NOVEMBER

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 coming soon)

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

1/30 - PTO Bingo Night 5:30-7:00

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

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!

We need lots of volunteers during this event, so please consider joining us! It’s truly heartwarming and one of nicest holiday experiences helping our kids choose special gifts and watching them enjoy this season of giving. Sign-up Here!

A volunteer form will need to be on file with Bell Graham prior to the event. Please email this completed form to Kristin Cloy if you have not done so this year. Volunteer Form

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

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

THE WHIMSY FARM - SHOP & CRAFT EVENT - 12/10

Support small business while supporting BG PTO! Join us on Tuesday, December 10th from 4:30-6:30p for a Shop & Craft event! While the kids are crafting and letter writing, take the time to browse The Whimsy Farm for some holiday surprises (or just a sweet treat!). Proceeds will support future BG PTO events. We hope to see you there! Candy Store & Kids Party Room

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 Safety and Security site
• ALICE Family Letters