Advertising

We encourage families of the Bacon community and local businesses to support the Bacon Elementary School PTA by advertising in the monthly newsletter.  The cost is $25 per issue for a black & white, business card ad.  

Point of Contact:  Gayle Schmidt and Adelia Tonn     

Artist in Residency

I am the Artist in Residency at Bacon, this is my 3rd year heading this.  I like to find local Author's and Artists to come to Bacon for half a day and share/teach what they do, to inspire the children with their work.  I am always taking in ideas on who to get to come and visit here at Bacon, so feel free to send me your ideas if you know of someone in the community you would like to have. 

Point of Contact:  Lindsay Radcliff 

Here are a couple of links to past Artist in Residency that we have had at Bacon.

http://www.toddmitchellbooks.com
http://www.teresafunke.com

Also, the Lego Bulldog in the front of the school was also done in previous years as a Lego artist created it.

Boo Hoo Breakfast

The Boo Hoo breakfast is an annual breakfast offered to kindergarten parents in an effort to educate and support these parents as they send their children to elementary school. The event is typically scheduled on the first full-day of school since the kindergarten classes have a staggered start. A light breakfast is served followed by a panel of speakers. The speakers include the principal, the school counselor, the PTA president, the volunteer coordinator, and a few parents of recent kindergarten graduates.  

Points of Contact:  Kim Sysum, Vanessa Schibler, and Lindsay Radcliff 

Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair is generally held for a week during mid-November. We are excited to bring you this Book Fair because it gives you and your children the opportunity to buy carefully selected, quality books and products at affordable prices. Family night is also fun and exciting with contests and prizes. 50% of sales will go to benefit our media center! Books make GREAT gifts and volunteers are always welcome!

Points of Contact:  Jodi Greer and Wendy Cleverly

Box Tops

We all shop for groceries, sometimes two or three times a week -- or more. Now turn those shopping trip into easy cash for Bacon Elementary school, and encourage friends to do the same! Just look for the Box Tops logo on hundreds of products like Cheerios®, Hamburger Helper® and Kleenex®, in almost every aisle of the store. All you need to do is clip and send them to into the school! Our coordinator is Denise Stetz! Each one is worth 10¢ for OUR school. Clip n Save, and submit!

Point of Contact:  Denise Stetz

Carnival

The Bacon Fall Carnival is a fantastic event for the whole family. Each year Bacon families get together to celebrate the fall season with an evening of games, prizes and LOTS of fun. The students (and their families) are invited to dress in their best Halloween Costume for the costume contest.  There are lots of games, candy and prizes during the evening.  Last year's prizes included tickets to various local sporting events (Colorado Eagles, CSU Rams Basketball), dinner, stuffed animals and much more. There was even a Zamboni ride awarded as a door prize!  It is also a wonderful opportunity to get to know other members of the Bacon Family.

The Carnival is free to all Bacon students and their families.  Please come out and enjoy the evening with your family. It's an event you won't want to miss.

This year the Carnival will be held on Friday, October 23rd from 6:00-8:00pm.  We are fortunate to have many amazing volunteers in our Bacon Community and the Carnival would not be a success without their support. There are many volunteer opportunities for this event and we appreciate any help you can give. We will need help with set-up, food service, games and clean-up. As you can imagine it takes a large number of people to pull this off. Luckily it is a lot of fun for both the kids and the volunteers.  Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering. 

Point of Contact:  Kari Barnum

     Games/Events - Kari Barnum

     Silent Auction - Laurie Siegmund / Wendy Gorman

     Food - Adelia Tonn

Special thanks goes Jeanette Errett, Tanya Henry and Rhonda Ash for their hard work on the Committee this year. We couldn't have done it without you!

Chess Club

An after school activity for all ages.  Students meet once a week and are divided into teams based on skill level.  Anyone can join:  novice to advanced players are welcome!

Point of Contact:  John Trone

Classroom Volunteer Coordinators

Coordinates classroom parties, recruits volunteers and assists the teacher with classroom needs.  

