This week students at Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center (VHECEC) and Knoxville Center for Student Success (KCSS) return to school. Next Monday evening, KCSS students who take advantage of the center’s evening classes begin attending. It is wonderful that these “non-traditional” students, who often are juggling adult responsibilities of family-care and employment, are determined to earn their high school diplomas and that Peoria Public Schools can provide the means to do so. We intend for the Peoria Public School District to continue to move steadily toward this ideal – personalized education that fits the needs of our students, their lives and the lives of their families, while preparing them for 21^st century well-compensated professions. 

We have many important events in the next few weeks, so here are some reminders:

PPS students who have not moved residences, and who are not required to have physical exams and immunizations, may register for the 2018-2019 school year online beginning Monday, July 23.

Families who are new to PPS, PPS families who have changed addresses and students entering pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, grade six, grade nine or grade 12, must register at one of the registration hubs. Three forms of proof-of-address are required. 

The registration hub locations and times are:

• Tuesday, July 24, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., at Kellar Primary School, Peoria High School,
  Harrison Community Learning Center and Glen Oak Community Learning Center
  
  
• Thursday, July 26, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., at Kellar Primary School, Peoria High School,
  Harrison Community Learning Center and Glen Oak Community Learning Center
  
  
• Saturday, July 28, 9 a.m. – noon, at Dream Center Peoria (Backpack Peoria)
  
  
• Wednesday, August 1, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., at Kellar Primary School, Peoria High School,
  Harrison Community Learning Center and Glen Oak Community Learning Center
  
  
• Saturday, August 4, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., at Kellar Primary School, Peoria High School,
  Harrison Community Learning Center and Glen Oak Community Learning Center

All PPS students must have health requirements and immunizations up-to-date in order to start school on Wesndesday, August 15. The Peoria City/County Health Department is now making appointments for immunizations. Their phone number is 309-679-6555. In addition, staff members from Heartland Community Clinic will be at the registration hubs to make appointments (often for the same day) for physical exams and immunizations. 

We’re now less than a month before the new school year begins. I hope you and your students are feeling the excitement! As always, keep reading 30 minutes a day so you have a chance to win one of the Remarkable Reader raffle prizes!

Preparations for the 2018-2019 school year accelerate during the last weeks of July.

Next week, Peoria Public Schools will host two job fairs. On Tuesday, July 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., we host a traditional job fair at the Administration Building for classroom teachers, teacher aides, substitute teachers and transportation staff. On Thursday, July 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be an online/virtual job fair for certified teachers. 

In coming weeks, families will receive the 2018-2019 Calendar/Handbook and registration packets in the mail. The packets outline registration and enrollment procedures. Online registration for returning families whose students do not require immunization and physical exam opens on Monday, July 23.

Peoria Public Schools requires all students to be in full compliance with health and immunization requirements on the first day of school, August 15. Our registration hubs open on Tuesday, July 24, and these are a great chance to take care of first-day compliance. Staff members from UnityPoint Health and the Peoria City/County Health Department will be available at the registration hubs to give immunizations and physical exams. In addition, representatives from Heartland Community Clinic will be available to make same-day or future appointments at their clinic locations for physical exams and immunizations. Families must visit a registration hub if:

• They are new to Peoria Public Schools and must verify their address.
• Their student is entering pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, grade six, nine or 12 and must present proof of immunization and physical exams.

Registration hubs locations:

• Harrison Community Learning Center
• Peoria High School
• Glen Oak Community Learning Center
• Kellar Primary School

Dates and hours:

• Tuesday, July 24, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday, July 26, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 1, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, August 4, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dream Center of Peoria’s annual Backpack Peoria event will be held Saturday, July 28 from 9 a.m. to noon. Families can register their students and set appointments for required physical exams and immunizations. Backpack Peoria is a wonderful opportunity to meet your child’s principal and assistant principal and, of course, pick up a backpack of school supplies!

