BEAR TRACKS WEEKLY NEWS & UPDATES
Monday, January 16, 2017
PLEASE ENJOY THIS QUOTE FROM MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AS WE ENJOY THIS DAY IN HIS HONOR
Legislative Focus Day - TODAY - January 16th

Come advocate with us in Olympia on January 16th  (Bring your kids - They have the day off!)    

Want to learn more about Focus Day?  Click here            More questions - Email Erika Kapur

**NEW**   FREE ENTRANCE TODAY (1/16)
to Washington State Parks and National Parks

Find a Washington State Park HERE
Please note, free days apply only to day use (not overnight stays or rented facilities). A Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by the Washington state departments of Natural Resources and Fish & Wildlife on these days. Sno-Park permits are still required on free days at designated Sno-Parks during the winter season.    Find other Free Days HERE

Find a National Park HERE
Plan your Visit for MLK, Jr. Day HERE

UPCOMING EVENTS at RMS 

Monday, January 16  
NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Tuesday, January 17  
Girls JV/Varsity Basketball:  Kirkland MS @ RMS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)
Boys JV/varsity Basketball: RMS @ Kirkland MS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)
LWSD Middle School Honor Band, Choir, Orchestra Rehearsal #2  @ Lake Washington HS (6:30 - 8:00 pm)
LWSD-PTSA Special Needs Group Meeting @ LWSD Resource Center (7:00 - 8:30 pm)
Wednesday, January 18  
RHS Future Freshman Parent Night 6:30 - 8:00 pm @ RHS Performing Arts Center
Thursday, January 19  
Boys JV/Varsity Basketball: RMS @ Evergreen MS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm) 
Girls JV/Varsity Basketball: EMS @ RMS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)
LWSD-PTSA Council Brown Bag Lunch @ LWSD Resource Center (noon - 1:00 pm)
LWSD Middle School Honor Band, Choir, Orchestra Rehearsal #3  @ Lake Washington HS (6:30 - 8:00 pm)
Friday, January 20  
Girls Regional Basketball: Finn Hill MS @ RMS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)
Boys Regional Basketball: RMS @ Finn Hill MS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)
Friday, January 27   
Winter Social:  RMS (2:30 - 4:30 pm)  

REMEMBER TO DO THIS WEEK
Monday, Jan 16 - No school!
Sign up to help at the Winter Social - See PTSA News/Events- RMS PTSA
* Attend Legislative Focus Day in Olympia - See WA State PTSA  
Tuesday, Jan 17Attend the Special Needs PTSA Meeting - See PTSA News/Events - LWSD PTSA
Wednesday, Jan 18 - RHS Future Freshman Parent Night (for all current 8th grade families)  - See Redmond High School News and Events
Friday, Jan 20 - Last day to donate a toy to the RMS Leadership's Toy Drive for Hope Festival - See Academic News


RHS FUTURE FRESHMAN PARENT NIGHT 
(class of 2021)

Redmond High School will host their  Future Freshman Parent Night for parents of the class of 2021 on 
Wednesday, January 18th from 6:30 - 8 pm in the RHS Performing Arts Center.  
 If you have a current 8th grader who will be attending Redmond High School next school year, this is a great opportunity to learn what RHS is all about!

ACADEMIC NEWS
**NEW**
RMS TEACHERS AND STAFF HAWK IT UP!!
Who can you find?
Hope Festival Toy Drive through January 20

The RMS Leadership students are  collecting toys through January 20, 2017,
for the annual Hope Festival. The annual Hope Festival is an incredible event that serves struggling and in-need families across the Eastside. Hopefest not only provides over 1500 guests with free groceries, clothes, hygiene items, and books; but also provides clients with free services such as haircuts, massages, entertainment, and much more. The Festival provides a day of fun and care within the stressful lives that each of our guests are enduring. Each year, our clients will walk away from this powerful day of giving with a reaffirmed belief that they are cared for by a compassionate community.  All toy donations can be dropped off before school in the bin by the student store.  

