Brookdale PTA News / September, 2010

New (school) year’s resolution: keeping in touch Mark your calendar

1 Wrapping Paper Sale
Welcome back from a longer than normal summer! I hope ing times between evenings and afternoons to try to accom- starts
yours was full of fun and loving on your kids. It’s now time modate as many as possible who may not always be able to
to get back to business, which I hope includes involvement attend an evening or an afternoon meet-
6 No school — Labor Day
in the education of your kids! It seems that every time I turn ing. We hope to give everyone an opportu-
Tentative meeting 7 No school — Building
schedule
around I hear of research that indicates a boost in a child's nity to join us for at least one or two meet- — Page 3
articulation
education when their parent/guardian is involved in their ings. 8 Market Day pickup: 9:45
learning. A great way to get that ball rolling is to join Brook- Our first meeting: We’ll open with a meeting at 7 p.m. Sept. to 10:15 am
dale's PTA! We do not require attendance at meetings or 23. In October we will have our first afternoon meeting, start- 9 School pictures
automatically assign you a task as a ing about an hour before dismissal. Watch
member. Certainly we would like to see
10 Spirit Wear orders due
Message from the President for details about the exact time and loca-
everyone participate in various capaci- tion. 15 Wrapping
~ Barb Peterson Paper Sale
ties, but we recognize many people can- Content of PTA meetings: We know par-
not commit a lot of time. We do meet ents are most interested in what is actually orders due
every month and are always looking for more people to vol- going on at school. This year, we will hear from each grade 17 Buzy Bob-
unteer to chair or be a part of the numerous PTA commit- level, with different grade levels presenting at each afternoon cat Store
tees, but neither is a requirement to join. If you are not a meeting. Watch for a schedule of when each grade will pre- open 8:30
member for this year, please visit our new blog to print out sent. Kindergarten and second grade will present in October. to 9 am
a registration form and send it to school with your child. We will cover normal PTA business during those meetings, but for grades 3 to 5
I want to highlight a few changes the PTA will implement only what is specifically necessary for those months. Mr. Le- 23 PTA General Member-
this year to enhance communication between the school, Crone will continue to present information pertinent to families
ship
the PTA and the community. during the evening meetings.
Meeting, 7 p.m.
Brookdale's Blog: Thanks to Rachael Batchu (who encour- The goal of PTA is to be a voice for all students. Our intent is
aged the creation of our blog) and Christie Willhite (who to be as relevant as possible to all families in our school. 24 Back to School Class-
saw a great opportunity and volunteered to commit the We also want to know what is on your mind. Please don't room
time using her talents to make it happen), Brookdale has a hesitate to ask a member of the Executive Committee about Parties, 2:30 to 3:15 pm
wonderful new blog with oodles of information pertinent to anything you don't understand. There are usually multiple rea- 29-30 After-School Enrich-
all that is going on at school. Please check it out: brook- sons for our decisions. We also want to hear perspectives from ment classes start, 3:45-
daleschoolpta.blogspot.com. everyone. Your thoughts and ideas matter to us. 4:30 pm Wednesday and
Monthly PTA meetings: This year, we will alternate meet- We look forward to a wonderful year of growth for our kids! Thursday
September, 2010 Page 2

