The Brickton Weekly, May 30, 2013

Congratulations Brickton Class of 2013!!

Sean Arnoldt

Midwest Talent Search Qualifier

Will attend: Fenwick High School

Coursework includes: Honors English and Biology

Extracurriculars: Lacrosse & Cross Country

Rachel Balster

Will attend: Trinity High School

Coursework includes: Pre-IB Core Program

Extracurriculars: Softball & Volleyball

Kira Barrett

Midwest Talent Search Qualifier

Will attend: Trinity High School

Recipient of the Premier Dominican Scholarship for Academic Excellence

Coursework includes: International Baccalaureate Program

Extracurriculars: Dance, Art and Drama

Joe Ergastolo

Midwest Talent Search Qualifier

Will attend: Fenwick High School

Coursework includes: Honors Algebra and Honors Biology

Extracurriculars: Lacrosse, Ice Hockey & Italian Club

Tyler Flechs

Midwest Talent Search Qualifier

Will attend: Mt. Prospect High School

Earned a perfect score on the High School Entrance Exam

Coursework includes: A.P. English & A.P. Algebra

Extracurriculars: Soccer and Drama

Celeste Wrezel

Will attend: Maine South High School

Coursework includes: Core Program

Extracurriculars: Swim Team, Photography and Volleyball

Peace Picnic TOMORROW

The Brickton Peace Picnic is next Friday, May 31st, from 5:00 – 7:30.  Bring a blanket, some lawn chairs, a picnic dinner, and plan to have some fun.  Kerry and John will organize some games and sports for both younger and older students.  The Parent Alliance is sponsoring TWO bouncy houses, a popcorn machine, and a cotton candy making station.  This great end of the year event is always tons of fun!  In the event we will need to cancel for rain, we will put an announcement out via email, on brickton.org, and facebook.

Graduation and Promotion Ceremony

Please join us for Brickton's graduation and promotion ceremony on Thursday, June 6th, 7:00 - 8:30 pm, in the Erin Room at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave, Chicago, IL 60630.  Those students in Kindergarten, third grade, sixth grade and eighth grade will participate in the ceremony, honoring their promotion to a new program or graduation.  There is ample, free parking in the adjacent parking lot.  The Erin Room is located on the fourth floor and is easily accessible by stair or elevator.   

Book Exchange

The Lower Elementary students are invited to get excited about Summer Reading with a book exchange.  Students are to bring in a book that they think another student will enjoy reading, such as early reader chapter books.   Anyone at Brickton is welcome to donate books for the exchange in the container in the front entry.  Donate through Tuesday June 4^th.

Student Talent Show

Come one, Come all… to the Brickton Talent Show on Wednesday, June 5th 1:00 p.m. in the Great Room.  Brickton's Elementary and Middle School students will present their finest talents – singing songs, playing instruments, and other exceptional displays of skill.

Yearbooks on Sale

The Yearbook Committee, made up of Middle School and Upper Elementary students, are selling yearbooks in the front lobby in the mornings and at pick-up.  The committee did a wonderful job putting the yearbook together this year, and it is a great memento of a fantastic and memorable school year at Brickton.  We have a limited supply of these hardback, full-color yearbooks for $25, and they go fast.  Get yours today!

Upcoming Events

Hot Dog Lunch, Friday, May 31st

In-School Celebration, Friday, May 31st, 8:30am

Peace Picnic, Friday, May 31st

Elementary and Middle School Talent Show, Wednesday, June 5th, 1:00pm

Graduates Lunch, Thursday, June 6th, 12:30pm

Last Day of School, Thursday, June 6th

Graduation and Promotion Ceremony, Thursday, June 6th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Irish American Heritage Center, Erin Room

The Brickton Weekly, May 24, 2013

Peace Picnic Next Friday

The Brickton Peace Picnic is next Friday, May 31^st, from 5:00 – 7:30.  Bring a blanket, some lawn chairs, a picnic dinner, and plan to have some fun.  Kerry and John will organize some games and sports for both younger and older students.  The Parent Alliance is sponsoring TWO bouncy houses, a popcorn machine, and a cotton candy making station.  This great end of the year event is always tons of fun!

Upper Elementary and Middle School Luncheons

To celebrate a wonderful year full of learning and fun, the Middle School and Upper Elementary will host their annual luncheons for the students, families and staff.  At the luncheons students recognize each other and the teachers/staff that have been so important to their successful year at Brickton.

Boxtops for Education

Help Brickton earn FREE Box Tops - click the link below and vote for Brickton - simple and easy way to show your support!  Thank you!

Click here

Student Talent Show

Come one, Come all… to the Brickton Talent Show on Wednesday, June 5th 1:00 p.m. in the Great Room.  Brickton's Elementary and Middle School students will present their finest talents – singing songs, playing instruments, and other exceptional displays of skill.

