
Cougar Update
AprilEdition

Please read the message from Dr. Smith, Principal.
Words of Encouragement
Congress Cougars,
We're officially in April, and it's hard to believe another month has already flown by. Just yesterday, we were welcoming our 23-24 students. However, April is one of our busiest months as we finalize units and prepare for our MAP and End-of-Course exams. Although we have many fantastic events this month, we want to ensure we're not putting our learning on the back burner. That said, we believe in rewarding our students while they learn.
Parents and Guardians, we understand that some of you have provided your children with cellular devices for safety and protection. Although our staff is working hard to make Congress a safe space, we've noticed that activities happening outside school are spilling over to our academic environment. Social media accounts have created issues that take an unreasonable amount of time to investigate. Therefore, on April 13th, we ask parents to check their students' phones to see what they're watching and the text messages they're sending or receiving. Parents, let's partner up and come to grips with the fact that parents are parents and students are students. Our students need to enjoy their childhood, and for that, we encourage our parents to set boundaries and hold their children accountable so that it's not a shock when they're held responsible at school.
We ask that you work with your local law enforcement to resolve any conflicts outside of school. When we use our time to resolve situations that have occurred outside of school, our students lose educational minutes, which is counterproductive to our mission and vision. We look for opportunities to build relationships, and one way is through the many in-school activities we sponsor, but we also want to make sure that our students experience an off-site field trip. Our students are visual learners, and field trips allow the instruction presented in the classroom to come to life, building on their cultural backgrounds by feeling, touching, hearing, smelling, and exposing them to a world some may not have ever experienced.
We're grateful for our PTA, whose tireless work will provide our sixth and seventh-grade teams with the financial resources to experience an off-site field trip. Please check your team page for more information. For planning purposes, please mark your calendars for May 22nd as we will hold our 8th Grade Assembly, where parents & guardians can be a part of their eighth-graders last middle school assembly. Parents, we also need you to use the link below and send your eighth-grade student a quote or encouragement. Remember to send your student a message; we will include one to recognize all our students.
Last call to purchase your student's yearbook! Every year, we have an end-of-the-year celebration where students can sign yearbooks. Please do us all a favor and buy your student's yearbook before the end of May so that your child may participate in the yearbook signing part. All remaining yearbook sales are going towards our 8th-grade celebration. Please know that these trips all have a cost, so supporting our fundraising events, such as family dinner nights, yearbook, and trash bag sales, and your participation in the PTA is essential. Finally, thank you for all your support to Congress Middle School. Let's all find comfort in knowing that if we have the will to succeed, we can reach beyond the stars.
-Dr. Smith
Quarter 4 Begins 03/09/2024 Ends 05/24/2024
CMS Social Media
We Shine Like Stars Already But Love The Reminders
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 vote for one of our staff members or send a kind note to staff members for the entire month of December.
Thank You! - Career Day March 21, 2024
Getting Started with Online Verification
Verification and Residency
Online verification and residency for the 2024-2025 school year will open April 1. Using our quick and easy online application system, parents of returning students will verify their students' demographic, health, emergency contact and residency information.
And like last year, enrollment in our summer school programming will be available through the online verification and residency process.
👉PARENT & GUARDIANS DON'T FORGET 👈
Intramurals
Intramural activities provide opportunities for leadership and personal development by allowing students to participate in activities outside of the school day. Intramurals encourage physical activity along with other student centered activities in a fun, engaging atmosphere. The Intramural program is open to all Congress students.
Contact Olivia Guinn for more information.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: CAR RIDERS AND WALKERS!
👉PARENT & GUARDIANS DON'T FORGET 👈
Solar Eclipse: Monday, April 8
On April 8, 2024, Park Hill students will have another chance to view a total solar eclipse. If you were fortunate enough to see the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, you already know this is an opportunity not to be missed!
Through proper and safe eyewear, we will be able to see the Sun begin to disappear as the Moon moves closer and closer to full coverage of the Sun. Each of our students and staff members, will receive a special, one-time-use lenses officially approved to protect their eyes from the sun’s rays.
Here in Park Hill, the partial eclipse of magnitude 0.9056 will be visible from 12:37 p.m. and end at 3:11 p.m. The Maximum eclipse will be at 1:54 p.m. local time when the 89.33% of Sun’s surface will be covered by the moon.
How will we keep students and staff safe?
We will provide all students and staff members with safety lenses officially approved to protect their eyes from the harmful rays of the sun while they look at the eclipse. We will also provide training to help everyone understand how to keep their eyes safe. This safety instruction will make sure students know when they must have their glasses on and when they may take them off.
How does this connect to our Park Hill curriculum?
Each school is planning its own educational activities for the eclipse experience. The eclipse will connect to several areas of Park Hill’s science curriculum, and this will be a memorable experience that will also connect to future learning.
How will we handle attendance for students?
We will provide a safe and educational way for students to experience the eclipse at school, so we encourage parents to keep their children in school.
Final Virtual PTA Meeting -April 8th @ 6:30
Thanks from the PTA
Congress Families,
We would like to express our gratitude to all those who attended our latest PTA meeting. Your participation is highly appreciated and is what makes our PTA successful.
During the meeting, we elected three new officers to the PTA, and Dr. Kimbrel provided us with an excellent update. Congratulations to Jen Bruce, Jenny Hundt, and Kari Greenlee on their election as the new Communications Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, respectively.
