The Tiger Times Newsletter
Pleasantdale Middle School
May 3, 2020
LIVE Virtual Pep Assembly Via YouTube This Thursday, 5/7 beginning at 6 p.m.
SAVE THE DATE - THIS THURSDAY 5/7 - 6:00 PM
Link to watch Live: https://youtu.be/3V3V9IgeiJU
PLEASANTDALE’S FIRST EVER, GROUNDBREAKING, VIRTUAL PEP ASSEMBLY!!! We’ll be honoring our PAWS winners, Battle of the Books, Million Words, Retirees, Girls Volleyball Teams, The Musical, Hidden Talents, and much, much more!! We’ll be sending out more information through the morning announcements and Schoology so keep watching for updates. We want to see your hidden talents, so don't forget to share them on flipgrid!
Hidden Talents Flipgrid: https://flipgrid.com/pdale2020
Teacher Appreciation Slides Wanted From Students
Teacher Appreciation Slides
The Student Council is partnering with the PTO for a teacher appreciation week activity. We are asking for all students to contribute by sharing a message for the teachers that will be shared with them during teacher appreciation week. Please make your slide a general thank you to all Pleasantdale teachers rather than specifically naming teachers. All you need to do is create a google slide and share it with Mrs. Driscoll at jdriscoll@d107.org or add your slide directly to the Teacher Appreciation Google Slideshow. Slides need to be shared by Wednesday, May 6th!Shout Out to Retiring Teachers
Please remember to record one video for each person. This way, each montage can be unique. Please spread the word!
5.3.20 Thoughts from Mr. Sonntag
Dear Middle School Community,
I hope you had a wonderful week and continue to stay focused on what we do have during these trying times instead of what we don't have. We have so much and it always makes me feel better about my situation when I help out others. Whether it is a family member, friend, neighbor, or a stranger, helping others and showing kindness always makes me feel better.
Teacher Appreciation Week
It's Teacher Appreciation Week and I can't tell you enough how humbled and proud I am to lead our staff. They are some of the most dedicated, hard-working, self-sacrificing, and caring educators I have ever met. I know we all appreciated them prior to eLearning, but if you're like me, I have a newfound level of respect and appreciation for the work they do with your children each and every day.
Thank you to the PTO for asking your kids to make a google slide for the teachers (see the blurb above and please have your child do this). I think it would also mean an awful lot to the staff if you would pick out a staff member or two and send them a note thanking them for their efforts. It means even more when you can personalize the thank you and share a specific reason or example about why you're taking the time to send this message. The staff members' email addresses can be found here.
Virtual Pep Assembly This Thursday, May 7, 6 p.m.
Hopefully, you saw this above as well, but please watch our LIVE Virtual Pep Assembly hosted and run by our Student Council. It is this Thursday, May 7 beginning at 6 p.m. It's going to be fun, interactive, and a great way to still recognize our AMAZING students! We hope this will be THE family event in your home!
Here's the Link to watch Live on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3V3V9IgeiJU
Graduation Information
We plan to send more information tomorrow regarding graduation for our 8th Graders. As you may have seen in Dr. Palzet's graduation email last week, we are planning to send our 8th graders off in style by having a Drive-In Graduation ceremony on Friday, May 22 at 8:30 p.m. To say that I'm excited for this would be an understatement. Many of our students have spent their entire educational career in our district and I'm so glad we're going to have a graduation ceremony for them.
Please also continue to read Dr. Palzet's updates each day as he is going to continue sharing with you important information about our eLearning programming and the district as a whole. His voice continues to be our one voice for the district so that everyone is receiving the same message at the same time. We will follow his messages with middle school-specific messages as needed.
Remember, we are all in this together. Together we are #P-DaleStrong.
Take care of yourselves, continue to stay home, and be well.
Mr. Sonntag
If you are in need of support, please reach out to us...
If you have needs (food, groceries, connection, anything), please do not hesitate to reach out to me at gsonntag@d107.org or 630-280-4704 and we will confidentially connect you to the support you're requesting.
