Pikeland CUSD 10

Today is Board Member Appreciation Day! We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your dedication to the Pikeland School District. Your role carries immense responsibility, and you’ve taken on the role with wisdom and integrity. Thank you for your active participation in the leadership of our District. You have generously given your time to make tough decisions and act in the best interest of our students and our schools. Again, we say Thank You!

South School Spotlight - Week of November 11th

South School Spotlight - Week of November 11th

The PHS Student Council Food Drive begins this week! Any South School family who would like to donate food items can bring the items to school beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, November 12. The class who brings in the most food items by December 5 will receive a class pizza party compliments of the Little Braves Boosters. **We do ask that no glass bottle donations be sent in as they are a safety concern.** New this year is a Cereal Box Challenge. Students can bring in unopened boxes of cereal and on December 5, the PHS Student Council will set the cereal boxes up like dominos and the students will get to watch them fall throughout the hallways. Donations are always welcomed, but never expected. This purpose of this project is to offer support to local families in need while teaching our Little Braves about generosity and kindness.

Thursday, November 7th at the Pikeland New Teacher Mentoring Sessions, mentors took on the leadership role as presenters to the group on the topics of student engagement and seamless procedures. Thank you to Mrs. Kayla Boren, Mrs. Jacklyn Feldpausch, Mrs. Erin Fesler & Mrs. Kate Marable for your amazing presentations and dedication to new teacher professional development.

Last night, the Pikeland Board of Education hired Dr. Russ Tepen as the new Superintendent for the 2025-2026 School Year. A lifelong Jerseyville native, who is currently in his sixth year as principal at Litchfield Middle School, and has a great deal of school leadership roles and experiences. During his tenure, he has served as a middle school educator, assistant principal, and principal, and enjoyed many years as a high school principal. His experiences include leading schools in rural districts and large urban schools where there has been a great deal of diversity represented. Described as a continuous learner, Dr. Tepen has a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, two master’s degrees from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and his doctorate from Maryville University. He has also completed his coursework for the Chief School Business Official certification from University of Illinois Springfield. His desire to learn and stay current in educational trends and research allows him to foster learning communities within the district. Dr. Tepen looks forward to joining the Pikeland community and the Saukee family and the Board of Education is excited to have him joining the district. His initial goal is to engage members of the community and school in order to learn as much about the culture and traditions that make this community great. He is excited to begin his time in the Pikeland School Distri

Have a great weekend!

Meet Avery Heavner!

South School is starting a new theme of highlighting 1 - 2 staff members each week! The South School Spotlight will be included on the weekly newsletter as well as on the Pikeland Facebook page. This will be a great way to meet the staff members that work with our Little Braves every day! The first spotlight is on Mrs. Sarah McNulty!

Have a great weekend!

Pikeland #10 School Community, Today, Pikeland CUSD #10 announces the Illinois State Board of Education release of the 2024 Illinois Report Card (IRC), a detailed look at student performance data from the 2023-24 school year. You can find Pikeland #10’s annual Report Card at www.illinois report card.com. I would like to commend Pikeland #10 educators and families for their extraordinary efforts to support student growth during the 2024 school year. The 2024 Annual Summative Designation found all three of Pikeland CUSD #10’s schools (Pittsfield South Elementary School, Pikeland Community School, and Pittsfield High School) have achieved the Commendable Designation. A tremendous amount of information and data regarding school districts are found in the IRC. It is one aspect of an array of information that districts utilize in an effort to analyze and enhance student performance. An example of this data is where CUSD #10 saw advancement in graduation rates, reduction in chronic absenteeism, and a decrease in student discipline incidents over the previous school year. In the area of Early Learning, our percent of kindergarteners rated on their readiness continued above state levels. We hope these examples are indicators that students are continuing to achieve, thanks to the dedication and commitment of Pikeland #10’s outstanding teachers, families, and community partners. The annual summative designation is one component of the IRC. Illinois is required by federal accountability law to assign each school a descriptor of how well it is meeting the needs of its students. This designation is based on several indicators of academic performance. One such indicator, in Academic Progress, is the Cohort Growth Percentile/Baseline Growth Percentile in English Language Arts and Mathematics. These Growth Percentiles are taken from the Illinois Assessment for Readiness and indicate student progress when compared to their peers, those who had similar scores in the preceding year. In addition to its achievements in the past year, Pikeland #10 is committed to continuous school improvement. In the upcoming school year, our educators and administrators look forward to focusing on the 2024 Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Program. Pikeland #10 will continue to engage parents, families, and community partners in its ongoing efforts to improve student outcomes across the district. The IRC provides the school community with an opportunity to reflect on last year’s strengths and discuss areas for continuous improvement. CUSD #10 believes every single student can meet high expectations and that parents/caregivers and community members are a critical partner in each child’s education. Please contact us or reach out to your school administrator with any questions you may have. Jo R. Campbell, Ph.D. - Interim Superintendent jcampbell@pikeland.org (217)285-2147

