Middle Matters

Highlights from this week's Middle Matters:

• Important Upcoming Dates
• SY22-23 School Calendar
• 5-Essentials Survey
• Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) and Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) Information
• Summer Math Review Options
• Acceleration Opportunities in District 97
• 8th Grade T-shirt Sale
• GBMS Yearbook - Student's First Name Appearance in Yearbook
  
• PTO Meeting: March 13th 6pm @ Brooks Media Center (3rd floor)
• PTO Assist with Lunch Recycling & Composting
• Preparing for Winter in D97
• 8th Grade Graduation Date - June 8th
• GBMS Yearbook Purchasing Details
• Library in the mornings (Repeat)
• Clubs and Sports Information (updated weekly)
• Boxing & Self Defense Class - 3/16/23
• BRAVO Information (updated weekly)
• Student Announcements (updated weekly)

Highlights from GBMS PTO and District

• PTO Standing Communications: PTO Angel Funds, PTO Gift Card Fundraiser, PTO Partners with Amazon
• District News

Repeated Topics in Middle Matters for your Reference

• GBMS Athletics
• Allergy Safe School Information - No Nuts (Repeat)
• Stay Home When Sick (Repeat)
• Process for Reporting Positive COVID-19 Cases to D97 Schools (Repeat)
  
• How to Report Student Absences (Repeat)
• Office Phones and Dropping off Items at Brooks (Repeat)
• School Day (Bell Schedule and A/B/C rotation) (Repeat)
• Cell Phone/Mobile Devices Away for the Day (Repeat)
• Tardies to Class (Repeat)
• Water Bottle Reminders (Repeat)
• School Physical and Immunization Information (Repeat)
• Tech Support

Community Partner News

• Oak Park Stem Fest - March 2, 2023
• Your Passion 1st @OPPL - Wednesdays 4 to 5:30pm
• OPRF Girls Basketball Sports Clinic
  
• Glenbard Parent Series (GPS): Navigating Healthy Families
• Friday Night Place
• NAMI - SUPPORT4U
• Leyden Family Services
• THRIVE

If you have questions about the upcoming school year, please don’t hesitate to contact me at acapuder@op97.org. You can also contact my Executive Coordinator, Ms. Angel Banks, at abanks1@op97.org or (708) 524-7636.

Our administrative team is also available to help answer your questions.

Angelica Love Curriculum & Instruction AP (6th grade, 7th grade) alove@op97.org

Denise Fernandez Curriculum & Instruction AP (8th grade, multineeds) dfernandez@op97.org

Stacie Klein Culture & Climate AP sklein@op97.org

Monday - A; Tuesday - B Day; Wednesday - C Day, Thursday - A day and Friday - B day

• End of Trimester 2: March 8th

• IAR Dates shared below

• Trimester 2 Report Card Emailed Home: March 24th

• 3/27 through 3/31: No School (Spring Break)

• 4/4: No School

• 4/7: No School

• 4/10 through 4/14: Spring MAP Testing

• 5/29: No School

• 6/8: 8th Grade Graduation 6:30pm at Oak Park River Forest High School Auditorium (last day of 8th Grade Student Attendance)

• 6/9: Last Day of School

In Case You Missed It...

Illinois 5Essentials Survey is Open!

Parents/guardians all 10 of our schools are encouraged to take the Illinois 5Essentials Survey between January 24 through March 31, 2023: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/.

The parent survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You may skip questions you do not wish to answer, but the survey must be completed in one sitting and cannot be retrieved once it is submitted.

GBMS current percent of parent/guardian completion as of 2/27 is: 14%.

School-level reports will only be generated if at least 20 percent of our parents/guardians complete the survey.

Thank you for participating in this important endeavor and for your continued support of our schools and the children we serve.

Each Spring, all District 97 students in Grades 3 to 8 take federally-required assessments to help us understand how they are growing academically. Since 2019, the state has utilized the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) to assess students’ knowledge and skills in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, as well as their progress toward the long-term goal of college and career readiness. Students in grades 5 and 8 will be taking the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) as well.

This year, the IAR/ISA will be administered to Brooks students between March 9 and 21. All grade levels will engage in ELA on March 9th and 10th and Math on March 14, 16 and 17. We will start each day with testing and shorten the length of the class periods to ensure all classes still meet. Our 8th grade students will take the ISA on March 20th and 21st through their Science class.

