Brookdale PTA News / April, 2011

PTA values variety in members’ backgrounds, interests Mark your calendar

Did you make it to the Variety Show a few weeks higher participation levels at PTA Read more 4 Classes resume
ago? events will continue.
I like that our school uses the term "variety show" We have spent time this year about the 6&7 After-School Enrich-
rather than "talent show," mostly be- discussing ways to in- Variety Show ment Classes begin
cause it invites participants to express Message from clude more parents 8 Family Bingo Night
— Page 8
their talents and abilities in a variety of the President of all cultures and
•Buzy Bobcat Store
ways that are not always seen in the ~ Barb Peterson backgrounds in Brookdale's PTA activi-
day-to-day. It encourages them to ex- ties. I expect this discussion will contin- open 8:30 to
press who they are in a different type of envi- ue and grow and lead to even greater participation 9 am for K-2
ronment. It encourages the audience to engage in an as the new Executive Committee takes leadership •Spirit Day
art form that may or may not be familiar to them. next year. If you have ideas about how that can be 12 Market Day
And by doing that, we are inspired to appreciate the done, please contact me, Barb Peterson pickup 9:45 to 10:15
variety of interests and culture that permeates our (andy.peterson@sbcglobal.net), or Judy Nagel-Conley
am
school community. (jln0522@aol.com).
The same can be true of Brookdale's PTA. I was recently reading an article about the tremen- 13 Dine-out Fundraiser at
One might be tempted to see our PTA meetings as dous effect that parental involvement in their child's Sweet Tomatoes
a variety show of sorts, a song and dance about the education has on their success academically. There 15 Buzy Bobcat Store open
goings on within our children's school, but I see it as are lots of opportunities to be involved at Brookdale: 8:30 to 9 am for 3-5
being much more than that. We are a group of par-  Become a member of our PTA. There is still time 18-21 Brainiacs
ents that, with each passing year, becomes more this year (find a form in the office or at
and more colorful upon first sight. The sound of our brookdaleschoolpta.blogspot.com) in addition to 21 PTA meeting at 7 pm
voices is no longer a one-part melody, but a multiple- registering for next year as you register your child 22&25 No school
part harmony. Yet we all have the same passion to for school (packets coming out soon). •Variety Show
love and support our kids.  Take a look at the chair positions available within 7 to 9 pm
I have been encouraged and excited over the last our PTA and contact Judy Nagel-Conley about fill- 27&28 Enrichment Classes
two years to see the attendance at PTA meetings in- ing one of them. conclude
crease. It has been the desire of the Executive Com-  Participate in school-sponsored activities as well
29 Spring Fling & Silent
mittee to make our meetings and events feel wel- as PTA-sponsored activities. Auction
coming to all parents. We hope that the trend toward (See VARIETY on Page 3)
April, 2011 Page 2

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

The ISAT: Effective, or ready for overhaul? Young Authors

I have been asked to address the perception that  A modest number of curricular aims
the Illinois Standard Achievement Test is not a good  Clear, concise descriptions of each
Students statewide re-
assessment. curricular aim cently were encouraged to
An entire body of research is centered Message from  Instructionally useful reports that participate in the Young
on the topic of standardized testing and the Principal help teachers and students alike un- Author’s Program, which
one could find research that supports ~Brian LeCrone derstand areas of strengths and aims to spark interest in
both sides. The prevailing sentiment is that weaknesses in a student’s learning writing.
the state testing process needs to be altered, both in The Commission recommended that state as- Students created original
content and format. Illinois is adopting new core curric- sessment results be reported standard-by- works about a topic of their
ulum standards in the 2012-13 school year and will standard for each student, school, and district. choosing and submitted
implement a new assessment system for 2014-15. State assessments typically fail to meet these
their entries for judging on
Though my understanding of the pitfalls of the cur- standards on all counts. W. James Popham, chair
rent assessment is not exhaustive, I believe the two of the Commission, contends states have identi- originality and structure.
most critical issues surrounding the ISAT are that it fied too many curricular aims to teach in the time Our 18 participants were
covers too much material and that the results are not available and that teachers are unable to learn recognized in front of their
provided quickly enough to make immediate, mean- from NCLB test because they receive too general classmates Friday, March
ingful changes in instruction. score reports that fail to provide the specific infor- 25, when they received a
Rick Dufour explains in his book ―Revisiting Profes- mation teachers need to improve their instruction. Bare Book and ribbon of
sional Learning Communities at Work:‖ (Dufour, Dufour and Eaker, 2008) participation.
In 2001, prior to the enactment of NCLB, the Thus, it appears that by adopting the new curricu- Congratulations to first-
Commission on Instructionally Supportive Assess- lum standards and revising the assessment process, grader Christian Hausman,
ment identified criteria for assessment that sup- the state of Illinois is trying to address the concerns whose story, ―Crab and
ported learning. The criteria included: surrounding the current assessment. Stay tuned! Lobster All Year,‖ was se-
lected as the winning com-
Stop/Walk/Talk survey results to be discussed in April position.
We implemented the bully preven- Talk curriculum in their classroom gauge the program’s effectiveness Christian’s story, along
tion program, Stop/Walk/Talk, last at the beginning of the year and re- and develop steps to minimize the with the other students’
fall to heighten students’ under- cently received a ―booster‖ in PE incidence of bullying at Brookdale.
work, will be staged by
standing of bullying and give them classes from the school’s social A program review and discussion
strategies to manage situations in- worker and psychologist. of the survey results will be offered Waubonsie Valley High
volving bullying. We surveyed the students once at the PTA meeting April 21. Please School students at an as-
Students heard the Stop/Walk/ last year and twice this year to plan to join us for the conversation. sembly Tuesday, May 17.
April, 2011 Page 3

