Issue 6
October 13, 2016
In this Issue:
Office of the Superintendent
Message from the Superintendent
District to Host Town Hall Meetings in Villages
Upcoming Events
Office of Academics
Department of Truancy Prevention and Alternative Programs
Action - No Opt-Out Links Updated for 2016-2017 School Year
Action - Parent University – October 24, 2016
Action – Upcoming Professional Development
Action - EVERY Student EVERY Day Initiative
Department of Assessment and Planning
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PSAT/NMSQT Testing on October 19
Action – Avoid Surprises! Use Common Interim 2
Action – Parent Teacher Conferences
Action – SAT Demystifier Workshop Offered
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September BPAC Meeting Update
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College Application Month is Underway
Financial Aid Application is Now Open
Counselors Hosting FAFSA Workshops
Scholarship Fair Updates
Freshman on Track
Des Plaines Valley Region
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Department of English Language Learners
Department of Guidance
Action – Community Service Recognition
Department of Career and Technical Education
NIU Engineering Event Update
Welcome a New CTE Team Member
Kudos
Office of Human Resources
Talent Search Update
Action – PTHS 209 Certified Vacancies (as of October 13, 2016)
Action – PTHS 209 Non-Certified Vacancies (as of October 13, 2016)
Office of Finance
Action – TTO Training
Student Insurance
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Sixth Assignment Payments
Payroll Due Date
Benefits
Bonds Update
Operations and Maintenance Update
Proviso East High School
Message from the Principal
Parents Visit Proviso East
National Clown Threat
Accreditation
Targeted Instructional Area
Thanks Ministers
Homecoming Update
Proviso West High School
Calendar
PWHS College Spirit Days
Collaborative Grown Strand Professional Development
SAT Preparation – All Departments
Action – Parent/Stakeholder Strategic Planning Meetings
Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy
Department of Math & Science
Department of Admissions
PMSA Admissions Open House
PMSA PTO Meeting
Congratulations from Dr. Rodriguez
PMSA Student Activities
International Baccalaureate Program
Bring Your Parent to School Day
Upcoming Events
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Message from the Superintendent
Throughout the past two months, I have been visiting schools and learning from all
stakeholders. A huge learning moment has been the fact that we are a special group of adults
and children driven to create extraordinary results for our community. As I have been meeting
with different stakeholders, I continue to gain a profound understanding of the opportunities we
have as a district. I had a great two weeks and engaged in outstanding discussions with the
Board of Education and Administration on our quest for equitable services for all members of
the professional learning community, excellence in our drive to deliver instruction and other
related services, and empowerment as we cultivate leadership within the professional learning
community.
We shared great memories during our town hall meeting, the homecoming activities at Proviso
West, The Proviso East Parade and Homecoming activities, and the PMSA homecoming
week. We also enjoyed our Parent University, the visit from Univision Chicago which will be
shown in November, my personal commitment to the community by participating and serving in
different Boards, the first Teacher Pizza, and Community Cafe. Tomorrow, we will have the first
Superintendent Student Advisory Board where we will discuss topics aligned to student life. We
will continue to have more events with the public in the coming months including future town
hall meetings throughout the community (http://www.pths209.org/town-hall-meetings-promo2016-2017/). In addition, we will continue with our internal communication strategy and listen
to all stakeholders within the district. I am clear in my approach to leadership and recognize
the power of LISTENING. I am also aware of the importance to produce results while we
engage in courageous conversations centered on the best interest of children. The past three
months have demonstrated that we are ONE team with specific leadership behaviors centered
on a learning management system that will enhance educational services for all Proviso
families.
While participating in these activities, I have again been impressed to experience the Proviso
pride. I am honored to serve you and the community and would like to publicly say THANKS
for making me part of the Proviso family. I am “Proviso Proud” and know that as a team we
will make Proviso “the best school district anywhere”. Thank you for all that you do in keeping
Proviso “Nothing but the Best!” Again, I am Proviso Proud…
District 209 to Host Town Hall Meetings in Villages
The Proviso Township High Schools District 209 Board of Education and Dr. Jesse J. Rodríguez,
Superintendent for District 209, will host a series of town hall meetings in each of the 10
villages that are within the district, beginning with Maywood on Thursday, September 22.
