Mustang Message - November 13, 2022


We are a family.

We are capable.

We are caring.

We all belong!

Veteran's Day

Our kindergarteners sang a Veteran’s Day song to Mrs. Birkenstock’s father via FaceTime. They were so excited to show their patriotism!

 

Thanksgiving Lunch at School

On Thursday, November 17, families are invited to join their children for Thanksgiving lunch here at Bren Mar Park during their lunch time!  We are not able to sell Thanksgiving school lunches to families due to staff shortages, and we invite families to bring their own lunch as together we celebrate all the things for which we are thankful! 

The PTA is coordinating two food trucks to be on site for families that may wish to purchase a meal and then come and eat in the school. Be sure to check with your child's teacher or the front office if you are unsure of their lunch time. 

 

8th Annual Turkey Trot on Saturday, November 19 from 10 - 11:30 am

Please join the Bren Mar Park PTA for our 8th Annual Turkey Trot! Students will have the opportunity to race around the school, with prizes for the students in each grade/class who race the most laps. The race will start promptly at 10am, and the registration for each child is $10. Signup details will be provided shortly and included in next week's Thursday packets. 

We are also looking for volunteers for the event to help direct runners and/or donate snacks for the event. Please email bmp.pta@gmail.com and ajsutton2008@gmail.com if you have any questions about the event or if you are available to volunteer. Thank you!

 

BMP Coffee and Conversation

This month's Coffee and Conversation topic will be "Introducing New Technology Devices to Your Children" offered virtually on Friday, November 18th at 9:30 a.m.

This time of year often means introducing new devices into our homes and into our children’s hands. What should parents be thinking about before giving their children these new products?  Our School Based Technology Specialist, Kristin Kurtz, will offer resources to support parents in learning about products and ways to keep their children safe.

The zoom link will be sent out just prior to the coffee.

 

Specialist Spotlight

Physical Education Classes

There has been a lot of excitement down in the gym recently as our mustangs have begun our gymnastics unit. During the next few weeks, students will be working to develop a variety of skills including rolling, balancing, tumbling, and jumping and landing. Thanks in part to our partnership with K12 Athletics Foundation, we have a large amount of gymnastics equipment for our students to use to help improve their skills, including springboards, vaulting blocks, tumbling mats, pit mats, and balance beams. If you’re interested in supporting this great local organization, you can visit the K12 Athletics Foundation website listed below.

https://www.k12athleticsfoundation.org/

Gymnastics Club

We are sponsoring a morning gymnastics club for students in 4th & 5th grade and for students in the morning SACC program. The club meets at 8:30am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from November 14th until December 14th. Students interested in participating can get a permission form from Mrs. Domingo and Mr. Hill during PE class.

Sneaker Reminder

In order for students to safely participate in all our PE activities and to perform to the best of their abilities, we need them to wear sneakers to PE class. Please have your child wear sneakers to school on their PE days or have them bring a pair of sneakers in their backpacks to change into for PE class. A list of class PE days can be found on our BMP PE Twitter page.

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter @BMP_PE to see some of the great things students are doing down in the gym during PE classes and clubs.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Michelle Domingo & Dave Hill

Physical Education Teachers

madomingo@fcps.edu

dmhill@fcps.edu

 

 

Tutor.com

Tutor.com is available to all students.

 

Call Out for MentorWorks Support

Bren Mar Park is seeking individuals or partnerships with businesses to support some students with strong mentorship connections.  The mission of the MentorWorks program is to ensure that every student has an adult to whom they can talk.  Mentors are caring, responsible volunteers who give one-on-one time to students while encouraging them to develop their strengths and capabilities. Mentoring is not tutoring and is not grounded in academic support.

You can learn more at https://www.fcps.edu/get-involved/volunteer-fcps/volunteer-opportunities/become-mentor or contact school counselor Michelle Kramer at mkramer@fcps.edu

 

Stay Healthy This Cold/Flu Season

Although the community level of COVID-19 in Fairfax County is currently low, cases of RSV, the flu, and other viruses are on the rise. It continues to be important to wash your hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes, monitor your health daily, and stay home if you are sick.

For more tips, visit our Return to School website

 

The Many Faces of BMP

Faces of BMP

Advanced Academics Information

If you are interested in having your 2nd through 5th grader screened for Full-Time (Level IV) services, please submit all documents no later than the deadline, December 15, 2022. The Level IV Referral Form is required and is linked below. The Parent/Guardian Questionnaire is optional, however it is highly recommended that you submit this as well. You may also submit up to two digital pages of work samples. Please email all documents to our AART, Cathy Trope, at cjtrope@fcps.edu  on or before December 15, 2022. Please reach out to Mrs. Trope with any questions.

Level IV Referral Form

Parent/Guardian Questionnaire

If you missed the AAP Parent information night on September 27, the slides from the presentation can be found on the BMP website  

 

Building a Brighter Future Together: Renovation Updates

The planning process for the renovations of the Bren Mar Park school building continue!  We have had a variety of architects and structural engineers visit our school as part of this phase.  The community feedback committee met with the lead design team on Wednesday, November 2nd to review and share thinking on the latest aspects of the proposals.  

All families and community members may come to the Bren Mar Park front office to view hard copies of the latest information and design proposals.

 

FCPS Strategic Plan - Your Voice

Our students are preparing for careers that don’t exist today. In order to keep pace with these needs, we need to rethink our plans for the future—and how we will best serve our students for this new era. Employees, parents/caregivers, students, and our FCPS community must share the same purpose in order to recognize how we can move forward together. 

We are all much more motivated, and successful, when we share clear end goals. Learn more on our Strategic Plan webpage

 

Important Upcoming Dates/Events

November 17          Thanksgiving Lunch at School

November 17          Technology Night, 6:30 p.m.

November 18          BMP Coffee and Conversation, 9:30 a.m., via zoom

November 19          Annual Turkey Trot 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

November 21          Picture Re-take Day

November 23 - 25      No School: Thanksgiving Holiday

December 19 - 30      No School:  Winter Break