HB | December Newsletter

NEWSLETTER DECEMBER

Beginning Tuesday, September 7th, 2022, vehicles will not be allowed to park in the main lot during morning drop-off or during afternoon pickup. Respectfully, we ask those wishing to park their vehicles to use the overflow lot (the lot we share with the church). There you may park your vehicle and safely exit to walk your child to the building. We have had several “close calls” during drop

hope to avoid by enlisting

DEAR

HICKORY BEND

FAMILIES,

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

FAMILIES DO SO MUCH TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS HERE AT THE SCHOOL

OUR

Dubose Principal rdubose@brookwood167.org

School Hours

Our families do so much to support our efforts here at the school. Our staff does so much to support learning for every student. Our students accept the challenge of being great every day. Working together in concert, we have created a community of learning that WORKS! Our students are growing stronger every day as they prepare to accept the challenges of tomorrow.

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 we continue to monitor our students’ progress, we have come to the conclusion that changes are needed in our daily schedule.

If ever you have questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our staff. No question is too small, and no concern is too big for us to handle as a team. As always, we look forward to working in partnership with our families to ensure our AllStars continue to grow and succeed

Ronisha

Beginning the week of December 5th, 2022, two (2) major shifts in our day will be implemented:

• Early dismissals after 2:30 p.m. will not be allowed without advanced notice and a doctor’s note. This will be done to protect instructional time for ALL students.

• The Specials Schedule will rotate on a daily schedule instead of a quarterly schedule. This will be done to ensure equality in instructional minutes.

Please read the two (2) “Breaking News” articles in this newsletter for more details on how these changes will work to serve our students’ best interest. We thank you for your continued support.

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 708-757-2120.

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

• All-Star 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.

Beginning December 5, 2022, early dismissals will not be allowed after 2:30 pm without advanced warning and a doctor’s note.

EARLY DISMISSALS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AFTER 2:30

PM

Simply put, our final block of instruction begins at 2:30 pm and ends at 3:10 pm and we can no longer afford the interrupted learning environment.

• When students are pulled from class prior to 3:10 pm, they miss crucial moments of instruction. Sometimes the mindset is, “oh, it’s just a few minutes early.” However, those few minutes can be the time dedicated for your child to receive one-on-one instruction, or they could be presenting to the class, or they could be in the middle of a test, or they could be at the brink of their big “Ah Ha” moment…, but their glorious learning opportunity is stripped from them when they are pulled away from class for an early dismissal.

• When a student is pulled from class for an early dismissal, the ENTIRE learning environment is affected as the teacher must now stop teaching to give individualized dismissal instructions to one student and ensure he/she has everything needed to leave for the day. When one student is plucked out of class, the impact is felt by the ENTIRE classroom.

• Celebrations are held at the end of the day. If a student leaves early, they are pulled away from the hard earned celebratory moment.

2:30 PM – 3:10 PM IS NOT THE TIME FOR DISMISSAL!

However… it IS time for the following:

As we review our data and our student’s progress, it has become abundantly clear that the interference caused by early dismissals is having a detrimental effect on our learning community and the progress of our learners.

For the remainder of the school year, Hickory Bend will operate on Red-White-Blue days. Each color day will offer a different Specials class for your child and the color will change daily. This means your child will see their PE, Music, and STEAM instructor on a three (3) day rotation. The only interruption in the rotation will be when we do not have school for the day

Example: Mrs. Smith class has PE on Red days, Music on White days, and STEAM on Blue days. Her calendar will look like this:

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

RED WHITE BLUE RED WHITE PE MUSIC STEAM PE MUSIC 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

BLUE RED (NO WHITE BLUE STEAM PE SCHOOL) MUSIC STEAM 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

RED WHITE BLUE (EARLY MUSIC DISMISSAL) RED PE

In addition, if your child’s class is on a rotation where they only have PE once in the week, they will be given an additional PE period throughout the week so that we ensure they receive the required “PE Minutes” per the State of Illinois.

All families will receive a calendar that details exactly which special is held on which day for the remainder of the school year. THE

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) 708-757-2120 (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.

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTENVENTIONS & SUPPORT (PBIS)

A major focus area of learning for our K-4 students is that of behavior. Maintaining a physically and emotionally safe learning environment is a priority before we can expect our children to learn academic content. In each area of the school, we have developed expectations that we use to teach children how to Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful. This work is through PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports). For the first few weeks of our school year, we model and practice what these expectations look like and sound like. When we observe students who struggle with following the expectations, the student is not automatically punished but is instead reminded of the expectation and given the opportunity to modify his/her behavior to demonstrate the appropriate behavior. We believe that devoting a significant amount of time to working on expectations is beneficial to all of our students.

