Hello Bobcat Families,

Students are really setting into routines, structures, and investing in engaging learning opportunities! We have the BEST students who really want to do well and push themselves. It's going to be a great year together!

Here were some week highlights:

• Students were able to help with the pledge/wildlife fact as part of our PBIS PAWS drawings! Students chose this experience as part of their PAW being drawn during lunch.
• We had more of our community members join in for Running Club this week. It is wonderful to see the community come together promoting health and wellness! All are welcome at 7:45am on Fridays!
• APPLES Club kicked off to a successful start! Thank you to Linnea Schmidt and her team of teachers who make this club possible!
• On Wednesdays, our Dream Team engage in professional development. This week was our first of what we call "Bobcat Genius Hour" where teachers engage in book studies, passion projects, systems evaluation, etc. The Genius Hour topics are all connected to District 204 Goals and drive the work of our School Improvement Plan.
• Brookdale hosted Cooperative Learning, taught by myself and a teacher at Steck Elementary, where professionals come from all over the district to engage in PD connected to engagement and accountability in instruction.
  
• We completed our 2nd evacuation/fire drill of the school year. Our Bobcats are very good at remaining quiet but being efficient in evacuating. Our final fire drill will be with our Naperville Fire Department.
• Students engaged in sustained silent reading picking books they enjoy.
• First PTA meeting of the year was a success! Thank you to all who came out to learn about the goals of the PTA and Brookdale School this year. We look forward to a great year ahead with many exciting, fun opportunities for our students!
• Many, many classrooms visited where teachers were setting high expectations but creating a safe learning environment for students!
• Saw new faces for Men of Brookdale this week! We love having our male role models at Brookdale!
• Another successful Bubblegum sale in the books as part of our IPEF Fundraiser for Team Brookdale!
• We hosted an orientation, with collaboration from the district, to support our Russian speaking families (McCarty and Longwood families, too!)! We are so glad you are here and look forward to partnering with you!
  
• Mrs. Stepper and I had the opportunity to attend the DuPage Children's Museum Fundraising Dinner with Dr. Talley, six other staff members in our district, and Board President Donahue. It was a lovely event, and we were honored to be invited! We are grateful for our partnership with the Children's Museum.
• Our Bobcats earned their Level 1 PBIS Whole School Reward: Free Choice Seating in the Lunchroom on Monday! We are proud of them!
• Students LOVED the obstacle course in PE where they learned about our bodies and blood flow!
  
• Movie Night Mania was a HUGE success bringing in over $4,000 with $2600 going towards Brookdale Team IPEF's fundraising goals! A HUGE thank you to all our volunteers who helped to make this night possible and our community for showing up and camping out with us! Fun was definitely had by all!

This week we will meet as grade level teams to analyze the assessment data collected over the past few weeks and allocate supports for our students. If your student is receiving supports beyond Tier 1 (instruction all students receive), you will receive a letter via backpack mail. As always, any questions can be directed to your child's classroom teacher. All interventions will begin the week of 9/25.

We are looking forward to another great week together!

Full of Bobcat Pride,

Mrs. Keeley Schmid

Brookdale's Proud Principal

Thank you for working hard to get your child to school each day, so we can grow them as a learner! The habits you are establishing today, will lead them to a successful future!

We are excited to announce the start of our 4th & 5th Grade Chorus sessions, which will start on Tuesday, September 26th. Chorus is a before-school opportunity for 4th and 5th grade students who wish to explore their musical interest, learn teamwork, and enjoy singing together.

For more information about chorus and to sign up, click this link here.

We are so grateful to ALL of our community who said "YES!" to joining Brookdale Team IPEF. Check out all of our runners/walkers below!

Thank you to ALL who came out for Movie Night Mania and donated to Brookdale Team IPEF!

Because of your contributions, IPEF is able to fund Young Hearts for Life, Robotics, E-Sports, and Digital Storytelling, mental health counseling for at-risk students, and teacher grants to try new and innovate programs as well as host the Fine Arts Festival!

Thank you for contributing to these efforts!

Our school’s highest priority is the safety of our students and staff. In order to maintain a safe environment, it is necessary that we practice our emergency and crisis response plans.

We are required by the Illinois School Safety Drill Act (105 ILCS 128/1) to conduct a minimum of six safety drills per school year to ensure that our staff and students know their role and are prepared to act during a potential crisis. These safety drills are designed to protect students from danger in and around a school.

We do not conduct surprise drills. We teach students that drills are for practice, and we when practicing, we want to learn and grow from these experiences. We will conduct our safety drills on the following days and times this school year:

8/30 @9:30-Evacuation/Fire Drill-Completed

9/12 @2:30-Evacuation/Fire Drill-Completed

09/22 @9:30-11:00 (scheduled times)-Bus Evacuation Drill

10/2/23 @10:00-Law Enforcement Drill with NPD School Resource Officer

10/23/23 @9:45-Evacuation/Fire Drill with Naperville Fire Department

11/3/23 @9:30-Severe Weather Drill

3/6/24 @2:30-Severe Weather Drill

We are so grateful to all of our Veterans who have served this great country! We are hosting a Veteran's Day Assembly on November 10th for our 3rd-5th graders, and we would love the opportunity for them to hear from our Veterans in our community!

Please complete this form if you are interested in speaking at our assembly or know a Veteran that would be willing to join us!