The town hall meetings, which will each take place between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., are an
opportunity for parents and community members in each village to meet with Board members
and Dr. Rodríguez, ask questions, and learn more about the direction of District 209.
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Town hall meetings during the first semester of the 2016-2017 school year will take place on
the following dates:




Thursday, October 27 - Melrose Park Civic Center
Thursday, November 3 - Northlake Public Library
Monday, November 14 - Hillside Elementary School
Monday, December 5 - Westchester Public Library
All meetings will be in English and Spanish. In addition, more meetings in more villages are
planned for the second semester.
Upcoming Events
October 21
Fisk University Chorus Visits Proviso West
(Proviso West 8:50AM)
October 24
Parent University (Proviso Baptist Church 6:30PM)
October 25
FOP Meeting (PMSA 7AM)
October 27
Town Hall Meeting (Melrose Park Civic Center 6:30PM)
November 8
BOE Meeting (PMSA 6:30PM)
October 21
Fisk University Chorus Visits Proviso West
(Proviso West 8:50AM)
October 24
Parent University (Proviso Baptist Church 6:30PM)
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ACTION - Using the No Opt-Out Intervention
A student who is in danger of failing primarily due to
non-completed or poorly completed assignments may
be identified by the teacher for No Opt-Out
Intervention. Students will be required to complete
the missing assignments to the satisfaction of the
teacher to be removed from No Opt-Out
Interventions.
The links for teachers to use when assigning student
to No Opt-Out interventions have been updated for
the new school year. You can access the No Opt-Out
link for your school by going to the Staff Intranet
page and clicking on the No Opt-Out Assignments
link. The instructions for assigning students to No
Opt-Out are included on that page. Copies of the No
Opt-Out Assignment Forms are available in the Main
Office at each school.
NOTE: Please remember to enter the assignment information on the No Opt-Out
Entry Screen for your building.
ACTION - Parent University – October 24, 2016
Our next Parent University event of the year will be held on Monday, October 24, 2106 at
Proviso Baptist Church at 1116 S 5th Ave in Maywood. The following sessions will be offered:
“Paying for College” where parents will learn more about the financial aid process and
finding the money for college, and “How to Talk to Your Child About…” where parents will
learn insights for communicating with youth who are dealing with stresses related to school,
relationships, and tragedies in the news.
Please encourage all parents to attend these events so that they can benefit from the
information, discussion, and connection with the schools and community organizations.
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ACTION - Upcoming Professional Development
***There is still space available for each of the classes shown below***
Microsoft Office 2013 training through Triton College began this summer, and will be continuing
this fall. A variety of classes will be offered in both Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word. Emails
announcing the training and including registration links will be sent as soon as the class
schedule is finalized.
All classes will be scheduled from 4:00 pm – 7:30 pm and will be held in Room 510 at PMSA.
Course
Excel 1
Description
Dates Offered
This Microsoft 2013 Excel class will prepare you to use
November 10,
Excel. This course will cover: entering text and numbers,
2016
basic formatting, modifying worksheets and entering basic
formulas. This class will also prepare you take Excel 2.
Excel 2
This Microsoft 2013 Excel class will help take you to the
next level with Excel. We will cover printing worksheets,
using templates, working within multiple worksheets and
creating different charts.
This Microsoft 2013 Excel class is designed to work indepth with worksheets. The course will cover: sorting and
filtering date, using tables, using subtotals, summarizing
data with PivotTables, and working within multiple
workbooks
This class will take a deep dive into all formulas and
functions of Excel 2013. We will cover: logical functions,
financial functions, auto calculate, copying formulas,
protecting data, and VLookup functions.
This course is designed to help you with everyday use of
Excel 2013. You will learn how to: customize, edit, split
worksheets, sorting, page layout and basic formulas. This
course is great for general use of Excel.
This course is designed to help you learn the basics of
Microsoft Word 2013. This course will cover: working with
text, formatting text, reviewing a document, adding
items, and how to print. This course will also prepare you
to take Word 2.
