BG eNews

NOVEMBER

11/8- End of 1st Trimester

11/14- Donate $1 to Big Hearts of Fox Valley & wear pajamas

11/16- Duck Donuts PTO Fundraiser

11/20 - Elementary Early Release Day 2:35 Dismissal

11/20 - T1 Report Cards Available on HAC

11/21- PTO Meeting at BG 6:30PM in student cafeteria

11/25 -11/29 - Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)

DECEMBER
12/2-12/6 Holiday Market
12/10- PTO Whimsy Farm Holiday Shopping & Crafting Event (details below)

12/11- Portillo's PTO Fundraiser
12/23-12/31 Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)

JANUARY
1/1-1/3 Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)

1/6 Teacher Work Day (NO SCHOOL)

1/7 - School Resumes

1/10- PTO Epic Air Fundraiser

1/20-MLK Jr Holiday (NO SCHOOL)

1/23- PTO Volunteer Appreciation Party

1/29- Beef Shack PTO Fundraiser

The 4th and 5th grade STEM classes would like to offer a big thank you to Justin Turner for his engaging presentation on Monday! The students had a fantastic time learning about optics and photonics. Mr. Turner shared insights from his career and showed how optics are revolutionizing today’s technology. The students were inspired by the endless possibilities for future applications in this exciting field. One highlight of the day was the discussion about Star Wars lasers! Thank you again, Mr. Turner, for sparking curiosity and inspiring our students!

As one of our BG Raffle rewards, students were able to enter for a Ride to School in a Police Car. This was sponsored by the Campton Hills Police Department. Four lucky students won this raffle and for the last week have been able to be picked up and brought to school in a police car. Congratulations to all of our winners!

Bell Graham we need your help! We have 6 Distict 303 student wish lists for the holiday that we are trying to fill. We still have gifts left to buy. Please sign up to help today.

Unwrapped gifts should be placed in the gingerbread donation box by Thursday, Nov. 14th. Label with Child A-F. Let’s come together as a community and help provide gifts for these kids this holiday season.

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Thursday, Nov. 14 is Big Hearts Day at Bell Graham. Wear pajamas and donate $1 toward our Big Hearts of Fox Valley families.

We are also collecting new toys, blankets, stuffed animals, and games. Students will be outside collecting items on Thursday, Nov. 14th in the car rider line.

Thank you for your support and generosity!

Our lost & found is conveniently located in the lunch room where every student has a daily opportunity to look for lost items. Please encourage your child to check for misplaced items. Don't forget to label as much as possible. We regularly donate unclaimed items at the end of each month

Be sure to send your child with appropriate outdoor clothing for recess. Students have outdoor recess daily unless the outside temperature is below 0. Don't forget to label your child's jacket, gloves, hat, etc. whenever possible.

You can email your child's teacher directly from HAC. After logging in, click on the "classes" image on the top menu. You will be able to view your child's schedule. Each of your child's teachers are listed under "teacher." If you right click on a name, you are given a "copy email address" option.

Bell Graham is committed to supporting all students in showing their BG Best: Being respectful, responsible, and safe. In the past years we have focused on extrinsic rewards with having students purchase items from our BG Shop with their earned BG coins and Bucks. This year we are moving away from this system and looking to reward students with staff, parent, and community connections. In order to do this we are seeking your help. We are looking for parents to volunteer before school or during school to play a game or build legos with students, make a craft, teach students a new skill, such as sewing or crocheting, or anything else you would like to share with our Bobcats. Please sign up today and Dr. Dieckman will be reaching out to you to schedule a date and time for you to share your talents and time with our students.

Thank you for your continued support. We could not do this without you.

BG Monthly Parent Support Raffle

*Remember that you must have a liability waiver form on file before you volunteer. You are welcome to email completed forms to Mrs. Cloy kristin.cloy@d303.org.

If you are visiting the school, for any reason, you MUST have your ID with you. Your ID needs to be scanned before you are permitted to enter the building.

If you intend on volunteering at any point this school year, the office MUST have a liability waiver form on file for you. Please do not sign up for any volunteer opportunities unless you already have a form on file for this year. This is an annual form that needs to be completed every school year. You are welcome to email completed forms to Mrs. Cloy kristin.cloy@d303.org. Field Trip volunteers will have to follow additional steps to volunteer.

• Absences should be called in by 7:45 AM
• You can leave a message 24 hours a day
• State your child’s name, their teacher's name and the reason why your child is out.
• If they are ill, please list their symptoms.

You are also welcome to email Mrs. Cloy in the main office. kristin.cloy@d303.org

Please call the office when you are 5 minutes away and we will have your child ready and waiting for you at the office. You will have to press the buzzer to come inside the vestibule to sign them out on our iPad. 331-228-2100.

