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.

Show your appreciation

When it comes time to thank the Brookdale teachers and staff for all they do for our children, there are small gestures and big actions. We write notes, we send flowers, we buy gifts.
And together as a PTA, we try to make a difference for our educators.
Last year, under the leadership of Nancy Berry, the Staff Appreciation Committee cleaned and painted the teachers lounge and workroom, making upgrades that made a difference in teachers' daily lives.
The response was so positive, Nancy suggests the PTA continues with such upgrades this year. Possibilities include new cabinets and counters or a new stove for the lounge, or picnic tables where teachers could eat outdoors or lead outdoor lessons or class projects.
Nancy is stepping down as committee chair, but she's willing to guide a new volunteer by sharing her ideas and the notes she has from last year's project.
If you're interested in heading up the committee, please e-mail Judy Nagel-Conley.

Scary deals and spirited donations

As you look for Halloween costumes and decorations or goodies for fall parties, consider shopping at Spirit Halloween Superstore.
Through a new partnership between the store and the PTA, shoppers who use the coupon below receive a discount of 10 percent on purchases and the store also donates 10 percent of the tab to the PTA. What a deal! Just right-click on the coupon image to save it, then print it and take it to the store.
The coupon is good through Oct. 12 at participating Spirit Halloween Superstores, including the one in Westridge Court on Route 59 between Jefferson and Aurora avenues.
Happy shopping!

All because of you

By now your children have put their crayons, glue sticks, pencils, folders and myriad other supplies to use in their classrooms. Before they misplace their scissors or spill their water bottle on their home folder, we want to thank the families who bought their school supplies through the PTA
This year, families bought 214 supply kits, an increase over the 179 kits purchased last year. With $2 to $3 per kit going to the PTA, the sale generated several hundred dollars we can put toward technology, assemblies, family events and other programs that add to the Brookdale experience.
We worked with a new vendor this year that offered us volume discounts, enabling us to lower prices, and we received additional perks, such as the kits arriving in sturdy boxes rather than paper bags and pre-printed labels to make it easier to put children’s names on their supplies.
Please remember that your warranty applies throughout the school year to all of your supplies purchased through our program. If you have a problem with anything mid-year, please contact Jennifer Sanchez or Sarah Williams for a replacement.
The sale did experience a glitch this year in which orders from 19 families were not sent on to the vendor. We deeply apologize for any extra stress these families experienced when they learned on pick-up day that we did not have their order and we thank them for their patience as we resolved the issue.
To be sure these families were not left scrambling in the days before school started, Jennifer and Sarah filled the orders themselves, shopping at several stores and working with Barb Nicodemus and Tricia Smith to secure supplies, then delivering the orders to families.
“I can honestly say after shopping for these 19 orders that the price parents pay to purchase supplies through the PTA is comparable to the price you’d pay (along) with the hassle of shopping at three or more different stores, using coupons and ordering a few hard-to-find items online,” Jennifer said.
We are working to improve our order intake process to avoid such problems next year. If you order PTA school supplies in the spring, please check to see that your check to the PTA has been cashed by mid-June. If not, there may be a problem. Let Sarah know and she can work to resolve the issue over the summer.
A few more words of thanks:

• To Jennifer Sanchez, who has overseen the PTA School Supplies program for three years. She is turning over the reins to Sarah Williams. And to Sarah, for taking on the job.
• To Mr. LeCrone, who opened the school on a Saturday to allow us to offer a second pick-up time and better accommodate working parents.
• To the hard-working Bobcats who helped with the distribution: fourth-graders Elizabeth Williams and Tony Sanchez, third-grader Lydia Williams and second-grader Nick Sanchez. Thanks for your hard work!

Resources for families with children with special needs

Just as the Brookdale PTA works on behalf of all the children in our school, a district-wide parent organization exists to enhance the education of children with special needs in all Indian Prairie Unit District 204 schools.
The Indian Prairie Special Needs PTA draws members from each school, and each school's PTA aims to send a representative to the Special Needs PTA meetings. You can learn more about the Special Needs PTA on the district website.
If you're interested in joining the Indian Prairie Special Needs PTA, you can visit our Join the PTA page to find a membership form.
If you'd like to serve as the Brookdale liaison to the Special Needs PTA, e-mail Judy Nagel-Conley.