BJHS | November Newsletter

NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER

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.

Student Safety Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures

HEADLINES

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

School Hours

Students’ school day is from 8:30 a.m. until 3:10 p.m.

Students should not arrive earlier than 8:10 a.m.

As always, please reach out to your child’s teachers for any questions/concerns, or if I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me 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.

Jill Larson Principal jlarson@brookwood167.org

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

Thank you to all our families that came out for our STEAM Family Night! We had a great time.

Each month we are sponsoring a family night from 6:007:00 p.m. with light refreshments and prizes. Please mark your calendars so you can join us for some awesome family fun!

We are asking that every parent sign up for the Principal ClassDojo, as this is a great way for parents to stay informed about important events and information throughout the school year. Please contact the school office if you need help signing up for this awesome FREE communication tool!

Student Support Intervention (SSI)

We hold Student Support Intervention Meetings (SSI) all year long, before school at 7:45 a.m. or after school at 3:15 p.m. to schedule a meeting, please email Ms. Mitchell at rmitchell@ brookwood167.org, or call the school at (708) 758-5252.

COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION

Our teachers do an excellent job of communicating with families. Here is where you can stay informed proactively:

• School and District Website - www.brookwood167.org

• Bull Dog News - Weekly school newsletter that will be sent home on Fridays

• ClassDojo - It is essential that you sign up for the Principal’s ClassDojo. If you have not already joined, an invitation will be sent to you during the first week of school. To join, you will need either your phone number or email address.

• A phone call or an email is an efficient way to communicate with your child’s teacher. Please remember that our teachers are with students throughout the day and will return the call/email as soon as possible. At times, this may be the next school day.

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.

IF MY CHILD IS SICK, WHEN SHOULD I KEEP THEM HOME?

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

• 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 you answer “YES” to any of the above, your child MUST stay home. Please call the school to report your child’s absence (708) 708-758-5252 (Option 1.)

ANTI-BULLY PLEDGE...

We make a COMMITMENT to stand against bullying.

We will treat others with RESPECT and KINDNESS.

We will have the COMPASSION to not be a bully.

We will have the COURAGE to not be a bystander.

It is our RESPONSIBILITY to help others and to report bullying.

PARENT / TEACHER CONFERENCES

Please join us on November 7th for Parent-Teacher Conferences! Attending parentteacher conferences is one way to be involved and help your child succeed.

A parent-teacher conference is a great opportunity to:

• Discuss your child’s progress

• Share your child’s strengths and needs

• Work with the teacher to help your child do well 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 in need of improvement.

If you are unable to make it to Parent-Teacher Conferences, please contact our Assistant Principal to set up a meeting with your child’s teachers.

IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE INFORMATION

To report absences please call the attendance line at (708) 757-2115. Please call the school before 8:30 a.m. to report your child’s absence.

Please leave the following information:

• Student’s full name with the spelling of the last name

• Reason for absence/tardy/early release

• Your name and relationship to the student

• Please call the main number (708) 758-5252 at least 45 minutes PRIOR to early dismissal.

For your student to be EXCUSED you must sign them in and out in the main office or their absence will be marked as unexcused.

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 Class dojo.

PARENT / TEACHER CONFERENCES TIPS

By: Kids Health

These tips can help you make the most of those important meetings:

• In the weeks ahead of a conference, check in with kids about how they’re doing on homework and in each subject. Review homework and any recent projects, tests, quizzes, report cards, or progress reports.

• Ask if there are questions or issues your child wants you to discuss with the teacher.

• Plan to bring something to take notes with (paper and pen or a laptop or other device).

• Share a few things about your child with the teacher — interests, strengths, favorite subjects — to help the teacher know your child better.

Write down questions or topics you’d like the conference to cover. Depending on your situation, you may want to ask about:

• Whether your child is meeting grade-level expectations (not how he or she compares with peers)

• Educational testing if your child is struggling

• What the teacher sees as your child’s strengths and challenges and how these are being addressed

• Other services to help your child grow as a learner

• Make a plan to check in regularly if there are any learning or behavior problems

• Your child’s work habits, independently and in large- and small-group instruction

• How your child gets along with other students in class and during lunch, recess, physical-ed, and other classes

If any school-related problems arise, contact the teacher or other school staff by phone or email. You don’t have to wait until parent-teacher conference time to handle your concerns.

DURING THE CONFERENCE

Teachers usually meet with parents in back-to-back meetings, so try to be on time for your meeting.

At the meeting, remember to:

• Get contact information for the teacher and ask what the best form of contact is (letter, email, phone call, message via student-teacher-parent web portal, etc.)