The following information is being provided as a reminder of District 303's attendance procedures and how information may be recorded and shared with a student's family throughout the school year.

Cold and flu season is upon us! Recently, the nurses at Bell Graham Elementary School have been caring for a number of students experiencing fevers and other cold-like symptoms. We are also aware that some students are absent from school because they have been diagnosed with the flu and other influenza-like symptoms. During the months of October through April, each school in District 303 tracks influenza activity in cooperation with the Kane County Health Department. We consult with their staff to determine whether influenza activity in a school warrants additional follow up, and at this time, there are no additional interventions needed. Preventative measures remain the most effective way to reduce the spread of influenza.

Students who present to the Health Office with a fever or are feeling poorly are sent home. To prevent widespread flu in the school, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines:

Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

● Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough

● Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)

● Headache

● Mild stomach ache

Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:

● Fever (greater than 100 degrees)

● Vomiting (even once)

● Diarrhea

● Chills

● General malaise or feelings of fatigue

● Frequent congested or croupy (barky) cough

● Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose

To help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good hygiene habits:

● Wash hands frequently

● Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth

● Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands

● Avoid close contact with people who are ill

Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who has a fever should remain at home until "fever free" for a minimum of 24 hours without medication. A child who has started antibiotics needs to be on medication for 24 hours before being considered non-contagious and able to return to school. Keeping your ill child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom.

ALL MEDICATION, including any and all over the counter medications, vitamins and cough drops need a doctor’s authorization/order to be administered here at school. You can find the form(s) on the district website.

Thank you in advance for helping make this year at school as healthy as possible.

Nurse Kerisa (kerisa.espinosa@d303.org, 331-228-2104)

LeeAnna Anzaldi,MSN, RN, PEL-ILSN

This week, we spotlight CHRISTINE FORD who co-chairs Staff Appreciation! She spoils our hard working BG staff each month, and for a full week during teacher appreciation week in May, with all sorts of yummy goodies and treats. If you follow our Facebook page, you know the setup is always adorable too! She has been an active member of the PTO for over 8 years, and during that time, she has been room mom and helped with ASE planning. Bell Graham would not be the place it is without this thoughtful mom! Thank you Christine for all you do for BG!!!

The holidays are coming and we want to help make the season even more special for your children by giving them the opportunity to shop (in secret!) for the perfect gift for their loved ones. BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP!

To help make this event extra special, please drop off NEW items for adults, kids and pets now through November 22nd.

We can’t wait to open our Holiday Market on December 2nd. More details to come!

RESTAURANT FUNDRAISER - DUCK DONUTS 11/16

Come support Bell Graham and get a sweet treat while you’re at it! Our next restaurant fundraiser is on November 16th from 8a-6p at Duck Donuts in Geneva. 20% of all sales will be paid to the Bell Graham PTO to help fund future events. Make sure you show them the flyer!

PTO MEETING - 11/21

Please join us on November 21st at 6:30p at Bell Graham for our last PTO meeting of 2024.

SHOUT OUTS

The video monitor in the foyer of the school is currently experiencing technical difficulties. We are pausing shout outs until it is fixed. Thanks for your understanding.

STAY CONNECTED

Check out these great ways to stay connected and find out more information on the PTO!

Bell Graham PTO Webpage

Bell Graham PTO Facebook page

Bell Graham Monthly Calendar

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Any questions or comments? Please email the PTO at bgeblast@gmail.com. All comments or questions will be discussed at our monthly Board meetings and responded to accordingly.

• 1 lunch with a loved one per student per school year for bday (1 TOTAL, not 1 with grandma, 1 with aunt, 1 with mom )
• ONLY bring food for your child and/or yourself. No sharing food/treats with friends at the lunch table.
• Stay for lunch ONLY, recess is not included
• Bring your ID for check in. No ID, no entry
• You do not need to give advance notice, but are welcome to email the office the day of to speed along the check in process.

Click here to see what time your child eats lunch.

We are happy to report that we will have a therapy dogs visiting us again this year. Please reach out to Dr. Dieckman or Julianna Harmon if you have any questions.

We use a Visor Tag System. Each family has received a car tag that has the family last name and the class codes of students in the family. The use of this visor tag expedites our car rider line tremendously as staff members are able to get students ready for their cars as the cars pull up! Please display the tag on your passenger side visor, or passenger side window, so that it is visible to the BG staff as you pull through the pick-up line.

If you need additional visor tags, please email Mrs. Kirincich.

Mrs. Amy Klueppel - Principal

Website: bellgraham.d303.org
Location: 4N505 Fox Mill Blvd St. Charles, IL 60175
Phone: 331-228-2100
Facebook: facebook.com/BellGrahamElementary
Twitter: @BellGrahamD303