Sterling Middle School

Good Afternoon, Jaguar Families!

Just a reminder that we are on spring break. School will resume on Monday, April 13 at 7:30 am. We hope all our students and families enjoy the break and stay safe. When we return April 13, we will be nearing the end and need to be sure that we stay focused and finish strong.

Congratulations to our 7th grade Spelling Bee School Winner:
We are so proud of Jhecob, a 7th grader at Sterling Middle School for moving on to the Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 28th. He will be competing against students from many different schools. Good luck Jhecob! We know you will do great and represent Sterling well.

Spring Break Choice Board Challenge:
Just a reminder there will be no school March 30-April 10 due to Spring Break. We encourage all our students to participate in our Spring Challenge and complete 6 items off the Choice Board. Students should have brought a hard copy of the choice board home so they can choose what activities they want to complete over break.

Track for Boys and Girls:
Congratulations to all the boys and girls that made the track team. Coach Hess will be connecting with students and families when he is holding practices. The first meet will be at the Stadium on April 15th.

Soccer for Girls and Boys:
Congratulations to all the boys and girls that made the soccer team. The girls and boys that made the team both received handouts for the soccer schedules and an information sheet on how to communicate with Coach DJ about any upcoming practices or games. The first game will be on April 15th. The girls’ game is at 4:30 and the boys’ game will be at 5:30 on field 3.

Attention all 8th grade parents…. Log onto School Links and approve your child’s course planner for high school:
We still need quite a few of our 8th grade parents to log into School Links and approve your 8th graders course plan for high school. Please make sure you click on the newsletter link and follow the directions for School Links listed in the newsletter. We need our 8th grade parents to log into School Links and look at the course planner and approve your child’s high school schedule. If you have questions, please reach out to our counselor Mrs. Ahmad at casey.ahmad@psd150.org.

Future Teacher Club Meeting:
On Thursday, our Future Teacher Club will be meeting with Ms. Mullen after school from 2:30-4:00. Students that participate in this club will need to make sure they have transportation arranged to be picked up at 4:00.

Please click on the link below for this upcoming week’s newsletter for additional information for the week April 13-17, 2026:
https://peoriapublicschoolsil.edurooms.com/engage/sterling-middle-school/newsletters/parent-spotlight-news-volume-30-april-13-17-2026

Enjoy your break and be safe. Hopefully we will see sunshine and warmer temperatures so we can enjoy being outside over break. We will see everyone back on Monday, April 13th at 7:30 to be our best and finish the year strong.

What's coming for the week of March 23-27, 2026:

7 Mindsets Out of Uniform Days:
Monday- Attitude of Gratitude- Crazy Socks - Time to be silly with your crazy socks!
Tuesday- Everything is Possible- Dress as your Future Self - Show us what you want to be in the future!
Wednesday- We are Connected- Wear your house colors! - Show up in house colors to celebrate your house family!
Thursday- 100% Accountable- Mismatch Day - Embrace your unique self!
Friday- The Time is Now- Pajama Day - Enjoy a day being thankful for rest!

Track Tryouts for Boys and Girls:
This week we will be holding track tryouts for boys on Tuesday March 24 from 2:45-4:30. Girls’ track tryouts will be Thursday, March 26th from 2:45-4:30.

Soccer Tryouts for Girls and Boys:
This week we will be holding soccer tryouts. Girls’ soccer tryouts will be on Tuesday March 24 and Wednesday, March 25th from 2:45-4:00. Boys’ soccer tryouts will be Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25th from 4:00-5:15.

Congratulations to Ms. Matos:
Ms. Matos is a 5th grade ELA teacher at Sterling. This is her 5th year at Sterling. Ms. Matos has been recognized by ISBE for the Those Who Excel Award Teacher of the Year Special Recognition. Congratulations! We are so proud of her for this achievement. Ms. Matos goes above and beyond for her students every day to provide her students with a collaborative and fun way to bring learning to life in her classroom instruction.

Attention all 8th grade parents…. Log onto School Links and approve your child’s course planner for high school:
We still need quite a few of our 8th grade parents to log into School Links and approve your 8th graders course plan for high school. Please make sure you click on the newsletter link and follow the directions for School Links listed in the newsletter. We need our 8th grade parents to log into School Links and look at the course planner and approve your child’s high school schedule. If you have questions, please reach out to our counselor Mrs. Ahmad at casey.ahmad@psd150.org.

Future Teacher Club Meeting:
On Thursday, our Future Teacher Club will be meeting with Ms. Mullen after school from 2:30-4:00. Students that participate in this club will need to make sure they have transportation arranged to be picked up at 4:00.

