The Tiger Times Newsletter
Pleasantdale Middle School
February 23, 2020
Challenges for Charity Recap!
Thank you to Mrs. Driscoll and Ms. Newberry for leading the Student Council. Thank you to all of the student volunteers who made this event possible. Thank you to Nurse Rende, Mrs. Triggs, and Mr. Ratcliff for supervising on their Friday night. Thank you also to the parent volunteers of the 8th Grade Committee for helping sell snacks to the students.
6th Grade brought in the most pop tabs, followed by 7th, then 5th, then 8th. Thank you for saving these tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities. See the picture below.
This Tuesday, February 25, 2020, 7-8:00 p.m., LTHS South Campus, Substance Use and the Adolescent Brain
Tuesday, February 25: 7:30 p.m. "Substance Use and the Adolescent Brain" Presented by Tammy Tunac (MA, LPC, CADC Behavioral Health Clinician), LT South Campus. See the flyer below.
Scholastic Bowl Team Members Needed-Meeting this Monday!
The Scholastic Bowl Team is looking for students to join in on the fun! This team is for any 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade student who seems to have random knowledge about all sorts of things in the world and enjoys competition. We will compete against other schools in the categories of geography, mathematics, sports, science, art, grammar, social studies and much, much more. We will meet on Monday, February 24 from 3:30 - 4:25 in Mr. Madsen’s room.
If you would like more information please talk to Ms. Newberry or Mr. Madsen. Can’t wait to see you there!
The Middle School Bookfair is Coming! Mark Your Calendars Now!
You won't want to miss this event!
Wednesday, March 4th - Muffins with Moms! - Book fair sale opens at 7:15 a.m.
Book fair during the day for students, classes to visit, parents to shop
Closes at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 5th - Donuts with Dads! - book fair opens at 7:15 a.m.
Book fair during the day for students, classes to visit, parents to shop
Closes at 4:30 p.m.
Friday, March 6th - Open at 8:00-3:15 p.m.
Book fair during the day for students, classes to visit, parents to shop
Reopens 5-7 p.m. before Aladdin
Monday, March 9th - Open 8:00-4:30 p.m.
Book fair during the day for students, classes to visit, parents to shop
Tuesday, March 10th - Open 8:00-4:30
Book fair during the day for students, classes to visit, parents to shop
Keeping Kids Safe Online
If you didn't see it, here's a letter from our Superintendent, Dr. Palzet supporting parents with the technology the students are using.
Greetings, Parents,
We are excited about welcoming your family to a new year and about the fantastic learning that will happen in 2020. I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about some updates we have made to our internet security for your child’s school-issued iPad.
As a busy parent, we understand how difficult it can be to monitor your child’s online activity. To that end, we seek to ease this burden. Over the course of the past several months, we have installed, and continue to fine-tune, a proxy server at our schools. A proxy server acts as a gateway between our students and the internet. It is an intermediary separating end-users from inappropriate websites that have been blocked by the school. This means that your child’s school device will be subject to the same rigorous filtering outside of school that they experience when in school.
Additionally, we have worked with our device management company, JAMF, to implement a parental control app. This app is currently available to iPhone or iPad users. This app will allow parents to restrict games and apps, manage multiple school devices, and quickly lock the device to minimize distractions. If you own either an iPhone or an iPad, you can download the app by searching “JAMF Parent” in the app store. You can use THIS QUICK START GUIDE or watch the video below to set up the app with your child’s school iPad. If you have questions or need help to set up the parental controls, please reach out to Meagan Bubulka (mbubulka@d107.org) or Rikki Steinmetz (rsteinmetz@d107.org).
Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we work to achieve our mission to create a community of inspired learners.
Thanks, and have a great day,
Dave Palzet
Superintendent | PSD 107
Summer Academy Registration is Open
Although there may be snow on the ground, Pleasantdale District 107 is gearing up for our Summer Academy 2020! We are excited to offer students currently in grades PreK - 7 the opportunity to take summer enrichment classes to further their learning while having fun!
Summer Academy classes will be held at Pleasantdale Middle School on Monday - Friday from June 8 - July 2 (no class July 3 in observance of Independence Day) with classes offered from 8:50 AM - 12:00 PM.