More Information Here
Congratulations Ms. Dowling on achieving your National Board Certification!

ASB CLUBS / EVENTS
  • YEARBOOK CLUB - No news this week 
  • SAFE SCHOOL AMBASSADORS - Please email or see Ms. Morris if you have questions about being involved.
  • DR. WHO CLUB - No news this week
  • CURRENT NJHS MEMBERS - No news this week.  Email Ms. Morris with questions.
  • LGBTQ+ CLUB - No news this week. 
  • D&D & OTHER GAMES CLUB - No news this week.
RMS PTSA  ACADEMIC TEAMS (Math, Science, NatGeo)

**NEW**
CONGRATULATIONS to the *FIVE* RMS CULINARY COMPETITION TEAMS!

Congratulations to the Culinary Competition teams who competed Saturday at LWHS. All teams prepared outstanding recipes of pasta primavera.  We look forward to participating in next January"s competition!
Redmond entered 5 teams at the Middle School level represented by:

Natalie Shaw and Hattie Dean
Jiwon Kim and Maya White
Chloe Heunisch and Scott North
Cassie Knowlton and Brendan Kelly
Catherine Tkachenko and Nete Haba
Congratulations to RMS AMC 8 Mathletes!!
 
AMC 8 exam was held at RMS during November 2016. AMC 8 provides an opportunity for middle school students to develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers.
 
Over 100,00 students from around 2,000 schools in USA took AMC 8 exam. From RMS, 49 students took the AMC 8 exam. 3 of our students made it to the Honor Roll of Distinction (Top 1% students across USA). 5 other students made it to the Honor Roll of Certificate (Top 5% students across USA). Average score of RMS students was 12.83 while National average score (based on results compiled upto Jan 1, 2017) was 9.36.
 
Congratulations to all RMS students who took the exam and special kudos to the following students who made it to the Honor roll:
 
Name
Grade
Distinction
Raghav Narula    
8
Perfect Score, Gold Medal, Honor Roll of Distinction
Arnav Narula 
8
Silver Medal, Honor Roll of Distinction
Andrew Chen  
8
Bronze Medal, Honor Roll of Distinction
Conor Kennedy
7
Honor Roll Certificate
Andrea Wu     
7
Honor Roll Certificate
Kinner Parikh
8
Honor Roll Certificate
Krish Jain
7
Honor Roll Certificate
Sanghavi Mayooran   
7
Honor Roll Certificate
 
Special Mention of the following Grade 6 students who have earned Certificate of Achievement by scoring over 15 in AMC 8 exam:

Name
Grade
Distinction
Sidharth Ganesh
6
Certificate of Achievement
Aaron Y Gao
6
Certificate of Achievement
Aakash Banerji
6
Certificate of Achievement
Joseph D Kaim
6
Certificate of Achievement
Kirill Ustinov
6
Certificate of Achievement
 
Top 20 RMS performers will be invited to write AMC 10 in RMS during February 2017. 

RMS Math Teams Get Team Trophies in Each Grade at Knights of Pi Math Tournament (KPMT)
 
Congratulations to all the 40+ Redmond Middle Schoolers representing Grades 6, 7 and 8 who participated in KPMT held at Newport High school on January 7, 2017. The tournament is designed to be a positive and fun math experience for all involved and provide the highly motivated students a chance to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the year.
 
Over 110 teams from 25 schools competed at this tournament. Our students were amongst the trophy winners in each of the grades.
 
