8/18/23
Dear Prairie Parents,
It was so great to welcome our Pumas back to school this week! Although Thursday started with rain, it was all sunshine and smiles in the halls of Prairie. We officially kicked off the 2023-24 school year with a Back to School Assembly on Thursday morning. Our students and staff really brought the school spirit when we sang the Prairie School Song and cheered on Parker the Puma during his first appearance of the year.
I am looking forward to seeing all of the amazing things that our students and staff will do and achieve this year! Our Prairie Pack is off and running! See a picture of our incredible staff below.
Hoping you all have a great weekend,
Ms. Lauren Delahanty
Important August Dates
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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 *Bus Stops and Times*
As we all adjust to a new school year, please be patient with all routes as each route is adjusting to new stops and will usually take longer in the beginning of the school year. Drivers are familiarizing themselves with each stop, so please ensure that students arrive to their bus stop ten minutes early.
NEW *Law Enforcement Safety Drill EDUCATION*
On August 28, Prairie will be conducting the annual Law Enforcement Safety Drill EDUCATION. Students will be learning age-appropriate safety procedures. In compliance with the Safety Drill Act, parents have the right to exempt their child from the Law Enforcement Drill EDUCATION with their school peers.
If you do not wish your child to participate in the Law Enforcement Safety Drill Education with the other peers, please contact Lauren Delahanty at [email protected]. The administration will arrange for an alternative review of safety procedures with your child. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in the drill.
REPEAT: 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.
Morning Parent Vehicle Drop Off
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The earliest drop-off is 8:10am when adult supervision starts. Students should NOT BE dropped off before 8:10am as there is no adult supervision outside.
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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 needed.
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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.
REPEAT *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.
REPEAT *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.
REPEAT *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.
REPEAT *Student Picture Day*
Prairie’s student picture day is Tuesday, September 12th. More information to come in an upcoming Principal’s Message.
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!
REPEAT *D96 Food Service Information*
ON-LINE MEAL PREPAYMENT SYSTEM (K12PaymentCenter.com)
District 96 parents are encouraged to utilize the District's on-line 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 *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