Gratitude from the president

In the latest edition of BrookTales, PTA President Barb Peterson reflects on the volunteer spirit evident at our school even as other PTAs in our district struggle to recruit helping hands.

Without our volunteers, there is no Fall Family Fun Night, no classroom parties, no enrichment classes, no Reflections or Braniacs - no PTA. Thank you for everything you do for the PTA and for our children.

Here are Barb's thoughts on the topic:

Believe it or not, one of my favorite aspects of serving as president of Brookdale's PTA is the opportunity I have on a regular basis to go to meetings.

Certainly there are times when I would much rather be doing something other than go to yet another meeting. But more often than not, I come away from those meetings with a much greater understanding of the workings of our school district.  It helps me understand the difficulty in moving such a large machine, but also helps me understand the basis for so many things that happen. And I love listening to our superintendent, Dr. Kathy Birkett, speak. She always makes me laugh. 

In November, I attended one such meeting, and spent a few minutes in a round table discussion with PTA presidents from other elementary schools in the district. We were discussing the issues our schools are facing with respect to volunteers and participation. I listened to quite a few ask for ideas on how to get more people involved and how to increase participation in fundraising. 

As I listened to some of the ideas, I realized what a great school community of which I am a part! Brookdale is already successfully doing so many of the ideas that were brought up. 

In the years of my involvement with the PTA, I do not remember having to discontinue the valuable activities provided to the kids by the PTA due to lack of volunteers. And though we sometimes have made budget decisions in anticipation of lower fundraising participation, we have always come out ahead at the end. 

  Wow. 

How blessed we are, in this season of thankfulness, for a GREAT group of parents supporting the education of our children. 

I recognize that this role as president does not always come easy at some schools. So I wish to say a hearty collective “THANK YOU” to all of you who are so dedicated to organizing and administering many activities as well as stepping in when there are needs that come up. 

Brookdale is a great school. We have a very
committed administration and staff as well as a solid family base for our students. 

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas or Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year!  May you have some wonderful time together with your
family!

Who wants pie?

Mmm … pie. It’s a classic ending to a holiday dinner and a special treat any day.

But pie not only treats your family, it feeds the PTA’s ability to sponsor activities, assemblies and education purchases for our children and our school.

This month, the PTA earns 15 percent profit from each delicious pie we buy through Market Day. If we sell more than 100 pies, we will earn a 30 percent profit. Imagine how much money the school could earn if each Brookdale family ordered even just one pie this month.

You'll find a list of pie options and prices below.

You can order and pay for pies online at marketday.com, until 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12. Pie pickup will be the same date and time as regular Market Day pickup: 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, in the Multi-Purpose Room.   

Never tried Market Day? There is a 100 percent guarantee on all items; just return the unused portion to coordinator Tricia Smith, who will get you a refund. Market Day accepts the LINK card as payment.

Thank you to everyone who ordered in October and helped us raise $170.80 for Brookdale. 

Tracey Perna won the raffle for the Staff Market Day Basket and Susan Corrigan won the raffle of the Mini Cinnamon Sugar donuts. 

Contact Tricia with questions at triciagreg98@wowway.com or (630) 416-3255. She is happy to deliver pre-paid orders to your home. 

• Chocolate Pecan Caramel Supreme $13
• French Apple Cream Cheese Layer $13
• Lemon Supreme $13
• Turtle Cheesecake $12
• French Silk $13
• Pumpkin $11
• Pecan $11
• Fruit Medley Deep Dish $11 
• Apple Deep Dish $11
• Apple/Cranberry Deep Dish $11
• Black Forest Cheesecakes $12
• Caramel Apple Tarts $12
• New York Style Cheesecakes $12
• Chocolate Turtle Saucy Cakes $12

