Bobcat Bulletin

Dear Bobcat Families,

I had the wonderful opportunity to represent our district across the state this past week! Connecting with leaders and future educators is always an honor, but there was nothing better than coming back home to our Bobcats. I was completely surprised with a "We Think You Are the Best" day! Thank you to all the students who wore pink (my favorite color!), wrote heartwarming notes, and shared kind words. Leading this community is truly my dream job, and I am so grateful for your daily support. Check out a few snapshots from this special day below!

Parent-Teacher Conferences Thank you to everyone who joined us for parent-teacher conferences on Thursday. I am continuously reminded of the importance of strong school-home partnerships in helping every child reach their full potential. We look forward to connecting with more families during our next full conference day on November 2nd. A huge thank-you to our PTA for providing delicious meals to keep our staff energized!

Fall Parties & Monster Bash This Week! We are ending the week with plenty of fun:

• Class Fall Parties: Students will celebrate the season with their first classroom party of the year! See more information below.

• Monster Bash (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Brookdale): Join us for an evening of fun! Costumes are welcome for the evening event. Please keep costumes school-appropriate and leave toy props at home. See links for tickets, volunteering, etc. below!

We look forward to a fantastic week ahead!

Gratefully,

Dr. Keeley Schmid

Proud Principal, Brookdale Elementary

Thank you to our wonderful PTA for hosting our Fall Party on Friday, October 30th from 2:15-3:15pm! If your child has a change of dismissal on Friday, please call the office to follow our change of dismissal procedures. If you are volunteering, we will ask that all volunteers exit at 3:15pm to allow us to follow our dismissal system and meet your child for their regular dismissal plan.

The PTA will be sponsoring a Oreo cookies snack for students at their fall classroom party. If you would not like your child to have the cookies, please send an alternative snack and notify your child's teacher.

We look forward to celebrating fall together! As a reminder, no costumes are allowed during school hours. If your child would like to wear his/her costume to school, come join the Monster Bash Friday evening!

Volunteers need to complete the district volunteer application process prior to the party (See Reminders section for a link to the application.).

We are excited to welcome Ron Keres to Brookdale on Monday, November 9th, to meet with our Kindergarten-3rd Grade! Ron Keres is the author of the Finn the Frog Book Series. See his work here: Ron Keres.

At Indian Prairie School District, the safety, security, and well-being of our students, staff, and school communities is our absolute highest priority. To ensure our schools remain safe, welcoming, and focused environments for learning, we are reaching out today to provide an important reminder regarding district safety expectations and student conduct.

No weapons or guns of any kind are allowed on school property. Additionally, toy guns, look-alike guns, BB guns, gel blasters, or water guns/blasters are not allowed on school property. This also includes pocket knives, key knives, 3D printed and look alike knives. Bringing any item that looks like a weapon to school is a significant violation of school rules. Any student who brings any of these items to school will face serious disciplinary consequences, which may include suspension or expulsion as well as legal action. **This includes PTA events such as Monster Bash.

Please talk with your child and remind them of our strict policies related to these types of items on campus. Thank you for your continued support, vigilance, and commitment to keeping all of our Indian Prairie students, staff, and schools safe.

Being present at school is one of the most important tasks a family can focus on for student achievement. Attendance Works research shows the following research based facts:

64% of consistent kindergarten and first-grade attendees read at grade level by third grade.

By the 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a strong warning sign that a student is at risk of dropping out of high school. By 9th grade, attendance is one of the single best indicators of whether a student will graduate.

Here is our current District 204 Attendance Data:

10.9% of our students are currently chronically absent

69% of our students have missed less than 5% of the school year so far

44% of our absences have been due to illness- a total of 16,903 illness absences (2,414 days of learning)

19% of our absences have been due to family related events- a total of 7378 absences

This initiative allows students at MVHS, NVHS, and WVHS to take early coursework in education and gain hands-on experience working with young learners in our high school preschool programs. Participants also complete observation and clinical hours in schools across the district.

The students pictured below were all part of D204's GYOT program—and now they want to return to teach in our district! In fact, three of these four future educators taught Dr. Schmid’s daughter in the Wee Wildcat program at Neuqua Valley.

