![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/u/backgrounds/custom_bg-62e01263c30d9b60d90d1cd3-1d71b946b00e.jpg)
Brookside Elementary news & events
![Brookside Elementary news & events](https://cdn.smore.com/u/thumbs/ed07/thumb-cb50f224acf61ceee7ab581d5518957e.jpeg)
In the Know- November 2022
December 1, 2022
Upcoming events
December 2- No School for Elementary Students
December 3- Craft Fair and Secret Santa Event 9-2 pm
December 5 - No School for Elementary Students
December 6- Start of TRI 2
December 6-9- Kindness Counts Candy Canes
December 16- Spirit Day/Ugly Sweater Day
December 23- District Closed
December 26-29- No School/Winter Break
December 30- District Closed
A message from the principal
Happy Holidays! It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Thanksgiving and now the holiday season is upon us; where does the time go?
Mother Nature has been so gracious to bless us with snow over the last month; the students have been so excited! It’s fun watching the students play in the snow; there is something so innocent about it. They have been busy building forts, snowmen, and making snow angels.
We would like to thank all the families for their support in making sure your child is equipped with the appropriate winter apparel for recess. It is reassuring to know that they will be kept warm and dry when enjoying the outdoor recreation.
We also hope this upcoming holiday break provides you and your family the opportunity to relax and enjoy each other. We want to thank you for sharing your greatest gift with us, your child. We are very proud of the education we provide at Brookside and hope you and your child share the feeling as well.
Happy Holidays,
Dr. Cravens, Mr. Potthoff, and Mrs. Groebner
Report Cards - We want to congratulate our students and teachers on a successful first trimester of the school year. Report cards will be sent home with students on Wednesday, December 7th. This presents a prime opportunity for parents to talk about school with their children. Here are some questions for parents to use to help begin the conversation:
- Which grade are you most proud of and why?
- What is one area that you could improve on during the second trimester?
- Which subject could you put more effort towards?
- How can we support you in a certain subject, so that you are able to do your very best?
- Which subject is the most interesting to you & why?
A simple conversation about a child's report card is a perfect example of parental involvement. It shows that we, as parents, are interested in our children, their progress in school, and their ability to achieve their highest potential.
Remember this, it is all about growth and improvement. Each child is different, and so our expectations for each student must fit with each individual. We encourage parents to use the report card as a way to encourage and motivate students to do the very best they can each day.
School highlights
District Kindness Poster Winner
Congratulations to Leona Payne! Leona's kindness poster was a district winner! Her poster will be copied and sent to all elementary schools in the district. She will be recognized at the January school board meeting.
Attendance
Attendance Letters:
Families have started to receive attendance letters from the school. This is a practice that is required for all schools per state statute. (This practice was suspended the past two years due to the pandemic.) We send attendance letters when students have 3 unexcused absences, 5 absences, 6 unexcused absences and when students reach 10 or more days out of school. Typically, the average absences for a school year is 10 days for a student. We recognize that extenuating circumstance may arise. If you receive a letter regarding your child's attendance and you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us. We are here to answer any questions you may have.
Change of Dismissal:
Please remember to call the school and email your child's teacher with all dismissal changes.
Tips for Cold and Flu Season
Promoting health and wellness in school, early influenza season
Minnesota is starting to see an uptick in flu cases, according to new data from the state department of health. Now is the perfect opportunity to remind your students about healthy habits to prevent the spread of germs and illness. Use these conversation tips at home to stay healthy this school year:
Wash hands frequently: Scrub hands and fingers with soap and clean water for at least 20 seconds.
Cover coughs and sneezes: Use an elbow or a tissue.
Avoid touching your face: Germs can enter your body through your eyes, nose and mouth.
Practice healthy eating habits: Food is your body’s fuel. Choosing well-balanced meals boosts energy and health. Avoid sharing food/drinks/utensils with others.
Get plenty of rest: Sleep is important and restores your mind and body.
When to stay home
Ensuring schools are safe and healthy for all students is the first priority for Anoka-Hennepin. If your child does get sick, keep them home from school so they don’t share their illness with others. Reference school district guidelines to help with this decision:
If a student has had a fever of 100 degrees or more, the student must stay home for 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal without fever reducing medication.
If a student has vomited or had diarrhea, the student must stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.
If a student has had any rash that may be disease-related or the cause is unknown, check with your family physician before sending the student to school.
If a student is ill, please call the school daily to report the illness.
