The May issue of Paw Prints (PDF) is available. Read the news and upcoming events at B-W.

  The April issue of Paw Prints (PDF) is available. Read the news and upcoming events at B-W.

Starting April 7, students will have the opportunity to learn theater production every Wednesday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. after school for 8 weeks.

Auditions: April 7, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. School Auditorium

• Be prepared to sing a 30-second song.
• Bring your own CD of music, or sing without music.
• Any B-W student is welcome to audition, with parent-signed permission slip (PDF).
• Students must be picked up at Benchley-Weinberger no later than 2:00 p.m. after each rehearsal.

Show Date: June 11th

Questions? Contact Chris Morache.

• Print the permission slip (PDF)
• Rehearsals are every Wednesday 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. beginning April 7 in the School Auditorium.
• Students must commit to all rehearsals and performance dates.

Learn more about San Diego Junior Theatre.

Please check for clothes and lunch boxes in Lost and Found. The bins are overflowing!

The contents will be packed up on the Friday 3/26 before Spring Break and donated to charity.

Remember to order your full-colored yearbook. There are only 50 left! The last day to order is Friday, March 26th.

Just put a check for $22.00 in an envelope with your child's name and room number and send it to the office.

Parent Conferences will be held on March 24^th, 25^th, and 26^th. School will be dismissed at 11:45 a.m. on those days. Children riding the bus will depart at approximately 12:00 p.m. Please plan accordingly.

• If your child will not be using the usual bus service, please notify the school office. Bus drop-off times on conference days may be slightly earlier or later than a normal half day as this is not the driver's usual route.
• Getting the Most Out of Parent-Teacher Conferences (Parent Tips, RIF)
• Making the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences (PTA National)

April 16th and 23rd, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
School Auditorium

Tickets are $5 p.p. and are available before and after school in the YMCA bungalow.

Nathan Levy

Author/Speaker

March 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library

Join us for a dynamic workshop for parents with guest speaker Nathan Levy. The author of Stories With Holes, and Whose Clues? brings thirty-five years' experience in teaching, writing and educational consulting to this workshop on creativity.

Learn more at www.storieswithholes.com.

]]> Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:56:55 -0800 http://bwpta.org/pdf/201003PawPrints.pdf

  The March issue of Paw Prints (PDF) is available. Read the news and upcoming events at B-W.

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Our Mission to Mars readers have been flying! And Mrs. Griswold in the Library needs help with all the reading sheets our great readers have submitted in our reading challenge. Please stop by the library and lend a hand with the count.

Learn more about the Mission to Mars reading program»

Benchley Weinberger
Spring Cocktail Party

Please join the B-W Foundation for an evening of dancing, food and fun at the Spring Cocktail Party, Friday, March 19th. Read more...

]]> Foundation Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:18:52 -0800 http://bwlibrary.org/

We're devoting this year's Lincolns to Haiti earthquake relief

During the month of February, we collect pennies in honor of Abraham Lincoln. This year, PTA president Derby Pattengill proposes we use the proceeds to assist in earthquake relief for the Haitian people:

"In the past we have asked the students to donate their Lincolns to raise money for new books for the library as well as support in some small way a local charity. My proposal is to forego new books for the library this year and donate the money to the Red Cross or UNICEF. It has been said that 'a handout is what you get from the government. A hand up is what you get from your friends.' If our kids can learn that we all have to take care of one another then I think we will be OK."

"Washingtons" are gladly accepted too!

Ms. Barbara, BW's computer instructor and site webmaster, has redesigned the school's site, using the district's new Schoolwires application.

You'll find information for students and parents, upcoming events, and links to classrooms. You'll discover cool links to kid-friendly sites. You'll find the Panda Press, our student-run newsletter.

And of course, the school's terrific photo galleries are here. All in a fresh new look.

Great job, Ms. Barbara!

I am writing to you as the BW-PTA Legislative Liaison to solicit your help, on behalf of the students of Benchley Weinberger.

As you may well know, our school district is in the midst of a budget crisis and facing devastating cuts for the third year in a row. This directly impacts your child's education this year, next year, and far into the future. Some of the proposals on the table are increasing class size to 30 STUDENTS next year, cutting magnet funding (imperative for Benchley and all the amazing programs they run), and even cutting art, music, athletics, and other district programs (Balboa Park, outdoor school, etc.).

We need as many people as possible to contact your elected officials to make your voices heard -- for our children's sake!

Read Rebecca's full message»

We have changed the audition time for the announcers. All Announcers will be auditioning on Tuesday Feb 9th at lunch in the auditorium. Please contact Debbie Zappelli if you have a conflict with this time. (Updated Feb.2)

]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:09:48 -0800 http://bwpta.org/

Dear Benchley Students and Parents,

We are excited to get started with this year's variety show! We are going to do the auditions after school this year in the Auditorium. You will be scheduled for a specific date and it will be a 1st come 1st serve basis.

Please come prepared with your music on a CD. If you are singing please provide the lyrics for the music and you must use the karaoke version of the song.

**Each act can be no longer than 2 minutes unless it is one of the large group acts. We have a great number of people trying out so please time your acts at home. If you are singing a solo we highly recommend keeping it around 1 minute.

If you signed up to be in one of the group acts organized by the committee, or stage crew you do not need to audition. You will be called by a member of the committee after auditions are completed.

Since there are so many acts auditioning this year you may be asked to combine your act with others of like kind or asked to join another act. We would like to keep the show at a reasonable length.

Audition Dates

• K-1st grade - Tue. Feb 2nd from 2:30-4:00
• 2nd - 3rd grade - Wed. Feb 3rd 12:00-2:00
• 4th - 5th grade - Thur. Feb 4th 2:30-4:00

**We may go longer
**If you have kids of different grades in one act pick a day that works for you.

Please e-mail Debbie Zappelli with any questions. We are so excited for the practicing to start!

