2013-2014 3rd 9 Weeks Newsletter

A Publication of the Christie Elementary PTA, Plano, Texas
January — March 2014 (3rd Nine Weeks)
Dear Christie families,
Thank you for taking time from your busy lives to support our PTA and Christie. I am inspired by those of you who go out of
your way to help, even when it is not convenient. I wish each of you could see how your contributions work together to
improve our school whether they touch one student's life or many.
The second semester is already here and PTA has many community-building and enriching activities planned: Fine Arts
Night, Cafeteria Cops, Perot Museum presentations of Super Hero Science for several grades, Friendship Parties and Spring
Book Fair. We hope that we can count on your support in 2014. If you would like to receive volunteer requests, please
contact Amanda at volunteers@christie-pta.org to be added to the list.
We are already planning for the 2014-15 school year and ask that you consider joining our PTA leadership team. The nominating committee will seek to fill all positions. If they do not talk to you, please don't hesitate to contact them.
You may contact me any time with your questions or concerns at President@christie-pta.org. And thanks, again, for being
your kid's biggest fan!
Christine Sorenson, Christie PTA President
Welcome to 2014 and Happy New Year to our Cub families. It is difficult to believe how
quickly the first semester went by! We have already enjoyed Field Day in cool weather
and a visit to Sci- Tech Discovery Center for our third graders. I would like to give a big
shout out to Capital One, the company that financially supported field trips to the Perot
Museum for all fourth and fifth graders. They also served as volunteers for both field trips
and were extra helping hands at Field Day. Business partnerships like the one with Capital One really benefit our students and community.
November brought the annual Curriculum and Wellness event supported by the entire
Christie staff. Thanksgiving celebrations were all around us soon thereafter. Thanksgiving
Feast in kindergarten, Pioneer Days in first, and Colonial Days in fifth were some of the
curricular events enjoyed in grade levels. And of course the first grade Turkey Show led
us into a five day holiday with family and friends.
December brought us the I-Science assembly and our lovely Holiday Choir Night which
showcases the beautiful voices of our fourth and fifth grade choir. Led by music specialists Karen Patton and Jessica Bauchum, it is such a joy to hear those sweet voices come
together in song. The final week of the semester brought us class parties and another fun
spirit assembly.
Looking forward – Our campus will be involved in the third and final phase of Love Where
You Live for the Park Forest community. Please watch for information about this program
that is very beneficial for our Christie neighborhood. Cross Bend Church will host the
meetings for Phase III. And please follow school events on Twitter @ChristieCubs.
Lorraine Shimizu, Principal
Make a New Year’s
Resolution to join the PTA in
2014!
Annual membership is only $12.50.
Pick up a membership form in the
office, or download it from our
website at www.christie-pta.org
under Forms.
Questions? Contact the membership chair at membership@christie
-pta.org
Inside this issue:
Spring Book Fair
2
PISD Inclement Weather
Guidelines
2
Cultural Fest
2
Fundraising with Shoparoo
2
Rachel’s Challenge
3
PTA Update
3
Teacher Appreciation
3
Taco Bueno Days
3
Calendars
4—6
Page 2
When: February 24—28
Hours: Monday thru Thursday from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and Friday 7:30 am to 12:30 pm
 Monday, Feb. 24: Reading will keep you warm in the winter. Wear your most com



fortable fleece or warm-ups
Tuesday, Feb. 25: Hats off to reading. Wear your favorite hat.
Wednesday, Feb. 26: Reading can help you reach your goals, just like our Olympic athletes are….dress in your favorite Winter Olympic sport gear.
Thursday, Feb. 27: Reading can be a fun trek. Wear two different shoes.
Friday, Feb. 28: Christie Cubs love to read! Wear spirit wear or maroon & gold.
Please remember to send enough money to cover 8.25% sales tax which is charged
by the State on all book fair purchases.
We need your pictures! Want to see your child in the yearbook? Do you have pictures from class parties,
field trips, or other Christie events? If so, please send them to yearbook@christie-pta.org
Assume that school will open as usual.
Check with one of the following sources of information to obtain accurate information:

Major television stations: KDFW - Channel 4; KXAS - Channel 5; WFAA- Channel 8; KTVT - Channel
11, UPN 21; KDAF- WB33, News - Channel 33; and Channel 99, Time Warner Cable (PISD Station)

Major radio stations: KERA (90.1); KRLD (1080 AM); KVIL (103.7 FM); and WBAP (820 AM)

By 6:00 a.m., a voice mail recording at each school will announce if school is closed.