The Principal’s Corner A few words from Principal Brian LeCrone

Positive start to new school year Speech — the first skill

By Judi Buckman
I am very pleased to report the vocabulary and routine for both the stu-
Brookdale Speech/Language Pathologist
2010-11 school year is off to a great dents and the staff members. The time
Welcome to another school year where opportunities
start. The excitement of the new year spent teaching expected behaviors
for communication and instances for the creation of
is palpable as stu- both inside and outside strong language skills are abundant! This column will be
Message from the Principal
dents and teachers of the classroom will a chance for me to pass along some ideas for imple-
get to know one an-
~Brian LeCrone reap many benefits in mentation in your everyday interactions with your chil-
other. the long run, not the least of which are dren.
As I was out in Naperville this summer, I was sad-
Of course, at this time of year, we a positive whole school and classroom dened by the parents on their cell phones in the grocery
are setting the high expectations that environment as well as a maximization store, walking on the Riverwalk, waiting in the doctor’s
are trademarks of Brookdale Elemen- of instructional time. office. Sometimes it is an emergency. But these are per-
tary School. All our classrooms have fect opportunities to speak to your children!
I would like to extend my sincere
Building strong receptive and expressive language
been involved in establishing a sense thanks to our wonderful teaching staff skills requires multiple exchanges between adult and
of community through various activi- for their hard work and preparation on child, beginning with taking turns cooing with an infant.
ties, and our teachers are diligently behalf of our students and community. Facial expressions are communication, too, and young
teaching classroom routines and pro- children need to watch you speak with them. For pre-
cedures. Thanks, too, for the high level of sup- school children, don’t miss the opportunities to point
port we have received from you, the out concepts of color, shape, size and time, as you put
We also are working in earnest to items in your grocery cart. Prepare your children for new
parents, thus far. As I mentioned at my
teach the expected school-wide be- experiences by sharing memories from your first dentist
Curriculum Night address, we need a
haviors by having our entire student visit. For school aged children, many occasions become
true partnership of students, staff and
body visit every area in the school “teachable moments” for discussing behavior, expecta-
parents to ensure the appropriate level tions and engaging in higher-level thinking conversa-
(bathroom, cafeteria, arrival, dis- of growth for all of our students. tions.
missal, etc.) to learn about what it Technology is wonderful, but I am concerned with the
means to be respectful, responsible We are in for a great experience for isolation from human face/face interactions it causes.
and safe at each area. This process, the whole school community if the be- And I believe these missed communication opportuni-
known as “Station Rotations” is cru- ginning of the year is any indication of ties may have serious implications for children as they
cial because it provides a common the rest of the school year! begin their academic years.
September, 2010 Page 3

Your PTA at Work News and notes from our committees

Volunteers bring their enthusiasm to Executive Board What’s next

Amid the summer fun, two enthusiastic parent
volunteers have moved into new roles on the PTA’s
Executive Board.
We welcome Judy Nagel-Conley as the new vice
president and Jan Mallak as the new secretary. Both
were elected in April and formally assumed their
new duties following the May meeting.
Judy has three children, all of whom attend Brook-
dale this year. Aidan is in fourth grade, while twins
Connor and Ashley are in kindergarten. With all three
children in school, Judy looks forward to volunteer-
ing in their individual classes as well as working on
school-wide projects as vice president.
“Brookdale is a fantastic school, filled with ex-
traordinary teachers and leaders. We are very fortu-
nate to have such an involved parent community. It
is the coordination of efforts between teachers and
parents that makes Brookdale such a special
place ,” Judy said. “All of our children benefit from
everything that the PTA provides, whether it's social
activities, assemblies or classroom equipment.”
As a volunteer, Judy has presented Art Awareness
sessions, helped classes with research, read with
children through the Read Naturally program, chap-
eroned field trips, planned class parties and served
The next meeting
as a classroom coordinator.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday,
Like Judy, Jan has volunteered at class parties,
September 23
served as a classroom coordinator and helped at
Where: Brookdale’s
PTA events. Her daughter Lindsay is in third grade
Multipurpose Room
while her daughter Abby is in second grade.
On the agenda: Mr. LeCrone
“I have had many great experiences with the
shares plans for the school
teachers and staff at Brookdale for the three years
year; President Barb Peter-
my daughters (already) have been in attendance,”
Jan said. “I look forward to working more with the son reports on news from
PTA this year as secretary to continue not only my the district administration
own positive experiences, but to contribute to the
positive experiences of other Brookdale families.” PTA meeting schedule
Jan and Judy take over from Sheila Fleming and Oct. 21: 2 p.m. Kindergar-
Melissa Winchester, whom we thank for their two ten presents at 2 p.m.; 2nd
years of service on the Executive Board. Grade presents at 3 p.m.
“I want to thank them for the hard work they have
Nov. 18: 7 p.m.
done,” board President Barb Peterson said. “I, per-
sonally, thank them for the input, ideas, suggestions Jan. 20: 2 p.m. 1st Grade at
and honesty they’ve given me, this being my first 2 p.m.; 4th Grade at 3 p.m.
year on the board.”
Melissa, who served as vice president, and Sheila, Feb. 17: 7 p.m.
who was the secretary, now co-chair the classroom March 17: 3rd Grade at 2
coordinator committee for 2010-11. p.m.; 5th Grade at 3 p.m.

