Summer, Summer, Summer!

Though it seemed like the day would “never” come, according to kids and parents alike, we made it to summer break! The end of a school year brings both joy and melancholy.  It is the time of year when we celebrated our Brinker Bears with the year-end spirit assembly, Brinker Bash, and 5th grade graduation. Yet, it also a time for “goodbyes” to our friends and teachers, as well as the transition to our Brinker PTA Board and Chairs.

I will be continuing on as PTA president for the 2018-2019 school year, with some familiar faces and a few new ones too. Welcome Trish Echaniz, Ann Lin and Merina Kovoor to the executive board and Thank You to everyone else for continuing on with me!   I would like to personally send a heartfelt Thank you to all our PTA members and volunteers who served in their many roles and gave their time, energy and resources to the events of the past school year and to our Brinker Staff and Teachers. In particular, a special thanks goes out to all our 5th Grade PTA parents.  You all have made an amazing impact on the Brinker community and we hope to carry forward your legacy of service with Brinker Pride!

Before you “check out” for Summer Break, please put the following important dates on your calendars:

  • July 1 – PISD Volunteer Security Clearance – for all volunteers is open for the 2018-19 school year. It is the Plano ISD policy that all volunteers complete the security clearance Volunteer Application every school year. I recommend doing this as soon as possible, so you are ready to start the 2018-19 school year and able to volunteer. Click here for the Volunteer Application.
  • August 1- Brinker PTA Membership Toolkit Opens – Log in and order Brinker Spirit Wear, 2018-19 Yearbooks, School Supplies and 2018-19 PTA Membership.
  • August 8–Back to Brinker Event – 5-7 pm in the Brinker Gym
  • August 10 – Meet the Teacher – 7:30-8:30 am
  • August 13 – First Day of School
  • August 14 – Brinker Back to School Coffee and General PTA Meeting – 7:45 am in the Brinker Library.

For our incoming Kindergarteners and their parents, there is a “Kindergarten Meet & Greet” during the summer. More details to follow this summer. All incoming Kindergarteners and their families are invited!

If anyone has any questions or concerns over the summer, please do not hesitate to contact me at president@brinkerpta.org. Happy Summer!

 

VOLUNTEERS OF THE MONTH
MELISA LANGLEY AND DEBBIE LEWIS

Congratulations to our Brinker PTA Volunteers of the Month, Melissa Langley and Debbie Lewis. They worked countless hours to help make our SAGE event a HUGE success!

The Langley family moved to Plano in late 2016 from Australia. Seb Langley is about to graduate from Brinker and Harry Langley is at Renner. Melissa and Phil have loved watching their boys enjoy Plano and the schools. Texas truly is a boys paradise. In her spare time Melissa likes to travel and explore the country (so far her favorite places are New York and Montana), cook and go to the gym.

Debbie Lewis is a Dallas native who's called Plano home for the past three years. Moving back home from Montana was an easy transition. She has 2 sons, Christian who will be graduating from Brinker Elementary and Julian who will be completing the third grade at Brinker as well. Debbie is a singer songwriter who leads the worship group at her church in The Colony. She enjoys watching her boys play football and family time the most.

Thank you ladies for all of your hard work and contributions to the school this year!

 

 IMPORTANT DATES

 

2018-2019 SCHOOL SUPPLIES ORDER ONLINE

Brinker PTA provides parents the opportunity to pre-purchase school supply packs for students for the upcoming school year. These packs contain all of the items included on the teacher's supply list for your child's grade. Please click HERE to purchase.

Please note that this year, these school supplies packages will only be available at current prices for purchase from April 30 - June 15 to ensure delivery of all school supplies before school starts in August. For detailed instructions on how to purchase online, please click HERE.

If purchased by June 15, you are guaranteed that your child(ren)'s supplies will be delivered to their classroom before Meet the Teacher.

Save yourself time and the hassle of running around next August....get it done now! Prices go up June 16.

2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR WRAP UP

 

ARTS IN EDUCATION - YEAR END REMARKS

 

Brinker Bears had an incredible year filled with curriculum based and after school activities. To mention just a few, we built and launched rockets and made prototypes of the most complex engineered bridges; painted like Rembrandts; if only on Tuesdays, we played music like Mozart; visited with Sam Houston; drummed and communicated in teams through West African drums; and learned a great deal about the Dragons of Romania. Our kids are now keenly aware that to be in High Touch we need to first know technology. Finally, what a treat it was to see the winners of the Reflections program walk on stage to be recognized by PISD. Many parent volunteers make these programs a success for our kids. Every year you support Brinker PTA's Arts in Education programs through countless volunteering hours and donations. For that - we thank you!

