Spring Fine Arts Program

See more photos HERE.

HBD Raider Families,

We are incredibly proud of all of our students who participated in Wednesday’s Encore Band Performance and Art Showcase! 🎶🎨 The talent, confidence, and creativity on display were truly inspiring. Our young artists and musicians represented HBD with excellence, and it was a joy to celebrate their hard work.

Thank you to our families, community partners, and district representatives who came out to support this special event. Your presence and encouragement mean so much to our students and staff, and it helps strengthen the sense of pride we share in our Fine Arts program.

As we celebrate these accomplishments, please remember that school is still in full swing. Our students are actively engaged in NWEA testing, preparing for Algebra I exams, and completing important class assignments and projects guided by our dedicated teachers. Finishing strong remains our focus, and we appreciate your continued support at home.

Speaking of our teachers—this week is Teacher Appreciation Week! We are fortunate to have an amazing staff at HBD who go above and beyond each day to support, challenge, and inspire our students. We invite you to join us in celebrating them with a kind note, message, or gesture of appreciation. A little gratitude goes a long way!  Also, this Wednesday, May 6, school will be dismissed at 10:30AM so that our staff can participate in school improvement activities. Please remember that your scholars will come home early on this day.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support. Let’s continue to make these final weeks of the school year meaningful and successful for our Raiders.

With Raider Pride,
Principal Evans

We are focusing on our chronically absent students who have missed 10% or more of the school year. Parents, Please make sure that your student(s) attend school daily.

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 at 309-672-6506.

Week 1.06.26 - 88.8%

Week of 1.12.26 - 85%

Week of 1.19.26 - 88%

Week of 1.25.26 - 88%

Week of 2.02..26 - 88%

Week of 2.09.26 - 89.3%

Week of 2.16.26 - 88%

Week of 2.23.26 - 87%

Week of 3.2.26 - 88.3%

Week of 3.9.26 - 88.5%

Week of 3.16.26 - 87%

Week of 3.23.26 - 88%

Week of 4.13.26 - 89%

Week of 4.20.26 - 89.8%

Week of 4.27.26 -88%

Week of 5.4.26 -

Week of 5.11.26 -

Week of 5.18. 26 -

Last Week 5.25.26 - 

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!

Track Practice: Monday & Thursday 2:45-4:00 p.m.

Soccer Games: Monday, 5/4 vs. Mark Bills @ Bubble Field #1 Girls 3:45 p.m. / Boys 4:45 p.m.

Thursday, 5/7 vs. Sterling @ Bubble Field #1 Girls 3:45 p.m. / Boys 4:45 p.m.

Saturday, 5/9 vs. Reservoir @ Bubble Field #1 Girls 9:00 a.m. / Boys 10:00 a.m.

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

Student Council Meeting: Monday 2:45-3:45 p.m.

Basketball Training Club: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 2:45-4:30 p.m.

GRO Mentoring Program: Tuesday during lunch

Horizons Club: Thursday during lunch

SOCCER AND TRACK PARTICIPANTS: You must have an up-to-date sports physical (dated within a year). 

HBD Raider Families 💙

As we jump into an exciting soccer and track season, we are proud of our student-athletes and all they are accomplishing! With so many events ahead, we want to continue building a positive, safe, and encouraging atmosphere for everyone involved.

At HBD, we follow the standards set by the Illinois High School Association to model excellence for our scholars—on and off the field.

🏟️ Raider Game Day Expectations:

Respect everyone – players, coaches, officials, and fellow spectators

Cheer loud and positive – keep it encouraging and school-appropriate

Trust the officials – no negative or inappropriate comments

Keep it family-friendly – create a space where all feel welcome

Remember – school events are an extension of the classroom

Our students are always watching—and learning from us. Let’s show them what true Raider Pride looks like through our actions: respect, unity, and sportsmanship.

Thank you for helping us make every game and meet a great experience for our students and community.

Let’s go Raiders! ⚽🏃‍♂️💨

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

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!

Nominations Due: Friday, May 8th

Election Date: Tuesday, May 12th

Interested in Running? No experience necessary! Complete the form here.

Questions? HBDPTO@gmail.com

This week, we celebrated our amazing bus drivers & monitors!

More information HERE

The Mayor’s Summer Youth Internship Program is now accepting applications for Summer 2026. Applications will be available beginning Tuesday, April 14th at City Hall and in the front offices of all Peoria Public Schools middle and high schools. The program is open to Peoria Public School students ages 14–15 who are either graduating from 8th grade or currently enrolled in high school. Applicants must submit a letter of recommendation from a principal, teacher, or counselor. The application deadline is May 8th, 2026.

For questions or additional information, please contact Program Coordinator Zakiya Floyd at 309-216-8199 or zfloyd@peoriagov.org.

Did your student miss the bus because it came early?

Has your student been waiting at the bus stop, wondering where the bus is?

Is your student normally home by now?

Stop wondering and download the Bus Quest app to follow your student's bus along its route to and from school!

As a reminder, students are not allowed to use headphones from home during the school day. All headphones (and smartwatches) are to be locked in their lockers or turned into their teachers with their phones in the morning. 

HBD Raider Families,

Please take time to closely monitor your student’s use of social media. While social media can be useful, it can also expose students to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and unsafe interactions.

It is important to remember that colleges, scholarship programs, and potential employers often review social media accounts when evaluating applicants, so what students post today can impact future opportunities.

Helpful steps for parents:

Know which apps your child is using.

Set accounts to private and review followers.

Periodically check posts, messages, and activity.

Talk with your child about responsible online behavior.

Please note that inappropriate social media use during school hours that violates district or school policy may result in school consequences.

Thank you for helping us keep our HBD Raiders safe and focused on success.

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

✔ Walk on sidewalks (not in the street)

✔ Respect our neighbors and local businesses

✔ Keep hands and objects to themselves (no horse play or throwing items)

✔ Use respectful language at all times

✔ The north side of Rohmann is a no parking zone. Vehicles should only be parking on the school-side of the street.

✔ Use the crosswalk to cross Rohmann.

✔ Watch for students and other vehicles before pulling out.

✔ The speed limit is 20 mph when students are present. 

✔ Remain seated

✔ No food or drink

✔ Use respectful language at all times

✔  Keep hands and objects to yourself

Please review the information at the following links:

• Back to School Procedures 25 26 - digital.pdf

• 2025-26_HBDawson_Handbook