Like us on Facebook Get the latest on our blog April 21: 7 p.m.
Brookdale Elementary PTA brookdaleschoolpta.blogspot.com May 17: 1:30 p.m.
September, 2010
Your PTA at Work News and notes from our committees
Wrapping paper + cookie dough + jewelry = Brookdale school life
Yes, the equation is correct.
Brookdale Elementary School’s annual Wrapping Paper, Gourmet
Cookie Dough and (new this year) Jewelry Sale funds everything that
makes Brookdale fun, educational and exciting for your children. From
educational resources and upgrades to community-building assemblies
and family-oriented reading nights to cultural arts programs, this fund-
raiser helps Brookdale do it all!
All the programs that make Brookdale School a vibrant, friendly place
for students and their families are supported with your participation in
this fundraiser.
Mark your calendar
The sale begins Wednesday, Sept. 1.
Please be sure to look for the catalogs,
order form and information coming home
with your child that day.
Brookdale School receives up to 50 per-
cent of the purchase price of items you,
your family, friends, neighbors and col-
leagues purchase. And, as your children
will remind you, participating students —
and their teachers — will qualify for various
prizes for themselves and their classroom
based on items sold.
For our school’s participation in this
fundraiser, all students will be rewarded
with an assembly featuring BMX national BMX champ
champion and X Games medalist Matt Matt Wilhelm
Page 4
Wilhelm, who will talk
about character-
building . You can
read more about Matt
Wilhelm and the as-
sembly at probike-
shows.com.
E-mail friends and family members anytime
To make this year’s fundraiser even more successful, we ask that you e
-mail friends and family members and ask them to shop online to benefit
Brookdale School. Every purchase will help us reach our goal. To get
started:
Step 1 Go to gaschoolstore.com. The Great American store offers
more than 1,700 quality products on the website.
Step 2 Register to receive a Student Online ID Number. To com-
plete registration, you will need our Brookdale School group num-
ber: 1821032.
Step 3 You will be issued a Student Online ID Number and pro-
vided with easy-to-use e-mail campaign tools.
Step 4 To ensure proper credit for your online sales, please place
your Student Online ID Number on each of your handwritten order
forms.
Order forms and payment are due Wednesday, Sept. 15.
Checks should be made payable to “Brookdale PTA.”
Delivery is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 19.
Questions? Contact Debbie Snyder at (630) 428-3089 or
dsnydermjt@wideopenwest.com or Amy Hausman at (630) 961-
1210 khausman@wideopenwest.com.
September, 2010 Page 5

