Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Good morning PBL Junior High School.

2nd Qtr. Midterm: Today 2nd Qtr. Midterms are posted to Skyward for students and families to view. 2nd Qtr. Midterms will be mailed home before leaving for Thanksgiving Break next week.

Advisory Cool Tool: More and more of us struggle with mental wellness, but there is a surprising way to increase happiness and to combat stress, low energy, and poor sleep. It is called gratitude. Unfortunately, being grateful can actually be harder than it sounds. During Advisory today on Wednesday, November 20th students will talk about gratitude and what it means to show gratitude to those who impact them in positive ways. The Cool Tool is posted to the daily announcements and we have also listed it here for advisory teachers and classes to cover: Josten's All-In Gratitude

Red Ribbon Poster Contest: The results of the Student Council Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest are in. For the winning Advisory Classes prizes will be delivered before we go on Thanksgiving Break.

  • 6th grade winning advisory is Mrs. McMahon

  • 7th grade winning advisory is Mrs. Reber

  • 8th grade winning advisory is Miss Soto

  • The overall winner is Mrs. K Harrison's 7th grade advisory 

Speech Team: The Speech Team awards ceremony will be held Friday, November 22nd during 9th hour study hall. Students should first report to their 9th hour for attendance before meeting in Miss Young’s room (709).

Attendance Reminders: As we enter the second half of the second quarter there are a few attendance reminders for our student body.

  1. Any student with 7 or more absences is on track to become a chronic absentee (17.5 or more absences). As students do their attendance checks each Monday, set a goal to stay under 17.5 absences for the remainder of the year.

  2. Tardies: If students receive 12 or more tardies for the quarter they will serve 5 consecutive lunch and lunch recess detentions. When students check their attendance also check your tardies to see how many you have accrued over the quarter and make a plan to stay under three per week and 12 for the quarter.  

Rebecca Caudill Reading Challenge: Don't forget that you can participate in the Rebecca Caudill Reading Challenge! The Rebecca Caudill Award is a student choice award for the state of Illinois - the books are nominated by students, teachers, and librarians and students are the ones that choose the best book on the list every year. After you read a book on the list, see Miss Bruens to fill out your form. Students have until April 17th to complete the challenge. Teachers can and are encouraged to participate too! Stop in the library to check out one of these great books and join the challenge! 

6th, 7th, & 8th grade Girls Volleyball: 6th, 7th and 8th grade girls - volleyball sign ups are now available outside of Mrs. Toohill's office and Coach Harrison's classroom.  Please make sure you have an updated sports physical and insurance waiver before tryouts.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Student Group: FCA meets every Wednesday at 7:30am in room 608.

Yearbooks: Orders for this year's yearbook are due by April 17, 2025. Yearbooks are $20 and you can place an order online or pay by check or cash. We will have the order forms here soon in the main office. If you would like to order online please go to the following website at https://inter-state.com/order and type in the code 91120X.

LEGO League Open House: Our LEGO League Team is hosting an Open House on Thursday, November 21st at 5:30pm in Computer Lab 122 and the Library. The theme this year is Submerged. During the Submerged season, Lego League teams will use creative thinking and LEGO technology to explore the layers of the ocean and bring their learnings and ideas to the surface as they “sea” into the future.  First LEGO League introduces STEM to students through fun, exciting hands-on learning. Students gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program, helping today’s students build a better future. First LEGO League inspires young people to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills through hands-on STEM learning and robotics. The PBL JH LEGO League Team will  be competing on Saturday, December 7th at the Engineering and Computer Sciences Building located at 306 N. Wright St. in Urbana, IL. Good luck to Coach Pippin (Clara Peterson Librarian) and the LEGO League Team.

JH Musical - Seussical Jr. the Musical:  This week our students in the JH Musical will be practicing and rehearsing each night leading up to the opening night on Friday, November 22nd at 7:00pm in the PBL High School Gymnasium.  Monday through Thursday the musical will have full rehearsals in the high school gym from 5:30-8:15pm.  On Thursday the dress rehearsal will be like the performance for the actual show.  For special guests the doors will open for seating at 6:30pm and the dress rehearsal will start at 7:00pm. 