Your PTA at Work News and notes from our committees

Voice your choice: Vote for 2011-12 PTA officers What’s next
April opens with an election that has tremendous  President: Judy Nagel-Conley
impact on our daily lives. On April 5, we elect repre-  Vice President: Susan Corrigan The next meeting
sentatives to the school board, park board, city coun-  Treasurer: Beth Siwicki When: 7 p.m. Thursday,
cil and other local governments. Those we elect will  Secretary: Christie Willhite April 21
set help our tax bills and decide how to spend our PTA members interested in these positions may Where: Brookdale’s
collective money on services that affect our house- nominate themselves before the vote. To learn about Multipurpose Room
holds and our families. an office, contact any of the current officers. On the agenda: Election of
Later this month we’ll have our own elections at Parents, teachers and staff who have been PTA officers to the Executive
Brookdale that, on a smaller scale, will set a course members for at least 30 days before the election are Committee for 2011-12
for the events, activities and purchases that enrich eligible to vote.
our children’s educational opportunities. At the PTA Thank you to the candidates for volunteering to PTA meeting schedule
meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21, the member- serve. Thank you, also, to the members of the Nomi- May 27: 1:30 p.m. with vote
ship will elect officers to the Executive Committee. nating Committee for your time and diligence: Melis- on 2011-12 budget; Volun-
The Nominating Committee recruited and evaluat- sa Winchester, Jennifer Flood, Amy Hausman, Saily teer Appreciation Tea fol-
ed candidates and recommends the following slate: Joshi, Karen Lankisch and alternate Amy Erickson. lows the meeting