Check out our “5 Things to Know About IAR” document to learn more about this year’s assessment!

The Middle School Math Enrichment Program has opened registration for all summer math review courses for current fifth, sixth, and seventh-grade students.

The program will be held June 13, 2023 through June 30, 2023 (Monday through Friday), at Julian Middle School.

Students will:

• Review grade level Illinois Learning Standards in mathematics;
• Engage in challenging performance tasks

The registration deadline is Monday, April 24, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. For more information or to register for the program, please visit this link.

CLICK HERE to view the D97 Summer Math Review 2023 flyer>>

District 97's Single Subject and Whole Grade Level Acceleration process for students for the 2023-24 school year is now open!

District 97 believes that all students should be challenged and supported to develop to their maximum potential. For students who demonstrate they may benefit from accelerated placement, we provide opportunities to participate in an instructional setting that is usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the child. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Single subject acceleration
• Whole grade acceleration

In accordance with the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act, District 97 has continued to refine procedures to ensure equitable access to acceleration opportunities for all students. Continuing this year: all students who are grade eligible to take the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) must participate in the assessment in order to be deemed eligible for acceleration. The IAR is a critically important measure in determining the mastery of grade level standards and must be considered by the school team along with other sources of data.

Pre-applications for single-subject and whole-grade acceleration will be accepted from March 1 to May 15 of each school year. The general process is outlined HERE.

Information about the District 97 Accelerated Placement Program, including definitions and timelines, can be found at http://www.op97.org/acceleration.

We are planning some of our final steps in yearbook preparation. We understand how important it is for our students' names to be correct in the our school yearbook. In planning our yearbook, we use student rosters from PowerSchool. If you and your child wish to have their first name appear differently than what appears in PowerSchool, please complete this form by Friday, March 24th.

If you have any questions about the yearbook, please email Meagan Pabellon (MPabellon@op97.org), our Yearbook Club Sponsor.

Join our next PTO Meeting and hear from our special guest speaker, Sharmili Majmudar, and Brooks mom, as we celebrate Women's History Month. I'll bring treats, you fill seats! Meet in the Brooks library/media center.

Thank you for helping us fundraise $4,000 for the 8th DC Trip! I think it's fair to say, students love Krispy Kreme donuts.

Starting in early February, lunch recycling and composting will start again at Brooks. If you have a free 1.5 hours at lunchtime, to remind students what goes where, please sign up here.

As we head into the winter months, it’s important that we all continue to work together to keep our schools safe and healthy for learning. Please take a moment to review the district’s Winter Preparedness 2022-23 deck, or watch the presentation from the Nov. 15 board of education meeting.

Winter Illnesses and Everyday Preventative Strategies
This year, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), has noted an increase in individuals getting sick from respiratory viruses, including the flu, RSV and COVID-19. Health officials are urging individuals and families to take basic precautions to protect themselves this winter—stay home when you are sick, wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough, and stay up to date on your vaccines. CLICK HERE to watch a brief video of everyday strategies to keep our schools healthy this winter >>

Emergency Closings and E-Learning Days
District 97 always strives to have schools open. However, if heavy snow or extreme cold make it dangerous to travel, we may need to close schools. The district’s emergency closing procedures are outlined at https://www.op97.org/communications/emergency-closings.

In July 2021, the District 97 Board of Education approved an E-Learning Plan for students to receive instruction electronically in lieu of traditional emergency days (or inclement weather days). This means that instead of canceling school, the superintendent now has the option of calling an “E-Learning Day” where students and staff learn and work virtually at home. This provides a continuation of learning and prevents the loss of critical instructional days, particularly in our first and second trimesters.

If the superintendent decides to close buildings and hold an E-Learning Day, the information is shared through multiple channels, including email, the district website, our Facebook and Twitter social media pages, and the Emergency Closings website. Staff and families are also encouraged to OPT IN to text messages from the district by texting YES to 87569.

Graduation will be held at Oak Park River Forest High School on Thursday, June 8th from 6:30p.m.-8p.m.

It's time to purchase your GBMS 2022-2023 Yearbook! The cost is $26.02. Use the purchase link below to get started. You can also use your TreeRing account to share photos with our Yearbook Team throughout the year as well as design your very own custom pages (first two pages are free). If you have any questions regarding the yearbook, please contact Meaghan Pabellon at mpabellon@op97.org.

