DECEMBER 2020
Happy December BMS Families! I hope all of you had a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving Holiday. Winter
Break is just around the corner and that usually indicates we are already half-way through the 2nd Quarter. Please be on the lookout for progress reports to be mailed home on Friday, December 4th, 2020. You may have seen some variations this quarter in the length of synchronized instruction by the teachers. We have reassessed that model and realize our teachers need more time to deliver instruction that is not so rushed. We thank you for the flexibility that you have shown with the changes in how your child is being educated. Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns. Student Attendance Update: We are tracking student attendance by not only them logging on but being present to participate in class and turning in assignments. If your child needs to be absent, whether it is a full day, half day etc. (not logging on), please call the office to report it. This will be a good time to update your personal contact numbers and your emergency contact numbers. In the wake of the moment and where the world is right now student safety has always and will continue to be our priority. If we can’t get in contact with you or an emergency contact due to a non-reported absence we will activate a well-being check. We keep you and our families our priority as well. In addition, to well-being, this is a good time to make new memories and/or traditions with your family and play holiday music while decorating the house, baking cookies, giving to those in need and just sending a warm message to someone just to say hello, thank-you, or you’re appreciated. I hope you and your family continue to be safe and enjoy the upcoming holidays. f
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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM: PBIS FOR REMOTE LEARNING Brookwood School District 167 has made a commitment to encourage and promote student engagement and achievement through our incentive program. This is an initiative that combines academic and behavior goals and incentivizes students to strive for their greatest potential. PBIS stands for “Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.” This involves directly teaching students expected behaviors and encouraging desired behavior as opposed to highlighting undesired behavior. By combining this mission with an academic focus, we are building a community of students who are [RESPONSIBLE, RESPECTFUL AND SAFE]. The incentive program will be tied to student progress and achievement. Before allowing students to receive their prizes, the schools will match students current level of progress/achievement. If students are receiving a D and/or F/I in one or more of their classes, they would not qualify for the highest Tier level of prizes (Gift Card). However, they can request to use their points to redeem items from Tiers I or II or rollover their points. BMS and BJHS point model. Teachers would give one (1) point in each tier when students exhibit all expectations under each tier for a total of three (3) points given daily per class. Maximum ninety (90) weekly. (1) POINT BE SAFE
(1) POINT BE RESPONSIBLE
(1) POINT BE RESPECTFUL
• Internet Safety
• On Google Classroom Daily
• Logs in on time
• Internet Behavior
• Participates in Class
• Follows Google Classroom Expectations • Appropriate Pictures/Icons
• Turns in Assignments/ Homework
• Appropriate Chatting Every two (2) weeks it is payday for our students. Students will receive a biweekly update on Fridays totaling their points! Our next redemption date will be closer to Winter break. SEE YOU THERE! R. Mitchell | Assistant Principal f
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Our Vision
Mission 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 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.
Brookwood School District 167, in partnership with parents and 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.
We are committed to: • providing students with highly qualified teachers • providing our staff with professional development
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.
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EMAIL US: bmsremotelearning@brookwood167.org CALL US: 708.758.5350
Technology Help Line!
If your child is having any technology problems connecting to their teacher’s Google Meet (live teaching), 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, your child’s name, phone number and
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the issue you are having with the device.
Parents must call the school to report their child absent before 8:30 a.m. The number for reporting absences is (708) 757-2110. 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.
If your child needs any resources or supplies for any of their classes, please contact the school office so we can help provide them with the needed materials.
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MS. BOEHL SOCIAL WORK
OUR TEACHERS!
Anxiety in our students is steadily rising. Anxiety is worries or fears that are frequent and overwhelming. The feelings don’t have to be caused by something specific. People facing anxiety can also have physical symptoms like sweating, dizziness and difficulty sleeping. Anxiety can present itself in many ways. Children may feel stressed or panicked. They may have difficulty focusing or sleeping, and they may also feel physical effects like a stomachache or a headache. If your child comes to you and you believe they may be experiencing anxiety, here are some tips to help them work through those anxious thoughts or feelings: have them start a gratitude journal to focus on the positives in their lives, practice deep breathing (Figure 8 or belly breathing are great ones!), remind them they are safe and how they are feeling
MR. WESLEY SOCIAL STUDIES
is okay, or find activities that help them calm down (reading, drawing, talking to a trusted person). Please reach out to the school if you believe your child’s anxiety is affecting their ability to learn or if you would like any additional help with managing your child’s anxiety.