Spring into new habits
As the weather improves, the Health
and Safety Committee encourages
everyone to walk or ride bikes to
school.
It’s great exercise for children and
parents, and can greatly reduce traffic
congestion around the building before
and after school.
Go for a walk or a ride and, as al-
ways, be safe!
VARIETY: Bring your talents to light as a PTA volunteer
(Continued from page 1) with so many other things grabbing for your at-
tention and your kids', your support of their edu-
 Volunteer in your child's classroom. cation is critical in motivating them to be suc-
 Attend PTA meetings and introduce yourself cessful.
to someone new. We on the executive com- Just as we saw the wide variety of talent within
mittee would certainly love to meet you! our student body on March 18, I am quite cer-
 Share ideas of new things to try that would tain there is a wide variety of abilities and ideas
benefit all of our students at Brookdale (and waiting to express themselves among our parent
be willing to help make them happen). body.
So often our job as parents requires a lot of Will you commit to support your child's educa-
sacrifice — of time, money, energy; you know be- tion now and in the future by stepping onto the
cause you have done it. Now more than ever, stage and letting us know who you are?
April, 2011
Your PTA at Work
Raise your hand to help with PTA activities
If your family enjoyed the
Variety Show or the Fall
Family Social, you’ve seen
how the PTA contributes to
the fabric of life at
Brookdale.
If your child joined neigh-
bors and classmate on
Walk to School Day or sub-
mitted artwork for the Reflections contest, you’ve
experienced how the PTA encourages our chil-
dren to be their best.
Like every PTA program and activity, these
events are run by volunteers — a chairperson or
two and, often, a committee of helpers who
make things happen.
We urge you to consider heading up the plan-
ning for one of these programs you or your child
has particularly enjoyed, and encourage a friend
to get involved with you. Working with a friend
can lighten the load and make it more fun.
Here are the openings for committee chairs
and coordinators for the 2011-12 school year:
Classroom Coordinators: The chairs re-
cruit, train and serve as a resource for the class-
room coordinators throughout the year. Much of
the work happens early in the school year, with
some responsibilities for reminders and volun-
teer check-in for the classroom parties.
Fall Fundraiser: The chairs organize the
PTA’s major fundraiser. For several years, this
has been a product sale, but the Executive Com-
Page 4
News and notes from our committees
Welcome, and thanks
mittee has suggested we consider a fun run. Co-
ordinators could volunteer to organize whichever We’re pleased to introduce a num-
type of fundraiser they prefer. Planning and coor- ber of volunteers who will serve as
dination would occur over the summer and early chairs and coordinators for 2011-12.
in the school year, with follow-up and cash han- Alison Hannon will collect and re-
dling after the sale or event. deem Campbell Soup Labels, taking
over for Stacey Ramsey. She’ll also
Fall Family Social: Volunteers chair a com-
oversee the Helping Hand program
mittee that plans the event, which has transi-
as Lisa Burke moves to Hill, and pro-
tioned in recent years and this year featured a
duction of the School Directory with
Halloween theme in late October.
Janet LaRocque going to Hill as well.
Health and Wellness: The chair(s) work with
Kelly Urbon will head the PBIS Com-
administrators to oversee planning for Walk to
mittee led by Melissa Winchester.
School Day in October and to provide volunteer
Antonella Erbacher joins Jeanette
support for Jump Rope for Heart in March.
Curtis to coordinate the Buzy Bobcat
Reflections: The chair(s) solicit and collect
Store as co-chair Barb Nicodemus
student entries for the National PTA’s art contest
graduates to Hill.
in the fall, as well as judges who select which en-
Denise Holman will coordinate the
tries to advance to the district-level competition.
Family Dinner Night Out Fundraisers,
Silent Auction: The chairs lead a committee
now planned by Heather Lang.
that seeks donations for prize baskets auctioned
Melissa Winchester will chair the
as a fundraiser during the Spring Fling. Planning
Welcome Committee, taking the reins
begins in January for the auction in late April.
as Linda Watkins moves to Hill.
Variety Show: The chairs plan the show and
Carey Peterson and Karen Lankisch
oversee try-outs in January as well as the re-
will plan our assemblies, taking over
hearsal and production in March. They also re-
for Beth Reiman.
cruit volunteers to help it run smoothly.
Sandy Follin will shadow Lisa How-
To volunteer or learn more, e-mail Vice Presi-
ard as coordinator of the Spirit Wear
dent Judy Nagel-Conley (jln0522@aol.com). For a
sale and will take charge in 2012-13.
full list of volunteer opportunities, see the blog.
We appreciate the efforts this
Thanks for considering these opportunities to
year’s volunteers, and we’re grateful
get involved. Your children will love seeing you at
to those stepping forward to help.
school.
April, 2011 Page 5