Purchase Link: https://tr5.treering.com/validate

GBMS Passcode: 1014096931934358

Deadline to purchase a yearbook is April 5th, 2023.

• Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
• No pass needed
• To enter, students wait in-between the Kenilworth doors (by the main office)
• An adult will escort groups to the library at 8:00, 8:15, and 8:30. For example, if you arrive at 8:10 you will have to wait until the 8:15 group heads up. If you arrive after the 8:30 group has been escorted, you may not enter the library that day
• You will sign-in and stay in the library until the 8:50 bell
• These times are for students to quietly read, do homework, or meet as a group to study or work on a project.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Please email Mr. Lary Grimaldi (lgrimaldi@op97.org) for practice schedule.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Please email Mr. Lary Grimaldi (lgrimaldi@op97.org) for practice schedule. See the Brooks Calendar for game schedule.

WRESTLING

Email Mr. Colucci about your interest, questions or concerns at mcolucci@op97.org. Find out more here at https://www.littlehuskieswrestling.org/ or speak to Mr. Colucci and Dr. Holmes. Wrestling is a technical sport and requires people to use their mind to overcome physical challenges and win. If that sounds like something you would like to embrace, come join the team! To see the schedule of meets, please see Brooks Calendar.

ROBOTICS CLUB

The Brooks Robotics Club & OPEF are happy to announce that we’ve added a Spring In-House Robotics session!! The session will start on Monday, March 13, 2023. In-house robotics is the less competitive robotics option at Brooks; it is geared toward students who are interested in exploring robotics without the pressure of the competitive robotics team. Students who may have not had any previous experience with building robots and coding will learn the basics of a chassis, VEX building techniques and introductory block coding. The students will work in teams to design, build and code a robot to navigate a maze autonomously and perform in a fun remote control competition; previous examples of which were robot soccer, road racing and fun obstacle courses.

If you’re interested, please fill out the Spring In-House Robotics Application by Thursday, March 9, 2023. We’ll begin on Monday, March 13, after-school in D202 and will meet on Mondays and Thursdays weekly for 12 sessions from 3:30 - 5:00. There will be a participation fee of $50 to cover the cost of consumable supplies and materials. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Shinners at bshinners@op97.org.

Asian-American Culture Club

Are you interested in learning about Asian American culture? If so, please attend our next meeting! Our club’s goals are to learn about Asian American culture through art, languages, music, food, traditions, religions, dance, clothing, etc. We will feature several guest speakers. Our next meeting will be in room C407 on Tuesday, March 7th from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Meetings will be every other Tuesday. Please email or see Ms. Borah (cborah@op97.org /room C407) or Mr. Alejos (dalejos2@op97.org/ Media Center) for more information.

Social Justice/Rubik's Cube Club

Next meetings are every Wednesday in room C405. Our beliefs that students play a valuable role in shaping the climate and culture of their schools. With the community's support, we have expanded opportunities for students' voices to create a more positive and welcoming learning environment for all. If you have questions about the club, please get in touch with Mrs. Nichelle Stigger at nstigger@op97.org

Math Team

We meet on Mondays in B409 from 3:30 to 4:30pm. Calling all mathletes! Math Team provides students with the opportunity to participate in various mathematics competitions. In the past, Brooks has sent teams to the following events: Fenwick Junior High School Math Competition, The Latin School of Chicago Mathematics Contest, MathCounts, and Math Olympiad. The primary emphasis of the math team is team work and problem solving. Students of all abilities are welcome. Our next competition is at Latin School, on Saturday, January 28th.

Best Buddies Club

Next meeting to be announced. Bring a friend and get ready to make a friend. If you have any questions please reach out to Ms. Malina (vmalina@op97.org), Ms. Sefcik (bsefcik@op97.org) or Ms. Gaffney (pgaffney@op97.org)! Best Buddies is the world's largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Here at Best Buddies we will strive to create a sense of belonging here at Brooks through inclusive activities and social outings! Students will have the opportunity to build one-to-one friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering social interactions while improving the quality of life and the level of inclusion. People with IDD form meaningful connections with peers, gain self-confidence and self-esteem, share interests, experiences and activities that other students may also enjoy!

