Meadowbrook Star News 4/25/25

Dear Meadowbrook Families,

This morning Meadowbrook had a visit from Dr. Hiltz, Ms. Meghan Dames and Krieger! We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Dames as the newest addition to the 2025-2026 leadership team at Meadowbrook.

Ms. Dames has worked at Greenbriar as a social worker for the past 13 years. She also serves as an administrator of District 28’s Summer School Program. At Tuesday evening’s Board of Education Meeting, Ms Dames was named as the incoming Assistant Director of Student Services for Meadowbrook. We are fortunate to have such a dynamic team leading Meadowbrook next year. Please join us in congratulating Ms. Dames in her new position.

As Ms. Dames transitions to Meadowbrook, our current Assistant Director of Student Services, Mrs. Betsy Buckley, will be moving to Northbrook Junior High in the fall. We are very appreciative of the leadership contributions Mrs. Buckley has made at our school. Your dedication to staff and students has been valued and you will be missed! Although we are sad to see you leave, we wish you the very best at NBJH.

This afternoon the office was treated to a lovely concert by our third grade orchestra students! We were able to rock along to an upbeat rendition of “We Will Rock You”, by Queen! A special "thank you" to Mr. Hoppe and the students for your performance. It truly made our day!

Last, but certainly not least, we extend another thank you to our parents who showered our office staff with lovely tokens of appreciation on Wednesday. Administrative Assistants are invaluable and we know you appreciate the dedication of Annie, Pam and Michelle as much as we do!

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Wennstrom and Mrs. Banas

We need parent volunteers for Field Day, Friday May 30th!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FACA728AAFBC34-56474420-meadowbrook

We are so excited to see our 5th grade present the musical "Zombies!"

Performances are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1.

Watch it live, or watch it later with your young performers on Meadowbrook's YouTube Channel.

Children, like adults, experience a wide range of emotions, but they often lack the vocabulary and skills to express them in healthy ways. Parents and teachers play crucial roles in guiding children to understand, manage, and express their feelings constructively. This collaborative effort fosters emotional intelligence, which is essential for children's social, emotional, and academic development.

Understanding the Importance of Emotional Expression

Before exploring strategies, it's vital to recognize why constructive emotional expression is crucial:

Mental Health: Expressing emotions helps children process experiences, reducing the risk of internalizing problems like anxiety and depression.

Social Skills: Children who can articulate their feelings are better equipped to communicate with others, build relationships, and resolve conflicts.

Behavior: Unexpressed emotions can manifest as behavioral issues, such as aggression or withdrawal. Constructive expression helps prevent these problems.

Self-Awareness: Identifying and expressing emotions fosters self-awareness and self-understanding.

Strategies for Parents

Parents lay the foundation for a child's emotional development. Here's how parents can help:

Create a Safe and Supportive Environment: Children need to feel secure to express themselves without fear of judgment or punishment. Parents should listen empathetically, validate their feelings, and avoid dismissing their concerns.

Model Healthy Emotional Expression: Children learn by observing. Parents should model healthy ways of expressing their own emotions, using "I" statements (e.g., "I feel frustrated when...") and demonstrating appropriate coping mechanisms.

Teach Emotional Vocabulary: Help children expand their emotional vocabulary by labeling feelings. Use feeling words (e.g., happy, sad, angry, anxious, confused) in everyday conversations and read books that explore emotions.

Encourage Expression Through Various Means: Recognize that children express themselves differently. Some may prefer talking, while others use art, music, or play. Provide various outlets and respect their preferences.

Practice Active Listening: Pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues. Make eye contact, listen without interrupting, and reflect on what the child is saying to ensure understanding.

Problem-Solving Skills: Help children develop problem-solving skills to manage difficult emotions. Guide them to identify the problem, brainstorm solutions, and evaluate the consequences of each option.

Role-Playing: Use role-playing scenarios to help children practice expressing their feelings in different situations. This can help them develop confidence and competence in social interactions.

Positive Reinforcement: Take the time to acknowledge and praise children when they express their feelings constructively. This reinforces positive behavior and encourages them to continue developing their emotional skills.

Helping Children Thrive in All Areas of Development

Like each of you, Meadowbrook teachers and staff are committed to supporting children's emotional development. Together we can empower children to express their feelings constructively and equip children with the emotional intelligence they need to navigate life's challenges, build strong relationships, and thrive in all areas of development.

It is that time of year... the Annual District 28 Homer O. Harvey 5K Walk/Run is Saturday, May 3rd at 8 a.m. and the time to register is TODAY!

The HOH5K event raises funds for scholarships for School District 28 alumni graduating from high school. Families from all five schools are invited to participate in the 5K event, including Greenbriar Elementary, Meadowbrook Elementary, Westmoor Elementary, Northbrook Junior High and Glenbrook North High School. Since 1989, the Homer O. Harvey Scholarship Fund has raised over $400K and awarded scholarships to more than 400 high school students.

