Dear Parents,
The first full week of school was fantastic! It is great to walk into classrooms, the gym, or outside on the playground and see all the positive connections that have already been made between students and staff.
Thank you to all the families who attended Curriculum Night this week. It was great having families back in the building! If you were unable to attend, please reach out to your child’s teacher to obtain a digital version of their presentation.
Next week we will have another full week of school and instruction before the Labor Day holiday weekend. Students will be taking MAP on Monday and Wednesday. A healthy breakfast and a good night’s sleep will help make these two testing days successful. We look forward to another great week of learning.
Kindly,
Christine Pfaff
NEW * Early Release Reminder*
Tuesday, August 30th is an Early Release Day. Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie will be dismissed at 2:05pm. Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
NEW * Thought Exchange Partnership*
The District 96 Thought Exchange Partnership (TEP) offers parents opportunities to give feedback and receive information about District instruction, programs, and initiatives. Understanding parent perceptions is helpful for planning and communicating. Contact District 96 Community Parent Liaison Lubna Andrabi, 847.459.4260, ext. 8136, with questions. In particular, the District invites parents who have students enrolled at Willow Grove Early Learning Center to consider joining the Thought Exchange Partnership. The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 15 from 6:30-8:00.p.m.
NEW *Student Picture Day*
Prairie’s student picture day is Tuesday, September 13th. Please follow the link ordercp.com and use the code below to review package options and place your order. A flyer will be coming home soon in your child's backpack.
Online Order Code:10070701
NEW *Harry Potter Book Club: Calling all Muggles in 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade!*
Do you love Harry Potter? Well so do Ms. Sauer and Mrs. Weede! We are excited to offer the Harry Potter Book Club again this year! There will be two different sessions this year, both will be Mondays from 3-4pm- The first session will be September 19 through December 19 and session 2 will be January 9 through May 8. We will be reading Book 1 (Sorcerer’s Stone) during the first session and Book 2 (Chamber of Secrets) during our 2nd Session.
We do have a 25-person limit for each session. If your child participated last year, please know that preference will go to students who have not participated in HP Book Club yet. Thank you for understanding! Please click HERE to indicate your preference for the session. This form will close by September 12. Please note that there is no bus transportation at 4 pm so you will need to arrange how your child will be getting home (if they attend Clubhouse, they can just go to Clubhouse). We will be using the HP Books during club, so it will be helpful to have one. Our library only has a few copies of each book.
NEW *Photography/Yearbook Club Interest Form is Live*
Attention 3rd, 4th and 5th graders! Are you interested in photography? Excited to help create this year’s yearbook? Join Mrs. Weede and Mr. Morris on Friday mornings from 7:30 - 8:15. In addition to capturing school activities, we will also explore different photography techniques. We will use our school iPads for all pictures.
Please follow THIS LINK and complete the interest form. We are limited to 30 students in the club. You will receive an email if your child is able to participate in this year’s club.
If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Weede and Mr. Morris and they will be happy to help you!
REPEAT *5th Grade Band Recruiting Information*
Beginning band is a great way to offer your student the opportunity to learn to play a band instrument, help them learn to communicate through music, work on discipline, and become part of a team of friends that could last all the way through high school. All interested 5th-grade students looking to be a part of the 5th-grade band for this year please look over these links.
Beginning Band will start next week: Ivy Hall - Wednesday, August 24 and Prairie - Friday, August 26.
Beginning Band Information 2022-2023
Beginning Band Registration Link
Any questions please email Mr. Daniel Nagle at [email protected].
NEW *CHOIR CLUB - Interest Form is Live*
Attention all 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders! Do you like to sing in music class? Choir is an extracurricular club that will meet on Fridays from 7:30-8:15am. If you are interested in signing up for choir, click here!
Choir can only have 50 members and you will receive an email from Mrs. Muehling & Miss Heuer shortly after the club is filled. This club fills quickly! If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Muehling and Miss Heuer and they will be happy to help you!
NEW *WORLD MUSIC CLUB - Interest Form is Live*
Attention all 5th graders! Do you love learning songs in different languages, from different cultures, or different countries in music class? This club will be filled with songs to sing, cultural dances, and pieces to play on instruments! Mrs. Muehling has a lot of material, but also wants you to contribute and share your culture with the group! This extracurricular club will meet on Mondays from 3:05-3:45pm. If you are interested in signing up for world music club, click here!
World music club can only take 15 members and you will receive an email from Mrs. Muehling shortly after the club is filled. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Muehling and she will be happy to help you!
REPEAT *2022 TALENT SHOW - AUDITION SIGN-UP*
Attention all Prairie students! Do you have a special talent you would like to share? Prairie School has a talent show every year! The talent show will be on Wednesday evening, November 30th. Auditions will be held in October this year!
Sign-ups begin on Friday, September 9th and will run for a week! The form will be in the Principal’s Message!
Please read the specific information below:
- All Prairie students are welcome to sign-up for an audition.
- Each performance needs to be 2 minutes or less. (No exceptions)
- Students can only perform once.
- If you are performing with a group, only one parent should sign up for the group! Please coordinate this!
- Results will be sent out by Friday, November 4th after all auditions are done.
- Pictures of the sign-up form will be included in September 2nd principal’s message so you can plan accordingly. Email Mrs. Muehling & Miss Heuer if you have any questions!
REPEAT *NWEA MAP Assessment*
All students in grades K-8 will be participating in NWEA MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessment on Monday, August 29th and Wednesday, August 31st. The MAP assessment is a normed-referenced, computerized adaptive test that helps teachers, parents, and administrators improve learning for all students and make informed decisions to promote a child's academic growth. Like in previous years, all students will be taking the MAP test in reading and math during the school day.
REPEAT *Erin’s Law*
An Illinois law known as Erin’s Law requires schools to implement an age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness/prevention curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 12.
Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96 researched and observed best practices and programs for delivering this instruction, selecting Be Seen & Heard ©. For more information about this presentation please go to
The focus of this developmentally appropriate and interactive program is to teach children skills to keep them safe from danger or abuse. Concepts discussed will include distinguishing safe from unsafe touches, safety rules at home and school, saying NO, safe/unsafe secrets, and telling a trusted adult, as well as reinforcing that an adult’s touching him or her is not the child’s fault.
Opt-Out Procedures
The presentation to Prairie students will be during the school day on Wednesday, September 21st. If you prefer that your child does not attend this prevention education session, please submit your written request or your questions to [email protected].
REPEAT *Important August Dates*
Tuesday, August 30th - Early Release at 2:05 pm at Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie. Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
REPEAT *School Lunch Programs*
The federal program that allowed school districts across the country to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income, expired on June 30, 2022. As a result, schools across the nation will be reverting back to free and reduced-price meals based on income eligibility guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
During the 2022-23 school year, families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch will have to pay for school meals. Students whose families are eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast or lunch will be able to access meals at no cost or at a discounted rate. Applications for free and reduced meals are available on the District’s website. Within this link, you will find menus and how to complete pre-payment for meals. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.
REPEAT *Lost and Found*
Our lost and found accumulates items very quickly. Items that remain when school goes into a break such as winter, spring, and summer breaks, these items are donated to local charities. To avoid the loss of costly coats, bike helmets, lunch boxes, water bottles, you name it, please label everything with your child’s name. Labeled items are returned to students. Thank you for your help!