BJHS | January 2024 Newsletter

BROOKWOOD

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Our custodial and administrative staff have worked hard over the Winter Break, ensuring the school is ready for students to return on Wednesday, January 10th.

The school has been given a deep cleaning to ensure students return to a clean and germ-free environment. brookwood junior high school jill larson | principal

201 glenwood-lansing road glenwood, il 60425

Student Safety Drop-Off & Pick-Up Procedures Students should arrive at school no earlier than 8:10 a.m. and be picked up after school no later than 3:15 p.m.

If a student is being dropped off or picked up, the driver must adhere to the one-way sign at the entrance of the parking lot. Drivers must NEVER go the wrong way in the parking lot, as this is unsafe for students and staff. Thank you for being so cooperative!

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

--Albert Einstein

From The Principal...

Jill Larson | Principal

As the weather gets colder, there is a chance that in-school attendance could be disrupted due to severe weather. Please ensure your child can access a home computer if we need to go remote due to severe winter weather. Every child has access to a home computer. If your child needs a home computer, please contact the school office at (708) 758-5252, and we can arrange for an electronic device pick-up. It is very important that your child be in attendance every day, even on remote learning days.

sports season is underway!

As students return to school on January 10th, our girls volleyball season will be getting underway! Please come out and support your child as they participate in their athletic events. Our boys basketball team, wrestling team, and cheerleaders continue to work hard and improve each week.

Please come out and support all our Brookwood Bulldog athletes!

As always, don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teachers for any questions/concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can assist, and know that my door is always open. I can be reached at the school number (708) 758-5252, by email jlarson@brookwood167.org or by cell phone at (708) 362-0115. I am honored to serve as your principal.

On behalf of the Brookwood Jr. High School staff, have a safe, joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

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MISSION STATEMENT | WE BELIEVE!

BROOKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 167 | MISSION STATEMENT challenged to the highest level of academic and artistic excellence.

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In the importance of staff development opportunities based on best practices and educational research.

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We Believe...

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Families shape their children’s motivation, confidence, and academic success by being interested and involved in their overall development.

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All students are unique and should be

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” --Vince Lombardi

In educating our children in a safe and nurturing environment with access

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improvement in all aspects

to state-of-the-art

of the school system

technology.

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In continuous

to foster a culture of

The school system should

excellence, accountability,

teach students to think

and integrity.

critically, enabling them to become contributing citizens in our global society.

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In responsible stewardship of financial and physical resources.

Excellence... Potential...

Achieve...

Brookwood School District 167, in partnership with parents and the community, will create a learning environment where all students excel at becoming lifelong learners and decisionmakers.

Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

BROOKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 167 | VISION “Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it.” --Maya Angelou

Our overall vision is to improve the achievement of all WE ARE COMMITTED TO: 1. Providing students with highly qualified teachers

students, regardless of race, socio-economic status, gender, or ability levels (disabilities). We share the accountability of student achievement throughout the school. We believe in using research-based

2. Providing our staff with Professional Development

practices to achieve our goals. We promote school and community involvement because we believe that these partnerships help us meet the needs of all of our students.

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Student Dress Code Brookwood Jr. High School believes that student dress and overall appearance should foster a positive and productive environment and reflect pride in oneself and our school. We further believe that student dress and appearance are shared home and school responsibilities. The administration will make the final judgment on the appropriateness of clothing and/or appearance and reserves the right to prohibit students from wearing any clothing or other items that lead to or may foreseeably result in the disruption of, or interference with, the school environment.

Please read our Parent Student Handbook for specific dress code expectations.

Reporting An Absence...

Communication & Information Healthy communication between the school and home is essential, and we are working to provide numerous ways for this vital communication. To help suppress paper usage, we will continue providing information using digital communication as much as possible.

We encourage you to do the following to help us communicate with you:

Parents must call the

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Please ensure we have an accurate email address. If you are not receiving any Dojo messages from us, then it probably means we have incorrect information on our end.

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Please sign up for the digital tools that Brookwood School District and the school have provided.

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These include: - Class Dojo - Power School Parent Portal

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Please talk with your child’s teacher about Google Classroom and how it can be used as a communication tool.