"A book is a present you can open again and again."

The Birthday Book Club program invites students to donate a book of their special choosing to the LMC during the month of their birthday. One day each month all students who have chosen to participate in the program will go to the LMC after morning announcements to choose his or her book. A photo of the student will be taken and placed in the book on a special bookplate indicating the donor and his or her birthday. The book will then be checked out to that student. This is a great way to give a lasting gift to the school and celebrate your birthday at the same time.

Click here to learn more! Birthday Book Club

Calling all artists- choreographers, filmmakers, writers, composers, photographers and visual artists! Brookdale students are invited to submit entries for this year's National PTA's Reflection Arts Program contest. Your work must reflect this year's student-selected theme - "I am Hopeful Because..." You are welcome to submit original works of art in one or all of the categories of:

• Dance
• Film production
• Literature
• Music composition
• Photography
• Visual arts

Express yourself and have fun! Please contact Elizabeth Knight at elizabethgumz@gmail.com for submission guidelines and entry instructions. Applications will be accepted until October 20th. Check out this video for more info: https://youtu.be/MuaoV5TyfBI

Wednesday, September 20

7:00

Crouse Education Center

This PTA is a group of parents and staff members that serve families of academically talented students from across the district. Just like our local Brookdale PTA, anyone is encouraged and welcome to join! To learn more about the Project Arrow PTA and sign up, visit their website.

Calling all corporate sponsors! Brookdale's biggest fundraiser is right around the corner, and we need YOUR SUPPORT to help us reach our fundraising goal! Become a sponsor of this beloved annual event and you'll help give back to our Bobcat community (100% of the proceeds go to support school improvement funds, classroom supplies, assemblies, LMC books and more), while also gaining exposure of your brand or organization to a huge audience. There are several different sponsorship packages available, and we'd love the opportunity to chat about ways your group can help support our worthwhile cause. Please contact Fun Run Co-Chairs Megan Happ or Elizabeth Knight to learn more.

Show that Bobcat pride with a collection of Brookdale wearables perfect for everyone in the whole family! Great to have for our next spirit day on Friday, October 6. All items ship directly to your home. Plus, for a limited time, items in the shop are 30% off and all orders over $75 ship for free. Happy shopping: Spirit Shop Link

Brookdale PTA makes it easy to submit photos all year long to the school yearbook. Simply email your favorite school pictures to brookdaleyearbook@gmail.com so we can build an archive of images for our annual school yearbook. Please only send ONE picture of each memory to help us avoid duplicates.

The PTA is an organization of parents, staff, and community members committed to enriching the school experience for all students and staff at Brookdale. With exciting programming, events, and tons of resources offered to our Bobcats each year, we work hard to ensure that Brookdale stays at its best!

Joining the PTA gives you the opportunity to make a difference in your student's time at Brookdale. Plus, meet new people and get to know the staff in a fun environment. The PTA will connect you to important school happenings and resources that benefit your child. And importantly, joining the PTA strengthens our community - we need your unique perspective to make a difference! Yearly membership is $20 for a single adult and just $30 for a family membership (two adults). All proceeds go back to benefit Brookdale! Sign up today! http://www.brookdalepta.org/membership/

Morning Greeter – Volunteers Needed

Help support Brookdale Elementary by volunteering as a Morning Greeter! The greeter is a friendly, welcoming face who directs adult visitors to the office, assists students who arrive late, and delivers items to the classrooms. The time commitment is only 30 minutes from 9:00 – 9:30am (9:10-9:45 on Wednesdays). Help is needed each school day – you can sign up for a single day, choose a day per week, or select as many days as you can to help keeping Brookdale mornings running smoothly! SIGN UP HERE

Men of Brookdale – Volunteers Needed

Calling all enthusiastic and caring male role models (dads, grandfathers, uncles, etc)! Ignite a positive impact in your child’s educational journey through our remarkable Men of Brookdale (MOB) program. Join in on the playground and in the lunchroom and help play games, open containers and have fun with your child and peers. Please sign up at the link below and timing is flexible. There are two sessions each day: 11:00am-12:25pm (Grades 2/1/5) and 12:15pm-1:50pm (Grades 4/3/K). Volunteers can sign up for one or both sessions. Dates are available a couple Friday’s each month – it’s fun, simple and rewarding! SIGN UP LINK If you have any questions, email Tim Phelan at timphelan15@gmail.com.

Monday, September 18th

• Constitution Week: Ringing of the Bell in honor with Dr. Talley and Daughters of the Revolution!
  
• Level 1 Reward for Whole School: Free Seating in the Lunchroom today!
  

Tuesday, September 19th

• APPLES Club @3:35-5:00pm

Wednesday, September 20th

• Project Arrow PTA Meeting @7:00 (CEC)

Thursday, September 21st

• No scheduled community events.

Friday, September 22nd

• Bus Evacuation Drills @9:30-11:00

Upcoming dates in September:

9/25 School Board Meeting @7:00

9/26 Mutual Ground Presentation via Google Meets (1st and 4th grade parents only) @6:30-7:30pm

10/2-6 Bobcat Fun Run Spirit Week

10/5 Family Dinner Night Fundraiser- Portillos @5:00-800

10/6 MOB/Spirit Day/Bobcat Fun Run @5-8:00

10/20 Reflections Applications Due!