The following students won Individual trophies for placing in the Top 10:
Arnav Narula - 2nd Place in Grade 8
Raghav Narula - 3rd Place in Grade 8
Conor Kennedy - 8th Place in Grade 7

The following teams placed amongst the Top 3 teams in their grades:
Grade 8: Team won 3rd place and was represented by Andrew Chen, Arnav Narula, Raghav Narula and Shrey Srivastava
Grade 7: Team won 3rd place and was represented by Andrea Wu, Conor Kennedy, Julia Liu and Krish Jain
Grade 6: Team won 3rd place and was represented by Aakash Banerji, Aaron Gao, Joseph Kaim and Sidharth Ganesh


**NEW**   Is Your Student Ready for Algebra Next Year? 
 
If your student is motivated and have her/his heart set to take the rigorous Algebra course next year, take advantage of a FREE placement test provided by Ellipsis Academy. Using the placement test, students' weaknesses and strengths can be assessed and analyzed. Please sign up for the placement test. The test is 1 hour long and scheduled at the Old Redmond School House on January 20 at 4: 15 p.m. Results are emailed to parents within two weeks of the test.
 
Having a strong pre-algebra foundation is necessary to success in Algebra. If your students would like to strengthen their pre-algebra skills, learn about our Ellipsis Pre-Algebra program HERE. We prepare students not only to be ready for the Algebra class but also to make sure that they have the necessary skills to be successful in Algebra and beyond.
E XTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
(Band, Choir, Drama)
LWSD Honors Band, Choir, Orchestra Concert  - January 31, 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Come enjoy a fabulous evening of music from the LWSD's talented middle school musicians.  Tuesday, January 31, 7:00 - 8:00 pm at Evergreen Middle School Auditorium.

**NEW**
PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TODAY for
Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Jr. 
x
You are cordially invited to
 BE OUR GUEST
February 2-4 at Redmond High School Performing Arts Center
Join Belle and friends in RMS PTSA's production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast Jr.
Performances will be at the Redmond High School Performing Arts Center.
February 2: 7:00 pm
February 3: 7:00 pm
February 4: 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm.! 
Online ticket purchases are available by credit card up to the day before the performance only. There is a $0.50 cost increase per ticket for online sales to cover the cost of payment processing. Tickets purchased online will be available at the will-call table at the performing arts center. You will receive an email confirmation of your purchase.
RMS SPORTS 
UPCOMING RMS SPORTING EVENTS 

Tuesday, January 17  
Girls JV/Varsity Basketball: Kirkland MS @ RMS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)
Boys JV/varsity Basketball: RMS @ Kirkland MS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)

Thursday, January 19  
Boys JV/Varsity Basketball: RMS @ Evergreen MS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm) 
Girls JV/Varsity Basketball: EMS @ RMS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)

Friday, January 20  
Girls Regional Basketball: Finn Hill MS @ RMS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)
Boys Regional Basketball: RMS @ Finn Hill MS Gymnasium (3:30 - 5:30 pm)
 
Sports and Activities in Redmond (Non-School Sponsored)
**NEW**  Used Book Fair at Redmond Elementary

Redmond Elementary PTSA announces our annual Used Book Fair!   Donations of gently used books for all ages (especially books for grades 2-6), CDs and DVDs, games and puzzles are needed. 
*Drop off donations at Redmond Elementary school office (16800 NE 80th St) or 
* Contact   bookfair@redmondelptsa.org to arrange pickup. 

COME SHOP WITH US!  We are open to the public!
* Wednesday, January 24, 2 - 5 pm and 
* Thursday, January 25, 12 - 3 pm

