Cougar Update
January Edition
Expecting More In 2024!
Congress Cougars,
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for the hard work and dedication shown by our building staff and student body during the first semester. Through building staff-to-student and peer-to-peer relationships, we have successfully reduced the amount of time lost to in-school and out-of-school suspensions. As we head into the new year, I encourage you to reflect on your progress and set goals to continue improving.
At the start of the second quarter, the Congress Administration team implemented a tardy policy to promote responsibility among our students. While some families have expressed concerns, we have seen a significant reduction in tardiness and believe that this policy will benefit our students in the long run. We hope that families will partner with us in supporting this effort.
Looking ahead, we have an exciting PTA meeting on January 8th. Our own Superintendent Mike Kimbrel will be joining us to share his vision for Park Hill and where we are headed. I encourage all of you to attend and meet our superintendent.
Thank you for your continued dedication to Congress and have a happy new year!
Best regards,
Dr. Smith
To the Families of 8th Graders:
LEAD enrollment forms for incoming 9th grade students were handed out today, January 19th, to all 8th graders at all Park Hill middle schools. Your student should be bringing the form home tonight.
Selecting LEAD and completing the enrollment form for your student does not automatically guarantee admission. Admission will be granted based on space availability. In the event of a high number of requests for LEAD, we may have to look at a variety of factors, including the order in which enrollment forms are submitted.
With that in mind, if you wish to send your child to LEAD for the 2024-2025 school year, it is important that you complete the 2-page form and send it back to school with your student as soon as possible. Your student will then turn the form into their counselor. Please do not send your form directly to LEAD.
We will let you know your child’s status after the enrollment window closes on February 9th.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about LEAD, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact me via email at earlyc@parkhill.k12.mo.us, or you can call my office at 816-359-6569.
Sincerely,
Dr. Chris Early
Principal, LEAD Innovation Studio
Park Hill High School - 8th grade Enrollment
8th Grade Parents- It is that time of year to start thinking about high school enrollment. Park Hill High School Counselors will be presenting to all the Congress 8th graders on Jan 8th and Jan 9th during the school day. Students will learn about high school course offerings and receive an enrollment form and a personalized class recommendation form. For parents looking for additional information, Park Hill High School will host their Enrollment and Course Offerings Night on Tuesday, January 30th @ 6:30 pm. The enrollment presentation will be from 6:30-7:15 and there will be breakout sessions from 7:15-8:00. Contact Park Hill High School with additional questions about the Enrollment night.
Project ADAM
Congress Middle School has recently achieved Project ADAM certification, which is an initiative that aims to save lives in the event of a cardiac emergency. As part of this certification, the school has established a Cardiac Emergency Response Team (CERT) which includes our amazing Nurse Denise Schnell and implemented emergency response drills in their buildings. These measures ensure that the school is well-prepared to handle any cardiac emergency that may occur on the premises.
Park Hill School District is now on track to have every school Project ADAM certified by the year 2025, which will result in a safer environment for students and staff alike. Under this program, schools designated as heart safe will receive continued support, training, and recertification on a regular basis. This means that Congress Middle School will continue to receive the necessary training and resources to maintain their certification and be prepared for any future emergencies.
The Project ADAM certification program is a vital step towards creating a heart safe environment in schools. By empowering schools to be prepared for cardiac emergencies with a practiced plan, lives can be saved. Congress Middle School's achievement sets an example for other schools to follow in our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students and staff.
Students and Families,
We care about your safety and take any threats, harassment, bullying or intimidation at school very seriously. To ensure your safety, it is important that you report any such incidents to us. You can use Sprigeo, our online reporting tool, to report any safety threats, bullying, harassment, or intimidation at school or outside of it. You can also use it to report cyberbullying, fights, drugs, alcohol, or weapons on school premises, or if someone you know talks about hurting themselves.
To make a report, simply fill out the form with as many details as possible and hit submit. Once you submit the report, Sprigeo sends an email to all school administrators with the details you provided. You can use your district-provided laptop to make the report and submit it, or download the app from the Apple Store or the Android Marketplace to submit a report from your cell phone.
Please note that making false reports is a serious offense, and any student found making false reports will face consequences. We want to assure you that we take credible threats seriously and will take immediate action to ensure your safety. If there are any true threats, all families will be notified.