Your PTA at Work News and notes from our committees

Volunteer repairs kits; others to bring art to classrooms Buzy Bobcat Store
A huge thank you goes out to Jennifer Frazer, who though a few classes are filled, many still have The Buzy Bobcat Store car-
spent countless hours this sum- openings. A schedule of ries an assortment of school
mer with her sewing machine, re- Art Awareness current volunteers will be supplies — both practical and
pairing the Art Awareness bags. volunteers visit available on our website fun — and lets students prac-
Many of the bags had significant every classroom (no phone numbers or tice “money math.”
damage, and Jennifer’s hard work each month to email will be included).
discuss a famous  Bags, packets and labels
The fun pencils, erasers,
is greatly appreciated by the PTA sharpeners and more gener-
and by all the Art Awareness vol- work of art with are being updated. Most
students. ally range from 25 cents to 50
unteers! materials will be back in cents. A Brookdale window
the Art Awareness area cling runs 60 cents, and the
Art Awareness Updates (across from the multi-purpose room) by mid- to most expensive item is a
 Many items have been added to the Art Awareness late-September. Please contact Art Awareness Brookdale lanyard for $1.50.
website this summer. Take a moment to check it chair Theresa Hus at husfam- Children should enter
out at the PTA link on the Brookdale website, or ily@wideopenwest.com with questions or concerns. through the main doors. Par-
directly at: sites.google.com/site/  THANK YOU to all those who signed up on Curricu- ent are welcome to help chil-
brookdaleartawareness/. lum Night to be presenters — from our new kinder- dren shop. Fifth-graders and
 Classroom coordinators will schedule Art Aware- garten parents to those who are doing Art Aware- parent volunteers will be there
ness volunteers this year. If you’d like to volunteer, ness for their 6th and final year. Your efforts are to lend a hand as well.
please contact your classroom coordinator. Al- greatly appreciated! Questions? Contact
Jeannette Curtis at (630) 579-
Reflections expands opportunities for our creative students 6207 or jeanettecur-
tis@mac.com or Barb Nicode-
Get your creative juices flowing ture, musical composition, photog- fect for any child who craves more mus at (630) 848-0148 or
for the 2010-11 Reflections com- raphy, and visual arts. opportunities for artistic expres- b.nicodemus@marykay.com.
petition, a nationwide PTA arts Entries will be judged on how sion than the regular school day
program. well the artistic vision portrays this offers. First sale dates
These year's theme is "Together year's theme. Students in kinder- Watch for more information in  Grades 3-5: 8:30 to 9 a.m.
We Can." Students can create a garten through second grade will the coming weeks. on Friday, Sept. 17
project that reflects the theme in be judged separately from older Volunteers are welcome. E-mail  Kdg. to Grade 2: 8:30 to 9
the following areas: dance chore- children. Kelly Urbon at tkur-
a.m. on Friday, Oct. 1
ography, film production, litera- The Reflections program is per- bon@sbcglobal.net.
September, 2010 Page 6

Your PTA at Work News and notes from our committees

Go Bobcats! It’s time to get your spirit wear Join the yearbook
Flash forward 30 years: What will your children
Soon your children — and you, too — will be cats/Brookdale logo.
remember about Brookdale? Creative class
able to show your school spirit with To view the spirit wear projects? The teacher who sparked a new inter-
Bobcat T-shirts, hoodies, sweat- items in full color, you can est? The friends who made them laugh?
pants and more. All it takes is plac- Maybe as they’re helping their own children
find them online at boomer- get ready for the first day of school, they’ll pull
ing an order in the Brookdale Spirit t.com/yourstore.html (select out their Brookdale yearbooks. They’ll page
Wear Sale. Brookdale Bobcats in the al- through and see the little smiling faces, the
phabetical menu). pictures from field trips and class parties, the
The sale is already underway. By signatures from friends, and they’ll remember
now your child should have Samples for sizing purposes so much more. Just think of the stories they’ll
brought home an order form, are in the school office. Check them have for their children.
though more order forms are out so you can be sure of ordering Janet LaRocque has organized and edited the
Brookdale yearbook for several years, but with
available in the school office if the right size. her youngest child in fifth grade, she’ll be put-
you need one. Order forms with payment must be ting together her last book this year. It’s time,
returned by Friday, Sept. 10. If you she says, to show the ropes to the next year-
The menu of items this year fea- book editor.
tures plain Ts, tie-dye Ts, fitted have any questions, please call Lisa Creating the yearbook takes a fair amount of
girls and women’s Ts, hooded sweatshirts, flan- Howard at (630) 548-4804. organization, and Janet recommends the volun-
nel pants, a draw-string sports pack and a car teer should be comfortable working in Microsoft
Place your order today so your child can show
Word and Excel. And because so many photos
decal. All clothing items are available in youth their Brookdale Bobcat pride on Spirit Days are submitted digitally, she suggests a familiar-
and adult sizes, Each item has a custom Bob- which occur the first Friday of each month. ity with Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) for
editing photos and organizing them with tags.
Get involved A parent interested in taking over yearbook
Besides a yearbook editor, the PTA is looking for volunteers in the following capacities. E-mail Vice duties would work this year with Janet, who will
President Judy Nagel-Conley at jln0522@aol.com if interested. hand down her process and her knowledge of
Photoshop.
Student Directory: Shadow Fifth-grade social: The parent Fifth-grade video: A parent is E-mail Janet at janetlarocque@yahoo.com and
Janet LaRocque this year to of a fifth-grader is needed to needed to organize photos of Vice President Judy Nagel-Conley at
take over publication of the di- coordinate the committee that fifth-graders (from baby pic- jln0522@aol.com to volunteer or ask questions.
rectory for the 2011-12 school plans the students’ farewell tures through their Brookdale Years from now, your children could thank you
year. party in the spring. days) into a DVD slide show. for helping them make memories.
September, 2010 Page 7

