Pleasant Hill Weekly Newsletter
March 24, 2023

Have a wonderful Spring Break!
Hello PH Community!
We made it to Spring Break! When we return we will be in the home stretch of the school year!
Thank you to our PTA for helping to coordinate our Internet Safety week!
This week our students went through a week of lessons and assemblies that focused on being safe while online. Five themes were presented and reinforced with our students. They were to be Internet SMART, ALERT, STRONG, KIND and BRAVE. I would also want to thank the Palatine Police for assising in our parent workshop which shared valuable information regarding keeping children safe on the internet. Thank you to all the teachers for their time in teaching our students about being safe online!
When we return from Spring Break, students in grades 2-6 will be taking the spring MAP test. Students in grades K-1 will be starting the spring Fastbridge early literacy and math assessments. Results will be shared when testing is complete.
I want to wish everyone a relaxing and enjoyable spring break! Enjoy the time with family and friends. Safe travels to those who will be traveling.
Thank you as always for your support!
Warm Regards,
Dr. Morris
GO COUGARS!
Internet Safety Week! Students and Families Learned About Being Safe On The Internet

Movie Night Is Coming Back! Registration will open after April 1st!

Movie Night is back at Pleasant Hill!
Students can join the fun right after school on Wednesday, April 19th from 3:05 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students will go directly to movie night when the dismissal bell rings. AM Kindergarten Students are invited to attend as well (students will need to be dropped off at the school at 3:00.)
$20 pays for pizza, popcorn, water, and candy, and also includes a raffle ticket for fun prizes ($50 gift cards, Lunch with the Principal, Lunch with Assistant Principal, and Art/PE/Music Teacher For A Day). Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for $5 each.
Support this PTA fundraiser! Register after 4/1 through the PTA website - phpta.com (deadline 4/12).
A direct link will be emailed out after Spring Break.
Questions? Email movienight@phpta.com.
STEM Activities In The Library!


Cougar Carnival Was a Success! Thank you to everyone for attending!
Author Coming To Visit First through Third Grade Classrooms!
He will be speaking on his latest story, "We Don't Eat Our Class Goldfish" which comes out on March 28. Pre-orders are available for purchase and a flyer will be sent home with your child next week if you are interested in completing an order with the school. All purchased books will be signed by Mr. Higgins on the day of his arrival.
We are so excited to have him!

