Tons of News coming to you from PTSA!!!

We have a lot of information to bring to you to better ensure success for our students, our school and the PTSA program.

August 19th at 7pm is our OPEN HOUSE.  At this meeting we will have a very brief PTSA meeting to present our budget for approval. Following our meeting the parents will be dismissed to their childs classroom. There will be a lot of congestion in the hallways with students and parents so please be respectful of one another. During this time, you will be living the life of your student and will be able to see what daily life is like in the hallways at Barber Middle School.

A special thanks to Mrs. Williams and the Cobb County School District for allotting us 2.5 more teachers here at BMS to help relieve the overcrowded classrooms! Please see the BMS website for Mrs. Williams message to our parents and students regarding this change.

Events taking place now and in September:

Membership Drive: The homeroom with the highest number of particiapation will win a pizza party. The winning homeroom teacher will win a $50 gift card to Office Depot. Taking place now with the deadline being November 1st.

T-shirts: The last Friday of each month PTSA will sponsor a Spirit Day. The homeroom with the most students wearing this years spirit t-shirt will win a pizza party. The students in winning homeroom wearing their shirt will receive a ticket for free pizza at lunch. Shirts are priced accordingly: small-Xl  =$12  2x-4x =$14   First spirit contest is next Friday the 27th. It is also the next order date toget orders in for September delivery.

Back to School Dances: These dances are our yearly membership drive dances. Every student with a PTSA membership card will get in the dance for free. Pizza, candy and drinks will be sold at the dances. Dates are as follows: 6th grade dance August 26, 2010 and the dance for 7th and 8th grade combined will be Sept. 2nd  You don’t want to miss this!!

Fundraiser: Our official frundraiser kick off will be Sept. 1st    We have great prizes for the top seller of the school and prizes for the top sellers for each grade level. We need your support in our fundraiser as monies earned go back into our school to better ensure the success of all students. Your child benefits from these sales so please help us help them.

Box Tops: The first Box Top party will be held Sept. 16th so make sure your turning them in. Winning homeroom will win a breakfast party!!

Candy Grams: will be for sale on Aug. 24, Aug 25, and will be delivered on Aug 26   Price for candy grams are $1.00

Fire and Safety Appreciation: Sept 10th   Please bring treats and goodies for our local police deparment and the 2 fire departments that serve the homes of our students here at Barber. Collection dates Sept 9th and Sept 10th with delivery on the 10th. Cards of appreciation are also welcomed.

Volunteers: As always we ask for help as we are only as successful as those that help us. We have many programs planned but need volunteers to ensure success. If your child is in a highschool magnet program please read the next section.

Magnet Program: Do you have a child in a highschool magnet program that needs to accrue community volunteer hours? We can help! Hours volunteered with Barber PTSA count towards the required hours. What better way to earn hours-a safe and controlled environment with trusted people you already know. The PTSA Presidents will sign off on papers after assignment has been completed. So far we have had 3 young ladies already meeting their requirements thru Barber PTSA. please contact us at bmsptsa@gmail.com if you have questions.

Thank you again for all your trust and support. We strive to do our best so that your child is able to do their best.

Thank You,

PTSA

You can either pay $1.00 or bring in 20 box tops. You will receive a sticker that allows you to wear your hat.

All proceeds help to pay for the teachers holiday luncheon.

Thank you,

PTSA

Thank you,

PTSA 

In this day and age you might think everyone has a computer and can navigate it with ease. I am here to tell you this simply is not the case.  Some parents are lost when it comes to computers and most especially with “FaceBook” and their childs profile. Here are some helpful hints provided by Stacey Dewitt, head of Connect with Kids.

1.) If you haven’t already, join facebook. Dewitt says it helps parents understand what its like for their child to be inside a social network.

2.) Parents must have their childs password on Facebook. Make this part of the deal! Dewitt says these social networks are not private and shouldn’t be treated as such.

3.) Give your child a Code of Conduct. Dewitt said “You have to say to them if your going to use the technology, here’s what the standards are, here’s what the etics are in our family. I always say if you wouldn’t show it or say it to me, your mother, don’t do it online.”

4.) Do Not cut off your childs access to the computer. Dewitt said “You can’t really control their access because its everywhere. You can shut it off in your home but they can go to a friends house. They can get it on somebody else’s computer.”

5.) Do not allow your child to be online for hours a day.  Dewitt said “It’s just not productive for kids to be sitting around on cellphones and computers and on Facebook and inside social networks all the time.”

6.) Educate yourself on technology. Learn how to use Facebook. Parents who don’t understand the technology could be putting their kids in jeopardy. Dewitt said “That’s what you do when you put a child on the computer and say I don’t really get it, I’m not going to worry about it, you figure it out. It’s like dropping them off in downtown Atlanta and saying “See you in 24 hours, hope it works out.”

There are a number of links that can help parents learn more when it comes to Facebook.

