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Spring Brook PTA Newsletter

February 2011, Issue 3

Huskie Tales

PTA President’s Message

Dear Spring Brook Huskies,

February certainly came blasting into town with an avalanche of snow! I know our students had a great time outside playing. The back half of our school year is certain to fly by.

I'd like to make sure I thank Ann-Margaret Luciano and Ms. Duncan for their volunteer efforts assisting Student Council at Winter Wonderland. I also would like to thank Kiersten Menconi, Janine Baiardo, Maureen Kuhl, and Peggy Valvanitis for their photography assistance with pictures of Santa and Mrs. Claus. We had a visit by the Chick-fil-A mascot who posed for photos with the students, and our Spring Brook mom and owner Becky Lockwood gave out coupons for treats from the newest addition to the Naperville restaurant scene.

At our last PTA meeting, we had a terrific presentation by Patrick Nolten, Phd. from District 204 who explained our current test scores along with Dave Worst. We are fortunate to have the head of 204 testing as a Spring Brook parent as well. Thank you Patrick.

On February 11 we had Jump Rope For Heart, which has always had a tremendous response from Spring Brook. All proceeds go to the American Heart Association. PTA paid for the D.J. for the event: the fabulous Kaptain Karaoke, Charlie Caron.

I would love to give a big shout out to our own Miss Hoyle, LMC Director, for attaining her National Board Certification. It's a tremendous accomplishment for her and another stellar achievement for Spring Brook's staff.

(Cont. page 2)

Winter Wonderland 2010 Memories

IMPORTANT DATES! Calendar on

Page 3.

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W elcome Back! I hope everyone enjoyed the winter break and had time to spend with family and friends. The students and teachers welcomed the time off and returned refreshed and excited to begin 2011.

I would like to thank Dr. Patrick Nolten for presenting the Spring Brook ISAT and CBM data at the PTA meeting in January.

This month, students participated in Jump Rope for Heart. Last year, Spring Brook raised the most money in DuPage County, was second in the Mid-West Region and finished sixth in the United States.

Open House will be on Thursday, February 24 from 6:30-8:00. This is one of our most important evenings as your child will guide you through the building, show you his/her work and visit the classroom.

As the weather continues to be chilly, please have your children dress appropriately. Students will go outside for recess if the temperature, combined with the wind chill, is above five degrees. Students need this time to exercise and interact with their peers.

As 2011 has arrived, many of us have made our New Year’s resolutions. As always, the challenge is keeping true to our lofty expectations. My resolution for Spring Brook is that each child is excited to come to school, demonstrates sincere kindness to others, and is treated with dignity and respect. The exciting aspect of my resolution is that I see evidence that these things are happening on a daily basis.

A Message From Your Principal

Coming up March 24 is Bingo Night sponsored by the PTA's Family Fun chairs Katie Peterson and Kim Schink. A letter was sent home explaining this worthwhile fundraiser benefiting one of Spring Brook's own families. We are known for our generosity, and I know we will all join together and help a parent in need.

Through your generosity and our continuous fundraising efforts, the PTA is proud to announce the gift of six Smart Boards to Spring Brook. Each grade will get a board permanently installed in a classroom decided by the staff. We are happy to be able to provide every advantage possible to our students with the latest technology.

At the end of February, we will begin our Tile Wall project here at Spring Brook. This is an opportunity to have your child's artwork hanging permanently in our hallways. It will be a source of pride for our students to see their creative and colorful tiles adorning our walls. Chairing this event are the ever-helpful Liz Cogan and Nancy Abbott.

As the end of the school year looms ahead, we would like to reach out to any parent who might like to consider running for the PTA board for the 2011/2012 school year. Peggy Sebring, Kathryn Ward and I are completing our second year of service and are announcing our search for new board members, as the three of us will be stepping down at the end of May. Helping here at Spring Brook has been more rewarding than I could have imagined. Helping the students and staff throughout the years as a parent and volunteer has been very gratifying. I hope that other parents will step up and help keep our PTA a vital presence here at Spring Brook.

Looking forward to our upcoming events. Stay warm!

Sincerely Yours, Eileen Priestley, PTA President

David Worst, Spring Brook Principal

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February Treasurer’s Report

Budget Progress – Key Points

Membership: The net profit on Membership is around $4,200. We had one new member join in January!

Apparel: We will receive just over $300 from the Timm Etters fundraiser. Many thanks to everyone who purchased an item from this fundraiser.

