ISSUE: 007 / MARCH YEAR: 2022
BROOKWOOD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL I want to begin by thanking you all for your patience and support during this snowy/icy February. Hopefully March will bring us more pleasant weather days, but this is Illinois so snow could still be in the forecast. We are very proud of our 7th grade boys’ basketball team who brought home the State Championship for the first time in our school’s history! The boys beat Monticello Middle School to earn the title. It was a very exciting game and our boys played hard and were able to come out on top! I encourage students to think back to their excitement and focus when the school year began in August, and to use that energy, and set goals for the second half of the year. The start of a new semester offers students the opportunity to have a clean slate and a renewed outlook for success. Just a reminder that this month students will be taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness State Assessment Exam. Our students take federally required assessments every spring. These assessments help us understand how our students are growing academically, compared to their peers across the state. The state uses this information to provide more support and resources to the schools in the greatest need. If you have questions and or concerns, we want to hear from you. We thank you again for your support and your cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns, I can be reached at the school number (708) 758-5252, by email jlarson@brookwood167.org or by cell phone, (708) 362-0115.
TECHNOLOGY HELPLINE If your child is having any technology problems connecting to their teacher’s Google Classroom, please contact our help desk at (708) 300-3553 or email our help desk: helpdesk@brookwood167.org What is ClassDojo? Reporting of Absence(s): Parents must call the school to report their child absent before 8:30 a.m. The number for reporting absences is (708) 758-5252, Option 1. Official attendance will be reported every morning at 9:00 a.m. If your child joins a teacher’s classroom late, they will be marked tardy in PowerSchool, and you will be notified through the Principal’s ClassDojo.
PLEASE JOIN OUR CLASSDOJO’S AND STAY INFORMED! It is important that you sign up for the Principal’s Class Dojo. I post important information such as if a bus is running late, important reminders regarding picture day, graduation information and other important topics. Please sign up today! ClassDojo is actively used in 90% of U.S. K-8 schools. 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.”
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 or texted you, or contact the school at (708) 7585252, 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 and STAY INFORMED!
From the mobile app, parents view their
STUDENT SUPPORT INTERVENTION (SSI) If you missed Parent Teacher Conferences on January 31st and you would like to schedule a Student Support Intervention (SSI) Meeting for your child, please contact the school office at (708) 758-5252 and we would be happy to schedule it for you. We hold SSI meetings in person at 7:45 A.M. or 3:15 P.M. We can also hold them virtually if needed. Please let us know if you would like to schedule a meeting or conference with your child’s teachers.
VISION Our
overall
Vision
becoming lifelong learners and decision makers.
is
to
improve the achievement of all students, regardless of
•
or
ability
levels
(disabilities). We share the accountability of
student
achievement
throughout the school. We
•
believe in using researchbased 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.
We are Committed to: •
•
•
POWERSCHOOL
environment with access to state-of-the-art
Families shape their children’s motivation,
In educating our children in a safe and nurturing
We Believe:
race, socio-economic status, gender,
•
technology. •
The school system
confidence, and
should teach students to
academic success by
think critically enabling
being interested and
them to become
involved in their overall
contributing citizens in
development.
our global society.
All
In continuous
School teachers use an
All students are unique
•
Brookwood
Jr.
High
and should be challenged
improvement in all
to the highest level of
aspects of the school
academic and artistic
system to foster a
“PowerSchool” that they
excellence.
culture of excellence,
update every Thursday. We
In the importance of
accountability and
staff development
integrity.
encourage you to check your
opportunities based
•
In responsible
online grading system called
child’s progress regularly.
on best practices and
stewardship of financial
This program is completely
educational research.
and physical resources.
confidential;
therefore,
Providing students with
you will need an access
highly qualified teachers
username and password to see your child’s progress.
Providing our staff with professional
If you need your username
development
and/or password, please contact the school office at
MISSION
(708) 758-5252. There is a PowerSchool app available
Brookwood School District 167,
in
partnership
for your cellular phone that
with
parents and community, will
makes it easy for parents to
create a learning environment
stay updated on their child’s
in which all students excel at
ABSENT FROM SCHOOL?
progress.
