Postcard Lunches
Thanks to all the kids who sent in a postcard from their winter break adventures! My promise was to have lunch with every student who sent in a postcard and we've been doing just that. I love hearing about the experiences students have near and far during their vacation time. I received letters and cards too. Thanks to you too, moms and dads, for encouraging your child to do the challenge!
Notice of 5Essentials Student Survey Administration
I want to inform you about a student survey for 4th–8th graders that will be administered at your child’s school.
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey is based on 20 years of research at the University of Chicago. The survey asks students about their experiences in school, giving school leaders critical student input to help develop school improvement plans.
Students will be required to log in using their student ID and birth date in order to complete the survey. Students’ identities will be completely confidential. Teachers or administrators will never see individual responses to survey questions. Instead, they will receive only aggregated information, such as the total percentage of students who agree homework assignments help them learn the course material, for example.
Please be aware that under the Protection of Pupil Rights Act. 20 U.S.C. Section 1232(c) (1) (A), you have the right to review a copy of the questions your student(s) are asked. Find survey questions on the Illinois 5Essentials website (https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois).
If you do not want your son or daughter to participate, please contact me at [email protected]
Culture Fair
On Friday, March 15, 2019 the Prairie School community will come together for our 2nd "Prairie Culture Fair" event.
Our school is a melting pot of cultures from around the globe and we'd like to celebrate that! We want to encourage our families to learn about other cultures and what makes us all unique, while also recognizing that we share many cultural traits and common values as a community. We hope that you will join us!
Culture is the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, region, people, or other social groups. We have many different countries represented by our families. We also have students from across the United States with unique cultures from states and cities such as Texas, Hawaii, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
If your family is interested in participating in this event, please let us know by completing this form. We know that it will be fun and exciting to share your culture and that our school community will really enjoy learning about our diversity. Please make sure to tell your friends and neighbors and sign up too, HERE on this form.
Kids Heart Challenge is Almost Here
It's not too late to register for our PRAIRIE school team at heart.org/jump. If you have been raising funds at home, the envelope with the money is due on or before our event on Wednesday, Feb. 13th. Also, paper permission slips to attend the event should be handed in no later than Friday, February 8th so we can organize our fun and exciting activities! That event is in our gym from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Thank you for your support, spreading the message and being a Heart Hero!
Abraham Lincoln Assembly This Week
We had a wonderful assembly about Abraham Lincoln on Tuesday, thank you to the PTO for supporting these Cultural Arts events, which supports our learning about famous Americans.
5th Grade Concert
The 5th-grade concert has been rescheduled for Thursday, February 7th. We have also changed the start time to 6:15 pm to accommodate parents who have an 8th-grade trip meeting at Twin Groves. The Twin Groves meeting has also been pushed back to 7:15 pm.
PTO Points
1. Please make sure that you follow our Prairie School PTOFacebook page (prairieschoolPTO) to stay updated regarding all PTO Events and News. In order to make sure that you do not miss a post, please "like" the page then click the "Following" tab. Underneath "In Your News Feed" make sure "See First" is checked and under "Notifications" make sure "All On (Posts)" is checked. This will ensure that all current followers and those who sign up see Prairie School PTO posts first in the news feed.
2. Pizza Bingo is February 21, 2019 from 6:30-8:30pm. Pre-orders are due by February 15th, 2019 and include one slice of Nino's Pizza, water, and a bag of chips for $6. This increases to $8 at the door. SPECIAL $20 Pre-order for a family of 4!!! Raffle Tickets are six for $5 for preorders and $1/ticket at the door. Sign up on the MembershipToolkit for a fun night of games and great raffles!
3. The Staff Appreciation Committee will be hosting a Hot Chocolate and Coffee bar on February 14th, 2019. Please sign-up at https://www.signupgenius.com/g
Warm Regards,
Dr. Christine Pfaff, Principal
Follow me on Twitter @clkpfaff1