The Tiger Times Newsletter
Pleasantdale Middle School
February 9, 2020
Half-Day Friday!
Throughout our time together, we will have learning activities focused on the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) needs of our students. These activities will focus on the following:
Managing our emotions
Coping with stress
Service towards others
Teamwork
Healthy movement breaks
Each of these supports the students learning more about themselves and how they interact with others. This helps their growth and development into well-rounded, kind, thoughtful, and productive young men and women.l
No School Monday, February 17-Presidents' Day
Save the Date-February 21, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Challenges for Charity Sponsored by the Student Council, Middle School Students Only
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You For Completing the 5Essentials Parent Survey
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be conducted January through February 14. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/login/ and complete the information to begin.
Cultural Night Was A Huge Success!
Thank you to the PTO for organizing this worthwhile time for our families and specific thanks to Anne Urban, Bobbie Sengupta, and Supreeta Kapoor! Below are some photos from the night!
Rubik's Cube Club is Here!
8th Graders to Take the Illinois Youth Survey (IYS)
Dear 8th Grade Parents,
Pleasantdale Middle School is joining with other sender schools and Lyons Township High School (sophomores and seniors) to give the Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) to our 8th graders this year. The IYS is a self-report survey administered in school settings and is designed to gather information about a variety of health and social indicators including substance use patterns and attitudes of Illinois youth. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) has funded the administration of the IYS biennially since 1993.
More information, including the actual survey questions, can be found by visiting this page and reviewing the attached document.
Please be aware that under the Protection of Pupil Rights Act. 20 U.S.C. Section 1232(c) (1) (A), you have the right to review a copy of the questions asked of your student(s). If you do not want your child to participate, please send an email to me (gsonntag@d107.org) or fill out the attached form and return it to me by Tuesday, February 11, 2020.
If you have any questions, please contact me as well. Thank you!
Sports and Games Club is Back!
Here are the games and sports by day of the week for the month of February! All grades are welcome! 3:30-4:25 p.m.
Mondays-Board Games-Library
Tuesdays-Saturn Ball-South gym
Thursdays-Soccer-South Gym
Parent Education Corner
For this week's article, Phyllis Fagell gives very practical advice for "How Parents Can Address the Spike in Tween Depression." This spike is real and there is much conversation about the reasons for it. A lack of sleep, time on devices, brain stimuli from lights of devices, social media and the constant comparisons to others, a lack of coping strategies, are all possible contributors.
Ms. Fagell breaks this short article down into four sections with the headings below:
Gather Clues
Normalize Asking for Help
Arms Tweens with Coping Strategies
Take Even Small, Seemingly Silly Concerns Seriously
Read the full article here.
Upcoming Parent Presentations
Parent Presentations at LTHS
February 25: 7:30 p.m. "Drugs, Alcohol, and the Teen Brain" Presented by Tammy Tunac (MA, LPC, CADC Behavioral Health Clinician), LT South Campus. See the flyer below.
March 10 (Gurrie) or March 12 (Pleasantdale Middle), 7:00-8:30 p.m.
#RealTalk Parent Cafe with your teen or preteen sponsored by the Coalition for a Drug-Free LT! (see the flyer below) Please consider coming to this facilitated conversation for you and your child prior to high school! It's going to be a great event. RSVP to Cindy at ckfrymark@me.com. See the flyer below.
Nazareth Academy Parent Offerings
Click here to see Nazareth Academy's Parent Speaker Series this year!
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:
February 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, February 10
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Orchestra, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Boys' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
5th Grade Band, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Rubik’s Cube Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Open Library 3:30-4:25 p.m. in the library
Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Rubik’s Cube Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Girls’ Volleyball Away @ Heritage, 4:15 p.m.
Tuesday, February 11
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Band, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
7th, 8th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
5th Grade Orchestra, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25, Library
Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., South Gym
STEM Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., STEM Lab
Girls’ Volleyball Away @ Highlands, 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday, February 12
ACT practice, 7:30 a.m., Room 15
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Orchestra, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
5th, 6th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Student Council Meeting, 7:30 a.m., Room 25
Thursday, February 13-8th Grade LT Course Registration and Graduation Pictures
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
Boys' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Student Council Meeting**, 7:30 a.m., Room 25
**Thursday meetings are meant for the students that cannot come on Wednesdays
5th Grade Band, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Gaming Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., South Gym
Girls' Volleyball away @ Park Blue, 4:15 p.m.
Friday, February 14-Noon Dismissal
Jazz Band, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
5th, 6th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
7th, 8th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Yoga, 7:35 a.m., small gym (mats are provided)
Fortnightly, 6:00-9:00 p.m., North gym, enter door 2
A Look Ahead...
Monday, February 17-Presidents’ Day-No School
Tuesday, February 18
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Band, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
7th, 8th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
5th Grade Orchestra, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25, Library
Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., South Gym
Rubik’s Cube Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Wednesday, February 19
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
6-8th Grade Orchestra, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
5th, 6th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Student Council Meeting, 7:30 a.m., Room 25
Thursday, February 20
Open Art, 7:30 a.m., Mrs. Washburn’s room (Room 3)
Boys' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Student Council Meeting**, 7:30 a.m., Room 25
**Thursday meetings are meant for the students that cannot come on Wednesdays
5th Grade Band, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Band/Orchestra Room
Open Library 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Gaming Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., Library
Sports and Games Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., South Gym
STEM Club, 3:30-4:25 p.m., STEM Lab
Girls’ Volleyball away @ Washington, 4:15 p.m.
Friday, February 21
Jazz Band, 7:30 a.m., Band/Orchestra Room
5th, 6th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
7th, 8th Grade Girls' Choir, 7:30 a.m., Music Room
Yoga, 7:35 a.m., small gym (mats are provided)
Challenges for Charity sponsored by Student Council, 6-8 p.m., Cafeteria
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