Parents did you know that if your child is absent, you can request a recorded version of their teacher’s lesson? We want to keep students on track, and this is a great way for ensuring students don’t fall behind if they miss a class. You can also request a recorded lesson if your child is struggling and they need to see the lesson again. Please reach out to your child’s teachers and take advantage of this great resource.
ILLINOIS ASSESSMENT OF READINESS (IAR) ACCORDING TO FEDERAL LAW Students
must
take
an
achievement exam in reading/ language arts and mathematics each year from third through eighth grade. In Illinois, students take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR). Assessments play a role in helping ISBE and school districts identify areas where schools need targeted support. School districts must administer assessments to at least 95 percent of students. Teachers have been working hard to get students ready for this important exam. Some things parents can do to help their child prepare are: • Read with your child regularly • Stay on top of homework • Talk with your child’s teacher • Use relaxation techniques • Talk about what the test is like • Go over accommodations • Be calm and upbeat and show your child your confidence in his/her abilities If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ISBE Assessment Department: www.isbe.net/Pages/Assessment.aspx
MATH MATTERS Math is very useful in everyday life. Math can help us do many things that are important in our everyday lives. Here are some daily tasks for which math is important: Parents can help teens connect math they learn in school and their everyday lives. As a parent, you could talk to your teen about how you use math in your daily life. You could also ask family members and friends how they use math in their daily lives. Please talk to your teens about these math connections to real world. Share with your child the examples of everyday math applications, which are listed below. When your teens hear how math can be used every day, they will be more likely to view math as important and valuable. They may also become more interested in mathematics. Remember that you as a parent can greatly influence how your child thinks about mathematics.
MATH TIP FOR MARCH Home Decorating and Remodeling Calculating areas is an important skill. It will be useful for your teen in remodeling future homes and apartments. It will help your teen find how much paint they need to buy when repainting a room. It is also an important skill for anyone who wants to install new tiles in a bathroom or a kitchen. Knowing how to calculate perimeters can help your child when deciding how much lumber to buy for floor or ceiling trim.
TEEN SEXTING TIPS FOR PARENTS Sexting can be broadly defined as two (2) people using technology to send and receive a sexually explicit image or video. This commonly takes the form of nude photographs/videos and sexually explicit texts. What makes sexting illegal? When teenagers under eighteen (18) take nude photographs or videos of themselves, this material is classified as child pornography. This has nothing to do with technology; it’s to do with the material itself. Under federal law, it’s an offence for anyone to access, transmit, possess, publish, control, supply or obtain child pornography. Different states and territories may have slightly different laws. This means that if a 15-year-old girl takes a nude photograph of herself and sends it to her 16-year-old boyfriend, they are both partaking in child pornography. Why do teenagers sext? Teenagers might sext for a variety of reasons, including: • to explore or experiment with their sexuality • to communicate or show affection • When teens are under eighteen (18), or are unaware of the full consequences of sexting, however, there seems to be one overwhelming reason why they do it – peer pressure The story in the media is that sexting is a really common thing for young people to engage in. This can be pretty nerve-wracking for parents to hear, and can also make teenagers think that if they don’t do it they won’t be ‘accepted’ by their peers.
A recent study in the Journal of American Medicine found that only 1 in 7 teenagers in the US had sent a sext, and 1 in 4 had received one. Though at first glance this might seem like quite a lot, actually it means that only fiurteen (14) per cent of teenagers are sexting. This is a useful stat to have up your sleeve when you’re talking about sexting to your teenager. What can parents do about sexting? Your kids aren’t born with the knowledge that they shouldn’t steal things or set things on fire – they’ve been taught this, by you or another adult. Sexting is no exception, and is therefore something that you need to discuss with your teens. Since your kids will probably have a smartphone by the time they start high school, discuss sexting as part of your early conversations around sex, and about online privacy when they get their first phone. Rather than forbidding sexting outright, have an open conversation about it. Help them understand the real-world consequences of this simple online act and how to resist pressure to do anything they’re uncomfortable with. Be clear about the law! Make sure your teen knows what is and isn’t legal. This will help you to prevent problems, rather than having to deal with them when they happen. Get your head around all the facts, and then help your teen understand why sexting can be illegal. You can even start the conversation by asking them questions like ‘Do you know what the age of consent is in Australia?’, to see what they already know.
