Spirit Of Brookwood | Spring Issue 2019

BROOKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 167 NEWS Dear Brookwood School District 167 Parents, Students & School Community:

Spring Issue 2019

“A Kind Word is Like a Spring Day” On behalf of the Brookwood 167 School Board, it is our privilege that we serve. The Board of Education continues to look to the future for additional positive changes by developing relationships that will maximize our ability to educate all students. We recognize that public education is an evolving avenue to change lives, address poverty, close achievement gaps, and to challenge our very brightest children to utilize all of their abilities.

Because spring is the time for plans and projects, what better time than ‘now’ to refocus our energy on the academic achievement goals, to refresh, and to build on what we have begun, what we are doing right, while focusing on the areas in need of improvement. We are excited to continue in our efforts to support the Superintendent in her efforts to challenge staff and our students for academic growth & success. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as President on this Board with such dedicated individuals comprised of Vice President Davis, Secretary Taylor, Member Seals, Member Dixon, Member Washington, and Member Myers. As a Board, we have accomplished great things this school year including:               

Ensuring equity and high quality STEM instruction for all K-4 students by adding two full-time STEM teachers. This allows all students to receive the very best instruction from teachers specialized in the area of STEM Ensuring equitable access to technology for all students across the district finally realizing our 1:1 initiative and adding SMARTBOARDS to BMS classrooms Approval of a full-time PE Teacher at BMS to ensure daily Physical Education for our students for 60 minutes a day Approval of a full-time Assistant Principal at BMS to support positive, school-wide systems to improve the climate, culture, discipline, and social emotional programs at BMS Approved the addition of two Social Emotional Lead Teachers for our students at both of our elementary schools Provided four instructional coaching positions (1 per school) to support the professional growth of our educators Provided internal growth opportunities for our staff (15 positions) to help stabilize and grow our professional team Adoption and implementation of the Acceleration Placement Act Approval of a Saturday Academic Camp for BMS and BJHS for six weeks this past winter Approval of a Summer School Program for the Summer of 2019 to support student learning and continuous improvement.

Approval of ongoing, meaningful professional development for staff that includes training in trauma informed practices, student mental wellness, social emotional learning supports, reading instructional strategies, math instructional strategies, and technology applications with effective integration Approval of a competitive pay rate for substitute teachers to ensure quality instruction for students Maintained a balanced budget Brookwood SD 167 was named one of fifteen Interactive Health Healthiest Companies for this school year! Winners were selected among a pool of more than 1,500 candidates Supports numerous family engagement activities at all schools throughout the year: Back to School Bash Parent University Sessions Mother Son Pizza Fun Study Island Parent Workshop Frosty Family Fun Night Black History Month Programs Bilingual Parent Advisory

Open House/Curriculum Night Music Concerts Family Literacy Night Family Math Night Gingerbread House Family Activity Fine Arts Night Health, Wellness and Safety Fair

Parent Teacher Conferences Daddy Daughter Dance Bedtime Story Night Pizza with Santa Grandparents Day STEM Family Night

The Board of Education has laid the foundation to support future programs and services that will benefit our students. As the Board President, I remain humble for the opportunity to serve/advocate for your students to achieve their highest level of academic and artistic excellence. I extend spring blessings to all. Enjoy your spring break!

Toleda Hart

“Spring’s Greatest Joy Beyond a Doubt is When it Brings the Children Out” ~Edgar Guest~

President, Brookwood 167 Board of Education

thart@brookwood167.org

BROOKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 167

Compliance with Illinois School Code Acceleration Placement Act EARLY ENTRANCE INTO KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE Brookwood School District 167 follows Illinois School Code, which specifies that to enter kindergarten, children must be five years of age by September 1 of their kindergarten year and six years of age by September 1 of their first-grade year. Occasionally, exceptions to both of these policies may be made for children whose potential and skills are advanced. These are children who are intellectually, socially, and emotionally prepared students.

