Mount Pulaski CUSD #23

Dear MP CUSD 23 parents/guardians,   We have received confirmation from the City of Mt. Pulaski and local law enforcement that the gas leak has been capped and safely secured. Our buildings and grounds director has turned all the power and HVAC back on to the high school building and students have been transported back to the high school.   We greatly appreciate the quick and professional response of the city of Mt. Pulaski as well as everyone's patience and understanding as we navigated through this safety concern.   Sincerely, Jason Spang Superintendent of schools.

Dear MPCUSD #23 parents/guardians, This morning at 9:35 a.m. we were made aware of a natural as leak at the new township building across from MPHS and we made the decision to evacuate students. Students were transported to MPGS and all students and staff are safe. Law enforcement and city officials were immediately contacted and promptly responded to investigate as safety is our #1 priority. Once we receive a clear signal, we will assess and make decisions at that time. At this time, students are not being dismissed for the day. Rest assured, we have detailed safety procedures and protocols for this moment and have followed those guidelines today. We greatly appreciate the quick and professional response of the city of Mt. Pulaski and will continue to work with them through this matter. Sincerely, Jason Spang Superintendent of Schools

If you are a community member participating in the strategic planning meeting at MPHS on Saturday, February 1, we are meeting upstairs in the Learning Center. You can park in the multipurpose Main Gym lot and use the central stairs OR you can use the northeast entrance on the corner of Spring and Cooke if you park out front or on Cooke Street. The main office doors will not be unlocked on Saturday, February 1.

The MPHS Drama Department will present The Wizard of Oz: - Friday, February 28 at 6:30PM - Saturday, March 1 at 2PM - Saturday, March 1 at 6:30PM The Multipurpose Gym Doors open 30 minutes prior to each event and will be the only entrance used for these events. Tickets are $8 for Adults and $5 for Students/Seniors. This musical is based on the novel by L. Frank Baum and the Classic Motion Picture with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, background music by Herbert Stothart, dance and vocal arrangements by Peter Howard, orchestration by Larry Cane, and adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shgakespeare Company.

As previously notified by the Superintendent, MPHS will be observing an eLearning day tomorrow (Tuesday, January 21, 2025). Please read these documents thoroughly as they outline student expectations for attendance. LTEC is also conducting an eLearning day. RAS-Abe Lincoln Academy will not be in session. Decisions about extra-curricular events/practices will be made tomorrow and communicated through the office of the Activities Director, Mr. Jordan (jjordan@mp23schools.com).

The weather forecast for tomorrow, January 21st, predicts extremely low temperatures and wind chills of -20 or possibly colder. I have been in contact with other area superintendents and our transportation director and Mt. Pulaski Schools will be utilizing an E-Learning day tomorrow, Tuesday, January 21st. All extra-curricular decisions will be communicated through Mr. Jordan tomorrow once we have an update regarding the most up to date forecast. Thank you for everyone's patience and understanding. Have a good evening.

Reminders: Today - School dismisses at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20 - No School

Mt. Pulaski CUSD would like to thank our School Resource Officer, Josh Pharis, and all of the men and women who protect our communities!

School resumes tomorrow! High School students should log into TeacherEase in the morning to verify their schedule. We have had some scheduling, room changes, and study hall changes. LTEC Bus - 7:30 a.m. departure Calculus Tardy Bell - 7:55 a.m. Tardy Bell All Other Classes - 8:10 a.m. Welcome back, Toppers! Let's make this new year great!

Doors open at the high school at 6 PM for our parent event focused on teen mental health awareness. Join us in the cafeteria!

We are hiring! We are looking for an additional Special Education teacher at the high school with a January 6, 2025, start date. https://www.illinoiseducationjobbank.org/Job-Posting/142874/Special-Education-Teacher/job-details

School dismissal reminder!

Good luck to our Toppers as they begin semester assessments on Thursday! Finish strong, Toppers!

On Friday, December 20, the 8th grade students will not be attending afternoon classes at MPHS. They will remain at the Grade School. Parents and family members who usually pick up their 8th grade student at the high school should plan to pick up their 8th grader on Friday, December 20, from the Grade School when classes dismiss at 1:58 p.m.