Points of Contact: 

Kindergarten - Denise Stetz

First Grade - Lindsay Radcliff

Second Grade - DJ Keally

Third Grade - Sandi Rinker

Fourth Grade - Lindsay Radcliff

Fifth Grade - Laurie Siegmund

Community Service/Citizenship

The Bacon PTA conducts three Community Service projects throughout the year - one on-going, one at Thanksgiving and one at Christmas.

Pop Tabs - throughout the school year, families are encouraged to pop the tabs off soda cans, soup cans, etc. The tabs are then collected and delivered to the Ronald McDonald House in Denver. Thousands and thousands of pop tabs from Bacon have gone to this fabulous facility which houses families whose children are undergoing surgery or treatments at Children's Hospital. The Ronald McDonald House gets one penny for every pop tab. Bacon has donated well over $15,000 in pop tabs over the past four years! Be sure to ask grandparents, friends and neighbors to start saving pop tabs for us as well. Tuck them in a zip lock baggie, and bring them into school every now and then. There is a little cardboard house under the stairs just outside the front office where you can deposit your tabs.

Thanksgiving Food Baskets - each year, the Bacon community is asked to donate Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings to Bacon families in need. Last year, we donated 11 dinners!! In addition to the Thanksgiving meal donations, we also collect non-perishable food items and pack big boxes of food staples for these families. What a great way to show our thanks for what we have by giving to our own Bacon families who need a little extra help!

The Giving Tree - each Christmas, the PTA "adopts" two families from Project Self-Sufficiency, an organization that helps single-parent families who are working to make a better life for themselves and their children by going to school and learning a trade that will get them off public assistance and let them be self-sufficient. The generosity of Bacon families during this project has earned us quite a nice reputation at PS-S!! The PS-S families fill out wish lists of gifts, and Bacon families donate the items on the wish lists. The Giving Tree will be set up during Family Night of the book fair in November - stop by to see what kind of items are on the wish lists, and feel free to donate as many or as few items as you like. 

If you'd like more info on any project or would like to help out, please contact me.  

Point of Contact:  Staci Millier

Cultural Fair

An opportunity for the children of Bacon Elementary to hear from community and staff members while they interactively share stories, crafts, music, dancing, etc.  Children receive "passports" and "travel" to different "countries/culturals" while being led by a flight attendant (teacher or parent volunteer).  Children loved getting their passports stamped at the countries throughout the school.  Opportunities to enjoy performances, listen to music, and create beautiful crafts as they journey throughout the school exploring cultures from around the world.  Get involved!  Last year we took a flight...this year we will be going on a cruise.  ALL ABOARD!

Point of Contact:  Mary Matsutani

Directory

Each year the Bacon Elementary School PTA publishes a directory of families in the school.  Also included is a class listing by teacher.  It is an invaluable resource for parents and students and is only distributed to Bacon families and staff.  

Point of Contact:  Sharon Fessler

District Advisory Board 

Comprised of representatives from each school, community members, and District staff, the District Advisory Board (DAB) serves as a sounding board to identify common goals and concerns in Poudre School District (PSD). DAB presents information, suggestions, requests, or resolutions to the Board of Education and the Superintendent; provides support for the betterment of education in PSD; and offers a valuable link between the community and PSD.

Point of Contact:  Gayle Schmidt

Field Day

Ending the school year right, starting the summer right...with FIELD DAY! A great all school event for all students... Everyone looks forward to it all year long! With Aaron Crawford's leadership,our PE teacher, we are able to organize field events for the entire school. Either during the morning or afternoon hours, your child will have the opportunity to participate in sack races, track n field races, tug-a-war, a friendly game of dodge ball, race through a jumping castle and much much more! The best part of the day oh yeah...POPSICLES!!!! Colleen will be calling on YOU to help with this fun-filled day!

Point of Contact:  Colleen Gowenlock  

Fundraising (Invest in a Child)

Invest in YOUR child!  It is our ONLY fundraiser and it is your opportunity to make a direct contribution on what is happening at your children's school!  Prior to 2007, our fundraising campaign involved the selling of candy and wrapping paper.  Although this type of campaign was successful, it was time consuming and involved parents and children soliciting and distributing products door to door.  After gathering feedback, the overwhelming majority of respondents requested that we move to a direct gift fundraising strategy.  This allows families to contribute with little effort and 100% of the donations go directly to Bacon Elementary plus your contribution is tax deductible.  Suggested amount: $50 for one child, $75 for two children, $100 for three or more children in a household. Every contribution helps!  For more information or to make a donation, please visit the Invest in a Child webpage. 