Please drive carefully

At Brookdale, our children are taught every day that they should "be respectful, be responsible and be safe."
It's good advice, some that we as adults should follow as well - especially when we're waiting behind the wheel to drop off and pick up our children. Those are crazy, hectic times and sometimes our desire to get in, get out and move on just takes over.
But it's those moments when we need to remain calm and courteous. The safety of our children depends on it.
Today, Brookdale administrators and the PTA set out guidelines for traffic around school. Heeding these reminders will ensure drop-offs and pick-ups are both efficient and safe.
The letter from Principal LeCrone, Student Services Coordinator Candy Michelli and PTA President Barb Peterson follows:

Dear Brookdale Families,

The purpose of this letter is to review traffic and safety procedures at Brookdale.  Please keep in mind that the procedures have been put in place to create a safe environment, while maintaining the best possible flow of traffic.  These procedures have been established with the support of the Brookdale PTA and the Naperville Police Department.                

Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures on Redfield Road:

· Please pull forward as far as possible.

· Do not get out of your car; school staff will assist your child if necessary.

· You may park and get out of your car if you are parked outside of the “End School Zone” signs posted on both sides of the street.

· Please have your child exit/enter your car on the curb side. 

· Carefully merge to the left after your child has exited/entered the car.  Be aware of other vehicles to your left as you proceed.

· Be aware of the crosswalk area and obey the instructions of the crossing guard.

· Do not park in or block the driveways of the residents.

· Please use the circle drive to make a change of direction.  Three-point turnarounds impair the vision of the crossing guards and negatively impact the flow of traffic.

Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures on Bainbridge Drive:

· You may park in any area that is not marked as a “No Parking” zone.

· Please monitor your speed and use extreme caution when approaching the unsupervised crosswalk and obey the instructions of the crossing guard at the Bainbridge/Redfield crosswalk.

· Please have your child exit/enter your car on the curb side.

· Do not park in or block the driveways of the residents.

Parking Lot Procedures:

· The circle drive may be used at any time to turn around.

· The front lot is closed to parking from 8:45-9:15 AM and from 3:15-3:45 PM.

· The front drive is for buses only.

· You may park in any area of the front lot that is not marked by red paint.

· You may not park along the curve.  The buses have difficulty making the turn if vehicles are parked in that area.

Cell Phone Law:

· Please be aware of a new law that took effect on January 1, 2010, Senate Bill 72 titled “Vehicular Phone Use in School Zones”.  According to the new law, “A person, regardless of age, may not use a wireless telephone at any time while operating a motor vehicle on a roadway in a school speed zone.”

Thank you for your continued commitment in helping to keep our students safe!

Sincerely,

Brian H. LeCrone, Principal

Candy Michelli, Student Services Coordinator

Barb Peterson, PTA President

Welcome aboard

We'd like to introduce several volunteers who have stepped in to help with a variety of projects and events this year:

• Barb Marshall and Rueben Lerma are leading the planning for the fifth-grade social. 
• Anne Staskon and LaShandra Moore are heading up production of the fifth-grade DVD. 
• Bernadette Young represents Brookdale on the district’s Project Arrow PTA and helps with the Parent Diversity Advisory Council.
• Susan Corrigan-DeLucio will coordinate the Staff Appreciation project in the spring.

 Thank you all for your time - it means the world to our students and our school. 

Fall Family Fun Night

Sure, we’ve had Fall Family Fun Night five times before, but this year’s event was a full-blown Halloween festival.

With children — and many adults — in costume, more than 900 people turned out for the festivities on Friday, Oct. 29, and found the school brimming with activities.

Children — dressed as everything from a fairy princess to a superhero, a penguin to Super Mario, a daisy to a mummy — were invited to trick-or-treat at stations around the LMC.

Families found activities like pumpkin bowling, relays, crafts, Halloween mini golf, an eyeball bounce and even storytellers.

All the while, families and groups competed in Family Feud — a Fall Family Fun Night tradition.

Congratulations to the Family Feud winners. The first-place team was Jake Fleming, Evan Lang, Drew Winchester, McKenna Grezlik, Madison Grezlik, Jack Damhorst and Sean Fleming. A team with members of the Bradshaw, Palmquist and Lankish families finished in second place.

For the 400+ children who guessed

The pumpkin weighed 59 pounds, 8 ounces.