This Thursday, December 19, Mount Pulaski High School is hosting Jessica Smiley from NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, to talk with parents about teen mental health. This event will be held at 6:15 p.m. in the cafeteria at Mount Pulaski High School. It is open to all parents and community members. We are planning to provide dinner for attendees and would love a head count! Please complete this survey by Tuesday, December 17, if you plan to join us! https://forms.gle/L8Yqf4ZmGQLUo7Ex7 High School parents who attend will be given 1 homework pass for each of their high school students to use next semester. Join us!!

Join us tonight for the Winter Band Concerts! All concerts are in the High School Multipurpose Gym. Only the Multipurpose entrance will be open. Doors unlock at 5:30 p.m. Junior High Concert is at 6:00 PM High School Concert is at 7:30 PM Come out and support our fine arts programs by enjoying some amazing music!

On December 19, Mount Pulaski High School is hosting Jessica Smiley from NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, to talk with parents about teen mental health. This event will be held at 6:15 p.m. in the cafeteria at Mount Pulaski High School. It is open to all parents and community members. We are planning to provide dinner for attendees and would love a head count! Please complete this survey by Tuesday, December 17, if you plan to join us! https://forms.gle/L8Yqf4ZmGQLUo7Ex7

A message from our specialists at Chestnut Health Systems:

On December 19, Mount Pulaski High School is hosting Jessica Smiley from NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, to talk with parents about teen mental health. This event will be held at 6:15 p.m. in the Ed Butkovich Gymnasium at Mount Pulaski High School. It is open to all parents and community members. In addition to gaining information, we will offer other incentives to bring in as many community members as possible. We will have more details as we get closer to the date. If you have any questions, contact Melanie Hinson, MPHS School Counselor, at mhinson@mp23schools.com or 217-792-3209. nami.org

Semester Assessments are quickly approaching! There are 3 weeks left of this semester. As a reminder, those assessments will be given on Thursday, December 19, and Friday, December 20. Please avoid scheduling any type of appointments on these school days! Pertinent Handbook Policies for the End of the Year: ----------- ALL STUDENTS: Semester Grades The semester grade is the only grade recorded in the student’s permanent file. The semester grade is calculated as follows: Semester Coursework = 90% Semester Assessment = 10% Students who are absent from a semester assessment will be given an “I” (Incomplete) for the assessment grade and semester grade. The semester assessment must be completed within 5 days of the original semester assessment day. The 5 day window for Fall 2024 = all work turned in and the semester assessment taken by 3:15 p.m. on Friday, December 27, 2024. If you miss the scheduled semester assessment, you must contact Mrs. Fricke at hfricke@mp23schools.com to schedule your make-up session for the following week (as the school and office will be closed). Failure to complete the assessment as outlined in policy will have a consequence of a zero being recorded for the assessment. It is imperative to be in attendance for semester assessments as scheduled. -------------- SENIORS ONLY: Seniors who meet the following criteria at the conclusion of each semester will be completely exempt from taking the semester assessment in a given class: Must have a 90% or higher in the class No unexcused absences for the entire semester No more than 1 detention for the entire semester No in-school or out-of-school suspensions for the entire semester Students cannot be exempt from semester assessments given at Lincoln Community High School or for dual-credit classes. Students who are exempt from semester/final assessments do not have to report to school for attendance for class periods in which they are exempt. --------------- ALL STUDENTS: Family Trips A vacation or family trip taken during the school year is an unfortunate interruption to classroom work. We realize that the choice of vacation time may be dictated by an employer so that the student and parents are faced with a choice between a family trip during the school term and no trip at all. During the school year, such trips will be considered an excused absence if the following guidelines are followed: 1. No more than five (5) school days will be excused. Days in excess of five (5) will be marked as unexcused. 2. The office must be given at least one week's notice by the parents that their intention is to take such a trip. 3. The student will present a pre-arranged absence form to each teacher five (5) days prior to leaving in order to secure all work that will be assigned. 4. All work missed must follow the Assignment Make-Up Policy. 5. No absences will be approved during semester or final assessments without prior approval of the administration. 6. Pre-arranged family trips will count against the 9 allowed excused absences. Therefore, if you plan to miss one of the scheduled assessment days due to a family trip, the trip will be excused by the administration with the expectation that the assessments be taken BEFORE the trip. If this specific situation impacts your student/family, the student needs to see Mrs. Fricke as soon as possible to arrange taking the examinations earlier in the week. -------------- If you have questions about any of this information after reading through it thoroughly, please reach out to hfricke@mp23schools.com Here's to finishing 2024 strong, Toppers!