Cougar Update
September Edition
September 2024
Congress Cougars!
It's great to see the students so energized and excited to be at school. We're working hard to establish a positive atmosphere and build our brand. Our goal is to help develop our future leaders, but we need your support and partnership as a family to achieve this.
As we head into the third week of school, I want to remind parents and students to review our district's Parent/Student Handbook. It contains updated information about our electronic devices, building disruptions, dress codes, and more. While we understand that not everyone may not be in favor of the updates to our Cell Phone Policy, it's important to adhere to the policy outlined in the Park Hill Parent Student Handbook. We kindly ask parents not to encourage students to disregard the policy, as it sets a precedent for life that the laws of the land do not need to be followed. While we are providing grace during these first few weeks of school, it is the expectation that students will follow the rules and guidelines in place.
Tomorrow, we will start our NWEA testing. We urge parents to ensure that their child gets enough sleep tonight and is prepared for the upcoming testing sessions. The NWEA test (Measures of Academic Progress) is an adaptive achievement and growth test that provides valuable information about what your child knows and is ready to learn. It offers a personalized assessment experience by adapting to each student's learning level and measuring their progress and growth.
We hope you had a great 3-day weekend, we are ready to resume learning!
Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Smith
Cell Policy Updates
The parent-student handbook has been written to provide important information concerning specific rules, policies, and procedures related to the safety and operation of our schools. In order for schools to operate safely and efficiently, you and your student(s) must be familiar with and abide by the expectations, procedures and rules outlined in this handbook.
The student handbook summarizes district policy and contains general guidelines and information. Refer to official policy and regulation documents for specific information. An up-to-date version will be maintained here on this page. The Park Hill School District will provide notice of those changes through email or campus mail; these changes will have effect once that notification is given, regardless of whether a student or parent actually reads the particular notice received.
Congress DEIB Council 24-25
At Congress Middle School, we are deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives. Our building council, established last year, has provided an invaluable platform for learning and collaboration, benefiting the entire school community. We warmly welcome more families to join us in this crucial work. It's important to note that our focus extends beyond individual family needs to identifying and addressing the collective needs of all families, ultimately enriching the experience of our students and the Congress community.
While we may not always see eye to eye, fostering mutual respect is at the core of our DEIB efforts, creating a foundation for positive change. If you're interested in joining and can commit to regular attendance, please complete the form below. Following sign-ups, we will send a calendar invite to those selected to serve on our building council.
PARK HILL STAR AWARDS
Our employees are the reason we are so successful here in the Park Hill School District, and we would like to recognize them for all they do for our students. That is why we present the Park Hill Star Award once a month to a pre-K or elementary teacher, a secondary teacher and a support employee. Anyone can nominate an employee for this award by using the form below.
News from the library:
It has been an exciting and busy start to the new school year in the Library Media Center! We held Orientation classes and checked out books to all students. Almost every student should have a library book to read during reading class or silent reading time. This year, lessons will include, Research Databases, Media Literacy, and Your Book Personality. We are excited to work with your students!
Join Congress PTA
Transportation Information
Parents and Guardians,
We want to remind you that students in middle school who live more than 1.0 mile away from the school are eligible for bus transportation. We understand the concerns some families may have regarding street crossings, and we want to assure you that Park Hill is committed to student safety. To assist students in crossing the streets safely, we have crossing guards stationed at designated corners.
If you have any questions or concerns about transportation, please don't hesitate to contact the Transportation Department at transportation@parkhill.k12.mo.us. Please note that First Student sets the routes and boundaries.
We value your cooperation and patience as we work to address this situation. We are actively working to recruit more bus drivers, and we encourage anyone interested in helping to visit WorkAtFirst.com, the website of First Student.
Thank you for your understanding and support. Should you have any concerns, please feel free to reach out to transportation@parkhill.k12.mo.us.
Safety First
Congress Families,
We have been working hard to make sure our students get a good education in a safe and caring environment. I'm happy to tell you that our students have settled into a good routine at Congress, and things are going well.
Please help us help to keep our students safe during arrival and dismissal times. Our car rider line is running well, and we use only one door for drop-offs. This means parents can pull all the way down to the person wearing the saftey vest. There are several drop-off spots in the morning, and while we don't want parents to drop off in the parking lot, we ask all drivers to watch for our walkers and car riders.