Yearbook

Our next meeting is 2/8 in D304. Need a permission slip? Stop by the 3rd Floor C wing. You can pick up a permission slip from the Art Department Bulletin Board in the hallway. Come with a charged Chromebook so you can begin designing our yearbook. Remember, no permission slips means you can’t use the design website, so don’t forget!

Intramurals

Intramurals will be every Monday and Thursday after school 3:30-4:30pm and meets in the third floor gym. Depending on gym space the activities we will start the year off with will be basketball, football, frisbee and badminton. Please pick up permission slips from Mr. Gillespie (mgillespie@op97.org).

Rainbow Revolution

Brook’s very own group that welcomes students who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies—ALL are welcome here! We meet on Mondays at 3:35pm in the Brooks Media Center. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Berman (aberman@op97.org).

BEAT (Brooks Earth Action Team)

We meet on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30 in Room C202. Next meeting is November 29th, bring a mug. Everyone is welcome! We have so many cool projects going: designing an outdoor classroom, saving the Rusty Patched Bumblebee (an endangered species!), designing a bird sanctuary, growing food and more!

Chess Club / Game Club

We meet in room C108 from 3:30-5:00 p.m on the following dates:

March: Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 22nd

April: Monday 10th and Tuesday 18th

May: Tuesday 2nd and Tuesday 16th (Last Day)

Coordinator: Mark Hausfeld mhausfeld@op97.org

The goal of Chess / Game Club is to provide enrichment, teach, sharpen and reinforce game skills while learning to appreciate not only the games themselves but good sportsmanship as well. I hope to help all players, regardless of skill level, improve their “gaming” skills.

**All permission slips can be emailed, dropped in the main office, or brought to the club

Art Club

Meetings every Thursday from 3:30-4:30. Open to all students. Drop in when you can. Make art! Make friends! Email Mrs. Murray to be added to the Canvas course at kmurray@op97.org

Service Club

Service club meets Friday mornings from 8:00am to 8:50am in B209.

Please join us to find out about the service projects we’ll be organizing this year. You are welcome to share your own ideas about how we can help our community too. See or email Ms. Walsh (B209, swalsh@op97.org) or Ms. Martínez (B208, bmartinez@op97.org) with questions.

Morning Choirs (click here for more info) -

If students are still interested in joining, talk to Mr. Blackman in D105

• Fledgelings (all 6th grade and 7/8th not in a music class) meets Thursdays at 8am
  
• Downbeat (7/8th in Band, Choir, or Orchestra) meets Tuesdays and Fridays at 8am

For more information regarding the clubs (see 2nd tab on spreadsheet):

Brooks 2022 - 2023 Extra-Curricular Activities, which is being updated weekly.

Boxing and Self Defense: All students are welcome to join Mr. Charles and Mr. Gillespie on Thursday, March 16th for a self-defense/boxing workshop after school 3:30-4:30. We will meet in the fitness room to learn different boxing and self defense skills that will give you helpful tools and techniques to keep yourself safe.

Robotics Spring House League Starting!

The House League is the less competitive robotics option at Brooks. House league is geared towards students who have an interest in learning more about the designing, building and coding of robots, without the pressures of the competition team. The house league is geared towards students who are interested in exploring robotics without the pressure of competitions and/or who may not have had any previous experience with robots and coding. The students will work in teams to design, build and code a robot to play a game.

Spring Session is starting in March. We’ll meet on Mondays and Thursdays after school in D202. 1st meeting is Mar 13, 2023. Attendance is mandatory for all 12 sessions.Sign up here: Brooks Robotics In-House Registration (Spring)

There will be a nominal participation fee to cover the cost of consumable supplies, materials, etc.

Battle of the Bots was held on Saturday, February 25th. Congratulations to our Team Winners!

League Champion: The Falafels

Aidas Jarasius, Ian Osta, Gabriel Lynch, Jeff Daly and Ahmad Mahrous

Design Award: DuBnium

Ryan Campbell, Graham Templeton, Andrew Borel and Jaxon Young

Tournament Runner-Up: KFC

Ethan Blesch, Alex Burke, Erik Dean, Nick Michelotti

Tournament Semi-Finalists:

KFC: Ethan Blesch, Alex Burke, Erik Dean, Nick Michelotti

DuBnium: Ryan Campbell, Graham Templeton, Andrew Borel and Jaxon Young

The Falafels: Aidas Jarasius, Ian Osta, Gabriel Lynch, Jeff Daly and Ahmad Mahrous

District 97 speech team members wowed yet again this year receiving first place in the West 40 36th Annual Speech & Drama Festival at Elmwood Park High School on Saturday, February 25th. The Brooks and Julian students have been rehearsing for several months with their coaches! We are SO proud of all of the creative work showcased today!