TEEN SEXTING TIPS FOR PARENTS Ask questions to get them thinking Often, teens engage in sexting because they think it’s normal. Ask them some questions to get them thinking about what they are doing, and why: Why are you doing this? Do you think a photo posted on the internet will remain private and anonymous forever? How could this affect you, your family and your community? This will help them to work out whether they’re comfortable with what they’re doing. Set clear rules and boundaries As with any part of raising a teenager, rules and boundaries are an important part of helping your child gain independence, make sound decisions and stay safe. To keep them safe, you and your teenager could agree on some rules. For example: • Tell you if they receive an unwanted sext. • Don’t engage in sexting until they turn eighteen (18). • Don’t send sexts to anyone they’ve met online, who they haven’t met in person. (You can get some tips on privacy and what you can do to keep them safe here.) All of these conversations will help them develop their decision-making skills when it comes to sexting. At the end of the day, you can’t control what your teenager does, but you can give them the tools to make a call that’s right for them.
What’s the deal with consent and sexting? ‘Consent’ means agreeing to something of your own free will. Like discussing the issue of consent when you’re giving your child the sex talk, you should also raise it when talking to them about sexting. Your child may decide that they want to sext after they turn eighteen (18), so it’s important that they know how to do this respectfully, and how to stay safe. Make sure your teen knows the following: • They have the right to say ‘no’. • All parties should consent before engaging in sexting. They shouldn’t send unsolicited nudes. They should ask the other person if this is something they want to receive, and only sext after they’ve received an explicit ‘yes.’ • Sending or receiving a sexual photo/video doesn’t mean they are giving or are given automatic consent to share it with others. Don’t share or post someone’s nudes without their permission. • Consent can be withdrawn at any time. Just because your teen sends one sext, it doesn’t mean they have the other person’s consent to do it again. Just because someone sends them one sext, doesn’t mean that person has to do it again. It’s NOT consent if: • they’re unable to say ‘no’ – for example, if they’ve been drinking or taking drugs. • they’re being threatened or blackmailed into agreeing to send a sext. Here’s some more information on talking to your teenager about consent. • Make sure your teen feels supported • As sexting is an online act, it can feel separate from the ‘real’ world. But people arrested for cyber-crimes don’t go to cyber-jail – they go to ‘real’ jail. Use your relationship with your child to support them. With the internet feeling like a separate world, they might not know that when an issue occurs online, they can still come to you for help. Let them know that they can talk to you about any problem, offline and online.
WATER BOTTLES Every student was provided with a plastic water bottle from our Superintendent. Students are encouraged to bring them home to clean them and bring them back filled. Please be sure to send your students with their water bottle every day. Our drinking fountains are not currently in use, however, there are water dispensers for students to refill their bottles. This also allows them to easily access water during class without leaving the room multiple times throughout the day for water cups. We appreciate your help under these circumstances.
SPORTS FALL
WINTER
SPRING
CROSS COUNTRY
WRESTLING
TRACK
GIRLS BASKETBALL
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
BOYS BASKETBALL
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
CHEERLEADING
EXTRA-CURRICCULAR ACTIVITIES TUTORING STUDENT COUNCIL CHESS ART CLUB STEM CLUB CHEERLEADING
Any student planning on participating in a sport must have a current
COOKING CLUB
MATHLETES
SPEECH & DEBATE
physical on file (good for
VIDEO CLUB
GOSPEL CHOIR
NJHS
one (1) year).
DRUMLINE BAND JAZZ BAND YEARBOOK
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
BOYS’ BASKETBALL WRESTLING
TRACK CROSS COUNTRY KEYBOARDING CLUB SPANISH CLUB
UPCOMING EVENTS 1st, March Severe Weather Drill | 10:00 a.m. Boys Volleyball @ Parker | 4:15 p.m.
2nd, March Graduation Pictures | 8th Graders Spring Pictures | 7th Graders Lunch With the Law Program Boys Volleyball @ Home vs. Crete | 4:15 p.m.
3rd, March 4th, March Vaccination Clinic | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. No School Writers Museum Field Trip | 8th Graders Boys Volleyball @ Columbia | 4:15 p.m. 7th, March Pulaski Day | No School
8th, March Boys Volleyball @ Crete | 4:15 p.m.