Point of Contact:  Holly Hevelone

Grade Level Coordinator

Recruits, coordinates and communicates requirements to Classroom Volunteer Coordinators. 

Point of Contact:  Lindsay Radcliff

Grandparents Day

This day is set aside to provide students the opportunity to invite a grandparent or other significant individual to share in their school experience.

Point of Contact:  N/A this year

Legislative Representative

The Legislative Representative attends Colorado PTA's annual legislative training and keeps the Bacon Elementary School community apprised both of the stances taken by Colorado PTA and of issues, conversations, and policy proposals in our community, state, and region relating to education and child welfare.  For more information, please visit the Legislative Representative webpage.

Point of Contact: Kari Anderson

Lego Fun Club (K-3)

The true recipe for pure fun...where kids use their imagination. This club allows students to have building contests and work on projects together! Work will be displayed. Creativity, team building, and PURE FUN.

Point of Contacts:  Julie Jutrone and Andrea Flake 

Lego Robotics (4th - 5th)

Introduces younger students to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface.  FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams, guided by their imaginations and adult coaches, discover exciting career possibilities and, through the process, learn to make positive contributions to society.  Elementary and middle-school students get to:  Design, build and program robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS technology; Apply real-world math and science concepts; Research challenges facing today's scientists; Learn critical thinking, team-building and presentation skills; and Participate in tournaments and celebrations.  What FLL teams accomplish is nothing short of amazing.  It's fun.  It's exciting. And the skills they learn will last a lifetime.

Point of Contact:  OPEN (We need a Volunteer)

Math Club

Third and fourth graders meet seperately during lunch twice a month for fun math-oriented activities.  Progrm runs from October through February/March.

Point of Contact:  OPEN (We need a Volunteer)

Math Olympiad

The goal is to do the following and take our skills to the streets - compete with other schools 

• Stimulate enthusiasm and a love for Mathematics
• Introduce important Mathematical concepts
• Teach major strategies for problem solving
• Develop Mathematical flexibility in solving problems
• Strengthen Mathematical intuition
• Foster Mathematical creativity and ingenuity
• Provide for the satisfaction, joy, and thrill of meeting challenges
  

Learning in a FUN and CHALLENGING environment!

Point of Contact:  OPEN (We need a Volunteer)

Membership

Be a part of PTA!
Membership cost is only $10 per adult and get a FREE directory!!! ($17 for two members of your household).  Also, make sure you are kept updated bu joining e-family where emails will come directly to your email account. These emails will tell you what is going on at Bacon as well as opportunities for you to get involved.

To become a member, please complete the form below and place it, along with your check, in an envelope.  Write on the envelope, "PTA Membership."  You can return the envelope in your child's Friday Folder or you may deliver it to the office.  Checks should be made out to the Bacon PTA.

Meetings:  EVERY 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 9am

Points of Contact:  Bridgette Johnson and Liz Longshore

Merchandise

Hats, t-shirts, hoodies, etc. are all on sale now! 

Point of Contact:  Mary Matsustani

Newsletter

The Bacon Beacon is the #1 news source for the Bacon Bulldogs!  It is published by the Bacon Elementary School PTA and is distributed the last week of each month.  For more information, to include current and back issues, please visit the Bacon Beacon webpage. 

Point of Contact:  Denise Johnson 

Odyssey of the Mind

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.

Link to Colorado Odyseey of the Mind website.

Point of Contact:  OPEN (We need a Volunteer) 

Photo Club

Talk about a fun club.  Students learn the use and operation of cameras.  They receive photo assignments and learn how to store pictures on the computer.  They also learn how to make slideshows and become "experts" in composition and lighting.  Do you have what it takes to become an ace photographer?

Point of Contact:  OPEN (We need a Volunteer)

PTA Bulletin Board

The PTA Board keeps the PTA Bulletin Board at the school up-to-date with all of the latest happenings.  Please check the board whenever you are in the school or feel free to contact a member of the PTA Board for more information. 

