NBJH Weekly Update 9/13/24

Hi folks,

It was another productive week at NBJH. We continue to learn more about our students, and hopefully they continue to better understand the structure of their day, the supports we offer and the expectations we hold.

Next week we are excited to partner once again with the Northbrook-based non-profit organization CATCH -- Community Action Together for Children's Health. We will provide students and staff the opportunity to share their feelings and learn how to start the sometime difficult conversations about mental health. This is an optional activity that will be offered to the NBJH community throughout the week, and then we encourage everyone to wear purple on Friday, September 20 to support the Note Your Feelings campaign.

Finally, there are some cool book club opportunities being offered in the near future for both students and parents/guardians. Check out the offerings below in the newsletter.

Enjoy the weekend...

Scott

Our Back to School Party is going to be a BLAST! Next Friday, September 20th, our 6th graders are invited to Northbrook Junior High (drop off at the gym doors) from 7:00-8:30 pm. We'll have a DJ, games, activities, and more! No food will be served.

The cost is $5 per student and must be purchased through our PTO Website by Thursday, September 19th. Students will be checked into the party by a committee member. No money will be taken at the door.

If you have not purchased your PTO membership yet, please do so at Paperless PTO. You must be a PTO member for your child to attend the party. Here is a sign-up for parents who would be able to assist with the party. Thank you so much for volunteering! Volunteer Signup

For any questions regarding volunteering or this event, please contact Nicole Frain at: nicole@selectivesearch.com

It was great to see many of our 6th grade families at last night's OE Informational Meeting. We hope you found the time valuable. As a reminder for 6th grader families, forms and payment are managed at the Outdoor Ed Registration Page. Families in need of financial support for the trip should contact Dr. Meek directly.

Special note: If you receive a '404 not found' error message when you click the 'pay online' link, please click on the HOME icon in the upper right hand corner of the page. That will send you to the payment webpage where you can click on NBJH and then Field Trip. Sorry for the inconvenience!

This year the NBJH Library will be hosting a book group that dives into books featuring characters confronting big challenges, and navigating them through the lens of Junior High. The book group will meet to discuss books on six Thursdays throughout the school year after school in the library from 3:45 - 4:45 pm. Depending on scheduling conflicts and interest, students are welcome to attend as many or as few of these discussions as they wish. This group is open to all students. A limited number of copies of each book are available for checkout in the NBJH Library. Parents are invited to read along!

To register, students should sign into their student Google accounts and fill out this form. For more information about dates and titles, click here. Please contact our school librarian, Claire Greene with questions.

Please join us for our first Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting this school year on Thursday, September 19! The meeting will take place at the District Office, located at 1475 Maple Avenue, in the HOH Community Room, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Please complete this brief survey by Monday, September 16th.

We're excited to offer three opportunities for parents and caregivers to come together around topics of interest to our District 28 community. District administrators will facilitate conversations around the following books/topics:

• Discussion around Yardsticks by Chip Wood: October 23, 6:00-7:00 @ Meadowbrook
• Discussion around The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: January 22, 6:00-7:00 @ NBJH
• Discussion around Young Explorers' podcast series: The Power of Play: May 14, 6:00-7:00 @ Westmoor.

Please join us for any or all of the above discussions by RSVPing here. The first 20 registrants for the Yardsticks and The Anxious Generation discussions will receive a copy of the text. Please see this flier for additional information.

A parent-led group is organizing a trip to Springfield, Illinois with an organization called WorldStrides. This trip is not a school-sponsored trip, but it is available to all current 7th graders. If you are interested in your child attending, please read this 7th Grade Springfield Trip Information. A Zoom informational meeting will be held Thursday, September 19 at 7:30. More details on the flyer.

Want to learn more about your child's curriculum? Curriculum Guides shared during curriculum night are posted on the district website for easy access whenever you have a question.

View Curriculum Guides by Grade

PTO Membership Info

We welcome all families to join the NBJH PTO. Memberships are $15 and are available for purchase at nbjhpto.com.

NBJH has partnered with Six Flags in recent years as part of the Physics Day event they hold for area middle and high schools each spring. Our 8th graders have attended this event for close to 15 years, and we plan to attend again this spring. As a result, Six Flags has extended a special offer to our school community for this fall. Any family who would like to attend Fright Fest 2024 can do so at a discounted price by entering our school code listed on the flyer. Tickets are good for the weekend of October 11-13.

All 6th graders must have an updated Health Exam Form to start the school year. Our Health Office has already received many of these forms this summer, so thank you in advance for families who have already submitted their child's health form. Remember that any student who plans to try out for or participate in a fall sport must also have an updated physical on file. Physicals are good for 13 months from the time of the exam.

