Ms. Brown's Class Celebrates A Year of Learning

Today the Kindergarten students in Ms. Brown's class celebrated learning with songs and of course ice cream!  Thank you to all of the parents who came out and joined their children to celebrate a year of personal and academic growth.  Below is a glimpse of the action today during the celebration.

Parent Input Requested on Student Assignment Process

The Wake County Board of Education would like parents of all current and incoming students to complete a survey about the choice selection process for 2012-13 school assignments. The questions will take you only five to 10 minutes to complete, and the results will help the board and district to make decisions and better serve our families.

You can take the survey online by following the links at (school website) or www.wcpss.net/feedback/surveys. We also have paper copies of the survey in our office. Whether you participated in choice process or choose to keep your pre-assignment for next year, we want your input. Please take the survey! 

Budding authors celebrate writing

Yesterday Ms. Talley's class celebrated the writing process in their classroom.  Students worked to make invitations, publish writing pieces from non-fiction research reports to plays with scenes and acts.  Families and friends were invited to come in and browse through writing pieces and make comments on each piece.  The students were extremely proud of their work for the year.  Thank you to all of the families who came out to support the writing celebration.  Look at the great pictures below! 

Yearbooks are going fast...

You can't put a price on memories...or can you? Yes, you can...it's $15.00 to buy a yearbook!  You need a yearbook to help you remember your BFF in 3rd grade or your very special teacher this year.  We only have a few yearbooks left for sale!  The yearbook was done in color this year and it is beautiful.  Please call the front desk to reserve your copy for $15.00. 

This week...

This week brings the last day of school for students on Track 1.  It's hard to believe that the school year is coming to an end, but it's true.  All of our students have worked extremely hard this year to learn and master numerous concepts and skills.  It's time for a break and time to celebrate the learning and teaching process.  Congratulations to our track 1 students and families for all of the learning you have accomplished this year.  Thank you parents and families for all of the support you have give your children and the school to make this year successful and memorable.  Enjoy your track out!

Just a reminder about our 5th Grade Celebration for Track 1.  We will hold the celebration this Friday at 10:00 in the multipurpose room.  We have a special morning planned.  Please call the school if you have any questions. 

Book Drive Promotes Literacy in America's Youth

Have you noticed the two large boxes in our foyer filled with books?  BRES has been participating in the book drive sponsored by Johna Edmonds 2012 Miss Garner.  Ms. Edmonds is a contestant in the Miss North Carolina Pagent and she is running on a literacy platform.  Her mission is to raise literacy rates in youth and to collect 10,000 books to donate to the UNC Chapel Hill and Duke Children's Hospital. 

I'm pleased to announce that Ms. Blackmon's 5th Grade Class collected 1,216 books and Ms. Tremblay's class collected 481 books!  Congratulations to these classes and every class who participated in the book drive. Thank you to Ms. Bishop for being the point of contact for this book drive.  You really kept the staff updated and informed. 

 I took a couple pictures of the books as they were being collected.  The two boxes were emptied and filled many times over the past month.  Thank you to everyone who cleaned out bookshelves and made donations.  We appreciate it!

Field Day Tracks 1 & 3 Fun!

What a beautiful day it is here at BRES. Students and teachers on Tracks 1 and 3 are participating in many activities including "Snitch the Pin", the "Egg Walk," and "Chicken Limbo!" K-2 students have completed their field day activities and 3-5 students are right in the middle of field day fun! Check out the pictures for a glimpse of all the fun in action!

Employee Excellence at BRES

Last night our 2nd grade team was honored by Superintendent Tata and the WCPSS Board of Education for demonstrating excellence for their high functioning team work. The team utilizes data consistently in their decision making process to guide their instruction. Additionally, the team crafts lessons and assessments to maximize student learning during our school wide Team Time. Congratulations to Ms. Torrey, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Vaughn, Ms. Reed, Ms. Parker, and Mr. Bethel for their outstanding work as a professional learning team (PLT) and for demonstrating excellence in all that they do. Look at the great picture of our team below and follow this link for more information about the special night http://www.wcpss.net/announcements2/2012/05/school-system-honors-21-with-employee-excellence-awards/ .

Spring Carnival was fun!

