8/11/23
August 11, 2023 - Prairie
Good Afternoon Prairie Families,
In just a few short days, our building will be filled with staff putting the finishing touches to welcome your child(ren) and kick off the 2023-2024 school year. We are eagerly anticipating the back-to-school energy filling the hallways!
Mrs. Clausell and I had the pleasure of welcoming many new families to Prairie today. Our new families got a sneak peek at our building, heard stories of our welcoming community, and asked great questions about District 96 and the Prairie experience.
As a reminder, your child’s class placement and bus information, if applicable, will come to you electronically today, Friday, August 11th. This information is delivered in two separate emails, coming after 3:00 PM.
Please see the “Important August Dates” section below for events going on this month. We look forward to seeing you there.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Ms. Lauren Delahanty
Important August Dates
Wednesday, August 16th from 8:30 am - 9:30 am - Meet the Teacher at Country Meadows, Ivy Hall, Kildeer, & Prairie
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Wednesday, August 16th from 10:00 am - 11:00 am - Meet the Teacher at Willow Grove
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Thursday, August 17th - First day of school. This is a half-day.
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School starts at 8:25am and ends at 11:45am
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Students may arrive at school at 8:10am, when adult supervision starts. Please do not arrive at school earlier than 8:10am.
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Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
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Friday, August 18th - Full day of school.
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School starts at 8:25am and ends at 3:05pm
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Students may arrive at school at 8:10am, when adult supervision starts. Please do not arrive at school earlier than 8:10am.
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Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times.
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Wednesday, August 23th Curriculum Night at Kildeer & Prairie
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6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
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7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
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Thursday, August 24th Curriculum Night at Ivy Hall
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6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
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7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
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Tuesday, August 29th - Early Release Day
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School starts at 8:25am and ends at 2:05 pm
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Please see the Twin Groves, Woodlawn, and Willow Grove Principal’s Message for attendance times
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Thursday, August 31st Curriculum Night at Country Meadows
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6:30 to 7:15 p.m. (Grades 1 and 2)
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7:15 to 8 p.m. (Grades 3-5)
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NEW *Meet the Teacher*
We are so excited to see all of our students at Prairie on August 16 between 8:30 am-9:30 am. Students are invited to drop off supplies in their new classroom, briefly meet the classroom teacher, and meet/greet other Prairie staff and administration. All children must be supervised by their parent/guardian for the duration of the event.
NEW: Simultaneous Student Pick-Up from Willow Grove & Elementary Schools
Please know that we understand that some families may have concerns related to picking students up from Willow Grove and an elementary school building. Please know that all principals are aware of this concern, and no child will ever be left unattended. We know you may be going to more than one school with the same dismissal time. We appreciate your best effort in picking your children up in a timely manner, and we appreciate you adhering to our dismissal times. If when you arrive at a building your child is not waiting outside with an adult, please park and come to the front office. If you will be after 3:15 to a specific location, please call and inform the office of your ETA.
NEW *Arrival and Dismissal Procedures*
Morning Parent Vehicle Drop Off
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The earliest drop-off is 8:10am when adult supervision starts
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Right or left turns into the circle are permitted in the morning (NOT the afternoon)
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This occurs in the front circle by the main entrance to Prairie
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Pull up as far as you can
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Students exit the vehicle on the passenger side, if driver side exit is needed, call over a supervisor for assistance
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Adults stay in the vehicle, drop and go.
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NO cell phone use in school zones - Illinois State Law
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Right or left turns leaving the circle are permitted in the morning (NOT the afternoon)
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Students walk to the back of the school, go to the blacktop area for morning recess, and will line up in response to a signal provided by the supervisor. Each day, teachers will up students outside. If there is inclement weather, students will gather by grade level in the multi-purpose room.
After-School Parent Vehicle Pick-Up
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Vehicles can turn RIGHT ONLY into the front circle after school. Why? With so many vehicles gathering at the same time, it is necessary to have traffic moving in one direction.
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Pull up as far as you can
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Please tape your family name card to the passenger side front windshield at a height visible to supervisors. Three family name cards were given to your student on the first day of school. If you need more, contact the office.
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Using your family name card will decrease wait time for everyone, as supervisors can quickly call students to vehicles.
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Students will enter the vehicle on the passenger side. Supervisors will assist if driver-side entry is neeed.
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Drivers stay in the car.
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Vehicles can turn RIGHT ONLY out of the front circle after school. Why? With so many vehicles leaving at the same time, it is necessary to have traffic moving in one direction.
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Various after-school traffic patterns have been tried over the past 13 years. This after-school traffic pattern, though not perfect, has been determined to be the best. It has been observed and approved by the Buffalo Grove Police Department as well. Once the beginning of the school year has past and all procedures are moving smoothly, the average time for after-school parent pick-up is ten minutes. Naturally, it’s longer with inclement weather. Your cooperation and patience with the protocol is greatly appreciated.
