Thank You, Families, for joining us in October for our Parent Engagement Night to discuss Bullying. We hope you learned some beneficial information about how to support your student when they are feeling uncomfortable about a situation at our school. We hope your student shares this information with you as parents and with us so we can address these situations immediately. In addition, we want to thank families for attending our Bring Parents to Work Day and our Family Fall Ball. We hope you enjoyed following your student’s schedule and engaging in their classroom activities. We also hope you enjoyed participating in our Family Fall Ball. Our students enjoyed wearing their Disney Themed costumes. We thank you for participating.
As a reminder, our 6th-grade students participate in athletic activities at the Junior High School. Please ensure that your students maintain their grades and follow the rules of the games. Our After-School Activities started at BMS, and we would also like our 5th and 6th-grade students to maintain their grades so they can participate in the activities weekly. We want our students to do well in their classes and stay safe in their sports activities.
Lastly, I look forward to meeting everyone at our Parent-Teacher Conferences on November 4th. We will continue to build lifelong learners as we “Journey to Excellence” throughout our school year! If you want to reach me, please call or email our school.
Sincerely,
Dr. Muriel McClam-Hollimon, Principal BMS mhollimon@brookwood167.org
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 DISTRICT 167 MISSION STATEMENT
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.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
-- Maya Angelou
BROOKWOOD DISTRICT 167 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 all our students’ needs.
We Are Committed To...
• Providing students with highly qualified teachers
• Providing our staff with professional development
“Success is about dedication. You may not be where you want to be or do what you want to do when you’re on the journey. But you’ve got to be willing to have vision and foresight that leads you to an incredible end.” --Usher
VISITORS
If you need to come into the school for any reason, 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 district-wide reporting for all visitors, volunteers, and contractors that have signed in/out of our buildings. This is important for safety reasons.
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. All walkers and car riders will enter through Door #1, The Main Entrance.
Please use extreme caution when dropping off and picking up your children. The speed limit is five (5) mph on school grounds. Watch for children exiting and entering vehicles. Please yield to buses dropping off and picking up. We thank you for helping us to keep all students safe.
IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE INFOMATION
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 student 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 student 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.
If a student continues to be absent or tardy without a valid excuse, 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 to attend school consistently, it is essential that we work together to improve their attendance, as this will improve their chances for school success.
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.
I commend the families for instilling in their children the importance of being present daily.
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 Worker.
Mr. Darryl Thompson (708) 758-5350 dthompson@brookwood167.org
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Once again, this year, our Superintendent and the 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) 758-5350 so we can help provide them with all necessary materials.
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:
• 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 before 8:30 a.m. to report your child’s absence (708) 757-2110 (Option #1).
please leave the following information:
• Students full name with spelling of the last name
• Reason for absence
• Your name and relationship to the student
reporting a student’s aBsence...
Parents must call the school to report their child absent before 8:30 a.m. The number for reporting absences is (708) 757-2110 (Option #1). Official attendance will be reported every morning by 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.
reporting a student’s early dismissal...
• Please call the main number (708) 758-5350 at least (45) minutes “PRIOR” to the early dismissal.
• In order for your student to be excused, you must sign them in and out in the main office; otherwise, their absence will be marked as “UNEXCUSED”.
please leave the following information...
• Students full name with spelling of the last name
• Reason for absence/tardy/early release
• Your name and relationship to the student
Education Facts
Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports
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
• Home and Community Based Positive Behavior Support Facebook Page
• Home and Community PBS Website
• Parent Center Hub Positive Behavior Supports Resource Collection
• Intensive Intervention: An Overview for Parents and Families
• The Association for Positive Behavior Support
• Getting Behavior in Shape at Home
• Family Resources for Challenging Behavior
• The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) Resource Library
pBis | Second Step
second step | sel (social emotional learning)
As part of our PBIS Initiative at Brookwood Middle School, our teachers have been infusing a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum into their daily routines. With a lesson focused on each week, this curriculum teaches our students important skills such as how to have empathy, emotion management, problem solving skills, friendship skills, and responsibility. The weekly focus for each lesson varies. Please talk with your child about these lessons, it will help to reinforce them at home! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s SEL teacher. define, teach, and routinely acknowledge family expectations.
