Hello Bobcat Families,

We had a short but great week last week with our Bobcats!

Here were some week highlights:

• Teachers investing and engaging in professional development at our SIP Day on Tuesday. We had a wonderful day growing and learning together!
• All of our safety patrol members started--we have 50 5th graders who have volunteered their time and leadership to the good of Brookdale! It was great seeing them in action this week!
• We got those amazing Bobcat smiles photographed with Picture Day! If your child missed it, retakes will be on 10/17.
• We kicked off our Fall Benchmarking and students were working hard to show what they know!
• Expectations are clearly being laid out for students and brain breaks mixed in to ensure our Bobcats are always at their best (staff even joining in on the fun!)!
• Teachers conducting classroom assessments and getting to know their students as learners, meeting them where they are to grow them to their potential!
• Our Bobcat Running Club kicked off and our bubble gums sales--thank you to all who have donated to support Team IEPF (See our 40 strong team members below!).
• The Busy Bobcat Store was a hit! Our 5th grade workers were supporting all of our students who took home some treasures!
• We had our first PAW drawing during lunch. We have some student voices on the announcements this week as they choice "experience coupons". The Bobcats are working their way towards a whole school reward: Free Seating at Lunch!
• Our Bobcats are really loving the new playground, new asphalted/painted blacktop, and Gaga pit! It has been fun to hear all the laughs and giggles radiating from the back of our school during recess and play times.

Be sure to check out the calendar updates below as we have more excitement coming this week including our first PTA Meeting of the Year (Be sure to check out the special incentive for attending!) and our big IPEF Fundraiser: Movie Night Mania! More information can be found below. Be sure to also check out the sign-ups for some clubs at Brookdale beginning soon. Thank you to all of our Club Sponsors who make these opportunities possible for our students!

We are looking forward to a great week together!

Full of Bobcat Pride,

Mrs. Keeley Schmid

Brookdale's Proud Principal

Do you enjoy beads, glitter, tye-dye, and stamps? Brookdale has the club for you! This fall, we are offering a Craft Club on Friday mornings for all grade levels. Session information is below. We can’t wait to see what you can create!

Session 1:

Grades 3rd, 4th, and 5th:

Dates: 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/ 20

Time: 8:00-8:50 a.m.

Session 2:

Grades Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd

Dates: 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 12/1

Time: 8:00-8:50 a.m.

Cost: The cost will be $5 per child.

Sign Up: Please sign up using the Google Form below. Sign up closes on September 15th. There are only 24 students per session, so if we have more than 24 students registered, participants will be selected by lottery.

Sign UP: https://forms.gle/nLxR5xTwcQ9JLWQ78

We are excited to announce the start of our 4th & 5th Grade Chorus sessions, which will start on Tuesday, September 26th. Chorus is a before-school opportunity for 4th and 5th grade students who wish to explore their musical interest, learn teamwork, and enjoy singing together.

For more information about chorus and to sign up, click this link here.

Come enjoy a special night in the Brookdale Gym for our 3rd annual Movie Night Mania featuring The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

When? Doors open at 5:00pm (Door 2), and we have something special for the first 50 attendees! The movie will kick-off at 5:30pm. There will be an intermission to refresh a visit to the concession stand, draw some raffle tickets, and introduce Team IPEF. The remaining raffle tickets will be drawn at the conclusion of the movie. Must be present to win!

Where? The Brookdale Gym--students are encouraged to wear their PJs, bring their blankets/sleeping bags, and camp out in the gym with their Bobcat Family!

Admission? Tickets are $5.00 at the door (tickets cannot be purchased in advance). Cash and checks only are accepted. Checks can be made out to Brookdale Elementary.

There will be a raffle for prizes, a silent auction, and concessions until your heart desires! Pizza, candy, popcorn, drinks, and sweet treats will be served to support your enjoyment of the show! As a reminder, this is a cash/check only event.

Special Notes: Students must be accompanied by an adult. All proceeds from the event benefit Indian Prairie Education Foundation (IPEF).

Help make this special night possible by donating your time. We need volunteers to help with admissions, concessions, raffle, baked good donations and more. Click the button below to volunteer! Team IPEF members will receive credit towards their fundraising goals. Team IPEF members should wear their shirts for the event.

Our common district IAR/DLM score release date to parents/guardians in ParentVUE is Friday, September 15th, 2023. Scores will only show for our current 4th and 5th grade students who took the assessment last school year.