Dough Raising: Our goal is $800 in profits and we have exceeded that! Many thanks to everyone who participated in our first Chick-fil-A Dough Raising night. We brought in $480 from this one night alone! Our dough raising income is up to $1,189.30.

Market Day: Our yearly goal is $3,000 in profits. Through January, we have brought in $2,123.16. We have our March, April and May sales still to come.

Box Top Rebates: Our first Box Top collection brought in $2,144.30. We hope to be able to collection another $1,000 during the spring collection. Keep clipping those little squares!

Classroom Funds: Each class receives $15/child to spend on classroom parties and to subsidize some field trips. We have paid out just over $7,000 on field trip fees and buses for several of the grades.

Smart Boards: The PTA is donating six more Smart Boards to the school at a cost of $7,124. We are able to save around $75/board of installation as the maintenance staff is willing to install these boards on February 25.

Cookie Dough Fundraiser: Will be coming right after Spring Break. We hope to raise $2,500 from this sale.

Current Balance: $20,343.78 Kim VanCleave, Treasurer

IMPORTANT DATES! February 17th: PTA Meeting, 7 p.m. 18th: JRFH Collection Envelopes Due 21st: No School - President’s Day 22nd: No School - Conferences 24th: Open House 25th: No School - Institute Day 28th: ISAT Testing through Mar. 4 March 4th: Crayon Drive Deadline 10th: Kindergarten Roundup 17th: PTA Meeting, 7 p.m. 24th: Bingo Night 28th - April 1st: Spring Break April 7th: Parent Programs: Raising Charitable Children 7th: Artist-in-Residence: Tile Wall 8th: Report Cards Go Home 11th - 14th: Book Fair 12th: Artist-in-Residence: Tile Wall 14th: PTA Meeting, 7 p.m. 15th: Box Tops Contest Ends, Spring Sock Hop 7-9 p.m. 22nd: No School - Local Holiday 25th: No School - Improvement Day

Make a Difference! Spring Brook PTA Board Member

positions are open for the 2011-2012 School Year!

Contact PTA President Eileen Priestley for more

information at littleei0357@wowway.com

Need an Extra PTA Student Directory?

Now Only $5!

Pick up a copy at Open House or Contact Membership Chairperson,

Kiersten Menconi at kierstylou@sbcglobal.net

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Committee Updates Thanks to everyone who came out for our recent

DOUGH RAISING nights!

Be Sure to Attend our Next Dough Raising event at Traverso’s Restaurant!!

Look for flyers in backpacks and email reminders on List Serv. Patrons must present flyer at time of purchase.

Maureen Penrose & Beth Foy Dough Raising Chairpersons

Participating families helped us raise $480.00 to support our PTA at the

Chick-fil-A Dough Raising Night!

Thanks to Spring Brook’s Lockwood family, Chick-fil-A owners.

Participating families helped us raise $200.00 to support our PTA at the

Little Italian Dough Raising Night!

Thanks to Spring Brook’s Pendexter family, Little Italian owners.

Spring Box Tops Spring Box Tops Contest through Contest through April 15!April 15!

• Cut your Box Tops and send them to school

with your child!

• One classroom from each grade will win a

great prize!

• Visit www.boxtops4education.com for a list of

qualifying General Mills products.

• Shop online and a percentage of your

purchases will be donated to our school!

Questions? Call Kathy Gray at 630-357-1035.

APRIL 15...What happens on this date? Income taxes? Nope!

THE SPRING SOCK HOP! Friday, April 15 from 7-9 p.m.

PTA along with Student Council would like to invite you to dance the night away!

P Featuring the fabulous sounds of Kaptain Karaoke

P Photos taken at our “1950’s soda fountain!”

Be there or be square!

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Parent Programs Presents:

Raising Charitable Children

Thursday, April 7

7:00 p.m. in the MPR

Speaker Tracy Takeda from Samaritan Interfaith will present a talk on combating the

me-first attitude so prevalent today, and address parent questions and concerns about ways to foster a healthier outlook that includes others. Kay McKeen from SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Composting and Recycling Education) will also speak

about opportunities for kids to get involved and feel they are making a difference.

Committee Updates December’s Parent Programs Workshop a Success!

The Internet Safety and Technology Workshop that was held in December was a big success, with many interested parents attending. Our first presenter, Zarine Hussain from the Naperville Police Department , spoke on the dangers of online predators as well as tips on keeping your children safe online. Mark Kreiter, Director of Instructional Technology in District 204, also addressed the group. His presentation spoke to the future of internet technology use in the schools . Lastly, Best Buy representative Jennifer Gibson, and a member of the Geek Squad gave the parents some practical tips on setting up the safety settings on your computer and video game systems. If you missed the workshop and would like an outline of the Best Buy/Geek Squad computer safety presentation, please contact Carrie Wujek at candtwujek@aol.com.

