The Panther Post

Dear PH Staff, Students, & Families~

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. It is always great to be able to gather with family and friends and celebrate the blessings we all have.

As I reflect on 2024, I recognize that we have all probably traveled to some peaks and through some valleys throughout our journey this year. As we reminisce on that journey, let us see how traveling through those valleys, or challenging times, have built strength and resolve for us to continue on. As we reached those peaks along our journey, we can see all the successes and happiness we have had throughout the past year. May all of the peaks and valleys prepare us for a new year in which we can grow stronger as individuals and a school community.

In 2025, I look forward to continuing our educational partnership together. One of the priorities here at Pleasant Hill for the new year continues to be the social emotional health of our staff, students, families, and community members. We have worked diligently in the past year to integrate new programs within the school community to build students social emotional skills and assist them in making gains in the classroom. For example, we hired a Student Success Coach and a Behavior Coordinator who work with targeted individual students on personal goals, self-regulation strategies, as well as assist classroom teachers in providing strategies for improving SEL skills. We have also continued our partnership with Angie Swearingian to teach WEEKLY mindfulness activities to the classrooms school-wide. We will host 2 parent education classes this spring, which will provide families with resources they can utilize in the home setting. All of these new resources will help our students and families be successful.

In this new year, we will also focus a great deal on creating a unique school improvement plan. The Leadership Team will have the opportunity to reflect on The Illinois Quality Framework, which is a document that includes standards, indicators, and guiding questions for diverse stakeholder groups to use in open, honest, inquiry-based conversation. These conversations will then set the stage for the team to complete the Illinois Quality Framework Supporting Rubric. Please see the attached document for more information about the Illinois Quality Framework.

Happy New Year to all of you! May this year bring you all joy and love.

Yours In Education,

Dr. Lisa Weaver

Superintendent

LAST CALL! Are you interested in sharing more about how we are doing at P. Hill? Interested in volunteering or being involved in one of our school committees? Please share HERE!

Understanding Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI): What It Is, How to Spot It, and How to Help

Date & Time: Jan 14, 2025 11:00 AM in Central Time (US and Canada)

Description: *Content warning* Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) involves hurting oneself to manage strong emotions like pain, anger, sadness, or stress. This behavior can signal emotional distress and increased suicide risk, making it crucial for caregivers, school staff, and providers to understand and support those affected. Join Cartwheel and Dr. Taylor Burke for a webinar to learn about some common reasons youth may engage in NSSI, warning signs, and effective ways to support youth towards healthier coping strategies.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION

Are you interested in serving as a member of the Pleasant Hill School Board? We will have four vacancies for the upcoming April 1, 2025 election. Currently, only 2 candidates have expressed interest in serving on the Board and have submitted their paperwork to the Election Commission. At this time, the only other option for becoming a school board member is to proceed as a write-in candidate. Please see the information below on how to become a write-in candidate. We are still looking for 2 more community members who are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children and vested in education.

School Board Member Qualifications:

To qualify for school board membership, an individual must be, as of the date of election:

• A United States citizen;

• A resident of the state of Illinois and of the school district for at least one-year preceding election;

• At least 18 years of age;

• A registered voter; and

• Not a school trustee.

Write-In Candidate Procedures:

A write-in candidate must file a notarized “Declaration of Intent to be a Write-In Candidate” no later than 61 days prior to the election. The declaration must be filed with the proper election authority or authorities in those jurisdictions in which the candidate is seeking to be a write-in candidate. Declaration of Intent forms are not to be filed with the State Board of Elections. (10 ILCS 5/7-59(b), 17-16.1, 18-9.1)

The “Declaration of Intent to be a Write-In Candidate” form can be obtained from the election authority’s office. (10 ILCS 5/17-16.1, 18-9.1) Note: Whenever an objection to a candidate’s nominating papers for any office are sustained after the 61st day before the election, the candidate may file a notarized Declaration of Intent to be a Write-In Candidate form for that office with the proper election authority or authorities no later than seven days prior to the election. (10 ILCS 5/7-59(b), 17-16.1, 18-9.1)

Limitations: Most school board elections are at-large bids, but in some districts, residency within specified sub-districts may limit who is eligible to run for a specific school board seat. Check with your local school district for information about these limitations. Certain offices cannot be held simultaneously when the duties of either office create a conflict of interest. Federal law also prohibits postal employees from running in partisan elections. A school board member cannot be employed by the district (employment contracts worth more than $1,000) or have any interest directly or indirectly in any contract, work, or business of the school district or in the sale of any article to the school district. A school board member cannot be a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code, or convicted of an “infamous crime.”

Serenity Ropp-3rd Grade

Bayley Starr-6th Grade

Pleasant Hill continues to utilize the Character Counts framework within the school to build a positive climate and instill the six character traits. Each month, the students focus on learning more about one of the six character traits. During the month of January, we are learning all about FAIRNESS! Be sure to ask you child to share with you what it means to be fair and give some of examples of how they exhibit fairness at Pleasant Hill!

ALL girls at Pleasant Hill will have the opportunity to participate in the Lady Panthers United lunch groups, beginning Weds 1/8/2025. These will be led in grade-level groups by Girl Scouts' leader Dawndra Cameron. Each session will include a social-emotional focus as well as crafted items for students to bring home.

**This program is 100% FREE to our girls this year, and there is an ongoing opportunity for each to continue with the Girl Scouts locally after. Please send back the permission slip to your child's teacher to continue with programming from GSA (sent home in December -- see Mrs. Dimmitt in the Main Office for additional copies!)

