Brookdale PTA News /

September, 2011

PTA on a mission to help children reach their potential

I hope you enjoyed your summer and are as excited Our involvement in Brookdale is an investment in our about the new school year as I am. Lots of fun activities children, our shared future. We urge you to join us as we are planned, and your child certainly will work together with the staff and community Message from grow and develop this year. to support our children. It is never too the President late to become (more) involved in your You may be familiar with the programs ~ Judy Nagel-Conley childs education by becoming an active that we, as a PTA, offer, but do you know member of the Brookdale PTA. I urge you why these programs exist? Some PTA-led to help us provide the best learning environment possible activities such as our After-School Enrichment Classes for our children. and the Reflections program enhance students acaThank you in advance! demic achievements. Others like classroom parties and seasonal family nights develop our childrens so- New way to raise money for Brookdale PTA cial skills. Still others such as our new Bobcat Blast fun We've discovered a great way to raise money for run and Red Ribbon Week strengthen our children Brookdale PTA The Fundinco Solution. It's super-easy, physically and emotionally. and all you have to do is shop at Amazon.com after visitAll of our activities help us to achieve our mission, ing the Fundinco homepage. More ways which is to ensure that each and every child has an opFor every dollar spent at Amazon, we portunity to reach their highest individual potential ac- will receive 3 percent of the purchase. to earn ~ Page 11 ademically, physically and socially. There are no additional costs to you, no We believe it is important to help our teachers and ad- logins, and no strings attached. Just by buying the things ministrators because we all have a stake in the success you already buy or plan to buy, you will earn some money for our PTA to use to support our programs and activities. of every child. Students truly do better in school when educators, families and communities work together. Re- The money you earn will make a difference! Type in www.fundinco.org to go directly to the Fundinco search shows that regardless of income or background, students with involved parents are more likely to get high- homepage where you can start shopping. Make sure to add the Fundinco link to your favorites or bookmark it so er grades, attend school regularly, have better social skills, be better behaved, and ultimately have higher lev- you can come back anytime you shop online and raise money. els of success.

Mark your calendar

Walk to School Day and Bobcat Blast Kickoff 2 Busy Bobcat Store open 8:30 to 9 am for K-2 5-6 No school

7 Market Day pickup

9:45 to 10:15 am 8 School Picture Day 15 Curriculum Night 6 to 8:30 pm 16 Busy Bobcat Store open 8:30 to 9 am for 3-5 Spirit Wear orders due 19 Classroom Coordinators meeting 7 to 9 pm 22 PTA meeting 7 pm 23 Bobcat Blast fun run 28-29 After-School Enrichment classes 3:45 to 4:30 pm

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The Principals Corner

A few words from Principal Brian LeCrone

Principal offers important reminders for new school year

Welcome back! It has been great to see both everyday! the new and familiar faces. Certainly, the school Students who receive free or reduced lunch is now a much livelier place than it has been for will be charged the milk fee if they take onthe past few months! ly a milk and not a full lunch (entre plus at The preparation that went into opening the least one of three sides). The best case school year has been well worth the effort. All of scenario would be that students take the our students are settling into their full lunch and milk and eat all of it. routines and it has been a wonderOn the other hand, a student could Message from ful start to the year. choose to take a full lunch and the Principal Special thanks are extended to milk, drink the milk and throw out ~Brian LeCrone Mrs. Minch (school secretary), Mr. the lunch. The latter method is not Baldridge (head custodian) and the preferred nor recommended. PTA Executive Board for all the work they put into Please encourage your child to take and starting the school year off on the right track. eat the full lunch and avoid taking only I hope you had an opportunity to look through milk. the Brookdale Beacon that was sent in August There is a Heat Plan for both the school because it contains several important dates and and the district. At the school level, the topics. I also would like you to be aware of some plan is to rotate students into cooler areas other items of interest that just did not fit into of the building (i.e. teachers lounge, comthe Beacon: puter lab, gymnasium) as needed, with the second floor classrooms having priority. The State of Illinois has changed the law The district also has a plan that outlines pertaining to truancy. In the past, a student criteria and procedures for early dismissal was considered truant if he or she missed due to excessive heat. You may access the 10 percent of the previous 180 school district plan through a link on the district days. The new law has dropped that perwebsite, www.ipsd.org (click on Our centage down to 5 percent. Obviously, the Schools and then scroll down to intent is to ensure that students are receivElementary Heat Plan) ing the maximum amount of instructional The 204 Tipline still is available on the distime in order to reach their full potential. trict website (click on 204 Tipline located Please get your children to school on time, in the IPSD Essentials Section). Please