Your PTA at Work News and notes from our committees

Step right up! It’s time for fun and games at Spring Fling
To your kids it’s a game night of epic propor- cards and more.
tions, a social event bigger than any birthday If you have new items to Silent Auction
party. contribute to the raffle or
Spring Fling! have leads for businesses The question’s not how much you
For one night the Brookdale gym is home to a that may donate, please e- would pay, it’s how much you should bid.
penny carnival, where tickets are traded for the mail Chairwoman Cherie The Silent Auction, taking place along-
chance to test your skill, your luck or both. Quarles at cheriequarles@ side the Spring Fling, will offer an impres-
The Spring Fling and Silent Auction are 6 to yahoo.com. sive array of gift packages and experienc-
9 p.m. Friday, April 29, A concession stand will offer Connie’s Pizza,
es.
If you go at school. hot dogs, popcorn and ice cream along with
Planning a trip to
What: Spring Fling Games range from beverages to keep everyone full and refreshed.
simple lollipop pulls The event is a major undertaking, requiring Disney? Plan to bid
and Silent Auction and duck plucks to about 100 volunteers to keep things going for on the four 1-day
When: 6 to 9 p.m. more challenging three hours. Traditionally, parents have been Disney Park Hopper
Friday, April 29 boardwalk-style called on to take turns selling tickets, running passes.
Where: Brookdale’s amusements. As they games, staffing the concessions and raffles Trying to take in a
Gym and Multipur- play, children will earn and redeeming tickets for prizes.
ballgame? Try to win
pose Room prize tickets they’ll be This year, organizers are seeking teen volun-
tickets to a White
Cost: $1 per child 5 able to trade for a vari- teers to supply much of the manpower to run
ety of goodies. such a large event. Waubonsie Valley and Me- Sox game with a few teachers.
and older; tickets
Beyond playing tea Valley students who attended Brookdale Eyeing a bird’s eye view of Naperville?
are 3 for $1 games, kids can have were invited to volunteer and earn Community Eye the package with a carillon tour and
Questions: their faces painted, Service Hours. dessert with Mayor Pradel.
cheriequarles@ expend some energy A Spring Fling flier will come home soon with Other packages include golf foursomes
yahoo.com in the moon bounce the opportunity to volunteer and donate baked
at Klein Creek and Bliss Creek and an
and inflatable obstacle goods. You’ll also be able to pre-order game
course or win a plate of baked goods in the tickets, allowing you skip the line at the door American Girl gift set, with much more to
cake walk. and head straight for the fun. come.
While parents will be interested in bidding on Admission is $1 for children 5 and older. Details of all the baskets will be sent
the exciting packages in the Silent Auction, stu- Game tickets are three for $1, with games cost- out by e-mail and available on the blog
dents will have the chance to win as well. ing either one or two tickets and food priced at the week before the auction.
A Kids Raffle will include games, toys, gift two to four tickets.
April, 2011 Page 6