Point of Contact:  Bridgette Johnson

Reading Challenge

Description...

Point of Contact:  Alison Schmitt

Reflections

The PTA Reflections Program was described by its founder, Mary Lou Anderson, as "almost too simple." That simplicity--of asking children to express themselves artistically based on a common theme--is the foundation of this long-standing PTA program.  Students submit artwork to their local PTAs.  Works are judged at the local level and the winning entries advance to the council, district, region, and/or state PTA levels, depending on the state structure.  Top state award-winning entries advance to the national level of judging.
 

Point of Contact:  Lindsay Radcliff

Science Fair

The Science Fair is open to all students who are interested in conducting research and presenting a poster describing their results to the school and a panel of judges. Children in grades K-3 may do a project on their own or with one partner.  Students in 4th-5th grades should do a project on their own to be eligible for the district competition.  Please visit the Science Fair webpage for more information.

Point of Contact:  Liz Longshore

Scrip

One of the easiest ways to raise funds for critical classroom materials and PTA programs is to use SCRIP.  SCRIP is like a gift card. You purchase it from your school's PTA and use it at the designated store or restaurant just like cash.  The retailer returns a percentage of the SCRIP purchase (usually 2%-15%) directly back to Bacon Elementary.  For more information, please visit the SCRIP webpage. 

Point of Contact:  Staci Miller

Silent Auction

Description.....

Point of Contact:  Laurie Siegmund / Wendy Gorman 

Staff Appreciation

While Staff Appreciation Day is in May, we at Bacon like to acknowledge Bacon staff monthly! From breakfast to chocolate...we show our appreciation monthly. Donations are welcomed and encouraged! Contact Colleen to help us show our appreciation!!!!

Point of Contact:  Colleen Gowenlock

Traffic Safety Patrol

TRAFFIC SAFETY PATROL - NEEDS YOU!!!!

Making sure your child is safe is crucial! The traffic safety patrol team lead by Holly Williams is looking for a few more men and women to assist them. A few facts about what they do and for ALL of us to remember! The safety patrol members guarding the crosswalk are there to direct the students, not the traffic. It is the driver's responsibility to stop to allow pedestrians to cross in a crosswalk. Please stop well before the crosswalk and stay stopped until the crosswalk is no longer occupied, not just until your lane is clear. You may not turn left or right through an occupied crosswalk. Do not overtake or pass a car that is stopped in front of a crosswalk, even if it is signaling that it is turning right. When you're turning, don't wait inside the crosswalk.

Young children see and hear differently than adults. Children have only two-thirds of the peripheral vision that adults have and they have difficulty determining the source of a sound. They are still learning to judge distances and speeds. When a car is coming towards them, they cannot judge accurately how fast it is traveling or how long it will take to cover the distance. Children focus on one thing at a time. If they are playing with friends or riding bikes it is unlikely that they are aware of your car. Children are spontaneous and have trouble stopping an action once started. Children also tend to overestimate their abilities, thinking that they can run across a street before the flashing light changes or a car approaches.

Point of Contact:  Holly Williams

Webmaster

The webmaster is the person in charge of maintaining The Bacon Elementary School PTA website. The jobs of a webmaster include writing HTML for web pages, organizing the website's structure, responding to e-mails about the website, and keeping the site up-to-date.

Point of Contact: webmaster@baconpta.org

Yearbook

Hello parents, teachers, volunteers and school staff!  My name is Eliz Oppenheimer and I have helped create the Bacon yearbook for the past couple of years.  I will be creating it again this year along with help from Sarah Zacher.  I would like to enlist your help for the upcoming school year.  During any school or classroom activity in which you are taking photos, I would be very appreciative if you could pass along some of the photos to me.  I can accept them by email (oppy6@q.com), disc, flash drive or actual photo.  (These items will be returned to you.)  Kim Sterkel, the Bacon media specialist, has set up a drop folder on the server for those who have access.  It is on the main server under Special Projects labeled 2009-2010 yearbook.  Thank you for your help in creating, once again, a great yearbook for Bacon students.

Points of Contact:  yearbook@baconpta.org