The Tiger Times Newsletter
Pleasantdale Middle School
March 15, 2020
Thoughts from Mr. Sonntag
These are unprecedented times we are living in and I just wanted to take a moment to tell you that we are all in this together. Together, we are stronger than we are as individuals. Together, we can lean on each other during times of need and be there for others during times of prosperity. Together, we will get through this and make the very best of a difficult situation.
First, please continue to read the emails that Dr. Palzet sends out to you. This is of the utmost importance during this time (his 3.13.20 letter is below). As a district, it is important that we have one voice leading our message and this voice is our Superintendent, in consultation with our local school board. Please know that I am very proud of our teachers who are working so hard to prepare learning opportunities that are thoughtful and robust for your children. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Next, breathe. Seriously. Take a deep breath or 21. Although there is a lot that is unknown, it will all work out in the end. Take this opportunity to create lasting memories with your kids.
As many of you know, we have four children in our house at ages 16, 14, 12, and 11. To say that I live and breathe middle school is very accurate at this point as we have a sophomore, 8th grader, 7th grader, and 5th grader. They keep me informed of the latest trends and also provide me unique insight into the different thinking of this age group.
Here are a few things I've learned in my conversations with my own kids and with our P-Dale students at school on Friday.
1. The kids are thinking about themselves (per usual) and believe these days not in school are like snow days where they should get together with their friends and play. They definitely do not understand what all the fuss is about with the Covid-19 virus.
Regardless of viewpoint on all that is happening in the world, the organizations that exist to monitor the health of the world have declared this a pandemic. When I hear the word pandemic, I immediately think of movies and dystopian novels in which much of the human population is wiped out in a very short period of time. The medical professionals do not believe this pandemic will be that, however, if not contained, many people could lose their lives, especially those who are older or who have other medical complications. The vast majority of people who become infected may not even know it or may have flu-like symptoms. The impact is felt when these people come in contact with someone who's body isn't able to fight off this virus and becomes sick. This sickness could be catastrophic.
As many of you have, I have been inundated with information about all of this. As a filter for you, I have found that this article (especially the 4 simulations enclosed within it), is an easy to understand and concrete way for people to understand why we should not put ourselves in situations with other people for a while. If a large number of us would simply limit their person to person contact with others and connect with others virtually, the impact would be great. Please see these simulations here: Simulations of the spread of any virus
2. The kids don't really understand how the virus can impact them.
I believe since relatively few kids are contracting the symptoms of the virus and this isn't being highlighted, the kids don't really understand how the virus can impact them. This isn't chickenpox where you can visibly see when a person has it. The kids need to know that they can get sick from this but that they can also be a carrier and others around them can get sick if they don't wash their hands, use sanitizer, stay home and connect with people online, and keep a proper distance when they are out with others.
3. The kids don't know how to express their feelings regarding all of this.
I believe many of the kids don't really know how to express their feelings about all of this. They see parents buzzing a little bit more as we scramble to plan for the kids to be home and not in school for the next few weeks. Kids not knowing how to share is ok and typical because I think many adults don't really know either. It is important for you to spend time with your children off devices and just be with them. They need you in these times to just be there with them. When it is natural, ask them how they are doing, what questions they have, and what they are wondering about. Learn with them and explain your thinking as you do. This modeling is an important step in every child's growth and development.
Because of all that is happening, Friday, Nurse Rende and I talked with the kids at lunch and allowed them to ask questions of us. The kids were very engaged and had a lot of great questions. Many of the questions centered around if school was going to be canceled, eLearning, would they get sick if they got the virus, etc. We could tell though that they have more. Please talk with your child about all that is going on and keep those lines of communication open with them through all of this.
Look for more specific information tomorrow via email from Dr. Palzet. As always, please email any questions you might have. We're here for you and we're here for your kids.
Griffin L. Sonntag
Proud Principal of Pleasantdale Middle School
Letter from our Superintendent from Friday, March 13, 12:50 p.m.
In case you did not receive this message or for your ease of finding it, please see the letter below from our superintendent, Dr. Dave Palzet from Friday, March 13 at 12:50 p.m.
