Blackhawk Parent News

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.

What can I say!! This is who we are; this is what we do!! We all made it through the 2 weeks of school. Seeing all the smiling children standing outside waiting for their teachers with all their school supplies and bookbags was such a joy. Seeing our students walk through the doors every day, happy and smiling is beautiful. Our students are greeted at the door daily by staff members who genuinely care about and value them. Our daily goal is for our students to feel safe knowing they are in this building with caring adults with their best interests at heart. We look forward to working hand in hand together to make this a great year!!!

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.

This year, our School District will use Thrillshare to communicate with parents, and we will not use Classroom Dojo. Rooms offer better parent-teacher communication. Parents can see classroom announcements and message teachers in the same app where they get district and school news and updates. Teachers can find all of their messages on one platform. Students can message their teacher directly with questions about upcoming assignments. This is a safe space for student-teacher communication that administrators monitor. I will also post important school information via Thrillshare weekly to keep you informed. You will be notified when you can use Thrillshare to communicate with your child's teacher.

• Weekly Thrillshare messages
• Monthly Blackhawk Parent Newsletter
• Flyers
• PTO Meetings
• Phone Calls

The first day of attendance for our Blackhawk students was August 21, 2023! Let's continue to ensure our students come to school daily and on time. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. This relationship between attendance and achievement may appear early in a child's school career. If your child(ren) cannot attend school, please call our secretary, Ms. Albright, at (708)668-9502.

Our School Day:

8:15 a.m.--3:00 p.m.

Breakfast Begins:

7:50 a.m.

Early Dismissals

8:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

All Park Forest – Chicago Heights School District 163 schools are equipped with the Blue Point Alert System. Blue Point is a life-safety response system with components that look and function like a fire alarm system, but it is designed for police and medical emergencies. Activating the system will instantly alert police or paramedics in the event of a life-threatening emergency.

We have a long-term commitment to providing a safe learning environment for all who enter our doors and have installed the Blue Point Alert System to complement and enhance the safety and security measures we have in place.

The Blue Point System:

•  Automates and accelerates emergency response

•  Provides internal communications for our leadership team

•  Improves situational awareness with real-time information for police or paramedics

  On Wednesday, September 6, 2023, staff and students will participate in a safety drill. Before this, students will receive information from their teacher about the drill. As required by the Illinois School Code and District 163 Board Policy, the drill will involve the police department to ensure we are as prepared as possible. To communicate appropriately to students, the District will regard this training as a “blue lockdown in the event there is a dangerous intruder.”

PBIS aims to create a positive school climate where students learn and grow. With PBIS, schools teach students positive behavior strategies just as they would about any other subject. PBIS recognizes that students can only meet behavior expectations if they know what the expectations are. Everyone learns what’s considered appropriate behavior. And they use a common language to talk about it. Students understand what's expected of them throughout the school day — in class, at lunch, and on the bus.

We will do a Station Rotation with all students at Blackhawk School. Students will rotate through various locations where the staff will act out the appropriate behaviors relevant to each area. Students may be shown a non-example first and then the appropriate example at some stations. 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.

XSTEAM is coming!!!! The XSTEAM afterschool program for 2nd and 3rd students will begin October 2, 2023. Parents, be on the lookout for the permission form for XSTEAM.

The first reason to join the Parent Teacher Organization is to benefit your child. In doing so, you also help your school. But there are many more 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.

9/4 No School-Labor Day

9/5 12:30 p.m. Early Release

9/7 5:30 p.m. Title I Parent Meeting & 6:00 p.m. Open House

9/15 Summer Packet Celebration

9/28 Teacher Institute-No School

9/29 Student of the Month Celebration