Welcome Back Blackhawk Families

Blackhawk is committed to partnering with families and the community to provide a welcoming, safe, and engaging environment where all students feel a sense of community, accountability, and purpose as they grow and develop into critical thinkers who desire to solve problems and have fun while learning.

This is the first Parent Newsletter for the 2025-2026 school year. We are thrilled to welcome you and your children back to Blackhawk Primary Center after a restful summer break! We hope that everyone had a chance to relax, recharge, and enjoy some well-deserved family time. As we kick off this new school year, we are excited to reunite with our students and begin another year of learning, growth, and fun. Our teachers and staff have been hard at work preparing for an engaging and enriching experience for each child. We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is key to student success, and we look forward to collaborating with you to make this year truly special. Here’s to a fantastic school year ahead—full of new discoveries, friendships, and achievements!

It is truly a privilege to be part of a community where parents, teachers, and students care for each other and strive to build positive relationships that support academic and social growth. Together, we S.O.A.R. by being Safe, On-Time, Accountable, and Respectful each day at Blackhawk Primary Center.

My door is always open and I welcome your ideas and input. I look forward to working with you as a team to help each student at Blackhawk meet their academic goals and have a safe and successful school year.

• Wednesday, August 20th - First Day of School Buses will begin their routes at approximately 8:15 a.m., breakfast will be served at 9:05 a.m., and classes will begin promptly at 9:25 a.m.
• Wednesday, August 20th-Friday, August 29th - Buses will begin their routes at approximately 8:15 a.m., breakfast will be served at 9:05 a.m., and classes will begin promptly at 9:25 a.m.
• Monday, September 1st - Labor Day-No School
• Tuesday, September 9th - 12:30 Early Dismissal
• Thursday, September 9th - Blackhawk Summer Packet Celebration for students who turned in the summer packet
• Thursday, September 18th - Blackhawk Title 1 Meeting (5:30pm-6:00pm) and Open House (6:00pm-7:00pm)
• Tuesday, September 30th - 12:30 Early Dismissal

• Mr. Fridge - Music Teacher
• Mrs. Stalker - 2nd Grade Teacher
• Ms. Thigpen - Media Tech
• Ms. Kenaga - Instructional Classroom
• Kenneth Robers - Instructional Teacher Assistant

Greetings,

I am Ms. Albright the administrative assistant at Blackhawk Primary Center. Working at Blackhawk is such a joy and I have my lovely students, staff, and parents to thank for that. As the 25-26 school year approaches there are some things I would like you all as parents / guardians to know.

Attendance / Arrival:

• Earliest arrival: 7:50a.m

End of day: 3:00p.m

• During the first week of school, busses might be a few minutes early or late as drivers become familiar with the new routes.
• If your child(ren) cannot attend school, please call me at (708)668-9502.
  

Late Arrival

• If your child is late to school a person 18 years and older must sign them in

Pick-Up

• If an emergency arises and you cannot send written notification, please call the school by 2:15. This gives me ample time to notify your child's teacher of the change.
• If someone besides you is picking you child up from school, I must be notified. The person who is picking up your child must be 18 years or older with their I.D.
• If your child is going home with another student both parents must contact me.

Bus / Daycare Services

• If you would like your child to be provided bus services, please contact Sandi Gordon at the district office and she will assist you. Contact info: 708-668-9425 Email: Sgordon@sd163.com

• If you would like your child to be a daycare rider that is your responsibility to contact the daycare for transportation services, after arranging daycare services you must notify me.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please call 708-668-9502 or email

calbright@sd163.com.

Each child in Blackhawk is receiving a tag on their backpack on their first day of attendance to identify their dismissal group. It is important that the tag remains on the backpack to help us in our dismissal process. Our goal is to ensure that each student is safe and in the right place each day.

*School Bus Riders (Bus 9, Bus 10 and Bus 11)

• Each day we will prepare students to be dismissed based on the current information in our school office.

One of my top priorities as principal is open and effective communication. I truly believe that strong partnerships between home and school lead to the greatest success for our students. Whether it’s sharing important updates, celebrating student achievements, or listening to your questions and concerns, I want you to know that staying connected with you is important to me.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out — together, we can make this a great year for every child.

This year, Blackhawk Primary Center will use Thrill Share and Classroom Dojo to communicate important school information via Thrill Share as well as Classroom Dojo weekly to keep you informed of events occurring at Blackhawk. Your child's teacher will share more information regarding Classroom Dojo.

• Thrill Share messages
• Classroom Dojo
• Monthly Blackhawk Parent Newsletter
• Flyers
• PTO Meetings
• Phone Calls
• Email

Please be advised that all doors entering the school are locked. Visitors will be buzzed into the building and also will have to show an ID to enter the school.

As your principal, I want to emphasize how important regular school attendance is to student success. When students are present and engaged every day, they build strong learning habits, connect with peers, and make steady academic progress. Every day counts — and your partnership in getting your child(ren) to school on time, ready to learn, truly makes a difference.