Thank you to those of you who have contacted me and offered to help those in our community.
If you forgot to do the attendance form for your child on Friday...
As you probably read (a few times in the past couple of weeks), our attendance procedures changed a few weeks ago. Parents need to fill out a short google form for each child (preK-8) indicating whether they were present or absent for eLearning throughout the week (April 27-May 1). If you completed this, thank you! If you didn't, please click on the link below and do so right away. We appreciate your continued support with our eLearning program.
Grade Level Assignments + Friday's Enrichment Activities for eLearning All In One Place
Here's a new, optional document that might help keep some students (and parents) organized:
PMS eLearning Organizer Document. Thank you to Mrs. Deaton for sharing this idea with us!
We started sharing these documents with students this week and wanted to share them with you. These grade-level docs will be the jumping-off point for eLearning by grade level. Please bookmark these webpages because we will be updating the document each day/week.
You may not have access to some of the links contained inside the docs, but you'll be able to access them with your child(ren).
Friday's Enrichment/Choice Documents
5th Grade Enrichment/Choice Doc
6th Grade Enrichment/Choice Doc
7th Grade Enrichment/Choice Doc
8th Grade Enrichment/Choice Doc
Check them out, and let me know what you think about them via email (gsonntag@d107.org).
Principal's Environmental Action Team (PEAT)-Second "Meeting" Thursday, May 7 @ 3 p.m. via Zoom
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
This team is for students and staff only, but if you're a parent who wants to support our efforts, please email me at gsonntag@d107.org and we will utilize your support.
We're going to meeting again this coming Thursday at 3 p.m. via Zoom. The Zoom meeting link is: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79308432071?pwd=bm9PRk0vaUZWbmx2NnpIc3p5RHUydz09 Password: 1SW9NR
All are welcome!
Student Council Information from Mrs. Driscoll and Ms. Newberry
Student Council Wednesday Meeting
Join us for Student Council on Wednesdays at 3pm.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/809276501?pwd=TVlXbjU0b2JJaXZDMW5rUG9LeXFsQT09
Meeting ID: 809 276 501
Password: 010726
Mrs. Driscoll & Mrs. Newberry
New Items Needed--Please Consider Donating!
New Friday Yoga for 5/8 from Mrs. Driscoll
Friday Yoga
Take a yoga break this week and try this class called Yoga For Teens: Energizing Flow Yoga Class and enjoy this energizing start to the day!
Mrs. Driscoll
Morning Announcements Keep Getting Better!
Each day, check out the morning announcements including information, birthdays, quote of the day, service idea from home, a request to respond, and much, much more! We send these out through Schoology each morning and will begin posting to social media as well! We hope the kids enjoy just a little bit of normalcy to their days in the form of our morning announcements.
Thanks to everyone who is participating! They are so fun!
Please Vote To Support Pleasantdale Students!
If you have Facebook, please go to https://www.facebook.com/CSWEAVIDEOCHALLENGE/?redirect=false and scroll through the videos (there are only about 15 total) and "like" any that you like. The student with the most likes (on the original video) will win $500! By my count, I believe there are 4 Pleasantdale Middle School students who submitted videos! Great job, kids! Let's help them win!
All "likes" (votes) have to occur by midnight of Friday, May 15!
Future Events/Activities Update
District Communications All In One Place
To make it as easy as possible for you, the communications from our Superintendent Dr. Palzet are all in one place. They can be found on our district webpage here.
Continued Appreciation for P-Dale Middle School Staff
Photography Club Sponsored by Mr. Madsen
Please check out his video about how to be a part of the Photo Club and check Schoology for the submission form.
During these times, we need to remember that sadness and acting out for some kids may take many forms. Please be extra patient and show extra love during these difficult times.