Your PTA at Work News and notes from our committees

Brookdale’s Brainiacs to put their creative side on display

The Brookdale Brainiacs
are coming. You’ll know
them when you see them.
They’ll be in the library near
creative — and completely
unique — projects. Students will be en-
Most importantly, they’ll couraged to be re-
be beaming with pride. spectful of each oth-
The Brainiacs program is ers projects, but par-
an exhibit of original pro- ents and kids should
jects that demonstrate how use their judgment when submitting a
students like to learn and project as small or delicate parts may be
create at home. handled and lost.
The display will be April Students planning a display should
18 to 21 in the LMC, when plan to use foam-core board, which
classes will tour and partici- stands up better than poster board.
pants have the opportunity On Monday, April 18, students should
to present their projects to COURTESY OF ANN LUTTRELL
bring their projects to the Brainiacs reg-
their peers. Brainiacs projects reflect stu- istration table near the front doors be-
Parents may tour the ex- dents’ interests and talents. Pro- tween 8:30 and 9 a.m. Parent volun-
hibit during school hours. jects are on display April 18-21. teers will arrange the projects by grade
Last year about 100 kids level. Any parents wishing to help should
entered projects including a balloon powered Please encourage your child to participate. call Coordinator Ann Luttrell at (630) 416-
car, a needlepoint, a pulley system, a lineage A registration form is available on the blog. 2581 in advance and then sign in at the of-
display, a K'nex motorized octopus whirl, a Students are strongly encouraged to submit fice on the 18th.
bookmark collection, a floating egg experi- registration forms to their teachers by Students will be able to pick up their pro-
ment, a stuffed creature business plan, a vol- Wednesday, April 13, for planning purposes, jects after school until 4 p.m. Thursday,
cano, a story and a painting of a shell. but late entries will be accepted as space per- April 21.
The kids enjoy showing off their talents. mits. Call Ann Luttrell with questions.
April, 2011
Your PTA at Work
Bingo Night to help LifeSavers make difference
Maybe elementary school kids can’t
solve all the world’s problems, but that
doesn’t mean they can’t help.
In fact, we can all help — just by playing a
little bingo.
The LifeSavers Service Club is hosting Bingo
Night from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 8, in the
Multipurpose Room. Mr. Tabisz will serve as
the caller.
The event aims to raise awareness and money
for the two charities LifeSavers is supporting this
school year: Feed My Starving Children and the
Make A Wish Foundation.
Feed My Starving Children sends specially formu-
lated meals to malnourished children around the
After-School Enrichment
Before the month is over, your child may
have a new favorite backyard game, mad
computer skills, hand-made beaded jewelry
or a few new French phrases.
After-School Enrichment classes begin
April 6 and 7 and continue for four weeks.
Classes run until 4:30 p.m.
About 170 kids are signed up for 13 clas-
ses.
Parents are needed to help move stu-
dents from their home classrooms to their
Enrichment rooms. If you can help, e-mail
Laura Falk at glmnfalk@wowway.com.
Page 7
News and notes from our committees
Thank you!
world. Make A Wish Foundation arranges Thanks to all the families
and finances experiences for children who attended our Winter
with life-threatening illnesses. Family Night and performance
Bingo players also will have the of School House Rock by Kidz
chance to donate to the Red
Kabaret. It was a fun evening
Cross to aid victims of the earth-
quake in Japan and the Pacific with lots of singing and danc-
tsunami. ing! Thanks also for all the food
Admission is $5 for children 5 donations, which were taken to
and older, and families planning to Loaves and Fishes food pantry
attend should complete and submit the RSVP form in Naperville.
by Monday, April 4.
Thanks to everyone
E-mail Beth Reiman at bethoreiman@gmail.com or
Rose Baranyk at rosalie_baranyk@ enrolled in the eScrip
yahoo.com with questions. program and shops at
Dominick’s. Through your
purchases — and Dominick’s
Coming soon generosity!
— we
It won’t be long until BMX bike cham-
raised $948.59 via the partner-
pion Matt Wilhelm visits Brookdale to
ship in 2010.
share his motivational message and —
of course — show off his crazy don’t- Thanks to Dina Bradshaw
try-this-at-home skills. and Beth Martinson. The
Matt visits May 23 as a reward duo teamed up to sharpen hun-
for students, who helped raise dreds and hundreds of pencils
to make sure our third-, fourth–
about $12,000 for the PTA in
and fifth-graders always had a
the fall product sale.
Hope for sunny skies! If the weather No. 2 at the ready during the
is good the show will be outside! ISAT tests in March.
April, 2011
Your PTA at Work
Variety Show shined a spotlight on children’s many talents
Congratulations to everyone
who took part in the ―Bobcats of
Brookdale Place‖ Variety Show.
The highly anticipated event cer-
tainly lived up to its billing. Stu-
dents’ talent and humor kept the
audience entertained all night.
Kudos to the performers: Nicho-
las Watkins, Maggie Rex, Lucy
Siwicki, Isha Bhamani, Lindsay
Mallak, Maci Yelaska, Sathya To-