If you have any questions and/or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Perros (sperros@op97.org) or Mrs. Gaffney (pgaffney@op97.org )

YEMBA Mentoring Program will continue throughout the year on Wednesdays from 3:30 - 6:30 pm and Thursdays from 3:30 - 5:30pm. Students meet in the 3rd floor B wing in room B305 (Mr. Lee's Classroom) at Brooks. This VIDEO let’s students know more about YEMBA. It is easy for parents to sign up on the YEMBA WEBSITE.

Please contact Randi Orlin @ rorlin@op97.org in the Bravo Office if you would like to place an order.

Students can find announcements in each Student's Lunch (Green) or Lunch (Yellow) course in Canvas as well as on a button along the left side of our Brooks homepage.

Starting with your holiday shopping - by using RiaseRight gift cards for all your everyday purchases! We are currently raising money to help provide scholarships for the 8th grade Washington DC trip and to fund monthly cultural celebrations and other initiatives for the school community for the rest of the year.

The RightRaise gift card fundraiser is super easy...simply go to https://www.raiseright.com/ and create an account or download the app. Use our enrollment code 71Z7LFLAMVH7 and purchase gift cards to give as gifts or to use for your everyday shopping. You can also share the link and enrollment code with your friends or family who want to support Brooks.

There are hundreds of stores to choose from - places like Target, Whole Foods, Ulta, Bath & Body Works, LL Bean, Old Navy, Crate & Barrel, Starbucks, Amazon, BP, Chipotle, etc. Even Airbnb and several airlines!

Electronic gift cards are recommended b/c you can pay for them online and receive them within seconds. They arrive so quickly that you can purchase them while you are in line at the grocery store and use them to check out. You can even purchase reloadable gift cards for the gift that keeps giving all year long...think gas, coffee, clothes, pizza... the possibilities are (almost) endless!

When ordering gift cards please pay for them online or through the app and DO NOT select the option to pay the coordinator. Please note that while it is too late to receive physical gift cards before winter break, e-gift cards are received immediately and there is an option for physical gift cards to be shipped directly to your home for future gift giving. Physical gift cards delivered to Brooks will be distributed and available for pick up once or twice monthly.

Begin your shopping through the Amazon Smile link here and our PTO will earn 0.5% of your total sale, at no expense to you. First time Amazon Smile shoppers will find our organization by typing Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization. Go to Your Account › Change Your Charity › Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization

Thank you for your continued support.

Do you want to have the inside scoop on what is going on at Brooks and D97? Do you want to make our school better than it ever as we transition back to a more ‘normal’ school day? NOW is the time to get involved!! We are looking to fill positions for the 2021-2022 school year and have some critical roles open! Sign up here and email gwendolynbrookspto@gmail.com with any questions! We look forward to hearing from you!

Please ensure you are a part of the Facebook gbms PTO group. Email gwendolynbrookspto@gmail.com with any questions.

Be Safe and Healthy: Preparing for Winter in District 97
As we head into the winter months, it’s important that we all continue to work together to keep our schools safe and healthy for learning. Please take a moment to review the district’s Winter Preparedness 2022-23 deck, or watch the presentation from the Nov. 15 board of education meeting.

Winter Illnesses and Everyday Preventative Strategies
This year, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), has noted an increase in individuals getting sick from respiratory viruses, including the flu, RSV and COVID-19. Health officials are urging individuals and families to take basic precautions to protect themselves this winter—stay home when you are sick, wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough, and stay up to date on your vaccines. CLICK HERE to watch a brief video of everyday strategies to keep our schools healthy this winter >>

Emergency Closings and E-Learning Days
District 97 always strives to have schools open. However, if heavy snow or extreme cold make it dangerous to travel, we may need to close schools. The district’s emergency closing procedures are outlined at https://www.op97.org/communications/emergency-closings.

In July 2021, the District 97 Board of Education approved an E-Learning Plan for students to receive instruction electronically in lieu of traditional emergency days (or inclement weather days). This means that instead of canceling school, the superintendent now has the option of calling an “E-Learning Day” where students and staff learn and work virtually at home. This provides a continuation of learning and prevents the loss of critical instructional days, particularly in our first and second trimesters.