Yearbooks on Sale Starting Tuesday

The Yearbook Committee, made up of Middle School and Upper Elementary students, will be selling yearbooks in the front lobby in the mornings and at pick-up times starting Tuesday, May 27th.  The committee did a wonderful job putting the yearbook together this year, and it is a great memento of a fantastic and memorable school year at Brickton.  We have a limited supply of these hardback, full-color yearbooks for $25, and they go fast.  Get yours early!

Summer Camp

Summer Camp is just around the corner!  Brickton offers exciting summer camp programs for children from 2 years old to 8th grade.  Click here to find out more and to access registration forms.

Upcoming Events

Club Day, Friday, May 24^th

Memorial Day, School Closed, Monday, May 27^th

Upper Elementary Luncheon, Thursday, May 30^th, 12:00pm

Hot Dog Lunch, Friday, May 31^st

In-School Celebration, Friday, May 31^st, 8:30am

Peace Picnic, Friday, May 31^st

Elementary and Middle School Talent Show, Wednesday, June 5^th, 1:00pm

Graduates Lunch, Thursday, June 6^th, 12:30pm

Last Day of School, Thursday, June 6^th

Graduation and Promotion Ceremony, Thursday, June 6^th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Irish American Heritage Center, Erin Room

The Brickton Weekly, May 16, 2013

Thank You - Staff Appreciation Breakfast

We want to thank you for a beautiful and delicious Staff Appreciation Breakfast.  The food and gifts were wonderful, and we so appreciate parents volunteering in the classrooms, providing the opportunity to share the breakfast together as a staff.

Art Expo and Celebration Honoring Judy Beyer and Debbie Kelly

On Saturday, the Brickton community gathered in the Great Room for two great events.  We enjoyed our annual Art Expo, displaying beautiful art work from each student.  We also dedicated a peace pole in honor of former Middle School teacher, Judy Beyer, and former Head of School, Debbie Kelley.  The ceremony was led by the students and featured speeches, acknowledgements and music.  In addition to the large Peace Pole in the lobby, each classroom now has a smaller peace pole on display.  These say “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” in eight different languages: English, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Italian and American Sign Language.  Click here for a link to see more pictures.

Volunteer Spotlight

The Brickton photographer, Mark Treppa, father of Middle School student, Andrew, takes wonderful pictures at many of the Community events.  Thank you, Mark, for your great pictures of the Big Leap Benefit and of the Art Expo and Peace Pole Celebration on Saturday. 

Louise Borre, mother of Children’s House student, Heather, orchestrated a fundraising opportunity with Oberweis Ice Cream.  For one day during each of the last three months, Oberweis in Park Ridge donated a percentage of purchases made by Brickton community members back to Brickton.  This is a great way to donate money to Brickton while you’re doing something you do anyway.  We especially enjoyed our group visit for ice cream after the band and choral concert last week.   We’ll let everyone know how much we raised when we hear from Oberweis.  Thank you, Louise! 

Food Allergy Awareness Week

This week is Food Allergy Awareness Week.  Here at Brickton, we have many students with food allergies, and we are very mindful of their dietary needs.  Many thanks to the Havens family, for providing educational posters for the classrooms and hallways and bookmarks for each student.  Take a look at the flyer below. 

Last Call for Manna

The school year is coming to an end and it’s your last chance to order Manna Gift Cards. Manna is a fundraiser that sells over 200 local and nationwide grocery, retail, restaurants, gas stations and specialty gift cards/certificates to your organization at a discount. The customer simply purchases gift cards at face value and then Manna donates a portion of the proceeds to Brickton. In addition, each purchase will also garner a discount on your student’s tuition.  Basically, you’re helping Brickton and receiving cash back for money you were already going to spend. Don’t miss this final opportunity to purchase Manna by picking up an order form outside of Dotty’s office and returning the form by Monday, May 20th at 9:00 AM.

Yearbooks on Sale Starting May 27^th

The Yearbook Committee, made up of Middle School and Upper Elementary students, will be selling yearbooks in the front lobby in the mornings and at pick-up times starting May 27^th.  The committee did a wonderful job putting the yearbook together this year, and it is a great memento of a fantastic and memorable school year at Brickton. 

Club Day, Friday May 24^th

Friday May 24^th is a Club Day at Brickton.  Please help us plan for the day by telling us if your child will be attending.  For students currently registered for our Full Day program, there is no additional charge for the day - all others may attend if pre-registered for a fee of $50.  RSVP with Kelly or in the office. 

Upcoming Events

Staff Appreciation Day, Thursday, May 16th

Cultural Fair, Friday, May 17th

Club Day, Friday, May 24th

Memorial Day, School Closed, Monday, May 27^th

In-School Celebration, Friday, May 31^st, 8:30am

Peace Picnic, Friday, May 31st

Last Day of School, Thursday, June 6th

Graduation and Promotion Ceremony, Thursday, June 6th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Irish American Heritage Center, Erin Room

The Brickton Weekly, May 10, 2013

Art Expo, Tomorrow!

