Happy Holidays!

Peoria Public Schools will close for winter break on Friday, December 21. Students will be dismissed one-hour early. Classes will resume on Monday, January 7.

Second annual AR contest: Snow is Falling, Books are Calling

This holiday break be sure to leave time for your student to participate in Peoria Public Schools K - 8 Snow is Falling, Books are Calling Accelerated Reader Contest. Just 15 to 30 minutes of reading each day can make an enormous difference in your student’s reading ability and academic success!

5Essential survey opens to teachers, students, parents

The annual 5Essentials survey is a diagnostic assessment of a school's culture and climate. It is designed to identify organizational strengths and areas of opportunity on the five essential factors that drive school improvement.

PPS launches Online Academy

Peoria Public Schools Online Academy, offering virtual learning coursework, will launch in January 2019. Through Online Academy, Peoria Public School middle and secondary coursework will be available online to current Peoria Public School students and to home-schooled students, students enrolled in parochial or private schools and even to students residing outside the district’s geographical boundaries.

23 students receive diplomas at KCSS mid-year commencement

Twenty-three Peoria Public School students received high school diplomas at the Knoxville Center for Student Success (KCSS) mid-year graduation celebration on December 14. KCSS students represent Peoria Public School three traditional high schools -- Manual Academy, Peoria High School and Richwoods High School.

Second annual Schoolhouse Open set for January 26

It's time to round up your team members for the 2019 Schoolhouse Open, Saturday, January 26, 2019, beginning at 11 a.m. The combination mini-golf tournament/pub crawl through Peoria's Warehouse District raised over $2,500 for the Peoria Public Schools Foundation in its first year. "We are so lucky to have an energized and philaqnthropic downt6own business community to support this effort," says Dan Adler, Peoria Public Schools Board of Education president and event organizer. "The success of last year's event is allowing us to grow in terms of participants and sponsors."

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See It -- Be It helps students visualize careers

Champion athletes often mentally visualize themselves making the perfect jump shot, line drive or tennis serve. They know that visualizing success can make success a reality. The same concept drives Align Peoria’s See It – Be It K-5 Career Awareness pilot program. As the first semester of the pilot winds down, See It – Be It is helping Peoria Public School kindergarten through 5th grade students visualize career success.

Hour of Code introduces computer coding skills

According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, professions requiring computer coding skills such as web, software and database developers, game designers and animators will experience significant growth in the coming decade, adding an estimated half-million jobs by 2016. In preparation, Peoria Public School teachers and students joined millions of others worldwide in participating in Hour of Code, December 3 – 7.

Northmoor annual event raises money for St. Jude

Northmoor Primary School students and staff held its 15th Annual Aaron Hunter Cuddle Compassion Day on December 10. The event honors Northmoor student Aaron Hunter, who died on December 10, 2004 after battling neuroblastoma and raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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Manual Academy students participate in Hamilton Education Project

Sixty Manual Academy juniors traveled to Chicago to watch a live performance of Hamilton last week, the culmination of their participation in the Gilder Lehrman Institute Hamilton Education Program. The national program requires students to research the United States Founding era using primary sources and use their findings to create performance pieces, following the example of Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda.

Jamieson School to host Parent University for families of special needs students

Robert A. Jamieson School will host a Peoria Public School Parent University on January 17, 2019, 5 to 7 p.m., to address the needs of parents of special needs students. The program will focus on Life Skills classes, DC and MCA classes and Autism classes. Breakout sessions will present information on Using Speech and Communication Devices, Meeting the Sensory Needs of Students and Music Therapy.

PPS Foundation hosts 365 Breakfast January 10

Peoria Public Schools Foundation will host its 4th Annual 365 Breakfast, Thursday, January 10, 7:15 a.m. at the Woodruff Career and Technical Center (WCTC), 1800 N.E. Perry in Peoria.

Safety officers, Little Free Pantries, Round Table collect donations for PPS families

Many Peoria Public School families face shortages of food and basic hygiene and household supplies. PPS staff and community members step up to help.

Severe weather reminders

The Peoria Public Schools strives to keep schools open for students during the year. In times of inclement weather – primarily snow, ice or extreme cold – the decision to open or close the schools is based on current and anticipated weather and road conditions that will affect families during school hours.