Meadowbrook Star News

Good afternoon, Meadowbrook Families.

Our Winter Sing performances were beautiful, and the artwork was amazing! Thank you for your attendance and for all of your support.

A special thanks to our PTO for the delicious Holiday Lunch they provided our Meadowbrook Staff this week.

Thank you for all of the wonderful gifts sent to me from or via your children. Their smiles are what fill my bucket each and every day!

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wishing you and yours a safe and warm holiday break,

❤️ Ericka

4th-grade students perform in their final Winter Sing at Meadowbrook School. See a collection of photos from each performance on the Meadowbrook Facebook Page, and enjoy the performances with you children by re-watching the live streams on the Meadowbrook School YouTube Channel.

There are still two opportunities left in our Family Engagement Series. Dr. Hiltz and Dr. Meek will be facilitating learning on the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt on January 22, 6:00-7:00 @ NBJH. If you haven't signed up yet, please do so by RSVPing here.

This is an enlightening text to read on your own, if you're not able to attend. Please see this flyer for additional information.

We understand that the winter holidays can be a challenging time for many families. To support you during this season, we’ve compiled a list of resources that you and your family can access at any time:

Crisis Hotlines

• Safe2Help Illinois: Text SAFE2, Call 1-844-4-SAFEIL, or visit Safe2HelpIL.com to share safety issues in a confidential manner
• Suicide Hotline: Call 988 if you need someone to talk to when life is challenging
• Help Stop Hate: Call 1-877-458-HATE to access a confidential service to report an act of hate

Counseling Services

• Family Service Center: Schedule an appointment at 847-251-7350
• Josselyn Center: Schedule an appointment at 847-441-5600
• Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook: Schedule an appointment at 847-724-2620

Food and Shelter

• Northfield Township Food Pantry: Call 847-724-8300
• Haven Emergency Shelter: Call 847-251-6630

Please do not hesitate to use these resources if you or your family needs support. We are here to help and wish you a safe and peaceful holiday season.

Listen as Early Childhood teacher Jen Andersen talks with Speech Language Pathologists Kelly Breen and Kate Tigue and Early Childhood Teacher Holly Osifalujo about the role of play in the development of communication skills. By the end of this podcast, we hope you, too, have an understanding of how to grow your child's communication skills through all types of play!

Listen now or find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music.

If your child is not currently placed in advanced math and you wish to request a math placement review, a parent nomination form must be completed and returned to the building GT services coordinator by Monday, January 13, 2025.

Please visit our website for additional information on the district’s Gifted and Talented Services and District Assessments.

If you have a child in grade 3 or grade 5, you should have received an email on November 18th with information on placement review. For grade 5, this includes a review of all students for math placement in the winter and spring of their 5th-grade year. This process determines placement for 6th grade into one of three math courses: Grade 6, Accelerated 6, or Pre-Algebra 6.

Meadowbrook students partook in the election process this week to determine which movie they would watch today.

December 23 - January 3 ❄️☃️

• Winter Break - No School

January 6, 2025

• Classes Resume
• Admin Council, 1 - 2, HOH

• PTO Meeting, 9, Staff Lounge or ZOOM

January 9

• Pizza day

January 10

• Spirit Wear - Pajama Day (we get lots of these)

January 18, 2025 - 2:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Register today to help turn Hunger into Hope! We are organizing a great opportunity to introduce our children to community service and the importance of giving. Click here for more information or register now. (use JOIN CODE = KPGMDM).

• Order Pizza Day lunch now!

• Marla’s Lunch Winter Menu is LIVE! Lunch service will begin January 6, 2025. The ordering deadline for the first week of school is January 1, 2025. Order Marla’s Lunch now!

Make life easier by importing Marla’s Lunch dates directly into your digital calendar! Click here on how to import your Marla’s Lunch Orders into your calendar.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the Meadowbrook staff gift pool! Your generosity allowed us to show our amazing school staff just how much they mean to our community. We couldn’t have done it without your support—thank you for making this possible!

As this school year approaches its second half, we are already planning for the next, and we need your help! Many of our current PTO Executive Team members are retiring from their roles or moving on to Northbrook Junior High. This creates a wonderful opportunity for new voices and fresh perspectives to step up and shape the PTO for the 2025-2026 school year.

Why join the PTO Executive Team?

• Make a Difference: Your involvement directly impacts our students, teachers, and school community.

• Meet Other Parents: Build meaningful connections with other families.

• Leave Your Mark: Bring your ideas and energy to continue our school’s traditions and create new ones.

Whether you're great at organizing events, managing budgets, or simply passionate about supporting our school, there's a role for you. We’ll guide and support you as you step into a leadership position.

To learn more about each role, read our PTO ByLaws.

Open Positions:
President, VP of Administration, Treasurer, Media Relations Manager, VP of Room Parents, Recording Officer, and a co-Website Manager

Interested or have questions?
Email us at d28.meadowbrookpto@gmail.com or join us for our next meeting on January 8, 2025 to learn more about how you can get involved.

Together, we can keep our PTO strong and vibrant for years to come!

Here’s your December PTO newsletter, wrapped in festive cheer!

Read the December PTO Newsletter

Stay connected with us on Facebook - MeadowbrookPTODistrict28

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.

Northbrook Bluehawks are hosting Little Blackhawks again! This Learn-to-Play initiative aims to be the gold standard for youth hockey programs with the goal of inspiring more families to join the hockey community. It changes the way youth hockey is offered by providing first-time participants, between 4-9 years of age, head-to-toe equipment, age-appropriate instruction and certified coaching, led by NBHL coaches, in a fun and safe atmosphere.

Don’t delay and get signed up today!

Come and get ideas to support your school community and help you partner with your child’s teacher. In this presentation, participants will learn about recent research on inclusive classrooms and be introduced to related supports, tools, and practices. Video clips, stories, and classroom examples will be used to answer questions such as “What is inclusion?”; "How does inclusion benefit all?"; and “How can I support my child’s inclusive education experience?”

Please Note: This is an in-person event!

Register here

Northbrook Girls Softball Association House League is designed for instruction and inclusion. The program accepts Kindergarten through 8th grade girls regardless of their experience, ability, or residency. Having fun while participating in low-pressure fast-pitch softball instruction is the priority of the program.

Register today