Friday & Saturday Performances:  On Friday and Saturday, students will arrive at 5:30pm just as they have all week. 

  • The show will begin at 7:00pm and the doors open for seating at 6:30pm. 

  • Tickets will be sold at the door. $5.00 each, cash only. Children 3 and under are free. Again, all revenue from ticket sales will go to help fund next year's musical! Please invite all your friends and family.  It would be great to see JH staff attend and students so love to staff at their events.

  • There will be a concession stand run by the parent boosters.  All revenue from concessions will go to the parent booster club.

Sunday Performance:  On Sunday, students will arrive at 2:00pm for the matinee show.

  • Students are called at 12:30. Doors will open at 1:30 and the show begins at 2:00.

  • Immediately following the show, ALL cast and crew will have assignments to clean up and put the school back as it should be for classes on Monday. Students are not allowed to leave until their area has been completely cleaned and inspected by Ms. Bonnewell.

  • Once cleanup is completed, there will be a cast party in the Commons Area that is being organized by the parent booster club. This will be from 4:00-5:00pm or as soon as clean up is completed.  Students not attending the celebration will be picked up at the Commons Area doors and/or the front of the JH.

  • Parent volunteers will help set up and work the buffet at the cast party in the Commons Area.

At this time, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

and to the republic for which it stands,

one nation under God, Indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all.

At this time, we will now pause for a moment of silence and reflection.

Thought of the Day: Have a great Wednesday, Panthers-

Jostens All In: Gratitude

More and more of us struggle with mental wellness, but there is a surprising way to increase happiness and to combat stress, low energy, and poor sleep: gratitude. Unfortunately, being grateful can actually be harder than it sounds. During Advisory on Wednesday, November 20th students will talk about gratitude and what it means to show gratitude to those who impact them in positive ways.

Jostens All In: Commitment

During Advisory on Wednesday, November 13th students will talk about what it means to be "All in" in all aspects of life. Being “All In” comes from the idea that you put it all on the table-you know what’s important to you, and you’re willing to go the extra mile to make it happen. Whether you are all in for your friendships, family, school, sports, or personal goal, it starts with small actions and habits. Over time those investments turn into something bigger.

Veteran's Day Ceremony

On Monday, November 11th the high school band will be holding Veterans Day Ceremonies for grade school students at Clara Peterson Elementary (8:30am & 2 Performances) & for high school students, junior high students, and community members at PBL High School.  The PBL High School, PBL Junior High School & Community Veterans Day Ceremony will be at 10:30am in the PBL HS Gymnasium.  On Thursday, November 7th Advisory classes will be covering a Cool Tool for Veterans Day.  Below is the Veterans Day performance schedule and our plan is to have the bell system to ring accordingly.  We will call grades levels one-by-one to dismiss to the high school gym starting at 10:15am.

Be Present, Be Powerful

On Wednesday, November 6th during advisory all Ford County schools will be talking about the connection between attendance as a student and how it translates to attendance in the workplace.

School Wide Expectations

On Wednesday, October 30th during advisory, students will be reviewing the school wide expectations. The Cool Tool will review expectations in the lunch room, hallways, bathrooms, bus, extra curricular activities and more.

Red Ribbon Week 2024- "Life is a Movie, Live Drug Free"

October 23rd - October 31st is Red Ribbon Week. We will participate in dress up days and an advisory poster contest. On Wednesday, October 23rd during advisory students will be talking about the purpose of Red Ribbon Week and the activities that they will participate in.

On Wednesday, October 9th all Ford County Schools will be learning about the difference between chronic absenteeism and truancy. This presentation will talk about the importance of attending school regularly.

On Thursday, October 3, 2024 during advisory students will work on organization! They will be provided strategies they can use to stay organized and then spend some time organizing their school materials and their lockers.