From Wednesday, July 18 through August 14, PPS, AMP Radio, Northwoods Mall and Wal-Mart team up for Stuff-A-Bus school supply drive. Many PPS families struggle to purchase supplies for their students. Please consider picking up extra school supplies when you are shopping and dropping them in the boxes at Northwoods Mall and the University St. and Allen Rd. Wal-Mart stores. 

On Wednesday, July 25, Principal Kelly Schuler, PPS administrators, Board of Education members and members of the Sanders family will gather to officially unveil new exterior signage at Dr. Maude A. Sanders Primary School and usher in an exciting new phase for the school which began as part of the Charter Oak district before it consolidated with Peoria Public Schools.

With so many Back-to-School preparations and events underway, I encourage families to check the PPS website and social media outlets frequently.  We have some busy weeks ahead, but we will be ready to jump into a new school year on Wednesday, August 15.

June was busy and rewarding for PPS students, recent graduates and staff members.

John Marsh, Richwoods High School Class of 2018, represented the RHS speech team at the National High School Speech tournament in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He competed in the final round of the Prose Reading competition, placing 4^th in the nation. Marsh will attend Bradley University, competing with its nationally-recognized speech team. 

After placing first in the state in February and competing in the National Restaurant Association ProStart competition in Rhode Island in April, the Woodruff Career and Technical Center (WCTC) Culinary Arts team traveled to Louisville KY in late June to compete in the Skills USA National Culinary Arts Contest. The competition tests students’ skills in sanitation procedures, organization, cleanliness, safety, attitude and cooking techniques and procedures. Team members demonstrated their skills in nine types of vegetable cuts, butchery, and a total of six cooking techniques for a main entreé, a sauce, a vegetable and a starch.  Following the cooking demonstration portion, they completed a written exam. We are waiting to learn the results of the competition. 

Meanwhile, two groups of PPS students participated in innovative and creative summer camps. The first, held at Knoxville Center for Student Success, taught students to use cell phone cameras and computer software to shoot and edit videos. The camp was sponsored by Doug and Eileen Leunig and taught by Allison Welsh and Keller Anderson. The students will be able to screen their final projects at the Big Picture Film Festival at the Peoria Riverfront Museum in October.

At Bradley University, PPS middle school students worked with BU Interactive Media Department for two weeks of game-design camp, learning coding and interactive game design.  The students are all part of the PPS Foundation Horizons program. 

Finally, a group of PPS staff members also earned honors this summer. The PPS Transportation Department recently hosted the Illinois Association for Pupil Transportation conference, trade show and training. PPS mechanics and technicians have the hugely important responsibility for keeping our school buses running and student safe. During the conference, mechanics from all over Illinois competed during the conference, with a PPS mechanic placing third in the competition.

In July, students who placed first in the Tri-County Urban League Academic, Cultural, Technology Scholarship (ACT-SO) program, head to Texas to compete in the national ACT-SO competition. We wish them all the best of luck!

Congratulations to these outstanding PPS students and staff members!

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling said, “I think it’s the books that you read when you’re young that live with you forever.” I have wonderful memories of reading as a child, with favorites like Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

As we approach the end of June and the halfway-mark of summer break, please keep encouraging children to read every day. Reading is a crucial investment in the future!

Here are some tips to help keep everyone reading:

• Let your child choose what to read. This can include magazines, newspapers, graphic novels, comic books and even audio books, if children follow along with text. You can check out printed books with accompanying audio on CD at the library. Many children prefer to read nonfiction books, including biographies of their favorite athletes or celebrities or books about science and nature. If you have access to a computer and internet, many children’s books, including one of my childhood favorites, Dr. Seuss’ Marco Comes Late can be found on YouTube or myON Online Reading.
• Make sure your child’s choice is the appropriate reading level. For primary-grade readers, the Child Mind Institute offers an easy way to decide called the “five-finger rule.” Have your child choose a book, read the first page and raise a finger for each word they don’t know. If they have more than five fingers raised at the end of page one, the book is probably too difficult. Your librarian can also help you choose books that are the right level for your student.
• Make reading an adventure! Pack up your books, a flashlight, a blanket and head to the back yard to read under the stars.
• Make reading social. Many parents read to their children during their pre-school years but stop once children can read on their own. Reading a chapter book together, one chapter each day, is a joyful experience for a parent, grandparent or caretaker. This is particularly true if a student’s reading skills are behind their maturity level.
• Be prepared! Errand time can be reading time. Keep books in your car. Or if you ride the bus, have a tote bag with a few books ready to grab as you walk out the door. If your child goes to daycare or day camp, be sure to pack a book or two in their backpack.
• Create a reading spot at home. Find a quiet corner away from tv and computer screens where your child can retreat with their favorite books.