Thank you for all you do to support your child’s education. Let’s continue working together to make every day matter!

1. Missed Lessons = Falling Behind: Even one day can mean missing critical instructions and activities, making it harder for your child to catch up.

2. Impact on Future Success: Consistent attendance is a strong predictor of academic achievement and future opportunities.

3. Building Resilience: Regular attendance teaches your child the value of perseverance and responsibility—essential skills for success in life.

4. Stronger Friendships: Daily presence helps your child develop and sustain friendships, which are crucial for emotional and social development.

5. Healthy Routine: Attending school every day establishes a stable routine, promoting better mental and physical health.

Being on time for school is important for several key reasons, especially in a primary school setting:

✅ 1. Establishes a Strong Routine

• Arriving on time helps students develop consistent habits that build self-discipline and time management skills—essential for success in school and life.

📚 2. Sets the Tone for the Day

• The beginning of the school day is when teachers share important information, instructions, and the day’s plan. Being on time ensures students feel settled, not rushed or confused.

🧠 3. Maximizes Learning Time

• Even being 5-10 minutes late regularly adds up to hours of lost instructional time throughout the year. Every minute counts in building foundational skills.

💬 4. Supports Classroom Community

• Arriving late can disrupt the teacher and classmates. Being punctual shows respect for others and allows students to be part of group greetings, morning meetings, and team-building activities.

🧒 5. Reduces Anxiety

• When children arrive late, they may feel embarrassed or anxious walking into an already-started classroom. Being on time helps them start the day feeling calm and confident.

🎯 6. Builds Responsibility

• Learning to be on time teaches students accountability—an essential trait for lifelong success in school, work, and relationships.

1. Parents can receive valuable information on the school's curriculum, extracurricular activities, and educational offerings. They can also gain insight into the school culture and atmosphere by speaking with the faculty and staff. Additionally, parents can build relationships with teachers and administrators that will be important for their children's educational journey.
2. At a school open house, parents can also observe classrooms and facilities, giving them a better understanding of the quality of education being offered. This can often help parents choose the best school for their child.
3. On top of this, attending an open house is a great way to meet other families from the school community who may have children of similar ages. This can be especially beneficial if parents are new to the area and looking to get involved in the community.

Overall, joining an open house event has many benefits for parents. By attending, parents can gain invaluable insights into the educational environment and learn more about the available resources. Additionally, they can make connections with the school community and other parents.

We will do a Station Rotation with all students at Blackhawk School during the first two weeks of school. Students will rotate through various locations throughout the building where the staff will act out the appropriate behaviors relevant to each area. After staff members model the appropriate behavior, students emulate the new behavior before they rotate to the next learning station. During our station rotation, the students will learn the expected behaviors of the hallway, bathroom, recess, cafeteria, entering/exiting, and bus. We will do the station rotations on a quarterly basis to reinforce the behavior expectations at Blackhawk Primary Center.

The first reason to join the Parent Teacher Organization is to benefit your child. In doing so, you also help your school. There are monthly meetings for all parents and guardians to come and share great ideas. Our PTO did a FANASTIC job last school year providing fun activities for our children! Our PTO worked hard but they are always looking for more parents to become an active part of PTO. There are many PTO advantages:

• Get Connected. There’s no better way to know what’s happening in your school.
• Tap into a Network. PTO functions are opportunities to meet other parents and teachers, build rapport, and discuss issues on your mind. You can share ideas, concerns, and experiences.
• Watch Yourself Grow. Volunteering with your PTO allows you to use your skills and hobbies for a noble cause—your child and all children in the community.
• Speak Up. PTO can be a way for you to suggest change at your child’s school more effectively. Witness Improvement. You'll be part of the solution by getting involved at your child’s school and helping make positive changes. Our PTO plays a vital role by supporting building improvements through advocacy and is essential in fundraising for curriculum-based programs and social/family events.
• Be a Role Model. Becoming a PTO member will demonstrate to your child the importance of education.

💖 Growing Kindness at Home: How Parents Can Help

At Blackhawk Primary Center, we believe that kindness, encouragement, and positive praise help shape confident, respectful, and caring students. Here are some simple ways you can support this at home:

🌟 Be a Role Model
Children learn what they see. Use kind words and positive praise often. Let your child see you being patient, helpful, and thoughtful to others.

👏 Praise the Effort, Not Just the Outcome
Try saying:

💬 Encourage Kind Actions
Give your child kindness goals, like:

• Saying something nice to a classmate

• Helping without being asked

• Sharing with a sibling or friend

🏠 Create a Kindness Jar
Each time your child does something kind, add a note to the jar. Read them together every week to celebrate those moments.

🧠 Talk About Feelings
Help your child recognize and name emotions. Ask how they think others feel and what kind things they could do to help.

🤝 Partner With Us
Reinforce our SOAR expectations:
Be Safe, On Time, Accountable, and Respectful.
Working together helps your child feel supported every step of the way.

Thank you for all you do to help your child grow into a kind and confident learner!