April 22 is Earth Day, an international holiday in which we celebrate our shared home and recognize the importance of living sustainably. During the month of April we will spotlight a few things you can do at home and as part of our community to support our planet.

This week we have three dates to put on your calendar:

• Virtual Panel: Creating Healthier Indoor Environments for Children to Thrive
  When: Wednesday, April 21 at 7:00 pm
  More information
  
  
• Calling all kids who love our planet!
  Make a ten-second video telling us what Earth Day means to you. Tell us your hopes for the future, what you do to take care of our planet, or even what you would say to the Earth if you could talk to it.
  Submission deadline: April 15
  Video montage will be released on April 22
  We want your voices! Click here for submission guidelines. And don't forget to say you're a student at AG Bell.
  
  
• AG Bell and Neighborhood Cleanup
  Any time, Saturday, April 24
  Join your community in picking up garbage and taking care of our neighborhood. This is a safe, socially distanced activity that shows our kids that we value our environment and each other. A small amount of effort goes a long way! Visit our Earth Day page to learn more

Based on the feedback from the recent survey we conducted, families want more virtual enrichment classes. Therefore, the PTSA has been working to bring more virtual education to our families. 

In addition to Art with Mrs. Lustgarten and the three upcoming virtual field trips we scheduled with the Pacific Science Center (4/27, 5/11, and 6/3), we have recently partnered with Nature Vision to provide the following virtual programs. These programs will teach our students about our environment, various species, and the importance of taking care of our planet (visit our virtual enrichment page for supporting materials and activities for each of these video lessons):

1. Toadally Amphibians (K-2) 
2. Toadally Amphibians (3-5) 
3. Salmon Cycle (K-2) 
4. Salmon Cycles (3-5) 
5. Healthy Water, Healthy Soil (K-2) 
6. Healthy Water, Healthy Soil (3-5) 

Is your student tired of reading the same books over and over? Do you have gently used books at home that are collecting dust? Don't fret, the PTSA will be running a book exchange this month! There will be bins located outside the school in which to donate your pre-K - 5 appropriate books from April 12 - 22. Hybrid learners will have the opportunity to "shop" for new books during the school day in the last week of April, while virtual students will be invited to come by the school on Wednesday, April 28th. Please check out Bell Elementary PTSA - Book Exchange for more information.

Today is World Autism Awareness Day. Let’s take an opportunity to recognize and celebrate our students and families who live with autism. The world is simply a better place because of them.

And let’s continue our work to build a more inclusive and accessible world that celebrates the contributions of all people. Raising kiddos who are accepting and inclusive of others often starts with creating an awareness and understanding. Here is a wonderful video to share with your students who may not be familiar with autism. It’s a great way to start the conversation about neuro-diversity.

We asked Senator Dhingra to join our next PTSA meeting to answer questions submitted by the Bell community. She has graciously accepted. The legislative session ends on April 25th, so there will be much to discuss - much of which directly impacts Bell students and families.

• Date: Thursday, May 6th
• Time: 7pm 
• Location: via Zoom (link will be sent in the Bulldog Blast the week prior. For privacy reasons, we do not share the link on our website or Facebook page)

Please submit your questions to president@agbellptsa.org. 

Here is the list of questions submitted thus far.

Below are some highlights from WSPTA Legislative Report for Week 11:

Last week the Senate and House Democrats released transportation, operating and capital budgets. Details on both budgets can be found in the full report.

WSPTA President Janice Kutzera testified before the Senate Ways & Means Committee in support of most of the Senate Democrats’ operating budget proposals. The budget addressed five of WSPTA’s top operating budget priorities: stabilizing transportation funding, additional school counselors, increasing connectivity for families, ongoing training for paraeducators, and establishing a youth tip line. A major priority not completely funded was the enrollment decline. The Senate proposal would fund $1,500 per student through a combination of state and federal funding to smooth out the federal funding. We think this is likely short of what districts have experienced this school year with enrollment decline and will continue to seek additional understanding on implementation of this element.

Keep up with the bills and committee hearings related to WSPTA legislative priorities by utilizing the bill status and upcoming events report. We encourage Bell families to continue to contact their legislators and engage in the legislative process. Click here to find out who your legislators are. Your voice matters! 

The district recently announced significant changes to the remote learning model. Below are a few highlights from the district and Mr. Story's newsletter from earlier today.

• Starting April 19, students who selected in-person learning will attend school four days per week.
  
  
• The new schedule will provide in-person instruction on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday will continue to be reserved for synchronous and asynchronous instruction/learning, required teacher planning time, and support for students.
  
  
• School hours for students at Bell will be from 9:20 until 2:35 pm and will include lunch and recesses
  
  
• LWSD is shifting to align distancing of students to current CDC guidelines of 3 feet between masked students in class, and 6 feet while eating. These guidelines allow for classrooms to operate up to full capacity for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.
  
  
• Families who wish to request a transfer from remote to in-person learning, or in-person to remote, should contact Bell’s main office. The school is currently collecting requests for transfer. They will then analyze the scope of requests as they get closer to April 19 to make placement change decisions. If a school is able to accommodate a family's request, then placement at Bell will be an option. If the in-person or virtual classrooms at the specific grade level cannot accommodate additional students, the district will work with the school and your family to find alternate placement at a local adjacent school for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.

More info can be found on the district's Path Forward page. Bell PTSA also has a Family Resource Page highlighting key information specific to Bell (including links to Mr. Story's recent newsletters).

• Get Involved: volunteer your time, contribute to our programs, attend PTSA meetings. There are many ways YOU can make a difference in your community.
• Purchase Spirit Wear
• Direct Donations 
• Corporate Matching- An easy way to double your donation!
• Amazon Smiles - Select "A G Bell PTSA" as your charity and shop via AmazonSmiles 
• Fred Meyer Rewards - Link your Fred Meyer Rewards card to AG Bell PTSA

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Alexander Graham Bell PTSA

11212 NE 112th St

Kirkland, WA 98033