This class is designed to help you work in-depth with
Word 2013. This course will cover: adding graphic
objects, using templates, managing lists, Quick Parts,
Styles, and working large documents.
Excel 3
Excel
Formulas and
Functions
Excel Tips and
Tricks
Word 1
Word 2
October 27, 2016
November 15,
2016
December 1,
2016
October 18, 2016
October 13, 2016
November 17,
2016
November 1,
2016
ACTION - EVERY Student EVERY Day
Click HERE to take the EVERY Student EVERY Day Pledge “I will encourage every student
in my family, neighborhood, and community to be in school every day.”
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PSAT/NMSQT Testing on October 19, 2016
Grade 11 students in Honors and AP classes will take the PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit
Scholarship Qualifying Test) on October 19, 2016. The district is expanding its support for
students to take this test because their performance may lead to National Merit Scholar
recognition and access to college scholarship opportunities. Visit www.nationalmerit.org for
more information about the National Merit Scholarship program.
Students not involved in testing will attend their classes following the regular bell schedule.
ACTION - Avoid surprises! Use Common Interim 2 to check student progress
Common Interim 2 gives a chance to check student progress before final grades at the end of
the semester. Use the data to target extra help for students who might be struggling or to step
up the pace and/or scope of instruction.
 The window for teachers to administer Common Interims 2 is October 6-14, 2016.
 The deadline for department chairs to submit both the common interim score reports
and the item analyses is October 31, 2016.
ACTION - Parent Teacher Conferences scheduled for October 20, 2016
Proviso East, Proviso West
Period
Time
1
7:50-8:50 (60 minutes)
2
8:55-9:55 (60 minutes)
10:00-11:00 (60
7
minutes)
Afternoon
conferences
Evening
conferences
PMSA
1:00-3:00
6:00-8:00
Period
1
2
Time
7:50-8:34 (44 minutes)
8:39-9:23 (44 minutes)
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9:28-10:12 (44 minutes)
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Afternoon
conferences
Evening
conferences
10:17-11:00 (43 minutes)
1:00-3:00
6:00-8:00
Bus schedules will be adjusted accordingly. Friday, October 21, 2016 will follow the early
dismissal bell schedule.
ACTION - SAT Demystifier Workshop Offered for Teachers
Wondering what's on the new SAT? Want to know how it compares to the ACT? Come to the
SAT Demystifier Workshop from Cambridge Educational Services to gain insights into the
redesigned SAT format, use a released SAT test to practice the items, and learn test-taking
strategies to bring back to your classroom to help students. Most importantly, you will examine
how the SAT College and Career Readiness standards align to your curriculum as you transition
from the ACT to the SAT.
Click here to register. Registration is limited. Priority will be given to teachers with junior-level
courses in core subject areas. Participants will be paid and will receive CPDUs.
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This workshop is contingent upon Board and FOP approval. You will receive notice of your
registration after October 26, 2017.
Math teachers:
Tuesday, November 1, 2017 from 3:455:45pm
PMSA Student Cafeteria
English, Science, and Social Studies teachers:
Thursday, November 3, 2017 from 3:455:45pm
PMSA Student Cafeteria
September BPAC Meeting:
September’s BPAC meeting saw parents from all campuses come together. The Committee
reviewed research on dual language programs, participated in a silent debate around our
current programming and goals for the future, and the Committee is slated to elect officials at
the October meeting. Please join us on October 26th from 5 – 6:30pm at PMSA. All are
welcome.
ACTION – Community Service Recognition
Did you know that community service is a graduation requirement? That means that ALL of our
students can apply for national recognition through the 2017 Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards.
This program is an excellent opportunity to shine a spotlight on students who have
distinguished themselves through community service, and celebrate the spirit of volunteerism
throughout the student body. Please encourage our students to apply.
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2017 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are open to students in grades 5-12 who have
participated in a volunteer activity within the past year. Honors are granted at the local, state
and national level. The top honorees from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia
receive a cash prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for four days of special
recognition events.
Here's how students can apply:
 Visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit
 Complete the application and the student/parent agreement by November 8, 2016
 Email or hand-deliver certification instructions to a counselor or administrator.
