Close your eyes and just imagine…

W I N T E R
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Pine Bush PTA
Newsletter
Save the Date!
Winter Party
Close your eyes and just imagine…
January 23 , 5:45pm
rd
Kindergarten Registration
January 28th & 29th
School Recess – No School
February 16th – 20th
Follies
March 7th, Time TBA
Bus Evacuation Drill
March 10th, 9am
PTA Meeting
March 11th, 7pm, PBE
Community Room
Movie Night
March 13th, 6:30pm
Spring Pictures
…a warm, tropical beach, blue skies, and not a snowflake in
sight! It’s a good distraction on these frigid January days!
Our winter newsletter has the scoop on upcoming PTA events
and programs as well as a recap of those held so far. Don’t miss
the list of important dates to the left!
March 19th
Early Dismissal - K-5
March 24 , 11:30am
th
Superintendent’s Conf. Day
– No School
March 25th
Early Dismissal – K-2
March 30th, 11:30am
Spring Concert
April 1st, 7pm
School Recess – No School
April 3rd – 10th
Winter Party This Friday!
Please join us this Friday night,
January 23rd, for the annual
Winter Party!
The kitchen opens at 5:45 and
music starts at 6:15pm, so
come for dinner and stay for
the fun!
PINE BUSH ELEMENTARY PTA
WINTER 2015
Dear Pine Bush Families and Friends,
I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! As we head into 2015, we have many exciting
PTA sponsored events to keep us entertained throughout the cold winter months. To start off, we
have our Winter Party and Scholastic Book Sale on January 23rd. Later in the winter, we have The
Follies, Movie Night and some very interesting Cultural Events. These are just some of the
highlights that can be enjoyed by our students and families. I hope that you are able to participate in
some or all of these events.
It’s not too late to become part of the PTA. We can always use your help with many of the tasks
that are needed to run our events successfully. There are many ways to volunteer from as little as
an hour at a PTA sponsored activity, helping on an established committee or becoming a chair or
co-chair of an event. Whatever time you are able to give, we can use it and your help is truly
appreciated. If you would like to become a member or volunteer, please contact Kim Helfrich at
[email protected]. Without all of our amazing volunteers, the wonderful events that occur
each year would not be possible.
Lastly, I would like to thank all our families for their continued support of our school fundraisers.
We have two opportunities this winter, Krause’s chocolates and Silver Graphics, an art-based
fundraising company. All the money raised from our fundraisers goes directly into sponsoring
events enjoyed by your children thus enhancing his/her school experience.
Please feel free to contact me or any of our board if you have any questions or concerns. We look
forward to seeing you at the next PTA event!
Bridgette Chorbajian
[email protected]
2014-2015 PTA Officers
Bridgette Chorbajian
President
[email protected]
Kristin Smrtic
Treasurer
[email protected]
Amy Novak
VP, Ways and Means
[email protected]
Brigit Pierce
Recording Secretary
[email protected]
Amy Lynch
Corresponding Secretary
[email protected]
356-5363
Maryanne Kerr
VP, Programs and Events
[email protected]
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PINE BUSH ELEMENTARY PTA
WINTER 2015
Upcoming Programs & Events
Winter Party this Friday!
Please join us Friday night, January 23, for the
annual Winter Party!
We will be dancing the night away to a great DJ
playing all of your favorite songs, and holding our
annual TEACHER RAFFLE! Raffle tickets and
party information went home in backpack mail last
week. Don’t miss the Scholastic Book Fair too!
We will be dancing the night away starting at 6:15
p.m. The kitchen opens at 5:45 so come for dinner
and stay for the fun!
Scholastic Book Fair at Winter Party
This year, we are pleased to offer a one-night only
Scholastic Book Fair during our annual Winter Party
on January 23rd, 2015 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
This is a scaled-down version of the PTA’s annual
Spring New Book Fair and all proceeds from the sale
go directly to the school library. From picture books to
middle school reading, the Book Fair has something for
all your readers! Bring the family in to pick out a great
book for a snowy evening!
Can’t make the Winter Party? You can still participate
in the Book Fair online. Online sales are open January
17th through February 6th. Go to our Book Fair’s online
homepage at:
http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/pinebushel
ementary. Online orders are delivered directly to your
student’s classroom.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Scholastic
Book Fair, contact Kelly Buttridge at: 355-1545 or
[email protected].
