BG eNews
October 4, 2023
Notes from Mrs. Klueppel
OCTOBER
10/5 & 10/6 - No School (Parent/Teacher Conferences)
10/9 - No School (Columbus Day)
10/10 - Picture Retake Day
10/11 - PTO Lou Malnatis Restaurant Fundraiser
10/20- No School (School Improvement Day)
10/25 - 2:10 PM Early Dismissal
10/26 - BG Shopping Day for Grades 1, 3, 5
NOVEMBER
11/8 - PTO Beef Shack Restaurant Fundraiser
11/10 - End of 1st Trimester
11/20-11/24 - Non Attendance Days & Thanksgiving Break
11/29 - 2:10 PM Early Dismissal
11/30- BG Shopping Day for Grades K, 2, 4
Erin's Law Letter
This letter is to inform you about Erin’s Law (Illinois Public Act 097-1147), an Illinois law passed in February, 2011 that requires public schools to provide child sexual abuse prevention education for all children in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades.
If you have any questions, please contact principal Mrs. Klueppel at amy.klueppel@d303.org or by phone at 331-228-5558.
Thank you for your support,
Amy Klueppel
Pictures & Spirit Wear
Pictures:
Picture orders and/or proofs should have come home with your child this week. See details below about picture retakes and ordering photos with your child's ticket code. Contact our photo company directly with any questions. (Contact info listed below)
Spirit Wear:
Spirit wear also arrived this week and was send home with students.
Picture Retake Sign-Up for 10/10
1) If your child missed picture day on 8/28
OR
2) you would like your child to have their picture retaken
Click here to sign your child up for picture retake day!
The prepay website closed at midnight on 8/28. If you missed prepaying you will have a chance to order pictures with your child's Ticket Code. When placing an order after Picture Day with a Ticket Code a shipping fee will be added on and picture packages will be shipped directly to the home.
Ticket Codes should have come home with your child this week.. Link to order with ticket code.
Already prepaid for pictures, but want your child's picture retaken?
Send your child to school with their original picture package to hand to the photographer when they get their picture retaken
Please email Color Portraits directly with any ordering questions.
Recess Zones Update
Since the beginning of the school year there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the topic of Recess Zones. A few weeks ago I admitted that our communication about recess zones was lacking from the start, which only contributed to the lack of understanding and numerous misconceptions about what the zones were and were not. For anyone who reached out to me directly to share their thoughts about the zones, I simply asked them to give it a month before making any final judgments.
As of Oct. 4, we have had our recess zones up and fully running for one whole month. During that month we have made numerous observations, talked with our lunchroom supervisors, and reviewed recess behavior incident data. We can share that the higher structures during recess has resulted in less behavior incidents occurring. Another highlight has been that students now know how to play many more blacktop games than ever before.
Our students have demonstrated that they know how to demonstrate their BG Best on the playground. The high structures at the beginning of the year will serve as a strong foundation moving forward.
Safety is still our #1 priority at recess. We believe we can still maintain safety as our priority while lessening some of the constraints associated with the recess zones. Therefore, starting Tuesday Oct.10, recess will be adjusted to the following…
We will maintain 4 recess zones. We will maintain one lunchroom supervisor being assigned to each recess zone for focused, active monitoring. Students may choose to play within any of the 4 zones during the recess. They may choose to play with students from another grade level as well. In the event the field zone is too wet or too muddy, we will close that zone for the day. We will continue to work in close communication with our PE Team to make sure we don’t infringe on their outdoor lessons.
Student Handbook & Electronic Devices in School
2023-24 Elementary School Handbook
Electronic Devices in School
Phones/Smart Watches
Students are extended the privilege of possessing phones/smartwatches on school grounds; however, their use is limited to after-school dismissal and non-school days. These devices must be in the off position, or not used once the student arrives on campus until the end of the school day
September BG Happenings
Volunteer Process
We appreciate our volunteers and value your time. When you are in the building for any reason, please be respectful of classroom instruction and do not make unexpected visits to your child's classroom. Thank you for helping us minimize classroom disruptions.
Volunteers Needed for BG Best Shop
Lost & Found
Is your child missing a jacket or water bottle? Please remind them to check our lost & found. We encourage students to check the lost & found for missing items, but please remind them at home as well. Lost & Found is currently located in the café so every student has an opportunity to check it DAILY. It is very helpful to label your child's belongings so that they can be returned to them when misplaced.
Free Riverview Child and Family Therapy Event
Be sure to RSVP Below
We have partnered with Riverview Child and Family Therapy to provide a free parent evening on Thursday, October 12. The session will be approximately 1 hour long and be presented in the Bell Graham school Cafeteria by a licensed clinical professional counselor.
THIS IS AN ADULT ONLY EVENT, NO CHILDREN ALLOWED. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Date: Thursday, October 12, 2023
Time: 6:00-7:00
Tips for a Successful School Year Start out on the right foot this year with strategies to help decrease homework battles and improve your child's independence as a student.
Bell-Graham Attendance Line
Call 331-228-2100
- 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 absence information to Kristin Cloy in the main office.
