The Brickton Weekly, November 24, 2010

The Thanksgiving Table
Many years ago to add variety to the traditional Thanksgiving Day menu, I made “home-made” cranberry sauce. It took its place on the table along side the canned cranberry jelly, turkey, homemade coleslaw, stuffing (celery/onions), sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and corn. A few days later, all the food is gone except for the “home-made” cranberry sauce. That ends up in the garbage.

Thanksgiving, 2010

Over the years, that same pattern has been repeated: grown kids come bearing stuffing with sausage, new family members offer a special sweet potato casserole with gooey marshmallows (they meet the same fate as the homemade cranberry sauce).

As we eat our traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we laugh and reminisce about the numerous Thanksgivings we have shared in the past: my mom’s gravy (she wasn’t much of a cook but she made the best gravy!); deciding who would be the turkey carver after my dad passed away; carving the turkey with that old electric knife (recently replaced by a series of dull knives); Bob’s expensive trip to the liquor store to get the various beers, wines, brandy and ingredients for that year’s special Thanksgiving drink; and dripping colored candle wax on white paper plates after dinner.

Over the years, the people at the table have changed. Somehow, even after they are gone, they still have a place at our traditional Thanksgiving table.

I am grateful for my family, my friends and for my extended Brickton community.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Debbie Kelley, Principal
Thanksgiving, 2010

What are you thankful for at Brickton?

Breakfast with Santa is almost here!
Breakfast with Santa is right around the corner!!  Get your tickets in the main office.  $10 per person includes a breakfast buffet, a visit with Santa, craft activities, and caroling, too!  Don't miss out on this very fun Brickton family event.

When: Saturday, December 4th, 10-12:30 p.m. 
Where: Hanging Gardens Banquet Hall at Cumberland and Belmont

9-12’s Scholastic Book Fair Raffle
Each year, 9-12 students run the Scholastic Book Fair as a fundraiser for their trips and offer raffle tickets for attendees.  Buy a ticket for your chance to $25 worth of merchandise!

When: Monday, November 29, through Thursday, December 2
Where: Raffle tickets will be available in the main lobby during drop-off and pick-up
Price:  Tickets are $1.00 each

The Book Fair will be December 6 – 9.

Manna
For the holiday season, we have added Manna due dates.  Holiday shopping couldn’t be easier and remember the advantage of a tuition benefit.

Due Dates:  December 3, and December 10

Quaker Dance
Today, Kindergarten through eighth grade students participated in the Quaker Dance.  Stay tuned next week for more pictures and a video!

 

The Brickton Weekly, November 18, 2010

Through The Looking Glass
Each year at Brickton’s Annual Benefit, The Big Leap, our staff is up for auction.  Attendees can bid on outings with teachers including sleepovers at the school, a trip to Ravinia, the Lincoln Park zoo, or the theater.  Debbie Kelley and Judy Beyer offered a day at the theater with dinner following for a student and friend.  Celeste’s parents (Room 105) had the winning bid, and Celeste invited her friend Tayler (also Room 105).  They headed off to The Looking Glass Theatre by the Water Tower on Michigan Ave.  The theater is in the old pumping station that served the city many years ago, which retained a huge array of pipes and pumps as its decor.  The group saw a rendition of Peter Pan, which Debbie described as “engaging, yet darkly humorous.”  This adaptation was a creative interpretation of the famous story.  After the play, it was off to The Water Tower Place for dinner …and a little shopping!

Make sure to attend this year’s Annual Benefit (Saturday, March 5th) for your chance to bid on some awesome teacher outings.

Teacher of the Month – Judy Beyer
Each month, we will highlight a different teacher at Brickton.  It’s a chance for you to get to know the teachers better.  At Brickton, we pride ourselves on building the relationship between teacher, student, and parent.  We feel this is important to the strength of our community.

We hope you enjoy it!

 

Get a Sneak Peek at Brickton’s new website
We have been working hard to put together a brand new website for the school and it will be launching next week!  You have an opportunity for a sneak peek this Friday when you come in for your child’s conference.  Come by the kitchen for some coffee and treats and look around the new site. 

Recycling Pays Off
Keep putting your recyclable paper in the big green bins outside school.  Each month, we receive a check based on the amount of paper recycled.  This month, we received a check for $26.68.  It may not seem like a lot, but this is FREE MONEY for the school.  We don’t have to do anything but recycle.  Based on the amount of paper collected last month, we saved 9.36 cubic yards of landfill space.  Thank you to everyone who has participated.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

If you would like to contribute to the school’s free money fundraiser, drop off your recyclable paper to the big green recycling bins.  One is located in the west parking lot and one is located in the east parking lot (elementary drop-off).  Thank you!

Salvation Army Donation Drive
Each year, Brickton participates in the Salvation Army’s holiday food drive. This year, the Salvation Army has received grant money for food and, therefore, would prefer donations of new unwrapped toys and warm hats and mittens.

Just after Thanksgiving, boxes will be placed outside the classrooms for your gifts.

Manna Orders DUE!
Remember, the next Manna order is due Friday, December 3rd.  This order will be delivered Tuesday, December 7th.  This is a great time to get ahead on holiday shopping.  Gift cards are the perfect gift.  Everyone wins.

The Brickton Weekly, November 11, 2010

On the Mend
After sustaining an injury, Jackie Toro is taking some time off to rest and heal.  We are happy that she is taking the time she needs to recover (although we all miss her terribly!).  We are expecting her back sometime in December.  Anyone wishing to send a "Get Well" message to Jackie can leave it in the office, and we will make sure it gets to her.

