HB | September 2023 Newsletter

WHAT A FANTASTIC START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR!

Vehicles are not allowed to park in the main lot during morning drop-off or during afternoon pick-up. 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.

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

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.

WHAT A FANTASTIC START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR!

From blackouts to extreme temperatures, we have seen the worst and yet shown courage and creativity to conquer all challenges!

I can be reached at the school number (708) 7584520, by email rpenner@ brookwood167.org

Our first few weeks have been focused on establishing routines and procedures. This goes for our students as well as for our parents. Knowing where to drop off their students and what time to pick them up has been a learning curve for most people.

At this point, most routines are established, but if ever you have a question or uncertainty, please contact our front office for clarification. We are here for you, and we are committed to making this school year the best year for everyone.

MISSION STATEMENT | WE BELIEVE!

BROOKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 167 | MISSION STATEMENT

challenged to the highest level of academic and artistic excellence.

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

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

• 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.

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 decision-makers.

“When you’re good at something, you’ll tell everyone. When you’re great at something, they’ll tell you.” --Walter

Payton

WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

1. Providing students with highly qualified teachers

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

2. Providing our staff with Professional Development

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 researchbased 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.

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, taste or smell

• Fatigue from unknown cause

• Muscle or body aches

If you answer “YES”

ATTENDANCE/ ABSENCES/ TARDIES

To ensure that our students are excelling academically, students 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 can earn rewards and participate in fun activities.

When your child must be absent, please inform the front office. Our absentee number is 708-757-2115.

TECHNOLOGY HELPLINE

If your child is having any technology problems, please get in touch with our help desk at (708) 300-3553 or email our help desk at helpdesk@ brookwood167.org

I am excited to share with you that our Superintendent and Board of Education will continue 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) 7584520, so we can help provide them with all necessary and needed materials.

REPORTING AN ABSENCE

To report absences, please call the attendance line at (708) 7572110, 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

• Reason for absence/tardy/early release

• Your name and relationship to the student

• 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.

PLEASE JOIN OUR CLASSDOJO’S AND STAY INFORMED!

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.

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, or email, rpenner@ brookwood167.org. All you will need to provide is your cell phone number or email address.

GET INVOLVED AND STAY INFORMED!

DOJO WE BELIEVE...

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...

HISPANIC HERITAGE NIGHT

Wednesday, September 27

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.

6:00 p.m.

COMMUNITY CONNECT MOBILE CLINIC

With service to over twenty (20) students, the Community Connect Mobile Clinic proved to be a valuable community resource.

Convenience is at the heart of the initiative. We understand that life can be demanding, and finding time to visit a healthcare facility for vaccinations might be challenging.

The mobile clinic eliminates this obstacle by bringing fully licensed healthcare professionals and the necessary vaccines right to our school.

POWERSCHOOL

At PowerSchool, we believe that for students to succeed, they need to feel connected to learning in a personal way.

All Longwood 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) 758-4520. A PowerSchool app for your cellular phone makes it easy for parents to stay updated on their child’s progress.

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

-BB King

PBIS (POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTENVENTIONS & SUPPORT) KICKOFF

Our All-Stars did shine brightly during our PBIS Kickoff event: Expectation Station Rotations and End of the Day Celebration!

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS improves social-emotional competence, academic success, and school climate.

Since the first day of school, our students have been learning how to behave through the methods and strategies of PBIS. On Friday, August 25th, 2023, we enjoyed culminating events that led to an all-school assembly and the winning of big-time bonus Dojo Points (points to be used to purchase fun items from the school store during our PBIS sales).

Complete with teacher role-playing and student-led corrective suggestions, our celebration gave us a sneak peek into a great year ahead. Our All-Stars are on the right path and are shooting for the moon!

VISITORS

If you need to come into the school for any safety reasons, you must have a current Driver’s License that will be checked in our Raptor Security System. Raptor® provides a line of sight for those always in our school. The system provides school and district-wide reporting for all visitors, volunteers, and contractors signed in/out of our buildings. This is important for safety reasons.

PRECIOUS INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES | 8:30AM - 3:15PM 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

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 EarPods. These items should only be used by the individual to whom they belong.

It is crucially important that we maximize instructional time for all students. Instruction begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:15 p.m. on normal dismissal days.

To be clear, for teachers to begin active instruction at 8:30 a.m., all students must be seated and ready to receive instruction at 8:30 a.m. Our doors open at 8:00 a.m. for students to enter the building, receive optional breakfast (free to all students), and prepare for the day. When our students arrive before the start of instruction, our learning environment begins with a calm focus. Students who enter the classroom after the start of instruction are generally in a hurried rush, slightly discombobulated, and suffer lost learning opportunities. Thus, it is crucially important that all students enter the building in a timely manner and are ready to receive instruction by 8:30 a.m.

On the other end of the school day is the opportunity to maximize learning by continuing instruction through 3:15 p.m. This will mean students will NOT walk out of the building promptly at 3:15 p.m.

On the contrary, students will need a few minutes to gather their belongings and safely exit the building. As our student body consists of the youngest students in our District, it is essential to be patient as they learn to be responsible for their belongings and safe during the dismissal process. We promise we won’t tarry unnecessarily! So, please be patient, as our dismissal procedures will not begin until 3:15 p.m.

Every minute of the instructional day is valuable. We understand that things may happen that lead to extenuating circumstances, and we highly discourage late arrivals and early dismissals. We are here to educate our All-Stars. We appreciate all efforts given by our families to help us protect the precious few instructional minutes we have with our students.

GO ALL STARS

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