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I can't believe summer is coming to an end and it's almost time for school to start. It feels like summer goes by faster and faster each year, but especially this year with our new calendar. We will be starting a new school year in just a week and with that comes nervous jitters and anticipation of what the year will hold. For some, it's just moving up a grade. For others, it's a brand new school, the beginning of Kindergarten or their last year at Brinker. On behalf of the PTA, let me say WELCOME to our new families and WELCOME BACK to our returning families!! We all know back to school can be a crazy time, so here are some of the important items and dates: * Wednesday, August 1: Membership Toolkit opened. This is your opportunity to join PTA, buy spirit wear items & a yearbook and sign up for volunteer opportunities. * Wednesday, August 8: Return to Plano ISD Parent Portal to find out your student's teacher. * If you have not already done so, go online and complete your Volunteer Application - you must be cleared to volunteer in the school. * Wednesday, August 8: Back to Brinker – 5:00-7:00pm * Friday, August 10: Meet the Teacher - 7:30-8:30 am * Monday, August 13: First Day of School * Tuesday, August 14: Welcome Back Coffee and PTA Meeting - 7:30 am in Brinker Library * Tuesday, August 14: Parent Information Night, grade levels 1-5, 6:00-8:00pm * Tuesday, August 28: Kindergarten Parent Information Night, 6:00-7:00pm There are so many ways to be involved in your child's school experience, all of which enhance the community here at Brinker. I hope at the very least you will join us as a PTA member this year and help us support our children. We have a fantastic group of Board members and Committee Chairs this year, all of who welcome any and all help you can give. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions please don't hesitate to contact me at president@brinkerpta.org. This will be my 11th and last year at Brinker. My girls and our family have learned, laughed and been able to be apart of an amazing community of educators, volunteers and families. Like the last 10 years, this year will be filled with many new ideas, meeting new people and making our school the best it can possibly be. This has been such a wonderful school for Sophie and Holly and I look forward to a fantastic 2018-2019 school year!! Enjoy the last week of Summer! Alison Grzyb
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 Dear Families,
Welcome to a new school year!
As every new school year begins, work starts early on in the summer to prepare for our students at Brinker. The district has been working on curriculum changes that are more in alignment with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. We are excited for our staff to return this week and begin the training in these new changes.
Be sure you have gone into the Parent Portal to update changes so that your child will be able to obtain his or her teacher’s name on Wed., August 8! We will also be asking those who are leasing to update us with a copy of the lease for residency requirements. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. Meet the Teacher will be on Friday morning, August 10 from 7:30-8:30 AM. School starts Monday, August 13. As per usual, you may walk your students to class ONLY for the first week of school. After that, we must get into our regular routine of arriving and waiting in the gym until 7:30 AM. Students who eat breakfast will have that opportunity starting the first day of school if arriving before 7:20 AM. Remember that carpool runs a bit late for the first week until we get our students and parents into the routine of arrival and dismissal. Your patience and your appreciation goes a long way!!
Be sure to sign up with PTA so that you have opportunities to participate and to volunteer at Brinker. We have a PTA designee who is in charge of coordinating this effort. Go to Brinkerpta.org to sign up and join PTA!
New staff this year: Mrs. Rovelo, Secretary
Mrs. Gerbosi, Special Education
Mrs. Gibson, Special Education
Ms. Butler, Special Education
Mrs. Dydell, Special Education
Mrs. Adame, Art
Looking forward to another great year at Brinker! If you are new, we look forward to having your family and getting to know you! Best,
Barbara Lange |
 | | BACK TO BRINKER
All families are invited to join us for Back to Brinker to be held in the Brinker Gym as a "come and go" event on Wednesday, August 8 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. You will be able to order this year's school supplies, new spirit wear, and yearbooks, learn about the PTA-sponsored programs, join the PTA, or sign up to volunteer. Come visit with old friends, meet some new ones, and kick off the new school year! A Kona Ice truck will be selling snowcones by the park, so don't forget to bring cash to buy a cool treat while the kids play on the playground. See you there!
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 | | WELCOME BACK COFFEE & PTA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Please join us on Tuesday, August 14 at 7:45 am after morning drop off in the Brinker library for a Welcome Back Coffee and PTA General Membership Meeting. It is another opportunity to meet new friends, catch up with old ones, and learn more about what the Brinker PTA does and how you can get involved. There will be PTA business discussed and welcoming remarks from our Principal Barbara Lange.
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 | | PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT
Parent Information Nights will be held on Tuesday, August 14 for Grades 1-5 and on Tuesday, August 28 for Kindergarten. During these evenings, parents are invited to classroom meetings with your child's teacher to receive important information about what you and your child can expect in this new school year. You will also have the opportunity to sign up to volunteer for classroom parties sponsored by the PTA.
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 | | BACK TO SCHOOL SPLASH Plano PTAs' Back-To-School-Splash
August 11, 2018 @ Hawaiian Falls (Colony)
All day admission and private cabana for your PTA.
