Peotone Community Unit School District 207U

On Tuesday, we had our all-staff District Kick Off at Institute Day!💙 It was an incredible time of connection and celebration. Our admin team proudly launched this year’s Go Big Blue focus, and a special shoutout to Mr. McGovern for being our very own Blue Devil! We recognized the hard work of those that worked this summer to prepare for a successful start of the year, heard a welcome message from Board Member Ashley Stachniak, introduced our new staff, enjoyed games like Name that BLUE Tune and Which Came First, received important safety reminders from Officer Stankus, and listened to closing inspirational message from Mrs. Zurales! This is the only time each year our entire staff gathers together, and we loved sharing great conversations and lots of smiles over a delicious lunch from Del Santos. Now we’re ready to welcome students (Grades 1–12) on Thursday and our PreK/Kindergarten on Monday. Let’s Go BIG BLUE! 💙📘

Help us give a big Blue Devil welcome to our newest 207U teaching staff! Over the past two days, these incredible educators participated in our New Teacher Orientation as part of the Blueprint Program—designed to ensure a successful start as a Blue Devil. They enjoyed breakfast with our administrative team, learned about the district with Mrs. Zurales, set up their technology, completed onboarding with Mrs. Faber, explored 403b and insurance benefits, participated in breakout sessions with our instructional coaches, met with union leadership, had safety training with the MFPD, and spent their afternoons with their building administrators, building mentors, and department teams to prepare for the year ahead. We are thrilled to have them join the Blue Devil community and can’t wait to see the amazing impact they will have on our students this year! 💙

Lawn Care Products Application Notification Dear Parent, Guardian, or Staff Member, Illinois law (Lawn Care Products Application and Notification Act) requires all school districts to notify students and staff when lawn care chemicals are used in or around school facilities. Please be aware that weed control and fertilization of the lawns/hardscape areas at all District 207U schools will take place on the following day(s): August 14, 2025 We are committed to minimizing the use of chemicals for weed control and lawn care, but at times, it is necessary for the proper maintenance of the facility. If you have any questions about the application, please contact the Director of Facilities at (708) 258-0991 Ext. 2125

Your Peotone 207u Admin Team spent the week diving into school improvement planning, aligning goals, collaborating, and preparing for a strong start to the year! Each activity—from planning to building connections—was centered on moving our district ahead!

We wrapped up the week in our favorite sports gear, celebrating the same teamwork and dedication we’ll bring into the school year!

Here’s to a year of growth, goals, and Go Big Blue! 💙

On Wednesday, Mrs. Zurales facilitated a district-wide School Improvement Workshop as part of the Admin Retreat. Building administrators worked side-by-side with their teacher teams to develop School Improvement Plans for the upcoming year. For the first time, this important work is being completed before the school year begins—ensuring that every building starts with clear goals, focused priorities, and aligned action steps. We’re excited to see the impact this will have on student growth throughout the year!

Lawn Care Products Application Notification Dear Parent, Guardian, or Staff Member, Illinois law (Lawn Care Products Application and Notification Act) requires all school districts to notify students and staff when lawn care chemicals are used in or around school facilities. Please be aware that weed control and fertilization of the lawns/hardscape areas at all District 207U schools will take place on the following day(s): July 18, 2025. We are committed to minimizing the use of chemicals for weed control and lawn care, but at times, it is necessary for the proper maintenance of the facility. If you have any questions about the application, please contact the Director of Facilities at (708) 258-0991 Ext. 2125

Your Peotone 207U Admin Team kicked off their summer Admin Retreat yesterday!

This dedicated group is spending the week collaborating, aligning, and planning with purpose to ensure a strong start to the school year.

👏 Take a moment to give a shoutout to an admin you recognize in the photo! Please also help us give a warm welcome to Mrs. JIllian Sosnowski, stepping into her new role as PES Principal (familiar face, new title!) and to Mrs. Alicia Jakubek, the newest member of our team as the PHS Assistant Principal.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates from their week and for this upcoming school year!

Reminder to Peotone Families: Any required physical & immunizations for the 2025-2026 school year are due PRIOR to the first day of school. You can find all the appropriate forms needed for your student on the district website under the parent tab in Health Services Department > Health Service Documents. https://www.peotoneschools.org/page/health-services

Dear Parent, Guardian, or Staff Member, Illinois law (Lawn Care Products Application and Notification Act) requires all school districts to notify students and staff when lawn care chemicals are used in or around school facilities. Please be aware that weed control and fertilization of the lawns/hardscape areas at all District 207U schools will take place on the following day(s): June 19, 2025. We are committed to minimizing the use of chemicals for weed control and lawn care, but at times, it is necessary for the proper maintenance of the facility. If you have any questions about the application, please contact the Facilities Director at (708) 258-0991 Ext. 2125

Our last day of school is this Friday, May 30th. All schools will be implementing a common plan schedule.

