The Brickton Weekly, January 19, 2012

Alumni Interview SeriesThis month, Brickton is celebrating its outstanding alumni. We will be featuring short video interviews with recent alumni. These young adults are doing amazing things and have gained a lot from their strong Brickton foundation. The Middle School students conducted the interview below.
Don’t forget to check out our Alumni profiles on the bulletin board in the lobby. It’s a great opportunity to see the outcomes of a Brickton education.

Featured BlogEach month we will feature a couple of blogs so that you can see what’s going on in other parts of the school. This week, we are featuring the Children’s House Room 107 Blog.
childrenshouse107.posterous.com (password: brickton)

Bring a Friend to Brickton – Help Us Spread the Word!For Children’s House and Lower Elementary StudentsThis week your child received a “coupon” to be used as an invitation to bring a friend of a similar age to visit his or her classroom. Please help your child by inviting a neighbor, cousin, teammate, or family friend to visit Brickton!
Visits will take place on:Tuesdays in February
Thursdays in March
Wednesdays in April
Reservations must be made in advance and the visitor’s parent must be present for the entirety of the visit.
Open HouseTell your friends, family, and neighbors. Brickton will be hosting an Open House for prospective families Sunday, January 22nd, from 12:30 – 3:00 pm. It’s a chance to meet directresses, tour the school, and learn more about the Montessori philosophy and our school.
The Big Leap is SIX WEEKS AWAY! The 2012 Big Leap is only 6 weeks away! Please help us make Brickton’s 25th Anniversary Annual Benefit a success! Join us for the final planning meeting on Tuesday, January 24th, at 6:30 pm. For more details, contact Kelly McDermott at kelly.mcdermott@brickton.org.
Parent Education OpportunityDr. Felix, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, will present:
Mad is Not Bad – Parenting tips for managing angerDo you or your child need to develop anger management skills for personal growth and/or to enhance your relationships? Perhaps anger is interfering with your child’s academic performance? In this seminar, participants will learn about the different types of anger and that anger is not necessarily a bad thing. Anger actually has a purpose and can be helpful if used correctly. They will also learn anger reduction techniques, as well as about the rules of fair fighting and learn how to reduce the anger expression of their children, diffuse conflict, and use strategies for reducing tension at home and at school.
Please join us!

Thursday, February 9th at 6:45 p.m. at Brickton
RSVP to sara.gregory@brickton.org
Care will not be available for this parent only event.
Montessori Conference Chicago: February 24th-25thYou are invited to attend the Association of Illinois Montessori Schools’ (AIMS)Winter Conference Friday, February 24th, through Saturday, February 25th. Trevor Eissler, author of Montessori Madness and a Montessori parent, will speak about Montessori from a parent’s perspective; Pam Dunbar, Commissioner for the AMS School Accreditation Commission, will present the tangible outcomes of a Montessori education; Joyce Pickering, Executive Director Emeritus of the Shelton School in Dallas, will discuss parenting the learning different child; and more! Parents who register by January 30, 2012, will pay only $49 for Saturday (which includes breakfast and lunch).
Learn more here. Register here.
Free Money for BricktonThere are two large green paper recycling bins in Brickton’s parking lot (one in the west lot and one in the east lot). Each month, the paper in these bins is picked up and processed, and Brickton receives a check. Free money! This month, we received a check for $23.81 and saved 8.08 cubic yards of landfill space. Thank you to everyone who has dropped off paper.
Brickton’s Latest “Green” Initiative - “Bricktoncycle”Old skates? Children’s books (bundled by age or interest)? Bicycles?
Do you have items you’d like to clear out of your home or garage? Do you have something that might be headed for the trash that could be someone else’s treasure? “Bricktoncycle” is a program to help Brickton families find new uses for old things rather than throwing them out, which will help to reduce the amount of waste going into our landfills.
The process is simple:
1. Fill out the forms – one waiver form per family, one offer form per item. Feel free to include photos. Give your forms and photos to Sara in the main office.
2. A member of Brickton’s Community Committee will post your offer forms and photos on the bulletin board near the main entrance to the school.
3. Wait for an email or phone call from a Brickton family who would like your treasure. Please make arrangements to make your exchanges outside of the school building. NOTE: Families who receive items should also complete the waiver form.
4. Feel good about helping the environment while helping a fellow member of the Brickton community. You’ll also have less clutter!
This session of “Bricktoncycle” will end on March 2nd, so hurry to get your items posted soon!
Sponsored by the Brickton Community Committee
Scholastic Book Club Start the New Year off with a Scholastic book order that will help to foster your child’s love of reading while benefiting Brickton. This is also the perfect opportunity to do convenient shopping for Valentine’s Day.

January Scholastic Book Club orders are due on Thursday, January 26^th. Fliers will be placed in your parent folders on 1/20/12. As a result of your orders, teachers will earn free money to spend (for the next four months!) plus bonus points to order classroom materials.
Thank you for your support!