1st Grade "Book Character for President" Voters
Good afternoon Prairie Families,
Students have been hard at work this past week and we are truly in the swing of things for the 2024-2025 school year! Next Friday we host our annual Scamper Fun Run. Please be sure to read all of this week’s Principal’s Message as there is plenty of information on parent involvement opportunities as well as student club offerings. Please remember that this Tuesday, the 17th is an early release day for students.
Have a great weekend!
Ms. Lauren Delahanty
Principal
NEW *Early Release Reminder*
Tuesday, September 17th is an Early Release Day across KCSD96. Kindergarten and grades 1-5 dismiss at 2:05pm. Grades 6-8 dismiss at 1:30pm. Structured Early Childhood and Blended PM dismiss at 2:05 pm. ECSE/Blended AM dismisses at 10:10am.
NEW *Leaving a Positive Digital Footprint*
As we navigate an evolving digital age, it is important for our children to learn how to use technology safely and responsibly. To best support our students in developing these lifelong skills, KCSD96 will be introducing the Common Sense Digital Citizenship Lessons to our K-8 students throughout the year. These age-appropriate lessons will cover essential topics like online safety, protecting personal information, and recognizing positive and negative online behaviors. It’s important that we set our students up for lifelong success.
Common Sense is a widely-used resource used by school districts across the country, including in our region. We encourage you to review the material with your child and have open discussions about what they learn in class. You can access the resources and learn more by visiting the Common Sense Digital Citizenship website.
https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship/curriculum
By working together, we can help our children become thoughtful, safe, and respectful digital citizens. If you have any questions, please reach out to Principal, Lauren Delahanty at [email protected].
NEW *FAMILY TECH TALK*
Technology plays an important and evolving role in your child's education. It's critical that you and your family have open discussions about your use of technology. KCSD96 is hosting its annual "Family Tech Talk” in the Educational Development Center (downstairs of Ivy Hall Elementary at 1072 Ivy Hall Lane, Buffalo Grove). This discussion is scheduled for Tuesday, September 24 at 7pm. Presenters are Director of Information Technology Services Bob Hanrahan and School Resource Officer Edyta Zuk. Mr. Hanrahan will talk about the district and its technology initiatives. Officer Zuk will discuss online safety awareness and tips.
If you have questions, contact the Community Parent Liaison, Lubna K. Andrabi, at [email protected]
NEW *Parent Engagement Opportunities - GCI and TEP*
KCSD96 is dedicated to fostering strong partnerships with our community, offering a range of opportunities for parent engagement. Through these programs, we empower parents to actively contribute to and enrich the educational environment for all of our students. This information, including meeting dates for the 24-25 school year, will be sent to all families in Friday's E-News. We encourage our teachers to relay this information to families who may be interested.
Guiding Coalition of Interculturalism
GCI is a learning community that reflects and connects the KCSD96 values of diversity and inclusion; aligns parents, educators, and students in cultural and educational experiences; and engages with a wide audience. This year our Bilingual Parent Advisory Council will merge with GCI to create a more cohesive group focused on cultural diversity, inclusion, and language support. We will align their missions to create a unified group that addresses both interculturalism and bilingual education and create one communication platform for parents, educators, and community members. GCI meeting dates for the 24-25 school year are:
- October 1st, 2024
- November 12th, 2024
- January 21st, 2025
- February 25th, 2025
- April 22nd, 2025
Meetings are at 6:30pm in the Educational Development Center at Ivy Hall Elementary (1072 Ivy Hall Lane). Please fill this Google Form to indicate your interest. For questions, please contact, Community Parent Liaison: [email protected].
Thought Exchange Partnership
TEP offers parents the opportunity to share their thoughts and receive information about instruction, programs, and district initiatives. TEP is a committee that seeks parent feedback in developing student discipline policies and procedures related to the Student Handbook and provides information and feedback to the Board. District 96 values two-way communication, and a deep understanding of parent perception supports district planning and communication. TEP meeting dates for the 24-25 school year are:
- October 8th, 2024
- December 10th, 2024
- January 28th, 2025
- March 11th, 2025
- May 6th, 2025
Meetings are at 6:30pm in the Educational Development Center at Ivy Hall Elementary (1072 Ivy Hall Lane). Please fill this Google Form to indicate your interest. For questions, please contact, Community Parent Liaison: [email protected].
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDk4k-xHYTEr3jhAo6zZpPQzwGq84g__oqzfU2mEogqnRY8Q/viewform
NEW *PHYSICALS AND IMMUNIZATION FORMS DUE by 10/15*
Please ensure that all physicals and immunization forms are turned into the school nurse by October 15th.
NEW - *2024 Prairie Schoolyard Scamper Fun Run - 9/20/24!*
Prairie School is looking forward to all students participating in the 29th Annual Prairie School Yard Scamper Fun Run, scheduled for Friday, September 20th! This all school event is a .65 mile run/walk on Prairie School property to promote lifetime participation in physical activity! Students should bring a water bottle, wear comfortable clothing (layering is always a good idea with our weather) and wear their gym shoes. In case of bad weather, the Scamper will be held Thursday, September 26th.
NEW - *Imagination Station* (New Prairie Club - open to 1st-5th graders!)
Join this club if you like to build, create, and think outside the box. We will have room for 25 students and all grades are welcome. There will be a fall and spring session this year. We will meet on Wednesdays from 3:05-3:45 pm in Room 13 in the green pod.
If you are interested in signing up please complete the Google Form below. Because we can only have a limited number of students participating, Miss Kotsonis and Ms. McHugh will send an email confirming when the club has been filled.
Please contact Ms. McHugh [email protected] or Miss Kotsonis [email protected] with any questions! Sign up link here
Dates we meet: 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18, 1/8 , 1/15, 1/22, 1/29
NEW *Puma Pals Club* is open to 1st-5th graders!
Puma Pals Club will be happening this year to help students build relationships with students outside of their classroom and grade level! We will have sessions available for 13 1st-3rd graders and 13 4th-5th graders! Our focus this year is to create Puma Pals Buddies among older and younger grades. We will play team-building games, have discussions, and get to know each other throughout 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. Slots will be filled on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Please contact Ms. McHugh [email protected] or Miss Weil [email protected] with any questions! Sign up link
Dates 1-5th grade: 10/17, 10/24, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 12/5, 12/12, 12/19
REPEAT *Book Return Policy*
As the school year progresses, I wanted to send a friendly reminder about our library book return policy. To ensure all students have access to a wide variety of reading materials, we ask that books be returned each week on the designated library day. Timely returns help us maintain a well-stocked and organized library for all our students.
Additionally, to keep the books in good condition and ensure their safe return, please encourage your child to store their library books in a designated, safe place at home. This could be a specific bookshelf, a book bin, or any other location where the books can remain in good shape and are easy to find when it's time to return them.
If you have any questions or need assistance with this process, please feel free to reach out to me directly. Your support helps foster a love of reading and ensures our library remains a valuable resource for all students.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Mrs. Spivack