We would like to thank our Principal's Advisory Crew for all their hard work this year! We look forward to continuing our work ahead!

So far, they have been able to contribute to the following projects:

• Pleasant Hill student-based Values Art
• Glows & Grows @ P. Hill
• No-Tardy November
• December Deck the Halls Scavenger Hunt
• January Academic Growth Challenge
• February Share the Love Competition & School Spirit Assembly

Staff and students had SO much fun during the month of December with a holiday dress up spirit week, a visit from Santa, and Deck the Halls Family Fun Night!!

Pleasant Hill Panthers did a great job in collecting items for the canned food drive to support the Limestone Area families in need. We are so very proud of your generosity during this holiday season. Thank you so much.

The class with the most items collected, with over 25 items total, was Ms. Douglas' Kindergarten class. They earned themselves a party of their choice to celebrate.

Happy New Year Pleasant Hill families! Here are a few reminders:

~Get your Flu shot and get your children their flu shots! Flu season is here!

~If you got a notice that medical records or a dental exam is needed for your student, please make those appointments and get them taken care of as soon as possible.

~If your child is in need of clothing or hygiene supplies, please let me know. We now have a store called the Panther Den for those in need! :)

As always, please contact me for any of your needs or your student's needs. I am here to help!

Mrs. K Naugle, BSN, RN, NCSN

School Nurse

Please remember that our policy states that all students must be kept home if they have FLU, COVID symptoms, or a fever of 100.4 or higher. Please do not give your child fever reducing medication and send them to school. They are generally miserable, unable to learn, and spreading illness to others. If you are unsure if you should keep them home, please call me :) Thank you so much for your help in our efforts to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible.

🧥 Just a reminder that students will have outdoor recess if the real feel temperature is 20 degrees or above. Please be sure to send your children to school dressed appropriately to go outdoors for recess, which would include coats, hats, scarves and gloves or mittens. We encourage all students to get outdoors to enjoy ten minutes of fresh air during recess. Students will only be allowed to stay indoors for recess if they have a doctor's note for a medical condition.

⛄School emergency closings could happen at any time of the year. Please be sure you have plans (with a family member, neighbor, or child care provider) on what is expected should an emergency closing occur at Pleasant Hill School. School procedures call for an emergency school closing announcement to be given over local radio and television media. When listed, please look for Pleasant Hill School District #69 or Pleasant Hill Elementary School in determining if school will be closed. Information on school closings will also be sent to families via our automated phone messaging service, email, and text, as well as be posted on the school website and social media pages. If Pleasant Hill is closed due to weather, students will still engage in e-learning activities and the day will be counted as a day of student attendance. Therefore, students will need to check in on Teacherease and engage in online learning activities. Please click here for the Pleasant Hill E-Learning Plan.

📱If you have had a phone number, address, or email change, please call or stop in the office to update that information. This is very important in case we need to make calls to families using our automated system. If your information is not updated in our Teacherease system, you will not receive phone calls, text messages, or emails.

🏀A friendly reminder that all Pre-K through 8th grade students who attend Pleasant Hill home basketball games must be accompanied by a parent and supervised by that parent throughout the game (sitting with the parent). We love having spectators to cheer on our Panthers, but it becomes a safety issue when students are not supervised. Thank you for your understanding! GO PANTHERS!

• January 1-5-No School-Winter Break-Happy Birthday Josiah (PK), Kevin (3), Finley (PK)
• January 6-No School-Teacher In-Service
• January 7-Students Return to School-Boys Basketball Practice 2:45-4:30
• January 8-Boys Basketball Practice 1:30-3:30
• January 9-Boys Basketball Game @ Hollis 5:00
• January 10-Last Day of Quarter 2
• January 12-Happy Birthday Masyn (6th)
• January 13-Start of Quarter 3-Vision & Hearing Screenings-Boys Basketball Practice 2:45-4:30
• January 14-Boys Basketball Game @ Oak Grove 5:00-Happy Birthday Tony (6th)
• January 15-Boys Basketball Practice 1:30-3:30-Happy Birthday Amari (3rd)
• January 16-Boys Basketball Game @ PH VS. St. Thomas 5:00 (Pack the Place & 8th Grade Night)-Happy Birthday Thomas (5th)
• January 17- Early Dismissal at 11:30 for Staff School Improvement Activities
• January 18-Happy Birthday Braxton (6th)
• January 19-Happy Birthday Ms. Turney & Ms. Amber Warner
• January 20- No School-Martin Luther King Jr. Day-Happy Birthday Rodrigo (K) & John (6th)
• January 21-Boys Basketball Game @ PH VS. Limestone Walters 5:00-Beating the Winter Blues (Behavior Management & Anxiety) Parent Education Class 5:00-Board of Education Meeting 6:00-Happy Birthday Jimiyah (8th)
• January 22-Happy Birthday Mallavi (PK) Kalin (2nd)
• January 23-Boys Basketball Game @ Morton Blessed Sacrament 5:30
• January 27-Boys Basketball Practice 2:45-4:30
• January 28-All School Assembly (Delta Dental) 1:00-Happy Birthday Jensen (K)
• January 29 - **8th Graders** Preview Night at Limestone High School (Bartonville)
• January 31-Happy Birthday Ja'Niya (2nd)

Email: lweaver@phill69.com
Website: www.phill69.com
Location: Pleasant Hill Elementary School, West Malone Street, Peoria, IL, United States
Phone: 309.637.6829
Facebook: facebook.com/PleasantHillElementarySchool
Twitter: @PHillPanthers