datry, Gracie Elston, Olivia Carl-
son, Gianna Smith, Hannah Hutz-
ler, Matt Baker, Ben Baker, Con-
nor Plos, Will Reiman, Jack
Maroney, Ryan Winchester, Maria
Lerma, Brendan Parravano, Vishal
Moorthy, Lois Mary Kanagaraj,
Holly Peterson, Daysha Leather-
wood, Jenny Frantzen, Katie
Hausman, Casey Pittman, Grace
McCoy, Samantha Smurawski,
Ashley Smurawski, Adam
LaRocque, Parker McWilliams,
Lydia Williams, Elizabeth Williams,
Austin Martinson, Ivy Schiro, Sa-
rah Ramsey, Maddie Crabtree,
Kelly Collins, Lydia LaBarbera, Ro-
sie Cuzzone, Lena Russell, Lexie
News and notes from our committees
COURTESY OF SAILY JOSHI
Above, students wait in the
wings. Left, Brendan Parravano
and Vishal Moorthy get into
character.
Varzino, Evan Lang, Chris Kiefer,  Mr. Baldridge for taking care of
Aditia Agrawal, Neha Gutta, Rahul
Budnick, Mikey Marshall, Robby Kartha, Roshan Thekiniath, Abby  Coordinators Mary Hensley and
Marshall, Kade Cousens, Danny Bradshaw, Kenna Grezlik, Julia
Scovill, A'Star Anorh, Alex Shev- Lankisch, Madi Palmquist, Alexis
tsov, Mansi Peesapati, Adithya Bass, Adam Nicodemus, Jacob
Sundar, Karah Lee, Mercedes Tjards, Drew Winchester, Eddie
Bass, Cole Duguid, Ze'Nia Walker, Forsythe, Jake Fleming, Noah El-
Miranda Lerma, Brianna ston, Lauryn Wesoloski, Emily
Giacobbe, Anna Scovill, Felicity Steinkuller, Cailyn Bock, Emma
VanDyke, Alex Fernbach, Michael Damhorst, Katie Marshall, Taylor
Page 8
McCann, Shealyn Streder, Court-
ney Ondrus, Emily Hensley, Elie
Curtis, Sienna Luttrell, Connor Fol-
lin and Connor Markiewicz.
We also have a number of peo-
ple to thank. Without you, the
show could not have gone on:
 Mr. LeCrone for supporting our
show.
 Mr. Korbitz for giving his time
with auditions, the music, the
rehearsal and the show.
 Mrs. Gelso, who helped create
the backdrop.
 Mr. Tabisz for his special perfor-
mances.
 All the teachers who performed
in the day show.
the set up and clean up.
Cathy Collins for their hard work
in organizing and executing the
Variety Show.
 All the students who helped cre-
ate the backdrop.
 All the parents who helped with
auditions, rehearsals, the back-
drop, and both shows.
April, 2011
Your PTA at Work
Save time by buying school supplies from PTA
Picture yourself in August.
You’re trying to make the most of the waning
days of summer, but you also need to make sure
everyone has clothes and shoes that fit, backpacks
that are in good shape and gear for getting lunch
to school.
Now ask yourself: Do you really want to spend
time chasing from store to store in search of
low-odor dry erase markers?
To help make those back-to-school days
a little more sane, the PTA is once again
offering parents the chance to buy their
children’s school supplies in a pre-
packaged kit.
The cost of the supplies is comparable to
buying the items at a store, and your purchase
benefits the PTA (and, therefore, your children).
Order forms will be distributed with your school
registration packets and are available on the blog.
We will use the same supplier as last year, EPI.
With this supplier, you can expect:
 Quality products from companies like Crayola,
Elmer’s and Expo, but at a lower total price;
 Supplies provided in a sturdy memory box;
 A sheet of labels pre-printed with your child’s
name to affix to individual supplies;
Like us on Facebook
Brookdale Elementary PTA
News and notes from our committees
 $10 Office Depot coupon in every pack;
 Guaranteed replacement if you are dissatisfied
with a product during the school year.
The kits will contain all the supplies itemized on
the Brookdale School Supply Lists except school
bags/backpacks, gym shoes, art smocks, comput-
er headphones and assignment notebooks.
Orders are due by Wednesday, May 18.
Please send your order form in a sepa-
rate envelope marked ―School Supplies‖
and with a check made out to the
Brookdale PTA.
If you notice your check has not cleared by
July 1, please contact Coordinator Sarah Wil-
liams as this may indicate your order has not been
placed.
Once again, we are scheduling two times when
families can pick up their supplies at school:
 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Aug. 17
 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 20
If you are unable to pick up your kits on those
dates, please make arrangements with a friend or
neighbor to pick them up for you.
If you have any questions, please contact Sarah
Williams at (630) 717-9979 or sarahdave@
wowway.com.
Get the latest on our blog
brookdaleschoolpta.blogspot.com
Page 9
Art Awareness
Just a month after the PTA ap-
proved plans to revitalize the Art
Awareness program, a committee
of volunteers is getting to work.
Led by co-chairs Theresa Hus
and Beth Siwicki, Danielle Baker,
Chris Frantzen, Susan Reid and
Laura Falk have signed on to the
committee.
The committee will help train
and support parents who present
masterpieces to our children and
will work to develop and enhance
the Art Awareness curriculum.
The committee will have a cof-
fee meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday,
April 12, at Beth Siwicki's house.
Please feel free to join in! The
committee welcomes any sugges-
tions for 2011-12 Art Awareness.
If you have questions or are in-
terested in attending the meeting,
please e-mail Beth Siwicki at
siwickifamily@wowway.com or
Theresa Hus at there-
sahus@gmail.com.
April, 2011 Page 10

