Last July, the Illinois Senate Education Funding Advisory Committee was tasked with recommending ways to improve public education funding in Illinois, which has remained unchanged since 1997. If enacted into law, Senate Bill 16 (SB16) will make sweeping changes in how the state funds education and those changes will have a severe, negative impact on District 200. Read more here and learn what you can do to stop the bill from becoming law.

Do you think the Wheaton Warrenville PTA Council should take a position on the bill or remain neutral? Do you think Madison PTA should take a position on the bill or remain neutral? Please email your opinion to Janet Mathis, janetmarkmathis@yahoo.com.

The PTA is a combined group of dedicated parents, teachers and staff who work hard to enrich the academic lives of our students. Your membership helps support the numerous programs and activities throughout the school year that enrich our children's experience at Madison.

Membership includes one copy of the school directory. This year we will accept payment via credit card in addition to cash or check. Please help us simplify our membership process by paying electronically.

• Go to http://www.cusd200.org

• Select Madison School from drop down menu at top

• On left side menu, select PTA

• On left side menu, select Join Madison PTA! – Family Membership

• Click on the link to register and pay online

If you prefer to pay by cash or check, follow the directions above and click on the link to print and complete the forms at home. Registration forms are also available in the school office. Submit with payment in an envelope labeled "PTA Membership" to the school office. All checks should be made payable to Madison PTA.

If you have any questions regarding PTA membership, please contact Monica Fahey at monicafahey@hotmail.com or by phone at 630-517-8187. Thank you for joining the PTA and making Madison a great school!

Madison PTA is excited to announce that we are implementing a new app, DirectorySpot, for our school directory. You will now be able to access the Madison School directory right from your smartphone with updated information.

The app will contain student names, student phone, student address, parent email addresses and parent names, grade levels and teachers. The app is very secure and only parents and staff of Madison School will be granted access. Each user will log on with an authorized email address and will set a password. If you would like more information on the security features, please visit http://www.directoryspot.net/security.html.

We are giving all Madison PTA members access to the electronic app, which is accessible from an iPhone, Android or on the Web. With the iPhone and Android technology, you can call, text, or email other parents or teachers with one click, right from the app.

Here are some screenshots from our new app (data is fictional):

Madison PTA members will receive an email with instructions on how to download DirectorySpot and set a password. PTA members will also receive a printed directory in October.

We hope you will love the “On the Go” directory. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Johnson at skjohnson75@hotmail.com.

Trivia Night is going to be a fabulous evening for Madison parents and staff. Reserve your table now. They are filling up fast! Purchase a table of 10 for $250 or reserve your spot for $25 per person. There will be designated grade level tables as well. Email Robyn Beres with your reservations (robynberes@hotmail.com), then send your checks to school in an envelope marked "Trivia Night", payable to Madison PTA.

A cocktail hour kicks off the night while you browse the auction items up for bid. If you have an auction item you'd be willing to donate, contact Julie Ippolito (julieippolito3@yahoo.com) and fill out this donation form. We will also have a Wine Pull. Contact Amy Stout (amylstout@yahoo.com) to donate a bottle of wine worth $25 or more. For more information, click here.

Feel free to pick a theme for your table and dress up! Get ready for a fun night!

Madison's annual fall book fair is Oct. 27-30. Please support the Library Learning Center and encourage reading in your families.

Book fair and volunteer hours:

Mon.: 1-3:30 p.m. and 4-8 p.m., plus special evening hours during conferences

Tues.: 9:15-3:30 p.m.

Wed.: 8-9 a.m. (Bagels and Books with Dad)

9:15-3:30 p.m. and 4-8 p.m., plus special evening hours during conferences

Thurs.: 9:15-3:30 p.m.

Additional volunteer hours:

Mon.: 9:15 a.m. (set-up)

Mon.: 1-3:30 p.m. (wish lists)

Tues. & Wed: 9:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. (wish lists)

Fri.: 9:15 a.m. (take down)

If you can volunteer, or if you have questions, contact Stacy Circelli (circelli5@comcast.net) or Diane Graham (Diane.Graham@cusd200.org).

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We are looking for one or more parent volunteers to do Art Appreciation. It's a once-a-month commitment between October and May. The volunteer and the teacher schedule a time that is mutually convenient to teach a half hour lesson about an artist and a piece. The lessons are preplanned and follow a set schedule. No art background is necessary, just a desire to help out in the classroom and be a creative with your child and his or her classmates.

We need parents in the following classrooms:

Mrs. Bailey

Miss Clum

Mrs. Rebholz

Ms. Farmer

Mr. Jewell

Please contact Louise Kirkman (Louisekirkman@gmail.com) if you are interested.

Mary Lynn McCafferty, Madison school nurse, needs three volunteers the morning of Oct. 8 and two in the afternoon to help escort kids to and from their classrooms and assist with vision and hearing screening. She also needs one volunteer the morning of Oct. 22 for any rescreenings. Please let Janet Mathis (janetmarkmathis@yahoo.com) know if you can help.

Please help keep our school grounds looking beautiful! Come Sun., Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We need many volunteers. Kids of all ages and parents welcome. Bring your gardening tools and gloves to help weed flower beds, rake, clean up, and spread mulch.

Refreshments will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there. Contact John Phanthavong, jcphanth@comcast.net for more information.

