HB | March 2023 Newsletter

HEADLINES

CHAMPIONS BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

Champions is a before and after school care program available to our Brookwood families. Please contact Champions as soon as possible to secure your spot. SPACE IS LIMITED

Champions Family Support | Phone: (800) 246-2154

ChampionsHelp@kc-education.com

Student Safety Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures

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 off/pick up that we hope to avoid by enlisting this new procedure. Thank you for understanding and helping us to create the safest situation possible for our families, students, and staff.

DEAR

HICKORY BEND FAMILIES,

PERSEVERANCE AND PATIENCE

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

March Madness rules the sports world, but for school, March is just another month for our students to continue growing and learning as much as possible.

March is also the vital month of State Testing for our 3rd and 4th graders. It is so important that our students know the value of demonstrating their knowledge and skill. In the process, let’s continue to work together to remind them of how unique and wonderful they are just themselves. Testing days are best handled with little to no anxiety. We all know this to be nearly impossible! So, remember to let your All-Star know how much they are loved regardless of ANYTHING!

School Hours

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

Students should not arrive earlier than 8:10 a.m.

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

Our students are growing through the many experiences and opportunities we share.

Please continue reading to see how we make Hickory Bend a place where children come to enjoy school, the learning part, and the fun part.

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.

Our school is a fun place to be. We are serious about learning, and we are serious about fun, too. Maintaining a healthy balance of hard work and rewards is vital to a happy childhood (and adulthood!)

ANTI-BULLY / RECIPES FOR KINDNESS

Kindness does not always happen automatically. Sometimes we must work hard to ensure we have all the ingredients to build a kind school.

4TH GRADE ANNOUNCERS

Thank you, 4th Grade Announcers, for helping us to start the day with great energy and positive vibes!

100 DAYS

The Kindergarten students celebrated the 100th day of school in February. They had a great time counting to 100, building a tower using 100 cups, finding 100 Hershey kisses, and so much more!

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:

• May 5th, 2023

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.

1,500 BOOK CHALLENGE COMPLETE!

Congratulations Hickory Bend for reading a combined total of 1,500 Books (that’s more than 100 books per classroom!). Today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders.

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

ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL!

Our doors open at 8:00 A.M. Instruction begins at 8:30 A.M.

ArrivAl At 8:31 A.M. or l Ater will count As A tArdy.

Parents, please continue to teach our children the importance of timely arrival to their “job.”

Hard lessons now will pay off in the future as our children grow into their professional lives. The question has been asked…the answer is “YES”! Being On-Time in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is crucially important. Our children are establishing life habits TODAY!

eArly is on-tiMe... on-tiMe is lAte... lAte is unAccePtABle!

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

SOUTH CHICAGO DANCE THEATRE

Celebrating Black History Month by enjoying the South Chicago Dance Theatre’s educational, fun, and riveting performance is a treat.

Not only did our students learn vital historical information, but they also had a chance to experience dance themselves.

• If your student needs medication to be administered in the school setting, the medication and accompanying doctor’s orders must be provided by a parent or guardian to the school nurse. Medication should NEVER be sent in with the student. No medication may be given without a doctor’s order. This includes inhalers, emergency epinephrine (EpiPen), daily medications, antibiotics, eye/ ear drops, cough drops, over-the-counter medication, or any other form of medication.

REMINDER REGARDING MEDICATIONS

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

THANK YOU PARENT VOLUNTEERS!

The volunteer efforts of our parents make all the difference in our school. If you are interested in volunteering, please get in touch with our main office and let us know when you are available to help. We need readers, activity leaders, trip chaperones, etc. #ItTakesAVillage!

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!

WE HAVE A DREAM... WE ARE THE DREAM!

Hickory Bend celebrated Black History through artwork, self-reflection, daily trivia, guest artists, and research projects.

FAMILY ART NIGHT

Much fun was had as our families enjoyed painting, coloring, and all manner of artwork.

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.