BMS | October Newsletter

NEWSLETTER OCTOBER

CHAMPIONS BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

Champions is a before and after school care program available to our Brookwood families.

contact Champions as soon as possible

Student Safety Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures

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 riders will enter through Door #1, The Main Entrance Thank you for being so cooperative

BROOKWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILIES,

AS I LOOK OUT MY WINDOW AND SEE THE LEAVES CHANGING COLORS, I AM WONDERING WHERE SUMMER HAS GONE?

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

LaShawn Stewart

Principal lstewart@brookwood167.org

As we enter the season of fall and giving, I want to say thank you to all those parents that have blessed the staff and teachers of Brookwood Middle School with their kind and encouraging words.

As we move into the month of October, I would like to say thank you to all those students and parents that attended our Annual Open House/Curriculum Night on Aug. 30, 2022. It was wonderful to see so many new and familiar faces. Thank you for making this a wonderful event. Also, I would like to say congratulations to our raffle winners. Additionally, thank you to all those parents who purchased their child’s 2022/2023 school planner. If you have not, please contact your child’s teacher to inquire about purchasing 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.

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

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

It is no secret that being in school every day and on time is an important factor to your child being successful in school. Because of this we want your child to have the opportunity to succeed, so for the month of September we are hoping to achieve a daily attendance rate of 94% or higher.

In order for this to happen we need your child in school everyday unless they are sick or there is a family emergency. If your child is going to absent please call the attendance line at 708-757-2110 and leave a message.

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.

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

TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO...

Teach students how to use self-awareness and interpersonal skills to maintain positive relationships.

Use a more standards-based approach to measure student growth and progress.

Provide students with more opportunities to improve their mental and physical health. Implement restorative justice practices.

Work collaboratively with parents to increase parent involvement within our school community.

A

B

USE A MORE STANDARDS...

C

PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH...

D

IMPLEMENT RESTORATIVE...

E

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...

MATH

In Math, we are learning about all the ways we can compose and decompose numbers. This includes factors, multiples, The Distributive Property, and even some area problems!

SOCIAL STUDIES

In Social Studies, we have introduced some critical geography skills needed for students to be successful throughout the year. We are also going to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th -October 15th) as well as learn about the events this country endured on 9/11/01. We will continue in Geography with Land and Water vocabulary, latitude and longitude coordinates as well as learning about a compass rose.

TRENDING...

MATH INTERVENTION

In September, Math 180/Volume 1 students will be working on Multiplicative Thinking. Students will configure equal groups in multiplication and master 10 as a factor. Math 180/Volume 2 students are working on Fraction Concepts. Students will model equivalent fractions and use fractions to divide.

INTERVENTION

This month we will be starting Workshop 4: True West. We will be learning about how people found fortune or misfortune while traveling to the American West in the 1800’s. Students will also be working on software and independent reading. Two segments in software must be completed each quarter. Reading logs will be completed during each independent reading rotation.

TRENDING...

SCIENCE

5th- Grade Science students have been studying the Scientific Method and Engineering Design Process. We will be putting into practice the knowledge of the Engineering Design Process with a Catapult Lab. Students are welcome to bring in materials from home when they are designing and building their catapults.

We will then move into a Matter Unit where we will be studying particles, properties, states, changes, and conservation of matter.

6th- Grade Science students have been studying the Scientific Method and reviewing lab safety. They started exploring microscopes and will be studying Cells in this first unit. We will be looking at plant and animal cells.

BROOKWOOD MIDDLE 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.