Spring Break:
Just a reminder there will be no school March 30-April 10 due to Spring Break. We encourage all our students to participate in our Spring Challenge and complete 6 items off the Choice Board. Students will bring a hard copy of the choice board home on Monday so they can start planning what activities they want to complete over break.

Please click on the link below for this upcoming week’s newsletter for additional information for the week March 23-27, 2026:
https://peoriapublicschoolsil.edurooms.com/engage/sterling-middle-school/newsletters/parent-spotlight-news-volume-29-march-23-27-2026

Get ready for our Spring Break Challenge...

👏🎵Keeping our schools in tune and on tempo. We appreciate our music directors today! Thank you for all that you do! 👏🎵

Important Reminders for the Week of March 16-20, 2026:

Track Tryouts are Coming: Save the Date:
March 24- Girls tryouts from 2:45-4:30
March 26- Boys tryouts from 2:45-4:30

Soccer Tryouts are Coming: Save the Date:
March 24- Girls Soccer Tryouts 2:45-4:00; Boys Tryouts 4:00-5:15
March 25- Girls Soccer Tryouts 2:45-4:00; Boys Tryouts 4:00-5:15

Report Cards for Quarter 3:
Every child should have brought home their quarter 3 report card on Friday. If for some reason you did not see it you can log into Skyward and access your child’s grades or please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Lane at lynn.lane@psd150.org for another copy.

Attendance Matters:
Thank you to all our families we are seeing improvements in reducing out chronic absenteeism rate. Sterling is currently at 20.95%. Our goal is to get below 20% and maintain that by the end of the year. Remember attendance matters! We need our kids here on time every day to be set up for success and to be their best. I believe in our Jaguars and families, and I know that we can meet our goal.

IAR and ISA Science Testing:
We had a full week of testing and are starting to wrap up the IAR testing. We will be finishing 5th grade testing this week and getting all IAR make up tests completed if a student missed one of their testing sessions. We will also start our ISA state science testing for 5th and 8th grade. We know this is a lot for our kids, but they are working so hard and really trying. We are proud of them and how hard they are working. We can’t wait to be done so we can celebrate their hard work with some nachos, hot chips, and sweet treats!

Weekly Information for the Week of March 9-13, 2026:

Daylight Savings Time:
Don't forget to set your clock ahead 1 hour. We need to SPING forward.

IAR Testing:
I am so proud of our students that have started the IAR testing this past week. Students have been getting to school on time, staying focused, and continuing to persevere even during challenging times. We know so many tests can be overwhelming and hard for ou7r kids, but we believe in our students and are proud of their effort. This upcoming week we will be wrapping up the 6th and 8th grade testing and 5th, and 7th graders will start testing throughout this week.

Cognia Parent Survey:
Thank you to those that completed the parent survey. The Cognia parent survey is still open, and I challenge our parents if you have not completed the survey to do so and strive to beat our goal and reach a 30% participation rate. We need your input to help make improvements to our school. Your feedback from this survey is critical to helping us with the plan for next year and continuing to make improvements. Please click on the newsletter link for the link to the Cognia parent survey. We appreciate your help and support.

Cartwheel is available through Peoria Public Schools:
If your child is struggling with anxiety, having a hard time staying focused, or could benefit from extra support, Cartwheel is here to help. Many families reach out to ask questions or get advice before a challenge becomes bigger. We are proud to partner with Cartwheel to provide access to mental health support for the students and families in our community via virtual therapy and family guidance with licensed clinicians.

Attention all 8th grade parents…. Log onto School Links and approve your child’s course planner for high school:
We still need quite a few of our 8th grade parents to log into School Links and approve your 8th graders course plan for high school. Please make sure you click on the newsletter link and follow the directions for School Links listed in the newsletter. We need our 8th grade parents to log into School Links and look at the course planner and approve your child’s high school schedule. If you have questions, please reach out to our counselor Mrs. Ahmad at casey.ahmad@psd150.org.

School Board Recognition:
We are so excited that our Boys’ Varsity Basketball team will be recognized Monday night at 6:30 at the school board meeting for being the City Champs! Shout out to Coach T and our Varsity Boys’ team for a great season and BIG win to end the basketball season.

Girls Volleyball Practice and Games this week:
Tuesday- There will be an AWAY game at Annie Jo. The JV game starts at 4:00 and the varsity game will follow.
Thursday- There will be a HOME game vs Lincoln. The JV game starts at 3:45. The 8th grade girls will be recognized after the JV game and before the Varsity game begins.

Future Teacher Club Meeting:
On Thursday, our Future Teacher Club will be meeting with Ms. Mullen after school from 2:30-4:00. Students that participate in this club will need to make sure they have transportation arranged to be picked up at 4:00.