use this communication tool to anonymously alert us about any potential safety issues at school. Any family with at least one child receiving free school lunches from Brookdale may qualify for a fast, affordable home Internet service through Comcast. The service costs $9.95 per month (plus tax) and there are no price increases, activation fees or equipment rental fees. Information about the program was sent home in backpacks the first week of school. Please call the main office at (630) 428-6800 if you have any questions. Please come to the State of Brookdale Address at Curriculum Night on Thursday, Sept. 15. The presentation, from 6:30-6:45 p.m., will provide you with a snapshot of the past, present and future of Brookdale Elementary School. Of course, you will also want to stay for the classroom presentations that follow from 6:50 to 7:30 p.m. and 7:35 to 8:15 p.m.

As always, please feel free to contact me with your questions, comments and/or concerns. Your input and support are valued and appreciated. By working together, we will provide the students at Brookdale with the most positive, productive environment possible. GO BOBCATS!

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Your PTA at Work

Welcome to our first monthly column on PBIS at Brookdale. First, lets define the acronym: PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Intervention and Support. PBIS is a proactive systems approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students to achieve social, emotional and academic success, according to pbisillinois.org. To paraphrase, it is a framework for helping schools define, support and recognize the positive behaviors they would like to see in their students. About 1/3 of Illinois schools use PBIS as the backbone of their behavior program. Future articles will cover PBIS in more detail, including the schoolwide matrix that defines the behavior expected in each area of the school, the incentives children receive for good behavior, and the tier system for children who need support beyond the schoolwide program. For now, lets focus on the part that affects every child the PAWS program. For new families, a PAW is a little slip of paper that can be given to a student when he or she is caught acting in a way that is in line with the Like us on Facebook
Brookdale Elementary PTA

News and notes from our committees

PBIS adopts theme: Act Like a Champion Today New year, new names
school's behavioral expectations. A child might be given a PAW for walking in the hallway, for keeping their voice at an appropriate level when choosing books in the LMC, or for cleaning up his or her area in the lunchroom. When staff members award PAWS, they tell the students why their actions merited recognition in an effort to reinforce the positive behavior. PAWS are collected in the classrooms and children are recognized when they reach certain markers. Especially in the younger grades, you can expect your child to come home at times declaring, I got a PAW today! Be sure to ask them what they did to earn the PAW, and let them know they did a great job. This year's theme is Act Like a Champion Today. When you are in school, take a look at the bulletin board along the hallway near the LMC. Over the year you will see hundreds of PAWS accumulating there with children's names on them. The bulletin board is a constant reminder to students that together they are creating an environment where each child can be a champion! Get the latest on our blog
brookdaleschoolpta.blogspot.com

Odds are your child has mentioned a staffer whose name you dont recognize. Changes occur every year, but this year brought many new faculty, staff in new roles and familiar faces with new names. Get your scorecards ready. Here are the lineup changes: Carolyn Fitzgerald moves to fourth grade from fifth grade. Lynne Ouellette moves to third grade from fourth grade. Danielle Carstens, former thirdgrade teacher, is the interventionist. Lisa Brauer joins the staff, opening a fourth section of second-grade . Maura Allison joins the staff as a third-grade teacher. Michelle Milewski is our new occupational therapist. Loretta Valentin is our new orchestra teacher. Jessica Snyder is our new reading improvement teacher. Amy Madzinski is our new student services coordinator. Betsy Erickson is Mrs. Cunningham. Kellie Freidheim is Mrs. Beymer. Rachel Batchu is Mrs. Mahmood. Lindsey Parks is Mrs. Stepper.

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Your PTA at Work

Whos ready to have a blast? The Brookdale PTA is launching a new event this fall that aims to get everyone moving and having fun. The Bobcat BLAST fun run, on Friday, Sept. 23, will take students out of their daily routine for a time to run, walk, skip, hop or otherwise move around with their classmates. The BLAST serves many purposes for the PTA. It encourages healthy behavior, joining events like Red Ribbon Week and Jump Rope for Heart. It encourages school spirit. And its a fundraiser we hope will make parents lives easier. The event replaces the annual fall product sale that has been our major fundraiser in years past. Rather thank asking families to sell and deliver products, we are asking families to collect pledges for their students participation.

