Dear Brooks Families,

Thank you families for joining us for Curriculum Night last week on Thursday. If you have any questions about how your student is doing, please connect with your child's teacher.

Our PTO and BRAVO and sponsoring our Welcome Back to School event this Thursday, 9/19 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. Please plan to join the fun!

We have a few more club options starting. Please see the link to the student announcements below for more information.

You can view this week's Middle Matters or any previous week's Middle Matters on our Brook's website.

Sincerely,

April Capuder

Principal

• Monday, September 16th is an A Day; Tuesday - B Day; Wednesday - A Day; Thursday - B Day, and Friday - A Day

• No School: Thursday, October 3rd, 2024

• No School: Monday, October 14th, 2024

• Family Conferences: Thursday, October 24th from 4pm to 8pm & Friday, October 25th from 9am to 1pm

• No School: Tuesday, November 5th, 2024

• End of Trimester 1: Friday, November 15th

Join the Brooks PTO and Bravo at the Back to School Bash for the entire family on Thursday, September 19th! The Bash will take place from 5:30-7:30PM at the main entrance to Brooks and the parking lot! There will be DJ, karaoke, games, food/sweet treats for purchase, program tabling and more! 6th grade families, be sure to stop by the PTO table to grab your student’s Brooks t-shirt too!

**A sensory station will also be available!**

In District 97, we believe that heritage and identity should be celebrated year-round. That said, heritage months and observances provide us with an opportunity to learn about and honor both our own cultures and the diverse identities of others.

As National Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off on Sept. 15, we’re excited to highlight how our schools are recognizing and celebrating the unique achievements, contributions, and histories of Hispanic and Latinx communities.

We invite you to join us in amplifying these stories! Connect with us on Let’s Talk to share your photos, stories, and celebrations.

Monday 9/23

• Theme: Pajama Day
• Activity: Enjoy some tunes played by our Brooks Band as students enter the building this AM!

Tuesday 9/24

• Theme: Crazy Hair Day
• Activity: Students (and staff!) are invited to write messages of school spirit and good luck to our student-athletes today during lunch!

Wednesday 9/25

• Theme: Decades Day
• Activity: Students (and staff!) are invited to write messages of school spirit and good luck to our student-athletes today during lunch!

Thursday 9/26

• Theme: Blue Out - Wear Brooks Blue!
• Activity: At 3:25 we will host a "clap-in" to cheer the girls into the gym before the big game. Be sure to stop by to support the girls.
• BROOKS VS. JULIAN BASKETBALL GAME AT 4:30

Friday 9/27

• Theme: Brooks Wear or Blue & White

We are excited to share that District 97 will implement a new visitor management system this school year. Starting September 16, 2024, we will introduce the Raptor Visitor Management System. This advanced system will streamline the visitor check-in process, ensuring all visitors are properly identified and authorized before entering our schools.

Here’s what to expect:

1. Enhanced Security: All visitors will be required to check in using a government-issued ID, which will be scanned and compared against national databases to ensure that no individual with a concerning background is allowed on our premises. If a visitor for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system.

2. Streamlined Check-In: The Raptor system will speed up the check-in process, allowing us to more efficiently manage visitor traffic and ensure that all individuals on campus are accounted for.

3. Improved Communication: The system will help us quickly identify and communicate with visitors if any emergencies arise, contributing to a safer environment for our students and staff.

4. Visitor Badges: Once checked in, visitors will receive a badge that includes their photo, name, and destination, which must be worn at all times while on school property. Visitors are required to return to the front office and turn in their badge before leaving the building.

The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency.

We are confident that the Raptor Visitor Management System will significantly enhance our school's safety measures and create a more secure environment for our students and staff. We appreciate your support and cooperation in helping us implement this important system.

Click the following links to view a quick video tutorial on how to check in to your student’s school using the Raptor Visitor Management System: English | Spanish

To learn more about the Raptor Visitor Management System, please visit the Raptor Technologies website. If you have any questions, please contact your building principal or reach out to us via Let’s Talk.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and your continued support of our school community.

Sincerely,

D97 Safety Team

Hot lunch will be available to students who wish to participate and have a funded or an approved lunch account, starting the first day of school. If you have questions regarding your student's lunch balance, you may contact the Lunch Manager, Shetrice Baker at Sbaker2@op97.org. To make payments on student lunch accounts please visit, https://www.mymealtime.com/signin.aspx

Breakfast and hot lunch menus and other information

Friday Pizza Lunch started on Friday, September 13 - BUT YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP to get pizza every Friday!

