News and Updates

*** SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM or CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR FULL CALENDAR ***

February 4th

• Green Team lunchroom Food Waste Collection: This starts today! If you haven't signed up to help during a lunch period it is not too late! Green Team Lunch Sign up.

February 7th

• Kindergarten Registration: Come and register your child at the school between 1 and 7 pm. Register for before/after school care if needed. At 6pm Mr. Story will provide a building tour!

February 8th

• Popcorn Friday: You know the deal by now! Popcorn brings smiles to all our kids faces! 
• Screenagers Viewing: POSTPONED to March 29th  due to weather. Don't forget to get your tickets before it is too late (none sold at the door). https://impactflow.com/event/9934/checkout/tickets

Volunteers Needed

• We need your help! Did you know that in U.S. schools, an estimated 40% of school cafeteria garbage is wasted food!!

  Beginning February 4th, A.G. Bell will incorporate FOOD WASTE COLLECTION for all lunch periods! We are asking parents to please join us during one (or several) lunch periods to help direct students on where to dispose of their food scraps while they begin to familiarize themselves with this new addition to their lunchtime routine. Please sign-up to help: Green Team Lunch Crew   

Ongoing:

• Yearbook Cover Art Contest: Did you see the flier on the Yearbook cover contest as you signed in for conferences this week? It is such an amazing opportunity to have your child be a major part of this year's Yearbook which will be kept and treasured by so many for years to come! Not sure how to convey diversity? Google is a great place to start! Missed the flier? You can see more details on our Yearbook Cover Contest page! 
• Yearbook: Yearbook sales are still happening! Visit http://agbellptsa.org/Page/Fundraising/Yearbook for all of the info!
• Join PTSA: If you have not already this is a great day to join the PTSA. Remember, joining doesn't require you to volunteer your time - though helpful, we understand time these days is at a huge premium. But just your $22 membership not only helps our PTSA programs but provides you with some amazing perks!  

ANNOUNCEMENT: SCREENAGERS VIEWING

Bell PTSA Presents: Screenagers POSTPONED to March 29th due to impending weather. February 8, 2019 -7:00 pm Bell Elementary Commons 

Who should attend? Anyone that has or works with children

Trailer: (scroll down) https://impactflow.com/event/presented-by-bell-elementary-ptsa-9934

Are you watching kids scroll through life, with their rapid-fire thumbs and a six-second attention span? Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston saw that with her own kids and learned that the average kid spends 6.5 hours a day looking at screens. She wondered about the impact of all this time and about the friction occurring in homes and schools around negotiating screen time—friction she knew all too well. 

Tickets: $7 each- https://impactflow.com/event/9934/checkout/tickets

Light refreshments will be available for sale

We will have a panel open for discussion after the film

January's Bulldog Dine Out

Thank you to those that could join us for December's Dine Out at Mod Pizza. January's Monthly Dine Out brings you to 5 Guys Burgers. The Place to get a fresh, juicy burger with all the toppings you could stuff between fresh-baked buns. ! 

Three 5 Guys Facts:

Details will be coming to http://agbellptsa.org/Page/Fundraising/Monthly%20Dine%20Out soon. So easy, you can come straight from work and just show them the web page on your phone or tell them that you are there to support A.G. Bell fundraiser. 

2018-2019 Major Fundraiser

This year we have changed our major fall fundraiser to a Direct Donation campaign.  Rather than incurring costs to raise money for the events and programs our students rely on, we are asking for Direct Donations. With the Direct Donation campaign, you can be assured that 100% of your donation will go directly to the students at Bell.

For Direct Donations, we are asking that families contribute what they can. If we can reach our goal of $50,000, we will not have a major spring fundraiser. Every amount matters, please donate what you can.  We are looking for 100% participation.

If you would like more information on where your dollars go for this fundraiser or a phone script to help your child take the lead in asking for support just click here. 

MAKE A DONATION NOW!

THANK YOU to ALL our PTSA Members who helped us on achieving the Gold level with Washington State PTA!  With your participation we have grown our PTSA by 10% over last year. Thank you for all your hard work and enthusiasm to give a louder voice to children in Washington State.

Talent Wanted 

We all have time and talents and Bell PTSA could use some of them to ensure the programs our students, staff and community rely on. We have something for everyone one. For more information, please reach out to our Diane, our PTSA co-president, at president@agbellptsa.org and see where you can help. Some of our open positions include the following:

 **Volunteer Coordinator:**

Support Our Students!

Do you want to support our students while going about your every day life? There are so many opportunities while shopping, errands, and eating you can support the PTSA and your children. And you don't need to have a child at the school to take advantage of these - we love to have community support as well. 

Here are some of the examples to help support our school without having to make additional time in your day. 

• Join the PTSA: Just being a member of the PTSA not only supports us, but gives some pretty cool membership perks as well!
• Monthly Dine Out: This is a great way to support our school and not have any dishes to do. At the beginning of each month we feature a different establishment that will donate a portion of the proceeds to AG Bell just by eating there. Click here to see this month's dine out.
• Fred Meyer Rewards: Do you shop at Fred Meyer? Do you have a Fred Meyer Rewards card to take advantage of their discounts? If so, hook up your Rewards card to AG Bell and a portion of your purchases will be donated. Five minutes online up front and you never have to think of it again! Click here for information on how to link up your card.  
• Amazon: Does it feel like there is always a birthday, holiday or just something you need from Amazon? Next time you shop start by going to https://www.amazon.com/?tag=abp00-20 as well as setting up your AmazonSmile. 

Want to find more ways to support our students? Go to agbellptsa.org and click on Support Our Students. 

Thank YOU for supporting our students. 

Communications 411 at Bell

New to the school and wondering how to get information about what events and programs are coming up?  This information is for you! 

Bell PTSA knows you are a busy parent, so we attempt to make our communications efforts as diverse as possible to cover all of the bases. 

• A weekly email newsletter that is sent out each Friday to all parents & guardians (the Bulldog Blast)
• A very active Facebook page (www.facebook.com/agbellptsa)
• Our website (www.agbellptsa.org)
• Monthly paper calendar that will be sent home in your child's folder (Kidmail). 

Online Directory

This year the Bell PTSA is providing a free online directory to help families find each other and connect.  You will have the ability to decide what, if any of your information is visible, and update or correct it at any time.  The directory will be available on the PTSA website, and you will update and publish your information using your website account.  If you do not add your information, your student will NOT be listed in the directory.  There is no paper directory offered this year.

Directory Setup Instructions

Collect Box Tops to support Bell!

Do you collect Box Tops For Education? We earn 10 cents for our kids with each Box Top that we turn in - last year we earned $1000! Send in any Box Tops with your children, and join us for the next Box Tops Clippings and Coffee in the Bell Commons or Art Room (check the weekly Bulldog Blast for the next date and time). We will have conversation and clip and sort the Box Tops and Labels that have been received this school year. If you are new to our school, this is a great way to meet others.

If you have any questions, please contact Box Tops Chair Halee Proctor at boxtops@agbellptsa.org

Volunteer Time Match! 

Many of us work for companies (Microsoft, Boeing, Google among many) that will pay an organization such as Bell PTSA when the employee volunteers. If you have volunteered this school year at Bell please consider entering your time volunteered and direct it to AG Bell PTSA.  If you have any questions, please contact fundraising@agbellptsa.org