Bells Mill Elementary School PTA

The PTA is excited to invite Kindergarten and 1st Grade families to a special virtual event. Bake muffins at home and enjoy a virtual magic show with MAGIC EVAN! Although this event is tailored to kindergarten and 1st grade students, older and younger siblings are welcome. It will be held Saturday, March 20 at 11:00 am. Muffin recipe and zoom link to follow. RSVP to Amanda Klueger by March 15 at [email protected]. See the attached flyer for details.

The upcoming Churchill HS PTSA meeting on March 16 at 7 pm will be a cluster-wide meeting to learn more about MCPS’ School Resource Officer Program. The PTSA board has assembled a panel of six participants to present various viewpoints and research findings on the SRO program and its history, and respond from different perspectives to questions from participants. Panelists will include Churchill SRO Officer Amy Homrock, Principal Heckert, Poolesville Cluster representative Jane Lehrman, MCPS SRO working group member Rob Willcox, and county Student Government Association president Hana O’Looney, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee member Idara Umoh.… Read Full Post

The staff will be in the building Mon-Wed, March 8-10 to prepare classrooms for the return to in-person learning. Let’s welcome them with messages of gratitude, support, and love! Decorate the Bells Mill sidewalks with chalk outside the entrance. The PTA will leave a bucket of chalk at the school entrance on Saturday, but feel free to bring your own.

We’re also working on a few goodies to welcome staff back, as well as supporting additional requests for classroom reimbursements and other needs for the school.

On Saturday evening almost 80 families joined in the PTA’s Virtual BINGO Night. It was great to see the tradition continue and keep the BMES community connection alive! We played 10 rounds of BINGO online, had lots of fun, and a few lucky players won prizes.

The students enjoyed seeing the celebrity callers: Mrs. Webb, Miss Byrd, Mrs. Bedell & Miss Bedell, Mr. Sheets, Ms. Maloney, Mrs. Abramson & Stella, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Ginsburg, Dr. Smith, and Mr.… Read Full Post

We are excited to welcome next year’s kindergarteners to the Bells Mill family. The school will host a virtual kindergarten orientation session on May 12, 2021 @ 6:30 PM on Zoom (information to follow). Call Mrs. Marcoux at (240) 740-0480 to start the registration process! See attached flyer for information.

If you experience technology issues: Families should report technology issues to the MCPS Community Help Desk by phone (240-740-7020)  Mon-Fri between 7 am and 8 pm or by email ([email protected]).

If you can’t login to ParentVue: If you are missing your Parent Account Activation Information email, please check your spam/junk/promotions folder for a message from [email protected]. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Marcoux in the office at [email protected].

Please see the information below sent by the MCCPTA.

Yesterday, the Virtual Learning Committee sent a letter to MCPS Superintendent Dr. Jack Smith to recommend improvements to the way MCPS manages the COVID Crisis and communicates with parents.  Specifically, we propose that MCPS:

-form a COVID Crisis Response Team–led by a dedicated Associate Superintendent–to coordinate across multiple MCPS departments to address challenges and identify opportunities for innovative curriculum delivery
-produce a detailed FAQ for parents about the Reopening Plans
-ensure that MCPS communications are simpler and more readable (you might recognize some of the examples cited)

Join Our Committee!… Read Full Post

In keeping our traditions alive and well (even if over Zoom) – the BMES PTA is excited to sponsor our annual BINGO night! Bring the whole family and join us on Saturday, February 27 from 7 pm – 9 pm.

–Bells Mill Celebrity BINGO Callers: Hear from some of your favorite Bells Mill teachers as they call out the BINGO numbers!

–Lots of Fun and a Few Prizes: A small number of prizes will be awarded (in a COVID-friendly way)!… Read Full Post

The BMES PTA is looking to hold one or more zoom socials for parents in the coming months. We want to help parents connect, collaborate, and commiserate during these uncertain times. We are a strong community and we are here to help each other! To help us plan, we’re interested in hearing what topics might be of interest and when they should be held. Answer our two question poll here: https://forms.gle/o47YDCgzRgswBmK37

We’re super excited to announce the finalists for the 2020-2021 Reflections Art Program with the theme: “I Matter Because…”

Congrats to our BMES artists and finalists! You can see all of their work here.

Photography Primary – Sloane Cypes -“Masks Protect Other People” -Award of Excellence
Dance Choreography Primary – Stella Abramson – “My Dream” -Award of Merit
Literature Primary – Sloane Cypes – “Being Kind Matters” – Award of Merit
Literature Intermediate – Brodie Pashkoff – “My Voice” – Honorable Mention
Music Composition Primary – Stella Abramson – “You Can Believe in Yourself” – Honorable Mention