Saturday, May 11^th from 10:00am – 12:00pm, we will host the annual Art Expo with works by each student on display in the Great Room.  At 11:00am, we will have a dedication ceremony to honor Judy Beyer and Debbie Kelley.  We hope you can join us for this important and exciting event. 

Band/Chorale Concert

The students in band and Upper Elementary chorus performed a concert last night to rousing applause from parents and guests.  The band selections began with the Star Spangled Banner and featured marches, overtures, and a special selection by the Middle School band, Chatterbox.  The chorale arrangements featured acapella songs in Spanish and Nigerian , Firework by Katy Perry, and many soloists.  Congratulations to the students and Kathy Hummel, our Music Instructor,  and Beth Peachey, our pianist, on a wonderful performance.

Volunteer Spotlight

We would like to extend a grateful “Thank You” to Mhmoud Jaber, father of Children’s House student Rafiq, for donating new soccer balls to the playground.  The students are very grateful and are putting them to good use.    

Fundraising Reminder

This is the last call for Labels for Education this year. Please turn them in by May 23^rd.  Brickton receives double points for all the labels turned.  The points can be used for exciting supplemental materials like sports equipment, art supplies, and technology. 

Extracurricular Performances

The Kinderdance year-end performance will be on May 29^th.  The first show is at 3:30 and the second show is at 4:15.  If you child is one of the dancers, this is a great opportunity to come see all they have learned. 

The Runaway Circus year-end performance will be June 3^rd at 3:15.  We hope you can stop by and see your budding clowns and acrobats perform the fun and entertaining tricks they have been working so hard to learn.

Upcoming Events

Art Expo, Saturday, May 11th, 10:00 – 12:00.

Celebration Honoring Debbie Kelley & Judy Beyer, Saturday, May 11th, 11:00 am

Staff Appreciation Day, Thursday, May 16th

Cultural Fair, Friday, May 17th

Club Day, Friday, May 24th

Memorial Day, School Closed, Monday, May 27^th

In-School Celebration, Friday, May 31^st, 8:30am

Peace Picnic, Friday, May 31st

Last Day of School, Thursday, June 6th

Graduation and Promotion Ceremony, Thursday, June 6th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Irish American Heritage Center, Erin Room

The Brickton Weekly, May 2, 2013

Getting to Know You: Each week this section will highlight one staff member and what inspired them to pursue working in a Montessori environment.

Patricia Cribben, Children’s House Assistant

I have been a proud employee of Brickton for 18 years, since January 1995.  I became interested in Brickton when I was I college studying psychology and was a nanny part-time for a friend with triplets.  I have worn many hats here at Brickton: volunteer, After School Assistant, Classroom Assistant, and, as of 2008, a Children’s House floater.  My hobbies include art, music, and spending time with my dogs Precious and Shadow.

Volunteer Spotlight

You may have noticed or heard that we have a new basketball hoop in the Great Room.  We would like to extend a big thank you to Mark Santeforte, husband of gym teacher Kerry, for assembling the hoop and David Degand and John Barrett who helped fill the base with sand and moved cabinets to make a space for basketball.  Thank you, gentlemen. 

Runaway Circus Visit

This summer, we have many exciting programs as part of our Summer Camp at Brickton.  One of those programs, Runaway Circus, came to visit this week.  The elementary students received a preview of skills to learn during the Runaway Circus week.  Click here to learn more about Runaway Circus.  You can find out about all the Brickton Summer Camp Programs here.

Brickton Students Being Published

The Elementary and Middle School programs here at Brickton have attended field trips at Open Books, for a creative writing workshop this year where the students worked on their own creative fiction short story.  As a celebration of their 10^th year anniversary, Open Books is publishing an anthology of student created work and four Brickton students pieces have been selected for inclusion in the anthology.  Congratulations Amelia Dolly, Josh Plier, Niamh Duffy, and Tyler Flechs!   

In addition, four Brickton students are being published in Young American Poetry Digest.  This year, the digest highlights haiku poems.  Upper Elementary students Amelia Dolly, Vivian Natura, Ellie Arnoldt, and Simone Leinenweber submitted great work that we are thrilled to announce was accepted for publication.  Congratulation! 

Click this link, or scroll down in the blog to see the students’ submissions. 

After-school Special

During a discussion in one of the Lower Elementary reading teams, one of the students expressed an interest in starting a book club at school.  She wrote a proposal and gave it to Cheryl. 

It was approved and we would like to announce Brickton's first ever After School Book Club!  It will meet for the next 5 Wednesday afternoons (May 1st through May 29th) from 3:05pm until 4:00pm.  We will be reading Falling Up by Shel Silverstein this session.  Selena Brosnan will be the adult consultant.  The students will engage in discussions about writer's intent, their opinions of the book and other literary aspects. 