 

TUESDAY TUNES WRAP UP

Our final performances this school year came from 2nd grade violinist Oliver Huang, 1st grade pianist Allie Moroni, 1st grade pianist Ashley Moroni, and Kindergarten pianist Hannah Lin. Thank you for sharing your beautiful music with us!

We appreciate every young musician who helped make Tuesday Tunes a great success this school year. This program is geared towards helping students build their passion for the performing arts while developing confidence in performing for their peers. Music is meant to be enjoyed and shared!

For those attending Brinker next year, and will have had two years of formal music training, we hope you will sign up to perform. Watch for sign-up opportunities when the Membership Toolkit opens for the new school year in August.

Email tuesdaytunes@brinkerpta.org with any questions.

 

BRINKER PTA AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP AT
BRINKER SENIOR RECEPTION

On May 23rd almost 70 Brinker alumni from the class of 2018 attended the Brinker Senior Reception in the Brinker Library.  They had a great time mingling with old classmates and visiting with their Brinker teachers!  Each year the Brinker PTA awards a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior who attended Brinker for at least grades 3-5th.  This year, after considering several very qualified and deserving candidates who submitted their applications , the scholarship committee selected Alexis Cole as the 2018 recipient of the scholarship.  Alexis was recognized at the annual Brinker Seniors Reception. Brinker PTA congratulates Alexis and all of the amazing 2018 graduates!

 


BRINKER PTA SUPPORTS

Thanks to all your financial support of the Brinker PTA Membership and fundraisers. It has been an amazing year. Listed below are just some of the many events, programs and staff wishlist items that Brinker PTA was able to provide to its students, staff and community during 2017-18 school year:


•Back to School Coffee and 2 Newcomers Coffees
•Red Ribbon Week Activities / Mavs Man Assembly
•Author visit for 3-5th grades
•Author visit for K-2 grades
•Winter and Valentines Class Parties
•Boys II Men

•Watch Dog Kick off Pizza Party & Year End Celebration
•Movie Night with Dad
•Rhythm Path - Day of Drumming for all grade levels
•Ski Plano support
•SAGE Inclusion Event
•Winter and Valentines Class Parties

•Cultural Diversity Event
•Brinker Community Color Fun Run
•Brinker Marathon Kids Program and tshirts
•Field Trips for grade levels
•Team Luncheons
•Staff Appreciation Week
•Field Day including obstacle course inflatable
•5th grade Recognition Cermony and Celebration
•HighTech HighTouch Scientists in the classroom for all grade levels
•New tablecloths with Brinker Logos
•21st Century Technology for Teacher Workroom
•Beautiful plantings for entrances
•Bluebonnet and 2x2 Reading celebrations
•Brinker Bash - DJ, frozen treats and fun

This list just “skims the surface” of what your Brinker PTA does to support the students, staff and community. We appreciate all your support and we look forward to your PTA Membership for the 2018-19 school year!

Please join today at brinkerpta.org!!

SUMMER INFORMATION

2018-2019 READING LISTS

If you are looking for ways to entertain your Brinker Bear during the summer, reading books from the Texas 2x2 Reading List and Texas Bluebonnet Awards are a great way to keep students engaged and get ahead for the next school year. These award-winning books can be found at our local public libraries. Click on the links below for each reading list:

2x2 Reading List (Grades K-2): http://www.txla.org/groups/2x2-current
Bluebonnet Reading List (Grades 3-5): http://www.txla.org/TBA-nominees

Contact  our Literary Enrichment Chair, if you have any questions. literarysupport@brinkerpta.org.

 

SAVE THOSE BOX TOPS

One easy way to help the PTA provide all of the fun and educational events and programs for Brinker students is by saving the “Boxtops for Education” coupons from the products you purchase everyday. One “Boxtop” is worth .10 cents. If every student saves just 10 “Boxtops” this summer, that would be over $700! Boxtops are found on many products, such as Pillsbury, General Mills cereals, Ziplock bags, Progresso, Chex Mix and many, many more. Just snip the “Boxtop coupon” off the packaging and save them - so easy! Please help Brinker PTA with this simple fund-raiser and watch for information in the fall about when and how to submit.

