Brubaker News
October 2017
A Message from Mr. Adams
Families,
I am amazed at how quickly the year has started. It seems like only last week we were greeting each other for the first time of the new school year. As we enter the month of October, students are deep into their academic coursework. I would like to celebrate the fact that they are learning new learning targets and working toward mastery of learning goals. With that in mind, I would like to encourage families to keep learning in their daily conversations with children. As we are now a Standards-Referenced Grading school in all grades K-5, our conversations at school start with student knowing the learning targets and from there, learning how to meet the learning targets. A great way to stay informed while also supporting the importance of children dedicating themselves to growing as learners is to ask them about their learning targets and their growth towards mastery. We are looking forward to reviewing evidence of their work toward mastery during our upcoming Conferences. As always, thank you for your involvement and support of social, emotional, and academic growth. Happy October!
Morning Routine
Doors open promptly at 8:20. Please remember that there is no adult supervision available before 8:20 AM. Parents and guardians are responsible for children before 8:20 AM. Please do not send students before this time to school. As the weather becomes cooler, there is not a warm place for students to wait before the doors open.
Breakfast is served from 8:20-8:45. Students who arrive before 8:45 will be able to get a school breakfast.
Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, Oct. 4th, 2:30-7:45pm
Brubaker Elementary
Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences
Thursday, Oct. 5th, 4-8pm
Brubaker Elementary
Box Tops Due
Friday, Oct. 13th, 3:30pm
Brubaker Elementary
No School - Staff Professional Development
Friday, Oct. 27th, 8:45am
Brubaker Elementary
Fall Pictures Retake Day
Thursday, Nov. 2nd, 9am-12pm
Brubaker Elementary School
Thanksgiving Break - No School
Wednesday, Nov. 22nd, 8:45am to Friday, Nov. 24th, 3:45pm
Des Moines Public Schools

Healthiest State Initiative Walk - Monday, October 2nd
Brubaker Elementary School participated in the 2017 annual walk on Monday, October 2nd. This is a short, 30-minute walk for all students and teachers, through our neighborhood and community!
- Physical Activity
- Teaching safe pedestrian skills to kids
- Awareness of how walkable our community is and where improvements can be made
- Concern for the environment
- Reduce traffic congestions, pollution and speed near our school
- Sharing time and connecting with our community, parents and children
This walk is also our official kick-off of Fuel Up to Play 60, this is an online program, which encourages kids to fuel up to play for 60 minutes per day.
For more information, visit http://www.iowahealthieststate.com and https://www.fueluptoplay60.com/about/about-the-program
Brubaker's Fall Fundraiser
- New Recess Equipment
- Student Take-Home Folders
- Positive mindset quotes posted around the building
- Busing for field trips
- Pencil sharpeners for classrooms
- Coping materials
- Student Memberships to Academic Websites
- Recorders for Music classes
- Scholastic News subscriptions
- Classroom rugs

Hope Food

BackPack Program
The Food Bank of Iowa’s BackPack Program™ is designed to increase access to easy-to-prepare, single servings of food to school-aged children on weekends when school breakfast and lunch is not offered. The Food Bank of Iowa and Brubaker Elementary would like to invite your child to participate in this exciting program!
Here's how it works:
- Every Friday, your child will receive a sack filled with kid-friendly foods.
- There is no fee for participating in the program. Families are only asked to provide feedback on the program by filling out annual surveys sent home with their child.
- The program operates during the 2017-18 school year.
Contact Sarah Walljasper, Counselor, at 515-242-8405 for more information.
Notes from the Nurse
Healthy Students, Healthy School
It's that time of year again, the weather is getting cooler and winter will be here soon. Here are a few notes to help us keep illnesses at school at a minimum and our students as healthy as possible during the fall and winter months.
- they have a fever of 101 degrees or above
- they are vomiting and/or have diarrhea
Please remember to send your child(ren) to school with a coat, hat, gloves/mittens and boots when necessary. It is recommended that students wear a coat or jacket outside to recess when the temperature is 50 degrees or less.
Vision Screening - Updated 10/9/17
All students at Brubaker will have their vision screened the week of October 23rd either by Lions Club or Vision to Learn. If you, for any reason, do not want your child to be screened, please submit your decision to opt out, in writing, to the school nurse, or email, angella.gonzalez@dmschools.org.