The book club is open to Lower or Upper Elementary students who love to read!   The members can read the book independently or ask for help from a family member, depending on their reading level so anyone can join.  The cost will be $10 for the 5 week session.  Though the session has already started, you can still join.  Members will be expected to supply their own book.  If you need help locating a copy of the book, please let Selena know. 

Please stop in the office to sign up for this exciting adventure in reading!

Upcoming Events

Manna Orders Due, Friday, May 3rd

Pizza Lunch, Friday, May 3rd
Scholastic Book Orders Due, May 6th

Parent Alliance Meeting, Monday, May 6th, 5:45 pm – 7:00 pm; Care and dinner provided

Board Meeting, Wednesday, May 8th, 7:00 pm

Oberweiss, Thursday, May 9th, 101 S. Northwest Hwy., Park Ridge, IL 60068.  Here’s the coupon.

Band/Choral Concert, Thursday, May 9th, Salvation Army Headquarters, 8354 W. Foster Ave

Friends of Brickton Day, Friday, May 10th

Art Expo, Saturday, May 11th, 10:00 – 12:00.

Celebration Honoring Debbie Kelley & Judy Beyer, Saturday, May 11th, 11:00 am

Staff Appreciation Day, Thursday, May 16th

Cultural Fair, Friday, May 17th

Club Day, Friday, May 24th

Memorial Day, School Closed, Monday, May 27th

Peace Picnic, Friday, May 31st

Last Day of School, Thursday, June 6th

Graduation and Promotion Ceremony, Thursday, June 6th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Irish American Heritage Center, Erin Room

Brickton Student's Creative Writing

Marie At The Lifetime Resort and Water Park

By:  Niamh Duffy

One day my dad said, "Hey guys!  Want a fish?"  "OK, Dad, sure thing, Dad, thanks!" I said.  I was so happy, and I named it Marie.  Marie looked like a splatter of blue paint.  She reminds me of sushi.  She ate my brother's fish's tail off.  My brother was very sad.  I always watch her after school. 

Doodle Land

by Josh Plier

Once upon a time, there was a giant white world called Doodle Land.  In this place, there were colorful people, characters, animals and things beyond your wildest imagination.  When you get there, you hear noises of every kind: laughter, sadness, joy and even excitement.  There are creatures everywhere talking to each other in their own language, saying anything whether you understand them or not.  Feeling them can be very different.  If you feel Wreck-It-Ralph, you feel sharp pointy pixels.  If you feel Mario, it will depend.  But now someone has invented the Doomageddon, a doodle who is always up to no good.  In Doodle Land there's a machine far away from all the Doodles.  It controls and creates all the doodles.  One day, the inventor went and found the machine.  He pulled one lever and made all the doodles in Doodle Land black and white.  Without their colors, the doodles will lose their personalities.  So Kirby, the little pink character in Mario, went to the machine and created the most powerful doodle in all of Doodle Land.  His name was Mr. Josh Strong Arm.  He was brave, strong, handsome, had his weight under control, and was courageous.  He and the Doomageddon fought to the death.  The Doomageddon has an electric whip and Mr. Josh Strong Arm had his fists.  Soon they were fighting: left, right, up, down, side to side, kicking, punching, yelling.  Soon Josh and Doom were dead.  After that, Kirby went back to the machine and remade Mr. Josh Strong Arm.  Mr. Josh Strong Arm and the doodle lived happily ever after.

The Hollys

by Amelia Dolly

Once upon a time, there was a family.  Their last name was Holly.  There was Lily Holly, Greg Holly, Sydney Holly, Gretchin Holly and Olga Holly.  They had a bunch of family in Birmingham, Alabama.  They went to Alabama to celebrate Christmas and sang songs and had a fun time.  They went every year to celebrate and get a lot of presents. 

It was hard to go to sleep because of the 1,000 crickets.  They were all very happy and played with animals all day except for in the morning.  They were very grumpy because they couldn't go to sleep.  Then Lily had an idea to sleep in earmuffs so they could go to sleep and it worked.  They sang and danced and played with their cousins and had a good time and celebrated.  They had a bunch of good nights.  Then they had a big feast and were getting enough sleep.

Amelia Dolly (4th grade) and Vivian Natura (5th grade)

Music

Soothing, relaxing

Different kinds of music

Fun to listen to

Ellie Arnoldt (5th grade) and Simone Leinenweber (6th grade)

Rain

Rain falling to earth

Water dripping on the dirt

Footprints sinking in

Flowers

Day by day it grows

Into a beautiful rose

Blooming all over

Music

Fills your heart with joy

Helps you express your feelings

Inspires people

My Dearest Nintendo

By Tyler Flechs

(Click picture to see a larger version)