District 167 has specific criteria and procedures for considering parent requests for early entrance. These criteria and procedures are consistent with the Accelerated Placement Act. Early entrance is based upon an assessment of a child’s readiness to attend school. The decision for a child to enter school early can have a profound effect on his or her academic and social performance for the remainder of the child’s school career. It is a decision that needs to be taken very seriously to be sure there is not excessive frustration for the child. Because District 167 takes the decision for a child to enter school early very seriously, the goal is to ensure that children are appropriately placed and ready for the challenges of the instructional programs and the effect early placement might have.

CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY: Kindergarten

     

Fifth birthday falls between September 2 and October 31 (as documented by a copy of the child’s birth certificate) Dial 4 Kindergarten Screening IOWA Acceleration Scale Parent Survey Preschool Teacher Survey (if child attended preschool) Probationary period — 6 to 8 weeks

First Grade

     

Sixth birthday falls between September 2 and December 31 (as documented by a copy of the child’s birth certificate) The child attains (at minimum) the Fall benchmark norm RIT score for 1st grade on the NWEA MAP Growth assessment.

Iowa Acceleration Scale

Parent Survey Kindergarten Teacher Survey Probationary period — 6 to 8 weeks

SINGLE SUBJECT ACCELERATION Individual subject acceleration is the practice of assigning a student to specific content at a high instructional level than is typically given the student’s grade for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities in English/Language Arts, Math, and/ or Science. Single Subject Acceleration can occur at any grade level.

Criteria for Eligibility

   

Above-grade level assessment in the subject area Iowa Acceleration Scale NWEA MAP scores at or above 90th percentile Probationary period—6 to 8 weeks

Whole Grade Acceleration Whole grade acceleration is the practice of assigning a student to a higher grade level than is typically given the student’s age on a full-time basis for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities.

Criteria for Eligibility

   

The child attains a score of 130 or above on an intelligence test administered by District 167 Iowa Acceleration Scale NWEA MAP scores at or above 90th percentile Probationary period—6 to 8 weeks

Contact your school principal and the Director of Curriculum for assistance: Principals Longwood Reginald Patterson Hickory Bend Shawn Jackson Brookwood Middle School Onquanette Pierce Brookwood Junior High School Jill Larson

Phone: Phone: Phone: Phone:

Director of Curriculum:

Phone: (708) 758-5190

Kathy Hatczel

(708) (708) (708) (708)

757-2100 758-4520 758-5350 758-5252

“THE TASSLE IS WORTH THE HASSLE”

Our Hickory Bend 3rd & 4th grade students had the opportunity to talk with some college students and graduates to discuss why it is important to always do your best and set achievable goals.

SAVE THE DATE on Thursday, April 11, 2019 Our district will be hosting our Annual Fine Arts Night. This event will include artwork and music performances from all four schools. This celebration of our students’ talents will take place at Brookwood Junior High School from 6 to 8 p.m.

Hope to see everyone there!

Twenty 3rd and 4th grade boys were able to participate in the X2Fitness Program. They met with their coaches, Ms. Williams and Ms. Burras on Mondays and Wednesdays after school. The goal of the program was to empower the students and to compete in the Dream Chaser Challenge.

SAVE THE DATE . . .

“Health, Wellness & Safety Fair”

Join us for our family STEAM Night on April 3rd at Longwood Elementary SAVE THE DATE from 5:30—7:00pm. Discover the fun of Brookwood School District 167, will be hosting a STEAM through hands-on activities for the whole family! district “Health, Wellness and Safety Fair” on Wednesday, May 15th, at Brookwood Middle School, from 5:30 p.m. —7:30 p.m.

If your association or program is interested, and would like a table (there is no cost to participate), please contact Jan Machnikowski Jan Machnikowski, 708-758-5190 ext. 5106 jmachnikowski@brookwood167.org

Invent It! Build It! Have fun with your family!

FREE admission and prizes!

We will be having different activities.

Come learn how to draw with a 3D pen, create something at the makerspace, play with Sphero robots.