Quote of the Week-
"We are positive, not because life is easy. We are positive because life can be hard. It's not Pollyanna. It's trusting, overcoming obstacles and finding a way forward. The best is yet to come." - Jon Gordon
Good News Network
Parent Education Corner
As a follow up to this blogpost on resiliency by my very talented wife, Dr. Jessica Sonntag, the third episode of their podcast dropped this week and it is all about how to build Confidence in our children. It's another great listen for parents with kids at all ages.
I hope you'll take a look at this and it will help you as we parent through these different and challenging times. Enjoy!
Episode #1 Royal-ly Resilient Video Podcast: Episode 1-24:36
This provides an overview of the book and allows you to get to know the presenters.
Episode #2 Royal-ly Resilient Video Podcast: Episode 2-24:26
Episode #2 focuses on developing competency in our kids and how as parents sometimes, we just need to "get out of the way" and allow children to "do".
Episode #3 Royal-ly Resilient Video Podcast: Episode 3-33:49
Episode #3 Join us as we discuss the importance of confidence and how we build it through our own experiences versus false affirmation.
New Episode #4 Royal-ly Resilient Video Podcast: Episode 4-33:39
This week we talk about the 3rd "C" in building resilience, "connection". Discussion about independence, interdependence, blurring, and how to continue to get out the way while maintaining emotionally connected to our kids and each other. Join us for Live discussion Tuesday, April 28 at 3:00 pm. (meet.google.com/ipw-ouxn-ftw)
New Episode #5 Royal-ly Resilient Video Podcast: Episode 5-37:06
The HBR429 Student Services Department continues it's series in building resiliency. This week the discussion focuses on "Character" as the 4th C of resilience. Character is taught by modeling your actions...
Join them live on Tuesday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss Character (you don't have to read the book to join the chat!) Join with Google Meet meet.google.com/pam-uyrd-zmh
Brené Brown's Podcast Continues...
Here's another great listen--everyone has felt lonely. Everyone has been more connected and less connected. You are not alone.
"Dr. Vivek Murthy and Brené on loneliness and connection” -57:44
Have you ever struggled with feeling lonely – even when you’re surrounded by people you love? I have. It’s painful and confusing. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Vivek Murthy, a physician and the 19th Surgeon General of the United States, about loneliness and the physical and emotional toll that social disconnection takes on us. We talk about his new book, TOGETHER, and what it takes for each of us to tilt the world toward love and connection..--Brené Brown
Summer Academy Update
Due to the on-going stay-at-home order and in-person school closure for the remainder of the school year, we are currently developing options for our summer academy programming. More information will be coming to you in the future.
Collections at the Middle School-Keep Collecting, Please
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-Grab and Go Meal Available During Closure
"Beginning March 17, we will offer meals to any child in the community,18 or under, who needs nutritional support. In partnership with our food service provider, Just A Dash, we will provide breakfast and lunch at no charge. Pick up times are between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. This week we will provide lunches on Tuesday (today), Wednesday, and Friday. Moving forward, these “Grab & Go” meals will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays through April 6 (and during spring break). To encourage social distancing, we will provide curbside service. Simply pull up to door #25 in the back of the middle school (7450 S. Wolf Rd., Burr Ridge), and food will be brought to your vehicle."
Review complete email from Dr. Palzet about Grab and Go Meals During School Closure
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, May 4-Day A, Math, Science, Specials, PE
Tuesday, May 5-Day B, ELA, SS, Spanish, Resource, PE
Wednesday, May 6-Day A, Math, Science, Specials, PE, 3 p.m. Student Council Meeting
Thursday, May 7-Day B, ELA, SS, Spanish, Resource, PE, 6 p.m. Virtual Pep Assembly!
Friday, May 8-Enrichment/Catch-up Friday-check grade level assignment docs/enrichment docs
(Parents submit attendance through morning email from Dr. Palzet)
Remember, parents, Friday you will submit attendance for the week (4/27-5/1). Look for Dr. Palzet's email around 8:00 a.m.
Next Week...
eLearning M-F for students (same schedule as above)
Wednesday, May 13, 3 p.m.-Weekly Student Council Meeting
Parents will submit attendance on 5/15 for 5/11-5/15.
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