Purchase Friday Pizza Lunch

Parents - we need your help! Please Sign Up to Help Out with Pizza Lunch on Fridays - pick and choose which days you want to help throughout the year - 11:25am-1:30pm

Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any District 97 schools during the 2024-25 school year. This includes products that are labeled “processed in a facility that shares equipment with nut products.” Our schools have been nut-safe for the past two years—helping to create safer, more inclusive environments for all of our students.

Attendance will be taken every day for each class period by each of your child's teacher and it will be denoted in PowerSchool. Student's are expected to attend each of their classes at their scheduled time and day. If your student will be absent from school, please call the attendance number 708-665-3074 or email brooksattendance@op97.org

Please contact the Brooks Health Office and speak with Nurse Tracy Biggerstaff if you have questions or concerns regarding your student's health.

(708) 524-3058 or tbiggerstaff@op97.org

Office Phone Hours

Please note that our office staff sets the phone to go to voicemail from 8:30am to 9:15am daily. Please leave a message of your student's absence at 708-665-3074 or you can email brooksattendance@op97.org. Our office staff will listen to voicemails left on the main line starting after 9:15am daily. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Dropping off Items at Brooks for your Student

You may drop off forgotten items for your student in the main office. Please note that we will not call into your student's classroom, as it is a disruption to the learning for other students and the teacher in the classroom. Your student should plan to stop by the main office on their way to lunch or between passing periods, if they think you may have dropped off the forgotten item for them to retrieve. We appreciate your understanding.

• Here are the links to our A/B Day Rotation and the Bell Schedule.

Over the past two weeks and two days, we have spent much time helping all our students understand the expectations that keep us safe and create a welcoming school environment focused on learning. We have been teaching, reteaching, and reminding students and sharing the reasons behind the expectations in order to make them clear. Today, we will begin to record Behavior Information Records (BIRs) for unexpected behaviors that do not meet our school-wide expectations. If a student receives multiple BIRs, they will meet with a teacher for a remediation session to reflect on their unexpected behaviors and create a plan to meet expectations in the future. Teachers will share student reflections with parents/guardians after a remediation session is completed. This structure aims to focus on students learning social and emotional skills that will help them succeed in the future.

We have been teaching, supporting and reminding students of the School Wide Expectations.

Cell phones/Mobile Devices are not to be used during school hours. This includes calling parents/guardians due to illness, requesting items to be dropped off, etc.

• Students can ask a teacher to use the classroom phone or the phone in the main office, if needed.

Cell phones are to be turned off/on silent upon entering the school building, stored in the student’s locker, and not used until the dismissal bell rings.

Locker Checklist has been shared and posted in each student's locker during the first week of school to help them think through the items they need to take with them when they visit their locker at the start of the day, before and after lunch and at the end of the day.

If your child needs to purchase a lock at anytime during the school year, please do so online HERE. We've been working with your student's SOAR teacher to learn if your student is missing a lock and providing one to them.

We ask that if possible to please send your student to school with a filled water bottle. There are no drinking fountains open, but we have water bottle filling stations in the school for our students to refill their water bottles when needed.

Technical support will be available from school and district technology staff by accessing the Help Desk through email, helpdesk@op97.org. When an email is submitted, a Help Desk ticket is created and assigned to technology staff, who will be working throughout the day to address technology concerns. Our technology team can support District 97 devices and student online programs. Please complete claim form if your student's chromebook is damaged or lost.

CLUBS & SPORTS INFORMATION - Fall 2024

CLUB Information can be found in Student Announcements. This is updated weekly, as new clubs get organized and announce dates and times.

BROOKS SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY 2024

Students in grades six through eight are welcome to join the cross country team. The Cross Country coaches for 2024 are Kim Beader (kbeader@op97.org), Steve Gonsur (sgonsur@op97.org), Lary Grimaldi (lgrimaldi@op97.org) and

Cross Country is a no-cut sport at the middle schools. All students must have a copy of an updated physical to hand to the coach (we will not have access to nurse's files) before practicing for the 2024-2025 cross country season. Please see the linked information from the coaches which outlines what is needed each practice and the calendar of practices for the month of August.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the coaches, Sam Fishman-Strait, sfishman-strait@op97.org (Junior Varsity) and Dr. Kina Brown, kbrown@op97.org (Varsity).

