Pirate's Cove
September 24th through October 1st
Traduzca este boletín al Español
National Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15th through October 15th
Hispanic Heritage Month is the celebration of Hispanic Americans. September 15 is the independence day of several Spanish-speaking countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Additionally, on September 16, Mexico celebrates its independence, and on September 18, Chile celebrates its independence. Hispanic people come from 20 different Spanish-speaking countries. Some are born in the United States and learn Spanish as their first language, while others simultaneously learn English and Spanish. There is no single history of people of Hispanic or Latino heritage coming from other countries to the United States because each story is different. Therefore, from September 15 through October 15, we celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of those whose ancestors came from Mexico, Spain, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Plank Junior High would like to recognize the accomplishments of four American women of Hispanic and Latina descent. These women's achievements are in science, social activism, literature, law, and the arts.
Sonia Maria Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since August 8, 2009. Justice Sotomayor is the first Hispanic and Latina member of the Court.
Ellen Ochoa is an engineer, a former astronaut, and the Johnson Space Center's former director. In 1993 Ellen Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to go to space. She served on a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
Rosa María Perez was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is of Puerto Rican descent. She is an actress, community activist, talk show host, author, dancer, and choreographer, and her film breakthrough performance was her portrayal of Tina in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing."
Sandra Cisneros is a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, performer, and artist whose work explores the working-class's lives. She was born in Chicago, IL, and attended Loyola University of Chicago (B.A. English, 1976) and the University of Iowa (M.F.A. Creative Writing, 1978). Sandra Cisneros is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico. Her classic, coming-of-age novel, The House on Mango Street, has sold over six million copies, has been translated into over twenty languages, and is required reading in high school and universities across the nation.
Principal's Message
Pirate Families!
This week we kicked off our "Start with Hello Week" celebration. Start with Hello is an anti-bullying and bully prevention measure that we partner with Sandy Hook Promise to spread positive messages of inclusion and acceptance to students. We spent time this week during Crew Time and lunch periods getting to know new people and learning ways to make others feel welcome and accepted. We will continue the message of "Start with Hello" throughout the year. Encourage your child to reach out to other students through acts of kindness.
Continue to review the expectations on our What to Expect at Plank presentation with your child. We are going through these expectations with students during our first weeks of school as well. Continual reinforcement of our expectations for students is important to get back into the routine of school. You can find our presentation here>>>. LINK
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
Plank Anonymous Reporting
Plank has a system for reporting anonymously. Click the link below to fill out an incident report to let the Principal's know what happened.
Start with Hello Week - Chalk the Walk
Important upcoming dates
9/15 through 10/15 - Hispanic Heritage and History Month
October 8 - School Improvement Day: 3.5 hour Students Attendance
10/11 - NO STUDENT ATTENDANCE - Indigenous People's Day
10/22 - Picture Retake Day
11/11 - 5 - hour Student Attendence (Parent-teacher conferences)
11/12 - NO STUDENT ATTENDANCE - (Parent-teacher conferences)
11/24, 25, 26 - NO STUDENT ATTENDANCE - Thanksgiving Break
Plank Title I Parent Night
Home and School Meetings
Home and School Volunteer Opportunities
Plank Announcements
TEMPORARY DISTANCE LEARNING AND ABSENCES
Remember, Temporary Distance Learning is not available for students who are absent from school for various reasons. Temporary Distance Learning only applies to students who are put on quarantine by the school/district. If your child is absent from school, they still have access to Google Classroom to obtain assignments, however, they are not able to log into the Google Meet for live instruction.
Counseling Groups Offered at Plank
Plank Junior High will be offering Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) groups for each grade level. Groups are designed to meet students’ needs through fun activities, such as games, art, teambuilding, etc. Groups will meet once a week during lunch and will be facilitated by school counselors, social workers, school psychologist and/or school speech pathologist. If you are interested in having your child participate in a group please complete and sign the attached permission slip. Permission slips are due to student services by Friday, September 24, 2021. If you have any questions, contact your student's school counselor.
2021-22 Counseling Groups:
Connections - building positive relationships with your peers.
Student Empowerment – for students who are feeling sad, depressed, stressed or anxious and need help processing their feelings and learning coping skills
Grief Group - for students who are experiencing grief from the loss of a significant person through death
Family Group - for students who are experiencing family struggles, such as divorce and separation of parents.
Mindful/Yoga Group - students will learn and practice mindfulness strategies and yoga to help reduce stress.
- Academic Success Group - students will learn skills to improve academic performance such as organization, study skills, and time management skills.
Click on the permission slip below to download the PDF form. Turn in permission slips to our Student Services Team!