Dear South School Families, Keeping our Little Braves safe is of utmost importance at South School. Because of this a caution sign has been put up by the south end of the bus lane. The purpose is to pause families from crossing the bus lane before the buses have left each afternoon. It is difficult for the bus drivers to see people on the left hand side of the buses and this new policy could help ensure safety for all. Thank you for working in collaboration with the South School staff to create the safest environment possible for all of our Little Braves. Sincerely, Mrs. Allen

Pikeland Safety Information

"PRINCIPAL APPRECIATION WEEK, OCTOBER 21-25" "Your leadership inspires us every day" Thank you for making decisions with our students as your top priority. Your hard work is the foundation for their achievement. You handle your jobs with grace and enthusiasm. We can't wait to see what else you have in store for our school, thanks again!” #ThankAPrincipal/Administrator

Yesterday we celebrated boss's day at the Pikeland Board Office. Thank you Dr. Campbell and Mrs. Ruebush for all you do!

This past week was yet another busy one at Pikeland CUSD #10. Along with the usual extracurricular activities, Parent-Teacher Conferences were held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for our three schools. The Conferences appeared to be well attended and provided a good opportunity for parents to discuss the progress of their children with teachers as the first quarter of School Year 2024-2025 comes to a close. Between these two dates, on Wednesday, October 9, Principals Ryan Benz and Angie Greger along with SRO Clint Weir, conducted School Safety Presentations at their respective schools. A good amount of valuable information was provided by them to our school family and community members, at both the 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm sessions. Thank you to all who were in attendance and for the questions, comments, and concerns that were provided to the discussions regarding school safety. A third School Safety Presentation is scheduled at South School on Monday, October 21, 2024, in the gymnasium at 6:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing all who are able to attend. Another date to take note of as we move into the second quarter is the Regular School Board Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Office. Have a great week as school resumes on Tuesday, following the October 14, Columbus Day Holiday. Jo R. Campbell - Interim Superintendent

Please share this information. Thank you!

Pikeland CUSD #10 Safety Newsletter

Happy Friday! Mr. Benz greets the students at PCS every morning. It is a great way to start the day!

Pikeland #10 School Safety Update One of the most recent incidents regarding a reported threat to school safety at Pikeland Community School involved two separate incidents of writing threatening statements on a bathroom wall. Pittsfield Police Department has thoroughly investigated these incidents, along with Pikeland #10 administration. The results of this investigation are found in a press release provided by the Pittsfield Police Department. Also, appropriate disciplinary actions have been implemented by Pikeland #10, addressing the seriousness of these actions. This press release is found at: https://www.facebook.com/p/Pittsfield-Illinois-Police-Department-100064680731653/ A second incident this week involved comments made between PCS students while riding on their bus. The comments containing threatening language were reported to school administration and a thorough investigation was initiated by school administration and the Pittsfield Police Department. Appropriate disciplinary action has been implemented by Pikeland #10 for the individuals involved in this incident. At this time I do not have information to release regarding possible legal action by the Pittsfield Police Department regarding this incident. And, names of individuals and disciplinary measures cannot be released. All reported threats of violence involving Pikeland #10 have been investigated and consequences as provided by Illinois School Code, School District Policy, and Student Handbooks are being implemented. The seriousness of this and other verbal or written comments that have been made over the past few weeks are reflected in the Pittsfield Police Department press release. Below is the legal reference provided in that release. Disorderly conduct under the Illinois Compiled Statute 720 ILCS 5/26-1(a) (3.5) reads: A person commits disorderly conduct when he or she knowingly: Does any act in such unreasonable manner as to alarm or disturb another and to provoke a breach of the peace. (3.5) Transmits or causes to be transmitted in any manner a threat of destruction of a school building or school property, or a threat of violence, death, or bodily harm directed against person at a school, school function, or school event, whether or not school is in session: Measures such as enhanced monitoring of building security, such as exterior doors, windows, school grounds, and student activity throughout the school buildings will continue. These, and other, unfortunate events that have had a significant impact on our school community cannot, and will not be tolerated. Efforts to improve school safety will continue to be explored, and changes implemented where possible. Our hope is that we are now able to move forward and continue with what began as a great school year for Pikeland #10. Jo R. Campbell - Interim Superintendent