This Week...

09/16 A Day

09/17 B Day

09/18 A Day

• Instrumental Music Social Event @ Bowlero -4:30-6:30 p.m.

09/19 B Day

• Bilingual Parent Advisory Meeting - H.O.H. Community Room - 6:30 p.m.

09/20 A Day

• Wear Purple!
• Back to School Party (6th Grade) - Gym - 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Looking Ahead...

09/23 B Day

09/24 A Day

• School Board Meeting - H.O.H. Community Room - 7:00 p.m.

09/25 B Day

• 6th Grade Students Leave for Outdoor Ed - Camp Timber-lee - 8:45 a.m.

09/26 A Day

• 6th Grade Students at Outdoor Ed

09/27 B Day

• 6th Grade Students Return from Outdoor Ed (approx 2:00 p.m.)

Mark Your Calendars for Important Events!

You can also visit NBJH.northbrook28.net calendar to add these events to your personal device.

Simplify! Download Our Mobile App

The Northbrook District 28 mobile app gives you all the popular website links and staff directories on one place. Select the schools to follow for news updates, including the weekly newsletters, right in the mobile app feed. No need to hunt through your email inbox. Sync school, lunch, music and athletic calendars to your device, or simply tap to access the calendars in the app. Download the app today!

Link to Apple App Store | Link to Google Play

There are student clubs and opportunities offered throughout the year. Please use this link to view the NBJH Clubs and other Opportunities for the 24-25 school year.

9/16

• 6th Grade Girls' Volleyball vs. Gemini - 4:30 p.m.
• Girl's Volleyball at Caruso (7/8) - 4:30 p.m.
• Cross Country Meet vs. Gemini w/Caruso - 4:30 p.m
• Soccer vs. Caruso - 4:30 p.m.

9/17

• 6th Grade Girls' Volleyball vs. Field - 4:30 p.m.
• Girls' Volleyball at Shepard (8/7) - 4:30 p.m.
• Cross Country Meet vs. Field w/Sunset Ridge - 4:30 p.m.
• Soccer vs. Shepard - 4:30 p.m.

9/18

• 6th Grade Girls' Volleyball at Wood Oaks - 4:30 p.m.
• Cross Country Meet at Attea - 4:30 p.m.
• Soccer vs. Maple - 4:30 p.m.

9/19

• 6th Grade Girls' Volleyball vs. Wilmette at Highcrest Middle School - 4:30 p.m.
• Soccer at Wilmette - 4:30 p.m.

9/20

• Girl's Volleyball at Gemini - Both at 4:30 p.m.

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.

Visit the library one hour before we usually open to browse and check out materials and engage in a sensory-friendly activity for families with disabilities from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15. Accessibility Hour is a supported program for families with disabilities.

Learn more at northbrook.info/accessibility

Glenbrook North Feeder Basketball will hold tryouts for boys in 6th - 8th grades from 7:45-8:45 p.m. on Sept. 16 and 18 at Glenbrook North Field House. Cost-$20 (cash only and if you make a team this will go toward your team fee!)

Attendance to both nights is strongly recommended! To sign up for tryouts and get more information please visit www.gbnfeeder.com . Tryouts for the girls program is in October.

Let's come together to understand and combat cyberbullying. In collaboration with the Village of Northbrook's Community Commission, The Northbrook Public Library and Cook County United Against Hate, CATCH is partnering to screen an important documentary. Discussion to follow moderated by Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton. This event is open to families. Most appropriate for kids over 13.

What: "The Upstanders" film screening and panel discussion.

When: 3-5 p.m. September 22

Where: Northbrook Public Library

Please register to attend

WHAT: Community Conversation and Call to Action

WHEN: 7 p.m.Monday, Sept. 30

WHERE: United Methodist Church, 1190 Western Ave., Northbrook

Join us as CATCH leads a Community Conversation and Call to Action about our kids' mental health! There is lots of buzz about Jonathan Haidt's book, "The Anxious Generation," which brings the youth mental health crisis to the forefront. Haidt talks about smartphones, social media, and over-parenting, and he outlines very reasonable steps that we can take to create real change for our kids. We will talk, share our concerns, and discuss actionable next steps to reverse this youth mental health crisis. None of us can do this alone, but we CAN do this together.

Register today

Join us on Saturday, September 28th at 8 a.m. at Wood Oaks for a fantastic morning of fun and fitness. All proceeds will support the Rohrabaugh Scholarship for outstanding D27 graduates of GBN. Register at nb27.org/PTA

Dr. Scott Meek Ed.D.

NBJH Principal