Pleasant Hill Weekly Newsletter
January 28, 2022
February 21st and 22nd No School
Happy Friday Everyone!
Happy Friday Everyone!
I hope that everyone is doing well and had a great week! Thank you to everyone who participated in the Dine and Share this week! Please see below for more events coming up to support our PTA! Our PTA continues to work to provide activities and events for our families this school year. We are so appreciative of their efforts! To help keep our PTA one of the strongest in the area we need your support to continue to volunteer. Events such as family steam night, paint night, cougar carnival and multicultural night are just a few of the events coming up that need volunteers.
As we continue to navigate through COVID, we are finding it helpful if your child has been vaccinated to send us a picture of the vaccine card. This helps when contacting families about protocols and options. If you have your child's vaccination card you can send a picture to myself or the school nurse to file.
Starting the beginning of March, we will be required to administer the state IAR testing. This is for grades 3-6. The test consists of reading and math portions for all grade levels. If you have any questions regarding IAR or absences during testing please email Mr. Scafidi at scafidis@ccsd15.net . You child's teacher will be sending more information as we get closer to the testing dates.
I want to also thank everyone who participates in the morning drop off in the back of the school for your patience. Bad weather contributes to more traffic and more families utilizing the drop off area. The police are out to ensure your safety and the students so please be careful. I appreciate everyone's patience as we navigate the winter months.
Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe weekend!
Warm Regards,
Dr. Morris
GO COUGARS!
Cold Weather Information
Wind-Chill Warning Conditions
When weather conditions are such that a wind-chill warning is issued, it indicates that life-threatening conditions and a risk to safety exist. Measures should be taken to safeguard life and property immediately. Warning conditions make extended periods of time outside dangerous - i.e. bus stops for students and commutes for staff and families.
Severe Cold School Closure criteria for a wind-chill warning meet the threshold of expected temperatures during the morning commute of -15 degrees below 0 or wind chill temperatures at -30 degrees.
Again, if these conditions occur, school closure protocols will be implemented for all District 15 schools and offices. An official “snow day” will be utilized and an additional day will be added to the end of the school year. We build 5 emergency days into our school calendar annually. The last day of school currently scheduled for June 2 would be adjusted.
In addition, before and after school programs and extracurricular activities will be canceled while the wind-chill warning is in effect.
Wind-Chill Advisory Conditions
- Schools will be open for staff and students;
- Extracurricular activities will be evaluated and may be suspended if conditions persist; updates will be posted on each school's website and communicated to families;
- All off-campus activities will be canceled. This includes but is not limited to, all off-site daytime programs; and
- All outdoor student activities will be canceled.
The decision to close schools will be made no later than 5:30 am.
Parent 5essentials Survey
The survey closes on March 11th. Please take a moment to fill out the survey to better help us continue to improve as a school.
Thank you!
Jump Rope For Heart Is Back!
It’s time for the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge Program! By participating in Kids Heart Challenge, your student will join us on a road trip through the US to learn heart healthy habits and begin caring for their whole hearts. While heart disease remains the nation’s #1 killer, it can be preventable through lifestyle choices! We would love to help your student implement those heart healthy habits NOW!
We have set a goal at Pleasant Hill Elementary to raise $5,000 by February 25th for American Heart Association. If we make our goal, we will have something fun for the students!
Sign up for Kids Heart Challenge TODAY by clicking HERE
Clothing Donation Bins
D15 is excited to announce that the Yellow Bins will be back out in school lobbies to collect donations of clothing starting in January! The contents of the yellow bins will be donated to PATH which is a local community closet. It is located in the Palatine Opportunity Center (POC) building which is located off of Rand Road.
D15 is excited to reignite this partnership since COVID shut the program down back in March of 2020. Donations will only be picked up from schools once a month, unless the bins are overflowing!
New 3-Tier Bus Schedule and Associated NEW School Start Times
Beginning on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, District 15 will move to a 3-tiered bus system in order to continue to be able to transport all 10,000 students during a nationwide bus driver shortage. As we have reported to the Board of Education over the past many months, there is a critical nationwide driver shortage across many industries here and across the country. School bus drivers are a true part of this shortage. To that end, District 15 has been faced with a significant and growing bus driver shortage since the start of the school year.