5 Essentials Survey is Here! We Need 20% Minimum Participation From Our PH Community
Donations For Library STEM Activites Needed!
We are looking forward to implementing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) into our elementary library lessons. We are excited to bring these hands-on learning experiences to PH and all of D15 schools.
Throughout these activities, students will develop their social skills while also developing skills in problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, decision making, leadership, and more.
We are needing some help collecting materials for some of the STEM tasks. Here are some of the things we could use. These items are donations and will not be returned. Students can place items in a STEM collection box that are located near the front office in the foyer.
Used or Recycled Materials
Empty Cereal Boxes
Empty Paper Towel Rolls
Empty Toilet Paper Rolls
Empty Wrapping Paper Rolls
Empty Cardboard Egg Cartons
Puzzles (48-100 Pieces), **Please no wooden or missing pieces Please tape puzzle boxes closed.
Medication at School Guidelines
This includes cough drops, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Advil and all others. Thank you for your cooperation.
If you want your child to have access to medication while here at school, please reach out to the school nurse Mrs. Martin to discuss how that is possible. If you have any questions, please see pages 57-58 in the Parent/Student Handbook.
PBIS AT PLEASANT HILL!! Majors and MInors
Has your student received a minor? Have they received a major? These forms of behavior management are used for various offenses that can occur during the school day. Below is a guide to help you as the parent better understand what they are to help you support your student at home. If for any reason you are unsure or have any questions, please contact your child's teacher or Dr. Morris and Mr. Fabrikant.
What is a minor?
Students have been taught what is expected at school in various settings. They are reviewed periodically throughout the year. We have visual reminders of our expectations displayed around school and Boosters three times a year as a school.
A minor is a record of a behavior that is in violation of the Three B’s. It is a warning.
A student will receive a minor after he/she has been re-taught the appropriate behavior but continues the inappropriate behavior .
If a student receives 3 minors within a month period, a Major will be issued.
What is a major?
Major behaviors demonstrate a purposeful or serious disregard for expectations at Pleasant Hill. Some examples but not limited to are behaviors that can lead to injury, the safety of others and extreme disrespect towards students or staff.
For a major offense students will be seen by administration.
Consequences will be determined and given by administration.
Parents will be notified by a school administrator when a major offense has been issued.
Three minors equals one major. Staying in from lunch/recess is a consequence that is issued unless administration determines otherwise.
Illustrative Math March Unit Task
Thank you to the families who submitted their unit Illustrative Math family tasks during the month of February! We enjoyed seeing your child use math outside of the classroom.
Illustrative Math provides students and families with an opportunity to take their learning from the classroom and apply it to an authentic situation. Below you will find a unit task for the month of February as well as a companion support video that explains what each grade level is learning in class. Click here to learn more about problem-based learning.
Follow the steps below to complete the optional unit task for the month of March.
1. Find your child’s grade level below and click the link to access your unit task.
2. Read through the “Try It At Home” section and complete the task.
3. Send your family’s math work to your child’s teacher in the form of a written paper, photo story, or a video of your child demonstrating and explaining their thinking.
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade
Accelerated 7th/Pre Algebra
PTA NEWS AND EVENT REMINDERS ***PLEASE READ BELOW***
Message From Our PTA Presidents!
March is proving to be an exciting month for Pleasant Hill! We want to thank Emily Snyder, Audrey Smith and Anita Malcolm for putting together a very memorable Cougar Carnival. We saw so many families having a great time and we are so grateful for the Cougar Carnival committee for putting this amazing event together. What a great way to bring our community so much fun and happiness.
Our Be Internet Awesome week is coming to a close. Please don’t let cyber safety teaching end! We encourage you to keep the conversations going at home by completing the Family Guide and playing Interland with your kids. If you attended the Parent and Caregiver workshop, please complete the session survey at PTA.org/Survey. Your feedback will help us improve future events like this one. When you visit Pleasant Hill for future events, you will see the Interland characters displayed in the halls around the school sporting the themes Pleasant Hill Students learned: Be Safe, Be Alert, Be Strong, Be Kind and Be Brave. We want to thank all of our teachers, Mrs. Strand, Dr. Morris, the Palatine Police Department and our PTA executive team for coming together to make this happen. We hope that everyone had some really good internet safety takeaways and hope to see this event return every year.
We announced at the assembly that the PTA is hosting a contest in an effort to further celebrate all that we have learned in being Internet Awesome. We hope that you and your family will have a great time working on this together over break or when you return from break. We will select one winner per theme. (Be Smart, Be Alert, Be Strong, Be Kind, Be Brave)
1) Design the poster. You can create or insert picture, graphics, make a border, etc.
2) Optional: use words to describe it or say why it helps you Be Internet Awesome!
3) Convert it to a png.
4) Email to phpta15@gmail.com with your name, grade and teacher’s name.
Winners will get to display their poster on Pleasant Hill TVs. Poster entries are due April 6th.
We have some wonderful fundraisers coming up, Movie Night and Book Fair. Please mark your calendars and make sure you do not miss these events.
Our talent show committee kicked off the first of their rehearsals. We have some really exciting performances that will be showcased at the talent show.
Make a Difference Week will kick off when we return from Spring Break. Please take a look at the list of items to donate. This is a wonderful cause that brings Pleasant Hill together in an effort to give back.
If you have an interest in being a part of our executive team, please send us a note. We are happy to let you know what is involved in the roles that are soon opening. Don’t be shy, we welcome new faces to bring some great ideas and talents to the PTA.
Have a wonderful Spring Break!
Julie Boldt and Rick France
PHPTA President and President Elect
Spring Book Fair Is Coming!! We Need Your Help!
Looking For New Year Book Committe Members for 2023 School Year!!
The yearbook committee is looking for someone to lead the committee starting next school year. The previous lead will remain on the committee to co-lead and train.
Yearbook is a great way to connect with the students and see all the fun at the classroom parties and PTA events! If interested and would like to learn more, please email phyrbook@gmail.com.
PTA Sponsoring Coke Rewards!

