Bobcat Blog

• Friday, October 11: MAP Reports come home today
• Monday, October 14 - No School: Indigenous Peoples’ Day
• Wednesday, October 16 - Unity & International Pronoun Day
• Thursday, October 24- Conferences 3:00 - 7:00 pm (full day of school for students)
• Friday, October 25 - No Student Attendance; Conferences - 8:00 - Noon
• Tuesday, October 29 - PTO Brief General Meeting followed by Beye Math Night
• Thursday, October 31 - Halloween Parties and Parade

Thank you for reading below as there is a lot of important information so I will keep this short. Friendly reminder there is no school Monday. As mentioned last week, please make sure you have a scheduled conference for each of your children. The partnership between home and school is so important. Thanks in advance for signing up to help with the Book Fair and/or the conference meal if possible. We appreciate it. The special area conference schedule is coming shortly for you to sign up if interested.

I am excited to announce that the PTO is sponsoring a library birthday book program. When it is your child's birthday, they will have the chance to pick out a birthday book from a collection that Mr. Withers ordered and again was generously paid for by the PTO. Given we are starting this after the school year starts, we will follow the below schedule.

August 22 (when school started) through end of September - will pick out a book Friday, October 18

October Birthdays - will pick out a book on Wednesday, October 23

November Birthdays - Friday, November 1

Future Months TBD

Please take a peek at Mr. Bulger's enrichment site: Here's the address: https://sites.google.com/op97.org/beye-school-enrichment

We are glad our Bobcats benefit from these opportunities!

Your child will be bringing home their MAP report today. Please see below for some information about this assessment given in September and again in January. Please note that the district just began having Kindergarten and First Graders take it last year; the test is read aloud to them. This is important information for second grade families as well, since they do it on their own now and that sometimes shows up in the scores. If you have any questions, please note that this can be discussed at conferences coming up soon.

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) - Growth The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), developed by NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association), is a computerized adaptive test, given to students in grades K-8, that measures a child's academic growth from season to season and year to year in the areas of mathematics, reading, and language usage. In the MAP system, the difficulty of the test is adjusted to the student's performance. The difficulty of each question is based on how well the student has answered all of the questions up to that point. As the student answers correctly, the questions become more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier.

Student Leadership Team is sponsoring a sock drive and calling it Socktober! We will be collecting brand new socks of all sizes for the organization New Moms all of October. We will have labeled boxes in the commons to place the donations. Please consider donating a package of new socks for the cause.

Thank you for your support,

Beye Student Leadership Team

Co-sponsors Ms. Fogg and Mrs. Adduci

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. We are going to participate in Unity Day, coming up Wednesday, October 16. Students and staff are encouraged to wear Orange IF they can (no need to buy anything). Through our Social Emotional Learning curriculum and related work, we will be addressing bullying prevention throughout the year.

What is Unity Day?

Unity Day is an opportunity for everyone to unite and take a stand against bullying by promoting a culture of kindness, understanding, and respect. It allows us to raise awareness about bullying prevention and to reaffirm our commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students.

How Can You and Your Child Participate?

1. Wear Orange: Orange is the official color of Unity Day, symbolizing our collective stance against bullying. Please encourage your child to wear orange on Wednesday, October 16, to show their support.
2. Join the Conversation: Take time to talk with your child about the importance of standing up against bullying. Share stories, discuss ways to show kindness, and encourage them to reach out to others who may feel excluded.
3. Support Our School-Wide Activities: Our schools will be organizing various learning opportunities and activities to highlight the importance of anti-bullying efforts.
4. Spread the Message: We encourage family and community members to wear orange on Unity Day! This is a visible message that our entire community is committed to amplifying the message of unity and inclusion beyond the walls of our schools.
5. We are dedicated to ensuring that every student feels safe, included, and supported. Bullying has no place in our schools, and we are continuously working to create an environment where all students feel valued and a strong sense of belonging. Unity Day is a powerful reminder that we all play a part in creating this positive, inclusive community.

We look forward to celebrating Unity Day with you and hope that, together, we can continue to build a school community that fosters kindness and inclusion.

Every year on the third Wednesday in October, we mark International Pronouns Day. This day “seeks to make respecting, sharing and educating about personal pronouns commonplace, with the goal of transforming society to celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities. Knowing people’s pronouns helps us to refer to them correctly, and respectfully."