Dear Families,
To safeguard the health and wellness of students, staff, and the community we have decided to close Pleasantdale District 107 schools to students beginning Monday, March 16, with a projected return of Tuesday, April 7 (this reflects a one week period following spring break and anticipated travel from our community). This is a dynamic situation and the return to school date may change. The Lyons Township superintendents have collaborated on our closure plans and are aligned with one another.
There is a great deal of information to share with families and I have done my best to organize the information in an easy to read format. Please read all information and contact me with any questions you may have. Please know, at this point, we are not aware of any confirmed cases of coronavirus in our schools.
eLearning: As mentioned above, students will not report to school beginning Monday, March 16 and we will deploy eLearning for all students beginning Tuesday, March 17. The Board of Education approved our eLearning plan in September and our teachers have been preparing lessons that can be completed at home. Please review our eLearning FAQ for more information about our plan. Teachers will communicate with students and parents through our learning management systems (Schoology and See Saw) and through Google Drive and email. We will observe spring break Monday, March 23 through Friday, March 27 and will resume eLearning on Monday, March 30 through Monday, April 6 (projected return to school Tuesday, April 7). If your family does not have access to reliable in-home wifi, I encourage you to reach out to me and the district will provide your child with access. Likewise, if you need access to a mobile device the district can help, just let us know.
Access to Buildings: As an additional precaution, and following the example of other institutions, we are implementing procedures to limit access to our buildings. We are canceling all before- and after-school activities from March 16th through April 6. Beginning Monday, March 16, families are discouraged from visiting the schools until students return. However, the buildings will be open Monday, March 16 for parents to pick up their children’s medications and other necessary items. All building administration and school nurses will be on hand.
Spring Break Travel: We need your help to continue to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. We understand that Spring Break is a time when many of our families travel and we seek to enhance our reporting capabilities as the situation continues to evolve. We ask that if you are traveling over the break you complete this voluntary TRAVEL FORM. Additionally, we ask you to complete this form if family, friends, roommates and/or other individuals with whom students share a household will visit over the break.
Impact of the Closure: We understand that this closure will cause a meaningful disruption in the lives of our students, staff, and families. Please know that the extended closure will not impact students’ graduation or promotion status. Similar to classroom learning, students who participate in eLearning and complete their assignments will receive full attendance and grade credit.
Status of Potential Exposure: In an email to the community on March 11, I shared that the son of an employee had fallen ill after spending time in Seattle. I have since learned that the individual has been tested for coronavirus. However, we have not received the results of the test. As an additional precaution, the elementary school will undergo deep cleaning this weekend.
Please know that there is no playbook for how to handle a global pandemic and we are doing our best to make decisions that are in the best interest of our students and staff in a very fluid and fast-moving situation. We will continue to be in contact with the Illinois and Cook County Departments of Public Health, as well as our partner school districts and our local villages as we continue to make the best decisions possible.
Respectfully,
Dr. Dave Palzet
Superintendent | District 107
HUGE SHOUT OUT TO MR. REID FOR HIS 34 YEARS OF COACHING VOLLEYBALL HERE AT PLEASANTDALE!
Thank you also to Mr. Dreher, our athletic director, for organizing and recognizing Mr. Reid at the volleyball match last week.
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-I love this!
LT Sender School Battle of the Books Finals Recap!
Thank you to Mrs. Steinmetz for all of her work making this happen for our kids! Thank you also to our teacher coaches for supporting and fostering our students' love of reading!
March Is Order Your Yearbook Month! Order Online 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 31at 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.
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.
Parent Education Corner
From the 181 Foundation in Hinsdale-Open to all parents
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
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
The lunch menus have been upgraded significantly to show both nutritional information and allergens for the food served by Just a Dash, our third-party partner to provide hot lunch to our school. Here's the link to the menu:
March Lunch Menu, Nutritional Information, and Allergens
To put money on your child's account, please log into Skyward and add money. For more complete directions or apply for free or reduced lunches, please visit here.
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...
Monday, March 16-No School-No eLearning
Tuesday-Friday, March 17-20-eLearning-Please check Schoology for assignments
Next Week...and beyond...
March 23-March 27-Spring Break-No School-No eLearning
eLearning will resume Monday, March 30 and continue through Monday, April 6.
The tentative return to school date is Tuesday, April 7.
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