There were 2,359 candy corns in the guessing container. Winners will be announced Monday.

Thank you, thank you, thank you

Thank you to the many volunteers who worked extremely hard to make this event happen under the guidance of event coordinator Linda Watkins.

Prior to the event:

• Ken Markiewicz for designing and hand-drawing the very creative events signs

• Jamie, Judy, Connor and Ken Markiewicz and Amber Watkins for painting the signs

• Barb Steinkuller and family for coordinating and making our Trick-or-Treat Station Posters

• Tim Reidy for designing the putt-putt golf course

• Maria Kluemper for managing the Family Feud game communication and coordination

• Beth Siwicki for preparing the Spooky Food Guess and creative spooky clues

• Judy and Connor Markiewicz for sorting the trick or treat candy

• Darcy Hutzler for counting the candy corn and preparing the guessing slips

• Khalilah Phillips for choosing the pumpkin and preparing the guessing slips

• Amy Hausman for planning the crafts 

• Yana Chriss, Maria Kluemper, Beth Siwicki, Karen Johnson, Jessica Harris and Kathie

Smurawski for their many hours of craft preparation

• Saily Joshi, Linda Bock and Theresa Hus for helping with everything the week prior to the event (posters, inventory, last minute errands, etc.)

• Connor Markiewicz, Nicholas Watkins and Brookdale Students for drawing the ghost faces for the Pumpkin Bowling pins

• Lisa Burke for prizes

• Ms. Ory and Ms. Perna for their technical support

• Mr. Korbitz, Mr. Tabisz, Ms. Gelso, Ms. Sampson and Ms. Parks for the use of their

rooms

• All Brookdale Teachers for helping Brookdale students to cut and color Halloween shapes to adorn our Trick and Treat Posters

• Mr. Baldridge and Belen from Brookdale’s Facility Department for the set-up and take down of the event

• Joy Ross, assistant principal at Metea Valley High School, for helping to coordinate MVHS support for the event

• Metea Science Department (Mike Kirkpatrick) for use of the Van de Graaff Generator

• Metea LMC (MaryLynne Stoller / Debbie Turner) for laminating the event posters

• Metea Facilities Department (Bradley Swanson) for the use of their stanchions to form our

event game lines

• Metea Key Club Coordinator Kate Carnevale for arranging for student volunteers

• Christi Grezlik for coordinating the pizza for the high school student volunteers

• Event set-up parent volunteers: Rose Baranyk, Lisa Burke, Barb Steinkuller, Mary Hensley, Denise Munro, Laura Schiro, Beth Siwicki, Tim Reidy, Harkirat Sethi, Vicki Lynch, Jen DeMale, Christi Grezlik, Jessica Harris, Fatima Jeyabalan, Jan Mallak, Kathie Smurawski, Laura Schlicher, Ron Heger, Beth Reiman and Tom Stewart

• Lisa Burke for helping with the student volunteer orientation

• Mike Watkins for bowling pin painting, sign stands, spooky food boxes, event map and

logistical consulting

• Nicholas and Amber Watkins for many hours of event help

During the evening -

• Pat Burke and Rick Bock for hosting Family Feud

• Lori Jones, Janet Anderson and Carey Peterson for storytelling

• LifeSavers Club for collecting games to donate to charity

• Barb Nicodemus for taking the event photos

• Many parent volunteers

• More than 40 Metea Valley and Waubonsie Valley high school students (many previous Brookdale students) for their volunteer help throughout the evening!

• A special thank you to Principal LeCrone, Candy Michelli, Cindy Minch, Judy Markiewicz and Amy Hausman for their endless hours of consulting!

A visit from Kids on the Block

As Brookdale students learn the lessons of Red Ribbon Week and strategies for stopping bullies during the school’s month-long anti-bullying focus, they’ll have the chance to see an assembly that reinforces the ideas of respect, responsibility and acceptance.

The Kids on the Block programs feature life-sized puppets that deliver scripts on topics such as diversity, prejudice and disabilities. The presentations are interactive, allowing for a question-and-answer session and some situational role-playing. Together, the elements are intended to foster understanding and positive attitudes toward others.

