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Brookside Elementary news & events
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In the Know- February 2023
February 27, 2023
Upcoming events
February 21-28- Scholastic Book Fair
March 3- Grade 1 Starbooks Cafe Event
March 7- Raising Canes Dine Out Night
March 9- End of trimester two
March 10- No school
March 13-15- No school, spring break
March 16-17- District closed
March 20- No students
March 24- Beach Day and Pop Up Shop
A message from the Admin
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The MCA testing window will be from April 17-May 12. All third, fourth, and fifth grade students will be taking the reading and math MCA tests this year. Fifth grade students will also be taking the science MCA. These tests will take place Tuesdays -Thursdays with most make ups on Thursdays and Fridays. Please schedule vacations and appointments around these dates when possible. Teachers will be sending home the class testing dates and subjects when it gets closer. Although testing can be stressful, we want to remind parents and students that this is an opportunity to show everything that they have learned and to be proud of their hard work.
Thank you,
Admin
School Highlights
Building School Leaders
I Love to Read
I Love to Read Month is coming to an end. We have had so much fun dressing up in pajamas, wearing shirts with words on them, and dressing as our favorite book characters. If you have participated in the Grade Level Bingo, please return your Bingo cards to the classroom teachers by Wednesday, March 1. We hope to give prizes before spring break! As this month comes to an end our love for reading is just beginning.
Scholastic Book Fair
What you need to know about the Fair
The book fair has been extended through 3/2/23 (Thursday).
This event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. All purchases benefit our school. Here’s what you need to know about the Fair:
It will take place from February 21st- March 2nd (during media classes digital day 3 and 4. The book fair will also be open during conference times).
Visit our Book Fair homepage https://www.scholastic.com/bf/brooksideelementary1
Our Book Fair offers eWallet, a safe and secure alternative to cash. Simply create a free account to add funds. Any unused funds can be spent at The Scholastic Store Online or to fund a future eWallet.
If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.
We’re excited to celebrate our love of books together at the Book Fair. We look forward to seeing your child there!
Book Fair Teacher Donations
We are going to try something new with the Book Fair this year. Teachers will be able to create their own eWallet rather than pulling actual books. Teachers, who are participating will send out a link to their classroom eWallet. Families can then contribute to their teacher’s eWallet online rather than purchasing physical books. The process is very similar to setting up and adding funds to your child’s eWallet. If your child’s teacher doesn’t have an eWallet and you really want to purchase a book for them, you can donate your child’s favorite book.
The last day of school for elementary students
The School Board votes to amend 2022-23 school year calendar
The last day of school for elementary students will now be Wednesday, June 7, while secondary students will have their last day Thursday, June 8
The School Board approved a change to the district calendar at its December 12 meeting, converting June 8 to a non-student contact day at the elementary level. There will be no change to the schedule at the secondary level. The last day of school for elementary school students will be Wednesday, June 7, while the last day of school for secondary students will remain Thursday, June 8.
This change will allow elementary staff additional time to prepare for transitions that will occur from the current school year to the next, including the closing of Franklin Elementary School and boundary changes across the district.
School Yearbook
Yearbook Ordering Information
Dear Brookside Families,
If you have not ordered yet make sure to order your yearbook! The FINAL order date will be April 4th. There will NOT be any extra yearbooks to purchase at a later date and the online ordering system will automatically close that day. When you order a yearbook make sure to keep the confirmation email as proof of purchase as well.
Thank you from the Brookside Yearbook Advisor.
Mrs. Schultz
Click HERE to go to the yearbook ordering page!
Brookside Elementary
Yearbook ID: 14137023
Parent Engage 360 Podcast
Parent Engage 360 Podcast Episode 30: Transportation safety and winter weather
Did you know that around 34,000 Anoka-Hennepin students ride a bus to and from school each day? The district transportation services department works closely with partners to safely transport students using approximately 380 vehicles traveling more than six million miles annually.
The district services more than 8,000 bus stops traveling to and from more than 60 school sites daily.
In the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast episode, host Liz Burgard is joined by transportation director B.J. Ison and transportation safety coordinator Jeff Mueller to learn more about what goes into safely planning a school bus route, where bus stops are located and much more. In this episode you will also learn about the annual school bus safety poster contest and how students learn about bus safety throughout the school year.