Go to www.HOH5K.org to learn more, donate/sponsor, volunteer, and to register NOW.

Everyone who registers before April 12th will receive a t-shirt.

Help us wrap up the year right! 🎉 Please take a minute to fill out our end-of-year survey — your feedback means everything!

Take the survey

Let’s celebrate the end of the school year with a night of sweet treats, music, games, and family fun!

📅 Date: Wed., May 21 (Rainout Date May 22)
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Meadowbrook Blue Playground

Featuring:

🍔 Picnic Dinner with food from Josh's and 🍨 Graeter’s Ice Cream (Cash Only)
🎶 Live DJ and instruments to try from Bach2Rock
🏃‍♂️ Games and activities led by Hi-Five Sports
🫧 Bubble Show by The Bubbler – fun for all ages!

Bring the whole family and help us send off the school year in the sweetest way possible. Get all the details and RSVP here.

Got a free hand? We are also seeking volunteers to help with set up, clean up and serving desserts. Please sign up here - and we’ll see you there!

May 3 - 8:00 AM
Northbrook Junior High

Join us on Saturday, May 3rd, at 8 AM for the Annual District 28 Homer O. Harvey 5K Walk/Run—and don’t wait, registration is open NOW!

Click here to learn more about this event.

• See what’s ahead on the Meadowbrook Spring Calendar

Best Friends shopped the Bookfair!

Mrs. Kim's Kindergarten thanks our Administrative Assistants with a song!

April 28

• 2nd Grade Field Trip- Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Schmitt's Class to the Botanic Garden 🌸

May 1

• 2pm 5th Grade Musical 🧟 🎶
• 7pm 5th Grade Musical 🧟 🎶

May 5-9

• Teacher Appreciation Week 🎉

May 5

• Concert Band & Jazz Band Tour of Schools 🎼

May 6

• Cadet, String, and Philharmonic Orchestra Concert @ 7pm at NBJH 🎼

May 7

• 7pm Beginning and Chamber Orchestra Concert @ NBJH Large Gym 🎵

May 8

• Pizza Day 🍕
• 8am Orchestra Buddy Breakfast- Grades 2-3 @ NBJH
• 7pm Festival of Bands Concert & Awards Night @ NBJH Large Gym🎼

May 9

• 7pm NB28CC Something More Celebration Concert 🎵

May 12

• NBJH Choir Tour- 9:50am performance for Meadowbrook🎼

May 13

• 6pm D28 Singers- Children's Choir Concert @ Greenbriar🎵

May 14

• 9am PTO meeting

May 15

• 12pm 1st Grade Field Trip- Israel and Broderick @ Kohl's Children's Museum 🚌

Participating in summer school? Extend your day with an afternoon of fun with Northbrook Park District! Join us after summer school classes for arts and crafts, games and themed activities. Camp coordinates with summer school dismissal times and bus transportation is provided from Westmoor School, Shabonee School and Maple Junior High to the Beyond the Bell location at Northbrook Junior High School. Camp groups are based on ages, campers swim three times a week and a wide variety of activities are included both indoors and outside at Meadowhill Park.

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 Summer House+ Program. This program runs from mid-June through the first week of August and teams will represent Northbrook while playing in a recreational league with teams from nearby suburbs.

Registration closes May 4th.

Join us on May 17th for the 5th/6th grade Northbrook Community Tournament, a single day of multiple games to crown the Northbrook Champions. Participation in the tournament is free and there will be lots of fun-filled activities for the whole family.

Sign-up today!

Join our group of Northbrook Dads and daughters as we camp and create lasting memories.

Our group is part of the Algonquin Longhouse and we gather for monthly Northbrook-area events and larger events with other northern suburb groups. Come make friends, meet other dads, and bond with your daughter on adventures she will never forget. Special events May 4, 17 & 30.

For more information, email Kiel Loysen at kiel.loysen@gmail.com

Discover how to stand strong against peer pressure, set awesome goals and make dreams come true in a series of classes for students in grades kindergarten through 5th grade at North Suburban YMCA.

The Magic of Gratitude will meet 4:30-5:30 p.m. on May 8. Registration is required.

Alice@Wonderland will be presented by Glenbrook North High School Theatre April 24-25 at 7 p.m. and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on April 26. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.cur8.com

Parenting Myths Debunked: Finding Balance in a Pressure-Filled World

When: Thursday, May 1 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Northbrook United Methodist Church (1190 Western Avenue, Northbrook, IL)

Are the pressures of modern parenting taking a toll on your well-being? Join us for an eye-opening talk with Doug Boulton as he debunks common parenting myths that drive stress and undermine resilience--- for both parents and kids. From the truth about happiness and elite colleges to the impact of intensive parenting, Doug shares research-backed insights and practical tips to help you find balance, foster resilience, and redefine success for your family.

Register here.