The Tiger Times Newsletter
Pleasantdale Middle School
March 29, 2020
Virtual Spirit Week This Week!
The days are listed below:
Monday-P-Dale Pride Day-Wear your P-Dale spirit wear or school colors to show we're all in this together!
Tuesday-SuperHero Day-Dress up as your favorite superhero in honor of all the heroes (like nurses, doctors, food service workers) who are helping our country right now.
Wednesday-Pet Day-Take a selfie with your pet or favorite stuffed animal.
Thursday-Jersey Day-Wear your favorite team gear in honor of all of the sports teams that can't play right now.
Friday-Pajama Day-Because wearing PJ's all day is the best part of extended eLearning!
See the flyer below!
3.29.20 Thoughts from Mr. Sonntag
Dear Middle School Community,
Welcome back from spring break! We hope you're doing well and staying healthy. Don't forget, please order your yearbook by the end of the day on Tuesday, March 31st. The directions to order them can be found later in this newsletter.
I've seen a lot of memes over the past week. One I wanted to "You're not stuck at home, you're safe at home. One word can change your attitude." I love that. It really struck a chord with me. I know it is difficult to be at home as much as you've been lately. It's difficult because it is different. We're used to being so busy and interacting with so many different people but right now we can't. We won't.
Instead of thinking about all of the things we believe we're missing out on, turn that on its head and create new experiences that you never would have had if this stay-at-home order didn't happen. Take time to be together. Take time to laugh together. Share together. Learn together. Play games together. Do puzzles together. Parents, share stories of your past with your kids. Tell them about your grandparents and how you spent time with them. Tell them how it was growing up. Dive deeper than you've ever dove with them into the stories of the past. I say this because you just may not know when you're going to get the chance to have such a captivated audience in the future. Kids, open up about how you are feeling about all of this. Tell your parents the best parts of being at home and the worst. Tell them what you are most interested in at this moment of your life. Tell them something that you've been learning about either in school or on your own.
Maybe start by watching this 5:30 video together entitled, "Rooted in Love" to spark conversation.
In the end, just open up and be together.
Take care of one another and together we're going to get through this and be better and stronger in the future! If you need anything or have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me and I will find out the answer or point your question to the right person. (gsonntag@d107.org)
Respectfully,
Griffin L. Sonntag
Proud Principal of Pleasantdale Middle School
eLearning Start Up Again Tomorrow! Check Schoology for more information!
Continued Appreciation for P-Dale Middle School Staff
District Communications All In One Place
To make it as easy as possible for you, the communications from our Superintendent Dr. Palzet are all in one place. They can be found on our district webpage here.
New Photography Club Sponsored by Mr. Madsen
Please check out his video about how to be a part of the Photo Club and check Schoology for the submission form.
During these times, we need to remember to take care of ourselves before taking care of others. Here are some examples how to be our best even when times are tough or unknown.
Quote of the Week-"Be kind. Unless you can be fantastic. Then be fantastically kind."
Power of Positive On-line Summit
Another thing I signed up for knowing we're going to be seeking ways to spend our time is this Power of Positive Summit. I've never "attended" this before but I reviewed the speaker lineup and it is top-notch. It looks like between April 2 through April 8 on-demand videos are going to be released so you can listen to them when you can. Best of all, it's free! If interested, here's the link.
Good News Network
Order Your Yearbook Today!
New this year, we did not offer yearbook purchasing during student registration. Therefore, no one has had the opportunity to order a yearbook as of yet.
Also, new this year, we'd like everyone who is able to order their yearbook online. There is no additional fee for using a credit card online. Middle School yearbooks are once again $20. Ordering closes March 31 at midnight.
Directions on how to order online:
1. Log into Skyward.
2. Click on the "fee management" tab on the left-hand side (about half-way down).
3. Click on "Make a payment"
4. Click on "Shop" in the upper right portion of the screen
5. Select "Middle School Yearbook"
6. Click on Middle School Yearbook 2019-2020
7. Answer the questions and click "add to cart"
8. Go to your cart and continue to payment
Full directions (with pictures) of how to order a yearbook online
If you do not have the ability to pay online, you may bring a check to the main office.
Parent Education Corner
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.
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-Keep Collecting, Please
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-Grab and Go Meal Available During Closure
"Beginning today (March 17), we will offer meals to any child in the community,18 or under, who needs nutritional support. In partnership with our food service provider, Just A Dash, we will provide breakfast and lunch at no charge. Pick up times are between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. This week we will provide lunches on Tuesday (today), Wednesday, and Friday. Moving forward, these “Grab & Go” meals will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays through April 6 (and during spring break). To encourage social distancing, we will provide curbside service. Simply pull up to door #25 in the back of the middle school (7450 S. Wolf Rd., Burr Ridge), and food will be brought to your vehicle."
Review complete email from Dr. Palzet about Grab and Go Meals During School Closure
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...
M-F-eLearning for students
Next Week...
eLearning will resume Monday, March 30 and continue through Tuesday, April 7. (New date because of the governor's order).
The tentative return to school date is Wednesday, April 8. More information will come if anything changes. Please continue to read the email updates from the district and Dr. Palzet.
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