IMPACT NEWSLETTER

January 2022
President's Message
Thank you to all who supported our 365 Breakfast last Thursday. We are truly grateful for such an amazing community. Be sure to check out below the January President's Message by Cindy Morris and special guest speaker, Jamere Jackson.
Thank you for Supporting our 7th Annual 365 Breakfast!
We were so grateful to have been able to hold our annual 365 Breakfast on Thursday, January 13th. Thank you to all who came through and picked up a curbside breakfast, donated and/or watched our virtual program. 

We are so close to meeting our goal this year - an amount that is vital to keeping our programs that support PPS students, families and schools going. If you haven't already - and are able to - please donate to our 365 Breakfast Fund HERE. Your donation truly makes an impact. Thank you so much!  
Did you miss the 365 virtual program? Check it out below! Thank you so much to our keynote speaker, Jamere Jackson. We appreciate his time and dedication to Peoria Public Schools so much!

Thank you so much to this year's breakfast sponsors!
Adopt-A-School Update
Getting back into the schools has not been a challenge for these partners. Consider these two examples of positive adopt-a-school programs and the great results they have received for both the schools and the community.
Glen Oak Christian Church
 
Glen Oak Christian Church continued to serve the five schools that they had served in 2020-2021. (Glen Oak Community Learning Center, Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center, Kellar Primary, Lindbergh Middle School and Harrison Community Learning Center.) In the first semester of 2021-2022, they added four additional schools: Rolling Acres Middle School, Sterling Middle School, Richwoods High School and Charter Oak Primary School. They now serve nine different schools at ten locations providing 1800 snack packs each week.
 
A key point in Snack Packs is the contact and connection with school administration, faculty, and staff. Glen Oak Church evens send emails, newsletters and thank you notes directly to the individuals expressing their appreciation of their dedication and commitment to snack packs.
 
The Church has developed a system with each school which makes the process smooth and easy to accomplish. Take a minute to check out their ministry:


Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Peoria Chapter
 
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) began their 11th year at Trewyn this school year. They began a reading program In March of 2010. This past fall they read with 1st graders and kindergartners once or twice every week during the semester. They have an average of 6 volunteers every week, reading with 25 children.
 
As part of the Diwali Food Drive in December, they contributed about 1,000 lbs. of afterschool snacks, more than $1,000 worth of personal items and toiletries such as hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, body lotions for classrooms, and deodorants for Trewyn sport teams. They were also able to donate $500 worth of toys and $700 for Trewyn’s Tiger Store.
 
They had a great fall semester and are looking forward to getting back in the school soon.

As you can see, from these two examples, the program can be implemented well and the benefits of adopting a school extend to all parties. We appreciate all our Adopt-A-School Partners hanging in there during these times. 

For more information on our Adopt-A-School program, contact sarah.oakford@psd150.org.
Field Trip for Horizons Club Students
This past November, we were able to bring each of our middle schools' Horizons Class students on a long awaited field trip to First Ascent Climbing. The kids experienced rock wall climbing (for most it was a first) and learned about entrepreneurship from the staff at First Ascent Climbing. It was an awesome experience for our students!
If you have any questions about our Horizons program, please contact Trish O’Shaughnessy at patricia.oshaughnessy@psd150.org 
Congratulations to our PPS Foundation HERO of the month - Connie Graves! Connie is a powerhouse at Von Steuben Middle School. She has gone above and beyond helping do whatever is needed with our Von Steuben Horizons program...from finding space and technology for the students to use during club time, to coordinating Horizons field trip permission slips and attending trips. She has always jumped right in with enthusiasm and great ideas. We are privileged to work with her.  
Check Out our Latest Buzz Chat Video!
This past month, Trish O'Shaughnessy chatted with Sarah Fletcher from the Community Foundation of Central Illinois about the scholarship and grant opportunities that they offer. We love working with Sarah and the staff at CFCI. Check out the video below!

Each month we connect with different members of our community to talk about our public schools and how they interact with current events in Peoria. All chats can be viewed live on our Facebook page on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM. Not able to catch it live? No problem, the videos will stay posted on our page so scroll through to watch any you missed.
Ad spots are available on the new electronic sign located on the PPS Stadium property. The sign has great visibility for both eastbound and westbound traffic on War Memorial Drive. $300 per week or $1,000 per month spots are available. Artwork must be in a 2100 x 900 jpg file. The sign is 14 feet wide by 6 feet tall.

All proceeds for sign advertisement go directly to help Peoria Public School's campaign to improve the stadium property. For more information, contact jennifer.adler@psd150.org.
PPS Foundation's Board of Directors:
Dan Adler, Andre Allen, Ruth Bittner, Solivian Dismuke, Maarten de Haas, Alex Elger, Daniel Musisi, Cheryl Sanfilip, and Cathy Wiggers

PPS Foundation's Staff:
Cindy Morris - President
Jen Adler - Administrative Director
Sarah Oakford - Adopt-A-School Coordinator
Trish O'Shaughnessy - Director, Community Engagement & Horizons Program
Matt Violet - Horizons and See It Be It Career Exploration Programming Logistics Coordinator
Annalee Anderson - Career Tech Advocate
Ella Dancey - Career Tech Advocate
Sara Montgomery - Career Tech Advocate
Olivia Smith - Career Tech Advocate