Bobcat Blog

• Sunday, February 4: Beye PTO is hosting a Lunar New Year Celebration in the Commons from 3pm-5pm.
  
• Wednesday, February 6 - February 9: Book Fair
• Thursday, February 7: Student Dismissal at 11:00 am
• Thursday, February 7: Conference Day (please see note below)
• Friday, February 8: Student Dismissal at 11:00 am
• Wednesday, February 14: Staff Meeting
• Saturday, February 17: Black History Month Beye PTO Celebration (see details below)
• Monday, February 19: No School in Observance of Presidents' Day

• Thank you to Molly Greenwood-Whalen (PTO President) for leading the general PTO meeting last week
• Thank you to Steve Miller who came from the PING! organization to speak with us. (see the flyer below)
• Thank you to Adam Belcoure for organizing a very successful Pancake Breakfast. It was so wonderful to see so many Beye families in attendance. Bravo!!
• Thank you to the following parents who helped with the breakfast: (Adam Belcoure, Aly Schoenfeldt, Fran Knechel, Chad Maxwell, Karen Migneault, Allison Roche, Matt Moran, Charity Caldwell, Martin Polivka, Melissa DeSimone, Ellen Parker, Tre Peckat, Christina and Michael Townsend, Gordon Ferguson, Justin Gershenson-Gates, Jessica Daly, Lily Lopez, Morgen Alexander, Laura Wylie, Samantha Martorano, Kiri Svejda, Lindsay Woods, Kate Boonstra, Laura Barnard, Lindsay Gaskins, Josie Burden, Amy McKerns, Torine Pasek, and Eranthie Mendis)
• Thank you to the following students who helped with the breakfast: (Nolan Townsend, Max Townsend, Simon Vos, Lincoln Belcoure, Ian Whalen, Colin Whalen, Grace Boonstra, Kathryn McKerns, Emmy Cregler, Josie Burden, and Felix Breuer)
• Thank you to the Celebrity Flippers: Gabby Rosenblum, Chaz Simatic, and Bob Foote
• Thank you to ALL of the Beye families who came to the Pancake Breakfast and contributed to the PTO

**I am sorry if I missed someone. Please email me to let me know so I may acknowledge you.

February is an action-packed month! We look forward to seeing you next week in person or via google meets for the family conferences. We want 100% conference attendance. If you are in the building, please check out the Lost and Found by Exit 5E, near the stairwell. There are so many, many hats, gloves, sweatshirts, etc. ready to be reunited with their owners.

We really hope you can join us Sunday, February 4 for the Lunar Celebration. See details below. Thank you to the PTO for sponsoring and organizing this important event.

There are many opportunities listed below where we need your help. Thank you for signing up if you can to help Sunday with the Lunar Celebration, to help with the Book Fair which supports the PTO, and the staff lunch Thursday. I was so energized after seeing so many at the Pancake Breakfast. I hope to see many Sunday as well.

As noted above, students have early dismissal both Thursday and Friday at 11:00 a.m. Most conferences take place Thursday, February 8. Thank you for being on time for your conference, and if in person, knocking on the door if it is your time slot.

Thank you so much in advance if you can help contribute to the staff lunch on Thursday. It is greatly appreciated. (see sign up below)

The specialists at Beye are available to meet and discuss your child’s progress at scheduled conferences on Thursday, February 8 between 12-7 p.m.

To sign up, click the Google Calendar Appointments link for that teacher, click the right arrow to go forward to February 8, then choose the appointment and fill in your student’s name.

Please add Google Meet in the notes if you would prefer a remote conference.

(Some of our teachers travel between several schools, and will ONLY be available via Google Meet, as indicated below.)

Beye Special Area Conferences

Mx. Suhs and Ms. Luhrs are advising Kaleidoscope, a group for LGBTQ+, non-binary, and allied 4th and 5th grade students. The intent is to create a safe space for discussion and expression as well as explore ways to make Beye a more inclusive community.