Fundraisers Providing learning opportunities and fun for our children

Ready to cook out? Market Day has it all, from meat to pie
If those 60-degree days we’ve had already
haven’t tempted you to break out the grill,
Market Day’s April offerings will have you fir-
ing up the Weber.
Mixed Grill is back, item 1264. You get four
hamburger patties, four ChickNSteakes and
four boneless pork chops for $15.99.
If your tastes run toward seafood, see Page
2 of the Market Day flier. You’ll find 12 differ-
ent seafood selections — all on sale!
Be sure to top off your meal with dessert.
April brings back desserts. Be sure to
check out the new pie flavors like Mint
Brownie Blast, Triple Berry Supreme and
Cherry Streusel.
our goal to reach $2,500 Pick-up dates
by the end of the school  April 12
year.  May 10
We have three more  June 7
sales dates: April 12, May
For ordering
Place an $80 order and receive a free 2- 10 and June 7. Please con- online, our
pound tray of Baked Manicotti. Just enter the sider trying Market Day. school code
promo code APRBONUS when you order All items are guaranteed; is 2092.
online. just return the unused por-
Paper order forms are due Thursday, April tion to the coordinator, who will arrange a
7, and you can order online at market- refund.
day.com until 11 p.m. Friday, April 8. Market Day accepts LINK card payments.
March Market Day sales generated Contact Tricia with questions at tricia-
$114.06 for the school, bringing our total for greg98@wowwawy.com or (630) 416-3255.
the year to 1,242.52 but leaving us short of She is happy to deliver pre-paid orders.

Sweet Tomatoes Art Note Cards Pop quiz

Dine at Sweet Tomatoes from 5 to
8 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, and the
restaurant will donate 15 percent of
your bill to the PTA.
To earn the donation, take a flier
to the restaurant, 986 N. Route 59,
Aurora. The flier will come home
soon in your child’s backpack, or
you can download and print the
flier, which is also available on the
blog..
Kids Art Note Cards had a great turn- Quick question: How much
out! We raised $985 for the school, more money did Dominick’s donate
than $200 more than last year’s profit!. to the PTA in 2010?
We had a total of 136 orders placed, The answer is in this month’s
including those submitted after the cut- newsletter. Find it and e-mail
off for delivery by Mother’s Day. the number (and your name) to
All orders have been mailed out to New Jersey for processing. BrookdaleQuiz@gmail.com by
Those turned in by the early deadline are expected back in plenty April 15.
of time for Mother’s Day gift-giving. One person with the correct
An e-mail will be sent when the orders arrive so you’ll know to answer will be picked randomly
expect them in your student’s backpack. to receive a gift card surprise.
February, 2010 Page 11

Free Money for the PTA

It’s easy to help the PTA earn money for assemblies, contributions to the classroom and more just

Tyson labels: Dominick’s eScrip:

Find the Project A+ logo on the Tyson package, clip it
out and send it to school with your child to drop in
the bin just inside the library. Each label earns us 24
cents. For a list of qualifying products, visit projecta-
plus.tyson.com. Contact Barb Marshall with comments or ques-
tions, rmarshall8804@wowway.com or (630) 357-7761.
Box tops:
Box Tops for Education labels are on
many, many products. Just clip the logo
and send it to school with your child to
drop in the bin just inside the library. The
extensive list of qualifying products is at
www.ipsd.org/Uploads/brookdale_box%20Tops.pdf. If you have
questions, contact Stacey Ramsey at
srams66@wideopenwest.com or (630) 778-1849.
GoodSearch and GoodShop:
Brookdale PTA earns a penny every
time you search the Internet with
GoodSearch.com, a Yahoo-powered
engine that donates half its advertising 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 partic-
ipating merchants, who donate a portion of sales to the charity.
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.
April, 2011 Page 12

