Meadowbrook Star News 11/21/25

Hello Meadowbrook Families!

Huge thanks to our awesome PTO committee for planning a great Culture Fest event on Wednesday night. Thanks to all families who shared their cultures and to everyone who attended. Kids were buzzing about what a great experience it was! We were also able to collect many more coats and canned goods for our on-going drives. We appreciate everyone's generosity!

As we wrap up school for November, I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone in the Meadowbrook community for providing such a warm welcome to me and Meghan Dames this year. As the school administrators, we are well aware that there has been a lot of change for everyone this fall and we appreciate all of you staying positive and offering your feedback. We feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a supportive community. Thank you!

Our next Meadowbrook Star will arrive in your inboxes on 12/5. I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving and wonderful break!

Ginny

Progress reports for trimester one will be shared with families on 12/5. Parents/guardians will receive an email in the afternoon with directions on how to access the reports. Students will receive scores on standards in social-emotional learning, literacy, math, science, social studies, art, music, P.E., and Spanish, band and/or orchestra if applicable. As a reminder, scores are not equivalent to traditional letter grades. Scores are intended to help parents and guardians understand students' levels of independence and mastery of standards that have been addressed in class. Please reach out with any questions!

We will be donating the clothing from the lost and found as of December 12th. As always, we will search items for student names and return anything we can. Please stop by the lost and found if you're visiting the building in the coming weeks and remind your child to take a look as well.

Our gymnasium construction site is quite busy these days! Later today, crews plan to hoist the steel needed for the gym roof. Stay tuned for that video! Next week, while school is out of session, they plan to install the storm trap on the east side of our campus. Click the video link above to check out this week's view from the sky.

Projected Construction Timeline

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

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.

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.

School Districts 27, 28, and 30 are partnering with Cradles to Crayons for a charity coat drive, which will run through December 12, 2025. New and gently used coats, boots, and accessories will be accepted (in sizes 0-3 Months to Adult Medium). Donation boxes can be found at Northbrook Junior High and the Northbrook Park District. There will be a FREE community orchestra concert featuring all three school districts on Friday, Dec. 12 at 6pm at Wood Oaks Junior High.

Forgot to send in a donation…or found more items in your pantry to part with? Feel free to drop them in the bins through the end of the school day!

Looking to finish your holiday shopping early? Give the gift of reading! Shop the Anderson Book Fair in the Small Gym on Tues. Dec. 2 & Wed. Dec. 3 from 8a-6p. Kids can shop during the school day (send cash) or with their grown ups after school! Can’t visit the fair in person? Shop online at www.abcfairs.com. If you shop before or during the fair dates, the books will be delivered to the school - just check the box labeled “Send to school for student pick up…” to avoid shipping charges.

Need to make some room on your bookshelves for your new reads? The Bernie’s Book Bank Book Drive will run from Dec. 1-5. Bring your new and gently used children’s books (birth-6th grade reading level), and place them in the bins right inside the front door. Or just bring them along when you shop the Book Fair!

Many of you have been asking - the Husky car magnets are finally here! Purchase a magnet for $5 (cash only) at the Book Fair OR on our website: Log in→For Sale→Scroll to “MB Spirit Wear.”

Nov. 24-28 - Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 1-5 - Bernie’s Book Bank Book Drive

Dec. 2-3 - Anderson Book Fair (2 days only!)

Dec. 10 - PTO Meeting at 9:30a

Dec. 11 - PIZZA DAY

Dec. 12 - Spirit Day (Favorite Color Head-to-Toe)

Dec. 17 & Dec. 18 - Winter Sing and Art Show

Dec. 19 - Class Holiday Parties

Stay connected with us on Facebook - MeadowbrookPTODistrict28

And on Instagram - d28.meadowbrookpto

Subscribe to the Meadowbrook calendar at this link!

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

December 8-10: CogAT testing for 3rd & 5th graders

December 10: PTO Meeting @ 9:30

December 11: PTO Pizza Day

December 12: Spirit Wear Day--Favorite Color Head to Toe

December 15-18: 2nd & 4th graders eat lunch in classrooms (Winter Sing rehearsals/performances)

December 17: First Grade Winter Sing @ 10:00, Third Grade Winter Sing @ 2:00

December 18: Second Grade Winter Sing @ 10:00, Fourth Grade Winter Sing @ 2:00

December 18: PTO-provided Staff Luncheon

December 19: Husky Pack Meetings

December 19: Classroom Holiday Parties @ 2:30-3:15 (all grades)

December 20-January 4: School Closed, Winter Break

January 5: School resumes

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.