Hickory Bend School
“Teaching
kids T o counT is fine, buT Teaching Them whaT
counT s is bes T.” -bob Talber T
A Message From Our Principal,
We’ve had a wonderful start to the school year! Our students are settling back into the rhythm of school, engaging in learning, and building healthy social connections.
Along with the “getting to know you” activities, September also brings our Fall diagnostic assessments: MAP/NWEA, i-Ready Diagnostic, and other screening tools that give us valuable insight into both academic progress and socialemotional needs. These assessments help us meet students where they are and support them as they grow to their next level of success.
The first few weeks have been dedicated to establishing routines and procedures—not only for students, but for families as well. Learning drop-off and pick-up procedures has been an adjustment, and we truly appreciate your patience and cooperation. Most routines are now running smoothly, but if you ever have a question or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact our front office. We are here to support you, and together we are committed to making this school year an outstanding year for everyone.
Yours in Education,
Principal, Ronisha Penner | Email: rpenner@brookwood167.org
Hickory Bend Statement of Core Values
Here at Hickory Bend we are Winning the Day through Teamwork, Integrity, and Commitment!
September Newsletter
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 to our school’s PBIS expectations, allowing students to earn rewards and participate in fun activities.
When your child must be absent or picked up early, please inform the front office.
School Office: (708) 758-4520
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:
• Students full name with spelling of the last name;
• Reason for absence/tardy/early release;
• Your name and relationship to the student;
• Please call the main number (708) 758-4520 at least 45 minutes before early dismissal.
For your student to be EXCUSED, you must sign them in and out in the main office; otherwise, 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 Classdojo.
school hours
8:30 a.m. until 3:10 p.m.
StudentS Should not arrive earlier than 8:00 a.m.
URGENT, YET A GENTLE REMINDER!
Please do not park, stand, or stage in the apartment complex adjacent to the Hickory Bend parking lot.
This is private parking. Your vehicle will be subject to ticketing and towing.
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
• 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. You will need either your phone number or email address to join.
• 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.
Stay or Go? When to Keep Your Child Home From School...
If In Doubt, Please Keep Them Home And Try Again Another Day!
There are some hard and fast rules that all parents should stick to when it comes to illness and keeping your kids home. If your child has any of the following symptoms, it’s time to let the school know they won’t be at their desk:
sympToms
• Fever (many schools require children to be fever free for 24 hours without medication before going back to school)!
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• A rough night (for example, if your child was up all night coughing or having trouble breathing)
• Listlessness, lethargy
• No appetite
• Pink eye
• 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) 757-2110 (Option 1)
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 completely 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 contact the School Office at (708) 758-4520.
There is a PowerSchool app available for your cellular phone that makes it easy for parents to stay updated on their child’s progress.
Technology help line
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, your child’s name, phone number and the issue you are having with the device.
paper TuToring parenT resources
As a parent or guardian, you know that learning shouldn’t stop when students step outside the classroom!
With Paper™, students get access to “FREE”, unlimited, and 24/7 academic support from fully vetted tutors. All Paper tutors are experts in their own academic areas, and students can get support in over 200 subjects in four (4) languages.
As a reminder, Paper Tutoring is a resource that can be used at home to help students with their assignments.
school supplies
Big Thank You to our School Board for providing our students with school supplies for the fifth year in a row. Every student in our district will receive school supplies to use in school. Time and money saved by our families…#Winning!!!!
precious insTrucTional minuTes
8:30 a.m. - 3:10 P.m.
It is crucially important that we maximize instructional time for all students. Instruction begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:10 p.m. on normal dismissal days.
To be clear, in order 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 prior to 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 they 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 3:10 p.m. This will mean students will NOT walk out of the building promptly at 3:10 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 important to be mindful of the need to be patient as they learn to be both 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 3:10 p.m.
every minute of the inStructional day iS valuable!
While we are understanding extenuating circumstances, we highly discourage habitual 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.
classdojo / a free communicaTion
Tool for schools & parenTs
Please Join our classdoJo & stay informed!
Healthy communication between the school and home is essential; we are working to provide numerous ways for this vital communication.
To help suppress paper usage, we will continue providing information as much as possible using digital communication.
we encourage you to do the following to helP us communicate with you:
• Please ensure we have an accurate email address. If you are not receiving Dojo messages from us, it probably means we have incorrect information on our end.
