The PS 295 Parent Teachers Association

THE PTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE NEEDS YOU! - We need volunteers who want to get more involved in the PTA. The EC is made up of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary & Parent Liaison. We hope to have two parents for each position, preferably at least one of them fluent in Spanish. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact the Nominating Committee: Jasmin Castro [(718) 909-8795, preciousjasi@aol.com], Jean Dykstra [718-788-2612, jeandykstra@hotmail.com], or Alex Jamieson [917-345-2302, alex@deliciousvitality.com], or Parent Coordinator Shari Fields. NOTE: We need to vote/approve the 2012-13 Executive Committee at the May 15 PTA meeting, so please let us know if you are interested by Thursday May 10.

PTA MEETING (AND ELECTIONS!) – TUESDAY MAY 15 AT 6PM - We have a LOT of news to tell you this month! Grants, budgets, PTA elections and Touch a Truck results!! We will have a garden update, and a speaker regarding state testing issues. Please join us for pizza and find out what's going on. Tuesday, May 15 at 6pm. Childcare and Spanish translation will be provided. And don't forget that homework pass for your kids!

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE AT PS 295!! - Our PTA has done great things this year, thanks to everyone's help. But what else would you like to see us do? Get involved and get a seat on the Executive Committee! Elections will be held at Tuesday's PTA meeting, and spots are still open. There's still time to speak up and get involved! Contact Shari Fields if you're interested; we need you!

HIGH STAKES TESTING - FORUM TONIGHT AT PS 321 - Come to PS 321 tonight to learn about the uses and misuses of standardized testing and to explore how high-stakes testing affects children, teachers, principals and our schools. Featuring:

Aaron Pallas, Professor of Sociology and Education - Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Pallas formerly worked as a statistician for the US Dept. of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, and is a featured columnist for Gotham Schools and Hechinger Report. His most recent projects are explicitly designed to inform policymakers, parents, and other stakeholders about conditions in NYC public schools.
Elizabeth Phillips, Principal, PS 321
Alex Messer, 4th Grade Teacher, PS 321
Martha Foote, 4th Grade Parent, PS 321

Thursday, May 10, 6:30-8pm at PS 321, 180 7th Avenue. CHILDCARE WILL BE PROVIDED.

PS 295’s FREE BREAKFAST PROGRAM - Do you know that breakfast is free in the cafeteria every day from 7:45-8:30? Three important facts you should know about breakfast: students who eat a healthy breakfast pay more attention in school, improving their capacity to learn; saves money, it’s FREE; best of all, it’s nutritious! Take advantage of this great opportunity each day.

School Leadership Team (SLT) Elections are Coming! - The School Leadership Team needs 3 parent representatives to serve for the next two years beginning in September 2012. These are elected positions. Nomination forms can be downloaded here for those interested in participating on the School Leadership Team. Nominate yourself or someone else. We have extended the deadline for SLT nominations. Once the nomination process is complete the voting will occur from 5/17 – 5/25. Any questions? Contact Shari Fields at 718-965-0390, x4105 or by e-mail at sfields7@schools.nyc.gov.

You are All Members of Our PTA - Whether or not you come to meetings, volunteer at events, or pay dues to the PTA, you are still a member of our PTA and we are happy about that! We welcome all levels of involvement, and every parent or guardian of our children is automatically part of the PTA membership. Although they are always welcome, no dues are required!

Parent Tips & Activities - The week of May13-19 is NYC Wildflower Week. In its fifth year, it features 45+ events in 5 boroughs, bringing attention to the 778 native plant species in NYC's 53,000 acres of open spaces. For the week covered in the Bulletin, there are 3 children's events. (All events are free, but space is limited, so pre-registration is recmmended. For registration and location information, go to www.nycwildflowerweek.org and click on the Events tab).

