Family Newsletter - 1/27/23

Pennoyer Families, 

This past Tuesday, I put together a presentation for all of our 5th-8th graders at Pennoyer, and we had an assembly that focused on providing them with information and facts about the news surrounding the referendums, realities we find ourselves at Pennoyer, and how they can make an impact and have a voice if they choose to.  We know that the current and possible changes at Pennoyer will inevitably impact all of our students, staff, and family community, but so many of our older students have been more aware of what is going on and looking for explanations over the last couple weeks, so I wanted to explain the "why" behind things, give a history of how we got here, and provide a platform for this group of students to ask questions and voice their ideas.  They were all so respectful and focused during our time together, and I really appreciated their level of maturity and engagement during the presentation.  I thought it would be helpful for all of our families to have a copy of the slideshow I put together for our students this past Tuesday, and maybe it can help create a healthy dialogue in your homes if you wish.  HERE is a copy of it.  Please feel free to reach out to me at any time to discuss things further, and obviously all of your children are always welcome to come see me or reach out if they want to discuss anything or have questions moving forward towards the April 4th election.  

To support our school and every single student here, Pennoyer families and friends can join the private Facebook group “Pennoyer Moms and Dads” if they wish.  Families can also check out PennoyerYes.com to sign up for updates, be a volunteer, and seek out ways you can get involved.  Finally, we'll be have a very important meeting at Pennoyer on February 15th at 6pm for parents/guardians, students, and staff.  This will be a great opportunity to come together and give parents even more information of the realities that are at stake for our school and continue to have thoughtful conversations surrounding everything.  HERE is an informational flyer.  We hope everyone can join us!

I also want to thank all the parents that came out to our Connect-Collaborate-Celebrate meeting this week to support and learn about online safety, responsible social media usage, and digital citizenship.  We had thoughtful and engaging conversations that I hope will continue.  The plan is to connect with both families and our students again later in the school year about these important subjects surrounding internet usage and safety.  If you missed the presentation, HERE is a copy.  Feel free to look this over and utilize the resources and ideas in the slides to help with your own children.  More than anything, having the right types of conversations and supports put into place with our children are the most powerful tools we have to help them safely and responsibly navigate technology and the online world.  

School Information and Reminders:

ESL Volunteer Instructor Program at The Salvation Army - If you're interested, see the message below and contact Pamela Church-Pryor at the Salvation Army.  Her number is 708-456-6220 and her email is Pryor@usc.salvationarmy.org 

Here at The Salvation Army, we are looking ahead to ways we can better serve our community in the new year and we feel ESL classes would be beneficial, considering how many immigrants and refugees have come to live among us.  We’d prefer to provide classes during the school hours, so parents would not have to worry about child care, but we may also consider evening classes.   

Ukrainian Translator Opportunity with the Norridge Police Department - Wayne Schober, the Deputy Chief of Police from the Norridge Police Department, reached out asking if we could help find any staff or community members to support when translators are needed at the police department.

If you're interested in volunteering, please reach out to Principal Adam Greenberg who can pass your name, address, and phone number along to Deputy Chief Schober.

Want to get involved, volunteer, or have ideas for our school...Check out the PTC Link!

We Celebrate at Pennoyer!

What an amazing celebration to share this week...we had our first annual Middle School Dance last Friday night here at Pennoyer and the New Year, New Dance did not disappoint!  To begin with, I can't thank all of the teachers, the middle school Principal's Crew, Dr. Kopta, her husband and son, and our fabulous PTC enough for all they did to help support this dance and make it a reality for our middle schoolers.  I was filled with so much pride and joy watching our students genuinely have fun on Friday night with all the dancing, playing games, taking pics, eating food, and just hanging out.  They were so appreciative as well, and I am proud each and every day to be their principal.  We definitely plan on doing this every year moving forward and continuing the opportunity to celebrate our middle school students and all they bring to Pennoyer.

What’s Around the Corner?

• Ridgewood Incoming Freshman/Parent Night - Wednesday, February 1, 2023
• HERE is an important informational flyer for all 8th graders and families attending Ridgewood High School next year!
• Pennoyer Parent Referendum Informational Night - Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 6pm
• HERE is a flyer
• West 40 - Newcomer Item Drive - Think about supporting this initiative.  
• HERE is more information if you're interested.
• Pennoyer T-Shirt Fundraiser to Support Refugees
• Check out this flyer for more information. 
• Eisenhower Library Story Essay Activity for Students, Parents, and Families!  Check out this cool opportunity for any creative writers to share their perspective and stories!  There is no deadline I'm aware of to turn these in, but I'm sure the sooner, the better.  HERE is the information!

Sincerely,

Adam

Pennoyer Principal

agreenberg@pennoyerschool.org