| The Berenstain Bears and the Excuse Note | |
| Season 2, Episode 1a | |
| Series: The Berenstain Bears (2002) | |
 | |
| Air date | September 30, 2002 (Treehouse TV) October 8, 2003 (PBS) |
| Written by | Brian Lasenby |
| Directed by | Gary Hurst & Kervin Faria |
| Preceded by The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp |
Followed by The Berenstain Bears On the Job |
“Knee bends and jumping jacks aren’t always fun, but a cub will feel stronger once they are done.”
—Sister Bear
The Berenstain Bears and the Excuse Note is the first segment of the first episode in season 2 of The Berenstain Bears. It first aired on Treehouse TV on September 30, 2002, and later on PBS on October 8, 2003. It is based on the book of the same name.
Summary[]
Sister twists her ankle after stepping on a rock, rendering her unable to participate in gym class until it heals. She then comes up with the idea of having Mama write her excuse notes just to get her out of doing exercises.
Plot[]
At Bear Country School, Sister and her friends Anna and Lizzy are taking turns riding the slide while explaining what they like and dislike about school. Sister tells them she hates gym class, prompting Lizzy and Anna to share her sentiments. Lizzy tells Sister about the time she sprained her wrist and had her parents write a note to her teacher to excuse her from gym class. Shortly after, the bell rings and the cubs on the playground all head back inside the school and return to their classes.
In Teacher Jane's classroom, Sister and the other cubs are tending to their plants until she tells her students to move the desks for gym class. They first do knee bending exercises and then the duck walk. At home, Brother and Sister get off the bus and race toward the porch. Sister trips over a rock and twists her ankle in the process, to which Papa carries her into the house. Inside, Mama gives Sister a bag of ice to put on her ankle and tells her to take it easy for a few days. Sister then suggests having Mama write her an excuse note, to which Mama agrees to.
At school the next day, Sister shows Anna and Lizzy the excuse note Mama wrote for her to be excused from gym class. Teacher Jane then orders her students to move the desks for gym class. Sister shows her the excuse note and Teacher Jane has her watch for the day. The next day at recess, Sister has fun playing outside, and Teacher Jane, who is watching from her classroom window, notices Sister enjoying herself despite wearing a bandage on her ankle.
Back at home, Mama overhears Sister complaining to herself about how her ankle has healed. She asks Mama to write her another excuse note, but Mama objects, then tells Sister how physical exercise is just as important as brain exercise. When Sister tells Brother what Mama said to her, he adds that exercising helps her build muscle, as he performs jumping jacks to get prepared for the upcoming soccer game.
During gym class at school, Sister tells Anna and Lizzy about the importance of exercise and Teacher Jane has her lead the duck walk, which Sister gladly agrees to.
Characters[]
- Papa Q. Bear
- Mama Bear
- Brother Bear
- Sister Bear
- Lizzy Bruin
- Queenie McBear
- Gwendolyn "Gwen" Bearson
- Annette "Anna" O'Bear
- Teacher Jane
Differences From the Book[]
- In the book, the story began where Sister and her classmates were going into school. But in the cartoon, they were having recess at the playground.
- In the book, Sister twisted her ankle when she stepped off the bus. Although in the cartoon, she stepped on a rock, then tried to trip, causing her to slip.
- Brother plays a slightly larger role in the cartoon than he did in the book, in which he made an appearance but had no lines.
- Papa appears in the episode unlike the book.
Watch Episode[]
