The ABC’s of Brookwood Forest

A – Attendance

 

The ABC’s of Brookwood Forest

 

Please email any absences to bwfabsences@mtnbrook.k12.al.us. Only absences due to religious holidays, health,death in the immediate family, or other school-related activities will be excused. Please consult the handbook for an outline of the policy regarding unexcused absences.

 

B – Books

Brookwood Forest’s Library Media Center gives students the opportunity to not only grow in their reading and enjoyment of literature but also to learn library and research skills as well as information retrieval. Parents also have the opportunity to volunteer in the library through Ranger PTO!

 

Ranger PTO also sponsors an annual book fair which is a great way to fill your home’s library shelves and support BWF through your purchases.

 

C- Classlink/PowerSchools and Communications

Classlink is a district-wide portal that can be accessed by students and parents. It will be used to access the apps forthe eDay assignments given by each grade as well as in the case of missed work due to absences. The PowerSchools program provides access to view attendance, progress reports, and report cards.

 

Ranger PTO provides various forms of communications to be sure you’re up to date on all the happenings at BWF. Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@bwf_ranger_pto and @bwfelementary), join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwfrangerpto and check out our website at https://rangerpto.membershiptoolkit.com 

During the school year, weekly newsletters are sent on Mondays.

 

D – Drop off & Pick up

Students should arrive no earlier than 7:15 a.m. with school beginning at 7:50 a.m. During the first week of school, kindergarteners will dismiss at 2 p.m. to give them a chance to get used to carpool before all other grades aredismissed. Starting the second week, kindergarteners will dismiss at the end of school at 2:50 p.m.

 

If you live on any of the streets off of Overton Road, you will use “Back Carpool” to drop off and pick up your child each day. Back carpool is the first right turn once you turn onto South Brookwood Road from Overton Road. Allother areas in Brookwood Forest will use “Front Carpool,” which is located at the entrance to the school. At Meet theTeacher, your teacher will have a sign up for you to let them know which pick-up location your family will use.

 

E – Expressions & Extended Day Program (EDP)

Expressions is an MBS district-wide creative arts competition that allows students an opportunity to create, and showcase works of art. The five categories are Creative Writing, Photography, Video, Instrumental/Voice Performance, and Visual Arts. Winners are chosen from each school to move on and compete district wide. This event takes place in the spring.

 

The Extended Day Program (EDP) is helpful for working parents.  The children will be dismissed from school and go straight to EDP.  EDP ends at 6pm.  You will receive an email from   MBS on how to sign up, which days you will need EDP and payment link.

 

F- Forest Fling

This is a great day in May when the school is turned into a carnival! There are bounce houses, cake walks, games,snow cones, cotton candy, face paint, etc. This year’s Forest Fling will be on Friday, May 12, and we hope to see each of our newest Rangers there! More information to follow.

 

G – Grand Day

Grand Day is a great opportunity to have our special guests and grandparents visit our school. They can see yourchild’s classroom, meet the teacher, and tour special areas of our amazing school. This event will take place in the spring.

 

H – History

BWF was established in 1964 as the third elementary school in Mountain Brook. We have been recognized both locally and nationally including the distinction of being named a Blue Ribbon School.  We will be celebrating 60 years in 2024!

 

I – iLearn

iLearn is a program in which Mountain Brook High School students intern with our classroom teachers and work with Rangers. iLearn is a special program to BWF led by MBHS students.

 

J – Join PTO

You can become involved at BWF by volunteering for events, supporting fundraising opportunities, and enjoying themany perks of being a member of Ranger PTO! We hope you will join Ranger PTO with either a family membership of $25 or a family membership at one of our Ranger Club levels which includes extra benefits including entry fees for your child to BWF events, reserved seats at various programs and even reserved parking at certain events! Either way, 100% of your donation benefits BWF!

 

Details about joining for the 2023-2024 school year will be forthcoming in August. You can find information fromthis year’s fundraising on our website (www.rangerpto.membershiptoolkit.com). Our 2023-2024 goal is 100% participation! Help us reach our goal! GO BWF!

 

K – Kindness

At Brookwood Forest, we pride ourselves on being a family environment which is why the first word we use to describe BWF is “family.” We are all on the same team! Kindness is part of being a Ranger and what makes BWF such a warm, welcoming place!

 

L – Lunch/Lost and Found

 

Every now and then, our Rangers may misplace an item or two! Lost and Found is located to the left on the way to the lunchroom. The Lost & Found area can be easily accessed by our Rangers to check for any lost items. Items areoccasionally donated throughout the year after notice is given.  Please join the BWF Lost & Found Facebook page for more information.