Before and After School Parent Vehicle Traffic Patterns
Please use your family name card which indicates last name, first name, and grade level of each child in your family. Family name cards will be available to you at Meet the Teacher. If you cannot attend Meet the Teacher, the family name card will be given to your oldest child on Thursday, August 17th.
Family Name Card Example:
Bus Drop Off & After School Pick Up
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Students who ride the bus will be dropped off and board the bus in the Kingsbridge Circle.
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Upon arrival, students walk to the playground blacktop for morning recess unless there is inclement weather when they will enter the school through the main entrance and report to the multipurpose room.
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After school, students will board the bus. Many supervisors are present to ensure students board the correct bus. Bus signs and student bus tags are color coded for easy verification.
Walkers & Bikers
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Upon arrival, students go to the blacktop for morning recess. If there is inclement weather, they will enter through the main entrance and gather in the multi-purpose room.
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After school, students will either meet up with the family member picking them up or head out on their own. This is a family decision.
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Bikers will park their bikes in the bike rack. Please do not lay bikes on the ground. Scooters can lean against the wall under the windows.
NEW *Changes to Dismissal Plans*
Please contact the school office by noon in the event that your dismissal plans change. Your child will be at the designated dismissal location unless the school is notified in accordance with the above. Please notify the office in writing in accordance with the district handbook. Please see Section 9.4 in the Parent/Student Handbook regarding permission for students to ride other buses, as in most cases, this is not allowed.
NEW *Approved Snacks: What Parents Need to Know*
The District has revised the APPROVED SNACK LIST. The items on the list are free of the Top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. This list includes the foods that are approved for students' daily snacks. Daily snacks for your children must be from this list or they will be sent home.
IMPORTANT: All items for daily snacks, with the exception of fruits and vegetables, MUST be prepackaged to allow staff to easily check that snacks meet the approved requirements.
A FAQ for the Approved Snack List can be found here.
Lunches packed from home may contain any food items, and do not need to be from the Approved Snack List. If your child is bringing in lunch, snacks must be packed separately from lunch. Please label lunch bags and snacks with your child’s name.
NEW *Birthday Treats*
Only school-appropriate, non-food items such as pencils, stickers, crazy straws, etc. will be allowed. If you are unsure whether the item is school appropriate, please contact your child's classroom teacher for guidance.
NEW *Student Picture Day*
Prairie’s student picture day is Tuesday, September 12th. More information to come in an upcoming Principal’s Message.
NEW *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!
REPEAT *D96 Food Service Information*
ON-LINE MEAL PREPAYMENT SYSTEM (K12PaymentCenter.com)
District 96 parents are encouraged to utilize the District's online system to prepay student meal accounts and monitor account activity / balance. There are no fees to use the site or to make online payments. Please click here for more information. If you still have questions regarding the K12PaymentCenter (K12PaymentCenter.com), please feel free to contact Michelle Zelek, Director of Business Services at [email protected].
Please note: You will need the student ID number at the top of this message to successfully add your student to your K12PaymentCenter account.
Even if you choose to continue to send payment to school rather than pay on-line, we encourage you to utilize the free service to monitor your student's meal history and balance.
FREE MEAL & FEE WAIVER APPLICATION (LunchApplication.com)
If you believe your child may be eligible for a free/reduced meals and fee waiver AND have not yet applied, please utilize our on-line application system at LunchApplication.com. You will need your child's student ID number, provided at the top of this message, to complete the application. Please apply based on your current income information. Please note that if you have already received an email from the District indicating that your student(s) were approved for free or reduced meal benefits during this school year, you need not apply again.
MENUS (KCSD FOOD SERVICE MENU INFO)
Please visit the District 96 Website to view current meal menus. Under the About menu dropdown, select Menus/Manage Account. This page contains links to the menu page, as well as the K12PaymentCenter and LunchApplication.com.
REPEAT *August 17 ~ First Day of School*
The first day of school is Thursday, August 17th. It is a half-day, from 8:25-11:45. On the first day of school, we will have extra staff at all entrances and outside the building to support student arrival and dismissal.
REPEAT *Class Placement Information & Bus Information*
Your child’s class placement and bus information, if applicable, will come to you electronically on Friday, August 11th. This information is delivered in two separate emails, coming after 3:00 PM. A team of staff members worked diligently to make sure each child was placed in the classroom in which he or she will find continued success. We know you appreciate the fact that, with such careful thought and consideration put into these decisions, including your input, no changes will be made and we thank you for your support. This year’s class lists were developed with the following teaching teams in place to ensure student success.
REPEAT *Health Form Deadline*
The district website lists today as the deadline for immunization forms. All immunizations should be completed to avoid school exclusion. Please refer to the D96 Student Health website for more information. https://www.kcsd96.org/student-services/student-health