HB | January 2024 Newsletter

HICKORY

BEND SCHOOL

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Our custodial and administrative staff have worked hard over the Winter Break, ensuring the school is ready for students to return on Wednesday, January 10th.

The school has been given a deep cleaning to ensure students return to a clean and germ-free environment.

Hickory Bend School Ronisha Penner | Principal

600 E. 191st Place glenwood, il 60425

No Parking!!!

URGENT, YET A GENTLE REMINDER! Please do not park, stand, or stage in the apartment complex adjacent to the Hickory Bend parking lot.

This is private parking.

Your vehicle will be subject to ticketing and towing.

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

--Albert Einstein

From The Principal...

Ronisha Penner | Principal

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were filled with joy and warmth. As we embark on the second half of the school year, I am excited for the adventures and achievements that await our elementary students. Here’s to a year of growth, learning, and shared successes.

Dominos Pizza Fundraiser

The goal is to raise $2000 to support student and family activities. The key is YOU! If your family eats pizza, then this fundraiser is definitely for you. With the Dominos Pizza Discount Card, every pizza you buy is Buy-One-Get-One Free (BOGO)! The card is only $20 to purchase and is good to use over and over again until December 31, 2024. Pizza night at home on a Monday? BOGO! Birthday party for your new 10-year-old??? BOGO…as in Buy 5 pizzas, get 5 Free! Just think of all the savings!

This fundraiser will run for approximately two (2) weeks, January 16-30, 2024. An online store will be set up for Hickory Bend so that participants can purchase the discount cards directly from Dominos. We will also use the traditional paper order forms to collect orders. Get your appetite ready for some yummy pizza!

We are asking that every parent sign up for the Principal ClassDojo, as this is a great way for parents to stay informed about important events and information throughout the school year. Please contact the school office if you need help signing up for this awesome communication tool.

I can be reached at the school number (708) 758-4520, by email rpenner@brookwood167.org 2

MISSION STATEMENT | WE BELIEVE!

BROOKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 167 | MISSION STATEMENT challenged to the highest level of academic and artistic excellence.

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In the importance of staff development opportunities based on best practices and educational research.

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We Believe...

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Families shape their children’s motivation, confidence, and academic success by being interested and involved in their overall development.

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All students are unique and should be

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” --Vince Lombardi

In educating our children in a safe and nurturing environment with access

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improvement in all aspects

to state-of-the-art

of the school system

technology.

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In continuous

to foster a culture of

The school system should

excellence, accountability,

teach students to think

and integrity.

critically, enabling them to become contributing citizens in our global society.

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In responsible stewardship of financial and physical resources.

Excellence... Potential...

Achieve...

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.

Hickory Bend School | January Newsletter

BROOKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 167 | VISION “Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it.” --Maya Angelou

Our overall vision is to improve the achievement of all WE ARE COMMITTED TO: 1. Providing students with highly qualified teachers

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

2. Providing our staff with Professional Development

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.

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Reporting An Absence To report absences, please call the attendance line at (708) 757-2110, Option 1. Please call the school before 8:30 a.m. to report your child’s absence.

Please leave the following information: •

Student’s full name with the spelling of the last name

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Reason for absence/tardy/early release

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Your name and relationship to the student

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Please call the main number (708) 758-5350 at least 45 minutes PRIOR to early dismissal.

For your student to be EXCUSED, you must sign them in and out in the main office, or their absence will be marked as unexcused.

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 Class dojo.

ATTENDANCE/ ABSENCES/ TARDIES...

Communication & Information Healthy communication between the school and home is essential, and we are working to provide numerous ways for this vital communication. To help suppress paper usage, we will continue providing information using digital communication as much as possible.

Parents must call the school to report their child absent before 8:30 a.m. The number for reporting absences

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 any Dojo messages from us, then it probably means we have incorrect information on our end.

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Please sign up for the digital tools that Brookwood School District and the school have provided.

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These include: - Class Dojo - Power School Parent Portal

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Please talk with your child’s teacher about Google Classroom and how it can be used as a communication tool.

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Please follow us on Facebook

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Please visit our website at www.brookwood167.org

is (708) 757-2115.

Official attendance will be reported every morning by 9:00 a.m.

Hickory Bend School | January Newsletter

Keep Them Home...

If my child is sick, when should I 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:

If You Answered “YES”...

If you answered “YES” to any of the

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Fever of 100.4 or higher

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New onset of moderate to severe headache

Please call the school to report your child’s

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Shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat

absence (708) 758-5252 (Option 1).

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Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea

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Abdominal pain from unknown cause

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New congestion/runny nose

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New loss of sense, taste or smell

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Fatigue from unknown cause

EarPods. These items should only be used by the

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Muscle or body aches

individual who they belong to.