Kaleidoscope Permission Slip

Oak Park Ed Foundation is teaming up with Beye teachers and staff to offer some amazingly fun classes after school that will keep your kids engaged during these long, cold afternoons. The classes take place right after school so there is no extra work on your part to get your kids to another location to try something new. How great is that?!

Classes are for all Beye students, K-5th grade, and offer a variety of options including Drill Team, Multi-Sport Madness (Spanish-Immersive), Spheros Robotics (free for kids on free/reduced lunch!), Dungeons and Dragons/Table-Top Gaming and Chess. Classes run February 12th through May 10th.

On February 4th, the Beye PTO is hosting a Lunar New Year Celebration in the Commons from 3pm-5pm. There will be themed craft stations, story time, food, and a dragon dance! Please bring your families and join the fun! We also need your help to make this event wonderful - if you would like to volunteer for the event, please go to this sign-up form.

Calling all volunteers! The annual book fair will be held Wednesday, February 7th through Friday the 9th. We’ll need volunteers for set up and break down (four hour shifts) and register/general fair help (two hour shifts). Link to sign up is here.

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0D4BAAA72CA7FA7-47255237-beye

Dear Beye Families,

As you know, Parent-Teacher conferences are coming up and the PTO would like to provide our hard working teachers and staff with a meal on Thursday, February 8th. Please check out the categories below and consider signing up to contribute, or volunteering with set up or clean up. Food can be homemade or store bought, but please make sure that everything is NUT-FREE! All food should be dropped off on Thursday morning, from 8-10:30. Any questions, or if you need to make other arrangements, please email Molly Greenwood-Whalen at president@beyeschoolpto.org Thank you! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B49AAAE2AA1FE3-47469038-spring

Lift Every Voice and Sing!

On February 17th from 10am - 12pm, we will gather in the Beye Auditorium to introduce a Black History Playlist along with Fun, Food and Fellowship.

Volunteers are needed to help serve food - Reach out to Dessalina at dndc36@gmail.com

We are bringing it back! SAVE THE DATE! The Beye School PTO basketball tournament will be on April 7th at 1PM. We are currently looking for volunteers to help make the event a success. If you’re interested in helping prepare for or during the event, please email Michele at michelejurewicz@gmail.com

State of the PTO

January 2024

Our many working groups have been hard at work the first half of the year and are excited to share some of the things they’ve been doing.

Parents/guardians all 10 of our schools are encouraged to take the Illinois 5Essentials Survey between January 30 through March 29, 2024: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/.

Thank you for participating in this important endeavor and for your continued support of our schools and the children we serve.

Accelerated Learning - Family Information Session on Feb. 7

Join District 97 for an Accelerated Learning Family Information Night on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Brooks Middle School. The session will include a presentation that outlines the process and requirements for:

• Single-subject and whole-grade acceleration (Grades K-8)

• Middle School Math Enrichment Program (Grades 5-7)

• Summer Math Review (Grades 5-7)

Click here to view the event flyer >>

For more information about the process for single subject and whole grade acceleration, please visit https://www.op97.org/teach-learn/acceleration.

Emergency Closings and E-Learning Days

Please take a moment to review the information shared in the district’s Weekly Wrap-Up on Dec. 1 regarding winter preparedness.

The district’s emergency closing and E-Learning procedures are outlined in this brief deck; full details are posted at https://www.op97.org/communications/emergency-closings.

Cold Weather Reminders for Families
District 97 believes it is important for students to have opportunities for physical activity and play time during the day—even during the cold winter months. This winter, students will be permitted to go outside for recess when the temperature, with wind chill, is 15 degrees or higher. The district utilizes the Wind Chill Chart developed by the National Weather Service.

• It is important that students dress in warm layers when cold temperatures are expected. Students should remember to bring hats, gloves/mittens, scarves, coats, snow pants and boots. It is recommended that families label these items with their children’s names.

• Our staff will carefully monitor students while outside and take the necessary steps to ensure students are appropriately clothed/prepared for the cold weather, watching out for signs of frostbite and other cold-related issues.