Free Money for the PTA

It’s easy to help the PTA earn money for assemblies, contributions to the classroom and more just by
doing what you’re already doing. Here’s how:
Box tops:
Take a good look at the boxes in
your pantry. You’ll find the Box Tops
for Education label on many of them,
and right now many brands have two.
For each one you clip and turn in, the
PTA receives 10 cents to put toward field trips, classroom items
and more. Our goal this year is to collect $1,000 in Box Tops. We
collect Box Tops all year long in a bin just inside the LMC. The
first redemption date is Oct. 31, so be sure to turn in your Box
Tops soon. The next redemption date will be in February. The ex-
tensive list of qualifying products is at www.ipsd.org/Uploads/
brookdale_box%20Tops.pdf. If you have questions, contact Sta-
cey Ramsey at srams66@wideopenwest.com or (630) 778-
1849.
GoodSearch and GoodShop:
Brookdale PTA earns a
penny every time you search
the Internet with Good-
Search.com, a Yahoo-powered engine that donates half its ad-
vertising 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 site’s GoodShop.com offers
discounts from participating merchants, who donate a portion of
sales to the charity.
Dominick’s eScrip:
Using your Fresh Values Card at
Dominick’s can save you money and
generate a donation to the Brookdale
PTA. If you register your card, the store
will contribute up to 4 percent of your bill
from each shopping trip when you use
your card. Registration takes just a few
minutes at escrip.com. After that, all you
need to do is shop. Contact Stacey Ramsey
with questions at srams66@wideopenwest.com or (630) 778-
1849.
Best Buy Reward Zone:
The Reward Zone program lets
Best Buy customers build up
points to use toward future
purchases at the store. Through
the Reward Zone Program for
Schools, you can put your points
to work for Brookdale. Enroll as a Reward Zone member and
each time you check out, tell the cashier you’d like to donate
your points to Brookdale Elementary. The store will give us
reward certificates for 2 percent of your total that will buy
more technology for our school.
September, 2010 Page 8 Committee Chairperson Telephone E-mail
Danielle Baker (630) 357-6137 danilbaker@aol.com
After-School Enrichment Laura Falk (630) 718-1088 glmnfalk@wowway.com
Sarah Williams (630) 717-9979 sarahdave@wowway.com
Art Awareness Theresa Hus (630) 961-5348 husfamily@wideopenwest.com
Assemblies Beth Reiman (630) 416-7976 bethoreiman@gmail.com
Brookdale PTA Basketball Nights Amy Elston (630) 637-9709 amyelston@hotmail.com
Executive Board Book Fair Dawn Yorke (630) 330-7703 dyorke8708@wowway.com
Box Tops Stacey Ramsey (630) 778-1849 srams66@wideopenwest.com
President Brookdale Brainiacs Ann Luttrell
Jeanette Curtis
(630) 416-2581
(630) 579-6207
anneluttrell@gmail.com
jeanettecurtis@mac.com
Barb Peterson Busy Bobcat Store