News and notes from our committees

Bobcat BLAST fun run offers healthy way to raise money

Students can encourage friends and relatives near and far to invest in their health and their education. Our event organizer, the Original Get Movin Crew, makes online pledging simple. Check out the Parents Page at www.thegetmovincrew.com. But the great thing about this event is that every student participates on the day of the fun run. Each student can have a BLAST with their friends and, at the same time, be an active participant in an event that raises money for their school. Acquiring pledges is not mandatory to participate in the fun run. (But we urge every student/family to contribute something because we know every little bit counts!) So, what is a fun run? During school on Friday, Sept. 23, students will spend 40 minutes at the Bobcat BLAST! The time includes a fun warmup led by the Get Movin Crew, followed by time to run, jog or walk with friends and classmates. Afterward, students will have a few minutes to cool down before returning to class. All students regardless of whether theyve collected pledges will receive participation souvenirs. They will be given a pedometer to keep and encouragement to take 10,000 steps a day. Theyll also receive a number like a racer bib to wear during the run and that can be affixed to a memory sheet that asks children to record their favorite memory from the day and to make note of a new healthy habit they plan to adopt. Students will bring home a pledge packet on Thursday, Sept. 1, following the kick-off pep rally on Walk to School Day. Through pledges and donations, the BLAST will provide funding for PTAsponsored assemblies, field trips, class parties, the Variety Show, special in-class programs, educational supplies and more.

Walk to School Day launches Bobcat BLAST

Our annual Walk to School Day moves to Thursday, Sept. 1 to help launch the Bobcat BLAST. Students and parents can join the walking school buses departing at 8:30 a.m. from several neighborhood locations. Teachers and staff will meet children and parents at Hastings and Abbotsford and walk to Whitley and Bainbridge north of the school. A second group leaves from Brookdale and Bainbridge and uses the pathway through the park to approach school from the west. The third group leaves from Brookdale and Manchester and follows Foxhill around to Redfield. Families are welcome to join the walks along the way. When we arrive at school, well gather together on the blacktop for some fun exercises and a pep rally led by the Get Movin Crew. The kick-off event will introduce students to Bobcat BLAST and, we hope, get them excited about being healthy and active.

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Your PTA at Work

BY ALKA TYLE

News and notes from our committees

Parents can help District 204 enhance STEM lessons Whats next
STEM 204 Group

Economies today are driven by scientific and technological innovations that historically have led the United States to prosperity and world leadership. Our children will not inherit this leadership and prosperity unless we equip them to out-innovate and out-compete other nations in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Excellent STEM education allows students to learn communication, collaboration, creAlka Tyle ativity, critical thinking, and quantitative skills that are transferrable to any career. Every student benefits from STEM education. Math is the language of science, and the sooner a student gains proficiency in it, the better. The following statistics show the importance of STEM education: The top 10 highest paid bachelors degrees in 2010 were in engineering and technology; The mean wages for most STEM occupations are significantly above the U.S. average; Healthcare, technology, and technician jobs are in demand, well-paying, require STEM skills and a 2-year degree; Only 29 percent of the ACT-tested 2010 graduates are considered college-ready in science, and only 43 percent in math; Only 17 percent of undergraduate degrees are award-

ed in STEM fields, threatening U.S. global leadership in When: 2 p.m. Thursday, innovations driven by techOct. 20 nology and science; Where: Brookdales Mul- There is a severe shortage tipurpose Room of women and minorities On the agenda: Alka Tyle working in STEM fields. explains District 204s I am a Gregory Middle STEM initiative and how School parent and former the PTA can support it. Indian Prairie Unit District 204 board member. I believe an excellent, well-rounded education consists of a strong core of English, math, science and social studies; of learning global awareness, life, career, and media skills; and of cultivating ones interests and talents in the arts and athletics. I founded the STEM-204 Group a year ago to increase awareness about STEM education in our district, to provide a forum for sharing resources and information, and to create a STEM community of parents, students and staff who value excellence in STEM education. I am involved in STEM initiatives in our district and at the state level. I believe we urgently owe our students an excellent, comprehensive STEM education program, and that parent-led STEM support at each school (such as math night, science fairs, chess club and robotics competitions) can make a substantial and immediate impact on the quality of our children's education.

