Bourbonnais 53 District

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the opening day for the strawbale garden. It was great to be able to visit with people in person! A special thanks to Kelly and the Bourbonnais Library team for all the help.

Good Afternoon, Registration for returning students is now available in Skyward Family Access. Registration for new students can be accessed by selecting the MENU option at www.besd53.org and then going to "New Student Enrollment" in the For Families section. Thanks!

Happy Mother's Day from BESD 53! Thanks for all you do!

BESD#53 is looking to hire a Facilities/Transportation Supervisor. If interested, please apply below: https://www.applitrack.com/besd53/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Maintenance%2fCustodial&AppliTrackJobId=1405&AppliTrackLayoutMode=detail&AppliTrackViewPosting=1

Good Morning! On Saturday, May 15 from 8:00 a.m. to noon, the Iroquois-Kankakee Regional Office of Education's Life Education Center and the Pledge for Life Partnership Youth Advisory Council in collaboration with Project Sun, invite the community to attend Open-Mindedness: End the Stigma, Youth Mental Health and Wellness Fest at the Farmer’s Market in downtown Kankakee.

BESD#53 Families and Community, There will be a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday, April 27th at 7:00 PM. You will notice that we have made some changes with our virtual meeting setup. To watch the Board Meeting, there is now a button on the www.besd53.org homepage labeled "Board Meeting Live Feed." This will connect you to watch the Board Meeting via YouTube. This is a view only stream. If you'd like to address the Board, we are asking you to come to the Board Meeting at the District Office (281 W. John Casey Rd.). We ask that you be present at the beginning of the meeting for the public comment portion of the agenda. At that time, you would then present your short statement and leave the meeting directly afterward as we are still restricted with the number of individuals allowed in the room. You may then watch the remainder of the meeting on the live stream. We look forward to the day when we can be back to a normal board meeting setup, but we are encouraged to be moving forward to this step for public comments. Thank you!

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 26, 2021 Mobile Pantry Pops up Twice in Bourbonnais Secret Food Pantry will host two events Bourbonnais, IL – The Secret Food Pantry will hold two mobile pop-up events this week in the Village of Bourbonnais from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 28th and from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 29th out of the Bourbonnais Municipal Center parking lot at 700 Main Street NW. The Secret Food Pantry’s founder and organizer, MaryLu Kruegr, confirmed anyone in need can come for food; there are no residential or financial restrictions. The pantry instructs attendees not to arrive more than 30 minutes prior and to follow a designated route per the Bourbonnais Police Department, which will be assisting with traffic logistics. For those who are in need, take Illinois Route 102 (Main Street NW) and turn on Stratford Drive East. Follow event signage to William Latham Senior Drive where vehicles will be staged while awaiting entry for food pickup. Pantry organizers ask that attendees do not block any residential or commercial driveways while waiting. The Secret Food Pantry, based out of Godley, accepts financial donations at Financial Plus Credit Union locations. Volunteers are always welcome. Interested parties may reach out to The Original Secret Pantry group on Facebook. To review the pop-up pantry route map, visit: https://www.villageofbourbonnais.com/residents/events.

The Kankakee Health Department is accepting walk-ups today for a Moderna Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic until 5:30 PM. Location: First Church of the Nazarene, 1000 N Entrance Ave. in Kankakee. You must be 18 years old. There are no residency requirements. There is no cost to you. You need to be available for the second does 28 days later.

Good Morning! Access to mental health supports is critical for anyone struggling during the pandemic. Here is some information about how to access care through Riverside Behavioral Medicine.

The Kankakee County Health Department, with assistance from the National Guard will host Covid-19 Vaccine clinics from Tuesday, April 20th to the 22nd, located at Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene 1000 N Entrance Ave., Kankakee (near Bishop Mac High School). Requirements: There are no residency requirements. The age requirement is 18 years old (due to Moderna guidelines). A second dose will be repeated 4 weeks later, so please make sure you are available for BOTH DATES. Click the link to schedule an appointment. https://events.juvare.com/IL-IDPH/7vbvl-98/

Vaccination Clinic KCHD is hosting a Moderna Vaccine Clinic on April 15th. Please click the link below to schedule your appointment. The clinic will be located at 2390 W Station St. in Kankakee If you have already received your vaccine, please disregard this message. You can share the link with other Kankakee County residents. Please note: Please make each person their own appointment. Do not pick two appointments for the same name, the duplicate appointment will be cancelled. The requirements for this clinic: You must live or work in Kankakee County. You must be 18 or older (due to Moderna requirements). https://www.signupgenius.com/go/ModernaApril15