On Thursday, Oct. 28, our children will see age-appropriate a Kids on the Block performances designed for each grade level. The assembly will focus on the “three Ds of daily living,” decision-making, diversity and disabilities. The assembly is sponsored by the Brookdale PTA.

Kids on the Block is a program of Camp Fire USA’s Illinois Council and has been performed in schools in the Western suburbs for 25 years. For information, visit campfireusa-illinois.org.

The rest of the lucky winners

We're pleased to announce the rest of the winners from the fall product sale.
Five students will join top-seller Jake N. of 1I in the VIP seats in the front row of the Matt Wilhelm assembly:

• Maddie D. of 2C
• Alex F. of 4O
• Bryce J. of 2B
• Lindsay M. of 3B
• Cameron M. of 4O

Five students will have VIP seats in the second row for the assembly:

• Lourdes C. of 1I
• Brady M. of 2C
• Sean R. of 1B
• Ryann R. of KT
• Timmy S. of 3G

And 20 students won autographed pictures of the BMX champ:
Aryanna A. of 3M     Kaiya H. of 4O        Nicholas K. of KR       Ethan N. of KB
Jaylen B. of 4J          Christian H. of 1B   Connor K. of KE         Amari R. of 1I
Emma C. of 4F         Ryan H. of 4O        Daysha L. of 5W         Anna S. of 5P
Jenny F. of 3B          Malcolm H. of 2C    Kevin L. of 3B             Jacob T. of 5F
Jenna G. of 4J          Paul K. of 4O          Mackenzie L. of 1B    Sam U. of KE

Winners, prizes and anticipation

We are thrilled to announce that the fall fundraising sale was a whopping success. You and your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers helped us raise more than $11,500 by buying wrapping paper, gifts, jewelry and cookie dough. Thank you!
With proceeds from the sale, the PTA will fund assemblies, field trips, social events and more. And because we sold so much, BMX bike champion Matt Wilhelm is scheduled to visit on May 23 to demonstrate his trick riding and give a motivational talk.
Students who sold items had the opportunity to win a range of prizes for themselves, their class and their teachers. And now that you have your items, we can start announcing the prize winners.
So, without further ado (drum roll, please) ...

• The top-selling classrooms, each winning a popsicle party are Mrs. Ouellette's fourth grade, which sold $2,387, and Mrs. Bischoff's third grade, which tallied $1,957 in sales.
• The teacher of the top-selling classroom, Mrs. Ouellette, receives a gift basket of goodies from Great American Opportunity, the new vendor for this year's sale.
• The class with the highest level of student participation is Mrs. Fitzgerald's fifth grade, where 68 percent of students sold items. For their efforts, the class will get to duct-tape a Brookdale staff member to the wall before an assembly.
• The top-selling student is Jake N. of Mrs. Iwinski's first grade. He wins a bunch of really cool stuff. He'll get to sit in the front row when BMX bike champion Matt Wilhelm comes to school in May. He'll get to have his picture taken with the X Games gold medalist, and he'll get an autographed photo of the stunt biker. Finally, he'll have a $50 gift certificate to spend at Target.

Congratulations to everyone, and keep watching for more winners!

Red Ribbon Week

Brookdale, like many schools, will celebrate Red Ribbon Week from Monday to Friday, Oct. 25 to 29.
The week aims to encourage students to make smart, healthy decisions and boost their self-confidence. It's a time for teachers and parents to talk with children about the challenges they'll face growing up and to arm them with the strength and independence to avoid dangerous behaviors such as drinking, smoking or using drugs.
To help keep the message in mind, students are invited to have fun dressing to reflect the theme of each day:
Monday: Wear red to "Give Drugs the Red Light"
Tuesday: Wear a hat as kids "Put a Cap on Drugs"
Wednesday: Wear clothes inside out as a reminder that "Drugs Turn You Inside Out"
Thursday: Wear your favorite team shirt or jersey to "Team Up Against Drugs"
Friday's theme is 'Be a Superhero ... Have the Power to Say No to Drugs." Students will work on age-appropriate writing activities relating to the theme and the goals of Red Ribbon Week. The activities will aim to make a connection between the theme days, Red Ribbon Week and the curriculum, Principal Brian LeCrone said.
Originally, Friday was envisioned as a day when students could wear a superhero shirt or costume. However Mr. LeCrone and the school's instructional leadership team recommended eliminating the dress-up component to dispel confusion since the school moved away from the in-school Halloween parties and costume parade this year.
We encourage you to talk to your children about Red Ribbon Week. Point out the ribbons on the school's trees. Discuss the theme days. Ask about their heroes. And give 'em a hug and tell them they're too special, too important to hurt themselves with bad decisions.