STEM discussion

The next meeting

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 Where: Brookdales Multipurpose Room On the agenda: Mr. LeCrone shares plans for the school year; President Judy NagelConley reports on news from the district administration

PTA meetings
Oct. 20: 2 p.m.; agenda includes a presentation on STEM programs by former District 204 board member Alka Tyle Nov. 17: 2 p.m. Jan. 19: 7 p.m. Feb. 16: 7 p.m. March 15: 2 p.m. April 19: 7 p.m. May 25: 1:30 p.m.

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Your PTA at Work

News and notes from our committees

Spirit Wear lets students show Bobcat pride

We are proud of Brookdale pink) for girls. Girls also may School! like a new fitted T-shirt with Our children sing the line glitter ink. each time they perform Also new this year are the school song. Its additional offerings time to help them for parents and staff. show their school The selections inpride. clude polos, fleece A T-shirt or sweats pullovers and a basewould do the job nicely. ball cap with a A variety of shirts, Brookdale Bobcats Spirit Wear for families sweats and more bearlogo. ing a Brookdale Bobcats includes hoodies and To see the options for logo are available in the fitted and unisex adults, visit boomfootball jerseys. Spirit Wear Sale. Your erts.com, select Your Adults can order child likely has already Store and choose brought home the order baseball caps Brookdale Staff. To orand fleece form. der, download the form Families can place or- pullovers. and return it to school ders through Friday, with payment. Sept. 16. Just return the order form Organizers offered some with a check to Boomer Ts to your childs products to staff members last year and reclassroom teacher. Orders will be delivered to ceived such positive feedback they decided to your child three to four weeks later. open the sale to parents as well. If youd like to check sizes before ordering, All items are perfect for children, parents product samples are available in the office and staff to wear on our Bobcat Spirit Days, and will be on-hand during Curriculum Night the first Friday of every month. Students and on Thursday, Sept. 15. chaperons also are encouraged to don The selections for children and families in- Brookdale wear for fieldtrips. cludes a number of new items this year. If you have questions, contact Spirit Wear Were offering football jerseys in unisex sizes Coordinator Lisa Howard at (630) 548-4804 as well as jerseys in a more fitted cut (and in or thehowards@wowway.com.

Busy Bobcat Store

The Busy Bobcat Store carries an assortment of school supplies both practical and fun and lets students practice money math. Younger students practice coin recognition, addition and budgeting as they shop. Meanwhile fifth-grade students who staff the store learn customer service skills and reinforce their money-handling abilities. The fun pencils, erasers, sharpeners and more generally range from 25 cents to 75 cents. A Brookdale window cling runs 60 cents. Mini calculators and .5 oz jelly-wrapped Purell Hand sanitizers (clips to backpack or lunch bag) are among the most expensive items at $1.50. A new item coming this year is a stainless steel water bottle with a Bobcat logo, priced at $3.50 or less. Children should enter through the main doors. Parent are welcome to help children shop. Fifthgraders and parent volunteers will be there to lend a hand as well. Questions? Contact Jeannette Curtis at (630) 579-6207 or jeanettecurtis@mac.com or Antonella Erbacher at (630) 946-6787 or tabascoo@aol.com.

First sale dates

Kdg. to Grade 2: 8:30 to 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 2 Grades 3-5: 8:30 to 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16

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Your PTA at Work

Bouncy red playground balls, crisp colored pencils and fresh oil pastels. Thanks to eager label clippers, weve been able to buy an array of art supplies and playground and physical education equipment using points from the Campbells Labels for Education program. The program rewards participating schools by allowing us to trade labels for items for our school. Labels are available on a variety of items, from Campbells Soup and SpaghettiOs to Bic pens. Though Brookdale hasnt officially collected Labels for Education for a while, some parents have turned them in along with BoxTops and Tyson labels. The labels generated enough points for the PTA to order six basketballs, four red rubber playground balls, two soccer balls and a 12-ball carrying cart. We also ordered class packs of Crayola oil pastels,