COLLEGE APPLICATION MONTH IS UNDERWAY!
THE GOAL IS THAT ALL STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE 4 OR MORE
APPLICATIONS DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. Please encourage
seniors to visit the career center daily during lunch periods.
Teachers, be sure to get your ASK ME pennant from the
college counselor and hang it on your door.
REMINDER! Changes to the Financial Aid Process for
Fall 2017
Financial aid Application is NOW OPEN
Students will be able to submit a 2017–18 FAFSA as early as October 1, 2016, rather than
beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. The earlier submission date will be a permanent change, enabling
students to complete and submit their FAFSAs as early as October 1 every year. Grant funds
run out sooner and therefore students should be prepared to complete their FAFSA by October.
http://studentaid.gov/fafsa
Counselors are currently hosting FAFSA Workshops for students and parents:


Tuesdays, 3:30-7pm – Proviso West Room E132
Thursdays, 3:30-7pm – Proviso East Room 145
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Students from
District 209 attended
the 100 Black Men
Scholarship Fair on
October 8th. Many
students were
offered college
admittance on the
same day.
Kudos to the
College and
Career Counselors
for the planning
and
implementation of
our college fairs.
FRESHMAN on TRACK!
Most District 209 freshman have completed their career interest inventories and are exploring
their career interests as counselors begin the course selection process. If parents would like
access to the Naviance Family Connection to work with their students, they may contact their
child’s counselor for the password to access. http://connection.naviance.com
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The DesPlaines Valley Region (DVR) will host a series of career spotlights for high school
students in area high schools that they serve. The schedule of upcoming Spotlights are listed
below. Please see the CTE teachers or counselors for more information.
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Engineering
Finance
Healthcare
Manufacturing
November 1, 2016
December 6, 2016
January 12, 2017
February 7, 2017
Ridgewood High School
Proviso Math and Science Academy
Leyden East High School
Oak Park River Forest High School
NIU Engineering Event
Thank you to Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Dillard for sending your students to the Northern Illinois
Engineering Event. Students reported out having an amazing time and felt very honored to be
sought after from NIU. Thank you Kate Foster, Bonnie Libka and Amy Paulus for coordinating the
application process. Thank you chaperones for escorting our students. Your commitment to
students is appreciated and valued!
Welcome a New CTE Team Member
Welcome Mr. George Skalsky to the Proviso East family! Mr. Skalsky has entered our team and is
already participating in the school community!! Mr. Skalsky has initiated 3 cyber security teams at
Proviso East. These consist of 5 students on each team. This team will be mentored by Moraine
Valley’s IT department and they will be competing against other high schools in the nation. Please
visit www.cyberpatriot.org for more information.
Kudos!
Thank you Ms. Miller for having your students create the Pirate Pride Fashion blue & white scarfs and
the Pirate Awareness breast cancer scarfs! Way to go to put us in fall and winter fashion!