*Continuing this year! Pleasant Dale Park District has coordinated with the school district to provide an opportunity for families to send their children to Park District Summer Camp for a reduced rate. This opportunity is available only for families with children attending all 3 sessions of Summer Academy classes.*
To sign up, please see the 2020 Summer Academy Program Guide here.
Save the Date! Tuesday, March 31, 6-8 p.m. Candy Bar Bingo Sponsored by the Courtyard Revival Club
Rubik's Cube Club is Here!
March Sports and Games Club
March
Mondays - games in Library
Tuesdays March 3, 10, 17 - basketball - south gym
Thursday, March 12 - basketball - south Gym
No club on March 5, 19, 31 and April 2
Parent Education Corner
This week's article is entitled, "Mistakes Improve Children's Learning"--a great reminder that kids learn a lot from their mistakes. A quote I read recently said, "The easier you make your child's life now, the harder it will be in the future." I don't think this is necessarily true, but if it stated, "the harder it will FEEL in the future" I would agree. Kids need to learn from their mistakes, cope with the outcomes, and move forward. They will inevitably face rejection, hurt, sadness, disappointment, etc. in their lives. If they haven't experienced small doses of these as children and young adults, how will they know how to cope with their feelings when it is a much bigger deal? Below are 10 parenting guidelines that help kids learn from mistakes. The full article can be found here.
Ten Parenting Guidelines that Help Kids Learn from Mistakes
- Acknowledge that you don't expect your children to be perfect.
- Let them know your love is unconditional, regardless of their mistakes or lapses in judgment.
- Don't rescue children from their mistakes. Instead, help them focus on the solution.
- Provide examples of your own mistakes, the consequences, and how you learned from them.
- Encourage them to take responsibility for their mistakes and not blame others.
- Avoid pointing out their past mistakes. Instead, focus on the one at hand.
- Praise them for their ability to admit their mistakes.
- Praise them for their efforts and courage to overcome setbacks.
- Mentor them on how to apologize when their mistakes have hurt others.
- Help them look at the good side of getting things wrong!
Upcoming Parent Presentations
Parent Presentations at LTHS
February 25: 7:00 p.m. "Substance Use and the Adolescent Brain" Presented by Tammy Tunac (MA, LPC, CADC Behavioral Health Clinician), LT South Campus. See the flyer above.
March 10 (Gurrie) or March 12 (Pleasantdale Middle), 7:00-8:30 p.m.
#RealTalk Parent Cafe with your teen or preteen sponsored by the Coalition for a Drug-Free LT! (see the flyer below) Please consider coming to this facilitated conversation for you and your child prior to high school! It's going to be a great event. RSVP to Cindy at ckfrymark@me.com. See the flyer below.
Nazareth Academy Parent Offerings
Click here to see Nazareth Academy's Parent Speaker Series this year!
From the 181 Foundation in Hinsdale-Open to all parents
Calendar Dates for the Year
If you are like me, you want to know the dates for the year as far in advance as possible. As long as you understand that something may change due to unforeseen circumstances, I’d like to provide you access to the dates we’ve planned for the year (many of which are in the paper calendar you received in the mail). To access the middle school calendar dates, please click here.
Collections at the Middle School
We collect the following at the middle school:
1. Pop Tabs-The Pop Tab competition by grade has begun so please continue to collect Pop Tabs for us throughout the year. We donate them to Ronald McDonald House to support families of children with cancer.
2. Box Tops for Education-These are all given to the PTO to support our schools!
3. Lids-Our Elements of Nature Club (EONC) 5th graders are collecting clean lids to drink and food containers to create art to put around the school. There is a collection place in the front hallway outside the office.
Throughout the year, there are other collections and drives that occur. Keep an eye out for how you can support the causes that are important to the students and staff here!
Tiger Tipline
While it is always best to talk directly to a staff member, we understand that sometimes this can be uncomfortable or difficult for students or parents. At Pleasantdale Middle School, we offer the Tiger Tipline as an anonymous tool for reporting unsafe, uncomfortable, or unkind behaviors and situations. We explicitly teach the students that if they ever see something or hear something that makes them feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or is unkind, either online or in person, they should tell a “trusted adult” which could be parents, school personnel, or other adults in their lives. The Tiger Tipline can be accessed here and we will post the link in Schoology and create a shortcut to the link on the student devices for easy access.
School Spirit Fridays!