October is "Bullying Prevention Month." On Wednesday, October 2nd during advisory, students will be discussing Bullying Prevention at PBL Junior High School. They will be watching videos of high school students explaining their experience with bullying how they handled it while they were in junior high school. As an advisory students will engage in a discussion about how we can eliminate bullying at PBL Junior High School.

Down Syndrome Awareness Walk

he Cool Tool for today in Advisory is about the upcoming 2024 Down Syndrome Awareness Walk that will take place at the PBL High School Track and the back parking lot on Sunday, September 29th from 12:00-2:00pm. Everyone is welcome to attend and here is more information:

  • From 12:00-1:15pm Old Salty’s Food Truck, Hot Dog Meal provided, Games & Activities 

  • We will walk one lap starting at 1:15pm

  • Wear Blue & Yellow or your Down Syndrome T-Shirt

Gold Rush Student Section Expectations

Our first home girls basketball game is Wednesday, September 25th! In preparation for this, students will be reviewing a Cool Tool on the expectations of our student section the, "Gold Rush," at PBL JH athletic events during advisory.

Be Present, Be Powerful

This week during advisory students will reflect on their attendance so far this school year. Students will understand that missing just 3 days already this school year can lead them to be considered a chronic absentee for the 2024-2025 school.

Panther Pals

Panther Pals are important to our Junior High community because Panther Pals help model good behavior, responsibility, academic skills and social skills.  Panther Pals are also important because it creates friendships across all settings in our school with classes, lunch, recess, sporting events, and much more.

Initial School Climate Survey

Initial School Climate Survey

On Wednesday, September 11th during advisory students will take the PBL Junior High Initial School Climate Survey. This survey will help the school in getting a baseline for our 2024-2025 School Improvement goals.

Initial School Climate Survey

Student Council Representatives

A Student Council Representative is when you help out with help with school-wide activities such as fundraising, social events, and community service. Join student council today!

Your job will be to come to weekly meetings during lunch in the art room, helping with concession stands for indoor games, and helping with projects that make the school a better place. 

Creating a Positive Legacy

On Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th during advisory students will be learning about the term "legacy." Students will be reflecting on what kind of legacy they want to leave PBL Junior High School and beyond. Advisories will be creating a visual to hang in their advisories about what it means to leave an impactful and positive legacy.

Getting involved at PBL Junior High

On Thursday, August 29th during advisory students will learn about the sports, clubs, and activities PBL JH has to offer. Students will also discuss the importance of turning homework in on time to ensure they are eligible as a spectator and as a participant in these activities.

Be Present, Be Powerful!

On Wednesday, August 28th during advisory students will be learning about the importance of attending school regularly. Students will discuss how they can set up routines in their every day life to make sure they attend school on a regular basis. Students will be tracking their attendance during the school year to help them see the number of absences that occur each month. A student that misses 2 days a month will be on track to be a chronic absentee.

Lego League

The PBL JH LEGO League Team is getting ready to kickoff their season and student applications are available in the main office. Here is a link to the Link to the 2024-2025 Application and student applications are due in the main office by Friday, August 30th. Coach Pippin also created a slideshow about our LEGO League Team so students can learn more about our team in Advisory when teachers cover the daily announcements - LEGO League Information 2024-2025.

Advisory Overview

On Monday, August 19, 2024 PBL Junior High School students will be learning about advisory. They will be learning about the purpose of advisory, the structure of advisory, and reflecting on what they may want to learn during advisory. Advisory is place where teachers and students can connect on social emotional topics and learn more about how to navigate junior high school.

ALICE Emergency Drill Cool Tool

On Wednesday, August 21, 2024 PBL Junior High students will review the processes and procedures of our ALICE Emergency Drill during their advisory class. On Thursday, August 22, 2024 the 6th grade students will practice walking to the rally point during PE class. On Friday, August 23, 2024 we will have our ALICE Drill where students and staff will evacuate the building and practice our emergency drill.