I hope all Peoria Public School parents will help their student create great reading memories!

Peoria Public Library branches and hours

Main Library

Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Lincoln Branch

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday – noon – 6 p.m. 

Closed Wednesday.

Lakeview Branch

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.

Closed Thursday.

McClure Branch

Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Closed Sunday.

North Branch

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.

Closed Tuesday.

The University of Chicago announced several significant changes in its admissions policies last week. The new policy will be initiated with the class of 2023 or students who will be high school juniors in 2018-2019.  According to USAToday, the new policy is intended to even the playing field for low-income and underrepresented students.  

Other changes include providing full-tuition scholarships for students whose families earn less than $125,000 per year, increased scholarships to veterans and children of police officers and firefighters. Applicants also will be allowed to submit a two-minute video introduction instead of sitting for an interview.  

You can read the complete article here:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/06/14/university-chicago-sat-act-optional/701153002/

Currently, Peoria Public Schools has more than 50 teaching positions to fill for the 2018-2019 school year.

While we diligently pursue meeting our immediate need for teachers, we also are developing connections with future educators through the Peoria Teacher Education Pipeline, a collaborative program with Illinois State University (ISU). 

This month, through ISU’s National Center for Urban Education, PPS welcomes three Summer Teacher Education Partnership for Urban Preparation (STEP-UP) fellows and five Summer Teacher Education Partnership for Urban Preparation, First Look Experience (STEP-UP FLEX) fellows. The eight ISU students are spending between one and four weeks in Peoria. Residing with host families, the educators-in-training follow a rigorous schedule of classroom teaching in the PPS summer school program, volunteering at community-based organizations, classroom instruction and mentoring from veteran PPS teachers, study and reflection time and explorations of the Peoria community. The program aims to introduce ISU students, many of whom originate from the Chicago suburbs, to Peoria Public Schools and the Peoria community with the expectation that, upon graduation, they will establish successful and fulfilling teaching careers with PPS.

According to Peoria Teacher Education Pipeline associate director Cliff Cobert, many ISU education students come from suburban or rural communities and have minimal exposure to urban schools. In response, approximately 90 courses at ISU have been redesigned to focus on urban education. Through the STEP-UP and STEP-UP FLEX fellowships, ISU students serve in the Chicago Public Schools, Decatur Public Schools or Peoria Public Schools.

The three PPS STEP-UP fellows – Erika Barber, Traevon Parnell and Ranija Turner – spend mornings teaching at Hines Primary School. In the afternoons, they work on projects for The Dream Center Peoria, East Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Peoria. In the evenings and on weekends, the students work with PPS teachers on such topics as classroom management, AVID and curriculum planning.  During their weeks in Peoria, they also attend a Peoria Chiefs game and tour the Riverfront Museum, Forest Park Nature Center, Springdale Cemetery and Luthy Botanical Garden.

The Peoria Teacher Education Pipeline is grounded in social justice and intended to cultivate innovative and effective educators for urban schools and their communities.  In addition to working with ISU faculty to integrate experiences of urban schools in education courses, Cobert designs clinical experiences that integrate school and community. For example, during the 2017-2018 school year, an ISU teacher-education class and a Peoria High School literature class worked together, primarily through video-conferencing. The Peoria Teacher Education Pipeline also places ISU student teachers in PPS and coordinates two-year induction and mentoring programs for ISU graduates teaching in PPS.

