Pirate's Cove
Weekly Newsletter - November 3 - November 16
Native American Heritage Month
Friday, November 27th is Native American Heritage Day.
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Principal's Message
Pirate parents,
Here are some upcoming dates to be aware of:
11/11 - Veteran's Day
11/12 - 1PM Dismissal for Parent Teacher Conferences
11/13 - No School Parent Teacher Conferences
11/14 - Diwali, Festival of Lights
11/26 - Thanksgiving
11/27 - Native American Heritage Day
No we are well into our second quarter of school. As a reminder to all families, grades and attendance are being taken and reported to the State, just like it would take place if we were in-person. I highly encourage parents to sit down with their child and go through the grades in TylerSIS. If you have questions about the grades in TylerSIS, reach out to the individual teachers of the classes that you have questions about. Grades, attendance, and in-class engagement are all pieces in the puzzle of student success. If one of these pieces is missing, it can cause a student to struggle in classes and can reflect in the overall grades. If your child is struggling in one or more classes, please reach out to the team of teachers, a counselor, or one of the administrators. There are different strategies and ideas that we can work together to find solutions that could work for your child.
Our student support time is from 2:10-3:00 every day but Wednesday. Teachers are available at this time to help answer any questions that students have regarding their work, or can practice skills that they learned in Go Live sessions. Some teachers are forming small groups for assistance as well. If you feel that your student needs assistance, please reach out to your child's teachers. I also highly encourage our students to practice self-advocacy and ask for help by emailing their teachers any questions. Teachers will respond to questions within 24 hours time. Being familiar with the supports available to your child will help them improve grades.
Finally, all physical exam documents needed to be on file with our school nurse by 10/15. If you have questions about paperwork, or received notice and need to submit documents to our nurse, please call Mr. Jenkins at 630-551-9402. Any paperwork can be dropped off in our main office during office hours.
Teachers will start reaching out to individual families to set up parent teacher conferences. Links were also shared out from the school to sign up for Parent Teacher Conferences through PTC Fast. These conferences will all be held remotely. These will be set up using a Google Hangout meet link, similar to a Live Meet session. If you are requesting a meeting with a teacher or group, please reach out to those teachers to notify them of the request.
If you have questions, please reach out to the Plank Main office at 630-551-9400. Please know that we are still working on the specifics for our return plans, and these plans are subject to change. The most up to date information can be found at the SD 308 website.
The staff at Plank Junior High is committed to serving the students and parents of the surrounding community. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, and we can work together to find solutions. I can be reached at 630-551-9400 and thaymond@sd308.org. We look forward to partnering with you and your child throughout the year.
Pirates Persevere!
Always in partnership,
Tyler Haymond
Principal
Plank Junior High School
Veteran's Day 11/11
Parent Teacher Conferences
Diwali
Diwali: Festival of Lights, is one of the most significant holidays in Hinduism. Diwali is celebrated around the world by Indians of the Hindu, Sikh , Jain and Buddhist religions. Diwali takes place annually and lasts for five days, marking the start of the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change each year and are determined by the position of the moon – but it usually falls between October and November. This year, Diwali is celebrated on November fourteenth. The word Diwali (or Deepavali as it’s sometimes called) means “row of lights” in an Ancient language of India, called Sanskrit. The row of lights that Indians light outside their homes symbolize the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. Hindus interpret the Diwali story based upon where they live. But the common theme no matter where people celebrate is the victor of good triumphing over evil.
Diwali is celebrated over a five day period. Day one, people clean their homes and shop for gold or kitchen utensils to help bring good fortune into their homes. Day two, people decorate their homes with clay lamps and create beautiful patterns made using colourful powders and flowers called Rangoli on the floor by the entrance of their homes to welcome the gods and bring good luck!. Day three, the main day of the festival is when families gather together for Lakshmi Puja, a prayer to Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of fortune), followed by mouth watering feasts and fireworks to welcome prosperity. Day four is the first day of the new year, when friends and family visit with gifts and best wishes for the season. The final day, brothers and sisters meet to express love and affection for each other with special gifts and enjoy lavish meals together. Also, Diwali is time to have fun with friends and family! People exchange gifts and sweets, enjoy delicious feasts, watch firework displays and wear new clothes and jewels as well as play card games.