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Talent Search Update
The Human Resources Office has begun their Talent Search for the upcoming 2017-2018 school
year. We are planning to host a Teacher Recruitment Fair in November. We are also planning to
visit the following Universities and Colleges in the next couple of months to recruit top of the
notch teachers to join Proviso Township HS District 209. Please find a list below:
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Aurora University
Chicago State University
Eastern Illinois
Governors State University
Illinois State University
National –Louis University
Northeastern Illinois University
Roosevelt University
University of Illinois Champaign/Chicago/Urbana
Western Illinois University
ACTION - PTHS 209 Certified Vacancies (as of October 13, 2016)
red = classroom instructor
SCHOOL
POSTING #
SUBJECT
# OF POSITIONS
EAST
3468
Special Education
1
EAST
EAST
3357
3359
Lunchtime Tutor-Math
Lunchtime Tutor-English
2
1
EAST
3494
Career Academy Development-Fine Arts
1
EAST
3491
Career Academy Development-CTE
1
EAST
3492
Career Academy Development-Biomedical
Sciences and Engineering
1
EAST
3493
Career Academy Development-Liberal Arts
1
EAST
3371
After School Tutor-Librarian
1
EAST
3411
ELL-Tutor
1
EAST
3464
Robotics Club Sponsor
1
EAST
3460
Volleyball, Girls - Assistant
1
EAST
3488
ANIME CLUB SPONSOR
1
WEST
3490
ESL_Science_Bilingual Teacher
1
WEST
3358
Lunchtime Tutor-Math
2
WEST
3457
Fall Play TECH Director
1
WEST
3459
Spring Play Director
1
12
PMSA
3424
Saturday School Tutor-Math
1
PMSA
3425
Saturday School Tutor-Science
1
PMSA
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Sophomore Class Sponsor (2019)
1
PTHS
3446
Homebound Tutor
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ACTION - Non-Certified Vacancies (as of October 13, 2016)
SCHOOL
POSTING #
SUBJECT
# OF POSITIONS
PTHS
3352
Substitute Teacher - Day-to-Day-16/17 School
Year
-----
EAST
3219
Secretary - Library
1
EAST
3469
Part-Time Security
2
EAST
3471
Full-time Security
3
PTHS
3496
Full-Time Security
1
E/W
3455
Lunchroom Monitors
East-2
West-6
E/W
3325
Athletic Event Workers Fall/Winter/Spring
Sports
East and West
E/W
3499
Night Custodian
East-1
West-1
If you or anyone you know is interested in this or any other position, please visit
www.pths209.org, select Departments: Human Resources and select “Employment
Opportunities” to complete an online application.
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Finance Department
ACTION - TTO Training
If you need training on TTO so that you can enter requisitions or monitor your budget, please
contact Sharon Palmer at [email protected].
Student Insurance
Any current PTHS209 student is eligible for coverage, visit www.k12specialmarkets.com to see
which plans are being offered. Parents or guardians of students are responsible for enrollment
and premium payment. Some of the plans include, School Time Accident Only, 24-Hour Accident
Only, Interscholastic Sports, and 24-Hour Dental.
Sixth Assignment Payments
Sixth assignment payments for the first half of the first semester will be paid on October 28,
2016.
Payroll Due Date
Timesheets for the October 28th payroll, are due on Monday, October 17, 2016 to the District
Business Office.
Benefits
Reduced cost for Fitness
If you receive the District Blue Cross/ Blue Shield health insurance you have an added benefit.
https://www.blue365deals.com has deals on fitness equipment, healthy food, access to financial
services, even pet insurance.
Blue Cross/ Blue Shield also have a reduced fees for fitness centers. Click on the link below to
review and determine if there is a fitness center in your area.
https://www.blue365deals.com/healthways-national-standing-25-monthly-fee-access-network9000-gyms-nationwide?planid=BCBSA
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Bonds Update
Proviso High School, like many other School Districts borrows funds for capital projects. The bonds
are paid back over a longer period of time through a property tax levy for that specific purpose.
Over the last two years the District has issued $20 million in bonds to do much of the capital work
that’s been done throughout the District.
In 2004 the District issued bonds. At the time those bonds were issued with an interest rate of
5%, the going rate. The District is able to refinance the last four years of those bonds at current
and much lower rates, estimated at 1.2%. The refinance will save tax payers of Proviso an
estimated $1.2 million over the next four years. This issue will not create any new money for the
District, but it will reduce the taxes for Bond payments for the next four years. At the October
Board meeting, the Board of Education approved the resolution to sell the bond to refinance the
2004 bonds.
Operations and Maintenance Update
Proviso East


Fire panel training at East was performed on 10/3/16. The contractor is preparing
closeout documents
Roof drains cleaned on the south side of building
Proviso West
 The fire alarm contractor is completing the final program changes on the panel this
week. They are in the process of scheduling the test and inspection
 The camera contractor is installing the new equipment and cameras
 The roofing project on the F building deck is complete. Restoration to the corridor below
is complete. The ceiling in the locker room restroom has been installed and is being
finished. The locker and restroom partitions are on order and should arrive in six to
eight weeks
 The public address system contractor has begun pulling cable through the ceilings

PMSA





Painted room 527A
Painted first floor east wall
Repaired room 517 sink
Repaired leak in room 521
Replace damaged ceiling tiles on the fifth floor administration side
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Principal's Message,
Parents Visit Proviso East
We were pleased to visited by parents and guardians last week during our homecoming
festivities. Proviso East had 90 parents visit classrooms for Bring Your Parent to School Day.