Share with your friends and get a big group together for an end of summer celebration at Hawaiian Falls.
Click here for more information. |
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 | | ONLINE ORDERING IS NOW OPEN! Happy summer to all of our Brinker families! It's hard to believe that the start of the new school year is less than two weeks away. The first day of school this year is August 13. To get your Bears ready for the new school year, the PTA Board and Chairs have been working hard. The following are now available on www.brinkerpta.org under Order Here or Volunteer Here tabs, or you can click on each item to go directly to the form you need. Please also remember to update your Parent and Student Information Form and Publish Preferences Form for the new school year.
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JOIN THE BRINKER PTA
Please join us as a member of the PTA for the 2018-2019 school year. By joining for the first time or renewing your membership each year, the PTA is able to provide student programs to help make EVERY child’s potential a reality. We encourage parents, grandparents, students, staff, and community members to join the Brinker PTA.
PTA Membership does NOT require volunteering or any kind of commitment. With your membership, you will help support the programs and events that we provide for ALL students, ALL staff, and ALL families throughout our community.
Our goal is 100% participation. Only members of the PTA will receive a Student/Member Directory.
We would like to extend a special welcome to all our Brinker new families. Please save the date for our Brinker Newcomers Coffee on Friday, September 7th. We are looking forward to meeting you.
Click here to join the PTA. |
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 | | VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORMS If you are looking for a great way to help out directly in your child's classroom please consider volunteering for homeroom or lead homeroom representative. We need strong volunteers to help put together the classroom parties and other class specific events. Click here to log into membership toolkit and complete your "Volunteer Interest" forms. Please contact the Grade Level Coordinator at gradelevelreps@brinkerpta.org if you have any questions. |
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 | | DIRECTORY INFORMATION DEADLINE - SEPTEMBER 14 All PTA members will receive a complimentary copy of the 2018-19 Brinker PTA Membership Directory but please note that only PTA members can receive a copy of this directory. To ensure your information is included within the directory, please join our PTA by Friday, 9/14, click here to signup. |
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B.E.A.R.S. Campaign/Yard Sign Campaign (Benefactors for Educators, Academic Resources and Students) Each year, your PTA raises money to support programs that directly impact each and every student at Brinker Elementary. The Brinker PTA spends almost $20,000 annually on Arts in Education Curriculum and Academic Enrichment Programs such as author visits, theater presentations, field trips, and professional scientists conducting in-classroom experiments. Donations to the B.E.A.R.S. Campaign can be made in any amount. Families who donate $100 to $249 will receive a Brinker yard sign and families donating more than $250 will receive a yard sign and the PTA will donate 5 books to the library in that family's name. Each donation makes a positive impact for our Brinker students and families will be recognized in an upcoming Brinker Newsletter. Donations can be made on the PTA Membership Toolkit. Click here to go to the 2018-2019 B.E.A.R.S. Campaign form. | | 
100% CAMPAIGN
Our goal this year is to get support for our PTA programs from 100% of our Brinker families. No donation is too small. What does the 100% campaign mean?
- 100% participation from Brinker families
- 100% of your money goes straight to Brinker PTA; therefore, straight to your child
- 100% tax deductible donations
- 100% less time fundraising
- 100% fewer calories consumed than cookie dough
- 100% fewer items cluttering your household To log on to the Brinker PTA Membership Toolkit, click here and donate now. Donations can be made to the B.E.A.R.S. Campaign under the Orders/Volunteering tab. For cash and check donations, please contact waysandmeans@brinkerpta.org. Let's get that 100%.
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CORPORATE MATCHING
More than 1,000 companies in the U.S. have matching gift programs. This means if the employee makes a donation to a charitable 501(c)(3) organization, such as Brinker PTA, the employer will match that donation. This can dramatically increase the impact your gift makes for the Brinker PTA.
Check with your company’s Human Resources Department to see if your company offers this benefit. For more information on matching gifts, visit our B.E.A.R.S. Campaign page. For questions, please contact waysandmeans@brinkerpta.org. |
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2018-2019 SPIRIT WEAR ON SALE NOW
Get your Bears ready to show their Brinker pride by buying them 2018-19 Spirit Wear!
Orders can be placed online via the toolkit anytime between August 1st and 28th. We will also be taking orders in person at Back to Brinker on August 8th, as well as at both Parent Information Nights: August 14th for grades 1 through 5 and August 28th for Kindergarten. All orders will be delivered to the classroom of your oldest child by the end of September.
Did you know? Friday is our unofficial Spirit Wear day. Get your stuff now to make getting dressed on Fridays a whole lot easier!!
