Kindergarten Open House
Tuesday, Sept 5
1-2pm in assigned classrooms

Kindergarten Playdate
2-3pm on the Bryant playground

All our incoming Kindergarteners are invited to visit with their teachers and explore their new classrooms on Tuesday. You should be hearing from your teacher soon to learn your classroom assignment and schedule your introductory meetings. Then stick around for the final Kinder playdate out on the Bryant playground. Celebrate the end of summer and make some new friends for the entire family!

We’d like to invite you to join us as members of the Bryant PTSA. Membership is a great way to support the largest volunteer association dedicated to child advocacy and programs benefitting children in Seattle and nationwide.

Top Five Reasons to Join the PTSA:

1. Build a partnership between our school and our families.
   Vote on the Bryant PTSA budget, on resolutions, and for the Bryant PTSA Executive Board.
2. Help fund PTSA scholarships and grants.
3. Provide a legislative voice for our children in Olympia and in Washington, D.C.
4. Get exclusive member discounts at businesses like Great Wolf Lodge, Barnes & Noble, and Kinko’s/Fedex

Your PTSA membership needs to be renewed every year. Hit the ground running this year. Download your membership form today and join one of the strongest PTSA’s in our region. For more information contact the Membership Co-Chairs Ann Sonnen and Mary-Britt Love.

LASER is currently looking for energetic, reliable, and creative candidates to work part-time in their after-school program with potential of full-time during day camps at Bryant and Laurelhurst. Salary Range is $15+/hr DOE. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Prior childcare experience and Associate/Bachelor Degrees are a plus.

If you are interested, please send your resume and cover letter to: info@laserchildcare.org

Card-making and donation station 
7:35-7:55 a.m. Wednesday, June 21
Bryant schoolyard
Accepting donations of Safeway gift cards,
and checks made out to Sand Point Elementary PTA

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard by now about Charleena Lyles’ fatal shooting at her home in Magnuson Park. The Sand Point Elementary (SPE) community is asking for support for their students living at Magnuson Park’s Solid Ground Housing (Brettler), many of whom lived near Charleena’s family and witnessed her violent death as well the traumatic events that followed.

You may have seen a list of supplies circulating to support the SPE community while they recover, and the well-meaning response has the potential to be overwhelming. Chandra Hampson, SPE PTA Community Engagement Chair, is working with the family and the community, and asks that donations of Safeway gift cards and straight monetary donations be made out to Sand Point Elementary PTA so they can determine the best way to support their students and families.

Please join the Bryant community tomorrow, Wednesday, June 21, at morning drop-off to show support for Sand Point Elementary. We’ll be making cards and sending words of love and support. You can also drop off monetary or gift card donations. If you’re unable to join us but would like to help, you can send your donation through kid mail (checks should be made out to Sand Point Elementary PTA) in an envelope marked ‘Bryant PTSA.’

There may also be ways to help support Charleena’s family and community throughout the summer. We’ll keep you posted through the Big List as we get a clearer picture of their needs.

If you’re struggling with ways to help your child deal with community violence, the website Look Through Their Eyes is a thoughtful resource.

We need a volunteer to make a plant identification chart with photographs of plants and weeds in our Learning Landscape. The chart would need to list common invasive weeds in one section and native plants that need to stay in our Learning Landscape in another section.

Having this chart would make it easier for classes to come out into the Learning Landscape, and for volunteers who would like to work in the Learning Landscape on their own schedule but want clarity about what can stay and what should go.

If this volunteer opportunity is of interest to you please contact Sam Fogg and Pamela Kuhtz.

Contact Sam Fogg or Pamela Kuhtz  for information about how to help with Bryant’s Gardening programs.

Weeding Volunteers Needed

Did you know that the Learning Landscape is maintained by parent volunteers? The school district mows the lawn and occasionally will prune larger trees, but all weeding and managing of the grounds is done by volunteers! Please, help us keep our Learning Landscape. Just dig in and start weeding, or come to a Fun Family Gardening meeting on Fridays after drop off.

Join us for Fun Family Gardening!

Every Friday after drop off, meet in the Hands on Garden for organized group gardening. Help us keep the Learning Landscape ready for students! No experience required and younger siblings are welcome.

If there is a rainy day dropoff, we will not meet that week.

Classroom Garden Volunteers Needed!

We’re looking for volunteers who are able to help garden with classes during the school day. Please let us know if you’d be willing to help out! Contact Sam Fogg at samantha.fogg@gmail.com or Pamela Kuhtz at pamela@kuhtz.eu

Bryant’s 4th graders encourage eligible people in our community to sign up for our Blood Drive. Our goal is to reach 45 donations so we can give life-saving blood donations to our community! On May 13, the day of the Bryant Blast, we welcome participants to donate a pint of blood in the Bryant Library any time from 11 am to 5 pm (closed for staff lunch between 1 and 2 pm).

Our 4th graders have composed persuasive, heartfelt letters, posted on the Bryant Library website.

Sign up and make your donation appointment ahead of time.

Questions about eligibility? Visit the Bloodworks Northwest website. Other questions? Contact Anne Aliverti.

Still Plenty of Spots Left for K-3 Science Night – Thursday, March 30

K-3 Science Night is just around the corner, but there are still plenty of spots available. So, don’t be shy young scientists! I know you can’t wait to dazzle us with your experiments and demonstrations. K-3 Science Night will be held on Thursday, March 30, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Bryant gym/cafeteria. The deadline to sign up is Monday, March 27.

This week’s featured demonstration is for all of our young engineers. Here’s an opportunity to build your very own hovercraft using items you probably have around the house. It’s an especially great project for using those weird, round, metallic-looking objects called CDs that your parents may still be holding on to. You can find detailed instructions for building your hovercraft at this great Science Bob website, where you can also find ideas for many other easy and engaging projects.

For more information on K-3 Science Night, or to find links to great resources for experiments, please visit the K-3 Science Night webpage.

Natalya Yudkovsky, K-3 Science Night Organizer