Pleasant Hill Weekly Newsletter

December 16, 2022

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Hello PH Community!


It is hard to believe that this is the last newsletter of 2022! The first half of the school year has gone by so fast! I am so proud of all of our teachers and students for all of their hard work and commitment to continuing to make Pleasant Hill an amazing school! We have already accomplished so much to bring our school year back from a pandemic that instills the love of school and learning.


We have also accomplished so much as a school community this year. Our PTA is going strong and bringing back all the wonderful programs and events that we are so proud of! We have a PTA membership that includes almost every family. Our school community is always ready to help as well.


Thank you to all of the families that donated toys and gifts to go to those in need this holiday season. We collected many donations and those who will receive them are so grateful to have a community like ours!


Please take time this winter break to enjoy family and friends. To relax and reflect on 2022 but also to look forward to 2023.


Thank you as always for all of your support!


Warm Regards,

Dr. Morris


GO COUGARS!

Victor's Book Club Reading Logs Due By Monday! Fremd Basketball Tickets Will Be Sent Home With Students On Monday!

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We have started to collect the reading logs for Victor's Book Club! There are many students who have turned them in. We will extend the deadline to Monday the 19th in case your student forgot to bring it to school.


On Monday we will be sending home the tickets for the January 13th Boys Varsity Basketball Game at 7:30pm!


Great job to everyone who participated!!

4th Grade Student Lucas Da Costa Placed 12th out of 308 Runners At The National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships In Texas!

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Another Great Week!

Palatine Library Winter Reading Challenge

Begins Monday, December 12 – Tuesday, January 31


We have another great way to keep students reading and engaged through winter break! Encourage your students to participate and help us reach our goal. When we all read 8,000 books, the Northwest Special Recreation Association gets a grand donation of $1,500 from our sponsors.


Kids that finish get a star shaped stress ball for completing the program! While supplies last. Prizes funded by the Friends of Palatine Library.


Finishers are entered in a drawing for a chance to win an amazing prize basket filled with gift cards generously donated by participating businesses.

Reading Requirement

Birth - Grade 2 : 15 Books

Grades 3 - 6: 5 Books

Grades 7 - 12: 2 Books

Adults: 2 Books


Full program details here.


Watch this short video and share with your chld.

Cold Weather Recess Guidelines

It is that time of the year! The weather is now officially turning colder so please have students prepared. Hats, gloves, coats, snowpants and boots are recommended. The district guidelines are below.



Cold weather: Indoor recess is determined based on the following guidelines:

  • If the temperature outside, together with the wind chill, is below 0°F, all students will remain inside for the entire lunch hour.
  • If the temperature outside, together with the wind chill, is between 0°-10°F, the preferred procedure is a rotation of 20 minutes for lunch, a 20-minute outdoor recess, and a 20-minute indoor recess. However, at the principal's discretion, students may be kept inside for the entire lunch hour.
  • If the temperature outside, together with the wind chill, is above 10°F, students will have regular outdoor recess.

PBIS AT PLEASANT HILL!!

We reached our PAW goal!! 1500 PAWS were given out to students for being respectful, responsible and safe during the November/December months! Way to go PH!


Students will have a fun time next week celebrating with themed days starting on Monday. Here is what they are looking forward to.


Monday December 19th - Wear your favorite winter scarf and winter hat or holiday head gear.


Tuesday December 20th - Wear your favorite holiday shirt or socks or dress like a candy cane.


Wednesday December 21st - Pajama Day!!


Thank you for all your support in continueing to express the importance of being Respectful, Responsible and Safe.


Keep up the great work PH!!


If you have any questions regarding our PBIS system please do not hesitate to reach out to your students' teacher.

4th Grade Students Learn About Band and Orchestra For Next School Year From Our Current Band and Orchestra Students!

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Illustrative Math December Unit Task

Thank you to the families who submitted their unit two Illustrative math family tasks during the month of November! 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 December as well as a companion support video that explains what each grade level is learning in class. Follow the steps below to complete the optional unit task for the month of December.


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.