Rachel Reilly & Kelly Buttridge, Co-Chairs
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PINE BUSH ELEMENTARY PTA
WINTER 2015
Calling All Acts!!!
Whether you sing, dance, perform magic or
have some other hidden talent, the Follies is
the place to showcase your creative spirit! At
the Follies you can perform your individual or
group act in front of our Pine Bush
Community. The Follies will be held on
March 7th.
More information on sign-ups and rehearsals
will follow soon!
African Drum Program Coming to
Pine Bush
We are very excited to announce an African
Drum program that will be visiting Pine Bush
on January 27th and 28th. John Dickson, a long
time drumming educator, will be coming to
teach kids in all grades some drumming basics.
He will be meeting with small groups
throughout the two days and will end each day
with an assembly, inviting children to join him
and show what they learned.
Box Tops for Education
We are currently in the middle of our “Do You
Want to Build a Snowman” contest. As a class,
students clip box tops and turn them in to try and
collect the 10 pieces needed to make their classroom
snowman. Once complete, the class will be treated
to hot chocolate and will go outside to make a real
snowman! So far this year we have turned in over
13,000 box tops equaling over $1,300 for our school.
The next collection turn in date is Friday, February 27th.
-Nicole Green, Chair
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PINE BUSH ELEMENTARY PTA
WINTER 2015
Silver Graphics Fundraiser
This February and March we will be working with
Silver Graphics, an art-based fundraising company that
turns your child’s artwork into a variety of unique and
personal custom gifts for the whole family! Gifts
include water bottles, t-shirts, cutting boards, notepads,
iPad and iPhone covers, just to name a few. These
items will be perfect gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s
Day, grandparents, or out-of-town relatives. Artwork
will be completed by the end of February during art
class and order forms will be sent home in March. You
will also have the opportunity to order forms online.
Movie Night – March 13th
Mark your calendars! Join us Friday, March 13th
at 6:30pm to watch Big Hero 6. Bring the whole
family for a night of fun. Blankets, pajamas and
pillows are encouraged as we gather in the
cafeteria. Popcorn and snacks are available for
purchase. The movie is free but we are asking for
a donation of a non-perishable food item.
Please note that all children must be accompanied
by an adult.
Buy Your Spring Holiday Candy and Support Pine Bush PTA
We have teamed up with Krause's Homemade Candy again this year to help raise money for all the
wonderful PTA events that are provided for our children. Our PTA receives 50% of the profit! Buy
your candy in advance this year and support your school without
having to make a trip to the store. Information and order forms
will be going home the first week in February and will be due back
on February 25th. Candy will be available for pick up at Pine Bush
by mid-March. Thank you so much for your support!
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PINE BUSH ELEMENTARY PTA
WINTER 2015
GCSD Social Service Dog Program to Host Gala and Silent Auction
We are excited to inform you that the Guilderland Schools are developing a
public school social service dog program. We hope to have dogs in as
many of our seven schools as possible. On Saturday, March 21st we are
having a gala with a silent auction to raise funds to train five dogs to
work as full time therapy dogs in the district. The puppies have been
paid for by a grant awarded to our school by the Community
Foundation of the Greater Capital District.
Program Synopsis:
Over the course of four to five years we will adopt five puppies. Each dog
will have a primary owner. This owner will be a full time employee of the school. In addition, each
dog will work with four or five full time school professionals who will function as secondary
handlers. Interested educators will be trained to work with the dog and be required to pass a TDI
test with the dog. Our goal is to connect the dog to a human “pack” within the school so the dog
can support many students in multiple areas throughout the school day. This is a wonderful way to
support our students!
How You Can Help:
You can help by donating to the gala’s silent auction. We will use these funds to pay for the dog
training, TDI testing, and extra dog crates. If you are interested in donating an item for the auction,
please contact Catherine Ricchetti or Keith VanWagenen at (518) 357-2770.