OEHS and OHS Home Football Games
Future Wolves and Panthers,
OEHS and OHS football seasons has started! If you are heading out to the games, don't forget...all junior high students must be accompanied by a guardian, who is also attending the game. Junior high students wont be able to enter without a parent or guardian.
Plank Spiritwear Orders
Chromebook Insurance
ALICE PARENT/GUARDIAN LETTER
Parents/Guardians- Please read the SD308 ALICE Parent Letter linked below for information regarding ALICE and safety drills this year.
FASTBRIDGE
Access to FASTBridge Scores Via TylerSIS
FASTBridge Parent/Guardian Assessment Score Information-English
FASTBridge Parent/Guardian Assessment Score Information-Spanish
FASTBridge Benchmarking Assessment Parent/Guardian Letter
FASTBridge Parent/Guardian Letter-English
FASTBridge Parent/Guardian Letter-Spanish
Understanding Your Student's FASTBridge Scores
KENDALL COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY FOOD DRIVE 2021
Our Food Drive runs from 10/04-10/13! Winners of the Food Drive will be announced during the halftime show of the Crosstown Challenge game!
Last year, Plank was the Junior High Leader in our Fill the Bus Food Drive. Way to go, Plank families!
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 this year. 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.
STUDENT SERVICES INFORMATION
High School Courses: Credit Opt-Out Process
If you have a student enrolled in Algebra I, Honors English I, or Spanish I and do not want your student to receive high school credit for the class (Algebra I or Honors English I only) or wish to drop the course, please click the “Opt-Out Form” link below for further information. Opt-out forms must be completed and returned to your student’s counselor by Thursday, October 28th, 2021.
10 things for a successful semester
Here are some things to be best prepared to start the semester off right.
1. Students should find a spot in the house to keep their device charged. Dedicate an area to store their device and keep it plugged in to maintain the charge.
2. Students should restart their device to clear cache to improve performance during classes. Restarts will usually help with many of the technical problems that our devices encounter. Updates to hardware and software usually are prompted from a restart as well. Holding down the power button will turn the Chromebook off and on.
3. Students need to change their default passwords. In order to ensure account security, change your login password from the SD308 Default. Directions can be found on this page.
4. Students should build the habit of logging into Tyler SIS Portal to review grades and missing assignments regularly.
5. Stay Organized Take the time to read emails, organize Drive document and folders, and maintain hard copy papers in their folders and binder.
6. Plan stops at lockers. Use your backpack to carry all your items for class, and stop at your locker only when you need to. This will save you time between classes.
7. Be sure to hit submit on Google Classroom assignments. Sometimes, an assignment is completed, but never submitted. In order for teachers to grade it, it needs to be submitted through Google Classroom.
8. Use Crew Time to get help. If they are having trouble with work, not understanding, or falling behind, Crew Time can be a great time to connect with a teacher in another classroom on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
9. Take ownership of learning. Students who take ownership of their learning and do their best set themselves up for success.
10. Contact teachers if there are questions about class. Connecting with the teacher is the best way to find out what is happening in class.
Regular Day Bell Schedule
Crew time - 8:10-8:29
1st Period - 8:29-9:10
2nd Period - 9:14-9:55
3rd Period - 9:59-10:40
4th Period - 10:44-11:25
5th Period - 11:29-12:10
6th Period - 12:14-12:557th Period - 12:59-1:40
8th Period - 1:44-2:25
9th Period - 2:29-3:10
ATTENTION ALL 6TH GRADE STUDENTS
Students entering 6th grade had their passwords reset over the summer. To reset your password, you would log into your Chromebook using your email and one of the following password options: 1) your locker combination (no dashes), 1) your birthday (6 digits, no dashes), or 3) 123456. From there, open a new window and go to mypassword.sd308.org. Enter your ID number as your username and the default password you used to log onto your computer. From there, you should be brought to a screen to complete security questions to reset your password.
Helpful Password Changing Hint: If you are also setting up your TylerSIS account, it may be wise to make both passwords the same.
Here are some directions on how to complete the password change.
* * * * * Your Input Matters to Us * * * * * *
Please take the opportunity to share your comments about our firsts weeks of school. We'd love to hear from you! Click here to tell us.
Helpful Online Safety Information for Parents
Technology has changed the way we live, work, play, learn, and interact. It is hard to keep up with all the new apps, online trends, etc. our students and children are using. Below are helpful resources for parents to learn helpful tips about online safety, how to talk to your children about online safety, and information on current apps our students and children are using.
Online Safety Information for Parents:
Stay Safe Online - National Cyber Security Alliance
Guide to Potentially Dangerous Apps for Kids
Social Media Red Flags Parents Should Know About
What Parents Should Know About Social Media and Anxiety
Social Media Guide - Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency
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.
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/
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 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.
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 630-551-9483 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