Through the work of the Peoria Teacher Education Pipeline and the STEP-UP program, we are making a wise investment in the future of Peoria Public Schools and our community.  

Reading is a habit.  Just like brushing teeth, household chores and playing video games, once a child develops the habit of reading, they tend to continue. The summer months are a perfect time to build the habit of reading. Reading every day during the summer months is invaluable to children. Reading introduces them to places, experiences and people outside their everyday lives. It builds their imaginations and uses skills they will need to keep progressing in school come August.

Peoria Public School K – 8 students are participating in The Remarkable Reader program again this summer. By reading for 30 minutes a day and keeping track of what they are reading, students will be eligible to win prizes when school starts in August. 

The Peoria Public Library Bookmobile will make stops each weekday during June and July, including weekly stops at Harrison Community Learning Center, Lincoln K-8, Hines Primary School, Jamieson School, Roosevelt Magnet School and Glen Oak Community Learning Center. The bookmobile schedule is posted at www.peoriapublicschools.org. Make plans to visit one of the Peoria Public Library branches or the bookmobile. Encourage your children and grandchildren to pick up a book every day this summer and watch a lifelong habit take root!

This week I had the honor of presenting my third annual State of the Schools address at the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast. While my team and I welcome every opportunity throughout the year to engage with Peoria citizens, the business community and our other stakeholders, the State of the Schools is an opportunity to give you a global view of the direction and progress of Peoria Public Schools. 

Among the highlights of the past year were:

• Through the expanded Pre-School for All grant, our pre-K waiting list is down to zero. We have enrolled 200 more students in pre-school this year and are adding two dual language immersion pre-school classes.
• The Wraparound Center, housed at Trewyn School, and the Trauma Recovery Center, housed at Manual Academy, will provide therapeutic supports and resources to residents of the most distressed area of our city.
• Through The Every Student Initiative, every one of our K – 8^th grade students makes a curriculum-aligned visit to the Peoria Riverfront Museum once a year.
• Enrollment in Career Technical Education has increased 40 percent in the past two years.
  
  
  

Recently, a close friend asked me, “What do you envision for Peoria Public Schools?” It is a question I take very seriously and reflect upon at great length. I envision an education that is personalized; one where attainment is built on discovering the individual talents of each child. I envision a district that puts students in environments where they want to learn and can naturally discover their true interests.

As a district, we are intentionally seeking to redefine what it means to be ready for college, career and life beyond high school. Our pre-apprenticeship work, industry-credentialed work, dual-credit career pathways, service learning, advanced placement and similar efforts are helping us Redefine Ready for our students.

When students are given opportunities to pursue their interests through choice and learning paths, we are helping to guide them to a personalized educational journey. When we do this, discipline problems will continue to decline, and achievement and graduation rates will significantly improve.

I extend my gratitude to our countless community partners and the Peoria Public Schools staff for making our progress this year possible.

Click here to read the State of the Schools transcript.

Click here to download a special State of the Schools edition of The Remarkable Times. 

At this week’s PPS Board of Education meeting, Director of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Derrick Booth shared the following information about 61605-zip code, the part of Peoria served by Trewyn School, Manual Academy, Roosevelt Magnet School and Harrison Community Learning Center :

• The median household in 61605 is nearly $30,000 lower than that in the rest of Peoria.
• Life expectancy for males in 61605 is ten years less than for males in the rest of Peoria.
• According to the Economic Innovation Group Distress Index only one zip code in Illinois and 48 in the entire nation are more economically distressed than 61605.
• In 1980, 61605 was home to 26,458 Peorians and the population was approximately half white and half black. By 2014, the population had declined by 12,143, about 70 percent black and 30 percent white.
  
  

In human terms, these numbers translate to chronic trauma for 61605 families and children. The problems faced by families are huge: physical and mental health issues including depression, anxiety and substance abuse; issues of abuse, neglect, lack of love and care, abandonment, homelessness, malnutrition and the inability to access services and resources. As we were painfully reminded last weekend, loss of life from gun violence is real.