If any incidents happen outside or off school premises, please contact your local law enforcement to file a complaint. Please note that our counselors or administration team will not bring families together to work through any disagreements.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe.
Because You Care
Our employees are the reason we are so successful here at Congress Middle School and the Park Hill School District, and the Park Hill School District would like to recognize us for all we do for our students.
The Park Hill Star award is awarded monthly to any staff member in the school district. Anyone can nominate an employee for this award by using the form below. In addition, please send a note of encouragement to our Congress Staff, letting them know you care.
Sometimes, negative comments are made directly to our staff members or posted on social media. We want to change that narrative! We want the positive vibes to outweigh the negative vibes. Please take time this month and vote for at least two of our staff members your kind note will continue to inspire our Congress Team.
AMI School Days
Winter months are upon us, and we've already experienced the first snow of the season. Below you will find links to our Alternative Modes of Instruction (AMI) schedules for teams. As we prepare our students for high school, we expect them to take responsibility for their learning. It may seem like they need help navigating different websites and learning platforms, but they always shine once given the opportunity. Some may take longer than others, but they all find a way. Our Congress kids are true ROCKSTARS!
We are thrilled to share with you the exciting happenings in our Library Media Center. We have been exploring the world of digital literacy, and we're happy to see the buzz of excitement and learning among our students. During our recent parent conferences, we held our annual Scholastic Book Fair, which was a resounding success. We would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to all the students, parents, and staff members who supported us in making it a grand success. The library transformed into a haven for book enthusiasts, fostering a love for reading and exploration.
In addition to this literary extravaganza, our students have been engaged in valuable lessons on media literacy, utilizing databases, and honing their skills in citing sources. These initiatives aim to equip our students with the essential tools to navigate the vast sea of information, fostering critical thinking and responsible research practices. The library continues to be a hub of knowledge and discovery, promoting a well-rounded approach to education.
We have been very busy in the Library Media Center! We're excited to announce the opening of our NEW Digital Collaboration Studio. Students and staff can sign up to use the studio for a variety of collaborative or solo digital projects such as podcasting, stop-motion, instrumental music, educational videos, interviews, and digital art. Students will have a maximum of one 30-minute session a day per group/project to allow all students throughout the school the opportunity to use the studio.
We are excited to assist with all the AWESOME projects that will be incorporated into daily learning. We hope you had a restful winter break and are looking forward to a new year of reading adventure.
Warm regards,
Mrs. Curtis and Mrs. Stoll
Congress Family,
On the 9th of December 2023, Congress Students took part in the District Spelling Bee, and it was a resounding success! The event saw many talented spellers compete, and after a challenging day, the winner of the Park Hill Spelling Bee was announced - a student from Tiffany Ridge Elementary. We would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to Tiffany Ridge on their well-deserved win!
However, we cannot forget to celebrate the incredible achievement of our Congress participants. Out of the many talented spellers who competed, two Congress students made it to the top 13. Sam Ballard (Congress) tied for 5th place, and Jerel McGeachy Jr. (Congress) tied for 7th place. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, and we are incredibly proud of them.
On behalf of Congress Middle School, we would like to give a huge shout out to all the students who participated in the District Spelling Bee. Your commitment to excellence is an inspiration to us all, and we are honored to have such talented students represent our school. Finally, to all the spellers out there, we would like to ask you to stand up and take a bow - you are all winners in our eyes!
Congress Families,
We have reached the mid-season mark for the 2023-24 basketball season. We look forward to seeing our families out and supporting our students.
Please look for more information, but we would like to have spirit nights on some of our home and away games. If you still need to check out our school store, please do so and order your Congress gear. Proceeds raised will go to support our programs.
Parents, this is also the perfect time to encourage your students to manage their grades. Failing grades will eliminate some students from participating in extracurricular activities.
Please check our school website, Get Involved at Congress, for all updated sports-related information.
Athletics Information
Students seeking to participate in any of our sports this year must have a current physical and SWAY test on file. All information related to our sports may be found on our school website under the Get Involved Tab. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to Assistant Principal Athletic Director Brian Van Horn (816) 359 – 4230.