10 Tips for POSITIVE PARENTING Effective January 1, 2019, the School Safety Drill Act (SB2350) has been amended to include the following:

“No later than 90 days after the first day of each school year, schools must conduct at least one law enforcement drill that addresses an active threat or an active shooter within a school building. “ Furthermore, schools are now required to: “Conduct law enforcement drills on days and times when students are normally present in the school building (rather than allowing the drill to be conducted on days and times when students are not present in the school building). Provides that the appropriate local law enforcement agency shall observe the administration of the drill.”

1. Be a good role model.

Your child learns from the example you set.

2. Give your child praise and hugs, and say, “I love you” often.

3. Set simple rules and consequences, and enforce them consistently.

4. Discipline fairly, firmly, and with love. Never use violence or put-downs.

5. Always show respect for your child’s thoughts and feelings.

6. Spend a lot of time with your child, no matter how busy you are.

7. Know what’s going in your child’s life, both at school and with friends.

8. Encourage daily learning outside of school, especially reading and math.

9. Make sure your child gets enough healthy foods, exercise and sleep daily.

10. Keep your sense of humor and manage stress in healthy ways. If you feel overwhelmed, arrange for some outside help.

Good attendance makes a difference! It improves academic performance and promotes future success.

Share these reasons to go to school every day.



Each day’s lesson builds off what was taught before.

Missing just one class can put you behind.



Absences can affect other students if the teacher has to reteach things that were missed.



In-class activities, such as experiments and demonstrations, usually cannot be made up.



Missing class discussions and explanations can make it harder to understand assignments.



Class participation is often included in grading.



Poor attendance leads to lower grades. It also raises the risk of dropping out of school and taking part in criminal behavior.



Good attendance is an important habit. You can lose a job for missing too many days of work.

Positive Promotions Family Engagement, 2019

Positive Promotions Family Engagement, 2019.

What we can do at Home! www.earthday.net

Earth Day is celebrated April 22, 2019. However, Earth Day can be an everyday celebration. What can you do at home to be a part of saving our earth?



Car pool, use public transportation or drive a fuel efficient vehicle



Change your car’s air filter regularly



Run your dishwasher only when it’s full



Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer



Take shorter showers because of water heating costs

Girls STEAM Ahead The Homewood Science Center hosted it’s 3rd annual Girls Steam Ahead on Saturday, March 2nd at the Idlewood Country Club. Students were able to network with 75 women who are in the STEAM professional field.

This year we were excited to be taking a bus from Brookwood Junior High to the event. Girls from Brookwood Junior High were invited to network with women in STEAM professions and see a variety of STEAM exhibits.

They were able to enjoy a wonderful lunch that was followed by a keynote speaker. Students were able to ask STEAM leaders questions about their journey into the STEAM field.

The event was a great time for our students to self reflect and set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Limited) goals for the future. Girls were encouraged to reach out to one of the professionals they meet and gain a mentor through the experience. The goal for our students was to walk away with a mentor who can offer support, and find out about volunteering and internship opportunities, along with job shadowing experience to help better prepare them for their future. There was raffling of prizes and each girl walked away with a swag bag full of goodies. It was a wonderful experience for our students to be a part of.

On Saturday, March 16th, the Brookwood School District 167 Gospel Choir took part in the IGSMA District VI Organizational Contest. The choir performed three selections and were critiqued by judges. Those selections were "He's Able" by Kirk Franklin, "Made a Way" by Travis Greene, and "Souled Out" by Hezekiah Walker. The soloists were Makieyah Heavens, Machiah Crosby, Stephanie Schluntz and Janiyah Shaw. At the conclusion of the performance, the choir received a Superior Rating I, and as a result, they qualify to attend the State Festival. Congratulations to Ms. Ross and the Brookwood Gospel Choir on their outstanding performance! Job well done!

Random Acts of Kindness (BMS RAK Club) One of our after school clubs, Random Acts of Kindness (RAK Club) sponsored another wonderful charity event this year. This charity event supported the Chicago based non -profit “Share Your Soles” by collecting gently used shoes to help those who are not as fortunate to have shoes.