Thanks and happy reading!
Student News Summary

STUDENT ANNOUNCEMENTS RECAP (Week of January 9 - 13, 2017):
  • TOY DRIVE: Help us collect toys to bring joy to kids in need. The toy drive is going until Jan, 20. Please help us by bringing new or like new toys.  Drop your donation off any morning before school by the student store.  Questions? email Sara Hall
  • NHD CLUB: Attention all NHD Club Members! If you are serious about competing, check the NHD Club Haiku page! You must pay your contest registration fee by January 13th and you must attend the club meeting before January 31st... or you won't get to compete! See Ms. Dunsire if you have questions. Remember to check the NHD Club Haiku page for more information!
  • SEASON 3 SPORTS SIGN-UPS NOW: All athletes interested in Season 3 sports need to sign up during their lunch today. 7th and 8th grade girls may sign up for Volleyball and 6th/7th/8th grade boys and girls can sign up for wrestling. If you are interested in participating in a season 3 sport, please sign up during your lunch.  
  • RSVP HAS BEEN CANCELED: It will be rescheduled soon, so please pay attention to future announcements.  
  • LIBRARY BOOKS DUE: Attention ALL students: If you have a library book in your possession that was checked out BEFORE we went to Break, it is now in need of return or renewal. Even if your book is for a class project, you must come and renew it.  All library books were due on January 3.  Questions? Ask Ms. Metcalf
  • GEOGRAPHY CLUB: Do you love geography?  Join the RMS Geography Club.  We will be preparing to compete in the National Geographic Geography Bee in January. Our first meeting will be Friday January 6th after school.  If you have questions, please see Mrs. Gross in room 229 or email Mrs. Gross.
  • BATTLE OF THE BOOLS PARTICIPANTS: Remember that we are meeting tomorrow morning at 7:15 in the library. This is your first opportunity for battle practice with your team and against other teams. Find a way to be there!
  • STUDENT PURCHASING COMMITTEE: Look for an email from Ms. Metcalf and come prepared to share whatever information you have gathered. Bring your lunch and get to the library as soon as you can!  
  • LGBTQ+ CLUB: meets after school Friday in room 214.  Become an ally and support social equity in the New Year!  
  • DR. WHO CLUB will be held after school Thursday in room 214.
  • YEARBOOK CLUB: has a meeting in room 202  
  • D&D CLUB: Attention adventurers! D&D club will be meeting after school in room 162.
  • SAFE SCHOOL AMBASSADORS - Safe School Ambassadors, the SSA club will be meeting after school in room 153.  
  • CULINARY COMPETITION: Attention all Culinary Competition teams.  Please come to the foods room 201 during PACE today to be briefed about Saturday's competition at LWHS.  See Mrs. Peterson for a Pace Pass if you do not have her foods class this semester. 
    • Congratulations to the Culinary Competition teams who competed Saturday at LWHS. Redmond entered 5 teams at the Middle School level represented by Natalie Shaw and Hattie Dean, Chloe Heunisch and Scott North, Catherine Tkachenko and Nete Haba, Jiwon Kim and Maya White, and Cassie Knowlton and Brendan Kelly. All teams prepared outstanding recipes of pasta primavera. We look forward to participating in next January"s competition. 
  • RMS GREEN TEAM: Do you care about the environment? Would you enjoy making this school a more eco-friendly place? If so, join the RMS Green Team! You must be an ASB member to join the Green Team and the first meeting was in Mrs. Dowling's room, room 160 of the Douglas Fir Pod, from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Feel free to come by any time during the meetings to check it out. Contact s-mgraves@lwsd.org if you have any questions.   
  • RSVP: Monday the 9th of January there was an RSVP meeting during PACE.  If you have any questions, see Ms. Konicki.  
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL, JV & VARSITY: Reminder to all Varsity and JV girls' basketball players you need to report to the gym right after school today. Please make sure that your rides know that practice is over at 3:30. If you have any questions please see Coach Hagerman.  
  • SPECTATORS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND GAMES: As a reminder spectator may not wait inside the school or outside on school grounds until the game starts. That means you need to leave and come back at 3:30. See page 2 of your school handbook for more information.  
  • Be Kind, Be Honest, and Be Proud.
PTSA NEWS / EVENTS

RMS PTSA
Winter Social Volunteers Needed

We need parent volunteers to hand out snacks and assist teachers with the Winter Social on  Friday, January 27th from 2:30-4:30 pm



**NEW**  Help RMS achieve "School of Excellence" designation

We are on a drive to make RMS a School of Excellence.  In order to achieve this, we need help to better represent  the diverse community of our student population. If you can help, please contact Minh Nguyen

