Cougar Update
September Edition
Message from Dr. Smith, Principal.
Congress Cougars!
I am glad to see the students energized and excited to be at school. We are working hard to build our brand and create a positive atmosphere in the building. Our aim is to help develop our future leaders, but we need your support and partnership as a family to achieve this goal. Public education requires students to work with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, and it is vital that they learn to understand and respect each other's differences.
As we begin the third week of school, I would like to remind parents and students to review our district's Parent/Student Handbook. It contains helpful information about electronic devices, building disruptions, dress codes, and our middle school grading policy. We are fortunate to have an air-conditioned building, so please ensure that your child's attire is appropriate for the learning environment. While we understand that students may forget things from time to time, we kindly request that you check with your child before they leave the house in the morning, so we can limit disruptions in the classroom.
Next week, we will start our NWEA testing. We urge parents to ensure that their child gets enough sleep on Sunday night and is prepared for the upcoming testing sessions. The NWEA test (Measures of Academic Progress) is an adaptive achievement and growth test that provides valuable information about what your child knows and is ready to learn. It offers a personalized assessment experience by adapting to each student's learning level and measuring their progress and growth. During testing sessions, students will be asked to put their phones in their lockers until the test block has ended.
We hope you had a great 3-day weekend, and we are ready to resume learning. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Smith
The parent-student handbook has been written to provide important information concerning specific rules, policies, and procedures related to the safety and operation of our schools. In order for schools to operate safely and efficiently, you and your student(s) must be familiar with and abide by the expectations, procedures and rules outlined in this handbook.
The student handbook summarizes district policy and contains general guidelines and information. Refer to official policy and regulation documents for specific information. An up-to-date version will be maintained here on this page. The Park Hill School District will provide notice of those changes through email or campus mail; these changes will have effect once that notification is given, regardless of whether a student or parent actually reads the particular notice received.
Parents We Need Your Help!!
Join Congress PTA
Dear Parents, we understand that after-school activities and meal preparations can make it difficult to attend school meetings in person. However, we urge you to participate in our meetings online if you cannot make it in person, as we aim for 100% participation. Your support is crucial for Congress Middle School to achieve its goals this year.
We appreciate everything you do for our students and staff. Joining our PTA can make a significant impact. By becoming a member, you can help us provide necessary resources for our staff and students. Our first meeting is scheduled for September 11th at 6:30 PM in the Media Center. We will offer both in-person and virtual attendance options to make it convenient for everyone.
Thank you for your continued support. Our PTA rocks!
Become a member online at:
Get Ready For Our First Fundraiser Congress Middle School Color Run
September 29th More Information Soon To Come
Congress Middle School Gear
Please read the message from Mrs. Kahler, Assistant Principal.
Dear Congress Families,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to provide an update on the first two weeks of school. Our staff have been working tirelessly to ensure our students receive a high-quality education in a safe and nurturing environment. I'm happy to report that our students have settled into a great routine here at Congress, and everything has been running smoothly.
However, we kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring the safety of our students during arrival and dismissal times. Our car rider line is moving smoothly, and we only use one door for drop-offs. This allows our parents to pull all the way down to the standing administrator. There are several designated drop-off locations in the morning, and while we discourage parents from dropping off in the parking lot, we ask all drivers to watch out for our walkers and car riders.
Please note that dropping off students in the bus area is strictly prohibited. Doing so presents severe safety concerns for our students. We appreciate your patience as we work through the long car rider lines, which we hope will improve in the coming weeks.
I'm excited to share that our first assembly of the year at our district stadium was a huge success. Our students had a great time and learned valuable lessons about team building and school spirit. I'm sure they came home eager to share their experiences with you.
Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to a successful school year.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Kahler
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL
Car Riders Drop Zone - GREEN SPACE ONLY
Bus Riders - RED ZONE ONLY (For your Childs' safety DO NOT DROP IN THE BUS AREA.
Walker - GREEN/YELLOW ZONE
First All School Assembly
We would like to extend our gratitude to our Student Council for organizing our first successful all-school assembly. All of the activities were enjoyable and engaging. The weather was beautiful, and we witnessed some of our teachers showcasing their old-school dance moves, which added to the fun atmosphere. Our students had a great time, and it was a refreshing experience to have our first all-school assembly. We would also like to express our appreciation to Mrs. Faudere and Mrs. Butler for their enthusiastic contributions to the assembly.
