Join us for our next Fitness Friday on March 6, 8:30 - 9:00 am in the BRES Gym.
Lead by Shining Kids Yoga.
Yoga for kids is a great way for children to learn how to reduce stress, as well as improve concentration, mood, balance, and flexibility. And best of all, kids think yoga is fun! Bring your yoga mat! Some mats will be available, if needed.
Do you have a picky eater or two in your home? Challenging meal times? Wanting to raise good eaters but unsure how? Then join us at the March 3rd PTA meeting as we learn about the foundation for raising a good eater! Come ready to share, learn and participate in some hands-on practice. Helpful handouts will also be provided to take home!
In addition, Assistant Principal Kathryn West, who is also the School Testing Coordinator, will lead a brief overview of testing and accountability in MCPS. We will share our testing calendar, an overview of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) that students in grades 3-5 will take this spring, and strategies to support your child throughout testing season.
Remember, free child care and light refreshments will be offered.
Check out the Asian food hall, Pike Kitchen, at the PTA’s Dine Out on Tuesday, Feb 25, 5:00-9:00pm
Check out some local activities to celebrate the Lunar New Year - the Year of the Rat!
Parents - have you wondered how our schools perform compared to the rest of the nation, and why Maryland seems to be falling behind compared to other states (ranked 37th)? Are you tired of worrying about whether our schools have sufficient funding to achieve excellent student outcomes for every child, and keep high-quality teachers?
Background
In 2016, the Maryland General Assembly and the Governor created the Maryland Commission on Education and Innovation, better known as the "Kirwan Commission", after the commission's chair, William "Brit" Kirwan, former chancellor of the university system of Maryland. This commission made several recommendations on how to make Maryland a world-class education system, including increasing funding by $2.9 billion over the next 10 years. These include better teacher salaries to support high-quality teaching, additional support staff, full pre-K for low-income kids, support for college and career readiness standards, wraparound services through community grants for schools with a high concentration of low-income students, and a strong accountability system.
The 2019 Maryland Assembly agreed to fund the first three years of this 10-year plan, about $1.1 billion in new funding ($255 million to be invested in 2020), but have not yet agreed to funding the full set of recommendations
See the testimony from William Kirwan on the recommendations,
http://dls.maryland.gov/pubs/prod/NoPblTabMtg/CmsnInnovEduc/WEK_Testimony_Senate_Bill_1030_FINAL.pdf
For details on the recommendations, review the interim January 2019 report
The final report is expected this December.
Learn more about why all parents in Maryland, including those with children who will be in pre-K should pay attention to the recommendations, and advocate with state legislators to increase funding for education in the upcoming 2020 legislative session (January 8- April 6, 2020).
There are several ways to be informed and urge legislative support to increase education funding:
Blueprint for Maryland's Future
https://www.marylandblueprint.org/
https://www.marylandblueprint.org/learn-more/
Strong Schools Maryland is a statewide, non-partisan grassroots campaign set up just to advocate for the Kirwan Commission's evidence-based recommendations. They also organize advocacy efforts. Read more here
https://www.strongschoolsmaryland.org/now-why
https://www.strongschoolsmaryland.org/roi-study
They urge all parents to email or meet with state legislators to support this proposed bill to fully fund the Kirwan Commission’s recommendations.
https://www.strongschoolsmaryland.org/email-your-leaders
General Assembly of Maryland's Department of Legislative Services, Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education - see all the reports under Resources on the left of the page). Also legislative schedule for opportunities to testify and to view meeting materials
http://dls.maryland.gov/policy-areas/commission-on-innovation-and-excellence-in-education#!
Maryland State Education Association
Visit https://www.bricksrus.com/donorsite/bayardrustines to place an order today.
GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
Please take a minute on Giving Tuesday to donate to your school’s PTA so we can continue to support our students, staff and BRES.
Enjoy the holiday season!
Parents, guardians, and community members are invited to apply to be a part of the newly formed MCPS Family Engagement Advisory Team. The purpose of the Family Engagement Advisory Team is to provide opportunities for MCPS families to learn about and provide input and feedback on the district’s programs and initiatives. One focus of the group is to provide input and feedback to MCPS Central Office staff, and school staff on programs, activities, services, resources, and materials. Applications to join the Advisory Team are available online and are due by December 13.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/community-engagement/
The Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (MCCPTA) recently introduced a new resolution urging MCPS to implement specific best practices to protect students from gun violence in schools. To provide feedback, please contact delegate@brespta.org.