Please click on the link below for this upcoming week’s newsletter for additional information for the week March 9-13, 2026:   
https://peoriapublicschoolsil.edurooms.com/engage/sterling-middle-school/newsletters/parent-spotlight-news-volume-27-march-9-13-2026

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

💙 This week, we celebrate the remarkable school social workers of Peoria Public Schools who support our students’ academic success, emotional well-being, and overall growth every single day!

Join us in saying THANK YOU and write a word of encouragement in the comments!

March 2-6 Updates for this Week:

IAR Testing:
The time has come we will be kicking off IAR testing across all grade levels this week. It is important that your child is here on time every day! We know that these state tests can be frustrating and overwhelming, but we will be taking brain breaks between testing sessions so that our students can relax and reset their minds to be in the right mindset for the test. It is important that students eat breakfast before they test so they are charged and ready to be focused. We know our students can reach proficiency and beyond, and we cannot wait to see how they perform. Please make sure your child is getting a good night’s sleep so they are rested and ready to be their best.

Cognia Parent Survey:
Thank you to those that completed the parent survey. Thank you, thank you! We reached our 20% goal. I challenge our parents if you have not completed the survey to do so and let’s see if we can reach a 30% participation rate. We need your input to help make improvements to our school. Your feedback from this survey is critical to helping us with the plan for next year and continuing to make improvements. Students have received their OUT of UNIFORM DAY on MONDAY, MARCH 2nd because of your parent support helping us reach our goal!  Students will be able to wear a hoodie on Monday, Pajamas, or whatever their favorite style is. Help us strive to reach a goal of 30% and take the survey today.

PARENT 2026 SURVEY link:
https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Feprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org%2Fsurveys%2F%23%2Faction%2F299851%2Fp692&data=05%7C02%7CLYNN.LANE%40PSD150.ORG%7C35ad6a800c964faa9f3c08de6494d511%7C90592b52d760466fbb253098a7cf80e0%7C0%7C0%7C639058787561120164%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=eBBn5E7oI%2FXHzPRbJbyd%2FXEOuXFBTzFHQtQ5OdonvSo%3D&reserved=0

Out of Uniform Day- Monday, March 2:
We reached our Parent Cognia survey goal so students can be out of uniforms non Monday, March 2nd. Students will be allowed to wear hoodies if they choose.

Attention all 8th grade parents…. Log onto School Links and approve your child’s course planner for high school:
Please make sure you click on the newsletter link and follow the directions for School Links listed in the newsletter. We need our 8th grade parents to log into School Links and look at the course planner and approve your child’s high school schedule. If you have questions, please reach out to our counselor Mrs. Ahmad at casey.ahmad@psd150.org.

Girls Volleyball Practice and Games this week:
Monday- JV practice will be from 2:45-4:15. Varsity practice is from 4:15-5:30.
Tuesday- There will be a home game vs Rolling Acres. The JV game starts at 3:45 and the varsity game will follow.

Future Teacher Club Meeting:
On Thursday, our Future Teacher Club will be meeting with Ms. Mullen after school from 2:30-4:00. Students that participate in this club will need to make sure they have transportation arranged to be picked up at 4:00.

Please click on the link below for this upcoming week’s newsletter for additional information for the week February 23-27, 2026:   
https://peoriapublicschoolsil.edurooms.com/engage/sterling-middle-school/newsletters/parent-spotlight-news-volume-26-march-2-6-2026

Mark your calendars…Friday, February 27 will be HOUSE colors day. Students may be out of uniform and dress in their house colors.

This week we focused on IAR practice tests. Students went to the testing labs and took the practice test for IAR for ELA and Math. We do realize that sometimes big tests like this create test anxiety and are difficult for our students. We are hoping that by creating the practice test sessions will help eliminate some of the “unknowns” for our students and help them to be more relaxed when completing the “real” IAR test for the state. This helped us to determine some skill strands that we need to review before the upcoming test to make sure our students have the tools and are prepared to do their best. This year we are focusing on reaching for proficiency and beyond!

Cognia Parent Survey:
Thank you to those that completed the parent survey. We are making progress, but we are still working to meet our 20% goal. We need your input to help make improvements for our school. Your feedback from this survey is critical to helping us with the plan for next year and continuing to make improvements. If we reach our 20% parent survey goal, we will have an out of uniform day to celebrate parental involvement. Students will be able to wear a hoodie that day, pjs or whatever their favorite style is. Help us reach our goal and take the survey today.

Attention all 8th grade parents…. Log onto School Links and approve your child’s course planner for high school:
Please make sure you click on the newsletter link and follow the directions for School Links listed in the newsletter. We need our 8th grade parents to log into School Links and look at the course planner and approve your child’s high school schedule. If you have questions, please reach out to our counselor Mrs. Ahmad at casey.ahmad@psd150.org.