We know this is a hardship. We truly understand the impact a mid-year change in daily school schedule will have on many of our staff and families and have made every effort to minimize the impact, but the problem cannot be solved without changes being made. We have done everything we can to work within this shortage, but there are no easy long-term solutions which would maintain the current start times. Please know that changes to school start times range from 10 to 35 minutes. The transportation department will send out new pick up/drop off times in February.
PLEASANT HILL NEW SCHOOL HOURS
Mon - Thurs 8:25 am - 3:05 pm
KDG AM: 8:25 am - 11:00 am
KDG PM: 12:30 - 3:05 pm
Friday 8:25 am - 2:15 pm
KDG AM: 8:25 - 10:35 am
KDG PM: 12:05 - 2:15 pm
Message From The PTA
The room parents are starting to prepare for the Valentine's Day classroom parties. We are happy to help the teachers plan games, crafts, and activities for the students. What a fun thing to look forward to during these cold winter days!
Ashley Gebhardt and Julie Boldt
PTA Presidents
Spotlight On Pleasant Hill Cultures
Happy Lunar New Year! Lunar New Year is a Chinese and East Asian celebration signaling the start of the new year according to the lunar calendar. People around the world celebrate it by wearing the color red, which symbolizes joy and good fortune. Families also attend dances, parades and family gatherings to celebrate the beginning of a new year.
We are proud to be a part of a school community that is filled with various cultures. If there is a Holiday or festival you celebrate and would like to share please email us at phpta15@gmail.com and we can spotlight it.
Family Steam Night Is Back!! Volunteers Needed!
Hello Pleasant Hill Community!
STEAM Night is fast approaching on February 16th at 7pm and we are still looking for a few more volunteers to put on presentations or experiments for our students!
This event will take place over zoom and your experiment can be 10-20 minutes long. We typically show some concepts and experiments in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, or Mathematics.
Please fill out the form above to submit your presentation. Below is the cheat sheet from last year to get you an idea of the presentations previously shown!
Steam Night 2021 Program and Cheat Sheet
If you have any thoughts or questions please let me know and I would be happy to help!
Rick France
630-418-9079
Multicultural Fest Coming This Spring!!
We welcome all Pleasant Hill families to share in your culture in the upcoming event Multicultural Fest. We are looking for group leaders and will be organizing an informational meeting soon. If you want to be in the loop we will need to hear from you before we schedule our kickoff meeting.
The event is scheduled for May 20th, 2022 from 5pm-7:30pm. Our event will include a parade, performance, activities led by cultural groups and treats that can be enjoyed at the event or to take home.
If you are passionate about sharing in the wonders of culture in our community please do not hesitate to let us know. We will connect you to the right people or can give you the tools you need to start your own group. Help make Multicultural Fest 2022 the best one yet!
If you have an interest in being a part of MCF please contact us at mcfchairperson@gmail.com.
PH PTA on Amazon Smile
Pleasant Hill PTA is on Amazon Smile. Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to our PTA.
Sign up in four easy steps:
- Go to smile.amazon.com
- Find “Account & Lists” settings, under “Your Account” click on “AmazonSmile”
- Search for “Pleasant Hill PTA Inc”
- Select our school and start shopping
ECDEC Early Childhood Program
**FREE PRESCHOOL**
ECDEC/FIND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM
We serve children between the ages of 0-5 years
Screening dates scheduled on February 10th and 23rd.
For more information or to schedule a screening, please call:
Noemi at (847) 963-3450
Close Contacts
According to the CDC definition of close contacts in the K-12 indoor classroom setting, students who were 3 feet or more from an infected student are not treated as close contacts if both students were engaged in consistent and correct use of well-fitting masks.
Phone calls to parents of students who are identified as close contacts are called prior to the classroom letter being sent home. If you receive the classroom notice letter and you have not been called by a contact tracer, you can be assured your child was following the CDC guidelines for K-12 indoor classroom settings.