Our wonderful PTA sponsored the 2nd Annual Spring Carnival this past Friday evening.  There were games for all ages, food, Spirit Wear for sale, face painting, and the silent auction.  The real "hit" of the night was the Dunk Tank!  Thank you to all of the teachers for volunteering to get dunked in cold--ice cold water all for BRES!  Mr. Tart, Ms. Arthur, Ms. Stephenson, Mr. Capps, Mrs. Hall, and Ms. Blackmon all were dunked dozens of times by our students!!  The students absolutely loved it and they are still talking about it today.  I made my way to the Dunk Tank late in the evening.  Check out the before and after shots of my first dunk below. It was cold water!

More pictures of the carnival to come....including some of the teachers getting dunked!  Thanks again for coming out and spending the evening with us at BRES!  We appreciate your support!

Teacher of the Year 2011-2012

Last Thursday night I was able to see Ms. Glasgow be honored for the wonderful work she does on a daily basis in her classroom.  Ms. Glasgow was nominated in November by the BRES staff to serve as our Teacher of the Year for 2011-2012.  The students, parent and staff at BRES all know how deserving Ms. Glasgow is of this honor.  Congratulations again Ms. Glasgow!

The Spring Carnival is HERE!

Tonight is the night!  The PTA and volunteers have worked hard to prepare for the Spring Carnival.  Set up will begin in the 3 o'clock hour and by 5:00 our grounds will be transformed into a carnival of fun!  Bring out your family, play some games, dunk a teacher in the dunk tank, participate in the cake walk...all in support of BRES.

Parking will be limited and we cannot park in the soccer fields.  Please call the school or visit the PTA website for more information.  Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity for family fun!

DQ was a cool treat & more

The PTA selected a great Spirit Night location!  The Fuquay Varina Dairy Queen was busy around 6:30 p.m. tonight as many of our families came in for ice cream or made it through the drive-thru.  I could not have asked for a more beautiful evening to sit down, enjoy a cold ice cream treat (caramel sundae with pecans) and just visit with our families.  It was great to see the cars pull up, windows roll down and student's heads pop out waving in excitement.  Thank you for coming out and support BRES tonight.  We have the best school community!

If you weren't able to get to the DQ tonight it's ok.  You will have another chance tomorrow night.  We have a second DQ Spirit Night on Thursday.  Come on out for some ice cream and support BRES.

Don't forget it's Spring Carnival time. The PTA has been busy preparing for the annual event that will take place this Friday.  There will be food, games, and fun!  We are expecting a great turn out and I hope you will join us on Friday evening. 

Our busy week...

I hope you are ready for fun!  BRES has two PTA Spirit Nights and the Carnival this week.  Come out to the Fuquay Varina Dairy Queen, grab a bite to eat or a cold ice cream and visit with the BRES school community on Wednesday and Thursday.  I will be at the DQ on Wednesday in the evening. Please be sure to mention BRES when you place your order.

 On Friday our campus will be turned into a CARNIVAL.  Our PTA has planned activities, games, music, and food vendors for the event.  The hot spot at the carnival is sure to be the Dunk Tank.  Please be sure to stop by and try to dunk the teachers from BRES!  There will be something for everyone to enjoy.  Parking will be limited and we can not park on the soccer fields.  We encourage families to carpool if possible.  The rear portion and the two side parking lots will be available. 

Friday is also our last Common Core Parent Information Session for the school year.  The session will be held from 8:15-8:45 a.m. in the Media Center. Additional sessions will be held in July/August for the new school year. Please call the Front Office to reserve your seat and a hand out. 

Thank you!

What a great turn out for Kindergarten Orientation tonight!  It was wonderful to see many familiar faces, as well as meet many new families joining BRES in just a few short weeks.  The Kindergarten Team did a great job of sharing information about the staggered entry process and activities that students will participate during a school day.  Thank you to the PTA for coming out and sharing the wonderful work you do to support the school, the staff and the students.  I hope everyone was able to get to the spirit wear table so you and your child can start participating in school spirit days (Fridays) in the new school year.  The new t-shirt design is very collegiate and the students and staff love it.  You will see my girls and me in our new shirts tomorrow!  Additionally a thank you goes out to the Kraft YMCA Director Dedrick Woodard and  counselors for sharing information about our wonderful before and after-care program. If you have any questions regarding staggered entry or kindergarten please contact the Front Office at 919-890-7333 and we will be more than to assist you.

