Helping Families, Reflections Gallery Night, Survey, Ice Skating, PTA Membership Drive, & More!

November 30, 2018 * ISSUE 11.30.18

Upcoming Events

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11/30	PTA and Principal Coffee (9:00am)
12/3	Reflections Gallery Night (6:30pm)
12/4	Art Appreciation Training: Using the Kiln (9:05am)
12/7	Holiday Support Requests Due
12/10 -14	Spirit Week
12/17	PTA Board Meeting (1:30pm)
12/18	Passport Club Check Day (9:30am)
12/24-1/4	Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)
	View Full Calendar

PTA and Principal Coffee THIS MORNING!

Friday, November 30th, at 9:00am Puesta del Sol Library

Topic: Student Services at Puesta del Sol

Please join us at our first Principal Coffee of the year. Sr. Jonathan Shearer will update our community on important happenings at the school and district as well as highlight our wonderful Student Services. Counseling and Psychology services will be discussed along with other services that support our students.

Reflections Gallery Night - December 3

All Puesta del Sol Families are invited to attend Reflections Gallery Night to celebrate our budding artists.

When: December 3rd, 6:30 - 7:30 pm

Where: Puesta del Sol Library

What:

99 Art submissions for viewing and listening
25 Art submissions will be highlighted as they will advance to district level.
Refreshments will be served

Questions? reflections@puestadelsolpta.org . Please email us if you can help with set-up on December 3rd or take-down on December 7th.

Say "Puesta del Sol" at the Bellevue Ice Rink!

Grab a group of friends to join you at the Bellevue Ice Rink. This year, $3 of every paid admission will go toward our Puesta del Sol PTA during the dates of November 23rd-December 21st and January 1st-13th. Please notify the rink staff upon arrival. Say "Puesta del Sol Elementary"!

Dates for fundraising promotion: November 23-December 21, 2018 and January 1-13, 2019 (Rink with be open during winter break without fundraising benefit).

Location: Bellevue Downtown Park, 100 100th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink information

Last Week to Complete the PTA's 2018 Fall Survey!

We want your feedback! In order to plan for our next calendar year and next school year, we would like to hear from you. What have you liked? How can the PTA be more informative? What do you think about the Big Give fundraising drive? Please take two minutes out of your day to complete our 2018 Fall Survey and share your thoughts .

As in the past, we can alter our programs and events to suit our students' and families' needs based on survey results. In order to make the correct adjustments, we need to hear from you! Please help us continue to improve each season.

Power Surge PTA Membership Challenge!

Being a PTA member gives you and your student a voice at Puesta del Sol! Today is the last day of the Bellevue PTSA Council's Power Surge PTA Membership Challenge!

Join the PTA and help our PTA win a cash prize for increasing our membership for the month of November! Members vote on issues such as programming, budget, and board members. It's a terrific way for older students to learn the value of civic engagement.

P uesta Del Sol PTA membership is open to everyone! PTA is an inclusive organization, and we invite any community members who care about healthy children and strong schools to join. In addition to voting, members also receive some incredible additional benefits, such as access to the PTA online student and family directory , and discounts at the Fed-Ex Store and at Great Wolf Lodge. Learn more about the discounts available on our PTA Member Benefits page.

WSPTA - Advocacy In Action

Now that the dust is settling after the election, and WSPTA has an updated platform of legislative priorities from Legislative Assembly in October, there are a few things you can do as a WSPTA member!

Subscribe to Action Alerts. This is a quick and easy way to communicate with legislators about current legislative work.
Sign up to join other PTA members for "Bellevue Goes to Olympia" day on January 21. There will be a bus, and we will have the day to meet with legislators about education topics and upcoming legislation. Email advocacy@puestadelsolpta.org for more details.
Review the WSPTA Legislative Priorities and Supported Issues.

If you are interested in anything else related to advocacy and the PTA please contact Amy at advocacy@puestadelsolpta.org.

Help Us Help You!

