The Panther Post

Dear Pleasant Hill Families,

As we enter the month of November and the season of Thanksgiving, I wanted to let each of you know how very thankful I am for you and the impact you have made on the Pleasant Hill community.

On behalf of our Board of Education and Administration, it’s also my privilege to express our appreciation for the continued dedication of our school administrators, teachers, staff, parents and guardians. Our students continue to flourish in a positive learning environment because of your commitment to fulfilling Pleasant Hill's mission and vision.

During this month on November, no matter what your holiday celebrations may look like, I challenge you to take time to practice gratitude. Reflecting on what you are grateful for helps to shift your focus towards positive aspects of your life, promoting increased well-being, reducing stress, fostering a more optimistic outlook, and deepening appreciation for the people and things around you.

Here are some simple ways to practice gratitude:

💛Express gratitude

Thank someone for what they did, and tell them how it made you feel. You can also write a letter

to express your gratitude.

🧡Do an act of kindness

Return a favor, or do something kind or thoughtful for someone else.

🤎Practice mindfulness

Slow down and savor the pleasant sensations in your life, like the taste of food, the feeling of the sun on your skin, or the sound of music.

🤍Reframe experiences

Compare your current situation to a negative experience in the past to see how you've grown.

Have a wonderful holiday! Cherish every moment together 💛🧡🤎🤍

Yours in Education~

Dr. Lisa Weaver

Superintendent

As we move into Quarter 2, please share with us how we can continue to support your family at Pleasant Hill. We appreciate your consideration in sharing!

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. We are looking for 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.

To become a school board candidate, one must:

1. File a Statement of Economic Interests with the county clerk and obtain a receipt; these forms are available from the county clerk.

2. Obtain and complete a nominating petition signed by at least 50 registered voters or 10% of the voters, whichever is less; and a Statement of Candidacy. Nominating petition forms and Statements of Candidacy are available from the county clerk or county board of election commissioners.

These completed documents and the county clerk’s receipt for the Statement of Economic Interests must be filed with the county clerk between November 12-18 during normal office hours. If a candidate receives or expends $3,000 or more in an election campaign, reports must be filed with the county clerk in compliance with the Illinois Campaign Disclosure Act.

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.”

We are looking for volunteers for upcoming extracurricular activities! Please click this LINK to access the sign up today. Those of you that have a child participating as an athlete on the basketball team or cheer squad, we ask that you volunteer for at least ONE game. In order to host games at our school, we need to have volunteers to sell concessions, so our volunteers are very important. THANK YOU!

The United Way is an amazing organization which continues to support many schools throughout Peoria County, including Pleasant Hill. For the last several years, we have been awarded the S3 grant through the United Way to implement and support programs such as Yoga Learning Adventures and Hult Health Center classes and field trips. This year, we were able to use United Way funds to purchase a variety of sensory items to create a sensory space in Mr. Tate & Ms. Amber's classroom. This sensory space gives our students a place to go when they need a break from the larger classroom setting and need some items to calm their bodies.

We are so grateful for their generosity and support. We would like to give back to the United Way during this month of November as we take time to think about all the things we are thankful for.

We will raise funds in the following ways to support the United Way:

Friday, November 8: Pay $1 to be out of uniform and wear JEANS or SWEATS!

Friday, November 15: Pay $1 to be out of uniform and wear a HAT and/or JEANS!

Friday, November 22: Pay $1 to be out of uniform and wear PAJAMAS!

The Limestone Community High School Student Council is collecting canned foods for their annual Thanksgiving baskets to help those families in need that attend the Limestone feeder elementary schools. We are asking if you can to send in non-perishable food donations to your child's classroom. The classroom with the highest number of donations will WIN A CLASSROOM PARTY of their choice (pizza, gondolas, ice cream, etc.)!!! Thanks so much for your generosity!