Last night, we had the privilege of hosting Detective Rich Wistocki, a nationally recognized expert in Child CyberSafety and Cybercrimes. His presentation, “Keeping Our Kids CyberSafe,” was eye-opening, highly informative, and incredibly relevant for today’s digital world. We understand that May is a very busy time for families. To ensure all parents have access to this valuable information, we’re pleased to provide a recording of the presentation. Key topics included: “Not My Kid” – Breaking the myth and recognizing warning signs Online safety on platforms like Roblox and other popular games The “Gold Ticket” for technology Practical tools and strategies for monitoring social media and digital activity We encourage you to take some time to watch the presentation and equip yourself with strategies to help keep your children safe online. Here is the recording: https://www.youtube.com/live/znwPMrUw78A?si=GBtTyK-5n5vP_9iv

Healthy and nutritious summer meals are available for children (18 and under) when school is out. To find a site close to you, call or visit the website below: https://wegotyouillinois.org/

Healthy and nutritious summer meals are available for children (18 and under) when school is out. To find a site close to you, call or visit the website below: https://wegotyouillinois.org/

Dear Parent, Guardian, or Staff Member, Illinois law (Lawn Care Products Application and Notification Act) requires all school districts to notify students and staff when lawn care chemicals are used in or around school facilities. Please be aware that weed control and fertilization of the lawns/hardscape areas at all District 207U schools will take place on the following day(s): May 17, 2025. We are committed to minimizing the use of chemicals for weed control and lawn care, but at times, it is necessary for the proper maintenance of the facility. If you have any questions about the application, please contact the Facilities Director at (708) 258-0991 Ext. 2125

Please see flyer about the Will County Health Department Back to School Immunization Clinics.

Happy National School Nurse Day! Today, Peotone CUSD 207U is proud to celebrate our amazing school nurses who go above and beyond to care for our students and staff each and every day. From scraped knees to tough days, our nurses are a calm, caring presence in our schools. They support student success by keeping our kids healthy, safe, and ready to learn—and they do it all with compassion, professionalism, and heart. To our incredible nurses: thank you for being the heroes of our hallways. We appreciate you more than words can say!

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting the first presenter in our Peotone Parent Partnership Series on Thursday, May 15, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. The event will feature Detective Rich Wistocki from the Be Sure Consulting CyberSafe Schools Team. Detective Wistocki is a nationally recognized expert in High Technology Cyber Crimes and will share proactive strategies, expert insights, and invaluable resources for ensuring children's cyber safety. We recognize that May is a busy month, but we believe this presentation is especially important as we head into summer—a time when students’ technology usage tends to increase. Resources will be shared for those who cannot attend, but we hope to see you there! Please see the attached flyer for all the details.

Dear Parent, Guardian, or Staff Member, Illinois law (Lawn Care Products Application and Notification Act) requires all school districts to notify students and staff when lawn care chemicals are used in or around school facilities. Please be aware that weed control and fertilization of the lawns/hardscape areas at all District 207U schools will take place on the following day(s): May 3, 2025. We are committed to minimizing the use of chemicals for weed control and lawn care, but at times, it is necessary for the proper maintenance of the facility. If you have any questions about the application, please contact the Director of Buildings & Grounds at (708) 258-0991 Ext. 2125

We're Hiring Paraprofessionals! Peotone School District is looking for substitute and full-time paraprofessionals to join our dedicated team! Short-Term Paraprofessional approvals are available now through June 30, 2025 (non-renewable), and they’re a great way to begin working in education while completing the requirements for full licensure. Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent At least 19 years old to work with students in grades PK–22 Must be actively pursuing full licensure while working Approval is valid for 3 years If you enjoy working with students and want to make a difference in our schools, we would love to connect with you! If you're interested or have questions, please reach out to Amanda Faber at afaber@peotoneschools.org. I’d be happy to help guide you through the process of obtaining your licensing.

This is a reminder to participate in the parent survey supplement, part of the Illinois 5Essentials Survey administration. A parent survey report will be generated if at least 20 percent of parents/guardians respond to the survey. While the parent data will not be made public, the parent report will be made available to the building and district administration and will enable them to make considerations based on the responses given by Peotone parents/guardians. Your participation in the parent survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. These research-based reports will be sent to schools and districts in May and will also be included in the State School Report Card, released statewide in the fall. Please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ to take the parent survey.