"You know us and love us from attending BASE Camp in the summers and now, the Oak Park Education Foundation is teaming up with Beye After School! Beye school staff and the Oak Park Education Foundation are joining forces to offer a variety of hands-on, innovative educational STEAM programs, after school! Join us! These programs are open to all Beye students, K-5th, and will be running for a full 5-7 weeks of FUN!
Click here to explore class offerings and info!

Program Registration: Opens Wednesday, October 16th

Classes Dates: All classes run October 28th- Dec. 13th

(no classes on October 31st, November 5, 27, 28, 29)

See attached flyer for more details, class offerings and QR code to scan for more information! If you have questions, please contact Tara Oetting, Programs Director at Oak Park Education Foundation at toetting@opef.org.

Looking for a safe and enriching after-school program for your child?
At La Casa Montessori School, we offer Spanish immersion and a
child-centered Montessori approach, all within a warm and welcoming
community where your child (and your whole family!) feels at home. Our
after-school care at the Adams/Scoville campus (514 Adams, Oak Park)
is designed for students aged 5-11 years old and includes engaging
enrichment classes like music, art, and yoga, along with quiet study
time, an afternoon snack, and plenty of outdoor play! As one happy
7-year-old put it, “The teachers are my favorite part!” Pickup is
available on foot for nearby schools or by van for select D97
elementary schools. For more information, please contact Christina
Harris at charris@lacasamontessori.org.

We will be celebrating Halloween on October 31 in the afternoon. Please let the homeroom teacher and me know if you would prefer your child not participate. To help us prepare for this exciting day, please complete the following Halloween Survey for each of your Bobcats.

• 11:40 - 12:35 Regular Recess and Lunch Time (Students can be picked up to go home for lunch and change into their costumes)

• 1:10 - 1:40 Halloween Parade around the school campus block

• 1:40 - 2:40 Halloween parties in the classrooms (no food or drink)

• 3:00 Regular Dismissal

Please see the district's important message about Halloween costumes: Our goal in District 97 is to create a positive learning environment where all students, staff and families feel a sense of belonging. In that spirit, we have put together information and resources regarding culturally-sensitive Halloween costumes. We appreciate families being proactive with their children in making thoughtful costume choices. Click here for more information >>

You may have heard from your child that this past Tuesday we all gathered in our first Bobcat Dens of the year! On the second Tuesday of each month, we will gather in our Bobcat Dens that consist of a staff leader as well as approximately 10-13 students from all grade levels. For the first meeting Tuesday, students learned the names of their fellow Bobcat Den members, chose a den name, chose a non-verbal signal to use when crossing paths in school, and if time allowed, participated in a team building activity. This is one way we are addressing the importance of building a sense of belonging here at Beye School.

Dear Beye Families,

As you know, Parent-Teacher conferences are coming up and the PTO would like to provide our hard working teachers and staff with a meal on Thursday, October 24th. The PTO will provide sandwiches for lunch on Thursday, and we are asking for contributions of food and drinks to round out that meal and to serve as grab and go snacks, since Thursday and Friday will be long days for our teachers and staff. Please check out the categories below and consider signing up to contribute, or volunteering with set up or clean up. Food can be homemade or store bought, but please make sure that everything is NUT-FREE! All food should be dropped off on Thursday morning, from 8-10:30. Any questions, or if you need to make other arrangements, please email Molly Greenwood-Whalen at president@beyeschoolpto.org Thank you!

Thank you Jacqueline Gelman for organizing our Fall Book Fair coming during conferences on Thursday, October 24 and 25. Thanks in advance for signing up to help.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805044CABAF2CA2F49-51802205-fall

Please save October 29 on your calendar. We hope you can come for an important, brief PTO meeting to learn about this year's School Improvement Plan from 5:45 - 6:15 pm, followed by a fun Math Night from 6:15 - 7:15 p.m.

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month! An estimated 20% of our population has dyslexia, an unexpected difficulty in learning to read, write, and spell despite being intelligent and often uniquely creative. This simulation provides a lively, thought-provoking activity for teachers, parents, or anyone interested in better understanding the lives of individuals with dyslexia. Participants rotate among learning stations that simulate language-related tasks that may be encountered in the classroom and workplace.

