News

Dear Congress Cougar Family,

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. As the principal of Congress Middle School, I am thrilled to welcome both returning and new members to our school community. Our school's top priority is cultivating a culture of Excellence, and I am committed to working alongside all of you to achieve that goal.

I want to remind those who have completed their Residency that their team, locker, and schedule will be available through the Infinite Campus Portal on August 16th. Additionally, please note that we do not change teams to accommodate friend requests. School begins on August 21st at 7:15 AM and ends at 2:20 PM.

At Congress Middle School, we hold ourselves to a high standard of accountability, and we expect the same from our students, parents, and community. I am confident that with hard work and commitment, our students will succeed and excel.

I am looking forward to a productive and successful school year. Let's make it a great one!

Best,

Dr. Smith

Exciting news! We are thrilled to introduce our 23/24 School Theme that is focused on helping students become great leaders in their communities and beyond. We understand that bridging the Achievement Gap is essential, but we also believe that identifying and nurturing students' Individual + Determination is critical to their growth.

We want to create a climate of Excellence in our classrooms, hallways, and cafeterias and give students a voice to express themselves. We aim to support students academically, socially, and emotionally. Let's work together to help our students thrive and achieve great things!

We will frequently use our social media to send out reminders about important events and to share important information. Please like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for updates.

Looking for an exciting opportunity to get involved in our community? Well, Look no further! As a parent, staff member, or community partner, you have the chance to make a real impact on our children's education by joining our PTA. Through this partnership, we can work together to create a fun, healthy, and supportive environment for our kids to learn and grow. I'm thrilled to be a part of this community and can't wait to see all the amazing things we can achieve together. Please take a moment to scan the QR codes below to join our PTA today. Let's show our community what we can accomplish when we all come together! Join the PTA's Instagram and Facebook for updates. If you need to contact our PTA please use congresspta64151@gmail.com.

We hope you're as excited for the first day of school as we are! It takes a lot of effort to prepare for your return, so we're hoping you'll show your appreciation by wearing your brightest smile on August 16th for Open House and the first day of school.

Just a quick reminder that if you haven't submitted all required documentation yet, your student won't receive any team, locker, or schedule information. The residency has been open since April, so please understand we have guidelines we must follow. If circumstances are beyond your control at this point, please get in touch with the school for assistance.

We're thrilled to announce our new partnership with 1st Place Spirit Wear, which means you can now order school apparel from the comfort of your own home! Starting August 15th, we're offering a 30% off sale on all merchandise, so be sure to check out the link below and show your support for your student.

You can even personalize your items to really make them your own! From sports gear to pajama pants, we've got something for everyone. And stay tuned for even more exciting additions to our store, including youth and women's polos, ringer tees, Camelbak water bottles, and over 40 new designs.

Let's show the world that we're Congress Proud and it's nothing but the Cougar in us!

Are you ready for an evening of fun and excitement? Our school is thrilled to welcome all our students and families to our building on August 16th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Get ready to visit our fundraising alley, where you can find value baskets with amazing items like sporting event tickets and jewelry! Don't forget to participate in our silent auction, which supports our school.

To help you make the most of your time, we've prepared an introduction video that will answer most of your questions. If you need further assistance, our staff will be wearing Congress Pride Shirts, so don't hesitate to approach them. And if you've completed your residency and immunization requirements, your student will receive their schedule, locker information, and an opportunity to meet their teachers.

Our school nurse and registrar will be on hand to accept medications and immunization updates and collect any missing residency documents. Once all documents are updated and approved, your student can start classes. Our Open House is a great opportunity for all families to meet our staff and learn the layout of our building. If you need a 1-to-1 meeting, please call the school to schedule an appointment at (816) 359-4230. And remember, you can pause the video if you need more time to digest the information.

Check out our welcome video below and get ready to have a blast!

You may decorate the inside of your locker but stickers, foam mounting tape, contact paper or any type of glue is not allowed. We ask that you keep your combination confidential, and items of high value should remain at home. While your lockers are assigned to you, please know your wonderful administrators can open and search at any time, when necessary, without your permission.

The Park Hill School District (PHSD) made an important change in June to address the shortage of bus drivers. To help with this issue, the school district adjusted bus transportation boundaries, which means that only students living within a certain distance from their school will receive bus transportation. Starting from the 2023-2024 school year, middle school students who live more than 1.0 mile away from their school will be eligible for bus transportation.

We understand that this new policy may be challenging for some families. If you have any concerns or questions about transportation, please feel free to email the Transportation Department at transportation@parkhill.k12.mo.us. We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we work to address this situation.

We are committed to finding more bus drivers, and we encourage you to visit WorkAtFirst.com, the website of First Student, if you or anyone you know is interested in helping.

Thank you for your understanding and support. Please do not hesitate to reach out to transportation@parkhill.k12.mo.us to share your concerns.

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

To Our AVID Families,

We would like to extend congratulations to both our returning and incoming AVID pupils! We have an exciting year ahead of us. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a college and career readiness initiative that aims to prepare our students for future success in college, careers, and life. Only those who have submitted an application are enrolled in our AVID courses, but we employ WICOR strategies throughout the building, meaning that all students benefit from our AVID program. We are delighted to welcome Mr. Ryan Campbell, our new AVID teacher and site coordinator, as well as Mrs. Amber Kahler, our AVID site administrator.

On August 16th, new and returning AVID students will participate in a Signing Ceremony in the Congress Gymnasium from 5:00 – 6:00 PM. The ceremony is exclusively for our current and returning AVID students and their families. We kindly ask you to use the gymnasium doors to enter and exit on August 16th.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Please check your student's lunch account balance after making any deposits. Last year, some students made bets and used the funds to purchase multiple bags of chips or ice cream bars from the snack bar. This behavior is concerning as the funds were intended to be used responsibly. I spoke with the students involved and explained that they should have consulted with the grantors of the funds before spending them in this manner. It is important to note that our nutritional services department can only restrict purchase limits if daily limits are set on the student's account.

We kindly request that you have a conversation with your student about being responsible with their lunch account funds. Alternatively, you can set limits on their account to prevent such incidents from occurring again. Please be aware that if your student chooses to purchase items for the table, refunds may not be available.

Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring that our students are using their lunch account funds in a responsible manner.

Breakfast

• Secondary: $1.75
• Secondary Premium: $1.90

Lunch

• Secondary Lunch: $3.10
• Secondary Premium: $3.50

Ala Carte and Adults

• Milk: $.70
• Adult Breakfast: $2.00
• Adult Lunch: $4.00 (doesn’t included drink)

Hello Families

Welcome back for the 2023-24 school year. I wanted to reach out and communicate some important information as it relates to athletics for the upcoming school year. At the end of this message you will find links to some important documents needed to participate in our upcoming seasons. There is a new MSHSAA physical form that needs to be used. It looks much like the old form except that the athlete will only return the last page to the school.

The rest of the information is for the doctor to keep within your students medical record completed. The school will still need the second form, pre-participation, which will include insurance information and emergency contact. Lastly, the school district is moving away for the IMPACT test and moving to a new system, SWAY. Necessary information is included in the packet that is included below. IMPORTANT: All athletes will have to take this evaluation even if they took the IMPACT last year.

All fall sports practices and tryouts will begin the first day of school, August 21st. Athletes need to have a current physical prior to the first day of practice to begin. If you have any questions please reach out to Brian Van Horn, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director, at 816-359-6617.

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.