Lastly, thank you to the parents who attended the 5th Grade Human Growth and Development information session in the Media Center tonight.  Thank you goes out the 5th grade team for their work in preparing for the information session.  If you have any questions about the health unit, please contact the Front Office and we will have a 5th grade teacher get in touch with you.

As always thank you for your continued support of BRES. 

Tonight is THE Night!

Tonight we are hosting our Kindergarten Orientation for all rising Kindergarten parents for the 2012-2013 school year.  We will meet from 6-7 p.m. in the multipurpose room for a general overview of Kindergarten and preparing for the transition to school.

Calling all 5th grade parents:  please attend the Human Growth and Development session scheduled from 5:30-6:30 tonight in the 5th grade classrooms.  Fifth grade teachers will be on hand to share the unit, materials and resources they will use to teach this critical unit. 

This message is repeated in Spanish below.
Esta noche vamos a celebrar nuestra orientación de kindergarten para todos los padres de kindergarten el aumento para el año escolar 2012-2013. Nos reuniremos de 6-7 pm en el salón de usos múltiples para obtener una visión general de jardín de infantes y la preparación para la transición a la escuela.

Llamando a todos los padres de 5to grado: por favor asistir a la sesión de Crecimiento Humano y Desarrollo programado de 5:30-6:30 esta noche en las aulas de 5 º grado. Quinta maestros de los grados estarán disponibles para compartir la unidad, los materiales y los recursos que se utilizan para enseñar esta unidad fundamental.

The Carnival is Coming...

Let the countdown begin!  10 full days until the BRES Carnival is here.  Our PTA is working to make the final arrangements for an evening full of fun here at BRES.  Our school grounds will be transformed into a carnival with bounce houses, food vendors, sno cones, face painting, music by a DJ, and so much more.  Please come out and join us, have some dinner, play some games and enjoy the company of other BRES families.

Want to learn more about the carnival? Interested in volunteering? Visit this link to PTA website for more information https://sites.google.com/site/banksroadpta/home or call the Front Desk and we would be happy to assist you. 

Just a reminder...

This Thursday all rising Kindergarten parents are welcome to attend Kindergarten Orientation.  We will meet in the multipurpose room from 6-7p.m. to learn about the typical day in Kindergarten and learn more about BRES.  Due to the number of rising Kindergarten students this year the information session is for parents only.  This session will be geared toward supporting you in transitioning your child to school and answering all of your questions.  There will be an opportunity for you to hear about the lunch program, transportation, meet staff members and purchase BRES Spirit items. 

From Kindergarten to fifth grade...Thursday night the 5th grade teachers will host a parent information session about the Human Growth and Development health unit.  All 5th grade parents are invited to attend to learn more about the health unit, view the video and review the instructional materials used in the classroom.

If you have any questions about either of these events, please call the Front Office at 919-890-7333 and we would be more than happy to assist you.

Many Successes to Celebrate at BRES

Whew! What a wonderful week we just had here at school.  We had many activities that need to be celebrated.  Where do I begin?  Let's start with our Title I PAC Event.  On Thursday at 2:15 p.m. our Title I Team welcomed parents to a "Make and Take" session.  Parents were able to move from station to station to learn about various literacy skills and how to support reading and comprehension at home.  A big thank you goes out to our Title I team for their work in organizing the event.  A big thank you also goes out the families that attended!

The 2nd Annual Talent Show was a great success.  Over 20 individual and group acts performed Thursday evening showing off skills such as playing the piano, guitar, and the drums.  There were several vocal performances, as well as many dance routines.  The students all did a wonderful job!  A big thank you goes out to the behind the scenes people who made the night happen:  Mr. Capps, Ms. Stephenson, Ms. Rutherford, Ms. Blackmon, Ms. Talley, Ms. Bethel, Mr. Tart, and Ms. Goodson.  Without their efforts the night would not have been possible!  Thank you for attending and supporting the students on Thursday night!

I offered another Common Core Parent Information session on Friday morning.  Thank you to the parents who joined me to hear about the new curriculum for the 2012-2013 school year.  Friday the 18th will be another session from 8:15-8:45 in the Media Center.  If you plan to attend please call the Front Office and reserve your seat and handout. Want to learn more about the Common Core on your own? Follow this link http://www.corestandards.org/   or visit http://www.wcpss.net/ and click on the Common Core icon. 

