Pirate's Cove
October 30th through November 5th
Traduzca este boletín al Español
Principal's Message
Pirate Families!
We wrapped up our Red Ribbon Week on Friday. Red Ribbon Week emphasizes the importance of drug and alcohol awareness. You can see the Red Ribbon Week Activities and Spirit days in some of the pictures provided below.
Parent teacher conferences are coming soon. Teachers have been reaching out to families to start setting up times for conferences. We will open time slots through PTC Fast for families this next week. If you feel that there is a need for a conference, please reach out to your child's teachers to establish a time to meet and discuss your child's academic progress. Parent Teacher Conferences Start the week of November 8th, with days set aside on November 11th and November 12th.
Now that we are a quarter way into the school year, continue to review the expectations on our What to Expect at Plank for 2021-22 School Year presentation with your child. Continual reinforcement of our expectations for students is important to get back into the routine of school. You can find our presentation here>>>. LINK
Plank is also hiring! We are in need of several positions throughout Plank, such as Teaching Assistants, a Dean's Assistant, and Crossing Guards. Please visit our Employment opportunities page to view all opportunities and/or complete an online application!
The staff at Plank Junior High is committed to serving the students and parents of the surrounding community. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, and we can work together to find solutions. I can be reached at 630-551-9400 and thaymond@sd308.org. We look forward to partnering with you and your child throughout the year.
Always in partnership,
Tyler Haymond
Principal
Plank Junior High School
Important upcoming dates
11/8 - Plank Fundraiser Begins
11/11 - 5 - hour Student Attendence (Parent-teacher conferences)
11/12 - NO STUDENT ATTENDANCE - (Parent-teacher conferences
11/15 and 11/17 - 8th Grade S.O.S Presentations
11/18 - Future Wolves Night @ OE
11/24, 25, 26 - NO STUDENT ATTENDANCE - Thanksgiving Break
Plank Student Art
Red Ribbon Week Participants and Chalk the Walk
Red Ribbon Week Staff Door Decorating Contest - Homerooms
Plank Anonymous Reporting
Plank has a system for reporting anonymously. Click the link below to fill out an incident report to let the Principal and Assistant Principals know what happened.
Plank Anonymous Reporting
Plank Conflict Resolution Link
Cleaning Wipes Update
Parent Teacher Conferences - November 11th and 12th
All parents/guardians have the option for an in-person or virtual conference. If you sign up for Thursday through the PTC Fast portal, please indicate your preference on the system. If you are in communication with teachers for a Friday conference, please indicate your preference with the teacher.
Elyssa's Mission - 8th Grade Signs of Suicide Presentation
Dear Parent/Guardian,
8th grade students will participate in the Signs of Suicide Prevention program this year.
Our goals in participating in this program are straightforward:
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To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness
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To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that often occurs as a result of untreated depression
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To provide students training in how to identify serious depression and potential suicidality in themselves or a friend
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To impress upon youth that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a responsible adult about their concerns
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To help students know whom in the school they can turn to for help, if they need it
This program will be presented to 8th grade students on November 15th and 17th during science class. The SOS program is brought to us by Elyssa’s Mission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention. Elyssa’s Mission is the only organization in the state of Illinois to fund, distribute and implement SOS. To get more information on suicide prevention, visit their website at www.elyssasmission.org. Make sure and view their online Parent Presentation at http://elyssasmission.org/parent-suicide-prevention-training/ for specific information on warning signs and how to keep your child safe.
Attached is the passive permission slip with more information. If you have any questions and/or do NOT want your child to participate in the SOS program, you must contact your student’s school counselor by Friday, November 12, 2021. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program.
Parents Guide to Helping Youth Who Self Injure
World's Famous Chocolate Fundraiser Begins 11/8
Our schoolwide fundraiser begins next week. Students will come home on later this week with permission forms to sell World's Famous Chocolates. These permission slips allowed students to obtain a box of chocolates to sell. You can also download a form here. There are extra forms that are available for students to pick up in Student Services. This is not a mandatory participation fundraiser, so families do not need to feel obligated to participate if they choose.
