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Our spring book fair begins this Thursday! It will go all day (8am to 6 pm) this Thursday and Friday (6th and 7th) and next Wednesday and Thursday (12th and 13th). Thursday the 13th is parent-teacher conference day. The book fair will also be open next Monday and Tuesday (10th and 11th), but only from 3 to 6pm.
Like in the fall, we will have bins of books chosen by each teacher for their classroom. You can purchase a book from the bin to donate to your child's classroom. Books purchased for teachers are sold at a 20% discount.
If you want to sign up to work the book fair, there are still a few slots available. Remember, volunteers get a 20% discount on purchases!
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A variety of illnesses, including both Flu A and B, have been going around. If your child is exhibiting symptoms of being sick (fever, vomiting, diarrhea, extreme lethargy), please keep him or her home from school. While we certainly want to keep our attendance numbers as high as possible, sending children to school sick hurts those numbers in the long run, as more children are infected. Please know that your child will not lose his or her spot at Border Star for sickness. However, we need to work hard to make sure our kids arrive to school on time every day they are well, and minimize absences not related to illness as much as possible.
It's probably also a good idea to remind children of good hygiene practices during this season, like frequent hand-washing with soap, covering sneezes and coughs with their elbow, keeping fingers out of their mouths, and keeping hands to themselves.
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As many of you have probably heard, our PTA treasurer Kristen Hocker was recently diagnosed with an extremely rare type of cancer in her spine. She recently underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her spinal cord and will be undergoing radiation to attack another small tumor. She is working to regain feeling and movement in her legs currently. This was a sudden and unexpected hardship for Kristen and her family, especially since she will be unable to work for a long time.
Kristen would appreciate your prayers and words of support and encouragement. If you'd like information on visiting or sending cards, please email us at borderstarpta@gmail.com.
If you are able to provide materials for or help build a wheelchair ramp at Kristen's house, please email us at borderstarpta@gmail.com.
A GoFundMe account has been set up for her family, if you'd like to donate:
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It’s not too late to become a PTA member! It’s only $5 per person. It supports our school and gives you the opportunity to vote at PTA meetings. Being involved shows your kids the value and importance you place on their school community. We’ll submit our final membership to the state and pay our state dues at the end of the semester.
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Save the date for our annual trivia night fundraiser: Saturday, April 25. There are lots of ways to help the trivia night committee, including decorating, soliciting donations, selling tickets, serving drinks, planning games, and others. If you'd like to help out, contact Kris Neuhauser (kristinneuhauser@gmail.com) or Carrie Zerillo (carrie.zerillo@gmail.com).
If you shop at Amazon, make sure to use Amazon Smile instead of plain old boring Amazon. Go to www. smile.amazon.com and select "PTA Missouri Congress Border Star Montessori PTA". A percentage of all of your purchases will benefit Border Star!
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The student-drawn entries for the yearbook cover have been hung in the school. There were 98 dragon drawings submitted this year! Students and staff will vote for their favorite by ballot this week, and the first and second place winners will be sent to Balfour next week in time to have a mock-up of the front and back covers.
ORDERING YEARBOOKS:
Get your yearbook now at $18. The price after March 1st rises to $20.
tinyurl.com/border-star-yearbook-2019
(If the link doesn’t work, you can simply search for “Border Star” at balfour.com and follow the ordering process.)
UPLOADING PHOTOGRAPHS:
Want your child(ren) to be seen throughout the yearbook? Download the app and directly upload your photographs. Enter project number: 025067 to get connected to this year’s yearbook.
iOS: itunes.apple.com/us/app/balfour-image-share/id940654327
Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.swuploader.balfour&hl=en
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It’s not too early to start thinking about how you can serve the PTA next school year. If you’re interested in holding an office or leading a committee next year, send an email to borderstartpta@gmail.com or talk to any of this year’s PTA officers. A formal nominating committee will be set up in the spring to identify candidates to place on the ballot, but it always helps to find interested people early. We have many committee positions that will be open. Whether your interests are in communication, health and wellness, sustainability and green initiatives, organizing volunteers, or anything else, we have a spot for you!
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Last year, every class sent home a Wednesday folder with students, which included a weekly “Principal’s Page,” information from the classroom teacher, and information from the PTA and other groups about upcoming events. Mr. Rhyne does not plan to send home weekly newsletters this year (in part to save paper), so teachers can now send home information as they see fit. So parents, check back packs everyday—not just Wednesdays! The PTA will occasionally send home paper flyers for our events, but we will also try to cut back on printing. Look for these other means of communication throughout the year:
- PTA bulletin board (outside of Rm 003 by the back door near the playground)—we will post a calendar, which will be updated monthly, as well as flyers for upcoming events
- Flyers—we will still hang flyers and posters for events around the school. When you walk by, snap a picture of it with your smart phone so you can always have the info handy.
- Phone blasts—Mr Rhyne likes using the phone blast system. We will send important PTA info through him on that system as well.
- PTA website—In the past, this site has been used primarily as a landing page for memberships, special spirit wear purchases, and donations. But we’re going to try to keep it updated with important event info this year as well.
- PTA meetings—Attending meetings will be the best way to get the inside scoop on school happenings.
- These PTA emails—Don’t worry, we won’t flood your inbox. But we’ll try to get the most import stuff out this way.
- Facebook parent page — This closed (and unofficial) Facebook group is open to all parents to discuss school and community issues, ask questions, and build community. You'll need to provide a child's teacher's name to join.
- Email - You can always just email us at borderstarpta@gmail.com
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You are receiving this because you were either on our distribution list last year or have joined the PTA or the PTA’s New Parent Communications list this year. If you no longer wish to see these emails, please unsubscribe.
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