As we move into Quarter 2, please review and help your child(ren) with the following from the Handbook:

BOTTOMS:

Pants: Khaki, navy blue, or black

Shorts: ONLY ALLOWED IN Q1 & Q4

***No blue jeans, skirts, skorts, cargo pants, pajama bottoms, leggings,

or sweatpants allowed at any time unless specified (e.g. Spirit days)

Cardigan Sweaters & Crew Neck Sweatshirts:

Zip up, button up, or plain front cardigan sweaters or plain

crewneck sweaters in any solid color

***NO HOODIES or JACKETS are allowed at any time during school

hours - including spirit days and out-of-uniform days

Please find this information on pages 45-47, and any additional information at the LINK HERE

• THANKS so much to all the parents/guardians who participated in student led conferences. Students were thrilled to be able to share their progress with you. We appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules to invest in your child's education. If you have not yet met virtually with your child's teacher, please be sure to send the teacher a quick email or call the school to set up a conference time. Our goal is to meet with 100% of families.
• Just a reminder that school does begin at 7:45 AM daily. When students arrive, they head down to breakfast right away. It is very important that students arrive on time each and every day so they can eat breakfast and do not miss any learning experiences in the classroom. This month, we are focusing specifically on getting ALL students to school ON TIME EVERYDAY as we engage in NO TARDY NOVEMBER! The class from K-2, 3-5, & 6-8 with the lowest percentage of tardies during November will win a prize of their choice.

Flu Season is here!

Have you gotten your flu shot and/or COVID vaccine booster?

Have you taken your children for theirs? It's not too late!

Prevention of influenze and COVID-19 by getting a vaccine is key for protecting yourself, your children, your extended family and your community.

Here is a link to the Health Dept to get information and locate a vaccine clinic nearest you: https://www.pcchd.org/218/Seasonal-Flu

POLICY REMINDERS FROM THE HANDBOOK:

ILLNESS

Should a student become ill during the day, the school nurse will contact the parent. At no time should a student contact the parent from any phone (e.g. their cell phone) without permission. Parents must come into the foyer to sign out the student after meeting with the school nurse.

If your child becomes ill during the day with any of the following symptoms, he/she will be sent home:

• Fever of 100.4℉ or higher or chills

• New Cough, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Vomiting or diarrhea

• New loss of taste or smell

• New moderate to severe headache

• Severe fatigue from unknown cause

• Muscle/Body aches from unknown cause

• Red swollen eyes with drainage

November 15 will mark the official statewide observance of School Board Members Day in Illinois. The honorary day is an opportunity for the district and community to show support for our board of education and their commitment to providing a local voice for your educational vision.

Our board of education acts here at Pleasant Hill works to safeguard two of our community’s most precious resources – our children and tax dollars – while striving to create the best education environment possible with the resources available. Thank you, Pleasant Hill District #69 School Board Members.

William Preston-President

Robin Floyd-Vice President

Mike Kocher-Secretary

Moira Bazhenow

Sarah Hayden

Blake Tuley

• November 4-Girls Basketball Game @ Concordia 5:00
• November 5-NO SCHOOL-Election Day-Girls Basketball Game @ PH vs. Pekin Rankin 5:00-Happy Birthday Amyrion (PK), Declan (K), William (2nd grade) & Kayden (5th grade)
• November 6- Boys Basketball Game @ PH vs. Peoria Heights 5:00- Happy Birthday Jaxson (8th grade)
• November 7-Boys Basketball Game @ PH vs. Parkview
• November 8-Popcorn Friday-Happy Birthday Eniyjah (5th grade)
• November 11-NO SCHOOL-Veterans Day
• November 12-Boys Basketball Game @ Pleasant Valley 4:30-Girls Basketball Game @ PH vs. Oak Grove (8th Grade Night) 5:00
• November 13-Happy Birthday Mr. Tate
• November 14-Boys Basketball Game @ PH vs. Bartonville 5:00-Happy Birthday Oscar (1st grade)
• November 15-Board Member Appreciation Day
• November 16-Happy Birthday Mrs. Pennington & Mrs. Trone
• November 19-Board of Education Meeting 6:00
• November 20-Happy Birthday Justin (6th grade)
• November 21-Boys Basketball Game @ PH vs. Beverly Manor 5:00-Popcorn Friday
• November 22-SIP Day Early Dismissal @ 11:30-Progress Reports Sent Home
• November 24-Happy Birthday Tommy (6th grade)
• November 25-Happy Birthday Mrs. Bradshaw
• November 25-29-No School-Thanksgiving Break
• November 27-Happy Birthday Avaia (6th grade)
• November 29-Happy Birthday Rumi (6th grade)

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