**NEW**  January Safety Tips - EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
 
Now is a good time to review your emergency plan with your family:
 * Identify fire escape routes in your home
* Demonstrate what the smoke alarm sounds like for your children 
* How you will communicate in an emergency
* Where to go once everyone is outside
 
Make sure to have enough emergency supplies in your home:
* Water is the most important emergency supply. Recommendation: 1 gallon per person per day for at least 3 days. For example, a family of 4 should have at least 12 gallons of water on hand. 
* Food is also important, but you don't need anything special. Canned foods and
 unopened boxes of cereal and crackers keep for a long time and are probably in your pantry already. 
* A flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries are also good to have in your emergency kit.
 

Ayuda necesaria por favor
     **
We would like to offer the weekly Bear Tracks newsletter in Spanish. If you have an hour to give on a weekly basis and the ability to translate from English to Spanish please contact weekly@rmsptsa.org
LWSD PTSA
**NEW**
UPCOMING SPECIAL NEEDS PTSA MEETING - January 17, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Please join us on January 17 at the LWSD Resource Center from 7-8:30 pm 
for the Special Needs PTSA Meeting
.  
This month Sarah Butcher, from Social Emotional Learning Washington, will be speaking about their initiative and give an overview of the work recently done in workgroups regarding the Every Student Succeeds Act.  During the meeting Sarah will discuss  how learning and behavior are impacted by emotions, and the importance of students learning to control behaviors in order to manage relationships and maximize learning potential. For more information about SEL and their initiatives please visit their website  
Date: January 17, 2017
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.
 Location: LWSD Resource Center - Board Room (1st Floor)
                 16250 NE 74th St
                 Redmond, WA 98052

Spring Resource Fair at LW Institute of Technology
              Saturday, March 18, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

All parents and students from the Lake Washington School District are invited to attend Lake Washington PTSA Council's Spring Resource Fair.  It will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2017, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.,  at the Lake Washington Institute of Technology,  11605 132nd Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98034
Admission is free.

Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LWPTSASPRINGFAIR2017/ to stay updated about the event.
Upcoming Parent Education 
  • February 1, 6:30 p.m., Laura Kastner "Yours, Mine and Ours: Finding a Way Out of the Cycle to Support Your Teen's Success", Lake Washington High School
  • February 7, 6:30 p.m., Anne Holmdahl, Getting Ready for College, LW Resource Center
  • March 8, 6:30 p.m., Screenagers (the movie) with Panel Discussion, Eastlake HS
Questions? Email Beth Sigall, VP, LWPTSA Family and Community Engagement  
Congratulations Maya Adelman!  Two Winning Reflections Entries Advance to Washington State!

The results from the LWTPSA council for Reflections 2016-2017 are here.   We are happy to announce that 2 entries from Redmond Middle School have advanced to the next round at Washington State level!

Maya Adelman won an Award of Excellence for "The Journey into Your Story" under Photography category *and* an award for Outstanding Interpretation for "Write Your Own Story" under Dance category.  We are proud of you, Maya!

Please Note - The Visual Arts and Photography will be displayed until the morning of Friday, Jan 13th at LWSD Resource Center.   Participation Certificates and Ribbons will be distributed to the students along with their entries once they are returned from the Council.
 
For questions, please contact the Council Reflections Committee.
WA STATE PTSA
Great Wolf Lodge PTSA Member Benefit

The discount code provided allows WSPTA members to book at any Great Wolf Lodge in the US and receive a discount! 
 
The following rules still apply:
  • Provide ID at check in.
  • The discount is up to 30% off the best available rate and can be used on two rooms at a time.
  • We suggest booking 4-6 weeks in advance to receive the best deal.
Reservations Notes: When making a reservation with Great Wolf Lodge via telephone,  please be sure to state the promotional code (contact membership@rmsptsa.org for code), rather than stating you are with PTA . By stating the code (or reserving online), it is the most foolproof way to avoid any issues.   Additionally, the offer  may not be valid during holiday and blackout periods  or combined with any other discount or offers. Additional charges may apply for themed and premium suites, weekends, and/or holidays.
New PTSA Member Benefit Providers

H&R Block Look for more information about discounts after the new year.
 