Share Your Soles is a globally recognized non-profit Chicago based organization whose mission is to provide gently worn/new shoes to those in need. Founded in 1999 by Mona Purdy, Share Your Soles has collected over 3 million pairs of shoes and distributed them to 40 plus locations around the world focusing on disaster relief and those less fortunate in underdeveloped countries. The students collected 80 pairs of shoes for “Share Your Soles”.

— REMINDER — Check your child’s grades on-line at powerschool.com

Celebrate Friday, May 3, 2019 Between preparing healthy meals for America’s students, adhering to strict nutrition standards, navigating student food allergies, and offering service with a smile, school nutrition professionals are true hero's.

On Friday, May 3, 2019, we will celebrate the 7th Annual School Lunch Hero Day! School Lunch Hero Day is a chance to showcase the different school nutrition professionals make for every child who comes through the cafeteria.

School Lunch Hero Day provides you with the perfect opportunity to recognize the hardworking professionals in your school cafeterias.

SNA has partnered with author Jarrett J. Krosoczka, of the “Lunch Lady” book series, to remind everyone— directors, managers, parents, students and school staff—that school nutrition employees are superheroes that deserve some recognition.

BJHS 7th Grade Student Surprise Monday started out as a normal school day for Jaliyah Norris. Little did she know that after lunch, a very special surprise was about to happen. Ms. Baker explained to the class they were going to get a very important special guest visitor. The shades were drawn and the students were looking at the door expectantly to see who it would be. When he entered the classroom, you could hear a pin drop. Our guest, Private Peoples searched for his sister, Jaliyah. He had not seen her in over two and a half years. Private Peoples hugged his sister who had her hands over her face, overcome with emotion.

They hugged and hugged. There was a collective "aww" from the other students.

After the hugs, Mrs. Norris, and Private Peoples joined the class for celebratory cupcakes. Some students shook hands with Private Peoples thanking him for his service. Students commented that they had seen surprised soldier reunions on Youtube, but that it was so awesome to see in person. We thanked Private Peoples and gave him a Brookwood Jr. High School Hoodie, we also thanked Jaliyah and her mom for allowing us to share in this very memorable moment!

IMPORTANT DATES

District 167—Legal Notice — INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT ___________________________________________________________ Brookwood School District 167 complies with the Illinois Structural Pest Control Act, the Illinois Pesticide Act, the Illinois Lawn care Products Application and Notification Act, and the Pesticide Application at Schools Act through the active involvement in an Integrated Pest Management Program and an Outdoor Spraying and Fertilizer Application Program.

As part of this program, the district relies to the greatest extent possible on non-toxic, biological, cultural and mechanical pest management practices as well as the use of natural pest control agents. Chemical and airborne pesticides will be used only when necessary, and as a last resort, with a preference given for products that are the least harmful to human health and the environment. This practice applies to indoor and outdoor pesticide, fertilizer, turf management or other similar applications or sprayings.

April 3rd —STEAM Family Night April 8th

Board of Education Mtg —7pm

April 11th District Fine Arts Night April 18th -11:30 District Dismissal April 19th - April 26th — Spring Break School Resumes on April 29th May 13th

Board of Education Mtg —7pm

May 15th — Health, Wellness & Safety Fair May 24th—2:00PM District Dismissal May 30th — 8th Grade Graduation— 6:30pm May 31st—Full Day of School —Make up June 3rd—Full Day of School—Make up *Make up — Snow Days

Those Funny Little People Assembly Longwood students had a one of a kind opportunity to experience Those Funny Little People. Those Funny Little People are an entertainment company with life size puppets who sing, dance, and make everyone have a great time. They visited Longwood on February 25 with a special show for Black History Month. In this show they presented historical people and events of Black History along with a fun and engaging presentation of music and dance. There were two shows, one for our Preschool to 1st grade students and another for students in Grades 2 -4.

Glenwood-Lansing Public Library Storytime On cold days of winter, our kindergarten students are sad because they can’t go out on the playground for recess. But, they absolutely love it when GlenwoodLansing Public Library’s Storytime reader, Mr. Thomas Moore, comes to visit for recess. The storytime reader takes the whole grade level to the carpet area and reads several books to the group. The students never want it to end.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Field Trip to Legoland Every classroom at all grade levels will take STEM field trip to Legoland in Schaumburg. This field trip is a hands-on STEM adventure with activities based on the Next Generation Science Standards.

