BG eNews

SEPTEMBER

9/27- Pick-A-Time Opened for P/T Conferences at 8AM

OCTOBER
10/1 - Bring a dollar to wear a hat day (supports Kick-a-Thon)

10/2-10/4 - Book Fair Previews for all students on assigned days

10/3- Bring a dollar to wear pajamas day (supports Kick-a-Thon)

10/4- Fall Fest @ Windy Acres

10/7 - Pick-A-Time Closes for P/T Conferences at 11:59 PM

10/7- Book Fair Shopping Night for Parents 3:30-7:00

10/7-10/9 - Book Fair Shopping for all students on assigned days

10/9- Walk & Roll to School Day

10/9- Lou Malnati's PTO Fundraiser

10/7-10/9 Student Book Fair Shopping Days (contact teacher for specific class shopping day)

10/10- Parent/Teacher Conferences (NO SCHOOL)

10/10- Family Book Fair Shopping during conferences 8:00-4:00

10/11- Parent/Teacher Conferences (NO SCHOOL)

10/14- Columbus Day (NO SCHOOL)

10/24- Old Towne PTO Fundraiser

10/24- PTO Zoom Meeting

10/30 - Elementary Early Release Day 2:35 Dismissal

Bell-Graham Families,

Earlier this week you received a district communication detailing D303’s efforts to enhance safety procedures for our students. In August, D303 educators took part in online and in-person ALICE training, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. As a result of this training, we are prepared to deliver age-appropriate lessons to our students, which will teach an options-based approach when responding to critical incidents.

Starting the week of September 30th, students will view an informational video, introducing them to the concepts of ALICE. Then throughout the fall students will engage in six lessons, roughly two lessons per month, with each lesson focusing the core ALICE concepts: Situational Awareness, Alert, Lockdown, Inform, and Evacuate.

Lessons are differentiated based on age-appropriateness and broken down into the following age groups:

• Early Childhood-Kindergarten

• 1st Grade-3rd Grade

• 4th-5th Grade

• Middle School

• High School

D303’s Safety and Security website has been updated to include informational ALICE resources, such as parent letters for each lesson. Students will participate in their first safety drill utilizing the ALICE concepts in January. For more information you are encouraged to visit the ALICE Family and Community site.

If you have any questions specific to your child’s learning, feel free to contact me at amy.klueppel@d303.org or 331-228-2100.

We are a gum free school. Please refrain from sending your child to school with gum. Thank you.

If you are interested in conferencing with a specials teacher, please reach out to them directly to set up a conference. Due to the volume of students they support, they are unable to conference with every family.

Art: Mrs. Anderson joellen.anderson@d303.org Mr. Idzikowski michael.idzikowski@d303.org

Music: Ms. Molidor alexandra.molidor@d303.org

PE: Mr. Mac timothy.mccastland@d303.org Ms. Seidling rebecca.seidling@d303.org

STEM: Mrs. Wagner courtney.wagner@d303.org Ms. Brunner karly.brunner@d303.org

Orchestra: Mr. Pettit christopher.pettit@d303.org

Band: Ms. Rice marianne.rice@d303.org

We are happy to report that Koda was happily spoiled with gifts at his retirement 'Paw'ty. Thank you for helping us celebrate our beloved Campton Hills K-9.

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.

BG Monthly Parent Support Raffle

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.

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 with no names on them.

• 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.

Please turn in your required health forms to the Health Office! If you are missing any health records you will be contacted in the next week.

Kindergarten and Students new to Illinois- Physical, Vision, Dental, Health survey Students who are new to Illinois need to have these on Illinois forms.

2nd Grade- Dental

3rd Grade- Updated Health Survey

All of the forms are linked here for your convenience or you can go to the District Website and find them in the parent section under Forms. We will be sending home letters to the students who have missing medical records after Labor Day weekend.

Please reach out if you have any questions. Feel free to send any communication, including health forms, to bel-nurses@d303.org to ensure that all of our Bell Graham nurses receive this important information pertaining to your student(s)The health office direct line is 331-228-2104.

Thank you!

Kerisa Martini Espinosa, RN
LeeAnna Anzaldi,MSN, RN, PEL-ILSN

This week, we spotlight KILEY HAMILTON, who chairs Restaurant Fundraisers and also co-chairs Holiday Market. Kiley also created the awesome BG Monthly Calendar to help keep us all straight! Kiley has been with the BG PTO for two years. Bell Graham would not be the place it is without this fearless and amazing mom. Thank you Kiley for all you have done for BG!!!