Best wishes on Diwali and New Year to the Plank families who celebrate the festive season!
Thanksgiving
Return To In Person Instruction
Parent Tip of the Week - Check Student Portal
All grades are maintained on Tyler SIS. Teachers Sync grades between Google Classroom and Tyler Portal. If there is a discrepancy, reach out to the teacher to let them know and clear up any sync errors. Grades are reported through Tyler SIS, not Google Classroom.
Parent Resources
Follow the links to access the parent resources that we have available.
- A Parent's Guide to Google Classroom - A step-by-step guide to help parents that are unfamiliar with accessing Google Classroom.
- Google Classroom Cheat Sheet for students - Shake Up Learning
- Google Meets Expectations - Many teachers use these expectations within their Google Hangout Live Meets.
- Google Suite Tutorials - A collection of Google tutorials that students will be using with their teachers during remote learning. There are dozens of resources here that cover almost anything you need to know about using Google Suite.
- Parent's Guide to Student Portal - Tyler 360 document that outlines Student Portal access and features.
- Parent's Guide to Google Suite Applications - From Google Docs to Google Meets, this is a guide for parents to use as a reference for all of the available Google Suite Applications.
Toys for Tots 2020
Plank Spirit Wear through the Plank HSA
Pirate families!
No contact Fall/Winter spiritwear sale! All items will be shipped directly to your house. Be the first to get a Plank Face mask! When we finally return to in-person learning, all students will be required to wear a face mask at school. Sport your Pirate Pride with a Plank Mask! Available in 3 colors to show your school spirit and support your class color: Gray (6th), purple (7th) and black (8th). Any question let Jacquie Bucher, HSA President, know by emailing kplankhsa@gmail.com.
With the holidays right around the corner we have done a few different things!
1. Added more apparel choices for you to select from!
2. 15% off with coupon code "PLANK15" until November 29, 2020.
3. Sunday November 29, 2020 would be the last day we can take orders to get items shipped to you for the holidays!
Click here to place your order =>
https://plankschool.itemorder.com/ This is an open order, and will close on 12/31. Allow for 3 weeks for delivery.
Pirate Parents Support Our Teachers!
Plank teachers have worked so hard adapting all their lessons and materials to the remote learning model. Let's show them how much we appreciate their time and dedication! Sign up for a turn to create and post a Teacher Appreciation sign in front of our school!
Junior High Schedule
REMEMBER: Attendance for students is taken in each Google Classroom and needs to be completed by 12:00 Noon on Wednesday.
Our School Day is over at 3:00 during Remote Learning. 2:10 to 3:00 is Student Support Time. Encourage your child to check into a SST class to get extra help if they are struggling in a class, or if they have questions for the teacher. Support times are all found within your child's Google Classroom.
Supporting Students and Families
The Student Services team at Plank has compiled a list of valuable resources for families to use. These resources are available to all of our families. There are two forms that can be completed to provide assistance if needed during the summer. We miss you, Pirates!.
This form is a short survey for families. Fill out the family form here.
To visit our Student Services resources Page, please click here.
Set up a time to meet with the Plank Counselors!
Our Plank counseling team is using a new scheduling tool this year. It allows students and parents to directly book a meeting with us. Follow the links below to access the editable schedule to meet with one of our counselors. They also created and released the Counselors Corner Newsletter. If you have questions, reach out to our counseling team below!
Mrs. Gannon (students with last names A-L) cgannon-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Mrs. Hlavacs (students with last names M-Z) khlavacs-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Mrs. Modaff (students with last names M-Z) jmodaff-sd308.youcanbook.me/
Health Paperwork
6th graders:
A complete physical, immunization record ( including the required Meningococcal and Tdap vaccines on or after the 11th birthday) are being collected at this time. Please make sure to fill out and sign the health history on page 2 of the physical form.
A dental exam is also a requirement. The dental exam can be dated from November 15, 2019 to May 15, 2021.
**We are following the current exclusion date given to us by the state of IL of October 15, 2020. Failure to provide these required documents will result in exclusion from school.**
7th graders:
If you did not get in your dental exam required for last school year due to COVID, please do so at this time.