For more resources and information contact your school health services office or visit ahschools.us/healthservices.
Lunch Guests
When coming for lunch we ask that you help support the following expectations:
Be Respectful
- Please use an indoor voice when talking to others
- Be polite and use good manners
- We ask that cell phones be put away and turned off during lunch
Be Responsible
- Choose a seat and remain seated
- Raise your hand if you need something
- Clean up after yourself
Be Safe
- Be a leader!
- Keep hands and feet to self
- Please do not share your food with others
A few other items to remember
- No pictures!
- You and your child can share your lunch together with one other student from the same classroom.
If you bring an outside meal, please remember we do not allow pop, malts/ice cream, or slushies in the lunchroom. Milk, juice or water are acceptable.
Directions To Sign Up to Have Lunch With Your Child
- Go to the Brookside Elementary Home Page: https://www.ahschools.us/brookside
- Click on "About Us"
- Click on "Daily Schedule"
- Click on the link "Sign up to have lunch with your child in December"
Character Strong
We began rolling out our Character Strong social emotional curriculum this fall. Students are receiving daily lessons with an emphasis on conflict resolution, emotion regulation, and executive functioning skills. Below is the family newsletter for each grade level. Please take a peek to see what your child is learning.
Student Council News
Kindness Counts Candy Canes
Brookside's Student Council will be promoting school-wide kindness by selling Kindness Counts Candy Canes!
Kindness Counts Candy Canes can be sent to anyone in our school- friends, teachers, specialists, paras, principals, custodians! To order a Kindness Counts Candy Cane completely fill out the slips. Place the slip AND money in a baggie and drop into any of the Kindness Counts boxes located at all grade level flex area entrances before school on December 6, 7, 8, and 9. Make sure to include all information including the recipients class info (ex. Carly Stock/1JS). Each Kindness Counts Candy Cane costs only 25 cents.
Student Council members will deliver the Kindness Counts Candy Canes before we leave for Winter Break.
Kindness Counts Candy Canes are a wonderful way to spread kindness at Brookside Elementary!
Brookside PTO
November PTO Update
Family Bingo
We had a huge turn out for our first PTO family event! Thank you to everyone who came out to play some Bingo and for all of our amazing volunteers and Bingo Callers! It was a great night to get together with friends!
Craft Fair Boutique/Secret Santa
Our first ever Craft Fair Boutique will be held on December 3rd from 9am-2pm.
Come experience over 30 crafters as they display their items. Grab some friends and join the fun, shop for yourself or for some holiday gifts!
The Student Council will also be hosting a Secret Santa Shop from 9-12. Children can shop for the perfect Holiday gift for each of their parents, siblings and friends! All gifts are priced under $5 and include gift wrapping!
Brookside Fun Run: The Brookside PTO is looking for ideas and members to help create and lead a Brookside Fun Run Fundraiser for the Fall of 2023! Please email the brooksideelemschoolpto@gmail.com if you would be interested in joining this committee!
Upcoming events!
Join us for our December Dine in night!
Chipotle in Coon Rapids Riverdale welcomes all Brookside families on from 4-8. 10% of all sales come right back to Brookside!
December PTO Meeting: No Meeting in December
Volunteer Update
- Volunteers play an important role at Brookside Elementary School. If you would like to learn more and help out our students and staff during the school year, please complete the volunteer paperwork for this school year. Check out https://www.ahschools.us/domain/11288 for more information.
EXCITING UPDATES:
In November, we asked for some volunteer support to help our 5th grade students with reading practice. We've had a great response and are so thankful for the ways our volunteers step up to help our students succeed. Additionally, we have been able to start up our K-Skillbuilders program at the end of November. We're hoping to start up some before/after school programs for our students in 2023 called Challenge Reading and Math Plus. Stay tuned for more volunteer information coming in the future.
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS:
- Brookside's PTO is hosting its first ever Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022 from 9:00-2:00. We are seeking volunteers to help facilitate the event. Please sign up for an area of interest to you. Craft Show Volunteer Sign-Up
- We're looking for food donation items that will be used to serve lunch to our shoppers during the craft fair. Please drop any donations off to Brookside by 3:30 on Thursday, December 1st. Craft Show Donations
- We are looking for a volunteer to come in weekly on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 to help assemble Wednesday packets. Please email Jenny Ames, Volunteer Service Coordinator, if you are interested in helping. Email: jennifer.ames@ahschools.us