News and notes from our committees

Campbells labels turn into school supplies

Crayola Color Splash colored pencils and Crayola Color Splash Washable markers all to be used for the Art Awareness program. Inspired by this success, the PTA is renewing Brookdales participation in the program. Alison Hannon is coordinating our collection. Be sure to stop by the Campbells Labels for Education table on Curriculum Night to learn more about what we can buy for our school with Labels points and which products carry the Labels logo. To contribute to the collection, just clip the Labels for Education logo with UPC code from qualifying items(product list) and send them to school for your child to drop in the bin that looks like a soup can just inside the library. Contact Alison at (630) 536-8494 or hannon99@hotmail.com with questions.

Art Awareness
If you are interested in art or looking for an opportunity to volunteer in your childs classroom, consider becoming an Art Awareness presenter. Art Awareness is a classroom-based, volunteerled educational enrichment program presented six times a year in each classroom. From Rockwell to Renoir, students learn about famous artists, their art, and the world in which they lived. Please visit the Art Awareness website (sites.google.com/site/brookdaleartawareness/) to see what your child will be learning about this year. The volunteer schedule for this year is posted on the main Art Awareness website, as well as on each grade-level site (linked from the main site). We will have information and volunteer sign-up available in the Multipurpose Room at Curriculum Night. If you cant make it to Curriculum Night, or have any questions, you can contact the grade level coordinator for your childs grade, or Art Awareness Chairwoman Theresa Hus at theresahus@gmail.com. Art Awareness Grade-Level Coordinators:
Kindergarten: Laura Falk, glmnfalk@wowway.com First Grade: Carey Peterson, careypeterson@comcast.net Second Grade: Beth Siwicki, siwickifamily@wowway.com Third Grade: Susan Reid, suebreid@yahoo.com Fourth Grade: Chris Frantzen, hoover1203@yahoo.com Fifth Grade: Danielle Baker, danilbaker@aol.com

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Your PTA at Work

Would you like to be more involved with your childrens education at Brookdale? The first step is as simple as joining the PTA. A membership form can be found on the blog, along with brief descriptions of our volunteer opportunities. Volunteers help us provide student activities and school events throughout the year. Volunteering not only helps Brookdale and all our students, it emphasizes for your children that you value their education enough to become an active part of their schooling. We are currently looking for volunteers to coordinate the following programs and activities: Reflections: This fall program invites students to express themselves through the visual and performing arts. The coordinator publi-

News and notes from our committees

PTA offers parents ways to get involved

After-School Enrichment
After they spend six and a half hours a day in school, the first thing your children will want to do is sign up to stay late and learn more. Thats right. The first thing. After-School Enrichment classes offer students the chance to learn about a hobby or activity that interests them. Classes are taught by parents and staff members on four consecutive Wednesdays or Thursdays during the fall and spring. Adults propose topics for the classes based on their own interests and talents. Classes for the fall session still are being organized, but past selections have included crafts, music, scrapbooking, exercise, and cooking. We are always looking for new ideas to give the students. Your child will bring home a packet with class offerings and registration information after Labor Day. Fall enrichment classes will meet either Wednesdays Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, 19 and 26 or Thursdays Sept. 29 and Oct. 6, 20 and 27. The classes run 3:35 to 4:30 p.m. at Brookdale School. Any questions, please contact a member of the After School Enrichment Team: Sarah Williams (sarahdave@wowway.com), Beth Lynn Norton (blnorton@hotmail.com) or Nicole Briggs (nicole@bonymaroney.com).

cizes the program, collects entries and arranges judging of entries. Learn more about Reflections on the blog. Project Arrow PTA rep: A volunteer serves as the liaison, attending district PA PTA meetings and reporting on activities to our PTA. Silent Auction: The chairperson leads a committee that secures donations and creates gift baskets that are auctioned as a fundraiser during the Spring Fling in April. To volunteer in any of these capacities, email Vice President Susan Corrigan-DeLucio at susan@corrigan.com. You are welcome to get involved anytime during the year. We will list volunteer opportunities on the blog, in the newsletter, at meetings and via school-wide emails. Please be sure to check these sources frequently!