In the News:
Guilderland’s Social Service Dog Program was recently highlighted in the Albany Times Union on
December 26, 2014. Be sure to check out the article, “Wagging Tails Brighten School: Four-legged
Friends Help Students Face Fears, Gain Confidence, Enjoy Learning” by Brittany Horn. Link
below:
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Wagging-tails-brighten-school-5980639.php
Kids’ Holiday Craft Sale 2014 “Wrapped Up”
Thank you to everyone in the Pine Bush community who made the annual Kids' Holiday Craft Sale
a huge success! Students visited the sale over two days, thoughtfully shopping for “just right” gifts.
Volunteers were there to help every step of the way, from crafting and setup to helping students
purchase and wrapping gifts. Without our many
volunteers, we never would have been able to offer this
event to the school community! Thank you to all!
It has been our pleasure to coordinate this event for the
last several years. Now as we move on to new challenges,
we welcome the new co-chairs for the 2015 Kid’s
Holiday Sale – Jennifer Skellie and Tracy Martone.
Karen Wesselhoeft & Kelly Buttridge, Co-Chairs
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PINE BUSH ELEMENTARY PTA
WINTER 2015
Adopt-A-Family Program Thanks You for Your Support!
We want to thank everyone who made donations to
Adopt-A-Family! We were able to provide very Happy
Holiday's for four families in our Pine Bush
Community, raising over $1,900! A very special thank
you to all of our shoppers as well. I know how very
busy everyone is during the holidays and we really
appreciate you taking the time to help! Also, we would
like to thank Mrs. O’Keefe for helping to organize
everything and thank you to Mrs. Monlea for the
beautiful poster you made for us to put the children's
amazingly decorated hearts on!
-Amy Novak
Young Author Kate Messner Visits Pine Bush
Every year the Pine Bush Elementary PTA brings an author to our school to enrich the lives of our
students and staff. On December 16, 2014, award-winning author Kate Messner visited Pine Bush
Elementary School. Kate gave presentations to grades K-5 throughout the day and also signed
nameplates for all her books ordered by students. The PTA would like to thank the members of the
Young Authors Committee: Mrs. DelNegro, Ms. Furbeck, Ms. Harmon, and Ms. McManaman, all
of whom work together to ensure that our students have access to and are familiar with the visiting
authors' books prior to their school visit.
Michele Berezansky - Young Authors Committee Chair
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PINE BUSH ELEMENTARY PTA
WINTER 2015
School Banking Program Underway
The SEFCU School Banking Program is in full swing and
our students are enjoying watching their savings add
up. It's not too late to join in on the fun. We are also still
in need of several volunteers to help us out on banking
days which are every Tuesday from 7:45 to 8:15 am. If
your student is interested in signing up to bank or you
would like to volunteer to help out, please email Laurie
Streeter at [email protected]
Please Take Note…
SNN: School News Notifier – Have You Signed Up?
School News Notifier, or SNN, is an electronic
notification system designed to keep parents and the
community in touch with what’s happening at
Guilderland Central Schools. Receive information about
upcoming school events, emergency closings and delays,
etc. in your email inbox or by text to your mobile phone.
It’s easy to sign up, just visit www.guilderlandschools.org
and click on the “School News Notifier” icon.
Say Cheese!
Just a reminder that spring pictures will
be taken on Thursday, March 19th.
Information will be sent home in early
March.
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PINE BUSH ELEMENTARY PTA
WINTER 2015
It’s never too late…
…to join PTA and help make a positive impact on our school.
If you have time to volunteer, please do, as you will find it is an
incredibly rewarding experience. As little as an hour of your
time makes a difference! But if not, please remember that your
membership in and of itself helps make all of the wonderful
events and programs PTA sponsors possible: Cultural Arts,
Young Authors, Holiday Craft Sale, Scholastic Book Sale,
Yearbook, Spring Pictures, Teacher Wish List, Staff
Appreciation Luncheon, Spring Plant Sale, Spirit Games,
Spooktacular, Welcome Back Ice Cream Social, and many
more.
Please consider joining PTA. For membership information
contact Kim Helfrich at 355-0365 or [email protected].
Membership forms are available at:
http://www.guilderlandschools.org/pinebush/pta/pta.cfm
Pine Bush Elementary PTA
2014-2015 Meeting Dates
October 8th
November 12th
January 7th
March 11th
May 6th
9am
7pm
9am
7pm
7pm
All meetings are held in the PBE Community Room