• Take notes.

• Ask to see classwork and homework samples, tests and quizzes, and standardized testing.

• Ask your questions and share information about your child.

• Make the most of this time by focusing on your child’s learning.

• Summarize the main points of the discussion to confirm details and any next steps.

AFTER THE CONFERENCE

To follow up after the meeting:

• Contact the teacher with any questions you didn’t have time to ask.

• Review your notes about what you and the teacher will do to support learning, then make detailed plans about how and when you will help your child.

• If you still have concerns or do not agree with an evaluation, put your thoughts in writing and schedule a meeting with the teacher or an administrator as soon as mutually convenient.

• Check in with the teacher to follow up on your child’s progress.

• Review what was discussed at the conference with your child, including any special learning plans, and share the positive comments the teacher made.

• Consider sending a thank-you note to the teacher and any other educator who took the time to attend the conference.

Keep in mind that you and your child’s teacher have the same goal: To help your child succeed in school.

I am excited to share with you that for the second year in a row, 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 contact our school office at (708) 758-5252, so we can help provide them with all necessary and needed materials.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

POWERSCHOOL

All Brookwood 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 confidential; therefore, you will need an access username and password to see your child’s progress. If you need your username and password, please contact 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.

PARENT VISITATION DAY

Parent Visitation Day

January 12th, 2023 | March 16th, 2023 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

We are also holding three (3) Parent Visitation Days this year. If you missed our first one on October 3rd, 2022, or if you would like to come back and visit us again, we would love to have you!

Please join us on January 12th, 2023, and March 16th, 2023, for our other Parent Visitation Days!

You can follow your child’s schedule and meet their teachers. Have some light refreshments and talk with the principal. You will also be able to pick up your child’s home electronic device and home set of school supplies and sign up for ClassDojo and PowerSchool.

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

Please leave a detailed message with your name, child’s name, phone number, and the issue you are having with the device.

MISSION STATEMENT

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

WE BELIEVE

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

• All students are unique and should be challenged to the highest level of academic and artistic excellence.

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

• In educating our children in a safe and nurturing environment with access to state-of-the-art technology.

• The school system should teach students to think critically enabling them to become contributing citizens in our global society.

• In continuous improvement in all aspects of the school system to foster a culture of excellence, Accountability, and integrity.

• In responsible stewardship of financial and physical resources.

VISION STATEMENT

Our overall vision is to improve the achievement of all 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 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

1. Providing students with highly qualified teachers

2. Providing our staff with professional development

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION & SUPPORTS (PBIS)

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 exactly what is expected of them and a framework of evidence-based behavioral supports and interventions in an integrated curriculum to enhance both the social behavior and academic atmosphere for our diverse body of students throughout the school. Lessons take place in a number of ways and in the environment for particular 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 quiz to review the expectations they have been learning about all week. Posters or anchor charts have been created for different areas of the building to give the students and staff reminders about the expected behaviors.

FAMILY NIGHTS

COME TO OUR FAMILY NIGHTS 6:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M. EVERY MONTH

• Family Hispanic Heritage Night- September 20th

• Band Recruitment Night-October 13th

• Family STEAM Night-October 20th

• Family Reading Night-November 16th

• Winter Band and Choir Concert- December 15th

• Family Math Night- January 17th

• Family Black History Trivia Night- February 21st

• Family Fitness Night- March 14th

• Family Reading Night- April 18th

• Fine Arts Night-April 20th

STUDENT DRESS CODE

Brookwood Jr. High School believes that student dress and overall appearance should foster a positive and productive environment and should reflect pride in oneself as well as our school. We further believe that student dress and appearance are a shared responsibility of the home and the school. 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 articles of 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.

PAPER TUTORING | PARENT RESOURCES

• The parent & guardian’s guide to implementing Paper™ at home | Guiding caregivers in providing the unlimited support their students need.

• How Paper Supports Your Middle Schooler

FOOD SERVICE

New Food Service Partnership

Our Superintendent and Board of Education know how important proper nutrition affects our students’ learning. This year we will be purchasing our school breakfast and lunch from - QUEST FOOD MANAGEMENT SERVICE.

Quest Food Management Servic is passionate about food and they believe in wholesome, nutritious ingredients. That is why they are committed to using items that are healthier for both our student’s bodies and the planet.

Quest Food Management Service, provide communities with fresh, high-quality food, exceptional responsiveness, and intensely personal service.

By purchasing with the following standards in mind and preparing items so that they are as fresh as possible when served, they support local agriculture, increase nutrition, and intensify the flavor.