Urban Biodiversity Bingo in Staten Island Greenbelt takes places on Saturday, May 12 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. Meet at the Nevada Avenue parking lot of High Rock Park to meet Jessica Kratz, (Nature Center Coordinator, SI Greenbelt Conservancy) and walk among the wildflowers of High Rock Park. Participants will explore the bright green forest of early May on a moderate length hike, searching for trillium, bloodroot, mayapple, among others. Suitable for ages 8 and up.

Also on Saturday, May 12, join Dina Elkin, Events Coordinator and Daisy Hoyt, Park Manager of Stuyvesant Cove Park for an Interactive Plant Fair. From 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at Solar One (22nd Street and the FDR Drive) , come and get your hands dirty! Children can pot up and take home a free native plant, make seed balls, learn about insects and wildflowers, tour the native flora garden, and get creative with face painting and paper crafts.

And on Thursday, May 17 from 4:30-5:30 p.m., head on over to the Brooklyn Children's Museum for a workshop entitled Our Wildlife Neighbors. Join guide Eliza Russell of the National Wildlife Federation to learn about the nature in your neighborhood and what they do to help make your community a fun place to live. Be a scavenger hunter for bugs, birds, mammals, soil, trees, and other plants. Create your own Wild City kit of resources to take with you on an urban hike – including a mini field guide, magnifying glass, and "bug box". Free admission to the museum begins at 4:00 pm so plan to come early or stay late to enjoy the other exhibits at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

PS 295 Fundraisers

You All Are The TOPS - BOX TOPS that is!!! So don't forget, there is just one more Box Tops Contest before the end of this school year. Be sure to keep clipping, collecting, taping and gluing those little Box Tops that all together add up to a BIG Chunk of Change! And for money saving coupons, fun recipes, shopping through eBox Tops, and chances to win more Box Tops and prizes for our school, please visit www.boxtops4education.com.

Here's how:

Clip — Clip the Box Top from hundreds of participating products and send them to school each month on the Collection Sheet (in Thursday news once per month) or simply in an envelope labeled with your child's name and classroom. Each one is worth 10¢ when our school redeems them from Box Tops for Education.

Shop online — Shop at your favorite online stores through the Box Tops Marketplace (boxtops4education.com/marketplace). Up to 15 eBoxTops™ per $10 spent on qualifying purchases is automatically donated to our school, at no additional cost to you. Plus, you’ll get exclusive Box Tops deals and discounts!

Read — Buy books online through the Reading Room, a partnership between Box Tops and Barnes and Noble. Our school receives up to 6 eBoxTops per $10 spent on qualifying purchases.

Sign up –– It’s easy and free. Sign up to support our school at boxtops4education.com, where you can: • See how much our school is earning with Box Tops • Enter online promotions for chances to win Bonus Box Tops and other prizes • Print money-saving coupons for your favorite Box Tops brands.

Any questions? Please talk with Rebecca Lyden Mitchell, Box Tops Coordinator, 917.822.2403

Earn Free Money for PS 295 with Every Dollar You Spend on Amazon - If you shop through Amazon, every dollar you spend can put much-needed cash in the PS 295 PTA’s account! There’s no extra charge to you, and any purchase is eligible: any item, any buyer, any shipping address. All you have to do is order through the special Amazon link to the left. Bookmark it, use it often, and please share it with your friends and family!

How to Give to PS 295
Raising money for a school fundraiser? Would you or a family member like to make a tax-deductible donation to PS 295? How about giving a donation in someone’s honor or in lieu of presents for an occasion? Do you need to pay your lice money? Want to make a regular monthly payment of PTA dues? There are so many good reasons to give to PS295, and we are trying to make it quick and easy.

1. Click on the “Dues and Donating” button above and do it all online. The Web interface provides you with a receipt for your tax records.
2. Write a check payable to the PS 295 Parent Teacher Association, Inc. and mail it to att: PTA Treasurer, 330 18th Street Brooklyn, NY 11215. You will receive a timely receipt with all the information you may need for your taxes.

Please remember your company may match your charitable giving amount. Every dollar counts. Consider giving today.