Mount Pulaski CUSD #23

Here is an awesome opportunity for high school and college students. It's called Slices and Startups (S&S) and it's a great chance for students interested in entrepreneurship to get their feet wet! Here's the calendar and the theme for each month's S&S: February 20th: Celebrating Black Entrepreneurship in Peoria March 20th: AgTech April 17th: Fashion May 15th: Culinary June 19th: Robotics & Automation July 17th: Beauty & Wellness August 21: Non-Profits September 18: Toys & Games October 16: Healthcare & MedTech November 29: Apps, Software, and Video Games December 18: Slices & Startups Christmas Party & Giveaways! Again, this is open to all students in high school and college. The evening will consist of the following general structure, but is mainly student led in the direction of conversations: 1. Meet & Greet with Local Founders & Entrepreneurs 2. Q&A and/or Demos w/ those Founders 3. Celebrating Failure: How We Can Use a Stumble To Do Better 4. General entrepreneurship lessons 5. Tour of the Distillery Labs Innovation Center 6. Pizza Time! 7. Open Chat & Networking If you have any questions, connect with Jeffrey Inman: jinman@greaterpeoriaedc.org or Ashlie Inman: ashlie@distillerylabs.org. This event is an open collaboration with the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Development Center, the Women's Business Development Center, the Minority Business Development Center, the Greater Peoria Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Pekin Chamber, the Morton Chamber, the Greater Peoria Manufacturing Network, and of course our hosts at Distillery Labs!

There is an upcoming event that will provide SENIOR students and parents the opportunity to learn more about the Prairie Land FAME Program and connect with sponsoring employers. The event will feature stations where participants can engage directly with employers to gain insights into their industries and roles. Additionally, representatives from Richland Community College will be present to assist with the application process and answer questions about grants, scholarships, and financial aid. They will also provide valuable resources, including interview prep, resume tips, and mock interviews to help students prepare for future career opportunities. To make the event even more engaging, they will be offering refreshments, and each student will receive a bingo card upon check-in. Students who visit each employer station will have their bingo card stamped, and those who complete the card will be entered into a drawing for exciting giveaways. Winners will be contacted after the event. This event is the evening of Thursday, February 27, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Richland Community College in Decatur, IL. Please find two flyers attached with more detailed information.

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

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