Meadowbrook Star News 2/7/25

February Fun & Frolics at Meadowbrook!

Woohoo! What a blast Family Bingo Night was! A huge thank you to our PTO for putting on such an amazing event. The smiles, the popcorn, the prizes… it was pure family fun at its finest! High fives to Sara Downing and Katie Siegel for organizing this awesome evening, and a special shout-out to our lively emcee Ray Garcia and his all-star team of 5th-grade Bingo callers: Nicholas, Sean, Lila, Lucy, Piper, Caden, Jeffrey, and Caroline! You all rocked the Bingo Hall (aka MB Gym)!

February is here, and while the days may be short, we're packing them with BIG fun! We're talking celebrations of love, kindness, and community, all wrapped up in a cozy winter blanket (hopefully with a little less chill!). Get ready to embrace it all at Meadowbrook!

This month, we're shining a spotlight on Celebrating Black History, Acts of Kindness, and Healthy Habits. These themes will be popping up in classrooms. Please chat with your children about these topics and see how you can explore them together as a family.

Here's the February lowdown:

• Valentine's Day Class Parties - February 13th! Get ready for some sweet celebrations.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences - February 12th & 13th! Let's connect and chat about your child's progress. When we partner together, your children will reach their potential.
• Noon Dismissal on Thursday, February 13th.
• No School on Friday, February 14th.
• No School Monday February 17th

• Meadowbrook Parent's Night Out: The countdown is on for the PTO's totally awesome Parent’s Night Out on February 22 from 7:00-10:30 pm and it’s all about the 90’s! We hope everyone will join in the 90s Trivia fun at Hangar Two in Glenview.

Need-to-Know Nuggets:

• Winter Warm-Up: Please make sure your child is bundled up for the chilly weather. Hats, gloves, and warm coats are a must!
• Renovation Buzz: Want to know more about the Renovation and Addition Plans? Check out the district website for info on each school site, architectural drawings, and the April 1st bond referendum.
• Health Heroes: With illness making the rounds, let's keep those hand-washing habits strong! And remember, if your child has a fever or other symptoms, please keep them home to rest and recover. They need to be fever-free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.
• Parent-Teacher Partnerships: We value your feedback! We love working together to ensure your child has an amazing educational experience at Meadowbrook.
• Long Weekend Alert: No school on Friday, February 14th! Enjoy some quality time with your family.

We're so grateful for your continued support and partnership. Let's make February a month filled with growth, learning, and tons of fun!

With Warm Regards,

Heidi Wennstrom and Jeanne Banas

Interim Principals, Meadowbrook School

A part of the Hunger Resource Network, Hunger Free Northbrook is a community-based coalition representing local businesses, religious groups, civic organizations, schools and healthcare organizations. The coalition is focused on improving the food security of seniors and children in our community. District 28 partners with Hunger Free Northbrook to improve student food security. Families experiencing food insecurity may sign up via their school’s main office to receive monthly grocery bags including food and personal care items, delivered to school, for each child. Contact your school’s main office for more details. Are you interested in learning about how to volunteer or support Hunger Free Northbrook? Click here for more details.

Kindergarten registration is underway! Each year we welcome a new class of learners to District 28, but we actually do not know how many 5-year-olds we will welcome in August until we have them registered.

We use this early registration to prepare for the next school year. We need to plan for staffing and classroom space…Please help us out by registering this week, and sharing this information with any friends or neighbors who have a child who will be 5 years old on September 1st. No fees are required until April.

Please visit the Kindergarten Registration webpage for more information or contact Administrative Assistant Annie Danstrom.

The winter parent-teacher conferences for K-5 will be held on February 12 from 4:30-6:30 in-person and 6:30-7:30 via Zoom and on February 13 from 1-3 p.m. via Zoom and 3-8 p.m. in-person. Pick-A-Time Scheduler will open at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, and close at 7 p.m. Feb. 10. Check for an email from Data Specialist Lisa Brown that was sent on Jan. 27 with instructions and a link to the scheduler.

