BRUSSELS CUSD 42

🎩 HATS OFF! 🎩 Our elementary students are doing the right thing—even when no one is watching! 💙 Through our Hats Off program, students can be recognized for making good choices, helping a friend, showing kindness, working hard, or simply being a great Eagle! 🦅 When a student earns a Hats Off, their name goes into our popcorn bucket. 🍿 Each week, we draw a winner—but the best part is that everyone’s name stays in the bucket for future drawings! It’s a fun way to celebrate and encourage the little things that make a BIG difference—being kind, working hard, helping others, and making great choices. We are so proud of our Eagles! Keep earning those Hats Off! 🎩💙 Together We Rise!

1st grade drew some spooky skeletons today and then used adjectives to describe them to Mrs. Long during Miss Steward's ELA class!

What a beautiful day to have science outside. 1st/2nd grade learned about diagrams by comparing a pumpkin diagram with a locally grown pumpkin. We labeled all parts of the pumpkin and decided that the diagram accurately described the parts of our pumpkin.

If your child is getting picked up after our Grandparents Day Celebration today, you MUST call the office to let them know. If there is no confirmation from a parent, your child will be sent home on the bus.

Our office phone is 618-946-0072

📊 IAR Data → Instructional Action Using Student Data to Strengthen Teaching & Learning Today was a true meeting of the minds! Our teachers came together to listen, learn, and dig into a presentation led by Mrs. T. Long. Together, we looked closely at our English Language Arts, Math, and Science data from last year’s Illinois Assessment of Readiness. We learned more about what the data tells us, what it means for our students, and—most importantly—how we can use it to drive instruction and strengthen teaching and learning. We are excited to see where this work takes us and how using our data with purpose will help our students continue to learn, grow, and SOAR! 💙📚 Together We Rise!

💻📱 THINK BEFORE YOU POST! 📱💻 Yesterday, our students participated in the Think Before You Post program, and what a great message for our kids! Students learned how the things they post online today can impact their future—including college, careers, and job opportunities. They heard real-world examples of individuals who missed out on jobs because of what potential employers found on their social media. It was an important reminder that your digital footprint matters! We are thankful to Chet for bringing such a relevant and powerful message to our students. Interested in bringing this program to your school? Contact Chet at sportsinkansas@gmail.com. 💙 Another great opportunity to prepare our students for life beyond the classroom! Together We Rise!

A little delayed in sharing, but too meaningful not to post. 🇺🇸 Our Jr. High students took time to remember and honor those whose lives were forever impacted by the events of September 11, 2001. Students worked together to create this 9/11 Remembrance Poster as we reflected on the importance of remembrance, unity, and honoring the heroes who showed incredible courage that day. We will never forget. ❤️🤍💙 #NeverForget #September11 #TogetherWeRise

5th grade Social Studies class enjoying their first weekly "Cocoa Circle" time. Each week we will make a cup of warm cocoa and discuss the lessons we had in class. This week was all about Native American Cultural Regions.

As part of their Fall science study the 1st/2nd graders adopted mini pumpkins. They promised to take care of them and read to them everyday.

The 3rd/4th grade science class put all their skills to work during their Speed and Energy lab. They used timers, measuring tapes , and engineering skills to complete tables and graphs to complete their lab.

5th grade completed a common and proper noun challenge in Miss Steward's ELA class today. They work extremely hard and did great!

Mrs. Cundiff's 1st/2nd grade Social Studies class had a great time learning about wants, needs, income, and services. We read stories, played the Market Place game, earned an income by cleaning our playground and then walked to the Red and White store to make a real life connection to our learning.

Tutoring will be available every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:15-4:15pm for 6th-12th graders.

Students are encouraged to attend to get questions answered, get caught up on assignments, or just get extra support.💙🤍

#TogetherWeRise

We would like to congratulate our Raiders golf team on a great last home match. It was Senior night, so we especially want to recognize Tanner Churchman and Henry Barczewski. Tanner came in 1st last night with a 42 and Henry came in 2nd with a 43. We are all very proud of the growth they have showed over the years and their dedication to the sport really shows. They have truly been an asset to the team, and it's been a joy to coach them. Tanner and Henry, we will really miss you next year, but know that you will both succeed in your future endeavors. Everyone wish them good luck tomorrow for our Regional match at Rolling Greens Golf Course in Mt. Sterling.

Last week, our kindergarten class was busy learning their ABCs and 123s! Students joined in the Homecoming dress-up fun, became illustrators, and shared their stories with classmates. In honor of Johnny Appleseed’s birthday, they also learned all about apples. They labeled the parts of an apple, investigated apples up close, and enjoyed a taste test!

📢 Community Bus Route Alert

Good Morning Brussels Families,

Tomorrow afternoon, September 29, Bruce's bus will run both bus routes due to a staffing shortage. He will have students home as soon as possible. If you are available, you can also choose to pick your child up.

If anyone is interested in serving as a substitute bus driver, please contact the school office at 618-883-2131.

We appreciate your flexibility, patience, and understanding as we work to make sure our students get home safely.

🔐 Keeping Safety a Priority at Brussels CUSD #42 If you’ve visited our schools recently, you may have noticed an important upgrade to our exterior doors and entry systems. These improvements are another step in our continued commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for our students and staff. A big thank you to Tech Electronics for their work and assistance in making these upgrades possible! When visiting our schools, simply ring the bell at the entrance, and a member of our staff will promptly assist you and buzz you in. We appreciate the cooperation of our families and community as we continue working together to keep our schools safe. 💙🤍

Homecoming Week Day 5: Field Day and Dance Decorating I’m not sure anyone truly knows the amount of time, energy, and effort that goes into making a whole week of Homecoming happen. I know I am worn out come Saturday. However, it is all worth it knowing the students are making memories they will never forget. We spent Friday hosting an all day field day for the students. It was filled with games, competition, maybe a few heated arguments, food, and plenty of laughter. Friday evening we decorated the cafeteria for the Homecoming dance. A lot of time, creativity, and work goes into making the cafeteria look amazing, but these students and teachers executed. The backdrop for both coronation and the dance are top notch, and the decorations make the cafeteria look beautiful. None of this could be possible though without the help of everyone. It truly does take a village.

Homecoming Week Day 4: Bonfire Thursday evening we celebrated Homecoming with our 1st annual bonfire on the Brussels High School front lawn. The Pep Club teamed up with the Army National Guard of Illinois and brought the community and students a night to be remembered. Between the free s’mores, the giant obstacle course, and a roaring fire, everyone had a fantastic evening. This event could not have been possible without the continued support of the Brussels community and the devoted teachers and students. A special thanks though to the Army National Guard for elevating our event and providing all the inflatables, s’mores, and hot dogs.

Homecoming Week Day 2: Parade What a great way to kick off Homecoming Week. We began the fall parade in 2019, and the students have been executing it ever since. This year, Camryn Klaas did an amazing job contacting participants and getting everything organized. A special thanks to the Brussels fire department and the Calhoun sheriff’s office who helps without hesitation, provides fire trucks, and blocks off the road making the parade possible. The students' floats also were top notch this year. They took the Under the Sea theme and went with it. The veteran float was a success too and a huge shout out to all those military veterans who came out and to Billy Hartle for volunteering to drive them. And how could I not end this post without saying thank you to the community. Every year, you guys volunteer to be in the parade or you come out and line the streets to show your support for the school. Our very own Bruce offered to lend us his side by side when the PTO one fell through. This is what Brussels is all about, helping out whenever needed.