14th, March 15th, March IAR State Testing Begins Thru 3/30/22 Virtual Family History Trivia Night | 6:00 p.m. Board of Education Meeting | 7:00 p.m. 16th, March Bilingual Parent Advisory Meeting
24th, March Parent University
25th, March End of 3rd Quarter | 2:00 p.m. Dismissal
30th, March Graduation Picture Retakes
“A good education can change anyone. A good teacher can change everything. STAFF Teacher
Position
Period Contact Hours
Craig, Christina Math-8th
5th
1:00-1:55 p.m.
ccraig@brookwood167.org
Cantorna, Sean ELA, R180
6th
1:55-2:50 p.m.
scantorna@brookwood167.org
Shields, Kayla ELA- 8th
6th
1:55-2:50 p.m.
kshields@brookwood167.org
Walsh, Peter ELA-7th
6th
1:55-2:50 p.m.
pwalsh@brookwood167.org
Schmalz, Matthew Social Studies-8th
2nd
9:45-10:40 a.m.
mschmalz@brookwood167.org
Suarez, Juan Social Studies-7th
2nd
9:45-10:40 a.m.
jsuarez@brookwood167.org
Baker, Mary Science/STEM- 8th 3rd
10:40-11:35 a.m.
mbaker@brookwood167.org
Moirano, Gina Science/STEM-7th 3rd
10:40-11:35 a.m.
gmoirano@brookwood167.org
Rauen, Katie SPED
10:40-11:35 a.m.
krauen@brookwood167.org
Smit, Steve R180, M180, SPED 1st
8:50-9:45 a.m.
ssmit@brookwood167.org
Kemp, Lisa R180, M180, SPED 1st
8:50-9:45 a.m.
lkemp@brookwood167.org
Hinz, Christine Math-7th
5th
1:00-1:55 p.m.
chinz@brookwood167.org
Bennett, Susan Art
1st
8:50-9:45 a.m.
sbennett@brookwood167.org
Ross, Chanae Music
1st
8:50-9:45 a.m.
cross@brookwood167.org
Canning, Mitchell
Band
4th
11:35-12:15 p.m.
mcanning@brookwood167.org
Lagger, Frank
P.E.
4th
11:35-12:15 p.m.
flagger@brookwood167.org
DeRamus, Elisha
P.E.
6th
1:55-2:50 p.m.
ederamus@brookwood167.org
Adams, Lucretia Social Worker
8:00-4:00 p.m.
ladams1@brookwood167.org
Page, Emily Social Worker
8:00-4:00 p.m.
epage@brookwood167.org
Mitchell, Rosia Assistant Principal
7:30-4:00 p.m.
rmitchell@brookwood167.org
Larson, Jill
7:30-4:00 p.m.
jlarson@brookwood167.org
3rd
Principal
WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME If My Child is Sick, When Should I Keep Them Home? If a child has any symptom 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 and whether it’s considered a COVID-19 symptom: • Fever of 100.4 or higher • New onset of moderate to severe headache • Shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat • Nausea Vomiting, Diarrhea • Abdominal pain from unknown cause • New congestion/runny nose • New loss of sense of taste or smell • Fatigue from unknown cause • Muscle or body aches If your child has been in close contact with someone with a known or suspected case of COVID-19 within the last fourteen (14) days. (Close contact is defined as someone who was within six (6) feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of fifteen (15) minutes or more over a twenty-four (24) hour period, starting from two (2) days before illness onset.) If you answer “YES” to any of the above, your child MUST stay home! Please call the school to report your child’s absence (708) 758-5252 (Option 1).
TRENDING... APP OF THE MONTH Stop, Breathe & Think App Stop, Breathe & Think is a free app to "Check in with how you're feeling, and try short activities tuned to your emotions." Sometimes when we are feeling frazzled, thinking about how we are feeling is a great strategy. Check out this app!