HONOR & HIGH HONOR ROLL

Students are given a quarterly report card at BJHS.

Students who earn an academic G.P.A. of 3.95 or higher are placed on the High Honor Roll.

If a student makes an academic grade of 3.453.94, they are placed on the Honor Roll.

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

Parents, please check your child’s homework and planner every day!

SPORTS

Did you know?

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

Sports Physicals

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

CLASSDOJO

What is 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.”

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 Junior High School.

If you would like to join, please accept the invitation that we emailed to you or texted you, or contact the school at (708) 758-5252, email, jlarson@brookwood167.org. All you will need to provide is your cell phone number or email address.

GET INVOLVED AND STAY INFORMED!

SPORTS ACTIVITIES

ALL SPORTS ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION REQUIRES A CURRENT PHYSICAL

FALL SPORTS

• Cross Country

• Girls Basketball

• Boys Basketball

• Cheerleading

WINTER SPORTS

• Wrestling

• Girls Volleyball

• Boys Volleyball

SPRING SPORTS

• Track

All students are welcome to join our Cross-Country Team! Athletes will compete against nine (9) other schools in our conference. After school, the first CrossCountry practice and informational meeting will occur on Wednesday, September 1st.

INVOLVED!

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Join BJHS Clubs & Activities

• Tutoring

• Student Council

• Chess

• Art Club

• S.T.E.M. Club

• Cheerleading

• Cooking Club

• Mathletes

• Speech & Debate Club

• Video Club

• Gospel Choir

• NJHS

• Drumline

• Band

• Jazz Band

• Yearbook

• Girls Basketball

• Boys Basketball

• Girls Volleyball

• Boys Volletball

• Wrestling

• Track

• Cross Country

• Keyboarding Club

• Spanish Club

DAILY BELL SCHEDULE

SCHOOL HOURS

8:30 A.M. - 3:10 P.M.

BREAKFAST

8:00 A.M. - 8:30 A.M.

SEL MEETING 8:30 A.M. - 8:50 A.M.

1ST PERIOD 8:50 A.M. - 9:45 A.M.

2ND PERIOD 9:45 A.M. - 10:40 A.M

3RD PERIOD 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

1:00 P.M. - 1:55 P.M.

6TH PERIOD 1:55 P.M. - 2:50 P.M.

SEL MEETING 2:50 P.M. - 3:10 P.M.

DISMISSAL 3:10 P.M.

EXTRACURRICULAR 3:10 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.

SAVE THE DATE

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER 1ST

BOYS BASKETBALL @ HOME VS. COLIN POWELL | 4:15 P.M.

NOVEMBER 2ND

7TH GRADE HONOR ROLL LUNCHEON GIRLS BASKETBALL @ HOME VS. CHMS | 4:15 P.M.

NOVEMBER 3RD 8TH GRADE HONOR ROLL LUNCHEON

NOVEMBER 4TH ADVISORY SCHEDULE | PLC

NOVEMBER 7TH PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES | 10:30 A.M. - 6:30 P.M.

NOVEMBER 9TH LUNCH WITH THE LAW | 11:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION TRAINING | 7TH GRADE GIRLS BASKETBALL @ HOME VS. HUTH | 4:15 P.M.

NOVEMBER 11TH ADVISORY SCHEDULE | PLC

NOVEMBER 11TH MOBILE DDS | “HEART THAT SMILES”

NOVEMBER 14TH GIRLS BASKETBALL @ MEMORIAL | 4:15 P.M.

NOVEMBER 16TH

CONFLICT RESOLUTION TRAINING | 7TH GRADE FAMILY READING NIGHT @ BJHS | 6:00 P.M. BOYS BASKETBALL @ HOME VS. HART | 4:15 P.M.

NOVEMBER 16TH

GIRLS BASKETBALL @ OBAMA | 4:15 P.M.

NOVEMBER 17TH

SSJHSA NJHS WORKSHOP @ PARKER | 3:30 P.M.

BOYS BASKETBALL @ HOME VS. HARVEY BROOKS | 4:15 P.M.

NOVEMBER 19TH

GIRLS BASKETBALL | IESA REGIONALS

NOVEMBER 21ST - 25TH

FALL BREAK | NO SCHOOL

NOVEMBER 28TH

BOYS BASKETBALL @ PARKER | 4:15 P.M.

NOVEMBER 30TH

BOYS BASKETBALL @ HOME VS. CRETE | 4:15 P.M.

BROOKWOOD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

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.

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. This is important for safety reasons.