LWS | October 2023 Newsletter

WELCOME

BACK! DROP OFF | PICK

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.

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 ANOTHER GREAT MONTH LONGWOOD FAMILIES!

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

Thank you for all the support and encouragement that you have provided this year. I say it every month and I’ll say it again, I love being your Principal! I am so proud of Longwood!

Our students have been mastering Longwood’s expectations, reading more, tackling math fluency, and learning about their communities.

Field trips have started, which will give our students additional experiences. Remember, field trips are provided to our families “FREE” of charge.

This month we had our Kindergarten families visit us for Apple Day. Students have been learning about apples and other plants in their classrooms. Families were able

to join their students as they engaged in apple tastings. Thank you to all the families that joined our Kindergarten team.

We also had Pre-K families visit us for a family game day. Pre-K families from both our morning and afternoon sessions were able to play engaging and challenging games with their students.

We are working hard to keep hosting activities for our families. Next up in October will be our 2nd grade team. 2nd grade teachers will be reaching out to families in October.

We will also have our Character Day Parade on October 30th @ 1:30 p.m. Please look out for information from your child’s teacher regarding classroom parties.

Our after-school activities have gotten off to a great start. We will evaluate our after-school activity list in October. If there are any open spots, we will let families know as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Carnisha Mayze | Principal

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.

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.

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

Please call the

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.

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) 7572100, so we can help provide them with all necessary and needed materials.

ARRIVING ON TIME FOR SCHOOL SETS A POSITIVE TONE FOR THE DAY AND HELPS ENSURE YOUR CHILD MAXIMIZES THEIR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES...

Students must be in their classrooms by 8:30 a.m. 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%. Let’s get our Longwood students here on time to reach our 95% goal again.

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) 756-2872 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.

THE WEATHER IS CHANGING...

As the weather changes and we transition to Fall, please make sure your child brings a sweater/jacket for recess or just in case they get a bit chilly during the day.

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 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, or email, cmayze@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...

Bring Your PARENTS To School Day

Monday, October 2

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

HOMEWORK EXPECTATIONS

Students will be expected to complete math and reading homework daily via two 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 athome device to complete homework assignments. These expectations are nonnegotiable 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.

VISITORS

11:10 A.M. - 11:50 A.M.

3rd Grade 4th Grade

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.

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.

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.

--Steve Jobs

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.

We will introduce our PBIS framework to students immediately with our annual PBIS Kick-Off Celebration that will be held on Friday, August 18th. Then, on Monday, August 21st, students will begin to earn Longwood Paws that can be used to purchase fun items from our Longwood Paw Store.

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.

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

BREAKFAST & LUNCH MENU

We have sent home the breakfast and lunch menu for October. We will send home a menu

each month so you know what is being served and plan accordingly.

WHAT ANOTHER GREAT MONTH LONGWOOD FAMILIES!

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.

Pre-K Game Day