Check out the video below from the PPS Foundation President, Cindy Morris! |
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Our 8th Annual 365 Breakfast is coming up! |
This year's event will be similar to last year with a drive-through breakfast pickup and a live streamed program on our Facebook page.
NEW THIS YEAR!
With a donation of $1,000, receive 2 VIP tickets to attend the Breakfast Program in-person plus a box lunch prepared by PPS culinary students, Starbucks coffee bar, and a tour of Woodruff Career & Technical Center. PPS Alum and community activist, Kouri Marshall, will be our featured speaker.
WHY IS THIS EVENT IMPORTANT?
The funds raised at this event go directly back to help PPS students in many ways! We use these funds for food for our Little Free Pantries, new uniforms and clothing, to fulfill requests for basic needs support, and so much more! In order to make the most impact, we ask for you to pledge just $1 per day for 1 year and become a 365 Annual Giving Member.
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We LOVE Our Peoria Public School Bus Drivers! |
We are truly so grateful to all of the Peoria Public School bus drivers! These are the first people to see our kiddos off to school and last to see them at the end of the day. Their jobs are so important, and we know how hard each of them work!
This year, the PPS Foundation wanted to make sure the transportation staff knew how much they are truly appreciated so we provided Starbucks coffee and Hy-Vee donuts at their annual Holiday party. During the last few weeks, the transportation staff has been collecting winter gear (hats, mittens socks, etc) to give to PPS students in need. By collecting items, they were entered into a raffle for some super awesome prizes donated by friends of the PPS Foundation. We were so excited to see the HUGE amount items that the staff collected for our kids. These items will be given to students at Annie Jo Gordon, Elise Allen Ford, Glen Oak, Lincoln, and Trewyn schools.
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We'd also like to give a shout out to Gregory and Jodi Peine, who donated enough funds to give each bus driver a $75 VISA gift card (and thank you Commerce Bank for waiving the fees!). We were so excited to announce this gift at the Transportation Party! |
Our Career Programs had a GREAT Semester! |
We are so excited about the fun and diverse career exploration programs and activities we were able to offer to our students this semester. Thank you to all who participated, sharing their career experiences with the students. If you would like to be a part of the Horizons or See It Be It program during the Spring semester, please contact Trish O’Shaughnessy at patricia.oshaughnessy@psd150.org. |
Thank You for the Grant Funding! |
For more information on our grant funding, grant writing and/or community engagement opportunities, please reach out to Trish O'Shaughnessy at patricia.oshaughnessy@psd150.org.
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Adopt-A-School Program: We Need Your Help! |
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We are currently looking for Little Free Pantry Sponsors for:
- Trewyn School
- Elise Ford Allen Academy
Both of these schools are located in a food desert area where the closest grocery store is miles away. Food insecurity is a real concern for many of the families living in this area. We are looking for two separate partners to keep the pantries stocked on a regular (monthly), or as needed basis. Alternatively, a financial donation of about $100 a month can help the PPS Foundation restock a pantry. With that support, our Foundation can order the food and have it delivered directly to the school.
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Please feel free to contact our Adopt-A-School Coordinator, Janet Ham, if you are interested in partnering with a school to sponsor a Little Free Pantry, provide Snack Packs, mentor students, or explore other opportunities to get involved. Janet can be emailed at janet.ham@psd150.org. |
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A Big Welcome to the PPS Foundation's Board of Directors New Member, Doug Shaw! |
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Doug has been an IT professional for Caterpillar for 25 years and is currently the Team Leader for IT Controls and Governance. He has also taught management information systems as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Illinois at Springfield-Peoria Center for 20 years. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Western Illinois University, Board President for Solvera Healthcare and is a former member of the Board of Education for Peoria Public Schools. Doug received his Master of Arts in management information systems, and a Graduate Certificate in business process management from the University of Illinois at Springfield. He earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Western Illinois University.
We recently chatted with Doug and asked him a few questions to get to get to know him better. Read on below!
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Hi Doug, thanks for chatting with us today! Since the holidays are just around the corner, can you tell us what your favorite Holiday song is?
My favorite holiday song is "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway. "Silent Night" by the Temptations is a close second.
Yes! Love both of those songs. How do you celebrate the Holiday season?
I spend time with family and friends, and I recharge at home to prepare for the new year.
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What's something that's made you smile recently?
The silly messages I get from my daughter (a graduate student in Atlanta) make me laugh and smile all the time.
That's wonderful! Ok, now on to some hard questions! If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which ones would you pick?
My three apps would be the GPS (I remember navigating using paper maps), Outlook because I'm always checking messages, and YouTube for entertainment.
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How about if you could snap your fingers and immediately learn to do anything, what would it be?
If I could learn anything instantly, I would play the piano. I used to play growing up, and I regret letting it go.
Thanks again, Doug, for chatting with us. We are so excited to have you as part of the PPS Foundation Board of Directors!
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PPS Foundation Scholarships Now Opened! |
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More Ways to Support the PPS Foundation! |
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WE ALSO TAKE ONLINE DONATIONS!
Click the picture below to donate.
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All proceeds from the sign advertisement go directly to help Peoria Public School's campaign to improve the stadium property. Feel free to reach out to Jen Adler at jennifer.adler@psd150.org for more information on pricing, artwork or any other questions!
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Thank You to our Community Partners! |
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We'd like to give an especially big shout out this month to Starbucks, Hy-Vee in Sheridan Village and K2 Benefits for going above and beyond to further our mission to improve the quality of education in Peoria Public Schools! |
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PPS Foundation's Board of Directors:
Dan Adler, Andre Allen, Beth Crider, Solivian Dismuke, Maarten de Haas, Alex Elger, Kim McGhee, Cheryl Sanfilip, and Doug Shaw
Ex Officio Board Members:
Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat (PPS Superintendant) and Mike Murphy (PPS Board of Education)
PPS Foundation's Staff:
Cindy Morris - President
Trish O'Shaughnessy - Director of Programming & Community Engagement
Jen Adler - Administrative Director
Janet Ham - Adopt-A-School Coordinator
Matt Violet - Data and Programming Logistics Coordinator
Jaleesha Allen - Career Program Coordinator
Annalee Anderson - Career Tech Advocate
Ellie de Buhr - Career Tech Advocate
Jonathan Manjarrez - Career Tech Advocate
Catherine Murray - Career Tech Advocate
Olivia Smith - Career Tech Advocate
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