• Please sign up for the digital tools that Brookwood School District and the school have provided.
• these include:
• Class Dojo
• Power School Parent Portal
Teachers provide feedback to students for any skill, like “Working hard” and “Being curious.”
From the mobile app, parents can view their child’s feedback and can message directly with teachers and school leaders.
Please join my ClassDojo so you can stay informed of 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, rpenner@brookwood167.org.
All you will need to provide is your cell phone number or email address.
Get involved and Stay informed!
pbis kickoff!
Our All-Stars truly shined during our PBIS Kickoff event, which featured Expectation Station Rotations and an End-of-Day Celebration!
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a research-based, tiered framework designed to support students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental well-being.
When implemented with fidelity, PBIS strengthens social-emotional skills, boosts academic achievement, and enhances school climate.
Since the very first day of school, our students have been practicing expectations through PBIS strategies. On Friday, August 29th, 2025, we wrapped up with exciting activities that included an allschool assembly and the chance to earn bonus Dojo Points—redeemable at our PBIS school store.
The celebration even highlighted student role-playing and peer-led suggestions, giving us a glimpse of the teamwork and leadership that will shape a successful year ahead.
our all-stars are on the right track—and they’re aiming for the stars!
pbis sTarTs now!
Positive Behavior intervention & suPPorts
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (P.B.I.S.) will again be at the core of our climate and culture.
we have three (3) goals:
• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
With our goals front and center in our minds every day, we plan to enjoy a positive environment in every area of our school.
challenging thoughts to consider:
• How can our three (3) Behavior Goals make a difference in our students’ behavior outside of school?
• If our families begin the conversation now, will our All-Stars return to school ready to thrive with positive behavior?
Let’s help our students remember to be Safe, Respectful, and Responsible in all walks of life, especially while at school. Start the conversation now and keep it going all year long. We will certainly do the same here at Hickory Bend.
exciTemenT in The air: The book fair reTurns!
the scholastic Book fair is Back!
Our school library has once again been transformed into a colorful marketplace of imagination and discovery! The fair will run through September 5th, 2025, offering everything from picture books to exciting chapter books—something special for every reader.
why it matters
The Book Fair is more than just a chance to buy books—it’s a celebration of reading. Students can explore beloved classics and discover new titles that spark their curiosity and inspire a lifelong love of reading.
suPPorting our school
Every purchase makes a difference! A portion of the proceeds goes directly back to our school, helping us fund important resources and literacy programs. Families can shop together during Open House, or students may bring cash to make their own purchases.
don’t miss this exciting event—come exPlore the Book fair and helP us grow a community of readers!
kindergarTen orienTaTion day:
a joyful sTarT To a new advenTure!
Our Kindergarten Orientation Day was a wonderful success, filled with excitement, smiles, and new beginnings. Families and students joined us for a morning of connection, learning, and fun as our newest learners explored their classrooms and met their teachers.
open house
pleaSe join uS for our annual “open houSe” on thurSday, September 4th, 2025, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
The Open House will present an opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and get to know our staff. You will receive information about curriculum and instruction, have an opportunity to visit the Book Fair, pick up your child’s “home device,” and tour the building.
We look forward to seeing all our All-Star Families during the Open House.
reminder regarding medicaTions...
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.
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 Districtwide reporting for all visitors, volunteers, and contractors that have signed in/out of our buildings.
thiS iS important for Safety reaSonS.
save The daTe...
uPcoming imPortant dates
September 1st Labor Day | No School
September 4th Student Dismissal | 2:00 p.m. Open House | 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
September 11th Lockdown/Active Shooter Drill
September 15th After-School Activities Start
Board of Education Meeting | 7:00 p.m.
September 17th Bilingual Parent Advisory (BPA) Meeting | 3:30 p.m.
Pro Kids Family Event | 5:30 p.m.
September 24th Half-Day Student Dismissal | 11:30 a.m.
mission sTaTemenT
Brookwood school district 167
Brookwood School District 167, in partnership with parents and 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.
our vision
Brookwood school district 167
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 our students.
we are committed to:
• Providing students with highly qualified teachers
• Providing our staff with professional development