Budget surplus will benefit every student and family

Brookdale parents may no longer be asked to contribute toward classroom parties, thanks to a new approach being taken by the PTA.

The organization will foot the bill for classroom parties for the rest of this year, setting aside $1,100 so that each class will have $50 to split between the two remaining parties. Next year, the PTA would increase the allocation to $75 per classroom to cover all three parties, PTA President Barb Peterson said.

The move aims to eliminate one request for money that parents receive at the beginning of each school year while making the party planning resources more equitable. Each year, some classes receive generous donations toward parties while others receive minimal contributions.

“We are hoping to make that more equitable,” Peterson said. “Our hope is that the parties (in classrooms where families have donated more money) will not become overloaded with stuff that was purchased, but that all classrooms will be filled with interaction and activities.”

Donations collected for this year’s parties likely will be put toward year-end gifts for teachers.

The expense, approved Thursday, comes with the caveat that part of the money be spent on buying bottled water for children to drink at the parties. Some members had asked last month whether the PTA could provide drinks. Until this year, the PTA had provided juice for the parties but cut the $500 expense to help ensure a balanced budget for the 2010-11 school year.

The PTA can afford the added expense because revenues for the 2009-10 school year outpaced expenses by about $3,500. The budget had anticipated a shortfall of nearly $3,500.

Beyond funding classroom parties, the PTA is restoring its field trip contribution to $6 per student, doubling the amount budgeted for this school year. All grade levels will have at least one field trip before the end of the year and an opportunity to use the additional money.

The increase in field trip contributions adds $1,575 in expenses to the current budget.

PTA members also voted to add $100 to the budget for the Fall Family Fun Fest, scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29. The annual event is being re-imagined this year to incorporate Halloween as the fall classroom parties were moved from late October into September and the daytime costume parade eliminated. The addition brings the event budget to $450, and organizers plan to suggest a donation of $1 per family to offset additional costs.

Additionally, PTA members agreed to consider increasing spending on assemblies. The current budget earmarks $2,000 for assemblies, a decrease of $500 from the previous school year. Members would vote on an increase if and when it is needed to provide an opportunity for Brookdale students.

Don't forget these deals

We've said it before, but we're saying it again because we don't want you to miss out.
If you're putting together Halloween costumes for the little goblins or shopping for some fright night decorations, head to Spirit Halloween Superstore (Jefferson Avenue at Route 59, behind Portillo's).
You'll find a coupon on our Too Good to Miss page. Print it and take it with you - you'll get 10% off and the store will donate another 10% to the PTA. Hurry! The offer ends today (Oct. 12).
While you're on the Too Good to Miss page, go ahead and print the flier for Jason's Deli. The Brookdale Dine-Out night is Wednesday, Oct. 13. The restaurant in Freedom Center will donate 10 percent of your dine-in bill to the PTA if you present the flier. The offer's good all day.

Walk to School Day

Today we had fun getting to school - on foot and together. Once we met up on the blacktop, we danced, we cheered and we exercised. And we enjoyed knowing that our streets were safer, our air was cleaner and we were healthier - all because we walked to school. Thanks to the parents,faculty and staff who organized the activities and to the students who led cheers, dances and the pledge!
Here's a look at the fun:

Consider lending a Helping Hand

No one wants to think about it happening, but from time to time a child needs to find a safe place. In those moments, if home seems too far away and a friend's house isn't in view, a child can know they'll be safe at a house with a red Helping Hand sign in the window.

