bluegrasses.knoxschools.org.... Up and running

Blue Grass PTA is now posting the latest updates on the Blue Grass Elementary Website. Go to bluegrasses.knoxschools.org and click on Blue Grass PTA on the sidebar.

KidVote

The Kidvote campaign will begin this week, Monday, September 22nd. The kids will begin to see "presidential moments" on the morning announcements. They will also get to view a hilarious skit about two political parties. One party is the Pool Party, and the other party is the Rubber Chicken Party. The purpose of the play is to present the idea of political diversity and accepting other people's view as different, not bad.

The contests are coming!

Watch for information about PTA contests in your child's backpack.

Plan now for fall enrichment classes!

Fall enrichment classes will begin the last week in October. Parents, if you have a talent or hobby you'd like to share by teaching an enrichment class, please pick up a form in the office. Contact Carol Wehinger at 690-0713 or Kim Gaston at 951-2607 with questions about the enrichment program.

Karen Carson to speak at October PTA meeting

Mark your calendar for the October 13 PTA meeting. Karen Carson, chairwoman of the Knox County School Board, will be speaking.

Eat at Firehouse Subs to support Blue Grass!

Visit the North Peters Road or West Hills locations of Firehouse Subs any time in September and they'll donate 10% of your total bill (minus tax) to Blue Grass School! Be sure to present your community commitment card, which was attached to the Firehouse Subs flyer sent home in your child's backpack.

Don't Miss our First PTA Meeting!

The year's first PTA meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8. Don't miss this opportunity to meet the school's new administrators, tour the new computer lab, and be entertained by our fifth graders singing "Fifty Nifty United States." Performers will meet in the library at 6:45 wearing red, white and blue.

Art Supplies Requested

Mr. Cheatham, Blue Grass' Art Teacher has requested some art supplies. He is requesting crayons, markers and colored pencils. He would greatly appreciate the help so that he can purchase other supplies, like modeling clay or paint, with the money he is allotted. Thanks for your help!

Check out the new library web page!

Be sure to visit Mrs. Sisco's updated library web page. Go to http://bluegrasses.knoxschools.org/, click on My School, and pull down to Media Center. The page contains library info and announcements, plus great links like Caldecott Award winning books and the Volunteer State Book Award list.

Parents--Keep tabs on cafeteria accounts!

Becky Key reports that some kids already owe money on their cafeteria accounts. If you are unsure about the status of your child's account, feel free to call Becky at 539-7859, or visit http://www.paypams.com/ to register so you can manage cafeteria accounts online.

Membership Drive Countdown

One more week to go...... Whose class will get to listen to a book read by Mr. Mosley, which classes will eat with Mr. Mosley. Will the crystal yo-yo and Mosley be found? Will Blue Grass raise a huge amount of money for our school? Stay posted. Thanks for your overwhelming support of PTA.

Keep Scanning That Barcode at Kroger, Blue Grass!

Blue Grass Elementary raised more than any school in Knox County this past year, $5,000. This money will be used this year to help open our computer lab, which required $3,000 of electrical renovations. Please take that Kroger letter on your next trip, have it scanned so that the Blue Grass code is attached to your scan card and shop away. This process must be done on an annual basis, so please take your letter in again this year. What an easy way to contribute to your child's education!

Time to do Lunch

Big, huge thanks to Lori Moseley and Gail Mitchell for decorating the parent/ child lunch tables in the downstairs breezeway. Thanks to their efforts, eating lunch with our children will have wonderful ambiance.

Computer Lab Grand Opening!

The Computer lab is about to become reality. After amazing fundraising efforts, the Blue Grass PTA proudly presents our State-of-the-Art Blue Grass Elementary Computer Lab. The Lab will officially open on September 8th, the first General PTA meeting. Check it out..... Phase 1 of fundraising has allowed for the purchase of 16 computers and the lab's electrical work necessary to operate the computers. What an incredible opportunity for our children!

From the library

Hi folks, AR (Accelerated Reader) is up and running. The rule for taking tests on summer books is you may take as many tests as you like, but remember, if you fail one -- you have to stop taking the tests and go back to reading! And, of course, like always, we do expect you to have read the entire book yourself in order to take the test. If you are new to AR or have questions that have never been answered -- have no fear! Our librarian, Kerstin Sisco will be conducting an evening informational session about how the Accelerated Reader program works. It is upcoming, so stay tuned.

The library will open to students in grades 1-5 on August 18th, and the Kindergarteners will get to come for the 1st time beginning on September 15th. It looks like it's going to be a great year for reading!!