Students who ride a bus will be identified as a close contact if they sit next to, behind or in front of the student who was positive for more than 15 minutes.
Mask Reminder
Mobile App
The District 15 mobile app is available on the App Store and Google Play! To download the free app, search for "CCSD15."
This communication tool allows parents and students to quick access to important school and district information, including Campus Parent, the D15 Bullying Tip Line, a quick link to MyStop (bus stop location and pick-up times), lunch menus, schedules, parent/student handbook, directory information, school news, and more.
To see integrated student information on the app, click the "student information" button and log-in using your email address and your Campus Parent password. If you are unsure of your password, please visit Infinite Campus and click "forgot password." If you are still having trouble, please contact your school's main office for assistance.
To make sure you aren’t missing any notices, make sure you turn notifications ON for the mobile app.
We Need Your Help During Pick-up and Drop-off
-During the posted time on the sign by the back lot entrance. No left turn is allowed during drop-off between 8am and 9am heading north on Ceder.
-During the posted time on the sign located on the corner of Ceder and Michigan, no left turn is allowed heading south onto Cedar from Michigan.
-Drop off allows for one SINGLE file line in the circle drive in the morning. Please be patient as cars are stopping frequently to drop off students.
-Pick up allows for cars to park (not left unattended and running) along the curb. Double parking is not allowed.
-Students should not be crossing Cedar or Illinois to get to a vehicle without using he designated crosswalks. (A crossing guard is at Illinois and Birchwood, A crosswalk is at the corner of Michigan and Cedar)
-Students should ALWAYS exit a car on the passenger side while in the circle drive.
-If you are dropping off or picking up and decide to park in the parking lot, students must be escorted by an adult to the schools entrance. Students should not be going through the parking lot without an adult. This is extremely important.
Please think of the safety of all of our students and families during these times of the day.
Privacy And Student Data Protection
Privacy and student data protection is a key priority for the District. Our three main technology departments (instructional technology, technology, and data services) work to make sure our systems and vendors comply with the requirements of the Student Online Personal Protection Act or SOPPA, which regulates how student information is protected by school districts and education technology vendors they use. Our student privacy web page outlines our privacy related actions and protective measures.
We also employ a number of measures like on-site filtering, student device monitoring, and security tools which protect our network from outside threats. Students participate in digital citizenship curriculum, and staff can employ tools to support students in making good digital choices. Lastly, our district participates in several state and national consortiums, collaborating with other districts to keep informed on best practices and new resources that may support our data privacy policies.
Parent Nights 2021-2022
District 15 is excited to be partnering with local agencies to present information on the following topics for parents, guardians, families and community members. Mark your calendars and join us for these free, virtual workshops!
Self-Care
February 16, 2022
7-8 pm
Motivation to Finish Strong
April 12, 2022
7-8 pm
Pre-Registration would be greatly appreciated
so please fill out this form!
We are also taking questions from our audience that will be answered during the workshops so please pre-register.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Keli Swierczek at swierczk@ccsd15.net.
Spanish translation services will be offered during workshops.
Student Entrances and Exits
Doors Will Open at 8:38 each morning.
Thank you for your support!
Grades 1&2 - Door #3
Grade 3- Door #7
Grades 4&5 - Door #10
Grade 6- Door #11
Kindergarten - Door #4 (Mrs. Hickey) Door #5 (Mrs. Kehm)
Students Riding The Bus Will Enter and Exit The Front Doors
Reminder To Self Certify Students Before School
Please help us in keeping our students safe by using the symptoms below to screen your student before they enter school each day.
Thank you!
Symptoms:
Fever (100.4°F or higher),
New onset of moderate to severe headache,
Shortness of breath,
New cough,
Sore throat,
Vomiting or diarrhea,
New loss of sense of taste or smell,
Fatigue from unknown cause,
Muscle or body aches from unknown cause
Dr. David Morris Ed.D
Email: morrisd@ccsd15.net
Website: ccsd15.net/PH
Phone: 847-963-5900