SPOKEN WORD

Launched in Fall 2015, Spoken Word is a powerful and effective medium for fostering creativity and self-expression in young people. Kids learn to collaborate creatively and to respond to each other's work in a thoughtful and constructive manner.

• When: Beginning Wed., Sept. 18th

• Where: Alternate between Julian and Brooks Middle Schools

Spoken Word Club will meet Wednesdays, starting Sept. 18th from 4-5:15pm. It will alternate between Brooks and Julian, and students from both schools are invited to alternate along with the schedule. (The Sept. 18th meeting will be held at Julian.) It will be led by our poet-artist Brandon Stiffic and teacher-coaches John Colucci (Julian) and Miles Lee (Brooks). We look forward to hosting a slam event in December and in May.

Parents may use this linked Registration Form to register their student for this opportunity.

Sign up to participate in Crew Club!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

We are so excited to kick off the 7th & 8th Grade Fall Musical with this amazing pilot production of Once Upon a One More Time, JR! We will be the first program to ever perform this newly adapted musical from the Broadway production that weaves Brittany Spears music throughout.

November 8 and 15 at 7pm

November 9 and 16 at 2pm & 7pm

>> Tickets Available beginning of October <<

Monster Mash Bash All School Halloween Dance is October 18 - Tickets on sale starting September 30. Open to ALL BROOKS STUDENTS!

Mark Your Calendars!

6th Grade Auditions for Alice in Wonderland, Jr. are October 28 & 30. More info on how to sign up starting September 30.

We need your help! Meet new Brooks parents! Get an inside glimpse of your middle schooler's day!

The PTO will need adult volunteers to assist with distributing Starship lunches to all grade levels each Tuesday. Sign up to volunteer on Tuesdays here. You can sign up for just one date, or as many dates as you are available! Questions about volunteering? Email Marcella Douce at mmdouce@gmail.com.

Please note that to ensure the distribution process runs smoothly, we request that volunteers are able to stay for the duration of all 3 lunch periods from 11:00am - 1:30pm on any day you may sign up for. **Per D97 policy, all volunteers must complete and pass a D97 Background Check which is a quick and easy process that can be scheduled through the D97 office and online here.**

This is a great chance to get involved inside the school, see your kid(s), and meet other Brooks parents. Starship Lunch is an important school fundraiser supporting many of the PTO programs, initiatives, and events, and we'd love your help to ensure its continued success!

If you have further questions please contact our Starship coordinator, Amelia Topel at amelia.topel@gmail.com.

More information is available here.

Follow us on FaceBook at @gwendolynbrookspto, or email us at gwendolynbrookspto@gmail.com.

Distribution of information by a community group in accordance with District 97 policy does not imply, directly or indirectly, that the group's program(s), event(s) and/or services(s) is sanctioned, sponsored or endorsed by the district, the Board of Education or the superintendent.

If you have questions about the upcoming school year, please don’t hesitate to contact me at acapuder@op97.org. You can also contact my Executive Coordinator, Ms. Angel Banks, at abanks1@op97.org or (708) 524-7636.

Our Administrative Team

April Capuder, Principal (acapuder@op97.org)

Dr. Denise Gildon, Associate Principal for Teaching & Learning (dgildon@op97.org)

Student Success Coach Team:

6th Grade: Bernard Starks - bstarks@op97.org

7th Grade: Josh Rodgers - jrodgers@op97.org

8th Grade: Nichelle Stigger - nstigger@op97.org

Social Workers:

6th Grade: Abby Berman - aberman@op97.org

7th Grade: Hannah Boudreau - hboudreau@op97.org

8th Grade: Jennifer Olsen - jolsen@op97.org

Reporting Student Absences:

Email brooksattendance@op97.org or call 708-665-3074

School Nurse and CNA:

Tracy Biggerstaff: tbiggerstaff@op97.org

Melissa Godwin: mgodwin@op97.org

Send School Health form/physicals/dental forms to: brooksnurse@op97.org

Front Office:

PowerSchool login questions, Attendance or School Fee Questions-Vashti Carter: vcarter@op97.org

Canvas login questions, Receptionist- Minerva Colbert: mcolbert@op97.org

TECH Support:

Please email: helpdesk@op97.org

Please complete claim form if your student's chromebook is damaged or lost