Generation Z Tutoring Available

Generation Z is an organization of students who all share the same goal of bettering the community by encouraging learning and offering extra help to younger students outside the classroom. All of their tutors are highly qualified Richard Montgomery High School students.

 Generation Z members are currently tutoring over 100 students individually online. They offer a variety of subjects free of cost, including math, grammar, reading, writing, science, social studies, and several foreign languages.

Learn more about this service and how to sign up here.


Get Involved with the BRES PTA in 2021-2022

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Hello Bayard Rustin Elementary Community!

I hope you have had a relaxing and fulfilling summer. As your PTA president for the 2021-2022 school year, I’m thrilled to welcome you to the Bayard Rustin Elementary School PTA.

Our PTA's mission is to “make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.” Our focus this year will be on creating connections: among students, parents and guardians, and educators and staff.

The pandemic brought us many challenges, including social distancing. Our PTA is dedicated to helping you, your child, and their teachers and staff have a successful school year as we reconnect in person.

Our job is to provide our school with programs and resources to enrich the educational experience of every child. We must all work together to ensure the best for our children. But we can’t do it without YOU. Here’s what you can do to support the PTA and our great Bayard Rustin Elementary School: 

  • BE A MEMBER: Membership dues are $20 per individual per year or $40 per family per year. Follow the link to enter/update your information, pay your dues, and make a donation.  https://bres.ptboard.com/membership

  • VOLUNTEER, VOLUNTEER, VOLUNTEER: The PTA is nothing without volunteers and we appreciate you all! Check out the volunteer sign-up online and talk to board members and find something that interests you! Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older brothers and sisters—everyone is welcome to get involved. And we offer SSL opportunities. https://www.brespta.org/volunteer

  • ATTEND PTA MEETINGS & EVENTS: Participate! Check out the calendar of PTA meetings and events. We add new events regularly.

PAINLESS FUNDRAISING:  In addition to our fundraising events during the year (information will follow) we have many ways to participate in what we call “painless fundraising:” raising funds just by doing what you do every day!!   Here is a list of fundraising opportunities:

  • Amazon Smile- Visit smile.amazon.com and select Bayard Rustin Elementary School as your designated charitable organization. AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to BRES. Click here for more instructions.

  • Harris Teeter - link your VIC card using account # 5051. 5% goes to PTA. Starts 8/1

  • Box Tops - Use the Box Tops app to scan your store receipt, find participating products and instantly add cash to your school's earnings online.

  • Mable’s Labels- Order your personalized labels online and the PTA receives 20% on every purchase.

  • In addition, please feel free to just donate here: https://www.brespta.org/donate-now

As part of our ongoing communication, please visit our website (www.brespta.org) and Facebook page (search for “Bayard Rustin Elementary School PTA”) where we will post about school activities, events, dine-outs, and e-newsletters! Let’s challenge ourselves to continue to make Bayard Rustin Elementary School the best school around! Feel free to share your thoughts/questions/concerns with your 2021-2022 PTA Board.

I am looking forward to a fox-tab-u-lous year! See you at the first PTA meeting on Thursday, Sept. 9.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Strohm

PTA President, 2021-2022

BRES PTA Elects 2021-2022 Board

On Tuesday, May 4, the BRES PTA elected its 2021-2022 Board of Directors. The Board has already begun planning for an exciting 2021-2022 school year. Congratulations to the new officers below.

President – Jennifer Strohm

Treasurer – Peyman Khalichi

Secretary - Julia Elam

VP Membership – Mindy Chong

VP Fundraising – Weirong Zhu

VP Programs – Patti Westenberg

VP Communications – Amanda Innes

Delegates – Calandra Moore, Chau Nguyen

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week (May 3-7) Photos

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week was a huge success! Thank you to the many adults and children who supported the week’s appreciation activities including a snack table for teachers and staff, a teacher and staff luncheon, chalking the walk, and personalized notes and class gifts. As a PTA, we raised over $650 for the Teacher Appreciation luncheon. A special thank you to everyone who contributed!

Chalking the Walk

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon

Support Teacher Appreciation Week May 3-7

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week (May 3-7) is approaching and the BRES PTA has lots of activities planned. Let’s show our teachers and staff how much we appreciate all of the extra effort they have made this year to help our students grow. There are many ways to get involved.

Donate to support a BRES teacher and staff luncheon on Wednesday, May 5. All donations received by the PTA between April 16 and May 7, will go toward this event.

Sign-up to contribute a pre-packaged snack box or case of drinks for our PTA-hosted Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week Snack Table. The deadline to contribute is Friday, April 30.

Contribute to a class gift or give your own gift. Be inspired by the Teachers’ Favorite Things list.

Have your child complete our free printable thank you note or write their own thank you.

Have your child draw or bring their teacher a flower.

Be creative! There are myriad ways to say thank you to your child’s teachers. Please remember to also thank their specials teachers and other staff who make their days a success.

Weather permitting, the PTA is looking for a small group of parents and kids to gather in the school parking lot on Sunday, May 2 at 2 p.m. to put together a special surprise. If you are interested in participating in this easy and fun, socially distant activity, please email jenstrohm@gmail.com for details.