Our teachers see this every day. Trauma impacts children’s ability to concentrate or find joy in learning and achievement. The natural fight or flight instinct brought on by trauma engenders aggressiveness, bullying, disrespect and hopelessness.

The concept of wrap-around services PPS is establishing at Trewyn School addresses the causes and results of trauma and chronic crisis.  A key component of wrap-around services is a $1.1 million grant recently made to OSF Healthcare from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to fund a Trauma Recover Center (TRC). Working from Trewyn and Manual Academy, the TRC will serve the trauma recovery needs of victims of violent crime, including PPS students and their families.

In addition to trauma recovery, Trewyn School, in partnership with 19 (and growing) community organizations, will offer services in a wide-range of areas including:

• Physical, mental and emotional health and wellness;
• Basic needs such as food, clothing, housing assistance, access to technology and transportation;
• Financial education, job-search assistance, adult education, parenting classes;
• Before- and after-school programs and summer and school intercession programs;
• College and career transition assistance;
• Safety and justice services including legal aid, probation/parole services and personal safety training.
  
  

PPS administrators have studied the success of similar trauma recovery and wrap-around community service programs in California and Georgia. By providing workspace at Trewyn for organizations addressing a variety of needs, we will connect families to services quickly and efficiently.  Families in crisis, who frequently do not have transportation, will find help under one roof.  I believe this concept can move 61605 residents to lives of empowerment. 

It is important to note that the TRC and wrap-around services will not be offered exclusively to PPS families and students. The services based at Trewyn and Manual will be offered to any 61605 resident and residents from other parts of Peoria. 

For too long our schools have focused on only academic issues but successful adults must have healthy social and emotional skills to manage adversity. The Trewyn Therapeutic Program (TPP), which serves 107 students, is demonstrating how focusing on SEL can transform students’ lives. This program will also grow at the Trewyn site next school year. Check back here frequently for information on our wrap-around services at Trewyn.

Click here to watch a presentation from SEL Director Derrick Booth gives more details on wrap-around services.

Click here to download a presentation by Trewyn Principal Reneé Andrews on Trewyn Therapeutic Program (TTP).

During a meeting this week at Woodruff Career and Technical Center (WCTC), principal Michael Kuhn and his colleagues heard a loud and unusual noise coming from the second floor above his office.  He realized it was children riding tricycles in the hallway. This week WCTC welcomed 54 4- and 5-year old, as Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center (VHECEC) expands with help from a $700,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).  PPS building and grounds staff renovated the space on WCTC’s second floor beautifully, including a gross-motor room featuring a slide, climbing areas and tricycles for the hallways.  The WCTC pre-K has space to accommodate 100 children and we expect more students to attend following spring intercession.

Next fall, PPS will begin offering two dual-language immersion programs for pre-K students. The dual-language immersion program will be housed at VHECEC and accommodate 40 children. It will use a 50-50 model – half of the children will be first-language English and half will be first-language Spanish. Reading will be taught in Spanish to Spanish first-language students and in English to students whose first language is English. Math, science and social studies will be taught in both languages.  Two bilingual teachers will be assisted by two bilingual aides.

This is an exciting pilot program for PPS. Significant research indicates that students in dual-language immersion gain many benefits. According to The Center for Applied Linguistics and The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, students in dual immersion programs achieve:

• Better understanding of how language works, an important factor in developing reading comprehension skills;
• Fared better than monolinguistic students in tasks which required divergent thinking, pattern recognition and problem-solving;
• Showed a greater understanding, tolerance, appreciation and respect for other languages and cultures;
• Students in dual-language immersion programs have greater gains in reading skills.
  
  
  

Becoming proficient in two (or more) languages is unquestionably an advantage in the job market and even, according to research, appears to provide a barrier against Alzheimers Disease and other dementias later in life.  Our two dual-language immersion classrooms at VHECEC is a small first step toward helping students become truly multi-lingual.