Sign up your 3rd through 5th grade aspiring writer for the creative writing club so that they can learn and practice storytelling. Starting February 24th, the club will meet every Monday from 3:30 p.m. until 4:15 p.m. in Room 224. The club's last meeting will be on April 28th. Register your student by completing this Google form. A lottery system will be used if more than 20 students register. The club is free and feel free to reach out to Ms. Parciak, lparciak@northbrook28.net, with any questions.

This year, classrooms will celebrate Valentine's Day on February 13th in the morning, 11 a.m. for Kindergarten and 11:15 a.m. for Grades 1-5. Students are always welcome to bring Valentine's cards for their peers. If your child chooses to do so, please remember the following guidelines:

• We cannot pass out Valentine's cards that include food or candy of any kind. If your child has cards with food or candy, we will have to return them.
• Please be sure to include a card for every student in your child's classroom to ensure everyone feels included. Teachers can send a list of first names, if needed, so your child can be sure to have a Valentine's card for everyone.
• We have no school on Valentine's Day, Feb.14th, so classrooms will celebrate earlier in the week. Classroom parties are 11 a.m. for Kindergarten, 11:15 a.m. for Grades 1-5 on February 13th.

Download the presentation and links to resources.

Get ready to be inspired! The Meadowbrook Science Fair is happening on Wednesday, March 6, at 6:30 PM in the school gym. We’re excited to see what amazing STEM projects our Meadowbrook stars will showcase this year. Mark your calendars for an evening of discovery, innovation, and fun! Whether your student is a mad scientist in the making, a future NASA engineer, or just really loves making slime, there’s a place for everyone at the Science Fair! To join the fun - make sure to register by February 24th. The Science Fair is the perfect vehicle to encourage your kids to get curious, get messy (within reason), and show the Meadowbrook community what science can do! Details in the flyer. Click here to register.

Let’s make this the best Science Fair yet!

A huge Meadowbrook shoutout to our dynamic, fun-loving, event-planning powerhouses, Sara Downing & Katie Siegel! These two called all the right numbers last night, bringing our Family Bingo Night to life with an evening full of excitement, prizes, and community spirit! But wait—there’s more! We would also like to acknowledge all the amazing volunteers who stepped up to help us with Bingo Night. Thank you Kathyrn Mazzarella, Ray Garcia, Kate Sweas, Laurie Parnes, David Lewis, Chris Lopez, Jennifer Hook, Monica Benz, Ryan Hamilton, Lori Morrissey, Kelly Lee, Maria Scott and Tori Miller. Special mention and thanks to all our 5th grade Bingo Callers: Lucy Lee, Piper Miller, Caden Lopez, Jeffrey Lewis, Caroline Millman, Jordan Gistenson, Nicholas Delis, Sean Jung and Lila Kivetz. Your dedication helps make our school community a winning place for all!

We’ve been living that Facebook-only life for too long, and it was time for a glow-up. Meadowbrook PTO is now on Instagram! We’re officially on the “Gram” because we’re just a bunch of overachievers who can’t resist a good social media expansion. Expect behind-the-scenes PTO magic, event sneak peeks, and way too many exclamation points(!!!). So do your civic duty, follow us, like us, comment, share, tag us in your school pics, and help us grow our Insta empire! Follow us at: d28.meadowbrookpto

We are already planning for the next school year, and we need your help! Many of our current PTO Executive Team members are retiring from their roles or moving on to Northbrook Junior High. This creates a wonderful opportunity for new voices and fresh perspectives to step up and shape the PTO for the 2025-2026 school year.

Why join the PTO Executive Team?

● Make a Difference: Your involvement directly impacts our students, teachers, and school community.

● Meet Other Parents: Build meaningful connections with other families.

● Leave Your Mark: Bring your ideas and energy to continue our school’s traditions and create new ones.