Please remember that dropping off students in the bus area is not allowed. This is very unsafe for our students. We appreciate your patience as we work through the long car rider lines, which we hope will get better in the next few weeks. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to a successful school year.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Kahler
Dear Families,
I am reaching out to share some important information regarding athletics for the upcoming school year. At the end of this message, you will find links to important documents necessary for participation in the upcoming seasons. Please note that there is a new MSHSAA physical form that needs to be used. It closely resembles the old form, but the athlete will only need to return the last page to the school.
The remaining information is for the doctor to retain in your student's medical record. The school will still require the second form, pre-participation, which includes insurance information and emergency contacts. Additionally, the school district is transitioning from the IMPACT test to a new system, SWAY. Please refer to the packet below for important information. It's crucial to note that all athletes will be required to take the SWAY test to participate in our sports activities at the school building.
I am delighted to announce that we are adding a few activities for the 2024-25 school year.
The district has included sideline cheer, scholar bowl, and speech and debate for the upcoming school year. Please see below for the seasons and grade levels.
Fall
8th grade Football
7th and 8th grade Girls Volleyball Must Try out for the team
7th and 8th grade Cross Country
7th and 8th grade Cheer (it will continue into the Winter Season, as well) Must Try out for the team
Winter
7th and 8th grade Basketball Must Try out for the team
7th and 8th grade Cheer ( This will be the same group from the Fall)
7th and 8th grade Scholar Bowl Must Try out for the team
7th and 8th grade Speech and Debate Must Try out for the team
Spring
7th and 8th grade Track
If you have any questions please reach out to Brian Van Horn, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director, at 816-359-6617.
Our teachers will be conducting the SOS lesson with our students throughout the month of September. The lesson will involve watching age-appropriate video clips followed by a guided discussion on depression, suicide, and steps to be taken when a friend shows concerning signs. Once the video is over, students will be required to fill out an electronic survey to identify if they require any help and support. In case of any concern, students can request to speak to a school staff member, who will arrange a brief meeting with them.
All students are expected to participate in the lesson, unless parents or guardians choose to opt their child out. We at Park Hill are committed to enhancing our mental health services and preventing suicide. Our team of school mental health professionals and administrators collaborated with Tri-County Mental Health Services and national experts to introduce the national Signs of Suicide depression screening program to our K-12 schools.
SOS is an essential program for students as it reduces suicide attempts, teaches the signs of depression and suicide, promotes supporting others' well-being, and encourages seeking help from trusted adults.If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in this program, please contact me at 816-359-6617 or vanhornb@parkhill.k12.mo.us. You can also contact your child’s school counselor or school social worker.
If you do NOT want your child to participate in the SOS prevention program, please complete the Google Form Congress 24-25 Opt Out Form information by September 6th. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in the lesson.
Sincerely,
Brian Van Horn,
Assistant Principal
LEAD Innovation Studio
8th Grade Families:
All 8th grade students in the Park Hill School District have a choice about where they can attend high school: they can attend either their home high school in their attendance area (either Park Hill or Park Hill South), or they can select LEAD Innovation Studio.
LEAD is based on three pillars: project-based learning, self-directed learning, and mentorship. Our program has yielded amazing results, including high student achievement scores and high parent and student approval ratings through the district’s Panorama Survey.
But there is more to LEAD than just high achievement, and we’re excited to tell you our full story! We would love for you to join us from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at LEAD on one of our four parent information nights:
September 18th
October 22nd
November 13th
December 11th
Come to LEAD and hear from students, teachers, and administrators about what we offer, then take a tour of our facility. We hope to see you there!
If you plan on attending one of our information nights, please sign up using the link below. Knowing how many people are coming to each information night helps us prepare. Please make sure you read the instructions on the first page of the Sign Up Genius.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C4CA9A72FABF85-lead (If this link won’t open when you click on it, simply copy and paste it into a new tab or window).
If you have any questions, please contact our principal, Dr. Chris Early, at earlyc@parkhill.k12.mo.us.
Dr. Chris Early
Principal, LEAD Innovation Studio
Park Hill School District
816-359-6569