BA Blast Newsletter
March 24, 2024 Mark Your Calendar3/25-4/2: SCEF Online Silent Auction Wed 3/27: PTA Meeting, BA Library, 6.30pm Mon 4/8 - Fri 4/12: Spring Break, No School Sat 5/4: SCEF Revel @ Devil’s Community Dance Party Principal's MessageDear Brittan Acres Families, I want to say a HUGE thank you to the PTA for sponsoring an amazing Multicultural Night! A special shout out to our planning committee that included Esther Wang, Aleli Crutchfield, Salina Zillmer, Cristina Martinez, Goli Naghshineh and Clara Bennett. And an extra shoutout to Deana Hawkins & Alison Lansing for a lot of behind the scenes help with crafts, gift wrapping prizes, etc. The turn out for the event was immense - it felt like the whole school was there and celebrating together. It was amazing to see the students enjoying the performances, tasting the food, and participating in activities from countries around the world. The weather was beautiful and it was such a nice way to celebrate the diversity that makes up our BA community. We value all of the different ethnicities here at Brittan Acres and we want everyone to feel welcomed and valued. Thank you to everyone who either volunteered or attended this event! If you enjoyed the event, please consider joining the multicultural festival team next year, the more help we get, the richer the experience for everyone! Over the past few years, we have focused on our DEIB initiatives both in and out of school to create a welcoming, inclusive community for all of our students and families. Here is a snapshot on some of these programs:
We wanted to give a very special thanks to Esther Wang. Esther has been leading the work around DEIB and works closely with me and with the PTA in creating wonderful community events and providing resources to teachers to help teach about the various cultures. She has laid the groundwork and one that we hope to continue for years to come even though she will be moving on to Arroyo and Central. We are honored to include “Esther’s Cultural Corner” into our school library where we will display books that represent all of the diverse cultures of students at BA and beyond. Thank you to Esther for helping us on our journey to create an inclusive community of learners. With Much Gratitude, PTA & School News 3rd Grade Baby Pictures Needed for Yearbook We can’t believe it’s that time, but we need your 3rd grader's baby picture for the BA Yearbook! Safari Book Fair Coming to BA! April 1-4 is our school wide book fair! During the week of March 25, after your child's library visit, be on the lookout for a book catalog, info sheet, and envelope to use during the book fair. Students will visit the book fair with their class during their normal or rescheduled library time. The packet sent home will include a schedule of the book fair visits. Mark your calendar for Family Night, April 4 5pm-6:30pm. Come shop, purchase food from the taco and chicken and waffles truck, and hang out with your BA family. Walk-A-Jog: Registration is open! Register now!The Brittan Acres Walk-A-Jog (WAJ) is a wonderful tradition dating back 36 years and our biggest community event of the year. This year, the 36th Walk-a-Jog will be held on Sunday, April 28th from 10am-1pm at the upper playground. At WAJ, students run, jog or walk around the BA blacktop, which provides a unique opportunity for the school community to gather while exercising and spending quality time together. In addition to cheering on students as they complete their laps on the blacktop, families will have a chance to enjoy a carnival filled with fun games, a variety of bounce houses, a prize booth, and a delicious BBQ and desserts. We hope every student can participate! You can register starting today at https://bapta.myptezcentral.com/. The deadline to register is Monday, April 1st. Please note the following:
Students are encouraged to wear their t-shirts to school on Friday 4/26, so be sure to get your child registered this week! For questions, please email Laura Blaich and Vanessa Reid at [email protected]. This Week's Breakfast and Lunch Menu Breakfast is served with fruit + milk. Lunch is served with fruit or veggie + milk. We always welcome volunteers for recess and lunch supervision. Please sign up on this sheet. Thank you! Bruins of the Week TK-1st Grade: Adley, Quinn, Agastya