We are so grateful to ALL of our community who said "YES!" to joining Brookdale Team IPEF. Check out all of our runners/walkers below!

Movie Night Mania is coming up this week--come join the fun! Our bubble gum sales also go towards these fundraising efforts.

Because of your contributions, IPEF is able to Young Hearts for Life, Robotics, E-Sports, and Digital Storytelling, mental health counseling for at-risk students, Teacher grants to try new and innovate programs and the Fine Arts Festival! Thank you for contributing to these efforts!

Our school’s highest priority is the safety of our students and staff. In order to maintain a safe environment, it is necessary that we practice our emergency and crisis response plans.

We are required by the Illinois School Safety Drill Act (105 ILCS 128/1) to conduct a minimum of six safety drills per school year to ensure that our staff and students know their role and are prepared to act during a potential crisis. These safety drills are designed to protect students from danger in and around a school.

We do not conduct surprise drills. We teach students that drills are for practice, and we when practicing, we want to learn and grow from these experiences. We will conduct our safety drills on the following days and times this school year:

8/30 @9:30-Evacuation/Fire Drill-Completed

9/12 @2:30-Evacuation/Fire Drill

09/22 @9:30-11:00 (scheduled times)-Bus Evacuation Drill

10/2/23 @10:00-Law Enforcement Drill with NPD School Resource Officer

10/23/23 @9:45-Evacuation/Fire Drill with Naperville Fire Department

11/3/23 @9:30-Severe Weather Drill

3/6/24 @2:30-Severe Weather Drill

We are so grateful to all of our Veterans who have served this great country! We are hosting a Veteran's Day Assembly on November 10th for our 3rd-5th graders, and we would love the opportunity for them to hear from our Veterans in our community!

Please complete this form if you are interested in speaking at our assembly or know a Veteran that would be willing to join us!

Thank you very much to our returning community members who have helped model the arrival/dismissal procedures for our new families! We are appreciative of your patience as students fall into new routines this school year. As a friendly reminder, cell phone usage is not allowed in a school zone while operating a vehicle. This is for the safety of our students.

You may choose to park and walk to come get their child. Please be sure to check out this link where you can park when picking up your child. If parking in a designated parking zone, please help out fellow community members by parking as close to the curb as you can. Naperville Police Department will begin patrolling periodically after Labor Day and writing tickets for illegally parked/standing cars during the school's arrival/dismissal time.

Picking your child up by car and don't want to get out of the car? The only option if picking up your child while staying in the vehicle is via our carline that begins on Bainbridge and wraps onto Redfield Road.

It takes a team to ensure all students get to and from school safely, and we appreciate you following these procedures.

"A book is a present you can open again and again."

The Birthday Book Club program invites students to donate a book of their special choosing to the LMC during the month of their birthday. One day each month all students who have chosen to participate in the program will go to the LMC after morning announcements to choose his or her book. A photo of the student will be taken and placed in the book on a special bookplate indicating the donor and his or her birthday. The book will then be checked out to that student. This is a great way to give a lasting gift to the school and celebrate your birthday at the same time.

Click here to learn more! Birthday Book Club

Our Bobcats are so fortunate to be under the care of Nurse Lin!

Kindergarten Students, Students New to Illinois, Students being enrolled in a public school for the first time

- Physical examination on an IDPH School Health Program & Child Health Exam Update dated after 8/24/22 or later with updated immunization complaint with Illinois requirements. DUE by October 15, 2023.

- A vision exam by an eye doctor on an Illinois Eye Exam form dated 8/24/22 or later. DUE by October 15, 2023 (This is different from the vision screening done in school).

- A dental exam on an Illinois Dental Exam form dated between November 15, 2022 and May 15, 2024: DUE by May 15, 2024

2nd Grade Students

- A dental exam on an Illinois Dental Exam form dated between November 15, 2022 and May 15, 2023: DUE by May 15, 2024

Health Forms

Student emergency action plans guide our health care team to provide quality health care in our schools, account for student safety, and protect a student’s rights while reducing any health barriers to the learning environment. These plans facilitate communication between the student’s family, outside health care providers, teachers, administrators, and the school’s health care team to ensure that the student's access to the classroom is maximized in a safe environment. https://www.ipsd.org/Page/2485

Medication During the School Day

All medications (over-the-counter or prescribed) that may be needed during the school day, must have the following form completed by both a physician and parent/guardian. All medication brought in must match exactly as what is ordered on the form. A student may carry and self-administer rescue medication as outlined in the District's policy. Medication may not be shared with other students. Medication Forms

PTA Committee Chair Kick-Off

6:30 – 7:00pm

Committee Chairs, join us in the LMC before the general PTA meeting to discuss roles and responsibilities for the school year.