Consider becoming a
Helping Hand Household.

Helping Hands are issued to families who apply through the Naperville Police Department and submit to a background check. Families agree to be a safe haven for children and contact the police department on their behalf.
Parents are encouraged to teach their children about the Helping Hand program so they know they can find help if the need it.
Parents also are encouraged to apply to be Helping Hand households. The police department would like to have at least one Helping Hand house per block.
Lisa Burke serves as Brookdale's Helping Hand program liaison to the police department. If you have questions, please e-mail her.
You'll find a letter from the police department explaining the program here, and a Helping Hand application here.

Conservative spending puts the budget in the black

With an eye on balancing the budget, the PTA made a number of cuts last school year and carried over the conservative approach to planning for spending this year.

Good news. It worked.

Despite projections that the PTA would end the year having spent about $3,700 more than it would take in, spending cuts and successful fundraising turned the tide. Actual income and expenses show the PTA finished the 2009-10 school year with an annual surplus of about $3,700, Treasurer Ron Heger reported at the September PTA meeting.

“We had a nice, good finish to the year,” he said. “We started off this year in a good position.”

Now the question is whether the PTA should plan to spend the money this school year — either by reinstating traditional expenses that were eliminated in the current budget or by funding new items or opportunities that would benefit our children. Alternatively, the PTA could save the money.

The question likely will be discussed in upcoming PTA meetings, President Barb Peterson said.

“Given how we came out at the end of the year, things will come up this year that we need to talk about,” she said.

If you have comments or questions about the PTA budget, feel free to leave a comment here and please discuss them with an Executive Board member.

Share your child's Reflections

We love the Reflections Program because of the opportunity it gives our students to express themselves through art - in whatever art form moves them.
Explaining the program to grade-schoolers can be a little tricky. If we tell them, "go create art!" they're likely to give us blank stares.
So let's show them.
Kelly Urbon, who is heading up the program, hit on the idea of talking directly to students about Reflections. She hopes to give presentations during lunch periods one day next week, explaining that the program is part of a national PTA contest and describing the recognition all participants receive and the potential for their art to be reviewed at the district, regional and even national levels.
But Kelly also hopes to inspire our students and give them a few ideas as she talks. Ideally, she wants to show the kids Reflections submissions from past years so they'll understand when she tells them they can write a story, choreograph a dance, film a movie and more.
If you'll let us borrow one of your child's past Reflections submissions, please e-mail Kelly Urbon before the weekend is over.
She - and the children who will be inspired - thank you!

Life skills at the Buzy Bobcat Store

Friday brings the first shopping day at the Buzy Bobcat Store, this time giving students in third, fourth and fifth grades the chance to buy school supplies and items with Bobcat logos.

But while the shopping days are opportunities for students to replenish their supply boxes, they're also a chance for students to practice life skills.

The store, overseen by PTA volunteers, is staffed by helpful fifth-graders who are learning about customer service as they practice math skills by tallying shoppers' purchases, collecting money and making change. Meanwhile, shoppers are practicing their math and learning about budgeting and money management.

The Buzy Bobcat store is open 8:30 to 9 a.m. Friday in the LMC for children in third through fifth grades. Shoppers should enter through the main doors, and parents are welcome to tag along to guide their children.

Younger students will have their first shopping day on Oct. 1.

To help families get ready to shop, we've posted a list of available items and prices.

Buzy Bobcat Price List

Get your spirit on

Soon your children — and you, too — will be able to show your school spirit with Bobcat T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants and more. All it takes is placing an order in the Brookdale Spirit Wear Sale.

Time is running short, though. Orders forms and payments are due by Friday, Sept. 10. Your child should have brought home an order form, though more order forms are available in the school office.   

The menu of items this year features plain Ts, tie-dye Ts, fitted girls and women’s Ts, hooded sweatshirts, flannel pants, a draw-string sports pack and a car decal. All clothing items are available in youth and adult sizes, Each item has a custom Bobcats/Brookdale logo.

