Good afternoon Prairie Families,
We had a wonderful week at Prairie! Mornings have been a bit chilly, but by lunch and recess, students are outside enjoying the fall weather. The weather is continuously changing this time of year so please make sure your child is dressed appropriately and prepared to go outside for recess.
This week I was invited into our 1st grade classrooms during their Social Studies unit. Students shared their family traditions, special holidays, and favorite foods. Students asked questions and identified connections with their classmates. It was so wonderful to see so many cultures and traditions represented!
As a reminder, Tuesday 10/24 is an Early Release Day. Students will be dismissed at 2:05 pm.
Have a great weekend,
Ms. Lauren Delahanty
NEW *Upcoming Dates in October*
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Monday, October 23 ~ Law Enforcement Drill
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Tuesday, October 24 ~ Early Release
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Tuesday, October 31 ~ Halloween Parade and Parties
NEW *HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES on OCTOBER 31st*
The Halloween Parade will begin in the school at 1:15 pm. All classes will be picked up indoors to join the parade before eventually walking outside by Kingsbridge Circle and down the Prairie Path. Students and staff will reenter the school through the gym doors. Parents are not allowed in the building during the parade.
Parents can enjoy the outside portion of the parade (along Prairie Path, on sidewalks, and in front of the school building). We encourage you to wave and take pictures of your child during this time. A reminder that NO PETS are allowed on school grounds.
Once students have walked around the school, they will come back inside the building for a quick whole-school assembly followed by their class party. Only Halloween party volunteers will be allowed in the building after the parade. If you are a parent volunteer for the Halloween party, you must enter through the front door and sign in as usual. If you have questions about being a party volunteer, please reach out to our PTO. As a reminder, there is no outside food allowed at Halloween parties.
If the weather does not cooperate and we are unable to have the Halloween parade outside, we will email parents before 12:30 pm notifying you that the outdoor parade has been canceled.
NEW *IMPORTANT NOTES FOR PTO PARTY VOLUNTEERS*
Parents attending the parties may not bring additional family members, other children, etc. We need everyone to abide by this and will have to ask you to leave if you come with other attendees.
Every PTO volunteer approved to come into our school MUST have their license or ID scanned through our security system to enter. The PTO has shared a Google form with parent volunteers so that the school can pre-print name tags in advance. If you have never volunteered at Prairie, then you must come in to scan your ID or license ahead of the party even if you have filled out the PTO Google form. You have to bring this with you or you will not be able to enter. There is typically a very long line to enter at this first party, so please anticipate this. The more people who come and complete this early, the shorter the line will be on October 31st, 2021.
NEW *LAW ENFORCEMENT SAFETY DRILL*
On Monday 10/23/23, Prairie will be conducting a Law Enforcement Safety Drill. Students will be evacuating the building during the drill. If the weather does not cooperate, we will reschedule the drill and communicate the rescheduled drill date.
In compliance with the Safety Drill Act, parents have the right to exempt their child from the Law Enforcement Drill. If you do not wish your child to participate in the Law Enforcement Safety Drill, please contact Ms. 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.
NEW *Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report* ~ updated 10/23/23
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As a part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe and secure online environment for our students, we are excited to announce that we will be offering the Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report to all parents and guardians of our school community.
You will receive an email from District 96 that will enable you to register for the Weekly Student Online Activity Report. Once you receive the email from our school district you will have the ability to register. Simply choose to register and follow the prompts to sign up for the Weekly Student Online Activity Report.
The Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report is a valuable tool that will allow you to gain insights into your child's web history while using the school's iPad. This report will provide an overview of the websites visited by your child while using the iPad. The report is designed to promote transparency and communication between parents and the school, fostering a safer digital learning experience for our students.
The weekly activity report is only accessible to parents and guardians registered for this service. It will not be shared with any external parties, and the data collected will be used solely for the purpose of improving the online safety measures at our school. Parents/guardians will not start begin receiving weekly reports until their child has at least a week's worth of browsing data.
Lightspeed Parent/Student Enrollment Email Schedule: Families will begin to receive LightSpeed Parent report emails from Lightspeed. This email correspondence will allow you to enroll and begin receiving your child’s reports from Lightspeed for the following grades on or near the following dates below.
October 23, 2023 (8th Grade)
October 30, 2023 (7th Grade)
November 6, 2023 (6th Grade)
November 13, 2023 (5th Grade)
November 20, 2023 (4th Grade)
November 27, 2023 (3rd Grade)
December 4, 2023 (2nd Grade, 1st Grade, Kindergarten)
Please note that while we encourage parents to use this tool to stay involved in their child's online journey, it is essential to have open conversations with your child about their internet use. Establishing trust and communication around digital practices will enhance the overall safety and well-being of our students.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Weekly Student Online Activity Report or need assistance with the registration process, please feel free to reach out to the IT department at [email protected].
Thank you for your continued support in creating a secure and nurturing learning environment for our students.
REPEAT *Halloween Costumes*
Our Halloween festivities will be here before we know it. We look forward to students dressing in their Halloween costumes for our Halloween Parade and classroom parties on Tuesday, Oct. 31st. Please help us with the following costume guidelines. Students will change into their costumes after their lunch period at school. Please ensure that your child can get the costume on with no or minimal help.
Costumes must be appropriate for school. If costumes are not school-appropriate the student will be asked to remove their costume.
-Please no masks, blood, super scary stuff, general ickiness, or weapons
-Please no cigars or cigarette items
-Please no bare tummies
-Please keep hair coloring and make-up simple