Dear Families,
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Brian Van Horn, and I serve as the assistant principal for the 6th Grade Trailblazers and 7th Grade Cyclone and Thunder Teams at Congress. I'm also the athletic director for the school. Our students have been working tirelessly during practice to get ready for the upcoming sports events. For all information related to athletics, please visit our school website, Get Involved at Congress.
As the new school year approaches, I want to share some important information with you regarding athletics. Please see below for links to the necessary documents to participate in upcoming sports seasons.
There is a new MSHSAA physical form that must be used. This form is similar to the old one, but athletes must only return the last page to the school. The rest of the information is for the doctor to keep within the student's medical record. Additionally, the school will require the second form, pre-participation, which includes insurance information and emergency contacts.
Please note that the school district is transitioning from IMPACT to a new system called SWAY. All athletes must take this evaluation, even if they completed the IMPACT test last year. The 1st quarter Intramural sign-up link will open on September 7th at 6:00 p.m., and we ask that you only sign up for one section per quarter. Please be aware that we will not provide transportation after the meetings, and students should be picked up promptly at 3:30.
Lastly, I would like to draw your attention to our SOS Signs of Suicide program at Congress. Please take a moment to read the attached letter. Our district is hosting a Parent/Guardian Information Session to provide more details about this event in the coming week.
Thank you, and have a great school year!
Suicide Prevention
Our teachers will be conducting the SOS lesson with our students throughout the month of October. The lesson will involve watching age-appropriate video clips followed by a guided discussion on depression, suicide, and steps to be taken when a friend shows concerning signs. Once the video is over, students will be required to fill out an electronic survey to identify if they require any help and support. In case of any concern, students can request to speak to a school staff member, who will arrange a brief meeting with them.
All students are expected to participate in the lesson, unless parents or guardians choose to opt their child out. We at Park Hill are committed to enhancing our mental health services and preventing suicide. Our team of school mental health professionals and administrators collaborated with Tri-County Mental Health Services and national experts to introduce the national Signs of Suicide depression screening program to our K-12 schools.
SOS is an essential program for students as it reduces suicide attempts, teaches the signs of depression and suicide, promotes supporting others' well-being, and encourages seeking help from trusted adults. To opt-out your student from the program, please visit our website or call our office.
To opt out , please click here:
Message from Sprigeo
We created Sprigeo so people would feel safer at school. When a person really needs help or there is a safety threat at school we hope you will step up and send in a report. Sending in a false report makes it harder for your school to help the people who really need it. If necessary you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You can find out more about Sprigeo and the School District Safety Evaluation at Sprigeo.com. Thanks for using Sprigeo!
Joe Bruzzese, Founder of SprigeoIf you feel unsafe or know someone who feels unsafe, please report it here. After you fill out the form below, Sprigeo sends an email to a school administrator with all of the details from your report. You can also download one of our apps from the Apple Store or the Android Marketplace to submit a report.
- Safety threats, bullying, harassment or intimidation at school
- Safety threats, bullying, harassment or intimidation outside of school
- Cyberbullying; Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
- Fights, drugs, alcohol or weapons at school
- Friends who talk about hurting themselves
8th Grade Families:
All 8th grade students in the Park Hill School District have a choice about where they attend high school: they can attend either their home high school in their attendance area (either Park Hill or Park Hill South), or they can select LEAD Innovation Studio.
LEAD is based on three pillars: project-based learning, self-directed learning, and mentorship. Our program has yielded amazing results, including high student achievement scores and high parent and student approval ratings through the district’s Panorama Survey.
But there is more to LEAD than just high achievement, and we’re excited to tell you our full story! We would love for you to join us from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at LEAD on one of our three parent information nights: October 19th, December 6th, or January 11th.
Come to LEAD and hear from students, teachers, and administrators about what we offer, then take a tour of our facility. We hope to see you there!
If you plan on attending one of our information nights, please sign up using the link below. Knowing how many people are coming to each information night helps us prepare. Please make sure you read the instructions on the first page of the Sign-Up Genius.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C4CA9A72FABF85-lead
Finally, as you wait for our information nights to arrive, consider checking out the video below to learn more about the exciting work your student could do at LEAD!
https://www.facebook.com/ParkHillSchoolDistrict/videos/1507215546476949/
Dr. Chris Early
Principal, LEAD Innovation Studio
Park Hill School District
816-359-6569
7th and 8th Grade Female Students Invitation
PARK HILL STAR AWARDS
Our employees are the reason we are so successful here in the Park Hill School District, and we would like to recognize them for all they do for our students. That is why we present the Park Hill Star award once a month to a pre-K or elementary teacher, a secondary teacher and a support employee. Anyone can nominate an employee for this award by using the form below.