The Library's annual volunteer brunch will take place on 8/27 at 8:30 am in the library. If you're an old friend or a new recruit, come in -- share some conversation, some food and sign up to help us out! Contact Aly Army (alykitt@hotmail.com) or Susan Eaves (4eaves@bellsouth.net) for more information.

Knox County Council Program

On Tuesday, August 19th the Knox County PTA Council with host the
Fifth Annual Educational Forum: TN Diploma Project "How Does This Affect My Child?" The program will be held at the Andrew Johnson Building from 9:00-11:30. For more details about this program or future programs visit their website, kccpta.org.

First Week of School Begins

Here goes..... The kids are going back to school for an unprecedented full five-day week of school. Five full days of school. Class lists are posted in upstairs and downstairs hallways and PTA helpers can assist children to their classrooms.

Winfree-ana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Yo-yo

Ask your kids about the quest for the crystal yo-yo. It is an exciting adventure to help track our PTA memberships. Will the famous Winfree-ana discover the crystal yo-yo. Will he be able to put all the clues together? Will Blue Grass reach their membership goal before August 29th? Will there be snakes involved? Why does it have to be snakes? Stay tuned..........

Be Good, Do Good!

We’re off to a new and exciting adventure! Blue Grass PTA has been planning all summer for a fun-filled year. We have adopted our theme from John Adams. “Be good do good” are words he spoke to his daughter as he was leaving for France during the Revolution. We feel that it is simple yet powerful and will truly resonate with our student body. Our theme is centered around encouraging civic involvement. We will stress the importance of being informed about the events around us at both the community and the world level. We are looking forward to a KidVote in October and EagleFeast (Feed your mind!) in November.

Kleenex and Coffee

Join the Blue Grass PTA for Klennex and Coffee on Monday morning, August 25th after dropping off kindergarteners for their first day of school. The event is held in the library and allows parents to view the famous morning announcements and enjoy goodies with others.

Grounds Day Huge Success!

Thanks so much to Jason Cottrell, our fearless Grounds Chair, Julie Fulcher, and his very paint spattered Co-chair ( from the yellow spray paint over-spray) for inspiring us! Special thanks to Joyce Patterson, Judith Pelot, Stacey Serafin, Jay Sokolow and Melissa Charland. If my yard could only look at nice as Blue Grass' grounds!

Car rider number problems?

Contact Jennifer Wilson bluegrasspta@gmail.com with any needs regarding car rider numbers.

Thanks to Cheryl Hostetter for an incredible job getting carpool numbers die-cut, distributed and organized in the hallways for successful afternoon pickup!

Parent night dates!

5th grade parent night - August 12th
1st grade parent night - August 14th
3rd grade parent night - August 18th
Kindergarten parent night - August 19th
2nd grade parent night - August 21st
4th grade parent night - to be announced

Open House Rescheduled!

Blue Grass Elementary Open House has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 6th from 3:30-5:30. Please plan to attend to find out your child's teacher and get carpool information.

Wendy Smith agrees to be official PTA "Blogger"

Wendy Smith, mother of a rising fifth-grader and Kindergartner at Blue Grass, has agreed to assist Jennifer Wilson with this new blog.

While Wendy has no previous blogging experience, she is confident in her ability to ramble on about various subjects, including upcoming PTA events.

If you have suggestions for our new blog site, contact Wendy at edwendy@comcast.net

Showcase the talents!

Pull out the dance shoes, your magic wand, or your best karate chop! Whatever your talent, you are welcome to display it for your friends. Get ready for the Annual Talent Show on Friday, May 9th.

Apple for the Teacher!

Don't forget Teacher Appreciation Week, Monday April 28th - Thursday May 1st. Teacher showers will take place on Wednesday, April 30th. Ask your room moms how you can help make your class effort great!

Board of Managers 2008-2009

I am looking for a Health and Safety Chair to serve on the Board of Managers next year. Responsibilities include judging and awarding students in the Health and Safety contest in the fall and coordinating BAT training for the 4th graders in the spring. A great fit for this position would be a parent of an upcoming 4th grader. Contact Jennifer Wilson President-Elect (JenniferJWilson@comcast.net)

Strut your stuff, Blue Grass!

Blue Grass Elementary's Annual Fundraiser is underway. Funds from this year's drive will help provide Blue Grass with a state-of-the-art Computer Lab. Corporate donations are at $12,000, and student donations will begin soon. A Pep Rally to kickoff the fundraising drive is scheduled for Thurday, April 17th with special appearances by both Dave Landeo and Blue Grass' own Eddie Eagle. A celebration of funds raised , EAGLE STRUT will take place on Friday, April 25th.