Dr. Schmid was joined at the fair by Mrs. Sharon Ruff, Director of D204 Human Resources, and Mr. David Perry, NVHS Athletic Director. D204 attends job fairs through the state with the goal of continuing to place top-quality educators in front of our students—it is the D204 Way!

Become a school volunteer!

You can make a significant impact by volunteering in our schools. Your unique skills and experiences will help our students succeed. Whether you prefer a set schedule or occasional opportunities, there’s a role for you.

How to help:

There are a wide range of volunteer opportunities in the district with options available at each school, including Boosters, fine arts, LMC (library), PTA, and IPPC (Indian Prairie Parents’ Council). No matter your interest, there's a way for you to make a difference in our schools.

How to get started:

1. Complete a consent form and application: Visit the district’s volunteer program webpage to fill out two forms: a consent form, then an online application. First, complete the consent form, then upload it within the online application.

2. Approval: After submitting your application for review, you will receive an email informing you of your approval status or if additional information is needed.

3. Placement: Once your application is approved, you will work with the building or school organization on any volunteer opportunities that are available.

For more information, please contact:

Matt Hanley
Assistant director, community engagement

matthew_hanley@ipsd.org

(630) 375-3017

*Applications last for one year. You will receive a notification one week and one day prior to the expiration to renew your application.

It's Monster Bash time! There are four important things to know to help us prepare for a night filled with not-so-spooky fun that goes off without a witch...I mean, hitch!

🎃 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Sign up here

We need as many volunteers as possible as we transform Brookdale into a spooktacular school! One hour of your time will help us immensely. We have high school students willing to help, but we need ADULTS to oversee and manage the highly attended event. Thank you!!

🍭 CONCESSIONS DONATIONS: Sign up here

Concession donations are greatly appreciated. We encourage fun themed desserts and treats! Please make sure cookies/brownies/desserts are packaged into individual grab and go packages. We are also looking for individually packaged things like chips, candy, or drinks. Most items will sell for $1 per package. Donuts will be placed on plates at the event. Drop off your treats at Brookdale in the teachers lounge on Friday, October 30th beginning at 9:15AM.

👻 HOW TO GET A BOO-GRAM: Join the PTA

NEW this year! Become a PTA member by October 30 and your child will receive a boo-gram at the Monster Bash! Both candy and Teal Pumpkin/allergy-friendly options are available.

🦇 BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY: Purchase tickets here

Tickets are $4 on presale until Thursday, October 29th at 6:00 pm, and $5 at the door. All children over two years old and adults need a ticket. Click here to get your tickets and become a PTA member to secure your child's boo-gram!

Way to go, Brookdale Community! You helped raise $211 dollars towards Brookdale! We appreciate you!

Calling all enthusiastic and caring male role models (dads, grandfathers, uncles, etc)! Ignite a positive impact in your child’s educational journey through our remarkable Men of Brookdale (MOB) program. Join in on the playground and in the lunchroom and help play games, open containers, and have fun with your child and peers.

There are two sessions each day:

🐾 10:45am-12:25pm (Grades 5/3/4)

🐾 12:15pm-1:50pm (Grades 2/1/K)

Volunteers can sign up for one or both sessions at this link: Men of Brookdale - Sign up. Dates are available for a couple of Fridays each month. It’s fun, simple, and rewarding! If you have any questions, email Ben Kalnicky at bkalnicky@uwalumni.com.

PTA Reflections is known as the oldest and largest national student recognition program in the arts. Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-created theme. This year's theme is "what my culture means to me."

Students can participate in Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. Students can turn in their physical projects to the office by October 9. Register your child and learn more here! If you'd like to chair the Reflections committee or help, please reach out to the PTA via email as soon as possible at pta.brookdale.bobcat@gmail.com.

To learn more about Reflections, click here.

Monday, October 26th

• Robotics Club @8:00am

Tuesday, October 27th

• Fall/Winter Chorus @8:05am

• Book Worm Book Club @3:45-4:45 pm

Wednesday, October 28th

• No Scheduled School Events

Thursday, October 29th

• No Scheduled School Events

Friday, October 30th

• Robotics Club @8:00am in Dr. C.’s Room

• Yoga Club @8:00am in Music Room

• Safety Patrol Meeting @8:00am in LMC

• 3rd Grade Field Trip @Kline Creek Farm

• Fall Classroom Parties @2:15-3:15pm

• PTA Monster Bash @6:00-8:00pm