Schoolwide Information Below
Dental Examination Due Date
All Kindergarten, Second Grade, and Sixth Grade students are required to submit a complete dental examination form before May 1. If you are uncertain if you have already submitted this required form, please reach out to Mrs. Martin our school nurse. If your child still needs to provide it, please make an appointment at your dental office and bring this form (in Spanish) with you.
If you currently do not have a dentist, Orland Park Dental Services is scheduling services at D15 schools. For your child to receive this service, registration is required. An invitation will be sent home with your student at the end of February, or you may register them online with this link.
School Safety New Procedure! Please Read
Keeping our schools safe and secure is a top priority for District 15. We regularly review our procedures and protocols, and make improvements when necessary. To that end, we are writing to share an update from previous procedures. Effective immediately, when visitors ring the doorbell at a school, the office staff will ask the visitor their name and the purpose of their visit. If the visitor is a parent or guardian that is just dropping off a forgotten lunch or homework assignment, etc. they will be asked to leave it on the "drop off" table in the vestibule.
Please remember to label the items you drop off with your child’s name and grade level/teacher to ease the delivery of the items.
When parents/guardians or visitors are at the school for a meeting or to volunteer, they will be required to provide a driver's license or state ID which will be used to produce a visitor badge for the individual to wear on a red visitor lanyard while they are in the building. The office will keep the license/state ID and return it to the individual when the visitor badge is returned as they leave the building. This will ensure all staff can visually see that only individuals cleared through their office are in our schools.
When a parent/guardian comes in to pick up a student early from school, they will be asked to produce a state ID for verification.
We appreciate your support and understanding as we work together to keep our schools safe places for our staff, students, and visitors.
Your partner in safety,
Claire Kowalczyk
Deputy Superintendent
School Playground Is Closed During The School Day To The Public
Sick Day Guidelines
To help prevent the spread of illness, we would like to give you some guidelines to help with your decision on whether or not to send your child to school
We ask that you keep your child home if they:
- Have a fever of 100.4F or higher
- Have a sore throat with a fever
- Have diarrhea (3 or more episodes in 24 hours)
- Have abdominal cramps and/or vomiting
- Have a rash or open and draining sores
If your child has recently been ill, please be aware of the following guidelines before having your child return:
- Feel fit for at least 24 hours
- Be fever free for 24 hours without medication
- Be free of vomiting and/or diarrhea for at least 24 hours
- For strep throat, they must be on appropriate medication for at least 24 hours
- For conjunctivitis (pink eye), they must be on appropriate eye drops for at least 24 hours or cleared by physician
- Rash illness should be assessed by a doctor
If chicken pox suspected, keep home for at least 5 days after the appearance of the rash or until the blisters have scabbed over
The single most important thing you can do to keep your child free of illness is to teach them the proper way to wash their hands. Also, be sure they are dressed weather appropriate. Please notify the nurse if your child has a communicable illness (strep throat, influenza, lice, COVID, etc.), or any health concerns that need to be monitored at school.
Mrs. Martin can be reached at 847-963-5902 or via email martins2@ccsd15.net
Student Entrances and Exits
Doors Will Open at 8:18 each morning.
Thank you for your support!
Grades 1&2 - Door #3 (located By The Bike Racks)
Grade 3/4- Door #10 (Back of the school, middle entrance)
Grade 5/6- Door #11 (Back of the school east entrance)
Kindergarten AM - Door #7 (Back of the school, top of the stairs)
Kindergarten PM - Front Entrance of The School
Students Riding The Bus Will Enter and Exit The Front Doors
PLEASE READ...STUDENT DROP OFF AND PICK-UP
-During the posted time on the sign by the back lot entrance. No left turn is allowed during drop-off 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.
It is important to remain patient and not be on any electronic devices to assure our students and your safety. Please think of the safety of all of our students and families during these times of the day.
Coming To The School During The School Day? Please Read
* All visitors are requiered to produce a valid ID that will be scanned through our RAPTOR system. If you do not have a valid ID you will not be allowed in the building
*All visitors must enter through the front entrance of the school and check in at the front office and will recieve a colored lanyard that must be worn during the entire stay
*Meetings with teachers are by appointment only and must be scheduled with the teacher
*Only individuals who are listed in Infinite Campus under emergency contacts will be allowed to pick up a student. We will not release students to individuals who are not in our system as an emergency contact.
*Please do not park along the front of the school in the fire lane as this restricts access for emergency vehicles as well as school buses from entering properly.
*During drop off and dismissal in the front parking lot is not to be used. This is only for school buses.
Infinite Campus Parent Portal
Infinite Campus' Campus Parent is designed to provide parents real-time access to student information. The easy-to-use design displays what is currently happening in the classroom so you can understand, monitor, and participate in your child’s educational experience.
This portal also provides parents access to check for teacher placement and student schedules once their student is registered. District 15 has also used IC to gather parent survey responses. Make sure you have your account set up for the new school year! To learn how to set up your account, watch tutorials, or access a help center, please visit our website.
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.