Pop quiz
Quick question: What does the acronym STEM stand for? The answer is in this months newsletter. Find it and e-mail the definition (and your name) to BrookdaleQuiz@gmail.com by Sept. 15. One person with the correct answer will be picked randomly to receive a gift card surprise.

School Supplies update

Thank you to all of the families that participated in the School Supply program. A total of 164 families bought supply kits through the PTA for this school year. All the products in the kit are guaranteed. If you need replacements or have any comments or concerns about the supplies you received from EPI, please email Coordinator Sarah Williams at sarahdave@wowway.com. Thank you for supporting the PTA!

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Fundraisers
Clearly, fall is a hectic time (what season isnt, really?) with kids back in school and the whole family adjusting to new schedules and new activities. Market Day aims to help by making dinnertime easier. The grocery program offers quick, healthy and convenient meals and snacks for families. Foods are delivered frozen and many can go from the freezer to the table in 30 minutes or less without even pausing to thaw. Meanwhile, Market Day gives 10 tpercent of the money you spend back to the Brookdale PTA to fund programs for our kids

Providing learning opportunities and fun for our children

Market Day makes fall dinners and after-school snacks easier

and contributions to our classrooms. Sales occur monthly, and your child will bring home a flier with featured items, promotions and an order form. Pick-up dates are listed here each month. The first pick-up is 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7. Paper orders are due at school on Thursday, Sept. 1, while you can order online at marketday.com until 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2. Place a $90 order online and receive a free Apple Pie. Just enter the promo code SEPBONUS . Everyone who orders will be entered in a drawing for a Cheese Pizza. All items are guaranteed; just return the unused portion to the coordinator, who will arrange a refund. Market Day accepts LINK card payments. Contact Tricia with questions at triciagreg98@wowwawy.com or (630) 416-3255. She is happy to deliver pre-paid orders. Pick-up dates Sept. 7 Oct. 4 Nov. 15 Dec. 13 Jan. 10 Feb. 7 March 6 April 10 May 8 June 5
To order online, our school code is 2092.

Dominicks bumps up back-to-school donations

When you shop at Dominicks, you could be earning money for the Brookdale PTA just by choosing the right products. The stores Back to School promotion, wich continues through Sept. 13, gives us 10 percent on specific items denoted by a school bus on the shelf by qualifying products. For parents who already have registered their Fresh Values card in the eScrip program, contributions from your purchases will be donated automatically. If you arent a registered eScrip member, you will receive a printout at the cash register after Sept. 19 for you to turn in to the school office. A portion of the donations from Dominicks are earmarked for the PTAs health and wellness programs.

Tyson labels
We hope youve been saving your Project A+ labels from Tyson products this summer. It soon will be time to turn the labels into money for our school. For each label we submit, Tyson gives the PTA 24 cents to put toward programs for our children. Our next submission date is Sept. 30, so please be sure to send in your labels soon. Your child can drop the labels in a marked bin in the LMC.

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Words from the PTA

BY ANNETTE CZECH
Chairwoman, Parental Engagement

Reprinted from the Illinois PTA Bulletin

Back to school: Online resources for parents

PTA's mission to be a strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child starts with making sure that children and their parents and caregivers are prepared for the new school year. Back-to-school time can be stressful for parents and kids. These resources aim to reduce the stress by providing important information on back-to-school preparation and helpful tools to make the transitions easier. You can find information on adjusting kids from a summertime schedule back to a school time schedule, tips for safe routes to school, ways parents can help teachers, as well as a list of resources on other websites. Please refer to these resources and check back on the Illinois PTA website, illinoispta.org, and the National PTA website, pta.org , frequently for additional relevant content to help make your life a little easier.

for preparing students for learning and life lessons pta.org/2543.htm Cost-Cutting Tips for Back-to-School: Save money with these helpful hints pta.org/3318.htm Education.com SchoolFinder education.com/schoolfinder

Putting the T back in PTA

BY DERRICK W. BYRD, M.P.A.
Chairman, National PTA Membership

Third Party Resources

PTA Publications & Presentations

PTA Parent: Transitioning from Summer to School; e-newsletter article with advice on getting kids prepared to move from a summer schedule to a school schedule pta.org/3061.htm PTA Parent: Getting Kids Excited About School; e-newsletter article with advice on creating an exciting launch for back-toschool time. pta.org/3054.htm Tips for Safer Routes to School: Ways to make your child's route to school safer. pta.org/ topic_tips_for_safer_routes_to_school.asp Bullying: Resources on bullying prevention. pta.org/bullying.asp