Brookdale PTA Executive Board

President Vice President Secretary Treasurer
Barb Peterson Judy Nagel-Conley Jan Mallak Ron Heger
(630) 416-4565 (630) 428-9717 (630) 717-0953 (630) 983-7189
afamily@petersonlink.name jln0522@aol.com janmallak@comcast.net rgheger@aol.com
Committee Chairperson Telephone E-mail Committee Chairperson Telephone E-mail
Danielle Baker (630) 357-6137 danilbaker@aol.com Market Day Tricia Smith (630) 416-3255 triciagreg98@wowway.com
After-School
Laura Falk (630) 718-1088 glmnfalk@wowway.com
Enrichment Newsletter/Publicity Christie Willhite (630) 579-9423 christiewillhite@gmail.com
Sarah Williams (630) 717-9979 sarahdave@wowway.com
Theresa Hus (630) 961-5348 theresahus@gmail.com Parent Diversity Saily Joshi-Moorthy (630) 527-9536 saily@aol.com
Art Awareness Advisory Council Bernadette Young (708) 870-5175 bernadetteannyoung@gmail.com
Beth Siwicki (630) 942-0516 siwickifamily@wowway.com
Positive Behavior
Assemblies Beth Reiman (630) 416-7976 bethoreiman@gmail.com Interventions & Supports Melissa Winchester (630) 717-0375 melnme1997@yahoo.com
Basketball Nights Amy Elston (630) 637-9709 amyelston@hotmail.com Project Arrow PTA Bernadette Young (708) 870-5175 bernadetteannyoung@gmail.com
Book Fair Dawn Yorke (630) 330-7703 dyorke8708@wowway.com Red Ribbon Week Krista McCann (630) 364-2630 kmccannrn@yahoo.com
Box Tops Stacey Ramsey (630) 778-1849 srams66@wideopenwest.com Reflections Kelly Urbon (630) 718-0384 tkurbon@sbcglobal.net
Brookdale Brainiacs Ann Luttrell (630) 416-2581 anneluttrell@gmail.com School Directory Janet LaRocque (630) 527-8473 janetlarocque@yahoo.com
Jeanette Curtis (630) 579-6207 jeanettecurtis@mac.com Jennifer Sanchez (630) 753-9423 jlsanchez@wideopenwest.com
Buzy Bobcat Store School Supplies
Barb Nicodemus (630) 848-0148 nicknbarb@wideopenwest.com Sarah Williams (630) 717-9979 sarahdave@wowway.com
Classroom Sheila Fleming (630) 548-1494 sjsjfleming@wowway.com Rose Baranyk (630) 355-8786 rosalie_baranyk@yahoo.com
Service Projects
Coordinators Melissa Winchester (630) 717-0375 melnme1997@yahoo.com Beth Reiman (630) 416-7976 bethoreiman@gmail.com
Cultural Arts Francesca Giacobbe (630) 946-6285 Silent Auction Laura Heger (630) 983-7189 rgheger@aol.com
eScrip Stacey Ramsey (630) 778-1849 srams66@wideopenwest.com Special Needs PTA Judy Nagel-Conley (630) 428-9717 jln0522@aol.com
Fall Family Social Linda Watkins (630) 357-5724 ljrwatkins@wideopenwest.com Spirit Wear Sale Lisa Howard (630) 548-4804 thehowards@wowway.com
Family Dinners Out Heather Lang (630) 717-1204 heather.lang@eicoff.com Spring Fling Cherie Quarles (630) 579-0679 cheriequarles@yahoo.com
Rueben Lerma (630) 768-6394 diet8926880@aol.com Staff Appreciation Susan Corrigan (630) 399-4690 svcorrigan@hotmail.com
Fifth-Grade Social Barb Marshall (630) 357-7761 rmarshall8804@wowway.com Robyn Rathe (815) 514-0529 robynrathe@yahoo.com
Title One Parent Rep Bernadette Young (708) 870-5175 bernadetteannyoung@gmail.com
La Shandra Moore (630) 857-9110 lmlmblue@yahoo.com
Fifth-Grade DVD Anne Staskon (630) 357-3445 estaskon@sbcglobal.net Tyson Food Labels Barb Marshall (630) 357-7761 rmarshall8804@wowway.com
Health and Safety Beth Siwicki (630) 942-0516 siwickifamily@wowway.com Cathy Collins (630) 961-1080 ckc1021@sbcglobal.net
Variety Show
Helping Hand Lisa Burke (630) 416-9430 lisaburke8@yahoo.com Mary Hensley (630) 428-9963 jhensley0378@wowway.com
Dina Bradshaw (630) 717-6916 dinabradshaw@att.net Walk to School Day Beth Siwicki (630) 717-0375 siwickifamily@wowway.com
Hospitality
Beth Martinson (630) 717-7902 abmartinson@yahoo.com Welcome Committee Linda Watkins (630) 357-5724 ljrwatkins@wideopenwest.com
IPPC Representative Saily Joshi-Moorthy (630) 527-9536 saily@aol.com Amy Hausman (630) 961-1210 khausman@wideopenwest.com
Wrapping Paper Sale
Kids Art Note Cards Tricia Smith (630) 416-3255 triciagreg98@wowway.com Deb Snyder (630) 428-3089 dsnydermjt@wideopenwest.com
LMC Coordinator Cathy Collins (630) 961-1080 ckc1021@sbcglobal.net Yearbook Janet LaRocque (630) 527-8473 janetlarocque@yahoo.com

Brookdale Elementary School

1200 Redfield Road Principal This publication is produced and funded
Naperville, IL 60563 Brian LeCrone by the Brookdale Elementary School PTA.
(630) 428-6800 brian_lecrone@ipsd.org