Please mark your calendars for our last meeting of the school year on April 8th at 6:30 pm. It will be a virtual meeting, and we hope to see you all there. We will also be sending out a Staff Appreciation signup soon, so please keep an eye out for that.
We would also like to encourage you to take a moment to review the Q&A from the school board candidates and exercise your right to vote. Your voice matters, and it is crucial to have a say in the decisions that impact our children's education.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you all soon.
Congress PTA Board of Officers
Miles of Smiles (Level Up Kids) will be at CONGRESS MIDDLE SCHOOL
APRIL 10th – MAY 3rd, 2024!
Miles of Smiles, a program of Level Up Kids, provides free dental care to children in the Northland who do not have access to oral health services. The dental care will be provided to students from Congress at Gerner Early Education during the school day April 10 – May 3! All care is provided by a licensed dentist and assistants and all patients receive a comprehensive exam, cleaning and x-rays.
Please register ASAP if you would like your student to be seen during the school day. We highly encourage online registration, which is quick, easy and convenient! You can register right from your phone! https://practisforms.com/milesofsmilesinc/forms/milesofsmilesinc-registration-form
Paper forms are also available. If you wish to complete the registration that way, please let your school social worker know, fill it out in its entirety and return as soon as possible.
Please contact Karen Schaff (816-359-6175) or Morgan Boeth (816-359-6981) if you have any questions or need help registering your student.
April 10th and 11th at Park Hill High School at 7 pm.
"Dragon's Lair" is a reality TV show where creative entrepreneurs present their products to powerful business investors, known as the Dragons. The Dragons are always on the lookout for the next big thing to invest in. However, if they are not interested, entrepreneurs will have to face the wrath of Azriel the Tormentor. This comedy is a witty parody of "Shark Tank" and is set in the world of fairy tales, providing entertainment for both children and adults. Let's show our support to the students and bring the whole family to watch their performance on the big stage.
- Information about tickets will be announced closer to the show.
Those students who are in the play remember here is the link for the play; CLICK HERE
APRIL PTA FUNDRAISER NIGHT #1
Take making lunch and dinner off your list and head to Panda Express for Congress Day! 20% of sales goes back to the school from 11am-9pm today! You can order on pandaexpress.com or the App. Just enter code 349374. If you're going in person just show the flyer on your phone.
😀PTA THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR CONGRESS STUDENTS AND STAFF!😃
2024 Track Season
👉PARENT & GUARDIANS DON'T FORGET 👈
APRIL PTA FUNDRAISER NIGHT #2
Stock Up On Your Congress Gear For Track Season
Upcoming Weekly Promotions
Each week we will feature a different product line at a discounted price! Upcoming promotions include:
- Water Bottles: 25% off
- : Long Sleeve Tees $10 off
- : All Bags 25% off
Save $10 on all Pajama Pants
We are running a great promotion this week. All Boxercraft pajama pants are $10 off! This includes both youth and adult sizes in all colors! Your new sale ad is below. A direct link to all pajama pants is: https://1stplacespiritwear.com/collection/53285?style=Pajama+Pants
Are you In Need of Trash Bags?
Congress/Plaza Summer School
Summer School 2024
Congress Familiy,
Summer school registration is now open! This is a quick reminder that guardians can register their incoming kindergarten through eighth grade students for summer school through the same process used to complete online verification and residency. Incoming high schoolers can enroll in summer school using the form on our website.
Park Hill Summer School is an excellent opportunity for your child during the summer. Our summer school program gives students a free, fun, caring place to continue learning. Find all the details, including dates, times and locations on our website: https://www.parkhill.k12.mo.us/families/summer-school.
Thank you for considering being part of our Park Hill summer programming!
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
June 3 to June 28 with no school on June 19
Incoming LEAD Freshmen
To the Parents and Guardians of Incoming LEAD Freshmen:
We want to make you aware of our upcoming Kickoff Night for Incoming Freshmen on April 25th. We also want to invite you to our annual Spotlight Night on May 2nd.
Kickoff Night for Incoming Freshmen is a chance for families to tour our building, meet teachers, and learn more about what next year will look like at LEAD Innovation Studio. Kickoff Night will take place from 6:00 - 8:00 pm on Thursday, April 25th.
Click here to sign up for your arrival time on the 25th. This helps our evening run more efficiently.
Click here to order a LEAD t-shirt for your student. In order to have enough time to print the t-shirts for our incoming freshmen, please fill this out by March 29th at 3:00 pm.
(If these links do not open when you click on them, simply copy and paste them into a new tab or window.)
Spotlight Night is an annual showcase of some of the amazing project work that takes place at LEAD. It’s an opportunity for incoming freshmen to get a taste of the work they will be doing in the future. While this is not specifically an event for incoming freshmen (like our Kickoff Night), we still encourage you to come and see the great things that are being done at LEAD! Spotlight Night runs from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.
We’re so excited that your student chose LEAD, and we hope to see you at Kickoff Night! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Chris Early
LEAD Innovation Studio Principal
Ready For Some High School Football?
2024 Incoming Freshman
If your player is interested in playing football at Park Hill next year, then please take a moment to fill out this information sheet so Coach Sims can send you all the important information as off-season workouts are already underway. https://forms.gle/da2YW3jwt9c8jgQw9 Also, if you have any questions regarding Park Hill Football, please visit their website: www.parkhillfootball.com or contact Coach Sims directly: simsa@parkhill.k12.mo.us
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