Now that we have become well acquainted with these skills, the expectation is that students demonstrate the skills in every area of the school day. When students need constant reminders or when behavior becomes disruptive, we will take the necessary steps to reteach the skills and remind students of the expectations. Our goal is to provide the support students need to significantly decrease the number of distractions and unwanted behaviors. A paper copy of our expectations was sent home in your child’s take-home folder. Please take time to review the expectations with your child(ren). We appreciate all the support families have shown in working collaboratively toward student behavioral success.

SOME of the 2:00 pm Dismissals Canceled…

Please note the following 2:00 pm dismissals have been canceled and we will be in school for the FULL DAY on the following dates:

• December 22nd, 2022

• March 3rd, 2023

• May 5th, 2023

SAVE THE DATE

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.

“There is only one person in the world who’s responsible for

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

PHYSICAL EDUCATION SCHOOL-WIDE FIELD TRIP!

We are excited to announce our return to Stardust Bowling Lanes in Dyer, IN where our students will put to practice the bowling skills learned during their P.E. classes. There is no cost for this trip; students will have lunch upon returning to the school. We will depart the school at 8:45 am and will return by Noon. Students will attend this awesome field trip according to the following schedule:

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

• Gajewski, Garza, Wagner, Greaney, Menos, Nyhan, and Szotek

Wednesday December 21, 2022

• Binning, LaFond, Torres, King, McQueen, Lucas, and Angell

Please ensure your child is on-time for school so that we may load our buses and depart promptly at 8:45 am. Please also ensure your child WEARS SOCKS, as they will be required to participate. Chaperones are NEEDED on this trip, so please be sure to indicate your interest on the permission form.

ALL PERMISSION FORMS ARE DUE BY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, 2022

RESOURCEFUL TIPS...

• Help them use different methods to find answers

• Support them when they struggle but allow THEM to work it out.

• Rather than giving answers to questions, give questions to help lead them to answers

• Ask children for their help and suggestions.

• Coach your child more often than you control your child; show that you have confidence in their ability

JEREMY ANDERSON INSPIRES US ALL

With a daytime presentation to our 3rd and 4th grade students and an evening presentation to our parents, Jeremy Anderson inspired us all to take on a “cando” mindset.

Our students will benefit from his “Next Level Curriculum” as they learn to overcome obstacles and support the next person.

THANKSGIVING FUN IN KINDERGARTEN!

The Kindergarten classes are working hard to learn to recognize all of the letters of the alphabet as well as the sound of each letter. The students especially enjoy it when the learning is hands-on. We are so grateful to Ms. Szotek for all the special items she brings to share with the students. They loved the antler for the letter A, teddy bears for the letter T, seashells for the letter S, and nests for Letter N. We are always excited to see what she will have for us next!

KINDERGARTEN… IT’S A WHOLE EXPERIENCE!

The Kindergarten classes are working hard to learn to recognize all of the letters of the alphabet as well as the sound of each letter.

The students especially enjoy it when the learning is hands-on. We are so grateful to Ms. Szotek for all the special items she brings to share with the students. They loved the antler for the letter A, teddy bears for the letter T, seashells for the letter S, and nests for Letter N. We are always excited to see what she will have for us next!

PBIS REWARDS

Our top-earning PBIS Students earned and saved enough Dojo points to purchase a ticket to the theater. We will take a field trip to the Drury Lane Theatre on Friday, December 9, 2022, to enjoy the time-honored classic, “A Christmas Carol”. We will leave school at 9:00 am and return at approximately 1:00 pm. The children should dress in regular school attire. We will have lunch upon our return. If your child received a permission slip, they have already purchased a ticket to the show…the cost was a whopping 200 Dojo Points. Please send the permission slip immediately to secure our space at Drury Lane.

HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY!!!! HONORING OUR STUDENTS & OUR VETERANS

Hickory Bend got a special treat when Sergeant Raquel Simmons of our US Air Force and Sergeant Roger Lee Bell (Retired) of our US Army paid us a visit on Veterans Day. The students enjoyed a Q&A session and were then presented with their 1st Quarter Achievement Awards. Special thanks to Mr. Nathaniel Hull for partnering with Taco Bell, Arby’s, and Wendy’s to provide each award recipient with a special coupon to congratulate them on their success.

Thank You to all who served and continue to serve in our nation’s armed forces.

HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY!!!! FAMILY MUSIC NIGHT

Thank you to all who showed up to our Family Music Night Event. Not only did we dance the night away, we sang Karaoke, made rain sticks, discovered music-creating apps on the iPad, played Music Bingo, enjoyed Storytime, and took awesome photos at the music photo booth. Special thanks to our Guest, KJ Sergeant Simmons (a KJ is like a DJ, but for Karaoke). It was a night to remember, indeed!

HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY!!!! FAMILY MUSIC NIGHT

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 Hickory Bend 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) 758-4520, email, rdubose@brookwood167.org. All you will need to provide is your cell phone number or email address.

GET INVOLVED AND STAY INFORMED!

HICKORY BEND 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.