The PTA needs a Nominating Committee again this year to help us find terrific candidates for the PTA Board for the 2019-2020 school year. The only requirement for being on the Nominating Committee is to be a member of our PTA. Full training will be provided. By serving now on our committee, you help us serve you and your students, our teachers, and our school. Here is the timeline:

November - December: Form the Nominating Committee, need 4-5 members

January - March: Locate and interview prospective candidates

April: PTA Board Elections

If you are interested in serving on the PTA Board next year, you may still participate on the committee and be nominated for a board position yourself. While on the committee, you can also help attract other fine candidates.

Please email adminsupport@puestadelsolpta.org.

2019 International Festival Volunteers Needed!

May 18 @ Bellevue High School Performing Arts Center

The 2019 International Festival planning is under way, and we need YOU! Many roles are available, most with very little time commitment (perfect for working parents). Please help us make the event a success for the entire community! Sign up to volunteer.

Questions? Email internationalfestival@puestadelsolpta.org

Looking for a Registrar!

Are you detailed? Can you juggle multiple tasks at one time? Do you like working behind the scenes? Have you ever planned a child's birthday party, a wedding, or a reunion? Then you have the skills we need! We are looking for an organized person who can follow detailed procedures to set up registration and create reports for our PTA after school programs.

The PTA is looking for a new Registrar and full training and ongoing support are available. The Registrar works closely with the Program Chairs of several programs, the PTA Board, and with the PTA Web Manager to make sure our student community can sign up for our awesome after school programs. This role offers full training and a current Registrar already in place to train and guide you. Contact adminsupport@puestadelsolpta.org to inquire.

More Volunteer Needs

We need everyone's help to keep all of our programs and the PTA running smoothly. The PTA is currently looking for the following positions:

Communications Team

* Registrar - Training available

* Membership Chair - Training available

* Web Content Manager - Training available

* Facebook Content Creator

Educational Enhancement Team

* Spanish Outside School Program Chair - Training available

* Drama Club Co-Chair (work with current chair)

* Garden Club Co-Chair (work with current chair)

* After School Programs Co-Chair (work with current chair)

Please email volunteer@puestadelsolpta.org if interested. Thank you!

Spotlight: Mónica Rodríguez Wilson

Where has the time gone? Sra. Mónica has been at Puesta del Sol for 10 years! Here's a little bit about our strong contributor to the 3rd grade team: Sra. Mónica's family originates from

Tepuzhuacan, Nayarit in Mexico. She is the youngest of 9 children and is an Aunt to 22 nieces and nephews. She has a 7 year-old daughter who attends Puesta del Sol as well. Sra. Mónica grew up speaking Spanish and continued her Spanish language skills at the University of Washington.

When Sra. Mónica isn't teaching, she enjoys Zumba as an instructor and is surprisingly talented at baton twirling. Considering her talents and love for music, she incorporates these assets into her classroom. She also enjoys reading, dancing, DIY projects, and cheering our own Seattle Seahawks. ¡Vamos Hawks!

Weekend Backpack Meals To Go

The Weekend Backpack Meals To Go program provides students in need and their siblings with a bag containing easy-to-prepare meals for the weekend for students at all grade levels. Please contact your teacher or see Srta. Maribel ( quezadam@bsd405.org ) in the Main Office to sign up. More information is available at the Backpack Meals for Kids website. Pick up is on Fridays!

Support During the Holiday Season

Once again this year, our PTA and school community are offering families additional help with the holidays. Please note, this is 100% confidential. For assistance, please email Sra. Duimovic with the below information for all children within the household:

A need for the child (clothing/shoes and size)
A want for the child (toys, books, arts/crafts, etc.)

Every effort will be made to fulfill the wishes sent in. Please email Sra. Duimovic at duimovica@bsd405.org

by December 7.

PTA Support for Families in Need

Your PTA provides support for Puesta del Sol families in need in a variety of ways. Please take a look at our new website page for details on how to apply for financial aid for PTA membership, yearbook, and after school programs and to find out about other resources to help our families who need a little help.