LWS | February 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

Students should arrive at school no earlier than 8:10 a.m. and be picked up after school no later than 3:10 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.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

DEAR LONGWOOD FAMILIES,

STUDENTS READY TO LEARN!

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

The students returned from Winter Break wellrested and ready to learn. We are back in the swing of things, and Longwood is committed to making this a great 2023.

Carnisha Mayze Principal cmayze@brookwood167.org

School Hours

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

Students should not arrive earlier than 8:10 am.

When Is Lunch?

One of the most common questions asked by students at the start of the year is, “When is lunch?”. Below you will find the start times for lunch and recess for each grade level:

Kindergarten & 1st Grade 11:10 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.

2nd & 3rd Grade 12:30 p.m. - 1:10 p.m.

4th Grade 11:50 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

We have implemented a couple of attendance competitions to start the new year. They will continue throughout the rest of the year. We desperately need to reduce our tardies school wide. Our “Don’t Be Tardy for the Party” competition will award a class each month that has the least amount of tardies.

So far, we have more students making it to school on time. However, we still have some work to do. Remember, students must be in the building by 8:30 a.m. to be on time. If there are any barriers to arriving on time, please let us know. We may be able to help.

Finally, remember that we are entering the heart of winter. Please ensure that students are dressed appropriately for the weather. If the weather is below 40 degrees, recess is automatically indoors.

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 708-756-2872.

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

• Lion 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) 756-2872 (Option 1.)

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.

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTENVENTIONS & SUPPORT (PBIS)

PBIS is an evidence-based school-wide multi-tiered framework that establishes support for all students to improve social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes.

It is a way to create an equitable learning environment so that all students can thrive. This school year, we will be focused on providing Tier I PBIS support for all students and Tier II interventions for some students. This will allow us to encourage and reward students for following behavior expectations and working toward achieving academic success.

Each week, there will be a Cool Tool that will be taught to all students. These Cool Tools reinforce Longwood’s School-Wide behavior and character expectations. We will communicate the Cool Tools with families through our weekly newsletter, The Lion News, and encourage families to discuss these Cool Tool expectations at home.

I am excited to share with you that for the second year in a row, our Superintendent and Board of Education has decided to provide our students with a set of school supplies to use at school and a set to use at home! Your child should have brought home a school supply kit. Please let us know if your child has not come home with a home kit. If your child needs any additional resources or supplies for any of their classes, please contact our school office at (708) 757-2100, so we can help provide them with all necessary and needed materials.

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) 757-2100. 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.

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

PBIS EXPECTATIONS

Longwood’s School-Wide PBIS Matrix that students will use to follow behavior expectations throughout the different spaces within the school.

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 Longwood 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) 757-2100, email, cmayze@brookwood167.org. All you will need to provide is your cell phone number or email address.

GET INVOLVED AND STAY INFORMED!

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

On Monday, January 23rd, Longwood’s Pre-K experienced an unforgettable day!

Ms. Beth from Scales and Tails Traveling Zoo and her unique and adorably cute friends visited the Pre-K classrooms.

The Pre-K students had the opportunity to get up close and personal with some very interesting and beautiful animals, such as chinchillas, baby chicks, ferrets, a hedgehog, a talking and laughing cockatoo, two Burmese pythons, an enormous bullfrog, and a sweet sloth, named Zena.

All students were encouraged to pet or hold the animals if they chose to. Not only was this one-of-a-kind experience a delight for the senses, but it was also very educational as Ms. Beth gave fun and interesting facts about each of her animals. We look forward to having Beth and her furry friends visit us again.

BOOK CAMPAIGN

This year, students will be encouraged to read outside of school and daily. Our goal is to build the reading habits of our students. It has been proven that the more you read, the better reader you become. To encourage leisure reading, Longwood will hold our first 1,500 Book Campaign.

Students will pledge to read 1,500 books over the course of the 22-23 school year. Currently, we are at 682 books! Please encourage your child to read every night for at least thirty (30) minutes. When we reach our goal, we will have a school wide celebration in April!

LONGWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FOOD SERVICE

New Food Service Partnership

Our Superintendent and Board of Education know how important proper nutrition affects our students’ learning. This year we will be purchasing our school breakfast and lunch from - QUEST FOOD MANAGEMENT SERVICE.

Quest Food Management Servic is passionate about food and they believe in wholesome, nutritious ingredients. That is why they are committed to using items that are healthier for both our student’s bodies and the planet.

Quest Food Management Service, provide communities with fresh, high-quality food, exceptional responsiveness, and intensely personal service.

By purchasing with the following standards in mind and preparing items so that they are as fresh as possible when served, they support local agriculture, increase nutrition, and intensify the flavor.

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.