Prearranged Absence Form:
Prearranged absence forms are to be used for absences known in advance such as a planned vacation.
Leaving Early
PICKING UP YOUR CHILD EARLY?
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
Health Office
Health Office
REMINDER!
Please turn in your required health forms to the Health Office! If you are missing any health records you will be contacted in the next week.
Kindergarten and Students new to Illinois- Physical, Vision, Dental, Health survey Students who are new to Illinois need to have these on Illinois
2nd Grade- Dental
3rd Grade- Updated Health Survey
All of the forms are linked here for your convenience or you can go to the District Website and find them in the parent section under Forms. We will be sending home letters to the students who have missing medical records after Labor Day weekend.
Please reach out if you have any questions. Feel free to send any communication, including health forms, to bel-nurses@d303.org to ensure that all of our Bell Graham nurses receive this important information pertaining to your student(s)The health office direct line is 331-228-2104.
Thank you!
Kerisa Martini Espinosa, RN
LeeAnna Anzaldi,MSN, RN, PEL-ILSN
BG PTO
COMMITTEE CHAIR SPOTLIGHT
This week, we spotlight DIANA KRUIS who co-chairs New Family Welcome Breakfast and Informational Meeting, Bingo and Big Hearts of Fox Valley. Diana served on the BG Board as Secretary for two years and has been an active member of the BG PTO for over 9 years. She also runs a tie-dye session during ASE in February, which qualifiers her for sainthood if you ask us!Bell Graham would not be the place it is without this invaluable mom. Thank you Diana for all of your hard work and dedication to the PTO!!!
RESTAURANT FUNDRAISER - 10/11
Our next restaurant fundraiser will be hosted by South Elgin Lou Malnati’s on Wednesday, October 11th. The online ordering code is: GRPRSFUND23.
FALL FEST - 10/13
Please join us on Friday the 13th from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at Windy Acres Farm located at 37W466 Fabyan Parkway, Geneva, IL 60134 for Bell Graham's Fall Fest! Kids are welcome to wear their Halloween costumes.
Beat the lines and purchase your wristbands now here! Wristbands are $15 per kid, $10 per adult, and children 2 and under are free. Presale ends October 11th. You will pickup your wristbands at checkin.
In order to make this event a success, we need your help and support. Please consider signing up to donate items needed for the Fall Fest as well as volunteer during the event here. We appreciate all of your help and support!
If you are still interested in ordering from Windy Acres, you still have time! You can order online for PICK UP AT THE FARM until Fall Fest on October 13th. There are beautiful mums, floral arrangements, pumpkins, apple cider donuts, freshly baked pies, local honey, and more! Use this link here to order. A percentage of the proceeds come back to BG! It’s also a great way to order treats for the cake walk. Just choose cake walk donation at checkout - so easy!
HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR! The train is a bonus attraction that will run continuously all evening for free for all families to enjoy thanks to our generous sponsor Blondies Beef, owned by the Gonzalez family. We cannot thank this BG family enough! Please help us show them our gratitude by purchasing some yummy steaks. They offer specialty cut steaks mailed directly to you or your special person to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. They are offering a special discount to BG families as well! Use the code FALLFEST at checkout to save 10%. https://blondiesbeef.com/
ART CLUB- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We still need a few more volunteers. PLEASE SIGN UP for a time slot of this upcoming session on the sign up-genius link here. The task is only signing kids in and out, so easy peasy!
STOCK THE STAFF SNACK CLOSET
It's time for our annual stocking of the staff snack closet! Please consider donating a box of goodies to be enjoyed by our amazing BG staff. Items can be dropped off at the school at anytime. Please use the signup here.
WEBSITE
For additional information on the PTO please visit our website or our Bell Graham Elementary PTO Facebook page.
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Any questions or comments? Please contact our PTO President Kate Bennett at kate.bennett82@yahoo.com or 630.461.7606.
Car Tags
For car riders, we use a Visor Tag System. Each family should have 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.
Therapy Dogs
Morning Arrival Therapy Dogs
Please reach out to Dr. Dieckman or Julianna Harmon if you have any questions.
Upcoming Early Release
Bell-Graham Resources
Bell Graham Elementary School
Website: bellgraham.d303.org
Location: 4N505 Fox Mill Blvd St. Charles, IL 60175
Phone: 331-228-2100
Facebook: facebook.com/BellGrahamElementary
Twitter: @BellGrahamD303
CUSD 303 Information
Big Hearts of Fox Valley
For the 10th year in a row, D303 is again partnering with Big Hearts of Fox Valley, which supports families in need during the holiday season. Big Hearts of Fox Valley Holiday Giving Program's purpose is to provide holiday gifts for D303 students and their younger siblings whose families face significant financial hardship. Through Big Hearts, members of the D303 community anonymously shop for wish list items. D303 social workers will review applicants. If you are struggling and facing significant financial hardship and would like assistance providing holiday gifts to your children, click here. If you would like to help Big Hearts by "adopting" a child this Holiday season, click here. You can visit the Big Hearts of Fox Valley website for more information.