• Discuss how you want to live as a family and identify some “pillars” (important, building-block concepts) that represent what you value. Talk about what those pillars look and sound like in everyday routines. To help the family remember and be consistent, choose only 3-5 and create positive statements about them.
Here are a few examples:
• Speak in a respectful voice.
• Be responsible for actions.
• Be safe; keep hands, feet, and objects to self.
• Identify a couple of “hot spots” to begin. Challenging behaviors often occur within routines. Perhaps mornings or mealtimes create hot spots for the family. After discussing 1-2 ways to be Respectful, Responsible, and Safe in the morning, teach what each looks like. Have fun with it! Set up “expectation stations” for practicing the plan and assign each family member one pillar to teach to the rest.
• Behaviors that get attention get repeated. Notice when a child does the right thing and say something about each success: “I noticed you stopped to pick up your shoes in the hallway. Thanks for putting them away and keeping the walkway safe for others.” The easiest way to change a behavior is to point out what a person does right!
• Remember this catchy phrase, “5-and-1 gets it done” to ensure five positive interactions for each negative interaction. When the expected behavior becomes routine, the reinforcement can fade away. create engaging and predictaBle routines.
• Children crave structure and routine. Adults may look forward to a relaxing evening or weekend, but kids often need regular activity and engagement. Consider that either the kids are busy, or the adults are busy managing bored kids!
• Use visuals to create predictability. A visual schedule can display major routines of the day with pictures that are drawn, real photos or cut-outs from magazines. Create the schedule together, if possible. Parents can ask a child to check the schedule – especially when moving from a preferred to non-preferred activity. It’s hard to argue with a picture!
ClassDojo
Please review information disseminated via Class Dojo from our office and teachers. We want to communicate with all families and will send essential messages regularly using this platform. Our office often sends information from the Junior High School regarding canceled after-school programs and practices. Please stay connected by signing up.
we encourage you to do the following to help us communicate with you:
• Please ensure we have an accurate email address. If you are not receiving Dojo messages from us, it probably means we have incorrect information on our end.
• Please sign up for the digital tools that Brookwood School District and the school have provided. These include:
• Class Dojo
• Power School Parent Portal
• Please talk with your child’s teacher about Google Classroom and how it can be used as a communication tool.
• Please follow us on Facebook
• Please visit our website at www.brookwood167.org
• Please feel free to email us or call us at (708) 758-5350
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, mhollimon@brookwood167.org, or cell phone, (708) 252-4789. All you must provide is your cell phone number or email address.
GET INVOLVED AND STAY INFORMED!
Breakfast/Lunch
We will send home the breakfast and lunch menu for October. We will send home a menu each month so you know what is being served and can plan accordingly.
Breakfast: Breakfast is served daily in the school cafeteria from 8:10 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
luncH: Hot lunch is free for all students. This includes entrée, fruit, milk, and dessert. If you pack lunch for your child, please keep a healthy choice of foods. Parents will not be allowed to bring their child fast food. Any questions, please contact Janice Machnikowski, Food Services Manager at (708) 758-5190.
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.
All SD 167 teachers use an online grading system called PowerSchool that they update regularly.
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) 758-5350. A PowerSchool app for your cellular phone makes it easy for parents to stay updated on their child’s progress.
CHAMPIONS |
BEFORE & AFTER
SCHOOL PROGRAM
Champions is a Before & AfterSchool Care Program available to our Brookwood families. Please get in touch with Champions as soon as you can to secure your spot.
Space is limited.
Champions Family Support Phone: (800) 246-2154
ChampionsHelp@kc-education.com
star student recognition
Faith Hardwick
Kyra Figaro
challenger learning center field trip
Neil Armstrong | Michael Collins | “Buzz” Aldrin
student athletics
Cross Country Team
Girls Basketball
“say no to Bullying” student engagement
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
November 3rd Daylight Savings Time (Set Clocks Back 1 Hour)
November 4th Parent/Teacher Conferences | No School Report Card Pickup | 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