 

LABEL EVERYTHING with your child's name (jackets/outerwear, lunchboxes, water bottles, etc) 

 

Please feel free to come have lunch with your child during his/her class lunch time. The lunch manager asks that youcall ahead if you plan to purchase a lunch in the cafeteria (205-414-3703). The cost of an adult lunch is

$4.50 (includes (1) Entrée, (2) vegetable sides (1/2 cup each) (1) fruit, (1) 8oz. Beverage (water or juice), extra items or snacks are not included on the lunch plate) and a child’s lunch is $4.00. You are always welcome to bring a special lunch for yourchild.

 

We offer LINQ Connect for your convenience. You simply go to https://linqconnect.com  and create an account. Once you deposit money into the account, your child can purchase lunches or extras during lunch using a code that will be assigned to them. Their teacher will give them these codes during the first week of school. You will receive an email from LINQ Connect when your account is getting low and needs to be replenished. You can also view your child’slunchroom purchases through the website. This information will be provided closer to the start of school. Lunch menus can be found on the MBS App or on the Ranger PTO website.

 

 M – Marquees/Many Trees, One Forest

“Front Carpool” and “Back Carpool” have signs where important information is displayed. Each month a birthday message is listed. The marquee messages are auctioned off during our online auction in February/ March. The familywith the winning bid gets to choose their message for the month that goes on their carpool marquee.

 

Many Trees, One Forest is the new ‘motto’ at BWF. 

 

N – Night for the Forest

“A Night for the Forest” is an event that gives the Brookwood Forest Family a chance to get together for an eveningto celebrate and raise money for our wonderful school. This event is for adults only and includes an auction format. This event is typically held in February or March.

 

O – Online Spirit Store

Official Brookwood Forest apparel is sold in the online spirit store. This is a great way for your Ranger to wear BWF/Ranger or Spartan apparel with pride!  More details and information to come.

 

P – Park Meet & Greet

The new incoming Kindergarteners will be invited to Overton Park to meet new friends.  Once the teacher assignment email has been posted, your Ranger will be invited to Overton Park (date & time coming soon).  Each teacher will have an assigned color and each Ranger will wear that color to meet up with new classmates.

 

Q – Questions

If you have any questions about BWF, please call BWF at (205) 414-3700. Mrs. Margie Seeger is the Office Manager, and her email address is seegerm@mtnbrook.k12.al.us.  For Ranger PTO questions, please contact Ashelynn Falkenburg Smith at afalkenburg@rtjgolf.com . Other BWF parents or the grade Facebook pages are great resources too and are more than happy to answer your questions.

 

R – Ranger Run

Ranger Run is a school-wide activity in the fall. Each classroom is showcased by a chosen theme. Students will participate in a special fun run/obstacle course to celebrate being a Ranger and the success of our Ranger Club fundraising campaign. By joining Ranger PTO at certain levels, your child’s admission can be covered.

 

S – Seesaw

Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall at your child’s school? Well, Seesaw is a wonderful app that can help you do just that. Many teachers at BWF use this as a form of communication. It is an app that you can download on your phone or computer. Your child and teacher can record their learning experiences and send them to you. Be on the lookout for more information from your child’s teacher during the first few weeks of school.

 

 T – Talent Show/Trip Through The Forest

BWF’s Got eTalent in the spring showcases the many talents of our students in K-6th Grade. It’s a great opportunity for public speaking and performance.

 

Trip Through the Forest:

Mr. Pitner or Mrs. Crossno will send a short video highlighting all the amazing happenings around Brookwood Forest. These will be sent through the Seesaw app.

 

U – “Up”

Your Ranger will learn to be Ranger Ready, every day and in every way. The three “Up” principles are SpeakUp, Stand Up, Show Up! To celebrate being a Ranger, we will have special guest speakers during the first month of school to celebrate Ranger Up Week!

 

V – Very Special

At BWF we have some VERY SPECIAL activities! Our music department works with our Rangers for various grade-level performances including music class “informances,” ukulele performances, a winter holiday program, a Veterans Day program to honor our veterans, and much more! We also have a school wide “Halloween in the Forest” as well as class parties for winter holiday and Valentine’s day.

 

W – Welcoming New Rangers

There are several structures in place to welcome new Rangers and make them a part of our family. Every newcomer isassigned a “buddy” in their homeroom and meets with our counselor to be sure they have as much support as possible in getting started in a new place.

 

X – Extracurricular Activities

BWF offers a great variety of extracurricular activities, including chess, dance, tennis, and art after school. Information for these after-school activities will be provided after school starts with activities typically beginning in September. You will receive a flier in your child’s backpack from the various activities and an email from MBS.

 

There are also summer camps available through Mountain Brook Schools Community Education, and several takeplace at BWF. More information for these camps can be found at https://www.mtnbrook.k12.al.us/Page/ 21435.

 

Y – You

We need YOU to volunteer your time and talents to help BWF! Volunteer opportunities will be shared during ourFirst Glimpse of the Forest and can also be found on Ranger PTO’s website. Room parents will also have ways you can help.

 

Z – Zoom

It seems every year goes by faster than the year before! We hope this list helps you make the very most of this year at BWF!