Dear Families,
I am very excited to welcome Ms. Lauren Delahanty as the next Principal of Prairie School! Ms. Delahanty will be the sixth Prairie Principal since the school opened in 1980. She is an excellent leader who will continue the great practices and traditions already in place at Prairie and will integrate new ideas in the months and years to come. Ms. Delahanty comes to Prairie with a wealth of Special Education knowledge from her past roles as a School Psychologist and Student Success Coordinator in a former school district. You likely already know that Ms. Delahanty has been the Assistant Principal at Twin Groves Middle School for the past two years. Ms. Delahanty and I are fortunate that we will be able to craft a smooth transition between building leaders in that I will remain in the District next year.
Ms. Delahanty spent much of Wednesday getting to know the Prairie staff during lunchtime conversations. The teachers were very happy to have had this time with her starting to form this new relationship. Ms. Delahanty will be attending Prairie's Pizza Bingo Night on Thursday, April 20th from 6pm - 8pm and looks forward to getting to know the Prairie families.
In other Prairie news, it’s been a wonderful week at school, and in particular for outdoor activities. With the beautiful, warm weather we’ve had this week, the kids have had lots of fun playing outside during recess and P.E. Teachers have been using the Garden Classroom as well and taking classes for short walking breaks during the day to soak up the sun.
All year during our morning announcements, we have been focusing on positive goals. This week we are honed in on “Smile and Show Your Great Attitude!” An example suggested to students to try is about smiling. “Did you know that smiling can make you feel better? If you are having a rough day - even if you don’t feel like it - try smiling your brightest smile. Having a smile on your face will help you feel better in no time.” Good advice for all of us.
As the school year rapidly comes to an end, there are many activities and events. Be sure to keep your eyes out for activities and event dates. Our PTO has two wonderful activities coming up very soon. Please see the PTO section below for more details so you and your child(ren) don’t miss the fun.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Christine Pfaff
Principal
NEW *Upcoming Dates*
- Friday, April 21 - 1/2 Day of School
- Monday, April 24 - 5th Grade Parent Transition to Middle School Zoom @ 7:00pm
- Tuesday, April 25 - Early Release Day
NEW *Exploration Lab News*
5th Grade designed and printed their own 3D cities. Take a look HERE.
NEW *Save the Date for Upcoming PTO Events*
- Pizza Bingo/Silent Auction: Thursday, April 20th 6-8 PM. Pizza, water, chips, and bingo cards are available for pre-order through April 17th (Prairie Elementary School PTO - Login (membershiptoolkit.com). Food will be available the night of, but it will be first come first serve. Bingo cards will also be available that night to purchase.
- Culver's Fundraiser Event: April 17th. stop by Culvers from 10 AM - 10 PM and mention Prairie Elementary School and we will receive a portion of the money raised.
- Dessert Social/Book Fair: May 19th from 6-7:30 PM. Come enjoy a yummy dessert while shopping at the Spring Book Fair, hanging out with friends, or playing on the playground. More information will be available closer to the event.
NEW *Parent Night for 5th Graders Transitioning to Middle School*
On Monday, April 24, parents of 5th Graders can join the “Transition to Middle School,” where they can get answers to questions they may have about their student entering sixth-grade at a District middle school.
This information-packed virtual program begins at 7 p.m. April 24 (via Zoom).
Hear from Twin Groves Principal Jessica Barnes and Woodlawn Principal Greg Grana, who will discuss academics, extracurricular opportunities, and changes that middle school years bring. A highlight? Current 6th-grade panelists sharing their perspectives.
Families do not need to pre-register. Click here to join the virtual Parent Night.
This session will not be recorded.
Questions? Contact KCSD 96 Community Parent Liaison Lubna Andrabi, at 847.459.4260, ext. 8136, or at [email protected].
NEW *PTO News*
Save the Date for upcoming PTO Events:
-Pizza Bingo/Silent Auction: Thursday, April 20th 6-8 PM. Pizza, water, chips, and bingo cards are available for pre-order through April 17th (Prairie Elementary School PTO - Login (membershiptoolkit.com). Food will be available the night of, but it will be first come first serve. Bingo cards will also be available that night to purchase. Ms. Delahanty will be present to meet our Prairie Pumas.