OPPL Event Link: https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/dyslexia-simulation-83495

Health Department: Increase in Walking Pneumonia Cases in Oak Park

The Oak Park Department of Public Health has been informed of an increase in Mycoplasma infections (walking pneumonia) diagnosed in local elementary schools. Mycoplasma Pneumonia is a type of bacteria that can cause several types of infection, including chest colds and pneumonia (lung infections). It is common in school-aged children.

Please review the letter provided by the health department (linked) to learn more about Mycoplasma Pneumonia and how to slow the spread. If your child is exhibiting symptoms, please contact their physician, and do not send them to school until their symptoms are resolving and they have been fever-free, without the use of medication, for a full 24 hours.

Additional information about health guidelines for District 97 students can be found at https://www.op97.org/health-services/sick-day-guidelines.

The D97 Core Instruction Team is excited to share that our K-5 English Language Arts (ELA) pilot is officially underway in several elementary schools!

Three programs are being tested this year at Beye, Hatch, Irving and Whittier—as well as select classrooms at Holmes, Lincoln, Longfellow, and Mann—with the goal of recommending the best resources for district-wide adoption during the 2025-26 school year. Teachers and students are actively engaging with these programs to ensure they align with our district’s goals of fostering strong reading, writing, and comprehension skills. Stay tuned for updates as we gather feedback from staff and families throughout the school year. Check out the following links for more details:

• K-5 Literacy Update - Fall 2024

• FAQ: K-5 ELA Pilot

Beye Fall 2 classes are now LIVE on our site. See link below for more information.

https://www.slowfireceramics.com/beyeelementaryschool

See message from Nurse Shilpa:

We will be offering a free dental clinic open to all current Beye students on December 10th and December 11th. This is being offered at Beye School in partnership with the IWS Children's Clinic.

If you are interested in having your child/ren participate, please complete and return the attached consent form by Monday 11/25. A consent form was sent home with your students Friday September 27th.

Note: If you have a Kindergarten, First, Second, or Fifth grade student, participation in this dental clinic will satisfy dental exam requirements for KG, Second as well as Sixth grade.

Below are details from the IWS Children's Clinic:

"We provide dental exams to students through our in-school portable dental program. Our services extend to every child, pre-k to 12th grade, regardless of insurance status or eligibility. Children in kindergarten, second, sixth, and ninth grade are required to receive a dental exam – this program fulfills this requirement. Eligible children covered by Medicaid will also receive a dental cleaning and fluoride varnish if it has been 6 months or more since last cleaning/fluoride. Upon dental examination, Medicaid students will also be eligible for sealant placement. "

An extra step, if you want your child to participate, feel free to email me so I know to look out for your consent to come in at some point before the due date.

Thank You,

Shilpa

Beye Dental Consent - English
Beye Dental Consent - Spanish

The D97 Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) will be meeting every other month this school year. This is an opportunity for families to learn together and act as an advisory committee to the D97 Core Instruction team.

Parents are also invited to the Special Education Parent Support Meetings (SEPSM) which will meet every other month. The support group will be led by two licensed clinical social workers and will act as a space for parents seeking support/connection. The meetings are held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Whittier Elementary School.

Special Education Meeting Schedule for 2024-25

October 28, 2024: SEPSM (Whittier)

November 25, 2024: SEPAC (Beye)

December 16, 2024: SEPSM (Whittier)

January 27, 2025: SEPAC (Beye)

February 24, 2025: SEPSM (Whittier)

March 17, 2025: SEPAC (Beye)

April 28, 2025: SEPSM (Whittier)

May 19, 2025: SEPAC (Beye)

Please consider signing up to help maintain our Beye community pantry! Thanks in advance.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084FAEA82EA0FC1-beye1#/

Background Check Sign Up

Beye entrances/exits

D97 2024-2025 School Calendar

Health Letter from Nurse Shilpa

“My Mealtime” online portal, (If you need to add money to your child's account)

Student-Family Handbook for 2024-25

Cheryl Sullivan

Beye Principal

csullivan@op97.org

Location: 230 North Cuyler Avenue, Oak Park, IL, USA
Phone: 708- 524-3070
Twitter: @MrsSullivand97