Please note that there are numerous informational meetings in the month of January, ranging from our PTA general meeting to district levy updates to choice school informational sessions. Make sure to review the list to see if you can attend.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Assembly has been moved to 9:15-9:45 AM in the gym on Tuesday, January 19th.  ALL parents and siblings are invited and encouraged to attend! 

 

Mini Art Museum
 
Mini Art Museum is coming back!  The mini museum will take place in the library from February 1st - 5th. 
 

The Mini Museum the gift of a traveling art collection made possible by the Bellevue Art Museum and the Seattle Junior League. These are 8 actual artworks by Pacific Northwest Artists, which will be in our school for a week. We will set them up as you would see them in a museum, and bring the students through, one class at a time. The students will have the chance not only to experience the art close up, but to learn about art appreciation through the skilled hands of one of our volunteer docents. They will talk about what the artwork looks like, how it is made, how it makes them feel, what the artist may have been thinking, and so on. After they have toured the museum, the classes have the opportunity to participate in a tie-in school-wide art project. This year's project is based on the work "Asian Woman" by Marita Dingus. She is a living  local African American artist who works in 3-dimensional found object media. We will be talking about perspective, conceptions of beauty, and creating a beautiful person from "trash"  to reinforce our recycling assembly in December.

We would like small things you could use to make a face or a person with.  They MUST be clean and used or found, not from a craft store.  This is a trash to treasure project.  We will have only 40 minutes per class, so these will not be complex creations.

Suggestions would include:

Buttons, shells, bottle and screw off caps, film canisters, corks.

Yarn, ribbon, rubber bands, twist ties from bread, etc; cloth scraps

Small boxes, like the kind jewelry comes in, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, empty matchbooks

Drink bottles, plastic or metal spice containers, unmatched "Tupperware" parts

Basically, if you think you could make a face or a person out of it, trust me, there's a kid who can! Donation box is in the PTA office.

We are in need of volunteers in the library when the students touring the museum. There will be a free training workshop in BAM on Saturday Jan 23rd, from 9 -noon.  This is a great opportunity to learn more about the art.  Please contact Fang Koh at fangkoh@hotmail.com to sign-up.
  

Passport Check Day is January 28th....and re-checks in the library at lunch recess every Tuesday! January's country list is available here.

Passport volunteers are always needed. Contact Ellen at ejkrumm@hotmail.com if interested.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING RUSH STUDENTS

FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL PTA ARTS PROGRAM

 

Maria Gringauze from Ms. Andrade's class for Outstanding Interpretation Award in Visual Art. 

Her work will be advanced to the state level. 

 

Cindy Cao from Ms. Swanson's class for Award of Merit in Visual Art.

 

Wei Sheng Aw from Ms. Andrade's class for Award of Merit in Music.

 

Other participants are: Kaitlyn Ellington, Charles Clark, Tiffany Zang, Julia Sousa, Angela Zang, Kathryn Hilbert, Asia Lim, Taylor Clark, Wen Yi Aw, Christina Brandao, Anna Kimmell, and Ryan Rogers.

 

 

K-5 MATH CURRICULUM INFORMATION MEETINGS

 

 

 

 

Kindergarten registration will begin this year on February 4, 2010.  1:00PM - 7:00 PM for all children who will be five years old on or before August 31, 2010.  Registration continues through the beginning of the school year in September 2010, but we encourage you to register as early as possible. To register your child, please bring the following items to your neighborhood elementary school: Proof of child's birth date such as a birth certificate or passport Child's health history, including current immunization Emergency contact information For those interested in registering for all-day kindergarten, please bring a money order or check for the first month's tuition Your elementary school will provide the necessary kindergarten registration forms. They are not available online.   Most schools offer all-day kindergarten programs Half-day kindergarten is provided for all children in the district. There is a fee for all-day kindergarten. If more than 21 children register for any all-day kindergarten classes, the district holds a lottery drawing. For the 2010-2011 school year, the all-day kindergarten lottery will be held on February 10, 2010 to determine the students in those classes. Access to full-day kindergarten depends on demand and space available at the specific school.   All-day kindergarten costs money The state of Washington pays for half-day kindergarten: parents of full-day kindergarten students pay the other half day. The district must charge tuition for the all-day program. Fees have not yet been determined for the 2010-2011 school year. Tuition for 2009-2010 was $3300. The 2009-2010 tuition for who qualified for a reduced fee was $1180, while it was $650 for those who qualified for free lunch. Please bring a voided check to registration if you are registering for the all-day program.

PTA MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT UPDATE  - DISCOUNTED CELL SERVICE

If you are an existing T-Mobile customer, call the migration dept at 1-877-453-8824 to receive the 14% monthly discount.  (They may require you to provide your PTA number).  There may also be phone promotions or service upgrades available to you as well. 

One promotion currently available on the NPTA website thru Feb 28, 2010 allows you to trade in your old phone and receive $50 toward a new Blackberry.  For more info, go to the NPTA Benefits pageand scroll down to T-Mobile. 

Your PTA number can be found on your PTA card that was recently mailed to you.  Or you can send an email to heather.ortega@comcast.net to obtain your PTA number.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Winter 2010

Go to the PTA Website for the registration forms. Registrations are due one week before the class begins. If you have any questions about after school classes at Ben Rush,

Paper copies of the flyers are available at the PTA kiosk near the main office.

Mad Science                                      Mondays  3:10 p.m. - 4:10 p.m.    2/1 - 3/15

Get ready to touch, see, hear, smell and taste what science is really about!  Learn about animal habitats, life in the sea, gravity, the motion of planes and trains and the energy of motion in this Science in Action unit. Scientists make and take home a project most weeks. 

 

Drama with SecondStory Rep        Tuesdays  3:10 p.m. - 4:30              2/2 - 3/23

"Fractured Fairy Tales" is the theme this winter and students will use fairy tales as a springboard to create characters and stories with a unique point of view.  Experience battling dragons or playing princess is a definite plus for this class.

 

Art with Rachel Muller        Wednesdays   1:40 p.m. - 2:40 p.m.           1/6 - 3/10

This winter, Rachel will explore the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Art project subjects will include the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the state flower and bird, fossils, insects, trees and more. Students will use pencils, charcoals, pastels, watercolor and acrylic, with a special emphasis on clay this session.    $158                (10 weeks)           

 

Running Club                        Thursdays       3:05 p.m. - 4:05 p.m.         ongoing

The Running Club started in December with great success!  Our hour of outdoor activity begins with stretches and warm-up and usually includes sprint races and at least 20 minutes of long distance running.  It's a great way to burn off some extra energy and get fit with your friends!  New runners welcome.                       $5   

 

Musical Minds                       Fridays            3:05 p.m. - 4:05p.m.           1/22 - 3/26

In the Piano Keyboard Club, you'll learn to play your favorite tunes on electric piano keyboards. Select from movie & TV themes like Star Wars, Hannah Montana, High School Musical and Harry Potter, plus Disney tunes and lots more! You'll learn to read music fast with our unique and easy visual method.   $150 ($155 non-PTA member)      (8 weeks)        no class 2/12, 3/19

.

 

Newletter Submissions

If you would like to submit an article or announcement for the next Rush PTA E-News, please contact the newsletter editor at benrushpta@comcast.net. All submissions must be received by February 5th for inclusion in the February 7th issue. Content may be adjusted to fit format.