The students are currently learning how the American Indian tribes created a council, league, and government. We will also find out how the American Indian’s economy principles are still relevant to the way American people, large or small countries, and businesses and companies trade today. Students will learn that the trading network is what creates our whole world’s economy.
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MS. PARKER ELA
OUR TEACHERS!
Students are continuing to work on comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. These skills can be practiced in Study Island. Please have your child spend time on Study Island on ELA skills. We will be starting to dive into the Wonders curriculum soon.
We would like to welcome Ms. Mangan to BMS who will be covering the 5th grade ELA class for now. Ms. Mangan has been in the District for some years now as an elementary teacher, instructional coach and now filling in as Ms. Parker’s replacement. We welcome her skills, experience with open arms.
MS. MANGAN / MS. EASON MATH Students are currently working on various strategies to multiply whole numbers. The strategies include: Area models, distributive property, and Estimating the product. Also, we having been working on informal geometry and will continue to do so! The upcoming skills are: multiplying whole numbers (up to three digit numbers), division of whole numbers. In addition to multiplying and dividing whole numbers, we will be learning how to find the perimeter and the area of regular and irregular figures.
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MS. NEELY MUSIC
OUR TEACHERS!
In December, we will be ending Music Appreciation class with two highly anticipated units: Music echnolgy T and Music with a Mesage. In the Music Technology unit, students will be exploring different ways to create their own music right from their devices, and learning how to mix music and create their own beats, just like their favorite musicians. In the Music with a Message unit, we will be focusing on how music can be used as a way to get a message across to the listener. We will be listening to some examples of protest music, making connections to current events, and finding a way to voice our opinions and emotions through music.
MS. HORN DTM | “Do The Math� In Do the Math (DTM) this December we are over half way through our first module! We are going to start practicing Subtraction! The students will subtract problems and strengthen their understanding of place value. We will be sprinkling games throughout the month like The Place-Value Game & sending out our new Community News to help parents and students get on the same page with what we are learning :)
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MR. DIXON RESOURCE
OUR TEACHERS!
Students are working on a Unit called “Things eavH Changed” in the Unique Learning System. The unit compares physical and human-made features of the past with those of today.
There are two (2) leveled books used during the unit: M “ artin at the Mu”seum and A “ thena Learns About Long Ag”o
. Throughout the unit, students will be exploring the
past vs. today like comparing different artifacts from the past to what they look like today. In math students continue to develop their basic math skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
MS. MILLER-COOPER SCIENCE Students are wrapping up their Matter Unit with a study of Mixtures. Our unit assessment is coming soon. Watch Class DoJo for messages!
Next up will be a unit on Ecosystems. Students will soon study how living things interact with each other and their environments!
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MS. SCHIEMANN SOCIAL STUDIES
OUR TEACHERS!
Schiemann’s World Citizens will travel to Ancient Mesopotamia in December! We will learn all about ocitRepr“ y” and King Hammurabi’s E “ ey for an Ey”e ruling. We will also continue to stay updated on current events while tuning into CNN10. Our class will focus on using our non-fiction informational text to hone our skills by picking out main ideas and learning new relevant vocabulary!
MR. CRESCENTI ELA In ELA we are going to continue moving forward with the second unit of Wonders. We will focus on expository text, and we will be learning about the evolution of democracy in the modern world. One skill that we will be working on is comparing and contrasting across multiple texts. There will be a big emphasis on vocabulary acquisition and learning how to use context clues to figure out unfamiliar words.
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MS. BRYLEWSKI MATH
OUR TEACHERS!
In Math class we started working on some skills to help fill our gaps according to MAP scores. We will continue working on rational numbers: mixed numbers, fraction/ decimal conversions, and multiplying and dividing fractions.
Head to our Google Classroom to check out some amazing Math talk discussions. Please don’t forget logging in to Carnegie is a daily expectation.