If the superintendent decides to close buildings and hold an E-Learning Day, the information is shared through multiple channels, including email, the district website, our Facebook and Twitter social media pages, and the Emergency Closings website. Staff and families are also encouraged to OPT IN to text messages from the district by texting YES to 87569.

D97 Back-to-School Information

As a reminder, we have created a central location for important back-to-school updates and documents: https://www.op97.org/back-to-school.

The district’s COVID-19 Health Safety Plan is linked below and can also be found, along with other COVID-19 resources and information, by going to https://www.op97.org/updatecenter.

• Summary of District 97's COVID-19 Mitigations

• 2022-23 COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan

• COVID-19 Positive Case Notification Form

Mitigation Change: Effective Sept. 30, District 97 will no longer require masks for indoor events or field trips. Masks will continue to be required in the school nurses' offices. Please visit the district website for complete details about our current health and safety protocols.

Combined Student and Family Handbook for 2022-23

This year, the district worked to merge the Effective Student Behavior Handbook and Family Handbook into one comprehensive resource, the Student and Family Handbook, in order to streamline information for families and staff. The new handbook contains important information regarding school policies, procedures, student rights and responsibilities, and important notifications required by state and federal law.

The purpose of this handbook is to outline the expectations for building an educational community where everyone feels safe, included and able to learn. Having shared expectations, procedures and policies helps us respect all members of the school community in which we learn and work every day. Please take the time to read through the handbook and review it with your child.

Meal Information for the 2022-23 School Year

The breakfast and lunch menus for our elementary and middle schools are available at http://www.op97.org/business-office/food-service. During the 2022-23 school year, students may:

• Bring a nut-free lunch from home.

• Order school lunch.

PLEASE NOTE: During the 2022-23 school year, all students will be required to pay for their breakfast and lunch meals unless they are directly approved by the State of Illinois or approved after completing the 2022-23 Free and Reduced Meal Application.

Food Allergies/Nut-Safe Schools

Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any District 97 schools during the 2022-23 school year. This includes products that are labeled “processed in a facility that shares equipment with nut products.” Our schools have been nut-safe for the past two years—helping to create safer, more inclusive environments for all of our students.

Please visit https://bit.ly/3AyGPpI to access information about the district’s food allergy management program, as well as tips and options for identifying food that is safe for snacks and field trips. We appreciate your support of this important initiative!

School Fees

The district is currently accepting fee payments for the 2022-23 school year. Full payment is due by September 30, 2022. You can access the fee information by visiting https://www.op97.org/business-office/fees.

Text Messages from District 97

District 97 uses the notification system BrightArrow to communicate with families via email and phone calls. We have started using periodic text messages to send reminders directly to parents' cell phones. In order to receive text messages, parents must opt in by texting YES to 87569. Once you have subscribed, you will receive a text confirmation.

Texts may appear from District 97 from 87569 or a phone number with a 424 area code (you may wish to save them to your contacts).

Wellness Check-in Program

Please reach out to your school's school psychologist or social worker if you have social-emotional concerns about your child. If your child is experiencing an immediate mental health crisis, please call the Thrive 24hr Crisis Hotline at 708-383-7500. You may also refer to this local resource guide created by the Community Mental Health Board of the Oak Park Township.

Please be advised that our 2022-2023 athletics are started and all athletic events begin at 4:30 pm. All students are required to leave the building at the end of the school day and return at 4:25 pm to cheer on their fellow eagles!!!!

Please visit https://bit.ly/3j0KGTB to access information about the district’s food allergy management program, as well as tips and options for identifying food that is safe for snacks and field trips.

Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any District 97 schools during the 2022-23 school year. This includes products that are labeled “processed in a facility that shares equipment with nut products.”

We appreciate your help in adhering to this preventative measure.

Please contact the Brooks Health Office and speak with Nurse Tracy Biggerstaff if you have questions or concerns regarding COVID-19 and any listed symptoms.

(708) 524- 3058 or tbiggerstaff@op97.org

If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they must complete the following steps:

1) In order to notify the school nurse and receive a return-to-school date, families/staff must complete the confidential COVID-19 Positive Case Notification Form as soon as possible following the positive test. Information provided will also be shared with the Oak Park Department of Public Health.