Parents observed their students in action, participated in activities and feel for what a day in
"Pirate Country" is like. Thank you to all Proviso East staff for doing all you could to ensure our
parents were comfortable and had good experiences. Their immediate feedback was very
positive.
National Clown Threat
Like many schools around the nation over the past several days, Proviso East High School received
a “clown threat” and two accompanying bomb threats. Our administration worked collaboratively
with law enforcement, Proviso East Security, our School Resource Officer, and the district and
determined, like most schools, that the threat was not credible. Despite this decision, our
administration, security, and the Sheriff’s department took other precautions, including a dog
sweep, to make sure our school was safe. Please know that our students, faculty, and staff were
safe and we held to our belief that there are people in society who want to see chaos and play
on people’s fears . We refused to give them what they want!
Accreditation
Last week, Proviso East was visited by our Accreditation Review Team from AdvancED. The
accreditation review went very well. Team members visited classrooms, observed instruction,
interviewed staff members and, at the end of the day, had a positive review. Kudos to the
Proviso East students, faculty and staff for the excellent work.
Targeted Instructional Area
Our school-wide powerful practice and test-taking strategies are off to a great start! By now
students have practiced our argumentative writing strategy in content area classes as well as
elective courses. Teachers have been working collaboratively to identify relevant topics for
debate that are content specific. Students have also reviewed and practiced the following test
strategies: identifying introductory text, identifying main idea and key concepts, using context
clues to decipher word meanings.
Thanks Ministers!
The PT Man Organization was gracious enough to support us with 50 free Royal Blue Polo Shirts
to support Proviso East in our efforts to support students who need help adhering to the new
uniform policy. Twenty five of the shirts were already distributed, and the remainder will be to
another 25 lucky students. Thanks PT Man for understanding that some of our students our
helpless and sometimes we just need to meet their needs.
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Homecoming Update
Proviso East High School Administration, faculty, staff and students would like to thank Dr.
Rodriquez, the Superintendent of District 209, the Board of Education and Central Office
employees that took time and attended our 2016 homecoming celebration. We would also like
to thank the Class of 1976 and all the PEHS Alumni that joined us to celebrate as well. We
encourage everyone to continue to support our fall sports as we conclude our seasons and
begin our post season play. Thanks again and “On Proviso!”
Spirit Day – “ Pink Party” District 209 Annual Volley for the Cure
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2016 Homecoming Royal Court Parade Float
2016 Homecoming Football Game
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2016 Homecoming Dance – “Vintage Masquerade”
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Calendar
10/14
10/20
End of 1st Quarter
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Thanks for a successful Bring Your Parent to School Day. Our special appreciation to
Ms. Scott for the door signs with name and degree info. Well done!
PWHS College Spirit Days
Help us share in the spirit of your alma mater during College Spirit Days! Each Friday in
October, faculty and staff should wear their college clothing (jerseys, t-shirts, hats, etc.). Please
take a couple of minutes before or after class to talk about the college(s) you attended and the
benefits of college generally. Encourage students to ask questions, particularly if your college is
one that our kids are considering attending or if you think you school would have a lot to offer
our students.
Collaborative Growth Strand Professional Development
Proviso West’s faculty has recently completed the first round of collaborative growth strand
professional development. Teachers have attended sessions on using data analysis to improve
student learning, connecting school and family, developing cultural competency and teacher
efficacy, and demonstrating excellence in the classroom. All of these sessions were facilitated
by Proviso West teachers. The groups will rotate to their next strand beginning on Monday,
October 31, 2016. Thank you to Ms. Foster, Ms. Gillespie, Mr. Arce, Ms. Delaney, Ms. GrayJones, Ms. Williams, Ms. Coppola, and Ms. Harris for facilitating these professional development
sessions.
