Peoria Public Schools
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Boundary waiver applications available until Feb. 21
The window for applying for boundary waivers is open until Friday, February 21, 2020.
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Dunphy nominated for 2020 National AD of the Year
Peoria High School Athletic and Activities Director Brien Dunphy is a finalist in the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) 2020 National Athletic Director of the Year. Dunphy is one of eight finalists nationwide.
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First YBE year draws enthusiastic players, parents, volunteers and donors
In Field of Dreams, a child’s mantra, “If you build it, they will come,” became prophetic. A.J. Guyton’s first year as Peoria Public Schools Athletic Director is following a similar path. At the January 13 Board of Education meeting, Guyton gave a summary of the District’s successful, inaugural primary-grade Youth Basketball Experience (YBE) citing impressive numbers of participants, donors, volunteers, spectators and funds raised through donations, gate receipts and concession sales.
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5Essentials Survey open for parents and teachers
Please take the time to respond to the 5Essentials survey, which will only take a few minutes to complete. Your responses will help Peoria Public Schools dig into data, formulate strategic actions and track improvement.
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Nationally recognized early childhood expert, Manual grad keynotes 365 breakfast
Dr. Marquita Furness Davis, Manual High School Class of 1985 was the keynote speaker at the Peoria Public Schools Foundation 5th Annual 365 Breakfast.
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Anonymous donor brightens holiday for Wraparound Center - OSF Strive client
Linda Williams lost her son, John Bell III, in April 2017, an innocent victim of random gun violence. Williams is raising four of her eight grandchildren, Peoria Public School students ranging in age from nine to four.Battling stress and severe depression over the loss of her son, Williams reached out to the Wraparound Center for help in October 2018 shortly after they opened its doors.
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Creating Super Readers focus of literacy presentation
Peoria Public Schools welcomed literacy expert and motivational speaker Pam Allyn, senior vice president of innovation and development for Scholastic Education this week. She has written 26 books for educators, leaders and families about reading, writing and quality learning including Every Child a Super Reader with Ernest Morrell.
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Peoria Public Schools make attendance gains
Harrison Community Learning Center, Franklin Primary School and Sterling Middle School earned the top three Most Improved Attendance awards at the December 9 Board of Education meeting. The Peoria Public School district average for November 2019 was 92.5 percent and five schools made the 95 percent club: Kellar Primary, Washington Gifted Middle School, Lindbergh Middle School and Northmoor Primary School.
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Rolling Acres Career Day presents wide variety of professions
Representing an impressive diversity of professions, twenty central Illinois professionals visited Rolling Acres Middle School this week for Career Day. Students heard from a sports reporter and college athletic marketing professional, a hair stylist and tattoo artist, a neuroscientist and an x-ray technician, a school psychologist, police officer and fire fighter, numerous engineers, a mortician and the owner of a septic system company. The day ended with a visit by a retired major league baseball player.
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Metamora students give gift of literacy to Peoria Public School primary students; win Community Contribution Award
Peoria Public School board and administrators awarded Metamora Township High School (MTHS) its Community Contribution Award on Monday, November 11 in recognition for a big boost MTHS students gave the district’s Little Free Library October book drive as part of the school’s 2019 Homecoming festivities.
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Eighth-grade students audition for PSA
Peoria Public School 8th-grade students auditioned for The Preparatory School for the Arts (PSA) at Peoria High School this week. PSA faculty traveled to each building with 8th-grade students this week to meet students interested in the orchestra, band, drama, dance, choral and visual arts programs. The PSA provides a college-prep curriculum with a focus on more intensive, advanced study of these disciplines. Eighth-grade students within PPS boundaries can audition for admittance to PSA.
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Students hear personal stories of the Holocaust at Riverfront Museum
“My mother was born in Berlin in 1927,” Julie Luner told Mark Bills Middle School 6th grade students gathered in a classroom at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. “My mom and her family had a good life.” Luner, a volunteer docent from the Jewish Federation of Peoria, showed the students black and white photographs of her mother and aunt as small children and another of the girls and their father in a canoe. That idyllic childhood began to unravel when Adolph Hitler was elected in 1933. Luner emphasized to the students that Hitler came to power as Chancellor of Germany through a democratic election. “That’s one lesson I want you to take away today,” she told students. “Your vote matters. When you’re 18, go vote.”
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Peoria Public Schools observe Career & Technical Education month in February
Posted by Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat on 2/19/2020 1:00:00 PMFebruary is Career and Technical Education (CTE) month and as Woodruff Career and Technical Center (WCTC) approaches its tenth year of operation, it is a great time to review the advances CTE has made in the Peoria Public Schools.
WCTC now has 12 programs for PPS high school juniors and seniors:
- Auto Body
- Barbering
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Construction
- Construction Work-based Learning
- Cosmetology
- Criminal Justice
- Culinary Arts
- Fire Science
- Hair Braiding
- IT/Coding
- Orientation to Health Careers
WCTC initially offered nine programs. Two have been absorbed into curriculum offerings at Manual Academy, Peoria High School and Richwoods High School. Principal Michael Kuhn hopes to add programs in sustainable energy and landscape design in coming years.
Currently, 400 students from the other three high schools and Knoxville Center for Student Success (KCSS) attend WCTC. The curriculum has been developed with input from industry representatives. For example, the Construction program uses curriculum from the carpenter union training program. Programs are taught by experienced instructors. Students earn industry-recognized credentials and dual credit from Illinois Central College. In addition, students learn crucial soft-skills for employment such as communication, teamwork and customer-service.
This school year, 62 WCTC students are participating in internships and 23 are employed in career-pathway jobs. Last year, 305 WCTC students earned industry certificates, an increase of 56 percent over the school’s first year. Eight 2019 WCTC graduates are currently employed with West Central Illinois Building Trade Unions.
WCTC is preparing students to graduate and enter lucrative, dynamic careers in industries with solid job growth perspectives – careers that don’t require a four-year college degree. No other school district in central Illinois is offering these career options for their high school students, and we should be proud of Woodruff for leading the charge.
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Primary students observe World Read Aloud Day
Posted by Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat on 2/7/2020 1:00:00 PMPeoria Public School kindergarten through 8th grade students observed World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday, February 5. World Read Aloud Day began ten years ago to celebrate the joy of reading and sharing stories.
Students at Northmoor and Thomas Jefferson Primary schools and Trewyn K-8 School enjoyed a visit from Clifford the Big Red Dog on Wednesday. At Northmoor and Thomas Jefferson, Richwoods High School students Sean Smith and Kaiden Rixner accompanied Clifford to read to students.
At Whittier Primary School Bradley Braves soccer players visited to read to students, and at Glen Oak Community Learning Center principal Carly Emken and assistant principals Megan McGann, Michael McGovern and Ilethea Suggs visited classrooms dressed as Dr. Seuss characters and read aloud to students.
Kellar Primary School and its PTO has hosted Guest Reader Week for over two decades. Each day during the first full week of February, civic leaders, media representatives and business professionals visit the school to read to a Kellar classroom. Books for Guest Reader Week are purchased by the PTO and chosen to reflect an aspect of each guest reader’s profession. This gives guest readers the chance to tell students about their professional background. Guest readers this year included meteorologist Chuck Collins, Illinois state representative Ryan Spain, tv journalist H. Wayne Wilson and City Councilwoman Beth Jensen.
At schools throughout the district, teachers, administrators and volunteers took a break from the normal classroom routine to share a story. We encourage parents to help their children read at least 20 minutes each day at home, especially reading aloud, which creates a special time and memories for you and your child.