FALL FEST - 10/4

It’s time for our biggest event of the year…Please join us at Windy Acres Farm on Friday, October 4th from 4 to 7p! Beat the lines and purchase your wristbands now! Wristbands are $15 for children and $10 for adults (children 2 and under are free). Act fast…sales will close on October 2nd; wristbands will be given out at the day of the event upon check in. https://fall-fest-wristbands-96227.cheddarup.com

There will be fun for all ages, including the FAMOUS Cake Walk, activity stations, raffle for a lunch with your favorite teacher and guessing the weight of the biggest pumpkin in the patch. Windy Acres offers many attractions like a corn maze, jumping pillow, bouncy houses, ziplines, petting zoo, mini-golf, haystack maze & mountain, lots of playgrounds and climbing. Windy Acres will be running their train all night long for unlimited rides for children of all ages.

HUGE SHOUTOUT TO BG DAD, GREG BOOTH, AND HIS FIRM, THERIAULT BOOTH ATTORNEYS AT LAW for their generous sponsorship of this year’s Fall Fest! Their generous donation will sponsor the train on the night of the event, as well as cover other costs incurred. Greg and his wife, Carmen, are new to the Bell Graham family and welcomed addition to the BG PTO! We are so thankful for your generous donation! https://www.tbfirm.com

THANK YOU NUDERA ORTHODONTICS for helping sponsor the train on the night of the event, as well as cover other costs incurred. The Nudera Family are Bobcat Alumni that have been nothing but supportive and extremely helpful and giving to Bell Graham during their years here at the school and ongoing. https://www.nuderaorthodontics.com/how-much-do-braces-cost-in-south-elgin-or-elmwood-park/

Interested in sponsorship? Please email Candace Kloss at candacedanko19@hotmail.com.

In order to make this event a success we need your help! Please consider signing up to donate items needed, as well as volunteers to help set up, run stations and help take down after the fest is over. We appreciate all of your help and support!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4FA5AB2DA0FF2-fall1

THANK YOU to Mad Hatter Bakery, Sweetness Cookie Company, Duck Donuts, Hey Sugar, and Gather Bakery for donating some of their scrumptious baked goods for our famous Cake Walk. Please consider popping into these bakeries to spoil yourself with a sweet treat. The week of Fall Fest we will be looking out for any bake good donations from our BG families. PTO members will be collecting these items before and after school in the drop off/pick up line. No need to get out of your car. We will grab it from you and away you will go! Please take into consideration any specific allergies such as nut and gluten free. Thanks to all of you in advance!

Our Mum Sale is still open! Order online for PICK UP AT THE FARM on 10/4. If you would like your orders sooner, please reach out to Candace Kloss at candacedanko19@hotmail.com and she can contact the farm to have those items ready for you sooner for pick up.

https://windyacresfarmstand.com/fall-fundraising/bell-graham-elementary-school-fall-fundraiser/

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

The book fair is open for STUDENT shopping Monday 10/7, Tuesday 10/8, & Wednesday 10/9. Each class has a specific shopping day/time that will be communicated by your teacher.

We will also be hosting a shopping night on Monday, October 7th from 3:30-7:00p and a shopping day during conferences on Thursday, October 10th from 8:00a-4:00p.

In order for our Book Fair to be a success, we need your help! Please consider signing up for a spot to work the Book Fair…all volunteers get 20% off! Click here to sign up!

How can I simplify the shopping experience?

Parents can create an eWallet for students to make purchases without cash (one linked

email for all students of a family-no need to create individual child accounts). Cash is

accepted, but please keep in mind to account for tax. Please click here to set up an eWallet for your student: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/bellgrahames.

SHOUT OUTS

Did your kiddo make an awesome play at their baseball game? Did they win an event in gymnastics? Is it their birthday? Do you just want to make a random day special for them? Send them a SHOUT OUT!! For $10 you can have 5 pictures along with a message displayed on the TV screen outside of the LRC for an entire day. After making your purchase in the Square Store, please send an email to Alicia Flint at aliciafulgencioflint@yahoo.com with your pictures, message and date to be displayed. Pictures MUST be sent 7 days prior to the desired display date or we cannot guarantee your message will be loaded in time. SHOUT OUTS PAYMENT

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

District 303 is proud to partner with the Glenbard Parent Series (GPS) to offer our families broader access to information sessions and resources that support their child’s development.

For decades, GPS has been offering free programs that aim to empower and strengthen families, individuals and communities. As a partner organization, District 303 will support promoting upcoming programs and their importance to our local community.

Interested in supporting the Park District’s Before the Bell program at District 303? They’re seeking additional staff to assist students in grades K-5 from 6:45-8:45 a.m. during the school year. This could be a great opportunity for parents with flexible morning hours or high school students who have first period off. Application information is at www.stcparks.org/jobs or contact Jaz Lara at 630-513-4331 or at jlara@stcparks.org.