BMS | December Newsletter

NEWSLETTER DECEMBER

Students should arrive at school no earlier than 8:00 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. All walkers and car

BROOKWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILIES,

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

As we enter the month of December and leave behind the warm fall days and cool fall nights, I would like to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” to all the students, staff, teachers, parents, and community members that made the first five (5) months of the 2022/2023 school year an amazing one.

School Hours

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

Students should not arrive earlier than 8:00 a.m.

Without your support or assistance, all that Brookwood Middle School has accomplished to date would not have happened, so “Thank You Again.”

Additionally, I would like to say thank you to all the parents, students, and family members that attended our monthly Family Academic Night and the District Parent University with Mr. J. Anderson.

All walkers and car riders will enter through Door #1, The Main Entrance.

LaShawn Stewart Principal lstewart@brookwood167.org

SO CRAZY TO THINK WE ARE BEGINNING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER!

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

In addition to goals, I will also be focusing on the following...

1. Assisting teachers in creating, monitoring, and evaluating the success of the District Guided Math Initiative

2. Providing students with the opportunity to grow both academically and socially

3. Expose students to different academic opportunities via field trips

4. Assist students in improving their social skills

5. Provide teachers and staff with opportunities to learn from other staff members

Attendance/Absences/Tardies

To ensure that our students excel academically, they must attend school daily and be on time. When students are tardy, they miss valuable instruction, primarily in reading and language arts. Attendance will be tied into our school’s PBIS expectations in which students will be able to earn rewards and participate in fun activities.

When your child has to be absent, please inform the front office. Our absentee number is 708-757-2110.

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

• Timberwood 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) 708-757-2110 (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.

We are excited to announce that Brookwood School District 167 will provide students with a set of school supplies for school and home again this school year! Therefore, there are [NO] school supplies lists. However, if your child needs additional resources, please get in touch with the school office at 708-758-5252.

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) 758-5350. A PowerSchool app for your cellular phone makes it easy for parents to stay updated on their child’s progress.

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

BMS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GOALS

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 Middle 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) 758-5350, email, lstewart@brookwood167.org. All you will need to provide is your cell phone number or email address.

GET INVOLVED AND STAY INFORMED!

TRENDING...

SCIENCE

In 5th-grade science, we are continuing with our Matter unit. Students are examining changes to matter. Matter can change physically or chemically. Your student should be able to explain the difference between these two types of changes. Also, ask your child to share with you the Five Signs of a Chemical Change. They are creating a slide presentation on this topic, so perhaps they can show that to you as they give their explanation!

SOCIAL STUDIES

We are heading into our textbook (Our World) and going to hit the ground running in The Fertile Crescent. We start our class with weekly Daily Geography, which is due on Fridays, and end our class with CNN10 daily. We learn the art of note-taking, and most of our work is in our Google Classroom, so please make sure students have a device they can use at home. Contact the school if you need to check out a device from school.

Congratulations to the following 5th and 6th graders who were the 1st Quarter Perfect Attendance, Honor Roll, and High Honor Roll, Recipients.

5th Grade Perfect Attendance

Neriah Betts

Amani Bush

Amira Bush Jenice Figueroa Jade Gordon Jaliyah Holcomb Samuel Jimenez Arelis Quintero

Fatima Sodiq Makayla Thomas Jordyn Varnell Isael Vazquez Javry Williams Kiran Youngblood

5th Grade Honor Roll

Amadeus Cambric Trenity Carlson Jaleah Davitto Alan Fudge Jr Adan Hernandez Jaliyah Holcomb Samuel Jimenez Matthew King

Lennox Mattison Anthony Munoz Mauro Reyes Mia Tamez Rashad Taylor Deon’dre Washington Javry Williams Kelli Williamson

5th Grade High Honor Roll

Christopher Walker

6th Grade Perfect Attendance

Conner Allen

Sofia Calderon

Jayden Crowder Olivia Figaro

Denai Furcron Desmond Furcron Symira Hill Aleah Hughes

Godfrey Onyejekwe Jordyn Scurlock Dontae Starkes Jr Briana Valadez Nile Williamson Kaylie Wilson Jun Zambrano

6th Grade Honor Roll

Amari Bruce

Xalana Bush

Milton Calvin Brylen Cole Aaliyah Cornelious Jayden Crowder

London Driver Eli Estrada

Addison Dancy Adrian Dawson

Denai Furcron Malillani Gonzalez

Brandon Griffin Serenity Hartzog Aaliyah Munoz

Liliana Aguirre-Hernandez

6th Grade High Honor Roll

Jovanni Bravo

Sofia Calderon

Olivia Figaro Tabitha Gideon

Derwin Griggs Gabriel Hughes Samara McCoy Godfrey Onyejekwe Landon Spivey-May

BROOKWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL VISITORS

To stay current on what is happening at Brookwood Middle School, please continue to check Class Dojo or watch the morning announcements on YouTube by going to the following page...

https://bit.ly/3NA8V8C

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.