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sympthons, your child MUST stay home!

Health Tip...

One precaution to help stop the spread of germs is to not share personal items. Some of these include water bottles, lip balms, hats, hairbrushes, and

After School Matters...

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

Our afterschool activities are the place to be! Violin, Sensational Singers Choir, book clubs, Number Wizards, Drama Club, and the Lego Club are fun ways for our students to remain engaged at Hickory Bend.

After-school activities play a vital role in a child’s overall development, offering a well-rounded education beyond the traditional classroom setting.

They provide a safe, supportive environment for personal growth, skill development, and pursuing passions, making them an integral part of a student’s educational journey.

Club opportunities change throughout the year.

If your child is not currently involved, please stay tuned for coming opportunities.

reasons.

SCHOOL SAFETY! Hickory Bend School | January Newsletter

Family Technology Night

FAMILY

How do you “Go through Clever”? Where is the “Google Classroom”? What happens on an eLearning Day? These questions and much more were answered as we hopped online together to ensure parents could help their child on their devices at home.

As a part of our School Improvement Plan (S.I.P.) for the 2023-2024 school year, we planned to strengthen the home-school partnership. At a time when the majority of our work involves technology, it’s crucial that our students and parents understand how to navigate the technology.

A Big Thank You to the Hickory Bend S.I.P. Team for presenting the information to our families:

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Ms. Angell

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Mrs. Binning

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Ms. Gajewski

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Mrs. Garza

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Mrs. Nyhan

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Mrs. Torres

Sensational Winter Concert Series The Hickory Bend Sensational Singers did a Sensational job performing at their Holiday Concert.

Great Job Choir!

Thank you to all who attended the performance. We hope you enjoyed our show… and the pizza!

Following the Winter Concert, the Hickory Bend Sensational Singers enjoyed caroling around the classrooms and spreading holiday cheer on December 21st.

They enjoyed their annual hot cocoa and cookie party to celebrate their success. Yum!

Spelling Bee Winners!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our outstanding Classroom Spelling Bee winners!

Your dedication and linguistic prowess have shone brightly—a round of applause for your hard work and impressive achievements.

The next round is the school-wide Spelling Bee on January 17th. The winner of this bee moves on to the District Spelling Bee. Good Luck!

Hickory Bend School | January Newsletter

CLASSDOJO School Supplies Once again, our Superintendent and 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 get in touch with our school office at (708) 758-5252, so

ClassDojo is a global community of more than 50 million teachers and families who come together to share kids’ most important learning moments, in school and at home —through photos, videos, messages, and more.

CLASSDOJO IS ACTIVELY USED IN 90% OF U.S. K-8 SCHOOLS

we can help provide them with all necessary and needed materials.

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

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.

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or texted you, or contact the school at (708) 758-4520 or email, rpenner@ brookwood167.org. All you will need to provide is your cell phone number or email address.

GET INVOLVED & STAY INFORMED!

Kids have always learned together in physical spaces. Today, they learn in virtual spaces, too. Now that ClassDojo has connected a worldwide community of teachers, kids, and families, we’re building that virtual space for everyone...

Good behavior leads to good times! The All-Stars saved their Dojo Points and purchased an afternoon treat: a warm cup of cocoa with marshmallows and cookies to decorate and devour.

What a fun way to end the day!

From Principal Penner, “Thank you for sharing a sweet-treat moment with me.”

The Three (3) R’s: Respect For Self | Respect For Others | Responsibility For All Your Actions

Hickory Bend School | January Newsletter

All Brookwood Jr. High School 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

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) 758-5252. 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

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Parent/Teacher Conferences Thursday, February 15th, 2024 | 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

If you wish to discuss your child’s progress, teachers will be available during the times listed. You do not need an appointment to attend. If you would like a specific time, don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teachers through Class Dojo, email, or by calling the school at (708) 758-4520.

Conferences should average about 10-15 minutes; accommodations will be made by the teacher if more time is needed (The last conference time can be honored as late as 6:15 p.m.). Students are encouraged to attend with their parents!

Parents, Parent/Teacher Conferences are welcome anytime throughout the school year. We welcome and encourage parent involvement and partnerships. We must work together for the success of every child.

Hickory Bend School | January Newsletter

HICKORY

BEND SCHOOL

ANTI-BULLY PLEDGE •

We make a COMMITMENT to stand against bullying.

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We will treat others with RESPECT and KINDNESS.

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We will have the COMPASSION to not be a bully.

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We will have the COURAGE to not be a bystander.

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It is our RESPONSIBILITY to help others and to report bullying.

“ALL-STARS” HICKORY BEND SCHOOL 600 E. 191ST PLACE GLENWOOD, IL 60425 708 758 4520 RONISHA PENNER | PRINCIPAL