Keeping Our Schools Healthy

This season, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is encouraging individuals to be aware of respiratory viruses, including the flu, RSV and COVID-19. CLICK HERE to watch a brief video of everyday strategies to keep our schools healthy this winter >>

January 19, 2024

Dear Beye Family,

We have been using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom and across the district to teach important social-emotional skills, such as getting along with others, solving problems, and managing emotions. The program also helps our schools to be safe and supportive places where everyone can learn.

The Second Step program provides instructional materials, called Child Protection Units, that are aligned with Erin’s Law, an Illinois state law that requires all public schools to implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program. For more information on Erin’s Law, please go to https://www.erinslawillinois.org/.

Beginning in February, your child’s Second Step teacher(s) will be teaching the lessons from the Child Protection Unit to teach students the following skills:

Personal Safety: Students will learn important safety rules and ways to stay safe. They will also learn ways to help them decide if something is safe or not.

Touching Safety: Students will learn about safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches, and rules about touching private body parts.

Assertiveness: These lessons will also give students a chance to practice asking an adult for help, telling an adult about an unsafe situation, and being assertive to get out of unsafe situations.

To keep your child safe and protected, everyone at school needs to be involved. All of our staff members receive special training on how to:

• Recognize and report suspected child sexual abuse;

• Respond to and support children who have been abused or who are facing other challenges;

• Use strategies that promote a safe and supportive school climate.

For more information on the Second Step Child Protection Unit resources, please go to www.SecondStep.org, create an account and log in through My Dashboard with the activation key for your child’s grade level provided below.

• Pre Kindergarten: CPUEFAMILYGE

• Kindergarten: CPUKFAMILYGK

• 1st grade: CPU1FAMILYG1

• 2nd grade: CPU2FAMILYG2

• 3rd grade: CPU3FAMILYG3

• 4th grade: CPU4FAMILYG4

• 5th grade: CPU5FAMILYG5

District 97 acknowledges that families/caregivers are the primary educators for their children on sensitive matters such as this. If you have any questions about Erin’s Law and/or Second Step’s Child Protection Units, or if you do not want your child to participate in these lessons, please contact Karen Foleno, Student Support Specialist, at kfoleno@op97.org and Lori Janu-Chossek, Social Worker, at ljanu-chossek@op97.org by January 26, 2024.

Thank you for helping us make our schools supportive places, where students feel safe and a sense of belonging.

Sincerely,

Michele Capio

Director of Universal Design for Learning

Register at www.opybs.org. Early bird rates are available through January 8, 2024.

· T-Ball Leagues: $155 early bird rate ($200 regular rate)

· All Other Leagues: $200 early bird rate ($250 regular rate)

OPYBS has moved from TeamSnap to Crossbar for registration and team management. Birth certificates are needed for new and existing players.

If you have any questions you can reach out to Kelly Smith. (email vallaney@gmail.com or cell 312.399.0094)

Aftercare on-site at Beye School, M-F through 6pm, with By Discovery:

By Discovery Art Enrichment Program currently has full and part time openings, M-F. We also have limited need-based scholarships available, offering a 50% reduction in the program fee. Jocelyne Adkins, Program Director & Lead Art Educator, is a former Beye parent who founded By Discovery in 2011 (formerly Beye Discovery). Students enjoy outdoor play everyday, weather permitting. Projects include painting, illustration, sculpture, clay, fiber/textile art, collage and printmaking. Follow us on Instagram at by_discovery_llc to see what our students are creating with us. To register, please visit https://forms.gle/YDLD31eMuELySwZg9 or visit https://www.bydiscovery.org/ For questions, please contact Jocelyne at jocelyne@bydiscovery.org Thank you!

You do not need to be a Green Team member to volunteer. There are lots of options for one time or recurring volunteering shifts.

Lunchroom sorting sign up here

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0E49ADA92CA4FBC70-lunchroom

Student Green Team, Earth Month Events, First Grade Garden, Shoe Drive, and Food Recovery sign up here

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0E49ADA92CA4FBC70-45667625-beye

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