 

SUMMER RECYCLING = $$$

Did you know that Brinker has a World Wide Wear bin right behind the school? As you clean out your closets this summer, please consider putting your clothing, shoe and old backpack donations in the large blue “World Wide Wear” bin located right behind Brinker. So convenient and easy and Brinker PTA gets paid by the pound for the collected monthly donations! We received over $350.00 from World Wide Wear last year from Brinker family clothing donations! It’s an easy way to raise money for next school year’s PTA budget over the summer. Thank you!

2018-19 INFORMATION 

 

2018-2019 PTA MEMBERSHIP ORDER ONLINE

PTA Membership is now open for the 2018-2019 school year online. Click HERE to purchase yours. We would love to have ALL of our parents join the PTA. Please remember that you do not need to volunteer your time to be a member of the PTA - although we love our volunteers! We understand that some parents simply are unable to volunteer their time.

100% of the membership dues paid by parents are used to support programs for ALL of our Brinker students. Just a few of those programs and student benefits include:
â—¾Tuesday Tunes program
â—¾Teacher Appreciation Events
â—¾Curriculum-based Programs such as Rhythm Path, Drum Fit program and theater productions
â—¾Brinker Color Fun Run
â—¾Brinker Marathon Kids Program
â—¾Field Day
â—¾Fall Family Picnic
â—¾Class Field Trips
â—¾Paid Author Visits
â—¾And many more!

Purchasing a membership is easy and inexpensive. The cost for annual membership is $18.00 for a two-parent family and $11.50 for a single-parent family. We hope you will join our membership!

Please contact us at membership@brinkerpta.org with any questions.

 

2018-19 BRINKER PTA BOARDS & CHAIRS

Please join us in congratulating and supporting the following Brinker PTA Members who will volunteer their time to serve in the following positions on the 2018-19 Brinker PTA Board and Chairs. A huge thank you to these volunteers for serving!

 

Executive Board & Officers

•President – Alison Gryzb
•1st VP Communications – Trish Echaniz
•2nd VP Volunteers – Sarah Kissel
•3rd VP Ways & Means – Stefani Sereboff
•Secretary – Jill Levy
•Treasurer – Tara Kesler
•Historian – Nanditha Zuckerman
•Parliamentarian – Merina Kovoor

Standing Committee Chairs

•Arts in Education – Ann Lin
•Programs – Ryann Bills
•Membership – Anita Dewers
•Hospitality – Kim Fischer
•Past Board Member - Alice Chao

Special Committee Chairs

•Bear Facts Newsletter – Manjari Golagani
•Bear Hugs – Amy Young
•Book Fair – Jenifer Johnson/Melanie Mityas
•Box Tops Chair - Melissa Lienert
•Brinker Bash – Querube Tamez
•Canned Food Drive – OPEN
•Chess Enrichment – Sarika Shivnani
•Color Run - Natalie Leuders/Katie Stoneham
•Community Outreach – Jessica Bailey/Kim Sams
•Community Partners – Nicole Post/Rikki Ragland Marver
•Curriculum-Based Programs – Ann Lin
•Cultural Diversity – Christine Diaz/ Phyllis Wan-Huen
•Directory – Sarah Duffy
•Environmental – Jenny Dowen

•Fall Family Picnic – Candice Leinart/Jennifer Thompson
•Field Day – Stacie Ferguson/Tara Tevis
•Fifth Grade Event Chairs – Melissa Borovay/Jessica Bader
•Grade Level Coordinator – Jessica Bader
•Healthy Lifestyles – Ryann Bills
•Legislative – Jennifer Blice
•Lost & Found- Chrissy Peters
•Library Coordinator – Stephanie Kaleba
•Literary Enrichment – Fiona Hall
•Membership Database - Christine Diaz

•Newcomers – Jen White
•Reading Buddies/K Lunch Helpers – Melanie Humenesky
•Red Ribbon Week - Ritu & Ravi Narayan
•Reflections - Kate Ryan
•School Supplies – Samantha Zucker
•Social Media – Jennie Jones
•Spirit Wear – Stephanie Dubner/Jen Hersh/Amy Matz
•Teacher Treats- Amy Walker
•Teacher Appreciation - Kim Fischer
•Tuesday Tunes – Temi Moroni
•VIP Tutors – Emily Chapman
•Watch DOGS – Chris Ortiz
•Website - Kathleen Tsai
•Workroom Coordinator - Katie Luong
•Yearbook – Angie Walker/Nanditha Zuckerman

 



Brinker Elementary PTA
3800 Clark Parkway
Plano, TX 75093