By approximately 6:00 a.m., at the district's main number, (469) 752-8100, a voice mail recording
will announce whether school is closed or delayed.
Please make plans to join us Thursday, February 13, 2014 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. to celebrate
the wonderfully diverse cultures of our Christie families.
Enjoy an evening of fantastic performances, cultural exhibits and the Taste of Christie. We look
forward to seeing you there!
This year, we are participating in a hassle-free fundraiser called Shoparoo.
Nationwide, more than 7,000 schools are already fundraising through Shoparoo and we see it as a great opportunity
for us to make a difference this year. All you need to do is take pictures of your grocery receipts with the Shoparoo
app. It doesn’t matter where you shop or what you buy - every receipt submitted results in a donation to our school!
Simply download the free Shoparoo app from iTunes or Google Play and select Christie Elementary as your chosen
cause. There is no limit to how much money we can raise with Shoparoo so be sure to invite your friends and neighbors to join us – every receipt counts!
Page 3
Our chains of kindness continue to grow! Please continue your commitment to Rachel’s Challenge.
The mission of Rachel’s Challenge is to inspire, equip, and empower
every person to create a permanent positive culture change in their
school by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion.
“...people will never know how far a little kindness can go”
Rachel Joy Scott
Looking for more PTA News? Visit http://planopta.org/
SAGE (Special and Gifted Education) is a group of volunteer parents working together to provide
education, communication, and support for families with children participating in Special Education, the PACE program, etc. SAGE sponsors various classes and seminars during the year to provide families and educators with the latest information (most are free of charge).
Visit their website at www.planoptasage.org to see the event calendar, find useful resources, and
learn more.
To receive information on SAGE, e-mail your Christie Elementary SAGE representative, Delaney Dunavant at
Delmajesty@gmail.com and state whether you would like Special Needs Info, Gifted Info or both.
Christie Breakfast is FREE for all students and served from 7:10 to 7:40
View the menu and pay for lunch online at http://www.pisd.edu/parents/nutrition/index.shtml
The first Teacher Appreciation Luncheon of 2014 is on Tuesday, March 5th. The theme is
Soup and Salad. Let's give our teachers, administrators and staff at Christie Elementary a
wonderful luncheon and let them know how much we appreciate them!
Please volunteer to help by bringing food items on the morning of March 5th. You may dropoff items in the office. Without the generous support of parents and volunteers, we could
never do these luncheons.
Please contact Wendy Winn, PTA Hospitality Chair, with any questions you may have or to
sign up to bring a dish!
Contact Information: Wendy 469-363-1869 or hospitality@christie-pta.org.
Join us for Taco Bueno day on the 2nd Wednesday of every month
from 12 pm to 8 pm at the Taco Bueno at 720 W. Spring Creek.
A portion of the day’s sales will go to Christie. Just tell them you’re
with Christie Elementary. See you there!
Page 4
January 2014
Show your Christie spirit by wearing your Christie shirt on Fridays!
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
Thu
2
Fri
3
Sat
4
No School — Winter Break (Dec 21—Jan 6)
5
6
7
No School — Winter
Break (Dec 21—Jan 6)
12
13
First Day of
Class
8
15
Cafeteria Cops
19
20
21
27
11
16
17
18
24
25
Super Science
Assemblies for
Grades 2—5
22
23
PTA Regular
Meeting & Fine
Arts Night
6-7:30pm
No School
— Holiday
26
10
Taco Bueno
Night
PTA Board
Meeting,
6 pm
14
9
28
29
30
31
Visited the PISD Parent Portal? The site gives you direct access into your child's
classroom information, district-wide information and links to other services.
Visit parent.mypisd.net to sign up
Comments about the newsletter? We’d love to hear from you! Email the newsletter editor at newsletter@christie-pta.org
Page 5
February 2014
Show your Christie spirit by wearing your Christie shirt on Fridays!
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
PTA Board
Meeting, 6 pm
9
10
11
LWYL Parade,
10 am (Starts at
Christie)
12
13
Taco Bueno
Night
16
17
CultureFest,
6 pm to 8 pm
14
24
18
19
20
21
25
26
27
28
Book Fair
Thinking about volunteering for a class party, field trip, or just to help out? PISD Guidelines
require a Volunteer Application and background check be completed each year.
Visit www.pisd.edu and click ‘Volunteer Application’ under Popular Links
for more information.
15
Friendship
Parties,
1:30 to 2:30
No School
— Holiday
23
8
22
Page 6
March 2014
Show your Christie spirit by wearing your Christie shirt on Fridays!
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Spirit
PTA Board
Meeting, 6 pm
9
10
11
Teacher
Appreciation
Luncheon
12
Taco Bueno
Night
Open House,
6 pm —7:30
pm
13
Assemblies
Early Release,
12 pm
14
15
20
21
22
27
28
29
PTA Regular
Meeting & 3rd
Grade Performance
, 6 pm
Kindergarten
Round-Up
No School — Spring Break
16
17
18
19
23
24
25
26
30
31
Search Facebook for ‘Christie Elementary PTA’ and click ‘Join’