- Students - Chocolate cannot be sold to each other during school hours, out of your backpacks, or out of lockers. If you are participating in the fundraiser, all sales have to be outside of school. Students and families will be responsible for the cash sales.
Our proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our Plank Home and School Association. Funds raised will be put towards our Teacher and Student Grants, student activities such as future dances and Pirate-Palooza, and student awards and rewards for our schoolwide PBIS system, which will roll out second semester.
Home and School Meetings
Home and School Volunteer Opportunities
Table Games for Lunch Periods
Donations can be made in the Plank Main Office.
Plank Chromebook reminders
As we continue our 1:1 initiatives for students with chromebooks, please encourage your pirate at home to:
- Charge their chromebook and bring it every day
- Treat them carefully. If they break the chromebook, the technology department will contact home regarding the cost of the repair.
- Use them appropriately. Our Securely web filter notifies administration of inappropriate internet searches or words and phrases that could indicate bullying, threats, or self-harm.
Information for the start of the school year
Please view the What to Expect at Plank 2021-2022 Presentation for additional information for the upcoming year!
Lea la presentación en español aquí Qué esperar en Plank - Estudiantes y padres Español 2021-2022
PE Uniforms/Lockers: Students will receive their locks and assigned a locker in PE during the first week of school. Information about this will come through PE.
Lunch: We will serve lunch during the school day this year. We have made some adjustments to our cafeteria seating to allow for social distancing seating for all students. If we need to use additional spaces in the building for lunch, we will accommodate the best we can and keep you informed.
Outside/Vendor Food - Outside vendor foods are not permitted in the lunchrooms. We cannot accept a delivery from a vendor (store or delivery such as Grub Hub) on behalf of a student. If a parent delivers outside food, the student will be able to receive their lunch, however, will need to eat in the Main Office and then return to lunch. Thank you.
Lockers: Students are using lockers this year (locker and combination located on the schedule email that was sent out earlier this week). We will encourage students to limit their locker usage to only a few times a day. We encourage students to take a look at their schedule and make a plan as to when the most appropriate time to go to their locker would be. (Example: before school/after school and before/after lunch, or, before school to pack for the first part of the day and then once in the middle of the day, and then at the end of the school day).
Backpacks: Students will be able to carry backpacks during the school day. Students are encouraged to ONLY bring the most important items they will need to participate in class and leave other non-essential items in their lockers.
Cell Phones: Just a reminder...a change in policy occurred last year regarding cell phones. Cell phones must be off and out of sight during the school day, from 8:10 to 3:10. If students need to contact home, they are able to use a school phone, with permission from a Plank staff member.
Buses: To find bus routes, click here for the transportation page on the district website. From there, click on Bus Routes on the left side of the page, then find Plank under the Junior High Arrival section. From there, look for your subdivision/area you live and find the closest stop to your home, which will also include your pick-up time. Please be at your bus stop 5 minutes prior to your pick-up time. Under the Junior High-Dismissal section for Plank, you will find the bus routes with the drop-off location and time.
Due to the many changes, larger student counts, the need for seating charts, and contact tracing, we will NOT be allowing students to ride buses other than their assigned one.
Chromebooks: Any incoming 6th grader, or new or returning student to Plank who has not received their Chromebook, will receive it during the first couple weeks of school. We have been distributing chromebooks to new students during lunches. If your child still needs a Chromebook, please reach out to thaymond@sd308.org.
Chromebooks that are damaged or not working will need to be turned into the Plank LRC. A loaner will be issued from the LRC until a replacement arrives or the device is repaired. See Dr. Meyer in the LRC.
Temporary Distance Learning: Students placed on Temporary Distance Learning will receive an email from one of the health office staff at Plank or from the district with the quarantine and TDL information attached. Once that is provided, then the classroom teacher will be able to allow a student into the classroom Meet Link for Temporary Distance Learning. Please understand that this could take a day or two while the health office staff is handling daily health procedures, routines, and concerns, but also information pertaining to quarantining students. While you are waiting for a member of the health office staff to contact you, the absence of the student is still considered excused.