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Please follow us on Facebook

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Please visit our website at www.brookwood167.org

school to report their child absent before 8:30 a.m. The number for reporting absences is (708) 757-2115.

Official attendance will be reported every morning by 9:00 a.m.

Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

Keep Them Home...

If my child is sick, when should I keep them home?

If a child has any symptoms listed below, they should stay home in the morning or go home if these symptoms first occur at school.

When a child can return to school is based on the specific symptom they have:

If You Answered “YES”...

If you answered “YES” to any of the

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Fever of 100.4 or higher

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New onset of moderate to severe headache

Please call the school to report your child’s

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Shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat

absence (708) 758-5252 (Option 1).

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Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea

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Abdominal pain from unknown cause

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New congestion/runny nose

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New loss of sense, taste or smell

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Fatigue from unknown cause

EarPods. These items should only be used by the

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Muscle or body aches

individual who they belong to.

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sympthons, your child MUST stay home!

Health Tip...

One precaution to help stop the spread of germs is to not share personal items. Some of these include water bottles, lip balms, hats, hairbrushes, and

Keep your child reading...

Readers Are Leaders Holiday break is not a time just for worksheets and textbooks;

Visitors...

If you need to come into the school for any reason, you will need to have a current Driver’s

your child should continue learning. The best way is to read a little bit every day. And that means reading more than text messages!

Here’s how: •

may enjoy watching movies during winter break. Encourage

License that will be checked in

her to watch at least one based on a book--and read the

our Raptor Security System.

book first. Give books as gifts. If your child will receive a gift

Raptor® provides a line of

this month, consider giving him/her a book or a gift card to

sight as to who is always in our school.

The system provides school and

District-wide

reporting

for all visitors, volunteers, and contractors that have signed in/ out of our buildings.

Link movies to books. Like many others, your middle schooler

a bookstore. Suggest this to other family members as well.

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Read for a purpose. Practical reading--the kind you do to learn a skill--is both fun and informative. If your child enjoys cooking, they could read and try a recipe. They could read the instruction manual and assemble one if they like gadgets.

They could check the newspaper to see how their favorite teams are faring if they like sports.

This is important for safety reasons.

SCHOOL SAFETY! Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

Important Attendance Information

ATTENDANCE MATTERS!

Daily attendance is required. If your child anticipates being absent, please make sure the reason is valid. A student that is chronically absent is defined as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause for more than 5% of the last 180 school days. This is a matter of concern as the Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 5/26-2a considers a truant rate of more than 5% of the last 180 days to be excessive.

Students who are frequently absent often miss important information being taught, fall behind, and lose interest in school. An improvement in attendance may help a child achieve better grades and feel better about himself/herself. Counseling services and tutoring will be provided to chronically absent students, along with a check-in and check-out program of support.

Suppose a child continues to be absent or tardy without a valid excuse. In that case, the Regional Superintendent/South Cook Intermediate Service Center will be notified, and measures will be taken to address this concern more seriously. If your child is struggling with attending school consistently, we must work together to improve their attendance, as this will improve their chances of school success.

I commend the families for instilling in their children the importance of being present daily. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance, please reach out to our Social Workers.

Ms. Adams | (708) 758-5252 extension 5320 | ladams1@brookwood167.org Ms. Watt | (708) 758-5252 extension 5331 | jwatt@brookwood167.org

100%

We celebrated (32) students with PERFECT attendance

80%

for September, (51) students with PERFECT attendance

60%

for October, and (81) students with PERFECT for

40%

November!

20% 0% September Student Attendance October Student Attendance November Student Attendance

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A student who misses ten (10) days is 25% less likely to enroll in college. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to graduate and find good jobs.

Parent Involvement Our focus this year continues to be on parent involvement!

We want to create a welcoming environment for all our parents and continue this vital partnership throughout the school year.

Our next Parent Teacher Conferences are on February 8th, 2023.

Attending Parent–Teacher Conferences is one way to be involved and help your child succeed.

A Parent–Teacher conference is an excellent opportunity to:

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Discuss your child’s progress

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Share your child’s strengths and needs

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Work with the teacher to help your child do well

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

in school Conferences focus on learning, although behavior and social concerns might be discussed. The teacher will review your child’s progress, including strengths and areas needing improvement.