Stop by the Parent Programs table in the

gym at Open House on February 24. We’ll

have information about our committee, parent library account forms,

and some great giveaways.

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Committee Updates Helping Kids See Beyond Themselves How did your family fare with the holiday “gimmes” this year? In our house, every catalog that came in the mail and every commercial that played on Nickelodeon added items to the wish lists. To counteract the blatant greed, we did Toys for Tots, and the Spring Brook collection, and the Giving Tree at church, but for some reason they did not have the impact of Christmases past. Are the kids just older, more savvy, more aware? Am I being a lousy parent –again? These questions make me want to seek answers – and some books in the Parent Resource Center gave me a good place to start. The Price of Privilege by Madeline Levine aligns with the “money can’t buy happiness” adage. The subtitle of the book is How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids. This sounds a little dire, but it is a worthwhile examination of today’s youth (mostly teens) who have no sense of self-worth despite the impressive net worth of their parents. Levine looks for what’s missing. A review on Amazon.com sums up the premise: “Could it be, Levine wonders, that privilege, high expectations, competitive pressure and parental over-involvement yield toxic rather than protective effects?” We try so hard to give our kids everything, with the best intentions, but we may be doing them a disservice. Here in Naper-world, where kids come first, we get a skewed view of that standard. However, Levine doesn’t point fingers and wring her hands; she gives some alternatives and ideas that can be easily adopted. Another review acknowledges, “She is particularly useful when explaining common parenting dilemmas, like the difference between being intrusive and being involved, between laying down rules and encouraging autonomy.” She’s on our side, rooting us on.

Once the mindset is adjusted, additional books in the Parent Resource Center provide a nice antidote with some hands-on suggestions for service and wider awareness beyond ourselves. Check out The Kid’s Guide to Service Projects by Barbara A. Lewis for some things your children can actually do on their own to get involved. According to the Children’s Book Council, “the quality and breadth of service ideas are remarkable.” For example, one project is to make gift baskets for senior citizens, with a step-by-step process to plan and execute the idea. Another suggestion is to make “New Kid Survival Kits” for kids who are new to the school. Think how far this would go toward promoting a positive learning environment and combating bullying. The other book that presents some concrete examples of involvement is 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Recycle. Working to save the Earth goes a long way toward helping those who live on it. Plus, there are many projects that re-use and re-purpose our abundant belongings in ways that can benefit others.

Martin Luther King Jr. said “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’” We can certainly find answers in the applicable insights these books offer.

Carrie Wujek, Parent Programs

Do you have any parenting books clogging your shelves? Maybe they didn’t help

your situation, or maybe you read it, learned it, did it and now the book remains, just taking up space. Consider donating them to the Parent Resource Center inside the LMC. Just bring the books in to Miss Hoyle or Mrs. Herrick and they will add them to our impressive collection.

Donate Used Parenting Books to Spring Brook’s Parent Resource Center

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Committee Updates Student Council Plows Ahead! Jason Altenbern, Community Relations Coordinator for District 204, took notice of the 5th grade Student Council’s Barbie/Action Figure Holiday Drive. He applauded Spring Brook families for their community spirit and generosity and asked if he could share this holiday idea with other schools. The 97 barbies/action figures that were collected were donated to needy children in early December. A big thank you to all who contributed. Student Council was up and running their second annual “Souper” Bowl Drive after holiday break. And although we weren’t able to be cheer for our Chicago Bears in this Super Bowl, we most certainly cheered on the efforts of the Student Council members who collected over 1,200 canned goods. Naperville Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry received our delivery in early February. The Student Council members kept track of the totals for a friendly classroom competition. Mr. Fordonski’s class went head to head with Mr. Alessia’s fourth grade class in this “Souper” Bowl, but the second graders pulled ahead in the last couple days. Congratulations to Mr. Fordonski’s second grade class! Thank you to everyone who brought in those heavy canned goods! The Student Council members also made valentines for the very special men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces. Ann-Margaret Luciano, Community Service Chair

The Student Council led Spring Brook in donating 1,200 canned goods during the

“Souper Bowl” held in January.

Hospitality Gearing Up for a Busy Spring!

The Hospitality Committee has had a quiet winter after the cookie exchange, but we are gearing back up! During the coming months we will be providing a meal during conferences, appreciating our crossing guards, lunch helpers, custodial staff and office staff and, of course, TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!!! Please be on the lookout for information on how we plan to appreciate the champion teachers of Spring Brook!