Read the March BRES PTA Newsletter

BRES PTA Supports Return to School. The BRES PTA is supporting our students and teachers returning to school this spring by providing supplies of individual hand sanitizer bottles for students as well as refills and antibacterial soaps. These important materials will be a part of the safe reopening of BRES. See the Back to School packet for more information about return to school, including recommended school supplies for students heading back into the classroom. Parent donations for classrooms are also welcome. Needed supplies include tissues, paper towels, wipes and hand sanitizer. Donations can be dropped off in front of the school. If you donate, please leave a note or card with the items. Learn more about Return to School Logistics.

Interested in serving on the BRES PTA Board next school year? The 2021 BRES PTA Nominating Committee needs you! Detailed board position descriptions are available on the BRES PTA webpage: https://www.brespta.org/boardpositions. If you are interested in serving in a leadership position with the BRES PTA next year, please contact Ruth Steinmetz at ruth_steinmetz@yahoo.com, Stacy Field at stacymfield@yahoo.com, or Calandra Tate Moore at themoores1108@gmail.com.

BRES International Night Submissions Needed by March 19. This year’s International Night, Monday, March 22, will be virtual, like many other things this year with COVID-19 restrictions. We are excited to create a special event to celebrate and share the cultures and traditions of BRES students! Would you like to share a short video clip showcasing your unique cultural background? Whether that's performing, showing off and explaining attire, dance, cooking dishes or special items that make us who we are, all submissions are welcome.

Please submit your videos to our Google Form by Friday, March 19, 2021. We will debut all videos to our BRES International Night YouTube Channel during International Night on March 22.

Wondering About Gifted and Talented Programs? MCPS has provided more specific information about the Gifted and Talented Identification Pandemic Plan for 2020-2021. The process this year will include current second and third graders (since this year's third-graders weren't screened last year in second grade). Fifth and seventh graders who are new to MCPS or who have been identified for re-screening will also be screened. This GT identification process is separate from the magnet (criteria-based) lottery process.

Read the January-February BRES PTA Newsletter

Free BRES STEM Night Presentation! The BRES PTA will host Mad Science for a free BRES STEM Night Zoom on Thursday, February 18, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting ID: 857 2225 0889 Passcode: 787304

Volunteers needed for 2021 BRES PTA Board Nominating Committee. Three volunteers are needed for the 2021 Nominating Committee to organize a slate of nominees for the 2021-2022 BRES PTA Board. Learn more about what is involved. Email info@brespta.org to volunteer or for more information.

 

Volunteers needed for virtual BRES International Night.  Interested in helping put together photos and videos for an international night celebration? The BRES PTA is looking for volunteers to help solicit, organize, and combine photos and videos to help celebrate cultures at BRES. Email info@brespta.org for more information or to get involved.

 

Celebrate scientists who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.  ColorMePhD has published free resources on History-Making Scientists who inspire us. Learn more.

 

Share your thoughts on armed school resource officers. The Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (MCCPTA) is debating a proposal to ask Montgomery County Public Schools to discontinue the practice of placing armed School Resource Officers (police officers) full time in high schools.  Delegates to the MCCPTA will be asked to vote on whether to support this proposal at the March meeting. We welcome feedback from the BRES community. If you have any questions or comments you would like to share about the school resource officer program, please email delegate@brespta.org.  View the presentation and read the frequently asked questions and answers here.

Save these dates for BRES PTA Meetings. BRES PTA Meetings in 2021 will take place the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Dates are:

  • Tuesday, February 2

  • Tuesday, March 2

  • April- no meeting

  • Tuesday, May 4

Read the December BRES PTA Newsletter

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Have you joined the BRES PTA?: Help us achieve our goal of 200 members. We have over 60 so far. Click here to renew or sign up to become a PTA member today. Membership dues are $20 per individual or $40 per family, per year. Read more about our work this year, including how we are providing teachers with $100 stipends toward supplies and training, hosting online learning events for parents and planning to distribute future supply kits for students.  

Book Fair Report: Thank you to all of those who shopped the Book Fair in October and November! We raised over $400 to provide books and classroom materials for the school.

After School Activities: Several after-school providers are offering virtual programs to enrich students after school this winter. Activities include art, chess lessons, science & engineering, foreign languages and many others – see list below. Visit the PTA webpage for more. 

Child Care and Distance Learning Support for Children in Need: The Children’s Opportunity Fund and the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence are coordinating low-cost childcare and distance learning support for MCPS students at facilities across the county. Priority is given to low-income, kindergarten through 5th grade students, and students needing more assistance with virtual learning. For more information, visit EquityHubs.org or call 240-200-4999.  

Looking for a Bayard Rustin Gifted & Talented Liaisons: The MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee (GCC) is looking for volunteers from every school. Help represent Bayard Rustin for the 20-21 school year. The GT Liaison plays a vital role in advocating for the needs of highly able learners by providing a critical link between the school community, the MCCPTA GCC, and MCPS. If you would like to volunteer, please email president@brespta.org. 

Support BRES PTA with Amazon Smile: AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support BRES PTA while you are holiday shopping, at no cost to you. BRES PTA can benefit from 0.5% of your eligible purchases when you shop. To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser or activate AmazonSmile on your Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone (found under settings on your app). On your browser, you may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping. When you’re using the app, always check for the “AmazonSmile” logo to ensure you’ve activated AmazonSmile. Learn more

Nominate a Master Teacher: Each year, MCPS sponsors a series of awards honoring outstanding leaders within our system. The Marian Greenblatt Excellence in Education Master Teacher Award recognizes three full-time teachers in kindergarten through Grade 12 who have a demonstrated record of promoting student success, such as closing the achievement gap. Nominate a teacher by January 8. Click here for more info.