Tune in to the Parent Engage 360 Podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or at ahschools.us/parentengage360.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.
LINK FOR ADDITIONAL DISTRICT NEWS:
Lost and Found
Our lost and found is filling up fast. Items will be on display in the main hallway throughout the day and during conferences. Please stop by and take a look. Any unclaimed items will be boxed up and donated after March 8.
Lunch Guests
Here is the Lunchroom Sign-Up Links for March, April, and May 2023. June will come out at a later date. You can also sign up through the Brookside Elementary Home page. Please see directions below.
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"
Directions to Add Funds to Your Student's Meal Account
- Log in to your A-H Connect parent account at ahschools.us.
- Click on the My Student Information/Synergy icon.
- Once in ParentVUE, click on the "Fee" tab.
- Click on "Pay Fees" to enter the SchoolPay payment system.
- Click on "Food Services" to add funds to your student's meal account.
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
It's been so exciting to watch our collection boxes fill with gently used shoes for Cinderella Kenya! Thank you so much for your generous donations! If you haven't done so already, we encourage you to visit www.cinderellakenya.org to learn more about this local nonprofit organization!
Next month will be all about the beach! We are excited to sponsor Beach Day on March 24. Students are invited to shop our Pop Up Shops that morning to purchase some festive gear to be beach ready!
Brookside PTO
PTO UPDATE:
Valentine Grams
Our Valentine Grams were a big success! Thank you to everyone who purchased a sweet Valentine for their students and friends! We were able to raise over $500 to add to the 5th Grade celebration!
Spring Fundraiser:
Our spring fundraiser is up and running! Butter braids and pizzas can be ordered online through March 6th.
Pick up will be on March 22 from 5-6:30- drive up style!
Here is the link to order! https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/5144b62b-83ae-419a…
Money raised from this fundraiser will go towards school and classroom needs!
Donation:
Huge THANK YOU to Mike Buss and his company LDI. Mike was able to use the DGEP program to donate $500 to our school!
Does your company offer a Directed Giving Empowerment Program? We would love for you to sign up for this! Send an email to brooksideelemschoolpto@gmail.com and we can send you our EIN number!
Recent purchases from funds raised:
-Recess Cart for all grade levels to store the general recess items
-T.V. for the 2nd Grade Wing to hold meetings and events for staff and students.
-Mints and Jolly Ranchers for Access Testing for our ELL Students and MCA testing for our Students in Grades 3-5
-$300 towards Letter Leaders/Math Marvels and 5th grade helpers leadership celebration!
Upcoming Events:
The March PTO meeting will be held on Thursday, March 9th at 6:30 in the Library. Please join us to learn about more ways you can help support our school! We are always looking for more members!
Raising Canes dine out night will be Tuesday, March 7th at the Coon Rapids location.
Family Movie Night will be held on Friday, April 21 at 6:00 in the School Cafeteria. Acapulco Mexican Restaurant will be available for purchase that night!
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:
We have had the opportunity to provide reading support to some 4th and 5th grade students through our amazing volunteers. Additionally, we have been offering our K-Skillbuilders program since November for our littlest learners. We currently have 4 regular volunteers supporting this area on a weekly basis. We have also been able to offer a Math Plus Enrichment class to 10 of our first grade students for 6 weeks.
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS:
- Winter Book Fair: Winter Book Fair Sign-Up
Our winter book fair will be held during conferences. There are multiple time slots available between 2/21-2/28. We are looking for volunteers that are able to help with point of sale; helping students and families select and purchase books. Due to the nature of this event, all volunteers will be working with money and therefore, must be 18+ years of age. A formal background check will be run for all volunteers helping with this event. Students aged 17 and under are not eligible to help with this event.
- Starbooks Cafe Event: Starbooks Cafe Event Sign-Up
First grade is hosting their "Starbooks Cafe" event on Friday, March 3rd from 2:30-3:30. This is an event where the 1st grade students invite the special people in their life to come read stories with them in class. We are looking for 2 volunteers to help direct our guests to the 1st grade flex area/corresponding teacher's classroom for the event. Volunteers would help from 2:10-2:45pm. If you can help, please sign-up below. Due to this being an event for families of the 1st grade students, we are requesting that our volunteers not be 1st grade parents (unless you're not planning to attend the event with your student).