If you cannot attend our Parent-Teacher Conferences, please contact our Assistant Principal to set up a meeting with your child’s teachers.

To schedule a meeting, please email Ms. London at slondon@brookwood167.org or call the school at (708) 758-5252.

Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

CLASSDOJO School Supplies Once again, our Superintendent and Board of Education have decided to provide our students with a set of school supplies to use at school and a set to use at home!

If your child needs any additional resources or supplies for any of their classes, please get in touch with our school office at (708) 758-5252, so

ClassDojo is a global community of more than 50 million teachers and families who come together to share kids’ most important learning moments, in school and at home —through photos, videos, messages, and more.

CLASSDOJO IS ACTIVELY USED IN 90% OF U.S. K-8 SCHOOLS

we can help provide them with all necessary and needed materials.

ClassDojo is a “FREE” app that helps build amazing classroom and school communities. Teachers give feedback to students for any skill, like “Working hard” and “Being curious.”

From the mobile app, parents view their child’s feedback, and can message directly with teachers and school leaders. Please join my ClassDojo so you can stay informed on what is happening at BROOKWOOD JR. HIGH. If you would like to join, please accept the invitation that we emailed to you

Technology Help Desk If your child is having any technology problems connecting to their teacher’s Google Classroom, please get in touch with our help desk at (708) 300-3553 or email our help desk helpdesk@brookwood167.org Please leave a detailed message with your name, child’s name, phone number, and the issue you are having with the device.

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or texted you, or contact the school at (708) 758-5252, email, jlarson@ brookwood167.org, or cell phone, (708) 362-0115. All you will need to provide is your cell phone number or email address.

GET INVOLVED & STAY INFORMED!

Kids have always learned together in physical spaces. Today, they learn in virtual spaces, too. Now that ClassDojo has connected a worldwide community of teachers, kids, and families, we’re building that virtual space for everyone...

As a part of PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports), teachers, administrators, and support staff have the responsibility to TEACH positive behavior expectations to our students.

This education results in students knowing precisely what is expected of them and a framework of evidence-based behavioral supports and interventions in an integrated curriculum to enhance the social behavior and academic atmosphere for our diverse body of students throughout the school.

Lessons take place in several ways, and the environment for the expectations. For example, teachers will do short lessons each week on a specific expectation, the staff on lunch duty will discuss lunchroom expectations, and on Fridays, students complete a Kahoot or Blooket quiz to review the expectations they have been learning about all week. Posters or anchor charts have been created for different building areas to remind the students and staff about the expected behaviors.

While these strategies may not eliminate all problem behaviors, they create consistency, predictability, and a more positive atmosphere. They teach new skills to help children get their needs met. The solid foundation will help even if challenging behaviors persist by creating a bedrock for additional support layers.

Here are places to seek additional information: •

Parenting with Positive Behavior Support: A Practical Guide to Resolving Your Child’s Difficult Behavior

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Home and Community Based Positive Behavior Support Facebook Page

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Home and Community PBS Website

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Parent Center Hub Positive Behavior Supports Resource Collection

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Intensive Intervention: An Overview for Parents and Families

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The Association for Positive Behavior Support

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Getting Behavior in Shape at Home

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Family Resources for Challenging Behavior

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The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) Resource Library, articles in multiple languages Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

All Brookwood Jr. High School teachers use an online grading system called PowerSchool that they update every Thursday.

We encourage you to check your child’s progress regularly.

This program is

entirely confidential; therefore, you will need an access username and password to see your child’s progress.

If you need your username and/or password, please get in touch with the school office at (708) 758-5252. A PowerSchool app for your cellular phone makes it easy for parents to stay updated on their child’s progress.

Honor Roll n

Daily Bell Schedule

School Hours | 8:30 a.m. - 3:10 p.m.

High Honor Roll

Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Students are given a quarterly

SEL Meeting

8:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.

1st Period 2nd Period 3rd Period

8:50 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

9:45 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.

10:40 a.m. - 11:35 a.m.

4th Period

7th Grade Lunch | 11:35 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.

8th Grade Class | 11:35 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

7th Grade Class | 12:05 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

8th Grade Lunch | 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

5th Period 6th Period

1:00 p.m. - 1:55 p.m.