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SAT Preparation – All Departments
West started initial work during our PLC on 10/11/16 to assist students with SAT
performance. Ms. Foster, Ms. Callaghan, and Mr. Rauch provided an overview of the SAT and
discussed similarities and differences between the ACT, the old SAT, and the new SAT. Mr.
Arce and Mr. Marter shared their action plan for addressing the needs of students in Algebra
2. Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Bobiles described utilizing KHAN academy to help students with the
SAT. All teachers are encouraged to share this information with their students to promote
preparation and performance on the upcoming SAT. Additional resources for students and
teachers can be found at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org.
ACTION - Parent/Stakeholder Strategic Planning Meetings
Stakeholder feedback sessions will be held with parents and community members to guide the
creation of the PWHS Vision 2020 Strategic Plan. The first session was held on September 14.
Follow up meetings will occur October 27, November 17, and December 14 from 6:30 pm until
8:00 pm in the cafeteria. Staff and students are welcome to attend.
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Department of Math & Science
Math - The math team will be hosting a middle school math competition. At the PMSA Open
House; two groups of teachers presented information about the PMSA math program and
provided informal learning opportunities for students, building dodecahedrons from paper.
Math and Science - Dr. Greta Mitchell Williams and Ms. Rebecca Resnick presented 3 talks at the
joint meeting of IL Science Teacher Association and IL Council Teachers of Mathematics in Peoria,
IL. In keeping with the theme “Laying the Foundation for Success,” the three collaborative talks
were centered around the following: Common Core Math Practices and Next Generation Science
and Engineering Practices, opportunities to enhance mathematical modeling using science
simulations and similarities and differences in how math and science teachers talk about math in
the classroom.
Science - At the PMSA Open House: Teachers helped students learn about chromatography, the
process of separating color pigments using principles of biology and chemistry. Students also
learned what freshman physics is all about, including demonstrations with dry ice and principles
of kinematics, including conservation of momentum, and projectile motion.
Department of Admissions
The PMSA Application and flyer are now available in Spanish. They can be found on the PMSA
website and are available for pickup in the main office.
Applications and Open House/Testing Dates Flyers were distributed the week of September 28th
to all District 209 public and private feeder schools, all libraries, all village halls and all
community centers.
Shadow day appointments are coming in daily. We are excited about the opportunity to show
our school, instruction and programs to participants.
PMSA guidance counselors are scheduled to present the 2nd time around by their request at
MacArthur on Tuesday, October 11th and Hillside on Monday, October 17th. Counselors have
already presented and visited Northlake Middle, Irving Middle, and Westchester Middle School.
PMSA Admissions Open House
On October 6th, PMSA hosted its first of three Admissions Open Houses. Prospective students
learned about the admissions process and our wonderful programs at PMSA and were able to
tour our school. Guests also enjoyed performances from the PMSA Choir and Theater Arts
program. The event was a huge success, drawing in hundreds of prospective students and
their families. Teachers held exciting presentations, from Mr. Scheidler’s activity on constructing
geographic wonders, to Mr. Kozma presenting on Civil War medicine wearing an authentic Civil
War uniform.
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The success of the event was a result of the tremendous support and participation of PMSA
teachers and students. We would like to thank the following teachers for dedicating their time
and efforts: Mrs. Tanaka, Mr. Stubstad, Mrs. Schaub, Mrs. Kane, Ms. Levasseur, Ms. Cornelius,
Mr. Scheidler, Ms. Ireland, Ms. Stompor, Ms. Solberg, Mr. Kozma, Ms. Rosko, Ms. Huels, Mr.
Callahan, Dr. Burton, Ms. Kovack , Mr. Rutstein, Ms. Dostalova, Ms. Momney, Ms. Maltese, Ms.
Stephanie Gockley, Ms. Constance Paprocki, Ms. Amy Paulus, Ms. Cristin Chiganos, Ms. Patricia
Howard, Dr. Greta Mitchell-Williams, and all activity sponsors.
PMSA PTO Meeting
The PMSA Parent Teacher Organization is holding a meeting on Thursday, October 13 at 7:00
pm. Everyone is invited to attend. At the meeting, the new PTO president, vice president,
treasurer and secretary will be selected.