December Support Videos & Unit Tasks


Kindergarten

Unit Task Support Video


1st Grade

Unit Task Support Video


2nd Grade

Unit Task Support Video


3rd Grade

Unit Task Support Video


4th Grade

Unit Task Support Video


5th Grade

Unit Task Support Video


6th Grade

Unit Task


Accelerated 7th/Pre Algebra

Unit Task

PH And GMS Beginner and Intermediate Band Concerts Were A Success!!

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PTA NEWS AND EVENT REMINDERS ***PLEASE READ BELOW***

Message From Our PTA Presidents!

We can’t believe this is the last newsletter before winter break. We are excited to keep everyone updated on PTA happenings to carry you through the end of the year.


We had a great turnout at our last PTA meeting. A big thank you to all of those who were in attendance. Your participation means the world to us!


Our Gingerbread House Contest was a huge success! We really enjoyed seeing so much creativity. PTA members have access to the link for voting; if you did not see it in your inbox make sure to check your SPAM folder. The top two winners from each division will win a prize.


Rec Nights are coming back and will be organized by grade. It is a wonderful way for students to bond with their parents or guardians. With outdoor activities taking a back seat during the winter, this event will be much needed. Keep on the lookout for a save-the-date coming soon!


We are thankful for our Reflections coordinator who made a video of the entries from Pleasant Hill Elementary. Come see our artist’s work showcased at Carl Sandburg JHS on January 30th at 6:30 PM.


Chess Club made a positive impact for our PTA and the donations received for that program will help us continue to plan for future events. Students participating in Chess Club are engaged, gain strategy skills, and have an opportunity to join a chess tournament. These weekly sessions allow students to experience a sense of competition in a respectful way. We are grateful to Chess Without Borders for bringing Chess Club to our school.


Our Gift Card program earned $559.79. We are grateful for our coordinator and all the room parents who were able to make this happen. Without all of your efforts, we would not have this added benefit. There will be another gift card drive in the spring, so start planning ahead for who you will need to buy for this summer.


We wish everyone a happy and safe winter break! Don’t forget to vote for your favorite gingerbread house!


Best regards,

Julie Boldt and Rick France


PTA President and President Elect

Rec Nights Are Back!!

We are excited to bring back Rec Night - an evening event where students and their adult guardian participate in some fun activities & healthy competition. The events will be scheduled by grade level, look for dates to come for this January/February. If you have a HS student in need of volunteer hours or want to volunteer yourself Please email Faith.Gleeson@comcast.net.

The Talent Show Is Coming Back To PH!!! We Need Volunteers To Help!

The Talent Show is coming back! We will have dates and instructions for entry after winter break. If you have a student who is in 4th, 5th, or 6th grade who may have an interest in showcasing their talents, you can begin brainstorming ideas.


We are looking for volunteers to support this program. If you are interested, please email our committee at talentshow@phpta.com.

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Thank You To Everyone Who Participated In Reflections!!

We are all so proud of all the students who submitted a project for this years PTA Reflections Showcase! They did a wonderful job and we want to thank all of the parents who encouraged and supported the students in thier project as well.


Thank you to our PTA committee members who voluteered time to promote the event and help students with their submissions!


Enjoy this video of the submissions!


https://youtu.be/OgUPer24m4M

PTA Sponsoring Coke Rewards!

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PH PTA on Amazon Smile

Pleasant Hill PTA is on Amazon Smile. Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to our PTA.

Sign up in four easy steps:

  1. Go to smile.amazon.com
  2. Find “Account & Lists” settings, under “Your Account” click on “AmazonSmile”
  3. Search for “Pleasant Hill PTA Inc”
  4. Select our school and start shopping

Schoolwide Information Below

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 Safety Playground Sign Is Now Installed

School safety remains a top priority in District 15. To ensure our schools are as safe as they can be, an additional safety protocol has been put in place this year. A sign has been installed to our playgrounds notifying the community that the playground will be closed to the public during school hours. This will allow classrooms to go outside for PE or to learn outdoors without concern for who else is on school grounds.

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

Throughout the school year, it is common to have parents, friends and visitors come to the school. Please know that the safety of our students is our number one priority. The following guidelines are in place for that reason. 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.

Dr. David Morris Ed.D

Pleasant Hill Elementary School Principal