Dear Families,
It's hard to believe that trimester 2 is officially over. Next week, report cards will be released to show progress over the course of this trimester. As always, if you ever have any questions related to your child’s grades, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher. I know that all of our students have been proudly preparing artifacts to show during collaborative conferences the following week. When I’ve had the opportunity to see students in action, I see smiles and excitement! I think they are secretly looking forward to having their family's undivided attention to show off just how much they are growing this year. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Kindly,
Christine Pfaff - Principal
NEW *ISA for 5th graders*
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA): Students in grades 5 and 8 participate in the Illinois Science Assessment. The ISA is aligned to the Illinois Science Learning Standards and is designed to reflect classroom experiences. The ISA consists of three sections that will be administered over three days (March 9-11) during the regular school day.
Parent Letter from ISBE (English)
Parent Letter from ISBA (Spanish)
NEW *Updates to Mitigation Measures Coming March 2nd*
On Wednesday, March 2nd updated information related to mitigation measures will be shared with the community. As positivity rates and positive COVID-19 cases within our schools continue to decline, KCSD96 continues to be confident in the mitigation measures we have in place. However, if you have ongoing concerns about optional masking due to your student's extensive medical condition, please reach out to your building principal.
NEW *Join us for 'Raising Kids Who Thrive'*
Join journalist and parent educator Katherine Reynolds Lewis at 7 p.m. March 2 for ~ "Raising Kids Who Thrive: Responsibilities, Healthy Habits and Emotional Well-Being" ~ an interactive talk about how parents can raise children to thrive, be responsible, learn how to take care of their mental and physical health and manage anxiety and stress.
The author of “The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever — And What to Do About It,” Katherine will share problem-solving strategies for kids’ difficult behavior or disengagement. This talk covers how to tune in to children's emotions, develop helpful family routines and language for tough conversations, and deal with stress and your own sense of feeling overwhelmed.
Pre-register HERE.
For more information, contact Lubna Andrabi, the District's Community Parent Liaison, at [email protected].
REPEAT *Masking Information*
As communicated today in Julie Schmidt’s Superintendent Message, on Tuesday, February 15, the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) blocked the reissuance of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) emergency rules for Covid protocols that were implemented by JCAR on September 17, 2021 and that were renewed on February 14.
Last evening, the 4th District Appellate Court of Illinois dismissed the appeal of an earlier Circuit Court order on Covid related emergency rules issued by two state agencies and Covid related measures in the Governor’s Executive Orders. The Governor’s Executive Order regarding masking in schools remains the subject of continuing litigation as the recent circuit court ruling was on a temporary restraining order (TRO).
All decision making and education regarding masking will be left up to individual families. We strongly encourage families to make and discuss their family decision to mask or unmask with their children. Please know that staff will not be monitoring or enforcing compliance with family decisions. Our role as educators will be to ensure that all students understand that whether they are masked or unmasked, they are safe, respected, and welcome. Below you will find a list of talking points that have been created and provided to staff by our administrative team to use with students as needed. Please feel free to review them with your children at home if you prefer. As always, if you have any questions please contact your building principal.
Staff will be diligent in monitoring student interactions and report any concerning language/behavior if continuous or intentional. Moving forward bullying/disrespect will be addressed consistent with our current district policy.
Addressing the Change in Rules:
Rules have changed recently and masks are optional for students and staff in our schools. We know this may seem like a big change to people, especially since it is what we have all been doing for such a long time now.
We’ve been wearing masks for a while now, so this change may seem strange to some people. It’s ok if you’re not quite ready to go “maskless.” Masking is optional to people now. If you along with your parents feel more comfortable wearing your mask, it is ok to do so. It is also ok if some people do not want to wear their masks anymore. It is your family choice but we do want you to talk with your parents about what is most comfortable for you.
Maintaining Safety & Routine in School:
The adults in this school are all here to make sure that everyone can safely learn in school. School is, and will remain, a safe place for all.
Our school nurses, principals, maintenance staff and every adult in the building does their very best to make sure everyone is safe in school. Even though some people may not be wearing a mask, and others are, all students are safe in school.
Practicing good hygiene at all times is important to be healthy. We will still be washing our hands, monitoring our space when around others and in big groups, and we will always encourage those who are sick to stay home until they feel better.
Anyone who tests positive for COVID will still need to isolate at home.
You are following the school rules whether you are masked or unmasked.
If there are things that make you nervous or anxious, there are lots of people in school to help you navigate those feelings. Make sure you talk to a trusted adult (teacher, parent, social worker, coach, etc) if you are experiencing stress or anxiety.
Respecting Everyone’s Personal Choice:
We must be kind to one another no matter a classmate’s mask choice. We are all members of this school community, and we rely on each other to create a great environment to learn in.
It is ok for other students and families to make a different choice than you and your family. We appreciate the difference in thought and opinion. However, if you disagree with someone’s decision on masking, it is not ok to make fun of them, argue with them, or be disrespectful to them in any way.
It is not appropriate to encourage or coax other students to make a choice about masking that you believe is right. Each person and family should make that choice themselves.