It's only September, but already many PTA committees have been busy, and some have even wrapped up their work for the year. Please stop and thank these committee chairs for the work they've already done for Madison PTA this year:

Audit (2013-2014): Misty Gniadek

Hospitality: Jen Doty

LLC Coordinator: Kathryn Medanic

Madison Memos & Outdoor Sign: Jaime Kammerzell

Meet & Treat: Melisa Oker

New Family Welcoming: Jennifer Hasbrouck & Lynn Lehman

Picture Day: Anne Nigrelli & Dawnelle Muff

School Supplies: Kathryn Medanic

If you'd like to volunteer for Madison PTA, please sign up here. Any questions about Madison PTA? Contact Janet Mathis, janetmarkmathis@yahoo.com or Julie Ippolito, julieippolito3@yahoo.com, co-presidents.

Beginning in 2013, Madison PTA began using an online payment software called School Pay to collect payments for PTA membership, general donations, and yearbooks. We found School Pay to be simple and reliable and many parents have used this payment option. This year we encourage more committees to use School Pay if your committee needs to collect any sort of payment from parents.

Here are some great reasons to consider using online payments:

1. Responsible for fewer cash and check payments.

2. Fewer lost orders and payments from the use of the “backpack mail” system.

3. Less time spent recording orders and payments to submit to the treasurer.

4. Track online sales and payments from your home computer at any time.

5. Download information to an Excel spreadsheet for further use.

6. Easily run financial reports to submit to the treasurer each month.

7. Convenient and quick option for parents to use.

Sarah Johnson will support and assist committee chairs who are interested in using School Pay. Set up of a new online payment item may take approximately 2-3 weeks. For more information, contact Sarah Johnson at skjohnson75@hotmail.com.

Wheaton-Warrenville Community Unit School District 200 offers numerous free screenings throughout the school year for children birth through 5 years of age who are residents of District #200 but who are not yet eligible for kindergarten classes.

The purpose of this screening is to determine if the child’s development is on target with age expectations. A screening can be completed in two ways. First, parents can access the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3) on the Jefferson Early Childhood website . Click on “Developmental Screening”. When that form is completed, the parent will be called with the results and any necessary follow-up can be discussed. Another way that parents can access a screening is to call (630) 682-2109 and request a paper copy of the ASQ-3. If it is determined that a face-to-face screening is required, children come in to Jefferson Early Childhood Center for approximately one hour to be screened in the areas of speech, language, hearing, vision, motor skills, play skills and conceptual skills. These screenings are not designed to determine if a child is ready for kindergarten. Parents with questions regarding kindergarten readiness are encouraged to contact the elementary school that their child will attend.

Face-to-face screenings are by appointment only and are scheduled on various Mondays throughout the year. Since appointments book up quickly, we encourage you to initiate the developmental screening process sooner rather than later.

Please look for the registration flyers to come home soon in backpack mail with your 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. We are signing up players, volunteer coaches and assistant coaches for this fun-filled co-ed program that runs Nov. 2014 through Mar. 2015. There is a coach meeting in late October. Forms and payment must be dropped off at the Wheaton Park District Community Center.

Please contact Brittanyanne Schumacher (RianL04@yahoo.com) if you have any questions or would like to coach this year.

If you're interested in daytime or evening parenting seminars, take a look at the "Parenting seminars" flyer posted on the Madison PTA page.

Reflection time is here. This year’s theme is "The world would be a better place if… ."

All Madison students may act on the theme, create an original work, and be recognized.

Categories include: dance choreography, music composition, film production, photography, literature and visual arts. General rules will be posted in the main office.

For additional information, please click here. Submit your entry to the school office by end-of-day Oct. 10.

Get creative Madison students!

Gaytana Morgan, gaytana@sbcglobal.net

Wing lovers - this one is for you! Madison’s first Dining for Dollars event of the school year will take place on Wed., Oct. 1 at Buffalo Wild Wings in Warrenville.

Dining for Dollars is an opportunity for Madison families to enjoy a great meal and also earn money for the school.

On Oct. 1, Buffalo Wild Wings will offer kid’s meals for only $1.99, which includes free ice cream! Kids also will have the opportunity to spin a prize wheel. Please note that this event is valid all day, so feel free to enjoy lunch or dinner while earning money for Madison PTA.

A flyer will come home in Friday folders as we get closer to the event. Make sure to give the flyer to your server or mention that you are with Madison Elementary. Questions? Contact Melissa Roberts (Melissa _Roberts@comcast.net) or Julie Ippolito (julieippolito3@yahoo.com).

Join your classmates on Wed., Oct. 8, for National Bike/Walk to School Day. By walking or biking to school, you’ll enjoy the trees transitioning to fall colors, keep yourself and the environment healthy and help reduce congestion on city streets. Let’s have some outdoor fun before cold winter days are upon us. Questions? Contact Jeff Hasbrouck (lupis502@comcast.net).

When you shop on http://amazon.com, please use the Madison PTA link: http://www.fundyourpta.org/madisonelementary.php. Madison PTA will earn 6% on every purchase! Click here for more information.

Do you find yourself at Target once or maybe even twice a week or more? Did you know you could use that spending to earn money for Madison? By using your REDcard, Target's credit card or debit card, you can do just that. When you designate Madison as your elementary school, Target donates 1% of your total charge through their "Take Charge of Education" program.

Click on the calendar on the Madison section of www.cusd200.org to view upcoming dates. See below for some highlights:

Sept. 25: Movie night canceled due to mosquitoes.

Sept. 26: No school

Oct. 1: Dining for Dollars at Buffalo Wild Wings

Oct. 8: Vision and hearing screening

Oct. 8: National Walk/Bike to School Day

Oct. 15: Market Day

Oct. 16: PTA Meeting at 7 p.m.

Oct. 18: Trivia night

Oct. 27 & 29: Parent/teacher conferences

Oct. 27-31: Book Fair

Nov. 13: Multicultural Day

Jan. 24, 2015: Pancake breakfast

Feb. 6, 2015: Winter Carnival

May 22, 2015: Explore More Day