Vision To Learn is a nonprofit organization that helps overcome obstacles to vision care by bringing a mobile clinic to schools and providing exams and glasses for free. The organization operates mobile eye clinics and visits schools and organizations that serve children.
Breakfast in the Classroom
Breakfasts brought from home are not allowed to be eaten in the classroom, due to food allergy concerns. For more information visit https://www.dmschools.org/breakfast-classroom-faq/.
Needs
If you are willing to donate, the nurse is in need of the following items:
- New packages of underwear - small sizes are most needed (boys & girls)
- Gently used, easy-to-pull-up pants (boys & girls)
- Gently used shoes - sizes 11-2 are most needed (boys & girls)
Students can drop off donations in the main office. Thank you for your support!
Table Talk
How will you stay safe during fire and/or severe weather emergencies at school?
Fire Prevention Week is observed during the month of October. Do you have a plan for fire and severe weather emergencies at home? It's best to be prepared! Check back next month for more information on Brubaker's emergency plans!
Unleash your inner BARK!
Last month your child(ren) shared with you, information on Brubaker's B.A.R.K. expectations. Brubaker exists to create a safe and nurturing environment where all students learn at high levels. In order to be successful, Brubaker Bulldogs follow B.A.R.K. expectations, our version of school-wide expectations. It stands for:
B - Believe in Myself
A - Achieve Positive Goals
R - Respect our Community
K - Keep it Safe
Students have been working hard to practice BARKing in and around our school during the first month. Students were taught (or reviewed) what our B.A.R.K. expectations look like throughout different parts of our school through lessons, class discussions and videos. Keep up the good work!
Morning Meeting
Morning Meeting is an engaging way to start each school day, build classroom community and is an opportunity to practice both social and academic skills. Morning Meetings last about 20 minutes and include the following four components:
1. Greeting - students and teacher(s) greet each other by name.
2. Sharing - students take turns sharing information about themselves. Listeners practice responding appropriately and/or asking clarifying questions.
3. Group Activity - all students participate in a group game or activity that reinforces social and/or academic skills.
4. Morning Message - students read a short message written by their teacher. This message helps identify a specific learning focus for the day.
Here's What's Happening Around the Building...
2nd Grade Students in Mrs. Lans' class playing tether ball at recess! | Kindergarten Students in Mrs. Fiderlick's class practice safety routines during a severe weather drill. | 1st Grade Mrs. Hedges' class created apple schema files to practice asking and answering questions! |
4th Grade A student in Mr. Scheer's class adds a paw to 4th grade's "Paws"itive Behavior Chart in the cafeteria. Students in all grade levels can earn to choose their own seat at lunch once their grade has collected 20 paws. 4th Grade had their first celebration last week! | 5th Grade Students in Mrs. Ira's and Mr. Hendershott's classes practice for a Multiplication Challenge outside, taking advantage of the beautiful fall day! | 1st Grade Students in Mrs. Oelmann's class participate in the Pick a Better Snack program. This month, students were able to taste test zucchini. |
4th Grade
5th Grade
Kindergarten Students in Mrs. Woods' class put the letters of the alphabet in order during Literacy Centers! | 1st Grade Students in Mrs. Oelmann's class read different "There Was an Old Lady" books then made an Old Lady Who Swallowed Sight Words as an interactive way to practice reading important words. | 2nd Grade 2nd Graders in Mrs. Frank's Art classes explore the use of a variety of materials, using Monet's work as inspiration. |
Kindergarten
1st Grade
3rd Grade 3rd graders participating in the all-school walk as part of the Healthiest State Initiative. The article above includes more information on this important event! | Please Give A Round of "A-paws!" Check out the monitor in the entry-way for Brubaker A-paws! |
National School Lunch Week #NSLW17
Students will be given coloring sheets to color their favorite school lunch. Pictures will be on display in the cafeteria.
For more information, visit https://schoolnutrition.org/Meetings/Events/NSLW/2017/.
2018-2019 Open Enrollment Notification
2018-2019 School Year
PATRON NOTIFICATION
Between District Open Enrollment Iowa Administrative Code 281-17.3(2)
Parents/Guardians considering the use of the open enrollment option to enroll their children in another public school district in the state of Iowa should be aware of the following dates:
DEADLINES:
March 1, 2018 is the last date for regular open enrollment requests for the 2018-2019 school year. September 1, 2018 is the last date for open enrollment requests for entering kindergarten students and those students falling under the “good cause” definition for the 2018-2019 school year. To insure that the transfer of individual students does not adversely affect the diversity plan of the District, certain limitations to open enrollment have been established. Parents of kindergarten students are therefore encouraged to make application requests prior to March 1, 2018.
