Peoria Public Schools

25 student leaders from Manual, Peoria High, and Richwoods are stepping into advocacy! 👏

They took part in a training with Advance Illinois to prepare for a visit to the Illinois State Capitol, where they’ll join the Funding Illinois’ Future coalition to speak up for equitable school funding and resources for Peoria students.

We’re proud to see these future leaders using their voices to make an impact. 💙

Congratulations to our Kindergarten–4th grade Young Author winners! 📚

Every school participated, with students across the district submitting their stories. From those entries, these talented students were selected as this year’s Young Author winners! ✨

At last night’s Board of Education meeting, they received medals and certificates and shared the title of their book. We are so proud of their creativity and hard work! ✍️!

Rain 🌧️, snow ❄️, or shine ☀️, our crossing guards show up every day to keep our students safe. Please join us in thanking these dedicated team members for their years of service to our school community:

👏 Wendy Garnand – 18 years
👏 Charles Thomas – 12 years
👏 Percy Peyton – 11 years
👏 Michael Williams – 11 years
👏 Edward Banks – 9 years
👏 Matthew Baskin – 9 years
👏 Angela Combs – 9 years

🏆 Congratulations to our February Attendance Champions! 🎉

These students are showing up to glow up! 👏

Attendance Winners:
🥇 1st Place: Von Steuben Middle School
🥈 2nd Place: Glen Oak Community Learning Center
🥉 3rd Place: Manual High School

Chronic Absenteeism Leaders:
🥇 1st Place: Mark Bills Middle School
🥈 2nd Place: Von Steuben Middle School
🥉 3rd Place: Sterling Middle School

Keep up the great work!

Peoria High’s Preparatory School of the Arts students joined Sterling Middle School for their annual Paint Day! 🎨 High schoolers mentored middle schoolers on painting techniques while inspiring creativity and Lion pride through Ron Clark Academy's House system.

Thanks for hosting, Sterling! We can’t wait for next year!

RHS JROTC took on Colorado, competing against colleges across the country as the only high school team! 💪🇺🇸

Cadets trekked 20+ miles with weighted packs and climbed 8,000+ feet to a Boulder summit, finishing in 7 hours 55 minutes.

We are proud of their discipline and grit! Way to go, cadets! 👏

Our WCTC students competed in the ProStart Competition in Chicago, and they represented PPS incredibly well! 👏

🏆 Our Management Team took 1st place, marking 10 years in a row as state champions!
🍽️ Our Culinary Team earned 2nd place in the cooking competition.

Great job, chefs and students! We are proud of you! 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳🎉

Sometimes kids need support before a problem gets big. Changes in mood, focus, sleep, or worry can be a good time to check in.
Through our partnership with Cartwheel, PPS students and families have access to:
🧠 Licensed therapists and psychiatrists—no waitlist
🖥️ Virtual appointments available 8am-8pm Mon-Fri and some weekend hours, whenever works best for your family
🫶 Family guidance and parent support—because you don't have to navigate this alone
🗣️ Care available in English, Spanish, and other languages
✅ Free for families with Medicaid; in-network with many insurance plans
Learn more and get started: https://www.cartwheel.org/district/peoria-public-schools
Spread the word by liking or sharing this post!
#Cartwheel #MentalHealthSupport

To wrap up Read Across America Week, Dr. Wilson, President of the Board of Education, visited Elise Ford Allen Academy to read one of his favorite childhood books with students! 📚

There’s nothing like sharing a good story to spark a love for reading.

How did your school celebrate Read Across America Week? Drop your photos or favorite reading moments in the comments! We’d love to see them! 📖

Forge your future! Discover the welding career pathway at Woodruff Career and Technical Center. 🔧🔥
Learn more at www.psd150.org/nextlevel
#WoodruffCTC #NextLevelProgram #CareerReady #PPSProud

Our schools run smoothly thanks to the hard work and dedication of our amazing maintenance team! 🛠️ Thank you for all that you do!

The final Warrior Way Café of the 2025–26 school year was a huge success! 🍽️ The café was packed, and culinary students even welcomed a special visit from the Mark Bills Life Skills class. Great food and hands-on learning go hand in hand! 👏

🤝 At the Superintendent Roundtable, Mariah Cooley shared ways students and community members can help prevent gun violence in our schools and neighborhoods. 🗣️ Her message was simple and powerful: See something, say something.

Explore the Construction career pathway at Woodruff Career and Technical Center and start creating the spaces where futures begin.
Learn more at www.psd150.org/nextlevel
#WoodruffCTC #NextLevelProgram #CareerReady #PPSProud

Congratulations on advancing to regionals!

📚✏️ Reminder! Wednesday, March 4 is a SIP (School Improvement Plan) Day!

It’s a half day for all students, and there is no school for students at Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center.

Hats off to Fabian Daniels! 🎉

She’s one of just seven finalists chosen from nearly 100 school leaders across Illinois for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership. 🌟

We’re so proud to see her leadership recognized! 👏

🍽️ This Thursday, March 5th, at the Warrior Way Café: cozy up with tomato basil soup, cheesy lasagna, and finish sweet with Limoncello layer cake! 😋

Don’t forget to snap a picture with our WCTC Bison 🦬 before you dig in! We’d love to see your café moments! 📸✨