PBL Education Foundation

08/18/2026

08/12/2026

Focus on the Future: Be Present, Be Powerful at PBL!

Welcome back, Panthers! As we look ahead to an exciting school year, we want to share our 2026-2027 Vacation Planner to help your family plan memorable breaks while ensuring your child maximizes their learning time and keeps a clear Focus on the Future!

At PBL, we are committed to preparing every student for responsible citizenship and lifelong success by cultivating strong character, critical thinking, clear communication, and collaboration within a safe and high-expectation learning environment where daily attendance and active participation are supported by families and community partners. The foundation of this preparation starts with being present every day. Our attendance motto, Be Present, Be Powerful, highlights a fundamental truth: every single school day is a powerful opportunity for growth, discovery, and connection.

Daily attendance and active participation are essential, and we are grateful that they are so strongly supported by our PBL families and community partners. By utilizing the scheduled breaks listed in this planner for family travel and significant appointments, you provide the continuous learning flow our students need.

Let’s make this year extraordinary. Join us in encouraging excellent daily attendance.

06/25/2026

The PBL Education Foundation extends its condolences to the family and friends of Robert Irving.

Robert Eugene “Bob” Irving, 87, of rural Loda passed away at 8:40 p.m. Sunday, June 14, 2026 at Accolade Healthcare of Paxton on Pells. A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Baier Family Funeral Services, Paxton is assisting the family with arrangements. Bob was born Decemb...

06/17/2026

PBL Education Foundation Awards Grant

The PBL Junior High School recently received a grant from the PBL Education Foundation to help host a career day entitled IGNITE, an exciting way to spark student interest in the trade careers.

Eighth graders from PBL and GCMS rotated through ten different stations to explore local career options. Students learned about each trade by completing hands-on activities with bricklayers from Local 8, plumbers from UA Local 149, and electricians from IBEW Local 601. Additionally, Parkland College brought representatives from automotive, welding, carpentry, precision ag, and surveying programs to teach about local educational career paths. Parkland also brought their Cobra Pathfinder, a fan-favorite where students learned about electrical wiring.

An overwhelming 97% of PBL students said the event should continue each year. Student feedback reported, “My favorite part was having a good time with my peers while learning about cool things," and "My favorite part was experiencing all the different jobs and doing hands-on activities." Eighth graders left feeling inspired after exploring many different career options throughout the day. Other sponsors that helped make the day such a success were Parkland College-Early College and Career Academy, Gibson Area Hospital, and the Paxton Masonic Lodge #416.

The PBL Education Foundation thanks its generous donors for making these types of grants possible. Without the donors’ contributions, these kinds of opportunities, which make a lasting impact on student’s education, typically fall outside of district and school budgets.

Online donations can be securely made directly through the foundation’s website at www.pblfoundation.org via the Donate tab, on Venmo , or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 192, Paxton, IL 60957. Alumni and community members are also encouraged to connect with the Foundation on Facebook at PBL Education Foundation.

06/16/2026

In this week’s edition …

06/03/2026

PBL Education Foundation Awards Grant

PBL Clara Peterson and Junior High STEM teacher, Hillary Sawyer, received a grant at the beginning of the school year for $1,000 to purchase art supplies for her second through eighth grade gifted and talented students, thanks to the PBL Education Foundation and its generous donors.

The art supplies played a critical role throughout the year to enrich STEM learning within the enrichment program. Through the integration of materials such as paint, oil pastels, colored pencils, and mixed media, students were able to visualize complex ideas, prototype solutions, and engage in creative problem-solving that deepened their understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Reflecting on the year, teacher Hillary Sawyer noted, “Having these mediums has helped students gain a new perspective, allowing their unique ideas to take form, and they have learned how creating art affects the brain. This foundational experience has changed the way they think about the design process and is fostering a lifelong love of learning!”

The PBL Education Foundation thanks its generous donors for making these types of grants possible. Without the donors’ contributions, these kinds of opportunities, which make a lasting impact on student’s education, typically fall outside of district and school budgets.

Online donations can be securely made directly through the foundation’s website at www.pblfoundation.org via the Donate tab, on Venmo , or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 192, Paxton, IL 60957. Alumni and community members are also encouraged to connect with the Foundation on Facebook at PBL Education Foundation.

06/01/2026

PBL Education Foundation Awards Grant

At the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, the PBL Education Foundation awarded a grant up to $4,500 to the PBL Junior High English Language Arts teachers. The grant money was awarded for a program which encourages students to try new genres of books, foster a love of reading, and to encourage independent reading.

The program was designed to challenge students to independently read a new genre of book every month and then complete a one-page book report. The students who completed the challenge each month received a prize. Students could read as many books a month as they wanted. Forty students completed all the monthly challenges from January to May and were treated to a morning at Hudz Family Fun Zone on May 18th. On May 19th, at the end-of-the-year celebration, the five students that completed all ten reading challenges received gift cards from Barnes and Noble, and the five students who read the most pages were presented with a Kindle Fire and Kindle gift card for books.

ELA teacher Casey Knoll, who spearheaded the program, said, “The kids were so excited about the prizes each month and read their hearts out this year!”

The PBL Education Foundation thanks its generous donors for making these types of grants possible. Without the donors’ contributions, these kinds of opportunities, which make a lasting impact on student’s education, typically fall outside of district and school budgets.

Online donations can be securely made directly through the foundation’s website at www.pblfoundation.org via the Donate tab, on Venmo , or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 192, Paxton, IL 60957. Alumni and community members are also encouraged to connect with the Foundation on Facebook at PBL Education Foundation.