Parent Guides

Additional Resources

Tips for Communicating With Teachers Effectively: Ways to enhance communication between you and your child's teachers pta.org/2610.htm 10 Ways for Parents to Help Teachers: Tips

On behalf of the NPTA Membership Committee, Karen Dade, Rick Mendiondo, and I announce the launch of a new webpage dedicated to teachers at www.pta.org. Putting the T back in PTA has been a response from state and local PTA leaders to recruit, retain, and engage teachers and develop standards for teacher involvement, partnership and membership in PTA. We are excited to introduce the creation of the website for teachers and those entering the profession to access PTA membership information, resources and e-learning opportunities. We encourage you to promote the use of this resource to your local units and councils. We hope that this will further assist in developing and strengthening the parent-teacher partnership that will result in higher student achievement and PTA advocacy. To view the web page, visit pta.org/4439.asp

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Free Money for the PTA Its easy to help the PTA earn money for assemblies, contributions to the classroom and more just by doing what youre already doing. Heres how:
Box tops Box Tops for Education labels are on many, many products. Just clip the logo and send it to school with your child to drop in the bin just inside the library. The extensive list of qualifying products is at www.ipsd.org/ Uploads/brookdale_box%20Tops.pdf. If you have questions, contact Stacey Ramsey at srams66@wideopenwest.com or (630) 778 -1849. Campbells Labels for Education Just clip the Labels for Education logo with UPC code from your soup, SpaghettiOs, Bic products and more (product list) and send them to school for your child to drop in the bin that looks like a soup can just inside the library. Labels are worth different point amounts that add up to art supplies, fitness tools and classroom aids. Contact Alison Hannon with comments or questions at hannon99@hotmail.com or (630) 536-8494 Tyson labels: Find the Project A+ logo on the Tyson package, clip it out and send it to school with your child to drop in the bin just inside the library. Each label earns us 24 cents. For a list of qualifying products, visit projectaplus.tyson.com. Contact Barb Marshall with comments or questions, rmarshall8804@wowway.com or (630) 357-7761. The Fundinco Solution If you shop at Amazon, you could earn money for the Brookdale PTA. Just visit fundinco.org first and click the link to Amazon. It's free; no need to sign up. Your Amazon purchase will automatically generate a percentage of your total for the PTA. (And your purchases are confidential!) GoodSearch and GoodShop Brookdale PTA earns a penny every time you search the Internet with GoodSearch.com, a Yahoo-powered engine that donates half its advertising revenue to user-designated charities. Enter Brookdale School in the Who do you GoodSearch for? box and select our school, then search like usual. The sites GoodShop.com offers discounts from participating merchants, who donate a portion of sales to the charity. Dominicks eScrip: Using your Fresh Values Card at Dominicks can generate a donation to the Brookdale PTA. Register your card and the store contributes up to 4 percent of your bill when you use your card. Register at escrip.com, then shop. Contact Stacey Ramsey with questions at srams66@wideopenwest.com or (630) 778-1849. Best Buy Reward Zone The program lets Best Buy customers build up points toward future purchases. Through the Reward Zone Program for Schools, you can put your points to work for Brookdale. Enroll, and each time you check out tell the cashier youd like to donate your points to Brookdale. The store will give us reward certificates for 2 percent of your total that will buy more technology for our school.

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President Judy Nagel-Conley (630) 428-9717 jln0522@aol.com

Committee
After-School Enrichment Art Awareness Assemblies Basketball Nights Book Fair Box Tops Brookdale Brainiacs Busy Bobcat Store Campbells Labels Classroom Coordinators eScrip Fall Family Night Fall Fun Run Family Dinners Out Fifth-Grade Social Fifth-Grade DVD Health and Wellness Helping Hand Hospitality IPPC Representative Kids Art Note Cards LMC Coordinator

Vice President Susan Corrigan-DeLucio (630) 399-4690 susan@corrigan.com

Telephone
(630) 717-9979 (630) 219-3234 (630) 416-3594 (630) 961-5348 (630) 355-6813 (630) 536-8756 (630) 637-9709 (630) 330-7703 (630) 778-1849 (630) 416-2581 (630) 579-6207 (630) 946-6787 (630) 536-8494 (630) 961-1210 (630) 718-1487 (630) 778-1849 (630) 479-1330 (630)717-0953 (630) 416-4565 (630) 420-0513

