Dear Parents,

It is with great excitement that the Board of Trustees, Vestry, and I announce that we will be combining the BES Campus next year. The preschool and kindergarten will be relocating to the McCormick property. This is a wonderful opportunity for our children to come together under one roof to enhance their school experience. This summer, the west wing of McCormick Hall and Hixon playground will be retrofitted to house our youngest children. There were several reasons that impacted our decision to make this move.

First, convenience was a major factor affecting the decision. Being on one campus eliminates the necessity of children crossing the street every day. All the enrichments, apart from the Media Center, will be on one campus. When the weather is good, the children will eat at picnic tables under the awning in the back of the IDEAStudio. On days that are too hot, too cold, or on rainy days the children can eat in their classrooms, or they can walk over to Stormes Hall as they do now. Stormes Hall will still be used by the school for special events.

Second, this is the next logical step as we continue to prepare for the expansion into Phase II of Hope Hall. There are already architectural plans drawn for additional classrooms that will be utilized once we are ready to launch. The foundational work has already been completed.

Third, our students will finally be unified, and all of them, no matter the age, can easily participate in flag ceremony, buddy classes, and special events. Parents will also feel a sense of oneness rather than being divided between buildings.

Finally, with the current growth of the church, which is already bringing new young families into the congregation, they are looking forward to gaining additional space for Sunday School and Youth Programs. This is a win-win for both of us.

This is going to be a busy summer as we renovate, relocate classrooms, move playground equipment, and settle into a new model. I look forward to our progress!

Fondly,

Martha Milton
Head of School

The Boosterthon Fun Run program is officially underway at Beaches Episcopal School, and our students are beyond excited to participate!

Parents, to give your child the best educational experience possible, BES is thrilled to be able to raise funds for classroom and playground enhancements! This year's Boosterthon Fun Run is a tremdendous way to make that happen! Family and friends anywhere in the world can support our school by giving pledges toward the number of laps your student will run on the day of the Fun Run on Friday, April 7th.

Our Boosterthon Fun Run program kicked off yesterday during an exciting pep rally in the lunch room at Stormes Hall. Students are so excited about this year's character theme of "Backyard Box Office!" You should be seeing a Passbook in your students' backpacks today with more details on this year's event!

Help Beaches Episcopal School in Four Steps:
1. Register on www.funrun.com.
2. Connect to sponsors—friends and family who can donate to help our school.
3. Cheer on your child! Come to the Fun Run on Friday, April 7th at 8:30AM on Hixon Field.
4. Collect! Pledge money is due one week after the run. Checks are payable to the school.

Thank you for your support!

If you're considering where to put your students for Summer Camp, BES is the place for you! This year, we're excited to make every Friday of camp WATER DAY! Students will be able to wear swim suits and play slip 'n slides, have fun with water balloons, and enjoy other splash-related activities!

Don't delay! Register your students now for 2017 BES Summer Camp! Children will "Live the Adventure" as they experience an enormous variety of exciting activities centered around amazing themes for each week of camp.

Summer Camp is open to all students entering PreK4 through sixth grade (students must be 4 years old by July 21, 2017 to attend as a PreK4 student). Students will be separated into two groups based on their rising grade level. One group will be comprised of PreK4 through first grade students while the other group will consist of second through sixth grade students.

Morning Only (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) and Full Day (9:00 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.) programs will be available for each week of camp.

BES Summer Camp 2017 Weeks:
June 12-16, June 19-23, July 10-14, July 17-21

Each week will feature activities based on a theme (Under the Sea, Princesses and Superheroes, Ooey Gooey Fun, and The Mighty Jungle) in the areas of Art, Cooking, Science, and Games. Discounts will be offered to Beaches Episcopal School students, and you can register week by week if you prefer.

Learn more about BES Summer Camp 2017

Register Online for BES Summer Camp 2017!

The following is a list of significant dates for the 2017-2018 school year so that you can begin making plans for your family.

Orientation: Monday, August 14
First Day of School: Tuesday, August 15
Thanksgiving Break: November 20-24
Christmas Break: Dec. 18, 2017 - Jan. 2, 2018
Spring Break: March 26 - April 2, 2018
Last Day of School: Friday, May 25, 2018

Denim Day (Colon Cancer Alliance) 
Friday, March 31st

Boosterthon Fun Run
Friday, April 7th at 8:30 a.m. on Hixon Field

Good Friday/No School (No Extended Day)
Friday, April 14th

Easter Monday/No School (No Extended Day)
Monday, April 17th

Spring Conferences (No School) – Extended Day available during conferences
Tuesday, April 18th

Fifth Grade Camp Montgomery Trip
Wednesday, April 19th through Friday, April 21st

CTP4 Testing (Grades 3-5)
Monday, April 24th through Friday, April 28th

Denim Day (St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church Music Trip to The Royal School of Church Music)
Friday, April 28th

Dear Running Club Members (and past members),

I hope that everyone had a nice Spring Break and was able to refresh and recharge for the remaining months of school. I know that our third session of Running Club is going to FLY BY! Beaches Episcopal School is an annual sponsor of The Players 5K at TPC Sawgrass.

This year’s 5K will take place on May 6th. This 5K is a wonderful way to start off the fun-filled TPC week. The 5K travels along the golf cart path of part of the famed course. It is hilly for Florida standards, but it truly provides runners an up close and personal with the golf course!  If you have participated before, you know how unique this event is. If you have not participated, now is your chance!

The 5K does fill up relatively fast, so please sign up soon if you are interested. Entrants get a very nice technical t-shirt, a commemorative medal, and a ticket for the Sunday rounds of play on May 14. It would be wonderful to have our Running Club (and any other BES students) out in full force, runners and walkers alike. More information can be found if you click on the following link: http://breastcancermarathon.com/the-players-5k/

Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Ms. Carley Glasser

If you have any other questions about athletics, please contact Tricia Novak, Athletics Director.

Go Rays!

The SPBTS weekly Chair Yoga class meets on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. in the nursery over at the church. This class is open to everyone, and all skill levels are encouraged to attend!

Youth Bible Study is offered for 6th-12th grade students on Wednesday evenings at The Youth House. We hope your children will join us!