KINDNESS CORNER Here are some things we can do to spread Kindness to others: • Call or FaceTime to check-in with friends or family members! • Make a card or send a positive note to a nursing home, hospital or care center • Write things you like about yourself and your family and share them with one another
SKYPE WITH A SCIENTIST! On Friday, February 11th, 8th grade students were able to Skype with Dr. Lynne A. Kvapil. She is a field archeologist who works in Greece, and is a professor at Butler University in Indianapolis. Her work focuses on farming, pottery, and burials in prehistoric Greece, specifically the Late Bronze Age, although as a field archeologist she has also encountered and worked with non-prehistoric material as well. Students learned about her journey to becoming an archeologist and specific adventures where she has worked, like the site of Mycenae. This is perfect timing because students have completed a scope on the geological history of the Earth and are learning about the Law of Superposition, rock strata and the geological scale. This was a great opportunity to allow students to connect the curriculum to real world experiences. We want to thank Dr. K for taking the time to answer all of our students’ questions and for giving them this authentic experience.
SILVER GLOVES NATIONAL CHAMPION!
Congratulations to 7th grader Jourdin Dominguez on February 5th she earned the title “Silver Gloves National Champion” at 119 lbs! We are so proud of her!
BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS!
On February 10, 2022, The 7th Grade Boys Basketball Team Defeated Monticello Middle School By A Score Of 52-45 To Earn The Title Of IESA State Champions! This Is The First Time In School History That We Have Won A State Championship In Boys Basketball At This Level! Way To Go Bulldogs!
DISTRICT SPELLING BEE CHAMPION!
Congratulations Grader
Machiya
To
8th
Johnson
For
Winning Our District Spelling Bee
On
February
22nd!
Machiya Will Go On To The Next Level And Compete In The 12th Annual South Cook ISC Scripps Spelling Bee Competition On March 2nd! Good Luck Machiya!
BLACK HISTORY PROGRAM On February 25th, 7th and 8th graders participated in our Black History Program titled “From Struggle Comes Strength,” under the direction of Ms. Ross, Music Teacher, and Gospel Choir Director. The participating students put on a fantastic performance and all the students and parents that attended really enjoyed themselves. The performance included poetry, musical selections, solos, dance and skits that all focused on important historical events in black history. It was a great day for everyone to celebrate!
CPR TRAINING On Wednesday, February 23rd and Friday, February 25th, all 8th graders participated in CPR training hosted by the Glenwood Fire Department. Students were able to go through the training and become certified in CPR. Students were focused and engaged during the training and did a great job learning this important lifesaving skill!
5 ESSENTIALS SURVEY | UCHICAGO IMPACT Brookwood School District 167 relies on parent feedback when planning for the future. We highly encourage you to complete the 5 Essentials Survey for your child’s school. Your feedback matters. We use this feedback to develop school improvement plans and activities to make continuous improvement. The data needs to reflect the voices of our parents in order to address/validate school concerns or support for existing programs. Your honest responses are confidential and needed to better inform our upcoming goals and strategies we will be implementing for the 2022-2023 school year. Please share your input through the annual Illinois 5Essentials survey! The survey is administered by UChicago Impact and is based on the Five Essentials for School Success, an evidence-based framework developed by the University of Chicago. The 5Essentials are: - Effective Leaders - Collaborative Teachers - Supportive Environment -Ambitious Instruction
- Involved Families
Click on the following link to complete the survey: https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois • • • • • •
The survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete Select the necessary language to complete the survey (English or Spanish) Enter the name of your county and the name of your child’s school Advance to survey questions Answer all applicable questions Click Submit Survey
Each school needs a parent response rate of at least 20% to receive a results report. Please complete the survey no later than March 11th. If you have a child in more than one of our district schools, please fill out a survey for each school.
Thank you for your participation!
+1 708-758-5252 +1 708-758-3954 www.brookwood167.org
201 Glenwood-Lansing Road
Glenwod, IL 60425
VISITORS If you need to come into the school for any reason, for safety reasons, you will be required to wear a mask, and you will need to have a current Driver’s License that will be checked in our Raptor Security System.
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
Raptor® provides a line of sight as to who is always in our school. The system provides school and districtwide reporting for all visitors, volunteers, and contractors that have signed in/out of our buildings.
BROOKWOOD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
This is
important for safety reasons.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES I am excited to share with you that this school year, Brookwood School District 167 will be providing 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 contact our school office at (708) 758-5252, so we can help provide them with all necessary and needed materials.
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 YOUR COOPERATION!