Barb Nicodemus (630) 848-0148 b.nicodemus@marykay.com
(630) 416-4565 Classroom Coordinators
Sheila Fleming
Melissa Winchester
(630) 548-1494
(630) 717-0375
sjsjfleming@wowway.com
melnme1997@yahoo.com
afamily@petersonlink.name Cultural Arts Francesca Giacobbe (630) 946-6285
eScrip Stacey Ramsey (630) 778-1849 srams66@wideopenwest.com
Vice President Fall Family Social Linda Watkins (630) 357-5724 ljrwatkins@wideopenwest.com
Judy Nagel-Conley Family Dinner Night Out Heather Lang (630) 717-1204 heather.lang@eicoff.com
Fifth-Grade Social
(630) 428-9717 Fifth-Grade DVD
jln0522@aol.com Health and Safety Beth Siwicki (630) 942-0516 siwickifamily@wowway.com
Helping Hand Lisa Burke (630) 416-9430 lisaburke8@yahoo.com
Secretary Dina Bradshaw (630) 717-6916 dinabradshaw@att.net
Hospitality
Jan Mallak Beth Martinson (630) 717-7902 abmartinson@yahoo.com
IPPC Representative Saily Joshi-Moorthy (630) 527-9536 saily@aol.com
(630) 717-0953 Kids Art Note Cards Tricia Smith (630) 416-3255 triciagreg98@wowway.com
janmallak@comcast.net LMC Coordinator Cathy Collins (630) 961-1080 ckc1021@sbcglobal.net
Market Day Tricia Smith (630) 416-3255 triciagreg98@wowway.com
Treasurer Newsletter/Publicity Christie Willhite (630) 579-9423 christiewillhite@gmail.com
Ron Heger Parent Diversity Advisory Council Saily Joshi-Moorthy (630) 527-9536 saily@aol.com
(630) 983-7189 Positive Behavior Inside School Melissa Winchester (630) 717-0375 melnme1997@yahoo.com
Red Ribbon Week Krista McCann (630) 364-2630 kmccannrn@yahoo.com
rgheger@aol.com Reflections Kelly Urbon (630) 718-0384 tkurbon@sbcglobal.net
Brookdale Elementary School School Directory Janet LaRocque (630) 527-8473 janetlarocque@yahoo.com
Jennifer Sanchez (630) 753-9423 jlsanchez@wideopenwest.com
1200 Redfield Road School Supplies
Sarah Williams (630) 717-9979 sarahdave@wowway.com
Naperville, IL 60563 Service Projects
Rose Baranyk (630) 355-8786 rosalie_baranyk@yahoo.com
Beth Reiman (630) 416-7976 bethoreiman@gmail.com
(630) 428-6800 Silent Auction Laura Heger (630) 983-7189 rgheger@aol.com
Brian LeCrone, Principal Spirit Wear Sale Lisa Howard (630) 548-4804 thehowards@wowway.com
Spring Fling Cherie Quarles (630) 579-0679 cheriequarles@yahoo.com
brian_lecrone@ipsd.org Staff Appreciation Nancy Berry (630) 357-2811 dmnberry3@gmail.com
Title One Parent Rep Robyn Rathe (815) 514-0529
This publication Cathy Collins (630) 961-1080 ckc1021@sbcglobal.net
Variety Show
is produced and Mary Hensley (630) 428-9963 jhensley0378@wowway.com
funded by the Walk to School Day Beth Siwicki (630) 717-0375 siwickifamily@wowway.com
Brookdale Welcome Committee Linda Watkins (630) 357-5724 ljrwatkins@wideopenwest.com
Elementary Amy Hausman (630) 961-1210 khausman@wideopenwest.com
Wrapping Paper Sale
Deb Snyder (630) 428-3089 dsnydermjt@wideopenwest.com
School PTA. Yearbook Janet LaRocque (630) 527-8473 janetlarocque@yahoo.com