Brookdale PTA Executive Board

Treasurer Beth Siwicki (630) 942-0516 siwickifamily@wowway.com

Committee
Market Day Newsletter/Publicity
Parent Diversity Advisory Council
Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports

Secretary Christie Willhite (630) 579-9423 christiewillhite@gmail.com

Telephone E-mail
(630) 416-3255 triciagreg98@wowway.com (630) 778-1849 srams66@wideopenwest.com (630) 579-9423 christiewillhite@gmail.com (630) 527-9536 saily@aol.com (630) 718-0384 tkurbon@sbcglobal.net (630) 364-2630 kmccannrn@yahoo.com (630) 536-8494 hannon99@hotmail.com (630) 717-9979 sarahdave@wowway.com (630) 355-8786 rosalie_baranyk@yahoo.com (630) 416-7976 bethoreiman@gmail.com (630) 428-9717 (630) 548-4804 (630) 718-1910 (630) 579-0679 (630) 718-0699 jln0522@aol.com thehowards@wowway.com sfollin@wowway.com cheriequarles@yahoo.com vickikissel@aol.com

Chairperson
Sarah Williams Nicole Briggs Beth Lynn Norton Theresa Hus Karen Lankisch Carey Peterson Amy Elston Dawn Yorke Stacey Ramsey Ann Luttrell Jeanette Curtis Antonella Erbacher Alison Hannon Amy Hausman Smita Puri Stacey Ramsey Nadia Ali Jan Mallak Barb Peterson Denise Holman Open Open Open Alison Hannon Dina Bradshaw Beth Martinson Saily Joshi-Moorthy Barb Peterson Tricia Smith Cathy Collins

E-mail
sarahdave@wowway.com nicole@bonymaroney.com blnorton@hotmail.com theresahus@gmail.com kcjl@wowway.com careypeterson@comcast.net amyelston@hotmail.com dyorke8708@wowway.com srams66@wideopenwest.com anneluttrell@gmail.com jeanettecurtis@mac.com tabascoo@aol.com hannon99@hotmail.com khausman@wideopenwest.com smita226@hotmail.com srams66@wideopenwest.com nadianali@hotmail.com janmallak@comcast.net afamily@petersonlink.name ddholman2@yahoo.com

Chairperson
Tricia Smith Stacey Ramsey Christie Willhite Saily Joshi-Moorthy Kelly Urbon Open Krista McCann Open Alison Hannon Sarah Williams Rose Baranyk Beth Reiman Open Judy Nagel-Conley Lisa Howard Sandy Follin Cherie Quarles Vicki Lyncy
Susan Corrigan-DeLucio

Project Arrow PTA Red Ribbon Week Reflections School Directory School Supplies Service Projects Silent Auction Special Needs PTA Spirit Wear Sale Spring Fling Staff Appreciation STEM Tyson Food Labels Variety Show Welcome Committee Winter Family Night Yearbook

(630) 399-4690 susan@corrigan.com (630) 357-7761 rmarshall8804@wowway.com (630) 717-0375 melnme1997@yahoo.com (630) 416-7976 bethoreiman@gmail.com (630) 885-6830 harkirat_kohli@yahoo.com (630) 527-9766 rougeanddana@sbcglobal.net (630)942-0516 siwickifamily@wowway.com

Open Barb Marshall Open Melissa Winchester Beth Reiman Harkirat Sethi Kohli Dana Rex Beth Siwicki

(630) 536-8494 hannon99@hotmail.com (630) 717-6916 (630) 717-7902 (630) 527-9536 (630) 416-4565 (630) 416-3255 dinabradshaw@att.net abmartinson@yahoo.com saily@aol.com afamily@petersonlink.name triciagreg98@wowway.com

(630) 961-1080 ckc1021@sbcglobal.net

Brookdale Elementary School 1200 Redfield Road Principal Naperville, IL 60563 Brian LeCrone (630) 428-6800 brian_lecrone@ipsd.org

This publication is produced and funded by the Brookdale Elementary School PTA.