Principal's Update
Dear PBL JH Families & Students:
e-Learning Day: With school being canceled today on Tuesday, January 21st due to extreme temperatures, we will utilize an e-Learning Day. A decision will be made later in the day today about afternoon and evening activities.
For our e-Learning Day, students will log into their classes with their Chromebooks to complete work uploaded to the different Google Classroom pages for the classes they take at the junior high.
Teachers will be available by email from 8:00am-1:00pm.
Teachers have been sharing with students the expectations for what to do on an e-Learning Day if we had bad weather conditions and had to cancel school.
Here is a link to our Cool Tool we shared with students to discuss potential e-learning days, expectations, and more: PBL JH e-Learning Expectations
If you have any questions please contact us at 217-379-9202 or you can email me at jdidier@pblpanthers.org.
If you need to contact one of our teachers, you can click on the following link to find all our staff: Staff List
Tuesday After School Homework Help: After School Homework Help is cancelled for January 21st. Please note that After School Homework Help is cancelled for Tuesday, January 21st, due to a district-wide teacher professional development meeting. The next session will be held on Tuesday, January 28th, from dismissal until 3:00pm. After School Homework Help provides students with a dedicated space and time to complete missing assignments, get extra help with challenging subjects, and receive support from teachers.
Attendance Information: This year in Ford County Schools and at the junior high level, we're focusing on the importance of consistent attendance. Our motto and theme is "Be Present; Be Powerful." The overall message with this motto and theme is about how every day in the classroom makes a difference. Students in advisory classes engage in discussions about student attendance and the data surrounding it, and they also track their personal attendance.
With our school improvement efforts and our school report card information, we have been discussing chronic absenteeism. A chronically absent student is defined as one who misses 17.5 days of school in a school year, or 10% of the school year, for any reason (excused or unexcused). Chronic absenteeism is a metric reported on Illinois School Report Cards and comprises 20% of the final summative designation. In 2024, PBL Junior High School earned a summative designation of "Commendable," scoring an 80.90. We were very close to being "Exemplary," or in the top 10% of junior high and middle schools in the state, with that score starting at 84.04. If you would like to learn more about how Illinois scored and evaluated our performance at the junior high, click on the following link: PBL JH Summative Designation - Overall Index Score.
While we emphasize the importance of attendance, we are also understanding and compassionate about how sickness, illness, appointments, and emergencies do occur for students, families, and loved ones. If you have any questions about attendance, please contact us at the junior high. We are here to help navigate any questions or concerns.
Upcoming Assembly: Students and staff get ready for an inspiring afternoon! On Thursday, January 30th, we have a special assembly planned. That afternoon, we're excited to welcome Terrence Talley! He'll be sharing his incredible story and experiences with our junior high students. Terrence delivers a powerful message of hope and resilience, encouraging students to never give up and always strive for their best. It's sure to be an amazing event for all our students and staff. Click on the following link for a short preview of Terrence Talley and what his assembly is all about: Preview Terrence Talley Assembly.
It's hard to believe the 100th day of school is already upon us—time certainly flies. As we approach this milestone on Wednesday, January 29th, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support of our school and your child's education. We value the partnership between school and home, and we strive to keep you connected with relevant and up-to-date information. Thank you for being an integral part of our school community.
Yours in Education,
Josh Didier, Principal
PBL Junior High School
217-379-9202