2) Families must continue to report student absences via the school attendance line, and staff must enter their absences in Frontline.

To see the rules for isolation and quarantine, click here. Additional resources are linked below.

• Summary of District 97's COVID-19 Mitigations
• 2022-23 COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan

Attendance will be taken every day for each class period by each of your child's teacher and it will be denoted in PowerSchool. Student's are expected to attend each of their classes at their scheduled time and day. If your student will be absent from school, please call the attendance number 708-665-3074 or email brooksattendance@op97.org

Office Phones

Please note that our office staff sets the phone to go to voicemail from 8:30am to 9:15am daily. Please leave a message of your student's absence or you can email brooksattendance@op97.org. Our office staff will listen to voicemails to call back or direct calls as needed after 9:15am daily. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Dropping off Items at Brooks for your Student

You may drop off forgotten items for your student in the main office. Please note that we will not call into your student's classroom, as it is a disruption to the learning for other students and the teacher in the classroom. Your student should plan to stop by the main office on their way to lunch or between passing periods, if they think you may have dropped off the forgotten item for them to retrieve. We appreciate your understanding.

We will be following a block schedule again this school year. Students will attend 4 of their 8 classes Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Friday following an A/B Schedule and on Wednesdays following C Schedule where students will attend all of their classes. On the weeks where there is a day with no school, students classes will be A and B days only.

• Here is the A/B/C schedule rotation for this school year.

• Here is the BELL schedule for each grade level on A/B and C days.

Cell phones/Mobile Devices are not to be used during school hours. This includes calling parents/guardians due to illness, requesting items to be dropped off, etc.

• Students can ask a teacher to use the classroom phone or the phone in the main office, if needed.

Cell phones are to be turned off/on silent upon entering the school building, stored in the student’s locker, and not used until the dismissal bell rings.

More Information can be found here. This will also be shared with students during the first week of school.

Being on time to class is essential for optimal learning for all students. This school year when a student reaches 15 tardies within a trimester, they will meet with their SOAR teacher to develop a strategy to ensure the student will get to all their classes on time. At 25 tardies within a trimester, the student will be assigned a time during their social time to meet with an administrator to reflect on root causes of tardies and develop a plan, additionally, parents/guardians will be contacted. At 35 tardies within the trimester, parents/guardians will be contacted to meet with their student and an administrator to develop a tardy contract.

We ask that if possible to please send your student to school with a filled water bottle. There are no drinking fountains open, but we have water bottle filling stations in the school for our students to refill their water bottles when needed.

Incoming 6th-grade students and/or any new students who have transferred into District 97, MUST have a wellness physical and dental exam dated no less than one year prior to August 25th, 2022. Your child's physical must have been performed after August 25th, 2021 . Your child may not be admitted to school without these documents as of Monday, October 17th, 2022. Please submit the documents by mail or in person no later than August 25, 2022 to the following:

Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School

Attn: Health Office, Nurse Tracy Biggerstaff

325 S. Kenilworth Ave

Oak Park, IL 60302

SPORTS PHYSICALS – The State of Illinois Office of Education requires that any student who wishes to participate in interscholastic sports MUST have an Athletic Physical Examination, dated no less than one year prior to the first day of the current school year, anytime after August 25, 2021. It is MANDATORY that your child have this physical before they will be eligible to try out or participate in any interscholastic activity.

To access student health forms please visit http://www.op97.org/hr/health-requirements

**For any family having difficulty securing an appointment to get the physical completed, please email our School Nurse, Tracy Biggerstaff, tbiggerstaff@op97.org.

Technical support will be available from school and district technology staff by accessing the Help Desk through email, helpdesk@op97.org. When an email is submitted, a Help Desk ticket is created and assigned to technology staff, who will be working throughout the day to address technology concerns. Our technology team can support District 97 devices and student online programs.

The Help Corner will features a frequently-asked question related to services and opportunities available for District 97 students and families. We will keep a complete list of these FAQs on our district website.

District 97 has created Community Resources Page. We also encourage families to stay connected through Facebook and Twitter. Additional updates can be found at:

Village of Oak Park

Oak Park Township

Oak Park Public Library

Park District of Oak Park

Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200

District 97 also has a broad network of partner organizations that provide an array of supports and services for Oak Park residents. The Community Mental Health Board and Oak Park and River Forest Townships have also put together a COVID-19 Social Services Resource Guide, which is available at https://tinyurl.com/oprfguide.