If you would like to help and don’t get our emails please let us know! jklloyd@wowway.com (Jamie) and caryn_car@yahoo.com (Caryn).

Jamie Lloyd & Caryn Perucca, Hospitality Co-Chairs

Look for your invitation…

to the Student Council’s Birthday Bash after Spring Break!!

Spring Brook’s Fifth Grade Student Council is partnering up with Naperville Loaves and Fishes to make “birthday bags” for children of families in need. Each “birthday bag” contains everything a family would need to make their child’s birthday party complete. Student Council will be extending an invitation to all the students at Spring Brook to help in preparing these special “birthday bags”. Each grade will be assigned to bring in either cake mix, frosting, candles, streamers, napkins, plates, cups and table clothes. Student Council members will then pick out a day after school for anyone interested in helping them decorate and stuff these bags with the goodies they have collected. More information will follow.

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Committee Updates

Congratulations to Reflections Program Participants Advancing to District Level!

Thank you to all who participated in this year’s IPPC Reflection’s “Together We Can…” program! Recently, all entries that were advanced from the local to the IPPC level were recognized at a ceremony at McCarty Elementary School. Entries advancing on to the District 36 level were also announced.

We’d like to congratulate Spring Brook Huskie artists Aidan Stone and Victoria Castle, both of whom had their photography entries move from the IPPC level to the District 36 level.

This year, PTAs in District 204 received over 800 entries and forwarded over 460 to Indian Prairie Parents Council (IPPC) for further consideration. After being judged at the District Level, advancing pieces head to the Illinois State Level and then on to National Level; where advancers will go on display at the National PTA website.

We would like to personally thank you for your patience as this program continues to move forward. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Erin Smith & Beth Sciackitano, 2010 Reflections Co-Chairs

Let your child leave their artistic mark on Spring Brook School! The Artist-in-Residence program is sponsoring a tile wall project to add our students’ work as a permanent piece of art at Spring Brook School. Be sure to reserve a date to make a tile for the wall.

Check out our display at Open House Night for more information or to sign up for a time slot!

Time slots are available on Thursday, April 7 and Tuesday, April 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 and 7:30 to 8:30. The cost of each tile is $15.00 per student. Contact Liz Cogan at 630-778-8876 or Nancy Abbott at 630-946-6162 with questions.

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Committee Updates

Spring Brook’s Annual Bingo Night to Benefit the Stech Family Gear up for another great night of BINGO on Thursday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Spring Brook gym. Play to win – and help out a very special Spring Brook Family at the same time! All proceeds will be donated to the Stech Family to assist with a loved one’s ongoing medical care.

Great prizes for the kids, valuable raffle baskets and a night of FAMILY FUN FOR A GREAT CAUSE!!!

Please e-mail Kim Schink at kschink@wideopenwest.com or Katie Peterson at chp60565@gmail.com if you would like to donate bingo prizes, raffle items or if you are interested in volunteering!

Following is an abbreviated version of a letter sent in January from Teri Stech to the Spring Brook community:

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, Mike suffers from a rare mitochondrial disorder. The condition is so rare that there is no official name for the disease and there is no cure. Mitochondria are sometimes described as “cellular power plants” because they generate most of your body’s cellular energy. Mike’s mitochondria are dysfunctional and when they stop working, stroke-like episodes occur.

Over the past eight years, Mike has suffered from a number of these episodes. Each one has caused damage to Mike’s brain leaving him impaired to the point where he is unable to care for himself. His condition will continue to deteriorate as time goes on. In May 2008, I had to make the hardest decision in my life~ I had to move Mike out of our home and into a long term care facility. Mike has been at a number of facilities but his current home at Arden Courts has been the best for his care.

The decision to place him was difficult but I had to do what was best for my family. This is not the life I would have chosen for myself but it is the one that I was handed and I do the best I can to raise a daughter on my own, work full time and take care of a husband who is ill. The annual cost for Mike to remain at Arden is approximately $70,000. Thank you so much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

If you are unable to attend but would like to donate to Mike’s care, please send a check to:

Mike Stech 533 Seville Ave.

Naperville, IL 60565

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Committees Updates

It Takes Heart to be a Hero, and Spring Brook has HEART!

On Friday, February 11th, the students, faculty and many parent volunteers helped to make Jump Rope for Heart 2011 another great success!