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2018-19 YEARBOOK SALES
We have added 8 pages to the yearbook!!!! The Brinker Yearbook is now an 80 page hardbound book in full color with hundreds of photos to remember another great school year at Brinker. Yearbooks are now available to order on Toolkit at the ONLINE ONLY price of $25 (lowest price in the last few years). Click here to purchase your child’s copy before prices increase! Yearbooks will be delivered directly to your student’s classroom for Yearbook Signing Day in May 2019.We highly encourage everyone to purchase your copies ONLINE via the PTA Membership Toolkit. This ensures you have a record of your purchase (you can check your “previous orders†on Toolkit at any time) and your student’s grade and name are accurately captured by us.We are also looking for volunteers to take photographs for the yearbook for major school events and represent individual grades. Please check the Toolkit for volunteer opportunities for the various events through the school year. And lastly, please ensure you have authorized us to use your child’s photo in the yearbook on PISD’s parent portal (same form you filled out to update emergency info). If you have questions about the Brinker yearbook, please contact the PTA Yearbook Chair at yearbook@brinkerpta.orgThank you! And we look forward to documenting another year of great memories for your child. | | 
PISD VOLUNTEER APPLICATIONS Have you completed your Volunteer Application for the 2018-19 school year? PISD requires all volunteers to complete this application EVERY school year. We encourage ALL parents to complete and submit an application for security clearance - if you are one of our volunteers or just planning to attend a classroom party. Please visit the PISD Volunteer Application page to access the online application - it takes about 5 minutes to complete. If you have questions, contact volunteers@brinkerpta.org. Click here to go to the PISD Volunteer Application page or here to go to directly to the application. |
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 | | VIP Program Our VIP Program is an awesome, fun way for parents, grandparents or community members, to volunteer and help our Brinker students directly. You commit half an hour a week to assist a student who needs a little extra support in math and/or reading, as well as boosting the student’s confidence in their academics. If you choose to sign up to volunteer, you will submit your available days and times you can be at Brinker to tutor during school hours. You will be paired with a student or may also select whether you prefer to work with the younger or older grades and if you prefer to tutor in reading or math. You do not need to be a teacher or a former teacher to be able to tutor. The students’ teachers will provide you with the assignments and information for each tutoring session. If interested, please e-mail viptutors@brinkerpta.org. There is a great need for tutors, especially during the second semester. Please note that with any volunteer position in Plano ISD, a volunteer form and background check must be completed prior to beginning that position. This can be completed by going to www.pisd.edu/volunteer. There is also a short, required training session to insure you are comfortable with what is being asked of you. Tutoring begins in October and runs through the beginning of May. |
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 | | TUESDAY TUNES We welcome you to join us for a new Tuesday Tunes season filled with beautiful music and fun! Tuesday Tunes is a Brinker PTA program that allows students, who take formal music lessons, to perform in a relaxed environment here at Brinker. Every Tuesday morning, one Brinker student will perform in the lobby for peers and faculty as they enter school. Immediately following, the performer will be introduced and recognized on the "Good Morning Brinker" broadcast. To qualify to participate in Tuesday Tunes, the student must have two years of formal training. All instruments are welcome! Click here to register via the Toolkit. Each student can perform once in the school year (exceptions may apply). If your student can courageously start the season for us in September, you will get a bonus second performance later this year! Hurry to register, as slots fill up fast! For more information, email tuesdaytunes@brinkerpta.org.
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REFLECTIONS Brinker Elementary PTA encourages all students to express themselves
and explore their talents through the National PTA Reflections Program. Reflections is PTA’s cornerstone arts program. Each year, students in Grades Pre-K through 12 are recognized for bringing the theme to life through:
• Dance choreography
• Film production
• Literature
• Music composition
• Photography
• Visual arts The theme for 2018-2019 is “Heroes Around Meâ€. Use your imagination to create a film, song, artwork, photograph, poem, short story or dance routine. Click here for the flyer for more information. For questions please contact reflections@brinkerpta.org.
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CHESS ENRICHMENT The Brinker PTA will once again be sponsoring an after-school chess enrichment program starting September 6th. This 8 week program takes place on Thursdays from 4 PM-5:15 PM at the Brinker Library. All skill and grade levels are welcome! Learn more about the program at Back to Brinker. Registration is $180 per student. Click here to register via the Membership Toolkit. Please contact chess@brinkerpta.org with any questions. | | 
TEXAS READING PROGRAMS! Every year the Texas Library Association selects a number of books to be nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Award, and for the 2x2 reading list. A new list of books is released each year at the Texas Book Festival. These lists will be announced during the first month of school. All of these books can be found in our Brinker Library and at the local public libraries. They may also be requested online through the Plano library website www.planolibrary.org. Brinker PTA recognizes 3rd - 5th grade students who read at least 10 books from the Bluebonnet list, and Kindergarten – 2nd grade students who read at least 15 books from the 2x2 list. Students who read the books, and turn in their reading logs by the deadline, will be invited to participate in an after school celebration at Brinker, during the spring semester. Contact our Literary Enrichment Chair, if you have questions literarysupport@brinkerpta.org. |
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