To view the spirit wear items in full color, you can find them online at boomer-t.com/yourstore.html (select Brookdale Bobcats in the alphabetical menu). 

Samples for sizing purposes are in the school office. Check them out so you can be sure of ordering the right size. 

If you have any questions, please call Lisa Howard at (630) 548-4804.

Place your order today so your child can show their Brookdale Bobcat pride on Spirit Days, which occur the first Friday of each month. 

Wrapping up what's new

If you have older children at Brookdale, you know the name Sally Foster. For several years, we've sold the company's wrapping paper and holiday items as our single largest fundraiser.
This year we're getting to know Great American Opportunity, a company with a wide, varied and affordable selection. More than 75 items in the Celebrate catalog alone are $10 or less. And yes, you still can buy wrapping paper.
As you talk with family and friends about the sale - which continues through Sept. 15 - we'd like to highlight a few new opportunities made possible this year through the switch to Great American.  
Free gift
Every student who sells 12 or more items can select one item from the Celebrate catalog for $10 or less for FREE! Simply enter your choice on the order form under the goal prize section. (Limit one free item per student who sells 12 items or more.)
Gifts
Great American Opportunity's selection of gift items is huge in the Celebrate catalog and you may have noticed that many items are made in the USA.  Look for the symbol next to the image to focus on these American-made goods.
Wrap
The gift wrap is the same high-quality wrap  we have offered in previous years. Many designs are reversible. Don’t miss the exclusive "Toy Story 3" design on the back of the catalog!
Candy
The Kathryn Beich chocolates and candy (on pages 16-21) are delicious and packaged perfectly for gift-giving. You will not be disappointed with the wide selection or flavor of these items!
Personalized Items
Don’t forget to check out the special personalized items online (see pages 36 and 37 for details) and canvas impressions (pages 38 and 39) for new, unique items that can help raise funds for Brookdale.
Cookie Dough
Their fabulous cookie dough, featured in the Tasty Batters flyer, comes in 17 flavors are all trans-fat free.  All cookies come in 3-pound tubs, and four flavors come in pre-portioned sizes.
Jewelry
The fall designs jewelry collection is a new offering for fundraising this year that allows even more gift-giving options for our families while supporting Brookdale. All jewelry is manufactured without lead or nickel, and post earrings have hypo-allergenic surgical stainless steel posts. Be sure to check out the Helping Hands section (after page 28 to the end of the jewelry catalog) of the catalog for handcrafted items from around the world.
Online sales
Don’t forget to share the sale with your out-of-town friends and family through the online links. Every online purchase made will allow your child to earn prizes while helping Brookdale reach our fundraising goal. To get started:

Step 1 Go to gaschoolstore.com. There are more than 1,700 quality products available on the website.

Step 2 Register to receive a Student Online ID Number. To complete registration, you will need our Brookdale School group number 1821032.

Step 3 You will be issued a Student Online ID Number and provided 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.

Please remember – all order forms and payment are due at school on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Thank you as always for your support!

Together we can

As a parent, you know every child has a unique approach to self-expression. Their words, their mannerisms, their art forms - all individual.
The PTA's Reflections Program celebrates children's self-expression through art, inviting students to submit original works of dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography and visual arts. 
While fostering children's artistry, the program aims to bolster self-esteem and encourage self-expression by recognizing all students for their participation. 
Additionally, submissions are judged locally, with top entries advancing through several levels to the national Reflections contest. Entries in each category will be judged by how well the artistic vision portrays this year's theme: Together We Can. Submissions by students in kindergarten through second grade will be evaluated separately from those by students in third through fifth grades.
Parents interested in the program can volunteer to help Chairwoman Kelly Urbon in planning and publicizing the program at Brookdale this fall, as well as organizing the submissions and coordinating the judging. To volunteer, e-mail Kelly or Judy Nagel-Conley.
To learn more about the Reflections Program, see our previous post or visit the district's website.