Debbie Zappelli, Chris Morache, Kim Fakadej, Variety Show Committee

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  The February issue of Paw Prints (PDF) is available. Read the news and upcoming events at B-W.

]]> Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:25:26 -0800 http://bwpta.org/

Join us for the January 29th Spirit Assembly

5th Grade Promotions offers a coffee/sweets table during monthly Spirit Assemblies: have a cuppa and help 5th grade raise funds for end-of-year activities.

California Business for Education Excellence Recognizes Outstanding Public Schools

Benchley-Weinberger was recognized by the California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) for superior student academic achievement. The CBEE uses data from EdResults.org, a free source of longitudinal student academic performance data to identify the highest performing public schools in California.

A total of 30 schools from the San Diego Unified School District were recognized; Benchley-Weinberger was among 17 SDUSD schools receiving the Scholar Schools Award. The awards recognize the efforts of school communities to raise student academic achievement and to close persistent achievement gaps.

Read the full press release (PDF) and view the full list of Honor Roll schools at www.cbee.org.

Our 2010 Jog-a-thon will be held on school grounds on February 10, 2010.

Learn more about this fun run and the best prizes ever!

Take the family to see great golf and raise funds for Benchley-Weinberger

The B-W PTA is proud to participate in the 2010 San Diego Open at Torrey Pines "Chip-in for Charity" fundraiser.

Purchase your single-day tickets for the tournament from us for $17 and our sch ool will keep $15 of every ticket sold.

This discounted ticket price saves you $10! Plus, kids ages 15 and under get in free with a paying adult.

We encourage you to make this offer available to family, friends, coworkers, and neighb ors. Then complete the order form, include your payment, and return to school with your c hild; we'll deliver the tickets to you via your child's red folder.

Visit www.sdopen.com for tournament details and sch edules. Each ticket is good for any one day of the Tournament, January 26-31.

Order forms can be turned in now; last day to order is Friday, January 22nd.

We have the tickets in hand: there is no delay and no convenience charge. Don' t make a Double Bogey and miss this opportunity!

BW children to receive RIF books on January 15th.

Reading Is Fundamental is sponsored by the Federal government and our PTA to foster the love of reading. Twice a year, all students in Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades receive a free book that they personally select. These books are gifts for the students to keep.

Learn more about the R.I.F. program at Benchley-Weinberger. And visit the R.I.F. website for more information, including printable parent guides, booklists, and ideas for motivating kids to read. ]]> Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:43:09 -0800 Library http://bwpta.org/ Join us January 14th for a special BW-PTA meeting. San Diego Unified School Board Trustee Katherine Nakamura will be our guest speaker. Thursday, January 14th at 6:00 p.m., BW Auditorium. ]]> Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:11:42 -0800 http://bwpta.org/

The Annual BW Multicultural Fair is February 5th. We need Regional Ambassadors (setting up a table celebrating your heritage), Global Ambassadors (morning check-in), International Cultural Coordinators (art/activity), Fiesta Friends (helpers at our special lunch), Homeland Security (stamping passports), and other volunteers for set-up and tear-down.

If you can participate, please get in touch by January 15th. Contact Janet Weaver.

photo courtesy E.Kilgore ©2008

Together for a time. Remember it with a yearbook.

Order your copy today and receive a Free Photo Book! Learn more»

  The January issue of Paw Prints (PDF) is available. Read the news and upcoming events at B-W.

]]> Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:34:28 PST http://bwpta.org/

The PTA sponsors our participation in the 19th Annual Law Enforcement Teddy Bear Drive. If you'd like to participate, please bring new and unwrapped teddy bears to school during the week of November 30^th to December 4^th. We'll celebrate with a Special Assembly on Friday, December 4th at 1:30 p.m.. Deputies will collect the bears at this "beary" special school event.

Learn more about this program which benefits children ill in hospital»

Dine-Out, Dec. 7^th

One of the easiest and tastiest ways to help raise funds for PTA programs is to participate in designated "Dine Out Days."

We have a double-feature night out in December. On December 7^th, join us at Grossmont Center Barnes & Noble Bookstore to hear some stories read by our own Mrs. Knight and other generous folk that have volunteered their time to read at this event. Get some of your holiday shopping done and help the school at the same time! Don't forget to take a trip to Rubio's for dinner that same evening.

Fliers with more detailed information will be distributed in your child's communication folder.

Hope to see you there!

]]> Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:19:44 -0800 http://bwpta.org/pdf/200912PawPrints.pdf

  The December issue of Paw Prints (PDF) is available. Read the news and upcoming events at B-W.

]]> Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:20:37 -0800 http://bwpta.org/ Flu season has arrived. Please review the San Diego Unified School District's H1N1 Flu Preparedness plan and procedures at the sandi.net website.

PTA Reading Program, 2009-2010

We're very excited to launch our new Reading Program. We can't wait to watch as each of your astronauts travels on an exciting journey to Mars!

Learn more about the 2009-2010 program…

Fundraising made very easy

Many of the programs the PTA runs for fundraising, advocacy, class enrichment, and spirit building take a considerable amount of time and work. What if you do not have lots of extra time? How can you help? Meet our Free Money Queen and learn how you can help B-W.

Order your BW baseball cap

You can print the order form from the website, attach a check or cash, and send it back to school in your child's red folder by Wednesday, November 25th.

 2009 Theme
"Beauty is…"

  Please join us for the Reflections Art Show & Awards Ceremony, B-W Auditorium, Wednesday, Nov. 4^th at 6:30 p.m.