Harold B. Dawson Jr. Middle School

The Raider Review

Week of December 7, 2025

Raider Spotlight

Mr. Johnson was featured in the latest Remarkable Times. Check it out here.

This Week

From the Principal's Desk

Greetings Raider Family:

As we move into the next two weeks, we encourage all HBD Raiders to be present every day. Consistent attendance ensures students stay engaged in ongoing learning activities, participate fully in NWEA testing, and enjoy the fun and festivities leading up to Winter Break--- including Spirit Week, the Santa Raffle, and several exciting surprises yet to be announced.

We also invite all families to attend our first home boys' basketball game on Monday, December 8 at 3:45 PM. After the game, please stay for Parent University, where we will offer helpful information for families through fun, interactive sessions. There will be food, door prizes, and free dress passes for your HBD scholar.

Your partnership is essential to student success. We look forward to seeing you in the building and to working together to help our scholars finish the semester strong!

Respectfully,

M.J. Newman-Evans, HBD Principal

Attention HBD Parents/Guardians,

We are focusing on our chronically absent students who have missed 10% or more of the school year. As of Tuesday 12/5, if your student has missed 8.5 or more days of school (excused and/or unexcused), they are considered chronically absent.

Students who are chronically absent are at risk of falling behind their peers academically. If you are unsure of your student's attendance or need assistance getting your student to school consistently, please contact the school.

Our goal is 100% Attendance Every Day!

Week 8.03 - 90.50%

Week 8.10 - 90.80%

Week 8.16 - 91.00%

Week 8.24 - 85.00%

Week 9.2 - 87.5%

Week of 9.7 - 88.5%

Week of 9.15 - 87%

Week of 9.22 - 88.25%

Week of 9.29 - 90%

Week of 10.20 - 84.25%

Week of 10. 27 - 87%

Week of 11.03 - 90%

Week of 11.10 - 90.30%

Week of 11.17 - 92.4%

Week of 12.01 - 85%

Week of 12.08 -

Week of 12.15 -

Students continue to earn one jibbitz charm per week for being at school every day that week.*Bracelets will not be replaced, so students need to be responsible for them!

Save the Date

Monday, 12/8: HBD Parent University

Join us for our very own Parent University from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, 12/9: NWEA begins

Students will begin their Winter NWEA testing in Math & Reading this week. Please encourage them to get a good night's sleep and arrive to school on time each day!

Thursday, 12/18: Winter Concert

Our band and choir students will be performing during our all-school assembly at 1:15 p.m.

Friday, 12/19: Santa Raffle & 1:30 Dismissal

We will gladly accept any and all wrapping paper donations!

School Activities

HBD Sports

Boys' Basketball

12/8 vs. Mark Bill 3:45 p.m.

12/10 @ Sterling 3:45 p.m.

12/13 vs. Rolling Acres 9:00 a.m.

See the full game schedule here.

HBD Clubs

Student Council: Monday, Dec.15th 2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m.

Future Teacher Club: Mondays 2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m.

Art Club: Wednesdays 2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m.

Chess Club: Wednesdays 2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m.

Horizons Club: Thursdays during lunch

Shout Out

Shout out to our Raiders who showed up on the coldest days of the year (yet)! And a special shout out to 505/605 for having 100% attendance!

Counselor's Corner

School Counselor: Kelly Craig Edwards

Email: kelly.craig@psd150.org

All Students:

--Cartwheel: Online counseling support. Ask Mrs. Craig if you have questions

--Wrap Around Center: Offers counseling, food, rent assistance, and other supports

6th-8th Graders:

Thinking about becoming an adult and planning for your future can be overwhelming! We are very excited to introduce your school’s college and career readiness platform, SchooLinks, to help you reduce that anxiety and fear about your future! All of SchooLinks’ features are designed to step-by-step help you plan for your future plans (don’t forget to make back up plans too). SchooLinks has taken years of student feedback to make sure your experience using it is friendly, fun and most importantly helpful! SchooLinks can be accessed on your phone, tablet, or computer.

SchooLinks allows you to:

--Take swipeable surveys and quizzes to learn more about your interests and what careers might be right for you 🤳

--Research careers and watch mentor videos to help you navigate the college and career planning process 👨‍🔬

--Explore college profiles to learn information about campus life, the student body, and more 👨‍🎓

--Learn about financial literacy and how decisions you make can financially impact you after you graduate 💰

--Create course plans based on your career pathway 👩‍🏫

SchooLinks can be an amazing tool to help you decide and prepare for your path after high school even if you’re not 100% sure yet! We offer more than 80 experiences, such as career interest inventory assessments, college and career search, scholarship matching, college application tracking, and more. We look forward to getting started and helping you map your future!

8th Graders: Applications and auditions for PSA, AVID, and IB have closed.

Nurse's Notes

All students participating in school sports must have an up-to-date sports physical (dated within a year).

HBD PTO

Parents and Guardians are welcome to join our HBD PTO in working to ensure that our students are provided with the best possible middle school experience.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, 12/9 @ 6:00 PM

Location: HBD Library and MS Teams

President: Jessica Marksity

Vice President: Suzanne Linsley

Secretary and Treasurer: Meghan Moody

HBD's PTO is selling the $1 chocolate bars again! You have 3 options for purchasing:

Students were sent home with pre-order forms before break. Simply fill it out, return it to school with your cash payment, and your chocolate bars will be sent home with your student the following day.
If you'd like to pay online, visit: https://bit.ly/HBDPTOchocolate
Students can purchase bars directly from Mrs. Moody throughout the day.

Thought of the Week

Important Reminders

Parent Message: Raider Sportsmanship Expectations ----- Boys Basketball begins Dec. 08

Raider Families,

As we continue to support our students in athletics, clubs, and school activities, I want to take a moment to remind all families of the importance of good sportsmanship. Our goal is to create safe, positive, and encouraging environments where every student—whether on the court, in the stands, or performing on stage—feels valued and respected.

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) sets clear expectations for conduct during school-sponsored events. While HBD is a middle school, we proudly follow these same guidelines to model excellence for our scholars. Key IHSA expectations include:

Show respect for all players, coaches, officials, and spectators—at all times.

Cheer positively, avoiding negative comments, taunting, or distracting behaviors.

Allow officials to officiate. The use of abusive, harassing, or inappropriate language toward referees is strictly prohibited.

Promote a safe, family-friendly atmosphere where students can learn, compete, and grow.

Remember that school activities are extensions of the classroom, and the same standards of respect and responsibility apply.

Our students are watching us, learning from us, and modeling our actions. Thank you for helping us demonstrate what true Raider Pride looks like—respect, courtesy, and unity.

Together, we can ensure that every event reflects the strong character of our school community and supports the success of all students.

With appreciation,
Mrs. Evans
Principal, Harold B. Dawson Jr. Middle School

ATTENTION: CAR RIDERS

The Village of West Peoria has asked us to remind our families that the north side of Rohmann is a no parking zone. Vehicles should only be parking on the school-side of the street.

All students are required to remain in uniform on school grounds and while on the bus.

This includes after-school events unless performance attire is required.

See Student Handbook for details.

Exceptions: Birthdays, Spirit Days, Buy-Outs

Bus and school safety remain our top priority. Our bus drivers carry a critical responsibility and should not have to manage student misbehavior. Please remind your student to follow all bus safety rules and the driver’s directions at all times. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure every ride is safe.