Bobcat Blog

• Monday, September 25: District Closed - No School
• Thursday, September 28: Picture Day
• Monday, October 9: Indigeneous Peoples' Day - No School
• Thursday, October 26: Early Student Dismissal at 11:00 am / Conferences
• Friday, October 27: Early Student Dismissal at 11:00 am

• Thank you Fran Knechel, Sara Semelka, and Sharon Wong Hughes for hosting the first Bobcat Farmers' Feast last Sunday
  
• Thank you to the new PTO Board for coming together last week for our first board meeting: Molly Greenwood-Whalen, Kate Boonstra, Curtis Cox, Casey Goldberg, Michele Jurewicz, Audrey Wojtonik, Tawny Lane, Chelsea Hosler and Cheryl Sullivan.

Last Sunday, over 50 people showed up despite the rainy weather ahead of the event. There was produce from the Oak Park Farmers' Market. Lots of kids tried new foods - kale chips were the most popular, along with the cantaloupe and peach-raspberry blondies. The rutabaga purée was a stretch for most, but we had some takers. The Oak Park Public Library’s book bike was a nice feature, too.The hope is to continue and grow this next year. Thanks to all who joined us!! See some photos below.

All fourth and fifth grade students were invited to come to the first Chorus rehearsal last Friday to try it out. If they came back Sept. 22 then Ms. Rosenblum will assume they are committing to being a part of this year's chorus. 4th and 5th grade families: If your child is interested in being a part of this year's chorus, please complete the form below. Thank you.

CHORUS PERMISSION 23-24

We hope you can save the date and join us at school Thursday, November 9 between 6:00 and 7:30 pm for lots of math fun! More information will be coming soon.

On Monday, September 25th the delicious and generous Lou Malnati's Pizzeria (1038 Lake St) is donating back 20% of Dine-In, Takeout & Delivery orders to support a great cause -- William Beye Elementary School!

On behalf of William Beye Elementary School you’re invited to join us and eat out, not only in support of the organization, but to show one of your Oak Park restaurants some love too!

We ask that you RSVP here: https://grouprai.se/e260862 (even if you’re not completely sure) so Lou Malnati's Pizzeria knows roughly how many orders to expect & so you have access to all the event details.

We hope you can make it, and please feel free to forward this invitation to your friends and family. Thanks in advance for your support!

Good bye, Konstella; Hello, Google Workspace!

Hi Beye families! As you may have heard, the PTO has transitioned to Google as our main communication platform. To join your child's classroom group, go to this document, and follow the instructions. Once your request is approved, you'll be notified that you've been added to your child's classroom.

For anyone who doesn't know, Beye has an award winning Green Team! Additionally, I am excited to share that last year the Green Team added a student green team! This came as a result of students wanting to be involved.

If your child would like to participate in the Student Green Team, open to all ages, please complete the form below. The Green Team leaders would like families to complete it by September 26.

Beginning in October, students meet on Wednesdays during their lunch time. They still participate in recess on those days.

https://forms.gle/6pHBx9Jf22GTqzrj7

All district schools and offices will be closed on Monday, Sept. 25. School will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Have a safe and restful weekend!

Click here to view the 2023-24 calendar >>

Kindergartners, Sixth-Graders, and New Students

The State of Illinois requires all kindergarteners, sixth-graders and students new to our district submit a current State of Illinois school physical with up-to-date immunizations. Detailed information on the requirements can be found here under “Health Requirements.”

Please note that according to Section 27-8.1 of the School Code of Illinois, District 97 is obligated to exclude students from school beginning on Monday, Oct. 16 who have not provided proof of the required physical examinations and/or immunizations, until they are in compliance.

If you have been contacted by your school nurse that your child is missing any of the required forms/information, please submit those records directly to them before the Oct. 16 deadline. Thank you for your assistance with this important matter!

Do you want to get involved in your child's classroom, support your child's teacher, and get to know other Beye families? One of the best ways to do this is by becoming a Room Leader. Room Leaders help teachers plan classroom celebrations, recruit other parent helpers, work to plan teacher appreciation week events and coordinate class teacher gifts, and help foster a sense of community among families in their child's class. Thank you to those parents who have already stepped up to volunteer! We are still looking for Room Leaders in 3Chambers/Ferguson, 3Eubeler, 3Law, 1Stewart/Hiatt, 1 Banks (Bowman), KSigunick, and KMilburn. If you don't see your child's class listed here, but are still interested in being a room leader, don't despair! Many of these classes are looking for a second room leader. Ask your child's teacher if you're interested.

Student Green Team

Sign your student up for Student Green Team by 9/25, first session is Wednesday 10/4.

Open to all students!

Meets bi-weekly during lunchtime for the duration of the school year.

https://forms.gle/6pHBx9Jf22GTqzrj7

LUNCHROOM SORTING MONITORS NEEDED- ONE HOUR PER MONTH

Once per month, for one hour (11:40-12:40), help direct students on how to sort their lunch into compost, recycling, food recovery (community pantry collection) and landfill waste in order to support Beye’s zero waste efforts.

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49ADA92CA4FBC70-lunchroom#/

GotSneakers Shoe Drive

Bring in your used gym shoes for recycling and help prevent them from ending up in the landfill. The Beye School PTO gets funds in return for the shoes collected. Learn more at

https://gotsneakers.com/

Brookfield Zoo Fall Recycling Event

Saturday, September 30, 2023

9am-2pm

They will be collecting electronics, textiles and used books, and more. Please see link for more details.

https://czs.org/FallRecyclingDay

Thank you,

Lauren and Kara

Join the 'Beye School Families' Facebook Group to connect with other Beye families and stay in the know about upcoming PTO events/programs

There are still a handful of p.m. session spots available for early childhood blended classrooms at Whittier Elementary School for the 2023-24 school year!

District 97 is seeking students who:

• Are non-IEP students who will be between the ages of 3 and 4 years by Sept. 1, 2023;

• Demonstrate age-appropriate language and social skills;

• Are Oak Park residents;

• Are not enrolled in a preschool program.

Click here to apply to the 2023-24 Early Childhood Blended Program>>

For more information about the Early Childhood Blended Program, including please visit https://www.op97.org/teach-learn/ecblended. The program flyer can be viewed here.

If you have any questions, please contact the district's early childhood coordinator, Michele Suedbeck, at 708-524-3134.

See the flier below for details. For more information including pricing, email:

jodiwalkerspeech@gmail.com

The breakfast and lunch menus for our elementary and middle schools are available at http://www.op97.org/business-office/food-service. During the 2023-24 school year, students may:

• Bring a nut-free lunch from home.
• Order school lunch.

Free and Reduced Lunch Application
Students may receive meals at a free or reduced cost either by being directly approved by the State of Illinois OR being approved after completing the 2023-24 Free and Reduced Lunch Application (English/Spanish). All families who are directly approved by the state will receive an approval letter by email. If you feel your student may qualify for free or reduced priced meals but are not directly approved, we encourage you to complete the application as soon as possible Please visit https://www.op97.org/business-office/food-service for more information.

Cheryl Sullivan

Beye Principal

csullivan@op97.org

Location: 230 North Cuyler Avenue, Oak Park, IL, USA
Phone: 708- 524-3070
Twitter: @MrsSullivand97