Superintendent, Dr. Jesse J. Rodríguez Congratulates PMSA Staff
Superintendent, Dr. Jesse J. Rodríguez, joined PMSA staff during PLC on Tuesday, October 11th
to thank them for a job well done in achieving status as the number one school in Suburban
Cook County by Chicago Magazine and for being recognized by the Cook County Commissioners
Office.
PMSA Student Activities
Advanced Choir: The PMSA Advanced Choir performed the National Anthem at the Proviso
East/Proviso West Girls' Volleyball Game on Thursday, October 6th. Thank you Dr. Hardy and
Dr. Colbert for welcoming us so graciously to Proviso East. The students had a wonderful time
watching the game and performing.
Multicultural Club: Club members are working on 2 large projects. The first project is the
annual Latin Cultural Assembly. The students have worked together to plan this event that will
include singing, dancing, spoken words as well as cultural attire and history. The students
began their dance rehearsals on Monday after school. This assembly is possible because of
great leadership of the PMSA students. There will be an evening performance on Thursday,
October 27th at 6:30 as well as 2 assemblies on Friday, the 28th for the students. The second
project is the Multicultural Festival. This is the second year for this Festival. This is a joint
project sponsored by the Multicultural Club and the Student Council. This event will be Friday,
October 28 from 3:30-5:00 at PMSA. The event will feature food, singing, dancing and spoken
work from the many different cultures represented at PMSA. The Multicultural Club is open to
all PMSA students.
Anime: At their last meeting, students watched an episode of the Anime "Fairy Tail." Students
also helped to plan and complete our display case as well as a display for our table at the Open
House.
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Newspaper: Newspaper club had their first bake sale of the year that coincided with PMSA's
Open House, and it was a huge success, garnering $150 to be donated to a community charity
yet to be determined.
Commencement: Seniors met on Monday afternoon 9/26 to learn about the 2017
Commencement Exercises. A representative from Chicago Balfour was present to share
information about graduation cap and gown, class rings, jackets, and graduation
announcements.
Gospel Choir: The PMSA Gospel Choir has a great group of returning students as well as new
students. The Choir is preparing for their performance in December with the other choral
groups at PMSA. Currently there are more than 25 students participating in the Gospel Choir.
The choir is singing songs by Kirk Franklin and Tye Tribbett as well as traditional Gospel
standards and will be performing at the Freedom Baptist Church in Hillside on October 28,
2016.
Math Team: The PMSA Math Team is off to a great start. We have planned an afternoon at
Elmhurst College on October 26th. While there, PMSA students will hear about studying
mathematics in college and applications of mathematics from both faculty and college students.
We have also sent out invitations to our Middle School Mathematics Meet which will be held on
November 16th at PMSA.
The Class of 2018: The Class of 2018 had a ‘Root Beer Float’ sale on Friday, September 30,
2016 and are currently planning for Winter Formal on January 21, 2017.
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International Baccalaureate Program
IB students are now in the full swing of the IB Diploma Programme. Students have been
working in and outside of class on their Internal Assessment for Psychology (an experiment)
and are also practicing the A1 formats in other subjects. IB French and Spanish students have
been enjoying discussion, debate and Q&A sessions with their classmates. Lastly, a group
of DP juniors did a great job helping Mrs. Tanaka present at the 8th grade Open House on
10/6/16. (please see photo attached)
Bring Your Parent to School Day
Program started off in auditorium with presentation by Dr. Karvelas. Refreshments were served
in the faculty café and then parents proceeded to join their children in their classrooms.
Attendance: 59
Upcoming Events
Day/Date
Time
Event
Mon Oct 17
Thu Oct 20
6:30
1:00
6:00
2:25
2:30
9:00
6:30
Hillside School High School Night
Parent Teacher Conferences PMSA
Fri Oct 21
Fri Oct 21
Sat Oct 22
Thu Oct 27
p.m.
p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
p.m.
p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
p.m.
Early Release – Faculty & Students
Professional Advisory Comm Mtg
Admissions Testing
Lindop High School Night
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