Many thanks are in order: to the students who participated in jumping rope to promote good heart health, to the students who contributed their fundraising efforts for the American Heart Association, to the faculty, staff and parent volunteers who help to make the event fun and safe for everyone.

Last but not least, to Ms. Jansen who devoted much time, effort and HEART to teaching the kids to jump rope, educating them on healthy lifestyle choices and facilitating a very busy day and event!

Cari Hotchkiss & Peggy Schander, Health & Safety Co-Chairs

Donation

Envelopes Due

Friday,

February 18!

It’s That Time Again! Open House Night at Spring Brook!

Thursday, February 24, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Explore the LMC!

See artwork on display!

Visit your children’s classrooms, Art and

Music rooms!

Visit PTA tables!

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LMC Update Students to Celebrate DEAR DAY on March 25! Spring Brook students are celebrating DEAR (Drop Everything and Read!) Day on March 25. For this year's DEAR Day, we are creating a series of literacy related in-school activities.

During the afternoon, for about an hour and a half, students actually embrace the acronym and Drop Everything And Read. For part of the afternoon, students will buddy up with another grade level and have a chance to read picture books to each other. This is a good chance for older kids to be reading role models for the younger ones. Try DEAR at home tonight with your child! Sara Buresh, 4th Grade Teacher & Natalie Hoyle, LMC Director

Did you know? Parents can open a library account for the Spring Brook LMC!

Simply fill out a form at a PTA meeting, or stop by the LMC and talk to Miss Hoyle or Mrs. Herrick.

With your account, you will be able to check out books from the Parent Resource Center.

Look for reviews of Parent Resource Center books in each issue of Huskie Tales!

Do you have used toner cartridges at home or at your office? Instead of throwing them away, drop them off at Spring Brook’s LMC and we can recycle them for you.

Kindly put the cartridge in a plastic bag and drop it off in our recycle bin!

Our environment thanks you!

Recycle Used Toner & Ink Cartridges at the Spring Brook LMC!

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IPSN Update Indian Prairie Special Needs PTA: District Allergy Policy Committee Update

In response to a change in Illinois State law requiring school districts to have a policy in place for food allergy emergencies, District 204 formed an Allergy Committee in November 2009 led by Diane Fleischel. In July 2010, the State of Illinois released a general, 78-page allergy policy guideline. The District 204 Allergy Committee has been streamlining this policy for all staff. The committee consists of administration, parents with children who have food allergies, nurses, special needs parents, principals and assistant principals. We have reviewed this state guideline, interviewed nurses and allergists, evaluated information available by organizations devoted to the management of food allergies, and taken into consideration our needs at the elementary, middle and high schools levels.

We are finalizing an initial policy for our district. Allergy awareness and emergency response will be included in staff training sessions. Adjustments to the policy will be expected as each building functions differently. The ages and varying abilities of the at-risk students, movement between classrooms, transportation, after school activities, and the organization of building staff have to all be taken into consideration.

By the time this newsletter is released, our committee should have one working session left! Our goal is to put the new policy on the district website for everyone's information. I have been told that District 204 staff will be held accountable for this new policy in time for ESY and that formal staff training will occur with annual school-year training in August 2011.

Once this policy goes into effect, it is expected that annual review and constructive suggestions will be made. No two schools are alike, and it is expected that adjustments will have to be made. If you have questions, the Illinois law can be located at http://www.isbe.state.il.us/nutrition/htmls/food_allergy_guidelines.htm. Please contact me at madgey416@comcast.net with your concerns questions, and I will do my best to help!!

Marybeth Stewart, IPSN PTA Liaison

Donate Old Crayons and “Make the World a Better Place”

Girl Scout Daisy Troop 50290 is sponsoring a Used Crayon Drive. The kindergarten girls are working on earning their rose petal by recycling crayons and making the world a better place. Crayons will be donated to SCARCE (www.scarceecoed.org/rescue-programs/super-crayons.html), and their volunteers will sort the crayons. Whole crayons will be sorted into sets for underprivileged school children. Broken crayons will be melted and re-molded into larger “super crayons” to be used by children with special needs.

If possible, please leave the wrappers ON your crayons, as it is sometimes difficult for volunteers to sort the darker colors without their labels. We will also accept unwrapped crayons.

The Crayon Drive will run through Friday, March 4th. Please help our troop “make the world a better place” by recycling your used crayons! Thank you!

Julie Pace-Williamson, Daisy Troop 50290

IT’S EASY…

• Send old crayons to school before March 4!

• If possible, leave wrap-pers on!

• Unwrapped crayons will be accepted!

• Help underprivileged and special needs students!