1:55 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.

SEL Meeting

2:50 p.m. - 3:10 p.m.

Dismissal

3:10 p.m.

Extra-Curricular Activities

3:10 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.

report card at BJHS. If a student earns an academic G.P.A. of 3.95 or higher, he/she is placed on the High Honor Roll.

If a student makes an academic grade of 3.45 - 3.94, he/she is placed on the Honor Roll.

Students earning those honors will be invited to a special Student Recognition Luncheon each quarter.

7th grade students who make the High Honor Roll all four (4) quarters will be inducted into the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) at our awards assembly in May!

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Sports

Any student planning on participating in a sport must have a current physical on file (good for one (1) year).

Did You know?

We do not have tryouts for any of our sports teams. If your child wants to participate, they just need to show up for practice! Please encourage your child to get involved!

Fall Sports

Winter Sports

Cross Country

Wrestling

Girls Basketball

Girls Volleyball

Boys Basketball

Boys Volleyball

Spring Sports

Track

Cheerleading WE BELONG TO THE SOUTH SUBURBAN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (SSJHSA) & THE ILLINOIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (IESA)

Get Involved...

All students are welcome to join our Sports Teams!

Athletes will compete against nine (9) other schools in our Conference.

Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

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January 8th - 9th

Teacher Institute Day | NO SCHOOL!

January 10th

School Resumes!

Girls Volleyball @ Hart | 4:15 p.m.

Boys Basketball @ Home Vs. Hart | 4:15 p.m.

Lunch With First Responders January 11th

Girls Volleyball @ Home Vs. Parker | 4:15 p.m.

Boys Basketball @ Parker | 4:15 p.m.

January 15th

MLK Celebration | NO SCHOOL!

January 16th

Schoolwide Spelling Bee

Wrestling Meet @ Peotone | 4:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball @ Home Vs. Memorial | 4:15 p.m.

January 17th

ACCESS Testing Begins

Art Institute Field Trip | Select 8th Graders

Vision Board Activity | Select 8th Graders

Boys Basketball @ Home Vs. Crete | 4:15 p.m.

Girls Volleyball @ Crete | 4:15 p.m.

January 18th

Wrestling @ Gurrie Middle School | 4:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball @ Columbia | 4:15 p.m.

Girls Volleyball @ Home Vs. Columbia | 4:15 p.m.

January 19th

Early Dismissal | 2:00 p.m.

End of Quarter 2 January 20th - 25th

7th Grade Boys Basketball IESA Regionals | TBD

Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

January 22nd

Girls Volleyball @ Colin Powell | 4:15 p.m.

Boys Volleyball @ Home Vs. Colin Powell | 4:15 p.m.

Chess @ Home Vs. Colin Powell | 4:15 p.m.

January 23rd

NJHS Field Trip | Food Pantry

January 24th

Chess @ CHMS | 4:15 p.m.

Girls Volleyball @ Home Vs. CHMS | 4:15 p.m.

Boys Volleyball @ CHMS | 4:15 p.m.

Wrestling @ New Lenox Liberty | 4:30 p.m.

January 25th

Girls Volleyball @ Home Vs. Huth | 4:15 p.m.

Wrestling @ Manhattan | 4:30 p.m.

January 26th

Museum of Science and Industry | Field Trip

January 27th - February 1st

IESA Boys Basketball Regionals | 8th Grade | TBD

January 27th

Wrestling @ New Lenox Liberty | 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

January 30th

Girls Volleyball @ Home Vs. Obama | 4:15 p.m.

Boys Volleyball @ Obama | 4:15 p.m.

January 31st

Vision Board Activity | Select 8th Graders

Girls Volleyball @ Huth | 4:15 p.m.

Boys Volleyball @ Home Vs. Huth | 4:15 p.m.

Chess @ Home Vs. Huth | 4:15 p.m.

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Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

Student Engagement

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Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

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Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

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Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

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Brookwood Junior High School | January Newsletter

BROOKWOOD

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

“BULLDOGS” BROOKWOOD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 201 GLENWOOD-LANSING ROAD GLENWOOD, IL 60425 708 758 5252 JILL LARSON | PRINCIPAL