Meadowbrook Star News 11/14/25

Hello Meadowbrook Families!

As we close out the first trimester today, it's hard to believe we are one third of the way through the year already! There has been a lot of change in the past three months including a new mascot, work on our new gym and design of our new building, the implementation of Husky Packs, new traffic procedures, and lots of new student clubs. We're excited with the positive start to the year and can't wait to see what trimester two brings!

Speaking of clubs, our students who participated in the after-school Culture Club over the past few weeks had a great time learning about other cultures through performances and crafts. Thanks to the parents and caregivers who took time to present about their cultures! See some photos below of our sessions. We're looking forward to learning more from our community at our upcoming Culture Fest next Wednesday night and we hope to see everyone there.

As a reminder, there's a donation bin in the front vestibule from the Rotary Club. They're collecting new and gently used coats, plus gloves, hats, etc. These go to homeless, migrant and women’s shelters in our area. Please consider donating if you're clearing out your winter gear! Check out the PTO updates below for details on our upcoming food drive as well.

Have a great weekend,

Ginny

As part of our normal assessment procedures, students in 3rd and 5th grades will complete the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) on December 8-10. The test is given in three parts including the verbal section, the quantitative section, and the non-verbal section. There is no need to prepare students for this test beyond what we typically recommend to parents including making sure students get a good night's rest and eat a healthy breakfast. Click here to learn more about the test.

We are excited to present our Winter Sing and Art Show on Wednesday, December 17th, and Thursday, December 18th in the large gym. The art show will be displayed in the front hallway as you walk into the school. There will be time before and after the winter sing to stop and view the art show. You won’t want to miss it! Below are the dates and times for each grade level performance.

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

10:00 a.m. First Grade

2:00 p.m. Third Grade

Thursday, December 18, 2025

10:00 a.m. Second Grade

2:00 p.m. Fourth Grade

Please note, this year we are asking that parents NOT pull siblings who attend Meadowbrook out of class to watch the performances. This is difficult to manage and disruptive to our students. To ensure siblings can watch one another, performances will be live streamed on the Meadowbrook YouTube channel and students will also be attending some of the dress rehearsals. We appreciate your cooperation!

In case you missed it, at last month's Board of Education meeting, the district shared exterior schematic design renderings of the new Meadowbrook School. You can check out the photos below. Stay tuned for the interior renderings! In the meantime, construction on the new gymnasium continues. Click the video link above to check out this week's view from above!

Projected Construction Timeline

• March 2026: Meadowbrook gymnasium completed & construction of the new Meadowbrook School begins
• August 2027: New Meadowbrook School completed
  

As verified reports of immigration enforcement activity increase in our region, we would like to share some informational resources provided by the Village of Northbrook for those impacted by this activity.

District 28 schools remain safe and welcoming spaces for all students and families, regardless of immigration status or background. Federal law protects students’ right to access public education without discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status. If you have any concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact Dr. Hiltz.

When dropping off your child for morning music lessons at NBJH, please keep your child in the car with you until 7:30 a.m. The building does not have supervision for your children until the bell rings at 7:30 a.m.

GBN invites District 28 families to its winter play, Peter and the Starcatcher, playing Nov. 13-15 at the Sheely Center for the Performing Arts. Peter and the Starcatcher is a comedic and fantastical play that serves as a prequel to Peter Pan, explaining how the orphan boy became Peter Pan and how Captain Hook became his nemesis. The story follows the boy and a girl named Molly as they embark on an adventure involving magical starstuff, pirates, and a faraway island. Reviews praise the show's imaginative humor, energy, and creative storytelling. Appropriate for all ages. Click here to purchase tickets!

The temperatures are dropping, and it’s warm coat weather. For more than a decade, the Rotary of Northbrook has been helping our communities stay warm during the winter with its annual "Coat Off Your Back" collection drive. The coat drive will provide winter coats for infants, children, teens, and adults via multiple outlets serving people in need, from the homeless to veterans, displaced families, and the elderly. You can drop off your donation at the donation bin located at the front of our school.

The Winter Sing and Art Show is fast approaching! We need your help mounting students' artwork and artist statements to be displayed during the show. Volunteers will help mount students' artwork on black backgrounds, attach the artist statements, and label the back of each piece with the student’s name and class code. Two volunteers are needed per time slot per day, during the week of Dec. 1st-5th.

Please help us showcase their beautiful creations! To sign up for available time slots: Log in→Volunteer→Scroll to “Winter Art Show Prep.”

Can't stay for the full time slot? Sign up, then email Ashley (ashley.schulmeister@gmail.com) with your exact availability within the time frame. Please see the attached flyer for more details about the show.

The Music Parents’ Club still needs board members for the 2025-2026 season! MPC meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 12p. You do not have to attend all meetings to be on the board. We need representatives from Band, Orchestra and Choir! Reach out to Tamara Reese at oiler02@gmail.com for more information.

Read our November monthly newsletter HERE.

Stay connected with us on Facebook - MeadowbrookPTODistrict28

And on Instagram - d28.meadowbrookpto

Subscribe to the Meadowbrook calendar at this link!

November 14: Last day of trimester 1

November 14: Spirit Day: Crazy Sock Day!

November 18: Junior Band & Concert Band Concert @ 7pm @ NBJH

November 19: Culture Fest @ 5:30-7:30

November 20: PTO Pizza Day

November 21: Husky Pack meeting!

November 21: NB28CC Something More at Illuminate Northbrook @ Village Green

November 24-28: Thanksgiving holiday, NO SCHOOL for students

December 2-3: Book Fair!

December 2: Board of Education meeting @ 7pm

December 3: Beginning and Philharmonic Orchestra concert @ 7pm

December 4: Cadet, String and Chamber Orchestra concert @ 7pm

December 5: First trimester progress reports shared with families via email

District 28 invites local non-profit organizations and community government agencies to promote events for families and children. You can view the complete list of events on the district's Virtual Backpack web page. To submit an event, please email a PDF flier to Samantha Scheinman, Director of Communications & Community Relations, at sscheinman@northbrook28.net. All fliers are subject to approval.