The Secret Food Pantry will hold two mobile pop-up events this week in Bourbonnais. Wednesday, April 14th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Thursday, April 15th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. out of the Bourbonnais Municipal Center parking lot at 700 Main Street NW. According to the Secret Food Pantry’s founder and organizer, MaryLu Kruegr, anyone can come for food; there are no residential or financial restrictions. The pantry instructs attendees not to arrive more than 30 minutes prior and to follow a designated route per the Bourbonnais Police Department, which will be assisting with traffic logistics. For those who are in need, take Route 102/Main Street NW and turn on Stratford Drive East. Follow event signage to William Latham Senior Drive where vehicles will be staged while awaiting entry for food pickup. Pantry organizers ask that attendees do not block any residential or commercial driveways while waiting. The Secret Food Pantry, based out of Godley, accepts financial donations at Financial Plus Credit Union locations. Volunteers are always welcome. Interested parties may reach out to The Original Secret Pantry group on Facebook. To review the pop-up pantry route map, visit: https://www.villageofbourbonnais.com/residents/events.

Hi, Here is a link to the Family Needs Assessment Thought Exchange. Please take a few minutes to participate if you have not yet done so. If you already shared your thoughts and ideas, you might take a minute to review and react to what others have added. Thanks Here is the link: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/828341186 Quick Tips: - This exchange is confidential. Your thoughts will be shared with other participants, but not your identity. - You will see and rate thoughts that others have shared. 5 stars = strongly agree, 1 star = strongly disagree - You do not need to rate all thoughts, though it's recommended to rate at least 20.

BESD#53 is looking for bus drivers, custodians, and seasonal groundsworkers. To apply, please click here: http://www.applitrack.com/besd53/onlineapp/

This Saturday, Project SUN is hosting a Self-Care event for Kankakee area caregivers. Prioritizing You is a program presented by Project SUN and created in partnership with occupational therapy students at Governors State University. This event will highlight the importance of self-care for parents, grandparents, and other caregivers. This virtual program will offer strategies and resources to build important self-care activities into your everyday routine. -Learn how to incorporate self-care into your busy daily routine. -Participate in activities including guided meditation and exercises. Participating caregivers will also receive a free self-care gift package! CLICK HERE to Register NOW!

Riverside Healthcare will host two RX Mobile Food Pantries this week! Thursday, March 25th from 3 to 5 p.m. at Youth For Christ City Life Center, located at 1820 E. Court Street in Kankakee http://bit.ly/RXPantry_K3 Friday, March 26th from 1 to 3 p.m. at Riverside Primary Care, Pembroke, located at 3400 S. Main Street in Hopkins Park http://bit.ly/RXPantry_Pembroke Clinical experts from Riverside including registered dietitians will be available to help participants shop and provide educational support for making a menu. A special Thank You to Northern Illinois Food Bank and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois

BESD#53 Families and Community, There will be a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:00 PM. You will notice that we have made some changes with our virtual meeting setup. To watch the Board Meeting, there is now a button on the www.besd53.org homepage labeled "Board Meeting Live Feed." This will connect you to watch the Board Meeting via YouTube. This is a view only stream. If you'd like to address the Board, we are asking you to come to the Board Meeting at the District Office (281 W. John Casey Rd.). We ask that you be present at the beginning of the meeting for the public comment portion of the agenda. At that time, you would then present your short statement and leave the meeting directly afterward as we are still restricted with the number of individuals allowed in the room. You may then watch the remainder of the meeting on the live stream. We look forward to the day when we can be back to a normal board meeting setup, but we are encouraged to be moving forward to this step for public comments. Thank you!

Hi, Just a quick reminder that there is no school for students on Monday. On Tuesday we return to full days for in person instruction and BUGC remote learners. The hours for remote learners in grades Pre-K to 6 will not change. Thanks and have a nice weekend!

Hi and Happy Spring! I am pleased to share that the Straw Bale Community Garden is coming back after a one year hiatus. This is a great chance to be outdoors and have fun growing things as a community. You do not need to be a green thumb to get involved. We can help you! See the sign up link below. https://forms.gle/zr7Pcd2R5tdL47rb6

Hi, please see this link for information regarding the return to full day instruction. https://tinyurl.com/yf6oufbf