Friday also marked the Geo-Animal Tour in the Media Center for Ms. Bethel's and Ms. Garvey's classes.  Parent and families were treated to a zoo of animals on Friday as they traveled from table to table to see and hear about zoo animals as our first grade students practiced 21st century learning skills!  Students prepared for the event by researching animals using non-fiction texts and media, drafting a report and then publishing their final copies.  Students used a variety of materials to create their chosen animal.  Check out the pictures below to see the fruits of their labors in the classroom.

Additionally, Friday also brought about Lemonade Day for our after school YMCA program students.  Have I told you how wonderful our YMCA program is here at BRES?  Well we have an outstanding before and after school program here with professional and dedicated YMCA staff members.  The program director and counselors plan thoughtful events and make the before and aftercare program a continuation of learning combined with great fun.  Our students learned entrepreneurial skills, effective communication skills and marketing in preparing for the Lemonade Day event.  Students set up their own stands, created their own stand name, developed a lemonade recipe and they presented their lemonades for tasting on Friday evening.  Parents, staff members and students were able to travel from stand to stand to "taste test" and then vote for their favorites in categories such as:  Best Lemonade, Best Business and Best Stand.  Each stand had something to offer and voting was extremely difficult!  Below are a few pictures I took and wanted to share with you. 

We had wonderful events that celebrated learning all week here at BRES!  We continue to blaze down the trail of educational excellence in all we do and I'm so proud to share all of these learning activities with you. 



Talent Show Tonight & Common Core Parent Information Session Tomorrow

I just wanted to remind everyone to come out to see a star-studded line up performers at our Talent Show tonight at 7:00 p.m.  The show will feature over twenty individual and group acts.  Ms. Bethel, our own first grade teacher will be the MC for the event.  She has her jokes ready to go and the show is sure to be a success!

Tomorrow morning we will hold our second Common Core Parent Information Session in the Media Center from 8:15-8:45 a.m.  Please join us to hear for a general overview of the new curriculum for the 2012-2013 school year.  Please call the front office to reserve a seat and a handout for either session. 

Mark Your Calendars

Happy May Day!  Do you know the origins of May Day?  Check out this website to find out about how May Day came to be on our calendars today, http://www.marxists.org/subject/mayday/articles/tracht.html. 

In addition to May Day, we have many activities and events taking place in May here at BRES.  Please read below for dates and descriptions.  If you have any questions, please call the Front Office at 919-890-7333 and we would be happy to assist you!

• May 4th:  Interims go home for Tracks 1 & 2
• May 4th:  Principal's Coffee:  Common Core Parent Information Session from 8:15-8:45 a.m. in the Media Center (please call the office to reserve your seat.)  Please join Mrs. Graf and Mrs. Goodson to hear about the new curriculum for the 2012-2013 school year. 
• May 8th:  PTA Board Meeting
• May 7th-10th:  Track 2 EOG Testing
• May 7th-11th:  Teacher Appreciation Week (more information is coming)
• May 10th:  Kindergarten Orientation Parent Session 6-7 p.m. Media Center
• May 14th-17th:  Track 1 EOG Testing
• May 16th:  Common Core Parent Information Session from 6:00-6:30 p.m. in the Media Center (please call the office to reserve your seat.)  Please join Mrs. Graf and Mrs. Goodson to hear about the new curriculum for the 2012-2013 school year. 
• May 18th:  Principal's Coffee:  Common Core Parent Information Session from 8:15-8:45 a.m. in the Media Center (please call the office to reserve your seat.)  Please join Mrs. Graf and Mrs. Goodson to hear about the new curriculum for the 2012-2013 school year. 
• May 18th:  PTA sponsored Spring Carnival (more information to come) 
• May 24th :  Field Day for Tracks 1 & 3
• May 25th:  10:00 Tour!  Prospective families from Round 1 & 2 can join Mrs. Graf for an informational tour of the school.  Please call the office to confirm your attendance. 
• May 28th:  Memorial Day (No School)
• May 29th-June 1st:  NC Extend 2 Tracks 3 & 4 Testing
• June 1st:  Last day of school for Track 1 & 5th Grade Track 1 Celebration at 10:00 a.m.