CollegeSelect College Select's  automated planning and placement process, through the College Planning Centerâ„¢, is a powerful platform that provides students the ability to communicate in seconds with college administrators, saving time and money. Visit the  Washington State PTA branded College Planning Center  for more information.
STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH LAUNCHES VIDEO CONTEST 

The slogan for the Listen2YourSelfie youth marijuana prevention campaign is "Remember what's important. Forget marijuana." This video contest gives teens 13-18 the chance to shape the campaign, win a GoPro and appear in future campaign ads. We want to make this campaign more youth-led by learning, "What's important to you?"
 
For more information, visit  www.Listen2YourSelfie.org/contest or follow #Listen2YourSelfie.
 
Source: Washington State Department of Health
PTA MEN'S ESSAY CONTEST -  March 1 deadline

This statewide essay contest explores the important contributions that men make in the lives and education of children - from our children's perspective. All men involved in a child's life - fathers, uncles, grandpas, brothers, step-fathers, mentors, neighbors, pastors, coaches, and friends - impact the children they care about. Learn more here .
NATIONAL PTSA
No news this week.
Redmond High School News and Events
football_image.jpg
Incoming Freshmen Interested in Football Are
Encouraged to Attend Strength & Conditioning

The Strength & Conditioning (S&C) room is located n ear the 
auxiliary gymnasium at Redmond High School. S&C takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 2:45 - 4:30 pm. Players are expected to wear a grey shirt and green shorts, and to attend on the days that they are not participating in a winter or spring sport.

Cost is $280 and covers S&C through January 2018.  
That's less than $23.50 per month! Exercises and activities are closely supervised 
 by Personal Trainer Darius Terry who has a Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology, Exercise Science and Health Promotion from the University of Wyoming.  He is a Certified Youth Strength & Conditioning Specialist, IYCA and is also an ACE (American College on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer.   
 
  1. Use the inner scroll bar to find "Activities"
  2. Select "Strength and Conditioning."  
  3. Verify that it has been added to your cart,  
  4. Enter the players name in the box labeled "Add additional note to merchant"
  5. Complete your transaction.
-OR Suzanne Weininger   Freshman Parent/Player Liason

You can find more information about the Redmond Strength and Conditioning program here:   http://www.redmondfootball.com/page/show/2296828-sandc-information-and-forms
FUNDRAISING NEWS
You shop.  Amazon gives!

Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.  ( Redmond Middle School PTSA 2 8 80, of course!)   Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at 
LAKE WASHINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
UPCOMING Lake Washington School District EVENTS

No events posted this week

We're hiring at LWSD!  Educator Career Fair - Saturday, January 28

Interested in becoming a teacher in Lake Washington School District? We are currently recruiting for all teaching positions. LWSD is hosting an Educator Career Fair on Saturday, January 28 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Bring your resume to share.  Apply online at: www.lwsd.org/employment

Questions? Contact Nancy Teteak at 425-936-1264.

CITY OF REDMOND EVENTS / ACTIVITIES
Teen Programs

City of Redmond Programs

Contact afterhours@redmond.gov     with questions.
Go Girl Go!

Go Girl Go! is an 8 week club focused on healthy, active living and girl empowerment taking place Mondays afterschool January 30th-March 27th (excluding February 20th). Each week, participants will be trying out a new activity in the community such as yoga at Discover Yoga, cooking at PCC, and skateboarding with Skate Like a Girl. These experiences will be connected to themes and discussions related to issues teen girls face, such as stress, bullying, healthy eating, and friendships. If interested, please contact Rachel atrcook@redmond.gov  for application information.
Mondays, January 30th- March 27th
$80, 2:20-5:30pm  
"The most important thing I learned in GGG was to accept other people and always be confident in who you are."
         - 6th Grader, 2016 Go Girl Go! Participant
"This program is AMAZING!!! I am so impressed and blown away by the intention put into this program and variety of fun activities planned for the girls (at a very affordable price.)"
          - 2016 Participant Mom
Let's Code Minecraft Mods:

Using Thought Stem's online environment, Learn to Mod, students practice fundamental coding concepts while learning how to code basic Mods and test them in a Minecraft simulated world. In this course, students engage in individual exercises, collaborative projects, and classroom discussions. This coding club is ideal for students who love to play Minecraft and go a step beyond to begin understanding the program's perspective. We accept beginner-intermediate level coders. Class is for Middle School Students. Register here with code #7312
Tuesdays, February 7-March 14
$235, 3:00-4:30pm
**NEW** DigiPen Field Trip, Wednesday, Feb 8

Redmond Middle Study Lab is taking a Field Trip to DigiPen Institute of Technology. Join us to check out a college campus, talk to current students, and  try your hand at video game design!    Register here with code #7628
Wednesday, February 8th, 12:50-4:30pm. $10
After Hours 2nd Semester

After Hours will be launching our second semester on Wednesday, February 1st. After Hours runs three clubs at a time, an athletic club, a STEM-based club, and an art/culture club, with new clubs offered every four weeks.  
Second Semester Clubs include:
 
*Olympic Sports
*Drama and Improv
*Crime Scene Science
*Modern Art
*and more!
Register today to join in on the fun! www.redmond.gov/register
 with code #7303

Wednesdays afterschool from 1-3pm, February 1st-June 14th. $50

Check out the fun with this sneak peek video!
January Programs at Redmond Library
Click on the title of each program below for more information.

 
Saturday, Jan. 28th; 10am-1pm
Teens in 6th grade through 12th grade join us on the 4th Saturday of the month to explore electronics, software, and computer programming. No experience required. Peers and volunteers will help each other learn new and favorite technologies. No registration.
Lake Washington Schools Foundation
Save the Date - March 28 or 30 

Thank you! We are on our way to reaching our Fall/Workplace Giving goal of $80,000 thanks to our generous community. Consider making a year end gift to support students.
 
Save A Date - Join  us at one of our two spring fundraising events, the Spring for Learning Luncheon, March 28th or Breakfast on March 30th at the Redmond Town Center Marriott hotel. Be sure to mark your calendar to support our school community. Interested in joining the team to help make these events a huge success?
  * Serve as a table captain, a corporate partner or help recruit corporate partners
  * Volunteer for the spring events committee
  * Help recruit community members to the event
  Please visit our   Volunteer page on our website to sign up for these opportunities.
Youth Eastside Services (YES)
At YES - We help children, teens and families prevent and overcome depression, substance abuse, trauma and more through counseling, treatment and education. Help us work toward a stronger community and a brighter future.
Invest in Youth Breakfast -  Save the date: March 22

Join us on March 22, 2017, for our premier fundraising event of the year, the Invest in Youth Breakfast. You'll hear inspiring stories from youth who have faced struggles, and you'll play a part in supporting low/no-cost mental health care to help families in your community heal from trauma, grief, depression and more.   
Redmond Area Events and Activities
**NEW**  What's going on in the area?
Links to local websites with calendars to help you find something to do

Experience Redmond
Red Tricycle
Redmond Patch
City of Bellevue
Parent Map
Seattle's Child
City of Seattle


Redmond PTSA is providing these links only as a resource for our families, not as an endorsement of any particular site. If you know of a calendar featuring local events and activities suitable for families, please  email us  

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO BEAR TRACKS!
podium_man.jpg
Deadline for Bear Tracks Entries is Thursday! 

Got something to say? Shout it from email inboxes with the RMS Bear Tracks newsletter! At the discretion of the editor, this newsletter accepts articles from parents, students and staff on a variety of subjects for our school and community. 

For Monday morning publication, please submit articles by the preceding Thursday!

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