Congratulations to Melonie Arroyo!
Congratulations to Toddler assistant Melonie Arroyo.  She has successfully completed the Seton Montessori Institute certification program and is now certified by the American Montessori Society as an Infant-Toddler (birth to age 3) Montessori Directress.

The Montessori toddler certification consists of an academic phase and a student teaching component.  The director of Seton Montessori Institute stated that Melonie demonstrated she is “a competent and objective classroom practitioner.”

Nice work, Melonie.  We're proud of you!

A Peek Into a Children’s House Classroom (Room 101)
Each month, we are going to give parents a peek into one of our amazing classrooms with a slideshow of pictures and short videos.  It’s a chance for you to see what’s going on around Brickton!  Enjoy.

The Annual Fund is going STRONG
Have you donated to the Annual Fund?  It’s a piece of cake!

The 2011 Annual Fund is off to a very strong start.  We have already raised over $25,000—halfway to our goal of $50,000! Thank you to all of the friendly folks our parent volunteers talked with during our phonathon last night.  Your enthusiasm for Brickton is much appreciated!  Thank you for your generous support!

**A Tip for the Annual Fund: Ask your employer if they will MATCH YOUR GIFT.  It’s an easy way to double your donation! 

Save the Date
Breakfast with Santa is Saturday, December 4th, at The Hanging Gardens Banquet Hall (Belmont and Cumberland) from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  There will be brunch, caroling, crafts for the kids, and a visit from Santa! Please check the bulletin board for volunteer opportunities.  We will need holiday bakers to donate yummy baked goods for the bake sale.  Ticket information coming soon!

Audio Seminar for “Fathers Only”
As a member of ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States), we participate in many audio seminars called Learning Bridges throughout the year.  We would like to share the most recent seminar with the parent community.  The “Fathers Only” presentation is designed for the fathers of girls, but it’s great information for all parents. The research is clearly pointing to the important role of fathers in the development of a child's gender identity, social skills, self-esteem, and intelligence. Listen in to fully understand the impact of fathers on the lives of their daughters.

RECORDED LEARNING BRIDGE
To access the recorded version of this seminar go to:  http://www.isacs.org/resources/calendar/bridge_login.asp . Scroll down to the bottom of the page, select “11/10/2010Fathers Only” and use the password “oak” (without quotes). Click “Login” and on the next screen select "Click here to replay this seminar". The recording will be available for two weeks.

The Brickton Weekly, November 4th, 2010

Giving to Brickton is a Piece of Cake…
Donate to Brickton’s Annual Fund
The 2011 Annual Fund is off to a great start!  Thank you to all of the families who have donated thus far.    Please view our video to see first hand what our students love about Brickton - SOOOOO MANY REASONS TO GIVE!

 

Save the Date for Brickton’s Annual Benefit – The Big Leap!
This year, we're starting preparations early for our biggest event of the year, THE BIG  LEAP. The Big Leap is our annual dinner, dance, and fundraiser.  There will be a silent and live auction, raffles, and fun with the adults of the Brickton community. The event will be held at Victoria Rosemont, and there will be a special room rate at the Holiday Inn Express. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 5, 2011.

What’s Happening in Physical Education?
Submitted by Kerry Santefort, PE Instructor
President’s Challenge
The President’s Challenge is an American program introduced by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (a government organization that aims to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sports.” It is part of the Office of Public Health and Science, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services) that is geared to encourage all Americans to incorporate a healthy active lifestyle into their everyday lives.

I am honored to use the President’s Challenge Fitness Test as a tool to help bring out the best in our students. The test is in no way, shape, or form a competition among the students. The test recognizes everyone for their capability in five activities. Those five activities are: 1) Curl ups (or partial curl ups), 2) Shuttle run, 3) Endurance run/walk, 4) Pull-ups (or right angle push-ups or flexed-arm hang), and 5) V-sit reach (or sit and reach).

The students are tested once in the Fall and the Final test is in the Spring. The testing in the Fall is just to give the students an idea of what they are capable of doing. They are encouraged to accomplish more in the Spring than they did in the Fall, leading them to set goals for themselves. They can choose how to achieve those goals by picking any physical activities outside of school (bike riding, jump rope, sit ups, etc) that would benefit them, to do on a daily basis. The final scores are recorded in the Spring, and those scores are reported to the President’s Challenge. The scores are compared with all students around the U.S. within their age group.

Everyone is given an award no matter what. There are three awards given:

• Presidential Physical Fitness Award—To earn this award, students must score at or above the 85th percentile on all five activities.
• National Physical Fitness Award—Students earn this award for scoring above the 50th percentile on all five activities.
• Participant Physical Fitness Award—Students earn this award if they participate in all five activities, but one or more of their scores fall below the 50th percentile.

To see the Presidential Physical Fitness Award Qualifying Standards (85^th & 50^th percentile) please visit the website: www.presidentschallenge.org/challenge/physical/benchmarks.shtml

Children’s House Parents: Please be advised that there are no scores reported to the President’s Challenge for ages 5 and under; however, the program is modified for those ages, and we are encouraged to introduce the students to those activities (curl ups, push ups, sit and reach, shuttle run and endurance run/walk) as early as possible. 

This is a great tool to help encourage the students to be active and to set goals for themselves. Good luck, everyone!

Save the Date for Breakfast with Santa!
Breakfast with Santa will be held on Saturday, December 4th, from 10:00 am – 12:30 pm at Hanging Gardens Banquet Hall.  Mark your calendars!  More details to come.

Halloween Parade!  BOO!