ALL Students:
- Action plans for Asthma, Severe Allergy, Seizure and Diabetes are being collected for the new school year along with medication authorization forms for emergency and daily medications that will be given during school hours. All forms are located under the Health Services tab on the district website.
- Please fill out an Annual health history for your child if you have not done so already. Log into the parent portal of Tyler to complete this portion.
- If your child sustains an injury during remote learning and requires modifications and accommodations for class, please provide a detailed doctor's note to the health office.
- If we are missing any documents required for your child's health file, an email or phone call will be given or sent to you.
All documents can be emailed to kjenkins@sd308.org or faxed to 630-551-9697.
Important - Absence Reporting
Parents- please remember to check your child’s attendance in Tyler Portal. If you notice one or two absences, call the Attendance Office to report the reason. This includes appointments and technology issues. Any student that misses up to two classes without a parent call will be marked “U” Unexcused for those classes. Any student that is marked absent for three or more classes, a call will go home to the parents. Also, please remember that students are expected to be present in class for the entire class period.
Have questions or need help? The Attendance Line number is 630-551-9401. You can also email Mrs. Montes-Mijarez at amontesmijarez@sd308.org.
Attendance Guidelines
Plank Attendance Guidelines
630-551-9401
Please leave a message on the Attendance Line noting the reason for the absence. Include all symptoms or the reason for the absence if it is not illness related. Students need to be called in if they will miss a partial day. Please note the class/classes that will be missed in addition to the reason for the absences.
Teachers are keeping attendance through their hangout meet times, as well as their Wednesday attendance forms. If you have questions, please reach out to the individual teachers about these procedures. If your child was experiencing technical issues with devices, please reach out to the main office to talk with our attendance secretary.
Study Hall and Study Dynamics are classes that do not meet, and there is no need for attendance to be taken. If students have questions during this time, they can reach out to that Study Hall teacher to have questions answered through email.
There is the 2:15 to 3:00 Student Support time at the end of the day. Teachers may be reaching out to students and families to encourage additional support as we get into the school year. This is a time when students will be able to access their classroom teachers for help.
Buried in emails?
Important People to Know
Administration:
Principal
Tyler Haymond 630-551-9410 thaymond@sd308.org
Assistant Principal
Dr. Marcus Lewis 630-551-9411 mlewis@sd308.org
Assistant Principal
Bailey Campbell 630-551-9412 bcampbell@sd308.org
Student Support Lead Teachers
Lead Special Education Teacher
Carrie Quinn 630-551-9497 cquinn@sd308.org
EL Coordinator
Guadalupe Gallardo Escobedo 630-551-9466 ggallardoescobedo@sd308.org
Secretaries:
Principal Secretary
Laurie Williams 630-551-9409 lwilliams@sd308.org
Registrar/Discipline Secretary
Camille Simmons 630-551-9418 csimmons@sd308.org
Attendance Secretary
Asusana (Susie) Montes-Mijarez 630-551-9408 amontesmijarez@sd308.org
Student Services:
Counselors:
Caitlin Gannon 630-551-9414 cgannon@sd308.org
Students with last names A-L
Kelly Hlavacs and Jen Modaff 630-551-9415 khlavacs@sd308.org, jmodaff@sd308.org
Students with last names L-Z
Dr. Tawanda Kitchen 630-551-9483 tkitchen@sd308.org
Restorative Practice Counselor
Social Workers:
Regena Alonzo 630-551-9405 ralonzo@sd308.org
Marguerite Slinger 630-551-9416 mslinger@sd308.org
Building Nurse:
Kristin Jenkins 630-551-9402 kjenkins@sd308.org
Important Resources
Transportation: 630-636-2999
Tyler Parent Portal login/access questions: tylerhelp@sd308.org
Waiver of Fee questions: Kaitlyn Dolenak 630-636-3662
Free/Reduced Lunch Application Status: Paola Lares Luna: 630-636-3663
Plank Junior High School
Email: thaymond@sd308.org
Website: https://www.sd308.org/plank
Location: Plank Jr. High, Secretariat Lane, Oswego, IL, USA
Phone: 6305519400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plank308/?scrlybrkr=2abf877d
Twitter: @Plank308