Legoland presents unique labs, equipment, and materials that are engaging for every grade level. Adventures at Legoland can include building simple machines to creating robots.

Brookwood School District 167 Summer School Program 2019

Summer School will be in Session from June 5th thru July 2nd The goal of this year’s summer school program is to improve our students’ math and reading skills and to provide enrichment experiences for students.

All students in the Core Program will receive instruction in the areas of ELA, Math and Writing. Each 3.5 hour day will consist of one 75 minute session of ELA instruction, one 75 minute session of mathematics instruction and one 60 minute session of writing instruction.

Any student that is not recommended for the Core Program, will receive an application for the Enrichment Program. Students eligible for this program, can choose three different 70 minute sessions from the following activities: Health & Fitness, Cooking, Chess, Spanish, Artistry Techniques, Broadcasting & Robotics.

During Summer School children ages 18 and under will have access to a free breakfast from 8:00am to 9:00am and a free snack from 10:45am to 11:00am daily.

Substitute Teachers Needed If you enjoy working with Children, we welcome you to join our guest teacher team and apply to be a Substitute Teacher in our school district!

—Qualifications—

5th/6th Grade Science Teacher 7th /8th Grade Science Teacher 8th Grade ELA Teacher 5th/6th Grade Special Education Teacher Social Emotional Support Lead Teacher 2nd Grade Teacher Crossing Guard 7th/8th Grade Girls Physical Education Teacher

Health Clerk Social Workers Psychologist School Nurse Paraprofessionals Substitute Teachers Substitute Custodians

If you are interested, please apply on-line at www.brookwood167.org.

Step 1: A Bachelors Degree is Required Step 2: Complete the application process with South Cook ISC & ISBE/ELIS Step 3: Schedule an appointment with South Cook ISC for a Background Check Step 4: Bring a Substitute Letter of Authorization from South Cook ISC to BSD167 Administrative Office and Complete a District Application Packet For more information, Call Ms. Sudd at (708)758-5190.

Summer Meals for Children and Teens 18 Years and Younger For many kids, summertime means food, friends and fun. For families who count on school breakfast and lunch, however, the summer months can be stressful and family food budgets have to be stretched even further. Free summer meals, funded by the USDA, are available to kids and teens ages 18 and younger at summer meals sites across Illinois.

Many summer meals sites offer fun learning and recreational activities so kids and teens can eat a healthy meal while staying active and being with friends. Sites are also registered with the USDA and are held at safe local places like schools, churches and community centers.

Free Summer Meal Program Details: 



Meals are FREE to children and teens ages 18 and younger who come to a summer meals site  Free summer meals will help families save money and stretch their already tight food budgets  Food served is healthy and follows USDA nutrition guidelines  Summer meals sites are at fun, safe places for kids and teens to be active and visit with friends No application or proof of income needed. You can just bring your child to a summer meals site in your community

If you or someone you know is interested, call 1-800-359-2163 to find a site and learn more or text “FoodIL” to 877877 to find a site near you.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/ complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

CAR-RTE PRESORT

Brookwood School District 167 201 E. Glenwood-Dyer Road Glenwood, IL 60425

Non-Profit

US Postage PAID Permit No. 23

RESIDENT GLENWOOD, IL 60425

BOARD OF EDUCATION BROOKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 167

Administrative & Diagnostic Center 201 East Glenwood-Dyer Road Glenwood, Illinois 60425

Contact Us BROOKWOOD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 708-758-5252

708-758-5190 BROOKWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL

BOARD MEMBERS:

Toleda Hart, President Doreen Davis, Vice President Mary Taylor, Secretary John Dixon, Board Member Mark Myers, Board Member Roslon Seals, Board Member Sandra Washington, Board Member

708-758-5350

HICKORY BEND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 708-758-4520

LONGWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 708-757-2100 Visit us on the web at www.brookwood167.org