LWS | March 2024 Newsletter

LONGWOOD SCHOOL

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

“Women’s History Month is a dedicated month to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women to U.S. history. From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, the timeline of women’s history milestones stretches back to the founding of the United States.” -history.com

Longwood eLementary SchooL

carniSha mayze | PrinciPaL

441 Longwood drive

gLenwood, iL 60425

Safety firSt!!!

Students should arrive at school no earlier than 8:10 a.m. and be picked up after school no later than 3:15 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!

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

--Albert Einstein

From the PrinciPaL...

Happy MarcH Longwood faMiLieS!

carniSha mayze | PrinciPaL

Students have been working hard, and we will soon be immersed in state testing, our final family events of the school year, graduations for our Pre-K and Kinders, and our 4th graders transitioning to Middle School.

• Students in after-school activities must be picked up on time. Late pick-up will result in dismissal from the program.

• If you need assistance with being re-added to Class DoJo, please get in touch with the front office, and Ms. Hubbard will be able to assist you.

• As always, please contact me at cmayze@brookwood167.org or the school office at 708-7572100 if you have any questions or concerns.

a coupLe of reMinderS:

• The temperature has been fluctuating below and above 35 degrees. There may be some days that we allow the students to go outside for recess. Please make sure students are dressed for the weather.

• Students should be working on Dreambox and RazKids Plus for homework. Please ensure your student log on to their devices daily during the week.

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.

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

“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 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.

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.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

1. Providing students with highly qualified teachers

2. Providing our staff with Professional Development

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 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.

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

• 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.

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.

we encourage you to do tHe foLLowing to HeLp uS coMMunicate witH you:

• School and District Website - www.brookwood167.org

• The 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.

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:

• 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 anSwered “yeS”...

If you answered “YES” to any of the sympthons, 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 who they belong to.

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 reasons.

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 708-756-2872.

honor roLL

Here at Longwood, we recognize the student Honor Roll after each semester. Below you will find the qualifications for our various Honor Roll levels. Students will be taking the MAP assessment used to determine Honor Roll status. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Principal Mayze.

on february 12tH, StudentS wHo Made tHe goLd, SiLver, and bronze Honor roLL were awarded a fieLd trip to HoLLywood park!

on february 20tH, tHe winnerS of our deceMber & January dreaMbox coMpetition attended a fieLd trip to Sky zone. tHere waS one (1) cLaSSrooM winner froM eacH grade.

our pre-k StudentS Had an exciting MontH! firSt, tHey ceLebrated tHeir win of tHe ScHooL penny warS coMpetition witH a noaH’S ark party! StudentS were abLe to Stuff tHeir own Stuffed aniMaLS and dreSS tHeM in fun cLotHing. eacH Student went HoMe witH tHeir new friend and a birtH certificate.

variouS aniMaLS froM ScaLeS and taiLS tHen viSited pre-k StudentS. tHiS iS aLwayS a fun and expLoratory experience for our StudentS.

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) 757-2100, so we can help provide them with all necessary and needed materials.

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.

CLASSDOJO

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 LONGWOOD ELEMENTARY 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 or email, cmayze@ 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...

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 for all students to 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.

There will be Cool Tools 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.

homeworK exPectionS

Students will be expected to complete math and reading homework daily via two (2) online programs this year. Students will use “Dreambox” to complete math lessons tailored to their ability levels.

They will also read books and complete comprehension quizzes using “Raz-Kids”. As a result, all families must ensure that students have their at-home device to complete homework assignments.

These expectations are “NON-NEGOTIABLE” and are meant to ensure that all students get reading and math practice daily.

Our 3rd and 4th-grade students may have additional homework sometimes as they are expected to complete specific writing and subject projects.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me or your child’s teacher.

All Longwood Elementary 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) 757-2100. 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

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.

• 11:10 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.

- Kindergarten

- 1st Grade

- 2nd Grade

• 11:10 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. - 3rd Grade

- 4th Grade

Breakfast / Lunch Menu

We have sent home the breakfast and lunch menu for January. We will send home a menu each month so you know what is being served and plan accordingly.

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.