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging BA Multicultural Night Bruin Village really showed up on Wednesday night! We hope everyone had a memorable evening and experienced something new! It means a lot to many families to be able to share their culture with our whole community so thank you for taking the time to attend and engage. For those who weren't able to make it, check out some highlights here. It took a village to make this event happen so we wanted to take a moment to thank the large group of parent--and grandparent--volunteers who came together for this. From all the fun activities inside the MU to the tasty snacks to the volunteers who stuffed hundreds of bags to the volunteers who transformed BA into a multicultural wonderland--we couldn't have done it without you! Huge shoutout to Aleli Crutchfield who brought Carisma Dance, Parangal and a fabulous henna artist to BA this year! Thank you to Salina and Greg Zillmer, who designed the BA passport experience--we hope some of your kids will keep theirs! Big thanks to David Wang who designed the snack order cards and menus. If you see one of our awesome activity station organizers on campus (Ruth Han, Lilu Chen, Maja Maksudova, Nadine Jahchan Rabbat, Soumaya Hammoud, Chandrika Kohli, Priya Warke, Michal Russ, Michelle Morad, Kate Kassab, Masako Nishimori, Izumi Kimura, Goli Naghshineh, Anupama Mann, Pardis Farhadian Lipkin), please give them some love for all of their efforts! Big shoutout to all the volunteers who donated the delicious snacks that were a massive hit: Addy Prado, Aleli Crutchfield, Anupama Mann, Cristina Martinez, Di Zhao, Gigi Harnish, Lisa Shneider, Marie Henderson, Michal Russ, Michelle Morad, Nadine Jahchan Rabbat, Phoebe & Patrick Sullivan, Jinhee Lee and Sabrina Lee. If your kid liked the mochi donuts by the way, they were donated by San Carlos' newest boba shop, BOBER, at 1189 Laurel! The planning committee is always looking for feedback so if you have ideas for next year (including how to make the lines move along, etc.), please drop them here. Also, we hope you'll consider volunteering for the event next year! It's a super fun one to work on and we promise it's worth your time! If you're interested, you can reach out to the wonderful Aleli Crutchfield ([email protected]) and Salina Zillmer ([email protected]) with any questions and/or what aspect of the event you'd be interested in working on (if you already know). Sharing photos for the yearbook: Here are some pictures taken by yet another fabulous parent volunteer, Jen Burns: https://photos.app.goo.gl/WFmRVVQ3qLb1hiKGA. Please add to it, the more, the merrier! San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF)Don’t miss out on the annual SCEF Online Auction-BEGINS THIS MONDAY, March 25-April 2! Support your school and bid on entertainment, travel, dining, wine and spirits, museum, concerts, attraction tickets and more. Great way to shop and and support your schools at the same time. A link to the auction will be available when it opens at https://www.scefkids.org/events
After School EnrichmentSpring Classes Many new after school enrichment classes are starting soon here at Brittan Acres! Please review all the options on our website, and sign up directly through the class links. Join Lando's New Clay Class! In Lando's Creative Clay class, students explore basic techniques such as shaping balls, ovals, cylinders, teardrops, and cubes, alongside understanding primary and secondary color mixing. Expert instructors offer guidance, hints, and core concept explanations, promoting early exposure to complex ideas and mental resilience. Through practice, students refine fine motor skills and creativity, fostering a creative problem-solving mindset. Emphasis on personal exploration cultivates not only skilled sculptors but also resilient, innovative artists. District NewsIt's Time to Complete Your Annual Back-To-School InfoSnap Forms - Deadline - Friday, April 5 Each spring, we ask all families to complete their annual Back-To-School student information forms through PowerSchool online. This allows families to update/add emergency contact information, give permissions, update health records (allergy or medical considerations), and is required to secure your spot for the next school year. Hello Parents! Welcome to our second installment of THE NUTRITION CORNER by Dr. Lisa Nadiv. As part of our San Carlos Health and Wellness Council’s update of the SCSD Student Wellness policy, Dr. Lisa will be providing resources on the topic of child nutrition as it is her area of expertise.
Community CornerGear Up for the No Foolin' Foot Race – Where Every Stride Counts! Attention all students, faculty, and families! Get ready to put your best foot forward in the most exciting event of the school year – the No Foolin' Foot Race! Parent Education Opportunities NEW! The second event in the all-new Neurodiversity Speaker Series features Sam Drazin, Executive Director, Changing Perspectives, for Changing Perspectives: Understanding Inclusion, Ableism, and Neurodiversity (March 26).
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2023-2024
2022-2023
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BA Blast - 04/23/2023
BA Blast - 04/16/2023
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BA Blast - 03/19/2023
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2021-2022