APPEALS:
Within 30 days of a denial of an open enrollment request by the DMPS Board of Education, a parent/guardian may file an appeal with the state board of education only if the open enrollment request was based on repeated acts of harassment or a serious health condition of the student that the district cannot adequately address. All other denials must be appealed to the district court in Polk County.
ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY:
In most cases, a high school student who open enrolls is ineligible for varsity athletic competition during the student’s first 90 consecutive school days of enrollment in the receiving district. Some, but not all, exceptions to this general rule of ineligibility are as follows:
1. The sending district does not offer the sport in question.
2. The sending district was dissolved and merged with one or more other districts.
3. The sending district whole-grade shares with another district for the student’s grade level.
TRANSPORTATION:
Parents/Guardians of students open enrolled from another school district are eligible for transportation assistance if the household income of the parent/guardian is at or below the federal poverty guidelines for household size. The two districts must be contiguous. Assistance may be in the form of actual transportation or in the form of a cash stipend. Information regarding transportation eligibility and a complete copy of the District’s open enrollment policy and procedures may be obtained from the Open Enrollment Office, 2100 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321
Año Escolar de 2018-2019
NOTIFICACIÓN DE USUARIOS
Entre la inscripción abierta de distrito Iowa Código administrativo 281-17.3(2)
Padres/tutores teniendo en cuenta el uso de la opción de inscripción abierta para inscribir a sus hijos en otro distrito de la escuela pública en el estado de Iowa los padres o tutores deben ser conscientes de las siguientes fechas:
PLAZOS:
01 de Marzo de 2018 es el plazo para las solicitudes regulares de inscripción abierta para el año 2018-2019. 01 de Septiembre de 2018 es el plazo para las solicitudes de inscripción abierta para estudiantes de Kinder y los estudiantes pertenecientes a la definición de "buena causa" para el año 2018-2019. Para asegurar que la transferencia de estudiantes individuales no afecta el plan de diversidad del distrito, se han establecido ciertas limitaciones para abrir la inscripción. Los padres de los estudiantes de Kinder por lo tanto animamos a realizar solicitudes de aplicación antes de 01 de Marzo de 2018.
APELACIÓN:
Dentro de 30 días de una denegación de una solicitud de inscripción abierta por la Junta de Educación de DMPS, un padre o tutor puede presentar una apelación ante la Junta de Educación del Estado sólo si la solicitud de inscripción abierta se basaba en repetidos actos de acoso o una condición de salud seria del estudiante que el distrito no puede responder adecuadamente. Todos otros rechazos deben apelarse ante el Tribunal de Distrito en el Condado de Polk
ELEGIBILIDAD ATLÉTICA:
En la mayoría de los casos, un estudiante de secundaria de inscripción abierta es inelegible para competencias atléticas de varsity durante primeros 90 días consecutivos de inscripción del estudiante en el distrito de recepción. Algunos, pero no todos, excepciones a esta regla general de inelegibilidad son los siguientes:
1. El distrito envíado no ofrece el deporte en cuestión.
2. El distrito envíado fue disuelta y se fusionó con uno o más distritos.
3. Las acciones de grado conjunto Distrito envía con otro distrito para el grado del estudiante.
TRANSPORTE:
Los padres/tutores de estudiantes abiertos de otro distrito escolar son elegibles para asistencia de transporte si el ingreso de los padres/tutores es igual o por debajo de las pautas federales de pobreza para el tamaño de la familia. Los dos distritos deben ser contiguos. Asistencia puede ser en la forma de transporte real o en forma de un estipendio de efectivo. Puede obtenerse información sobre la elegibilidad de transporte y una copia completa de inscripción abierta política del distrito y los procedimientos de la oficina de inscripción abierta, 2100 Fleur Dr., Des Moines, IA 50321
About Us
8:45 AM - 3:40 PM (M, T, Th, F)
8:45 AM - 2:10 PM (W)
Doors open at 8:20 AM, daily
Free breakfast served to all students 8:20-8:45 AM!