Discussion Groups of Atlanta Moms like me

*Safety moms group

*Internet Safety group

I hope you all are enjoying the cooler weather we are having. A lot has happened the past couple of weeks. First let me acknowledge the flood and flood victims.  Barber has been collecting school items since the flood took place. The need is still ongoing and we would love to have your help: school supplies, band-aids, hand sanitizer, tissues, markers, etc…as you may have seen on the news. Please send in your donations to the front office.

Donations: PTSA is in the works on a couple of ideas to help the hungry and breast cancer. As soon as we get final approval we will let you know. Simple things that you maybe throwing away could help others in need.

October is Fire Prevention Month. Please make sure you have replaced your batteries in your smoke detectors. A fire extinguisher is a good idea if you do not have one. Check your filters and fireplaces, make sure these items are cleaned to prevent fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, if you don’t have one already, please make an escape route for your family in the event of a fire.  As a mother, escape routes are not enough, please have a neighbor plan also. Where do your children go once out of the house, which neighbor do they go to for safety, if not the first choice, please have a second choice. This will help everyone when trying to locate children after a fire and make sure they are not still in the house. Next week we will collect “goodies” for our local fire and police departments for all their efforts. Cookies, brownies, items that can be frozen are a good idea. We will collect items Mon. Tues. and Wed. and will deliver them on Thursday.

Spirit Wear:  We have heard your request and are presenting a full front zip hoodie. The hoodies will be unisex, and one uniform design for all. They will have Barber Middle School across the chest in the styles familiar to our youth such as that of Aeropostle and A&f.  The color of the hoodie is black (durable for all sports and weather) with silver writing. They are available sm-2x. The cost will be $20.00 and $22 for 2x  The year will not be on these so that they may be worn for more than one season and possibly by a younger sibling. For those that don’t like wearing coats, these will carry you thru until the spring. Order forms available Oct. 5th. First order due Oct.19th to get back by Oct 29th.

ewsletter First Edition: Our first newsletter went out last week. We hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful. If you did not receive it, please ask your student for the copy. Extra copies available in the office.

Open Treasurer position: We now have two interested parties for this position. If you would like to add your name to the ballot, we will be glad to do so. Please email us at bmsptsa@gmail.com

Save the Date:

Oct.7th: Reflections: Entries due to media center by 12pm noon. Entry must have entry form attached on the back. Do not put name on front of entry-automatic disqualification.  

Oct. 6,13,20 and 27: Parent Academy  please email sharon.wilkie@cobbk12.org  for more information

Oct. 5,6,7 collect treats in the front office for fire and safety peronnell. Deliver on Oct 8

Oct. 9 Hat Day  $1.00 or 20 box tops   Funds raised help support Teachers Luncheon

Oct. 10th-Acworth Elementary(one of our sister schools) is having a yard sale to raise funds for their beautification project.

Oct. 27,28  Candy Grams for sale (lunchroom only during lunch hour: $1.00 each) Delivered on Oct. 30th

Oct. 29……….

General Assembly PTSA short meeting to vote in new treasurer. Then….

 Karaoke Costume Contest  -Free entry to watch, free entry for costume contest, free entry in karaoke contest for PTSA members. If not a PTSA member, then the entry fee is $5.00      Consessions will be available. A flyer will come home with more information and entry form. Anyone can enter student, parent or staff member. Its all in the name of fun, so come on out and join us having a good time.  Prizes will be given away!!

Oct. 30 Candy Grams Delivered

Thank you for your time and stay tuned for any and all updates

Please fee free to contact us with any concerns or suggestion you may have. Our email is: bmsptsa@gmail.com

Thank you,

PTSA

Your name will be presented before the board and voted on during our next general assembly meeting. The next meeting will be Oct. 29, 2009 before our Karaoke Costume Contest. The meeting will be short and to the point.

Please visit www.georgiapta.org for details on the postion if your interested. Whomever is elected to this position will be working closely with our co-president Julie Biondi. Excellent math skills and organizational skills are a must for this position. Although this is a volunteer position it is an extemely important one and we are held accountable for all transactions.

The official categories are:

Visual Arts      Literature    Photography  Musical Composition   Dance Choreography  Film/Video Production

All interested students need to submit their entry along with signed entry form to the media center by Oct. 7, 2009

Please visit www.georgiapta.org  for complete rules for each category.  You will also be able to download the entry form as well.

If you have an idea for a Reflections Theme for next year, then fill out the Theme Search entry form on the website. This also needs to be turned in by Oct 7, 2009.  If your theme is chosen you will win $100.

Thank you,

PTSA

Thank you,

PTSA

Fundraising: Raquel          Box Tops: Tammy Pacheco     Candygrams/Hat Day/PencilBox/Membership: Julie Biondi

Red Ribbon Week: Elaine Fudge       SpiritWear: Leslie Davids    Honor Roll: Cathy Snyder  

Copy Media Center/Science Fair: Jolyn Wehner       Special Events: Mashikka  Sanders    3forMe:Vilma Frothingham

Reflections: Camille (8th grade student)   Hospitality-taken

Needs a chairperson:

Community OutReach     Cultural Extravaganza     Parent Involvement    8thGrade Events      Parent Academy