General PTA Meeting
7:00 - 8:00pm

Come see what the PTA is all about and hear about the exciting things that we've got planned this year. You don't need to be a member to attend (only to vote) - all are welcome! Babysitters will be provided.

**Attend this week's PTA Meeting and earn a ticket to each lunch with your child!

PTA After the Meeting Gathering

8:00

Location TBD

Show that Bobcat pride with a collection of Brookdale wearables perfect for everyone in the whole family! Great to have for our next spirit day on Friday, October 6. All items ship directly to your home. Plus, for a limited time, items in the shop are 30% off and all orders over $75 ship for free. Happy shopping: Spirit Shop Link

Brookdale PTA makes it easy to submit photos all year long to the school yearbook. Simply email your favorite school pictures to brookdaleyearbook@gmail.com so we can build an archive of images for our annual school yearbook. Please only send ONE picture of each memory to help us avoid duplicates.

The PTA is an organization of parents, staff, and community members committed to enriching the school experience for all students and staff at Brookdale. With exciting programming, events, and tons of resources offered to our Bobcats each year, we work hard to ensure that Brookdale stays at its best!

Joining the PTA gives you the opportunity to make a difference in your student's time at Brookdale. Plus, meet new people and get to know the staff in a fun environment. The PTA will connect you to important school happenings and resources that benefit your child. And importantly, joining the PTA strengthens our community - we need your unique perspective to make a difference! Yearly membership is $20 for a single adult and just $30 for a family membership (two adults). All proceeds go back to benefit Brookdale! Sign up today! http://www.brookdalepta.org/membership/

Calling all corporate sponsors! Brookdale's biggest fundraiser is right around the corner, and we need YOUR SUPPORT to help us reach our fundraising goal! Become a sponsor of this beloved annual event and you'll help give back to our Bobcat community (100% of the proceeds go to support school improvement funds, classroom supplies, assemblies, LMC books and more), while also gaining exposure of your brand or organization to a huge audience. There are several different sponsorship packages available, and we'd love the opportunity to chat about ways your group can help support our worthwhile cause. Please contact Fun Run Co-Chairs Megan Happ or Elizabeth Knight to learn more.

Morning Greeter – Volunteers Needed

Help support Brookdale Elementary by volunteering as a Morning Greeter! The greeter is a friendly, welcoming face who directs adult visitors to the office, assists students who arrive late, and delivers items to the classrooms. The time commitment is only 30 minutes from 9:00 – 9:30am (9:10-9:45 on Wednesdays). Help is needed each school day – you can sign up for a single day, choose a day per week, or select as many days as you can to help keeping Brookdale mornings running smoothly! SIGN UP HERE

Men of Brookdale – Volunteers Needed

Calling all enthusiastic and caring male role models (dads, grandfathers, uncles, etc)! Ignite a positive impact in your child’s educational journey through our remarkable Men of Brookdale (MOB) program. Join in on the playground and in the lunchroom and help play games, open containers and have fun with your child and peers. Please sign up at the link below and timing is flexible. There are two sessions each day: 11:00am-12:25pm (Grades 2/1/5) and 12:15pm-1:50pm (Grades 4/3/K). Volunteers can sign up for one or both sessions. Dates are available a couple Friday’s each month – it’s fun, simple and rewarding! SIGN UP LINK If you have any questions, email Tim Phelan at timphelan15@gmail.com.

Monday, September 11

Fall Benchmarking Continues

School Board Meeting

Tuesday, September 12

PTA Committee Chair Kick-Off 6:30pm

PTA Meeting @7:00pm

After PTA Meeting at off-campus location @8:00pm

Wednesday, September 13

Family Dinner Night Fundraiser: Lou Malnati’s

Thursday, September 14

No events scheduled.

Friday, September 15

IAR Scores available via ParentVUE (Current 4th and 5th students)

Bobcat Running Club @7:45-8:45am

Men of Brookdale (MOB)

Bubble Gum Sales Begin @3:35pm

Movie Night Mania @5:30pm

Sign Up Closes for Craft Club

Upcoming dates in September:

9/20 Project Arrow PTA Meeting @7:00

9/25 School Board Meeting @7:00

10/2-6 Bobcat Fun Run Spirit Week

10/6 MOB/Spirit Day/Bobcat Fun Run 5-8:00