Girls Volleyball Practice and Games this week:
Tuesday- JV practice will be from 2:45-4:15. Varsity practice is from 4:15-5:30.
Wednesday- AWAY game at Reservoir Gifted- JV game starts at 3:45 and the Varsity game will follow.
Thursday- AWAY game at Harold B Dawson- this is a change in the original schedule. The JV game will start at 3:45 and the Varsity game will follow.
Friday- JV practice will be from 2:45-4:15. Varsity practice is from 4:15-5:30.

Future Teacher Club Meeting:
On Thursday, our Future Teacher Club will be meeting with Ms. Mullen after school from 2:30-4:00. Students that participate in this club will need to make sure they have transportation arranged to be picked up at 4:00.

Please click on the link below for this upcoming week’s newsletter for additional information for the week February 23-27, 2026:
https://peoriapublicschoolsil.edurooms.com/engage/sterling-middle-school/newsletters/parent-spotlight-news-volume-25-february-23-27-2026

Last Call for the Peoria County Chess Championship !!! Saturday, February 21, 2026 Hosted by Mark W. Bills Middle School Sponsored by Peoria County Regional Office of Education & Greater Peoria Chess ***Students must attend a Peoria County Public or Private school*** https://www.kingregistration.com/event/PeoriaCounty26 $5 Entry at the door (PPS playsFree) Doors Open 8am Registration Open until 8:45am First Round 9:30am All other rounds ASAP 6 Sections - Swiss System K-3 - 5 Rounds - G30/5d 4-5 - 5 Rounds - G30/5d Junior High 6, 7, & 8 - 4 Rounds - G30/5d High School 9-12 - 4 Rounds - G30/5d Awards top 10 in each division (K-3, 4-5, 6, 7, & 😎 Top 5 HS. Biggest upset in each division. Top 3 teams in each division K-3, 4-5, 6-8, HS)

Cognia Parent Survey:
It is that time of year again for the Parent Cognia survey. We need your input to help make improvements and grow our school. Your feedback from this survey is critical to helping us with the plan for next year and continuing to make improvements. If we reach our 20% parent survey goal, we will have an out of uniform day to celebrate parental involvement. Students will be able to wear a hoodie that day, PJs or whatever their favorite style is. Help us reach our goal and take the survey today. PARENT SURVEY link: 2026 PARENT SURVEY

Parent University Family Night at Sterling:
Please come out and join us for a fun night this Thursday, February 12 from 4:30-6:30. Our parent university family night will be featuring black history month exhibits, a living museum by our 6th graders, testing information and tips, guest readers, basket giveaways, and much more. We can’t wait to share all the positives that have been happening and provide a fun night for the whole family. Please scan the QR code to RSVP today.

Congratulations to our 5th-8th graders that represented Sterling at the Science Convention on Thursday at Woodruff:

Boys’ Varsity Basketball Tournament Schedule:
Monday- The Varsity team will play at 5:10 at Woodruff.
Wednesday- The game time will depend on the outcome of the game on Monday. We will either play for 3rd/4th place at 4:00 or for 1st/2nd place at 5:15 PM at Woodruff.

Girls Volleyball Practice this week:
Tuesday- JV practice will be from 2:45-4:15. Varsity practice is from 4:15-5:30.
Wednesday- JV practice will be from 2:45-4:15. Varsity practice is from 4:15-5:30.
Friday- JV practice will be from 2:45-4:15. Varsity practice is from 4:15-5:30.

Future Teacher Club Meeting:
On Thursday, our Future Teacher Club will be meeting with Ms. Mullen after school from 2:30-4:00. Students that participate in this club will need to make sure they have transportation arranged to be picked up at 4:00.

Please click on the link below for this upcoming week’s newsletter for additional information for the week February 9-13, 2026:
https://peoriapublicschoolsil.edurooms.com/engage/sterling-middle-school/newsletters/parent-spotlight-newsletter-volume-23-february-9-13-2026

🚸🦺Thank you to our PPS crossing guards for protecting our students and making safety a priority every single day!

This weekend is going to be big! Three tournements in one location! Thank you to the Lincoln K8 School for being such a gracious host. PFT/PPS Championship ***PPS Students ONLY*** https://www.kingregistration.com/event/PFTPPS26 This is a K-12 Tournament!!! Come and be named the top PPS player. Doors open at 8am First Round at 9:30am Greater Peoria Chess Peoria Federation of Teachers Local 780 Peoria Public Schools District 150

Cold day? WCTC Culinary students got you covered ❄️➡️🔥 Chili mac & cheese, cornbread, potato skins, and a delicious brookie (brownie + cookie!) are being served at the award-winning Warrior Way Café this Thursday!