Good Afternoon Prairie Families,
Welcome back and Happy New Year! It was so nice to welcome students and staff back this week, even thought the weather cut it short. This week's weather reminds us that January brings a variety of weather conditions and we want students to be prepared to go outside for recess. For the next few months, we encourage students to bring boots, coats, gloves, hat, and snowpants. These items will keep your child warm while outside and are also needed if your child wants to play in the snow during recess. If your child wears boots to school, please send another pair of shoes for him/her to change into when they get inside the building. The Lost and Found gets full during this time of year so please write your child’s name on his/her winter items.
As a reminder, there is no school on Monday.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Lauren Delahanty
NEW *Upcoming Dates*
- Monday, January 15 - NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
- Wednesday, January 17 - Tuesday, March 5 - ACCESS Testing
- Tuesday, January 30 - Early Release Day
NEW *Updated Approved Snack List*
As a reminder, all snacks sent to school must be on the Approved Snack List. Our Approved Snack List is updated annually and was recently reviewed in December, carefully curated by staff and parent volunteers, taking into consideration your valuable feedback. We kindly ask that you review the snack list to ensure you are sending appropriate choices with your child to school (our website link has also been updated). If an item is not on our list, it will be sent home. Our aim is to provide a wide variety of snacks that are safe for all students, eliminating the top 8 allergens and gluten, making it a "win" for everyone! For daily snacks, excluding fruits and vegetables, we kindly request that all items be pre-packaged and must be brand specific. This helps teachers easily check the snacks and ensure they comply with our safety standards.
Thank you for your support in creating a safe and inclusive environment for our students. Together, we can ensure that all our children enjoy their snacks while staying healthy and happy in our classrooms!
https://www.kcsd96.org/student-services/approved-food-beverage-list
NEW *Valentine's Day*
Valentine's Day will be celebrated during PTO classroom parties at all elementary schools on Wednesday, February 14th. Your child's teacher will send home any classroom-specific information related to Valentine's Day. Valentines are already popping up in stores. If you choose to send valentines to school and include an item with your child's valentines, please note for the safety of our students only non-food items are permissible. This practice is consistent for all classrooms in District 96 elementary schools.
NEW *Prairie Leaders - 4th Grade*
Calling 4th Grade Leaders!*
Are you interested in an awesome leadership opportunity? If you are, Prairie Leaders (PL) is for you!
Come join us for an informational meeting Thursday, January 18th from 3:05-3:45 in Ms. Heuer’s classroom (red pod room 6). All 4th graders are welcome to attend the meeting!
If you are attending the meeting parent pick-up will be Kingsbridge Circle where the bus drop off is. Pick-up is at 3:45pm.
We look forward to seeing you!
Ms. Heuer & Mrs. Muehling
NEW *Puma Pals - 2nd Session*
Another session of the Puma Pals club will be happening this year to help 1st through 5th graders build relationships with students outside of their classroom and grade level! We will have sessions available for 25 1st-5th graders. We will play team-building games, have discussions, and get to know each other throughout the second half of the year! We will meet on Thursdays from 3:05-3:45 pm in Room 13 in the green pod.
If you are interested in signing up for Puma Pals please complete the Google Form below. Because we can only have a limited number of students participating, Miss Weil and Ms. McHugh will send an email confirming when the club has been filled. If you were just a part of the club, please do not sign up again for we would like to give other students a chance.
Please contact Ms. McHugh [email protected] or Miss Weil [email protected] with any questions! Sign up link
Dates: 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 2/29, 3/7, 3/14, 4/4, 4/11
NEW *24-25 Kindergarten Registration Open*
Are you the parent of a kindergarten student or friends with someone who is? Please help us get the word out! Kindergarten registration is now open for the 24-25 school year. Families who complete registration by April 30th may attend Kindergarten Kick-Off in May at Willow Grove Early Learning Center and receive a free t-shirt while at the event! Kindergarten Kick-Off is an exciting event designed to welcome and introduce incoming kindergarten students and their parents/guardians to Willow Grove, supporting a successful transition into school and kindergarten. Please follow this link to learn about the steps to register. Fully registered families will receive additional information about Kindergarten Kick-Off and more in early April.
If your child is already attending Willow Grove in the early childhood program, you will automatically receive a registration link in March for kindergarten. Please wait until you receive that link to proceed with registration. You will still want to complete the registration process by April 30th to receive your child's free t-shirt and attend Kindergarten Kick-Off.
Please note that your child must be 5 years old by September 1st, 2024 to attend kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year.
NEW *WOW Winners*
Congratulations to this week’s WOW winners!
Repeat *ACCESS Testing*
The State of Illinois requires identified English Learner (EL) students to annually participate in the ACCESS testing to determine current English language proficiency in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Our ACCESS testing window will occur from 1/17/24-3/5/24. Each school’s testing schedule is unique and will only impact students who take the ACCESS test. Students taking ACCESS do not need to prepare anything ahead of time.