Whether you're great at organizing events, managing budgets, or simply passionate about supporting our school, there's a role for you. We’ll guide and support you as you step into a leadership position. To learn more about each role, read our PTO ByLaws.

Open Positions:
President, VP of Administration, Treasurer, Media Relations Manager, Recording Officer, and a co-Website Manager

Interested or have questions?
We have some volunteers who have expressed interest in these positions. But if you'd like to learn more or get involved, please email us at d28.meadowbrookpto@gmail.com or join us for our next meeting on February 12, 2025 to learn more about how you can get involved.

Together, we can keep our PTO strong and vibrant for years to come!

🍕 We've Got You Covered!

📰January PTO Newsletter

Read our January newsletter.

Stay connected with us on Facebook - MeadowbrookPTODistrict28

The Fifth Graders had the best time learning Curling at the Chicago Curling Club

Brainstorm!

Bingo Night was a success!

Kindergartners learning about force

Are you looking for a nurturing, engaging early childhood program for your little one? Meet our caring teachers, explore our program and see how we inspire young minds through fun and education at our free community play on Saturday, March 1, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Westmoor School, 2500 Cherry Lane.

Please RSVP to Participate

January 31

• 8:45am 5th Grade Field trip to the Curling Club

February 3-10

• Kindergarten Registration

February 5

• Bingo Night!

February 6

• PTO Pizza Day 🍕

February 11

• 9:15am-12:15pm 4th Grade Field Trip to Holocaust Museum

February 12

• 9am PTO Meeting
  
• 12pm Music Parents Club Meeting- HOH Room
• 4:30pm-7:30pm Parent Teacher Conferences

February 13

• Valentine's Day Parties, 11am for Kindergarten, 11:15am for Grades 1-5
• 12pm- Noon Dismissal
• 1pm-8pm Parent Teacher Conferences

February 14

• No School

February 17

• No School- President's Day

February 20

• PTO Pizza Day 🍕

District 28 invites local non-profit organizations and community government agencies to promote events for families and children. Each week, some event are highlighted in the newsletter. View the complete list of events on the Virtual Backpack web page. To submit an event, please email the web-friendly flier to Terry Ryan, Communications Director. All fliers are subject to approval.

Registration is now open for Northbrook Baseball's 2025 Spring House League Season. All 3rd - 8th graders are encouraged to participate in the program, regardless of skill level or experience.

Registration Link

Registration will close in mid-February.

Through curling, Juniors (ages 10 - 18) can learn good sportsmanship, build strategic thinking and communication skills, and stay active. Kids of all abilities are invited to play this great sport. Our programs are designed to help young curlers efficiently build their skills whether they are competitive or just looking for a fun time.

All necessary equipment will be provided to those who participate.

Contact Lis Collins for more information.

Are you ready to rethink what it means to support your kids? Inspired by Emily Oster’s podcast, Raising Parents, CATCH, Community Action Together for Children's Health, will tackle the challenges of overparenting in today’s world. In this interactive session via Zoom on Feb. 11, we’ll dive into why the culture of helicopter parenting isn’t working and how we can shift toward a healthier, more empowering approach -to let your kids—and yourself—thrive. Register for the Zoom Presentation.

What: Pickle for a Purpose

When: Friday, February 28, 2025, 5:00pm-9:00 pm

Where: Pickleball4All, 2105 Johns Court, Glenview, IL 60025

Come play, nibble, get some custom-printed swag, and enjoy an evening benefiting CATCH. MANDO Consulting, a long-time friend of CATCH, is hosting the evening so that 100% of the registration fees are donated to CATCH.

Registration link here

The District 27 PTA is excited to invite the Northbrook community to its annual Wellness Fair! With over 25 vendors and school-sponsored activities on site, you’ll have the opportunity to learn, engage, and access valuable resources to support your family’s well-being. Parents and kids are welcome!

Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Date: Saturday, February 22 Location: Wood Oaks Junior High, 1250 Sanders Road, Northbrook

Visit Virtual Backpack for More information