Lunch information
The lunch menus have been upgraded significantly to show both nutritional information and allergens for the food served by Just a Dash, our third-party partner to provide hot lunch to our school. Here's the link to the menu:
February Lunch Menu, Nutritional Information, and Allergens
To put money on your child's account, please log into Skyward and add money. For more complete directions or apply for free or reduced lunches, please visit here.
Follow Us on Twitter @Pdaleprincipal for updates and pictures of the happenings around the middle school!
Follow pdalemsactivities on Instagram for reminders about school spirit days and events throughout the year!
This Week...
Monday, February 24
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Orchestra, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Boys' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
5th Grade Band, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25 p.m. in the Library
Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Tuesday, February 25
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Band, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
7th, 8th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
5th Grade Orchestra, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25, Library
Spirit Squad, 3:30-4:25, Office
Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., South Gym
Girls’ Volleyball Home vs. McClure, 4:15 p.m., North Gym
Substance Use and the Adolescent Brain, 7-8 p.m., LT South Campus Performing Arts Center
Wednesday, February 26
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Orchestra, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
5th, 6th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Student Council Meeting, 7:30 a.m., Room 25
LT Jazz Band Festival Field Trip and Evening Performance, LTHS
Thursday, February 27
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
Boys' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Student Council Meeting**, 7:30 a.m., Room 25
**Thursday meetings are meant for the students that cannot come on Wednesdays
5th Grade Band, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Gaming Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
STEM Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., STEM Lab
Cancelled-Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., South Gym-Cancelled No Gym Available
Girls’ Volleyball Pictures, 3:30-4:00 p.m.
Girls’ Volleyball Home vs. Westchester, 4:15 p.m., North Gym
Friday, February 28
Jazz Band, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
5th, 6th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
7th, 8th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Yoga, 7:35 a.m., small gym (mats are provided)
Girls’ Volleyball Home vs. Park Red, 4:15 p.m., North Gym
Fortnightly, 7:00-9:00 p.m., North Gym, enter door 2
A Look Ahead...
Monday, March 2
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Orchestra, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Boys' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
5th Grade Band, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25 p.m. in the Library
Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Rubik’s Cube Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Girls’ Volleyball Away @. Gurrie, 4:15 p.m.
Tuesday, March 3
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Band, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
7th, 8th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
5th Grade Orchestra, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25, Library
Spirit Squad, 3:30-4:25, Office
Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., South Gym
Girls’ Volleyball Away @ Willow, 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday, March 4-Muffins with Mom @ the Bookfair, 7:15-8:10 a.m.
Bookfair open 7:15-3:30 p.m.
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Orchestra, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
5th, 6th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Student Council Meeting, 7:30 a.m., Room 25
Thursday, March 5-Donuts with Dad @ the Bookfair, 7:15-8:10 a.m.
Bookfair open 7:15-4:30 p.m.
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
Boys' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Student Council Meeting**, 7:30 a.m., Room 25
**Thursday meetings are meant for the students that cannot come on Wednesdays
Musical Performance to start the school day, 8:30 a.m.
5th Grade Band, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Gaming Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Friday, March 6-Middle School Bookfair 8 a.m.-3:15 p.m., 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Jazz Band, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
5th, 6th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
7th, 8th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Yoga, 7:35 a.m., small gym (mats are provided)
Girls’ Volleyball Home vs. Park Red, 4:15 p.m., North Gym
Aladdin, 7:00 p.m., North Gym, enter door 2 or 6
Saturday, March 7
Aladdin, 3 p.m., North Gym, enter door 2 or 6
PTO Gala, 7 p.m., Marriott-Burr Ridge
Questions? We're here to help!
Athletics: 708-246-7382
Mr. Mark Dreher, Athletic Director, mdreher@d107.org
Attendance notification: 708-246-3210, extension 5 or email middleattendance@d107.org before 8:20 a.m., please.
Health Office: 708-246-7619
Mrs. Denise Rende, Nurse, drende@d107.org
Main Office: 708-246-3210, extension 0
Mrs. Stacey Tantillo, Secretary, stantillo@d107.org
Ms. Maria Cuevas, Clerical Aide, mcuevas@d107.org
Mrs. Brianne Malatt, Assistant Principal, bmalatt@d107.org, 708-246-7373
Mr. Griffin Sonntag, Principal, gsonntag@d107.org, 708-246-7609
Social Worker: 708-246-7505
Ms. Carrie Castaldo, Social Worker, ccastaldo@d107.org