-Culver's Fundraiser Event: April 17th stop by Culvers from 10 AM - 10 PM and mention Prairie Elementary School and we will receive a portion of the money raised.
-Dessert Social/Book Fair: May 19th from 6-7:30 PM. Come enjoy a yummy dessert while shopping the Spring Book Fair, hanging out with friends, or playing on the playground. More information will be available closer to the event.
REPEAT *Spring Conference Feedback Request*
Whether you decide to schedule a student-led conference or not, we would love to hear from you. Please CLICK HERE for a very short survey concerning Spring Conferences.
If the link above does not work please copy/paste the following link into your browser: https://kcsd96.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1NUbeIG55AjvsP4
REPEAT *Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)*
Students in grades 5 and 8 take the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) each spring. This year the district will be administering the ISA to students in grades 5 and 8 in the mornings on Tuesday, April 18th through Thursday, April 20th.
REPEAT *Due April 15: 5th Grade Families Only*
All families with children moving from fifth to sixth grade must reprove residency. Please follow the steps below to complete this process. Completing all required registration steps, including residency, supports our district procedures around enrollment and preparing appropriately for the number of classroom sections needed for the next school year.
To reprove residency, scan or take a photo with your phone and email to the administrative assistant at the school your current Kindergartner or 5th grader now attends:
1. a current monthly mortgage OR lease statement OR property tax bill OR Warranty Deed, and
2. a current utility bill (e.g., water OR electric OR waste collection), and
3. this Proof of Residency Form (completed and signed)
Your current kindergartner’s or current 5th grader’s teacher assignment/schedule will not be provided for the 2023–24 school year until residency is reproved.
For more information, visit https://www.kcsd96.org/about/registration/the-requirement-to-re-prove-residency
REPEAT *Proof of Dental Exam*
Dear Parents/Guardians of District 96 Kindergarteners, 2nd, and 6th Grade Students:
Please note that your child’s completed dental examination is now due, per Illinois school law. The deadline for the dental examination is due no later than May 15 of the current school year. Proof of this required dental examination must have been completed within eighteen months prior to the May 15 deadline.
If you haven’t already done so, please make an appointment with your child’s dentist for a dental examination, have him and/or her complete the required form and return it to your child’s school nurse.
State of Illinois Proof of Dental Examination Form
REPEAT *Parent Input for Class Placement Survey*
Creating balanced class lists that meet the needs of all students is a tremendously difficult job that takes many hours of thoughtful dialogue between classroom teachers, administrators, and specialists. We take this process very seriously. The process for class list creation is as follows:
Teachers think about the social and academic needs of each of their current students while recording pertinent information to assist in the decision-making process.
Grade-level teachers, principals, specials area teachers, and specialists meet together to form class lists that are balanced in terms of academic, social, and emotional needs as well as considering friendships. This is no easy task and often takes several meetings. This team of educators considers each child’s personality, academic needs, friendship patterns, etc. as they make a match for each individual child.
This team of educators creates a draft set of class lists taking into consideration parent input.
Class lists are then revised in August with summer changes for students who move in or out of the district.
Class rosters are never final until they are released to families in August.
This process happens for grades 2-5. Willow Grove creates the class lists for our incoming 1st graders. Our 5th-grade team actively works with Twin Groves to provide data and input related to placement decisions at the middle school level.
We strongly believe that this detailed and collaborative process creates learning environments that benefit all students. It is a delicate balancing act that takes much consideration and thought by professionals who know and care about your child. Our goal is to create balanced class lists that promote the success of each child. Please know that your child is placed in a classroom for very specific reasons. The process benefits all students. Because of the input and thought given by teachers, specialists, parents, and the principal, we are very reluctant to make changes once this process occurs, as removing or moving one child can disrupt the balance of an entire class, impacting all students.
I welcome any insight you wish to share about your child’s strengths, needs, and learning style. I will take into consideration pertinent information received on or before FRIDAY, APRIL 29th at 11:55 pm. Please remember, while we welcome your input, specific teacher or friend placement requests will not be honored.
I cannot express enough how important it is that your thoughts are provided through the Class Placement Input for 2023 - 2024 survey. As you can imagine, we receive a lot of parent input, and verbal information is impossible to track. The information you provide in the survey will remain confidential between you, me, and Mrs. Clausell.