MR. BLAHNIK DTM | “DO THE MATH” In Do the Math this December we are over half way through our first module! We are going to start practicing Subtraction! The students will subtract problems and strengthen their understanding of place value. We will be sprinkling games throughout the month like The Place-Value Game & sending out our new Community News to help parents and students get on the same page with what we are learning :)
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MR. RAB ART
OUR TEACHERS!
In November the 6th graders learned about linear perspective and the Renaissance. We really tried to focus on the fundamentals of the perspective drawing techniques so we could draw accurate 3D forms and spaces. The 6th graders also learned about modern artists that use perspective in their art so we were able to identify perspective drawing as a tool and a technique for artists to use, no matter the time frame.
Another virtual field trip was taken and this time it was to the Louvre Museum in Paris. We saw so many amazing works of art. Going forward, the 6th graders will be working with 3D sculpture and graphic design.
MS. SEYLIER SCIENCE In STEMscopes this December we will be starting to learn more about the Water Cycle! Emphasis will be on the ways water changes its state as it moves through the multiple pathways of the hydrologic cycle.
Our main focus, investigate phenomena, will be, How does water cycle through Earth’s systems?
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OUR TEACHERS! One important fitness aspect we have been working on in class this month has been the FITT principle. (FITT) is an acronym for Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. The students have been learning about altering their own exercises to meet their needs.
In the month of December, we will be working on setting goals and using the FITT principle to help us to meet our goals. If you are having difficulty keeping up with your students’ rigorous exercise pace that is okay, we have some tips for you too! During the Winter months, you
may not be able to exercise outside, but there are many ways to stay active and warm. You can walk laps at the mall (with your mask on), take a fitness class at the gym, lift weights, work out to a video at home, or even just dance. The most important component of an exercise program is finding something that you enjoy. If you’re having fun, you will be more likely to stick with exercise.
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MS. GUZMAN R180
OUR TEACHERS!
This month in Read 180, we will start Part 2 of Workshop 4 and continue to learn about the True West through literature. We will also focus on beginning to write an essay. Please make sure you are reading independently every day for 15-20 minutes and filling out your Reading logs on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Also, make sure you are completing 15-20 minutes of software daily and completing your software logs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. You need to have four segments completed by the end of second quarter which is January 22nd.
MS. CROWEL MATH 180 Classes will start on Math 180 Block 2. Students will multiply with 2-digit factors, develop reasoning with multiplication, and apply the Distributive Property to multiply. Highlights for December also include a Performance Task Day, students will meet a community that painted a mural covering its neighborhood. The artists created grids similar to an area model and applied the mathematics of multiplication and measurement to create the giant mural.
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Remote Learning Schedule | Grades 5th & 6th LIVE HOURS
TIME CLASS PERIOD
30 MIN 8:30 A.M. | 9:00 A.M. MORNING MEETING | Social Emotional Learning Activities | (1ST PERIOD) | Official attendance will be sent to the school office at 9:00 a.m. 20 MIN
9:00 A.M.
| 9:50 A.M.
1ST PERIOD
20 MIN
9:50 A.M.
| 10:40 A.M.
2ND PERIOD
10:40 A.M. | 10:50 A.M.
BRAIN BREAK
20 MIN
10:50 A.M. | 11:40 A.M.
3RD PERIOD
11:40 A.M. | 12:10 P.M.
LUNCH
20 MIN
12:10 P.M. | 1:00 P.M.
4TH PERIOD
20 MIN
1:00 P.M. | 1:50 P.M.
5TH PERIOD
1:50 P.M. | 2:00 P.M.
BRAIN BREAK
20 MIN
2:00 P.M. | 2:50 P.M.
6TH PERIOD
2:50 P.M. | 3:10 P.M
INDEPENDENT READING
TOTAL (2.5 HRS)
TEACHERS WILL BE LIVE THE FIRST 20 - 30 MINUTES OF EACH CLASS 2:50 P.M. - 3:15 P.M. TEACHER PLC MEETINGS
Onquanette Pierce, Principal
p Contact
Brookwood Middle School 200 E. Glenwood-Lansing Road Glenwood, IL 60425 708.758.5350