LWS | November 2023 Newsletter

Longwood Elementary School | November Newsletter

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LONGWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 441 LONGWOOD DRIVE GLENWOOD, IL 60425 708 757 2100 CARNISHA MAYZE | PRINCIPAL

WELCOME BACK!

“FALL IS HERE”

DROP OFF | PICK UP 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.

Please make sure that on arrival, you are not getting out of your car. We will open the door and get the child out of the car. If possible, please have the child seated on the passenger side for an easy exit.

Drivers must NEVER go the wrong way in the parking lot as this is unsafe for students and staff. Thank you for your cooperation!

01

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.

WE HAVE HAD SOME EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING THIS MONTH, WITH MORE TO COME! This month, we had our 2nd-grade and Pre-K teams As always, I look forward to the work we will do together. Please know that I am dedicated to the Longwood family and will work hard to ensure the success of every child. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve this community and look forward to what we will accomplish during the ‘23-’24 school year. I can be reached at the school number (708) 757-2100, by email cmayze@ brookwood167.org

invite families in for pumpkin-themed activities. We also chanted our pledge to read every day during our Character Day Parade. Students dressed as their favorite characters and told the neighborhood that we are the “Mighty Mighty Lions!”

Also, THANK YOU to all the families that participated in our Fall fundraiser. We were able to raise money for student activities and prizes and are already planning more fun events for our students and families.

As a result of our terrific partnership, we have been

Longwood Elementary School | November Newsletter

able to solidify our school designation status of Commendable as assigned by the accountability system of the Illinois State Board of Education. I am so proud of our progress toward academic achievement and look forward to the continued growth we will experience due to our students, staff, and parents’ hard work and determination.

Just a couple of reminders: •

The weather has changed from a light jacket season to a full coat season. Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather, as we still have outside recess if it’s over 35 degrees.

•

Also, students must be in their classrooms by 8:30 am so they aren’t marked tardy. We have been struggling with tardies this year, and our attendance rate has dropped. For the current month, we are at 93%. Our goal for this month is 94%.

Sincerely, Carnisha Mayze | Principal

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SAFETY FIRST Please use extreme caution when dropping off and picking up your children. The speed limit is 5 mph on school grounds. Watch for children exiting and entering vehicles.

Please yield to buses dropping off and picking up. We thank you for helping us to keep all students safe.

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

•

The Lion News - Weekly school newsletter that will be sent home on Fridays

•

ClassDoJo - It is important 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.

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

•

A phone call or 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 they are able. At times, this may be the next school day.

Longwood Elementary School | November Newsletter

M I S S I O N STAT E M E N T | W E B E L I E V E !

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.

•

•

In educating our children in a safe and nurturing

•

improvement in all aspects

environment with access to

of the school system

state-of-the-art technology.

•

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.

•

In responsible stewardship of financial and physical resources.

All students are unique and should be

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

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.

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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 WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

status, gender, or ability levels (disabilities). We

1. Providing students with

share the accountability of student achievement

highly qualified teachers

2. Providing our staff with Professional Development

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.

Longwood Elementary School | November Newsletter

WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD 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 answer “YES” to any of the above, your child “MUST” stay home.

Please

call

the

school to report your child’s absence (708) 758-5252 (Option 1.)

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ATTENDANCE/

I am excited to share with you that our Superintendent and Board of Education

ABSENCES/

and a set to use at home! If your child needs any additional resources or supplies

TARDIES

will continue to provide our students with a set of school supplies to use at school for any of their classes, please get in touch with our school office at (708) 7572100, so we can help provide them with all necessary and needed materials.

To ensure that our students are excelling academically, students must attend school daily and be

ARRIVING

on time. When students are tardy,

SCHOOL SETS A POSITIVE

they miss valuable instruction,

TONE FOR THE DAY AND

primarily in reading and language

HELPS ENSURE YOUR CHILD

arts. Attendance will be tied into

MAXIMIZES THEIR LEARNING

our school’s PBIS expectations, in

ON

TIME

FOR

OPPORTUNITIES...

which students can earn rewards and participate in fun activities.

When your child must be absent,

REPORTING AN ABSENCE

please inform the front office. Our absentee number is 708-756-2872.

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) 756-2872 at least 45 minutes PRIOR to early dismissal.

For your student to be EXCUSED, you must sign them in and out

THE WEATHER IS

in the main office, or their absence will be marked as unexcused.

CHANGING...

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

As the weather changes and we

your child joins a teacher’s classroom late, they will be marked

transition to Fall, please make sure

tardy in PowerSchool, and you will be notified through the

your child brings a sweater/jacket

Principal’s Class dojo.

for recess or just in case they get a bit chilly during the day.

Longwood Elementary School | November Newsletter

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.

or contact the school at

ClassDojo is actively used in

the mobile app, parents view their

(708) 757-2100, or email,

90% of U.S. K-8 schools.

child’s feedback, and can message

cmayze@brookwood167.

directly with teachers and school

org.

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

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

All you will need to provide is your cell phone number or email address.

GET INVOLVED AND STAY INFORMED!

we emailed to you or texted you,

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...

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e c n re fe n o C r e h c a e /T t n re Pa Day!

Thursday, November 9

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 athome device to complete homework

assignments.

These expectations are non-

10:30 a.m.

6:30 p.m.

negotiable and are meant to ensure that all students

HOMEWORK

get

EXPECTATIONS

4th-grade

complete

reading

math

and

homework

daily

One of the most common questions

via two online programs

asked by students at the start of the

this year. Students will use

year is, “When is lunch?”. Below you

Dreambox to complete math

will find the start times for lunch and

lessons tailored to their

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

and

math

practice daily. Our 3rd and

Students will be expected to

reading

students

may

have additional homework sometimes

as

they

are

expected

to

complete

specific writing and subject projects. questions

If you have any or

concerns,

please contact me or your child’s teacher.

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.

Longwood Elementary School | November Newsletter

Be a yardstick of quality.

Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.

--Steve Jobs

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) 757-2100. A PowerSchool app for your cellular phone makes it easy for parents to stay updated on their child’s progress.

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PBIS | POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTENVENTIONS & SUPPORT 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.

Longwood Elementary School | November Newsletter

CHAMPIONS | BEFORE

BREAKFAST & LUNCH MENU

& AFTER

We have sent home

SCHOOL

the

breakfast

and

PROGRAM

lunch

menu

for

November.

We will

send home a menu each month so you know what is being served and plan accordingly.

Champions is a Before & AfterSchool Care Program available to our Brookwood families. Please get in touch with Champions as soon as you

WE HAVE HAD SOME EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING THIS MONTH, WITH MORE TO COME!

can to secure your spot.

Space is limited.

Champions Family Support

HEALTH TIP

Phone: (800) 246-2154 ChampionsHelp@kc-education.com

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.

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Longwood Elementary School | November Newsletter

y a D in k p m u P e d ra G d n 2

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Character Day Parade

Longwood Elementary School | November Newsletter

Boo Bingo!

Longwood Elementary's Boo Bingo event was a spooktacular success, with 195 enthusiastic participants, including students, families, and staff, all dressed up in their most creative costumes.

The evening was filled with thrilling moments where winners scored amazing prizes, including two shiny new bicycles. One lucky parent won a TV in our parent raffle. The students showcased their dance moves, adding to the vibrant atmosphere, and it was a night of pure Halloween fun that left everyone with lasting memories.

15 LONGWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 441 LONGWOOD DRIVE GLENWOOD, IL 60425 708 757 2100 CARNISHA MAYZE | PRINCIPAL

GO LIONS!

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