Distribution of information by a community group in accordance with District 97 policy does not imply, directly or indirectly, that the group's program(s), event(s) and/or services(s) is sanctioned, sponsored or endorsed by the district, the Board of Education or the superintendent.

YourPassion1st - https://www.flowcode.com/page/yourpassion1st

The Glenbard Parent Series (GPS): Navigating Healthy Families is a distinguished speaker series dedicated to presenting relevant, high-profile authors, educators and clinicians. These high-caliber presenters offer practical research-based knowledge, strategies, and personal experience to support students’ engaged learning, and well-being.

Founded in 1995, GPS is a weekly resource for parents/caregivers/guardians (for children of all ages) as well as students, school staff, professionals and community members. GPS is here to inform, connect, and inspire. All programs are free and open to the public. Many events are presented at both noon and 7pm, and offered in multiple languages.

GPS is a resource for parents, educators, students, and community members to foster self-empowered children who collaborate, communicate, embrace diversity, create and think critically.

For the safety and convenience of our participants the majority of this year’s Glenbard Parent Series events will be presented virtually on zoom. No registration is required and all are welcome to attend.

Programs are offered free of charge, no registration is required, and the public is welcome to attend.

Details, event updates, and Zoom links can be found here: www.GlenbardGPS.org

PLEASE COME PREPARED WITH SHORTS, SWEAT PANTS, T-SHIRT & GYM SHOES

GREETINGS TO ALL STUDENTS, PARENTS/FAMILIES, FACULTY, STAFF, AND ADMINISTRATORS FRIDAY NIGHT PLACE IS KICKING OFF FOR THE 28TH YEAR! FOR NEW AND RETURNING STUDENTS REGISTRATION AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE FRIDAY NIGHT PLACE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM OFFICIALLY BEGINS THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH, 3:30PM TO 5:30PM. THE LOCATION REMAINS THE SAME, PERCY JULIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL. STUDENTS WHO ARE ATTENDING, PLEASE COME PREPARED WITH YOUR GYM SHORTS AND OR JOGGING PANTS, T-SHIRT, AND GYM SHOES. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT COACH JEROME AT (773)-793-0867. ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND FOR ALL NEW COMERS, WELCOME! GET READY, GET READY, GET READY!

WHAT: FNP Announcement

WHO: 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Graders

WHERE: Oak Park, Percy Julian Middle School

WHEN: Beginning Friday, September 16th, 2022

TIME: 3:30p.m. - 5:30p.m.

SUPPORT4U is a mental health resource for our students to anonymously text licensed mental health clinicians any time of the day for assistance or guidance. Students can text for any issue; typical reasons might include social issues, anxiety, depression, substance use, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, bullying, abuse, or any other mental health-related topic. The clinician’s goal is to steer the student to available resources in the school and community. To use, students just need to go to Support4U.live on their phone, click on the Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School logo and hit send. Help is just a text away.

PHONE-BASED COUNSELING

Thrive is offering phone-based counseling, 24/7 crisis intervention services, medication management and, a free Thrive Check-In phone support line (Ext. 8) to address our community’s needs during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Call us at (708)383-7500. Our Front Desk team is also ready to assist you Monday-Friday, 9am to 2pm, with requests for referrals or new services and to reschedule or cancel an appointment.

Mental Health Resource, "Call4Calm"

Thrive is also a proud partner of the Illinois Call4Calm Text Line Service. Text “TALK” TO 552020 (or “HABLAR) for Spanish. The Illinois Call4Calm Text Line is not a crisis hotline, but is a source of support for anyone experiencing stress and in need of a listening ear.

And we know the COVID-19 pandemic can wear on every resource—from food and shelter to our emotional bandwidth and mental health. Fortunately, the Illinois Department of Human Services has launched a support line called Call4Calm that is reachable via text. Individuals who want to speak with a mental health professional can text the word “TALK” or “HABLAR” (for Spanish speakers) to 552-020. Within 24 hours, that individual will receive a call from a mental health professional employed by a local community health center.

People can also text other terms, like “unemployment” or “food” or “shelter” to the same number to receive information on how to navigate and access supports and services. Call4Calm is free, and individuals who use it can remain anonymous. We encourage you to share this resource with your students, families, and staff.