21-22 School Yearbook
Don't Delay, Plank Pirates! It's time to order your YEARBOOK for the 21-22 school year. The online store will be open August 9. Order now, so you don't forget and get your $5 DISCOUNT. (From December 1st, cost increases to $30. Final order deadline is January 28, 2022.)
*Optional personalization for an extra fee.
If you have any yearbook questions, please email Ms. Thill at dthill@sd308.org.
21-22 Plank Yearbook QR Code
Plank Athletics information
Set up a time to meet with the Plank Counselors!
Our Plank counseling team is using a new scheduling tool this year. It allows students and parents to directly book a meeting with us. Follow the links below to access the editable schedule to meet with one of our counselors. They also created and released the Counselors Corner Newsletter. If you have questions, reach out to our counseling team below!
Mrs. Gannon (students with last names A-L) cgannon-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Mrs. Hlavacs (students with last names M-Z) khlavacs-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Mrs. Modaff (students with last names M-Z) jmodaff-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Parent Resources
Follow the links to access the parent resources that we have available.
- A Parent's Guide to Google Classroom - A step-by-step guide to help parents that are unfamiliar with accessing Google Classroom.
- Google Classroom Cheat Sheet for students - Shake Up Learning
- Google Suite Tutorials - A collection of Google tutorials that students will be using with their teachers during remote learning. There are dozens of resources here that cover almost anything you need to know about using Google Suite.
- Parent's Guide to Student Portal - Tyler 360 document that outlines Student Portal access and features.
- Parent's Guide to Google Suite Applications - From Google Docs to Google Meets, this is a guide for parents to use as a reference for all of the available Google Suite Applications.
Plank Attendance Guidelines
Call Asusana Montes-Mijares
630-551-9401
Please leave a message on the Attendance Line noting the reason for the absence. Include all symptoms or the reason for the absence if it is not illness related. Students need to be called in if they will miss a partial day. Please note the class/classes that will be missed in addition to the reason for the absences.
Teachers are keeping attendance through class period If you have questions, please reach out to the individual teachers about these procedures.
Students are considered Tardy if they are not in class on time. Class begins promptly at 8:10 AM. Students who are not in class by this time are considered Tardy.
Important People to Know
Administration:
Principal
Tyler Haymond 630-551-9410 thaymond@sd308.org
Assistant Principal
Bailey Campbell 630-551-9412 bcampbell@sd308.org
Assistant Principal
Mrs. Katie Jones 630-551-9411 kjones@sd308.org
Student Support Lead Teachers
Lead Special Education Teacher
Carrie Quinn 630-551-9497 cquinn@sd308.org
EL Coordinator
Guadalupe Gallardo Escobedo 630-551-9466 ggallardoescobedo@sd308.org
Secretaries:
Principal Secretary
Laurie Williams 630-551-9409 lwilliams@sd308.org
Registrar/Discipline Secretary
Camille Simmons 630-551-9418 csimmons@sd308.org
Attendance Secretary
Asusana (Susie) Montes-Mijarez 630-551-9408 amontesmijarez@sd308.org
Student Services:
Counselors:
Caitlin Gannon 630-551-9414 cgannon@sd308.org
Students with last names A-L
Kelly Hlavacs and Jen Modaff 630-551-9415 khlavacs@sd308.org, jmodaff@sd308.org
Students with last names L-Z
Melanie Reicher 630-551-9496 mreicher@sd308.org
Restorative Practice Counselor
Social Workers:
Regena Alonzo 630-551-9405 ralonzo@sd308.org
Marguerite Slinger 630-551-9416 mslinger@sd308.org
Building Nurse:
Denise Salisbury 630-551-9402 dsalisbury@sd308.org
Important Resources
Transportation: 630-636-2999
Tyler Parent Portal login/access questions: tylerhelp@sd308.org
Waiver of Fee questions: Kaitlyn Dolenak 630-636-3662
Free/Reduced Lunch Application Status: Paola Lares Luna: 630-636-3663
Plank Junior High School
Email: thaymond@sd308.org
Website: https://www.sd308.org/plank
Location: Plank Jr. High, Secretariat Lane, Oswego, IL, USA
Phone: 6305519400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plank308/?scrlybrkr=2abf877d
Twitter: @Plank308