Families and teachers can make their own decisions based on what they feel most comfortable with at this time. Each family has its own set of circumstances that they need to consider when making a decision about masking.
It is important to be understanding of others’ choices, even if they are different than our own. If someone wears a mask, that is ok. It is also ok to not wear a mask.
Every person has a different level of comfort about personal space. If someone asks for some extra space because they are uncomfortable in a situation, it is kind and respectful to give them that space.
Disrespectful behavior towards others based on their choice to or not to mask will not be tolerated. It is expected that you are kind and inclusive to all of your classmates.
Disrespectful comments and actions towards others are not expected behaviors in our school. This includes comments and actions related to mask wearing and mask choice.
Supporting my child at home:
We encourage you to take this opportunity to make the best decision for your family regarding masking and discuss this with your children so they are clear as to your wishes. Staff cannot reasonably be expected to monitor or enforce student compliance with family preferences regarding mask wearing. Staff will and have been mindful about giving students reminders to adhere to their family preference. Please bring this up with your child periodically as we move forward to continue to support your family choice and check in with your child. Additionally, you may speak with your child about respecting choices of others and feeling comfortable to share any concerns with a trusted adult at school so we can help support and problem solve anything, if needed.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the building principal.
REPEAT *SPRING COLLABORATIVE CONFERENCES*
The collaborative conference dates are Monday, March 14th from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM and Tuesday, March 15th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
We will be using Meet the Teacher as an electronic sign up for collaborative conferences. A School Messenger email will be sent to families on Thursday, February 24th at 6:00PM with a link to sign up for conferences.
Collaborative conferences will be held over zoom unless parents request an in-person conference using the instructions below. To support easy location of Zoom meeting links, a single document with ALL the staff zoom links will be sent out on Friday, March 11th.
REQUESTING AN IN-PERSON CONFERENCE
After selecting the teachers you wish to meet with and choosing a time for each conference, Meet the Teacher will prompt you to save the appointment and ask if you want to add a message for the teacher.
If you want to have an in-person conference with the teachers, you must notify the teachers via this messaging feature (see picture below).
NEW *Parent 5Essentials Survey: Share Your Thoughts*
Parents and Guardians:
You’re invited to complete the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school and help school and District leaders better understand the parent/school relationship. This survey is administered on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education.
The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success include:
Effective Leaders
Collaborative Teachers
Involved Families
Supportive Environments
Ambitious Instruction
To take the survey, please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the “Parent” survey to begin. Please know that your identity and responses will be kept confidential and will not be connected with your child. You may submit a survey for each child you have in the district.
The survey closes on March 11.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected] or Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Jeanne Spiller at [email protected].
NEW *PTO News*
1st-3rd Grade Movie Night
We are looking for volunteers to help plan and run 1st-3rd grade movie night scheduled for March 4th!
Pizza Bingo/Silent Auction
Puma families please make note of the new date for our Annual event! The new date will be on April 14th!
Annual Silent Auction
Prairie PTO is in the works in planning our annual silent auction and the PTO is looking for donations!
If your company is able to donate goods and/or services, please reach out via e-mail to [email protected]!
This would benefit the school AND give your company some really wonderful exposure
Dessert Day
If you haven’t signed up yet for Dessert Day head over to prairiepto.membershiptoolkit.com and pay only once this school year and get an ice cream dessert from Hershey's during a designated Dessert Day each month starting from January 2022 to May 2022! Once you purchase a membership, your child will be given a ticket on Dessert Day to use towards their favorite frozen treat, so you won't need to do anything else. No punch cards are necessary.
Please note that we disable the form on MTK a day before dessert day and reactivate it the day after dessert day is complete. If you have any other questions please feel free to reach out to us!
Special Lunch
March 11th’s Special Lunch will be provided by Real Urban BBQ! Head over to MTK to get your order in. prairiepto.membershiptoolkit.com
Orders for February are due on March 4th. If you have any questions please contact Susan Dettman at [email protected].
REPEAT *5 Essentials Survey for Students Coming Up*
Parents and guardians: Over the next few weeks, your child will be participating in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, which asks students about their experiences, attitudes and activities in school ~ with the goal of helping schools to improve. This is the 10th year of the survey, which also solicits input from teachers and parents on how their schools may be improved.
The survey is for students in 4th grade and higher. District 96 middle school students take the 25-minute survey the week of February 14. Elementary school students will take the survey the week of February 28.
This online survey is administered by UChicago Impact on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education. This survey is based on the Five Essentials for School Success, an evidence-based framework developed by the University of Chicago. This framework identifies how school performance on five factors or “essentials” can lead to important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains.
Twenty years of research at the University of Chicago in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of the 5Essentials were 10 times more likely to make substantial gains in improving student reading and math than schools that were weak on three or more of the Essentials.
Those 5Essentials are:
Effective Leaders
Collaborative Teachers
Involved Families
Supportive Environment
Ambitious Instruction
For more information or to view previous years’ Reports, visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois (choose “Select a Public Survey” dropdown menu). If you have questions about the survey, contact 5Essentials Customer Support at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].