Good afternoon Prairie Families,
The end of trimester one is in the books! It’s hard to believe that we have completed one third of the 2023-2024 school year. Please note that student report cards are LIVE on TeacherEase as of 3pm today. For more information on how to view your child's report card, please view the following Principal Message.
Next week is our last full week before the Thanksgiving holiday break. It’s a busy week with an early release on Tuesday, our 5th grade music concert on Wednesday, and our Family Reading Night on Thursday. We look forward to seeing you at Prairie for these exciting events!
Have a great weekend,
Ms. Lauren Delahanty
REPEAT *Important Upcoming Dates*
- November 15 - Trimester 1 report cards issued
- November 19 - EARLY RELEASE DAY
- November 21 - Family Reading Night
- November 27 - NO SCHOOL District Holiday
- November 28 - NO SCHOOL District Holiday
- November 29 - NO SCHOOL District Holiday
NEW *Report Cards*
Families: A helpful reminder! Report cards are live at 3pm on Friday, November 15th! After that time, families will be able to view their child’s finalized report card on TeacherEase. Families can find more helpful information about report cards, including how to view them and how to switch between multiple students, here: https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/access-student-progress-reports-online We also have a helpful webpage dedicated to helping you understand your child’s report card: https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/understanding-your-childs-report-card If you happen to forget your Teacher Ease password, please click “Forgot Password” on the log-in main page.
FAMILY READING ADVENTURE - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21st - PART 3
Join us and mark your calendars for Thursday, November 21st, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
All students will receive a Scholastic book bag to take home!
Each week I have featured a new book and session offered at our Reading Adventure Night. This will help inform your decision for which two sessions you would like to attend. There are four offered this year. If you would like to know about previous sessions, visit the last principal’s message.
This week I introduce to you, Luna and me: The True Story of a Girl Who Lived in a Tree to Save a Forest by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Once there was a redwood tree—one of the world's largest and tallest trees, and one of the oldest. And once, born nearly a thousand years after the tree first took root, there was a girl named Julia, who was called Butterfly.
When exploring her beloved forest, Butterfly wandered into a grove of ancient trees. One tree had broken branches and a big blue "X" on the side. It was going to be chopped down. Butterfly climbed up into the tree. A tree wouldn't be cut down if it had a person living in it. This is the story of Julia Butterfly Hill and Luna, the redwood tree she lived in for two years, never once coming down. That is, not until Luna's future was safe.
The activities for this book are:
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Build a treehouse using Magnatiles, Legos & Keva Planks
Take a look at another book! Take Your Time by Eva Furrow and Donna Jo Napoli
Harriet the tortoise likes to do things slowly. She explores her home on the Galápagos Islands―slowly. She eats―slowly. And when the sun goes down, she slumbers deeply all night long.
When Harriet’s friends tell her to pick up the pace, Harriet decides to journey to a neighboring island to see what there is to see. She parades with penguins and rides with dolphins, encountering adventure at every turn. But is life in the fast lane right for a tortoise who loves to take her time?
The activities for this book are:
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Color ocean animal bookmarks with colored pencils and markers
REMEMBER to RSVP so we can plan accordingly.
Can’t wait to see you there! - Mrs. Spivack
REPEAT *Illinois School Report Cards*
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the annual Illinois Report Card on Oct. 30 at www.illinoisreportcard.com. The Report Card shows the incredible achievements of our schools when it comes to a wide range of educational goals.
Our academic successes reflect a strong tradition of excellence at Kildeer Countryside School District 96. This includes maintaining a strong focus on standards-based instruction and core instruction, continuous improvement targeting content and standards, language acquisition, and more. These areas align to our Board Approved Goals for the 24-25 school year, as outlined here.
One component of the Illinois School Report Card is the annual summative designation – a descriptor of how well our school is meeting the needs of all students. This designation is federally required and is based on 14 indicators of academic and school quality/student success. We are pleased to share that Prairie Elementary received the highest tier, a Exemplary designation. That classification measures areas including academic growth and proficiency, chronic absenteeism, and a school climate survey.
At Prairie, we hold high expectations for all students and believe every student can meet our expectations. This designation gives us the opportunity to reflect on our goals to further enhance instruction and supports for our entire student community. We welcome this opportunity to dive into our data and to talk about continued investments we can make to support every student in reaching their fullest potential.
The Illinois School Report card is just one of many pieces of data that we as a District analyze and use to drive school improvement efforts. Soon, you will receive information to participate in the online 5-Essential parent survey. We encourage all of our families to spend a couple minutes to take this important and insightful survey.
It’s incredibly important that as many KCSD96 students take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) as possible. We ask that parents continue to allow their child to participate, if they are able to based on their grade level. When we have a high participation rate, this allows our school to receive the most accurate data snapshot of our school as possible.
reminder for parents to continue to encourage their child(ren) to take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), if their grade level allows them to do so. We want to receive the most accurate snapshot of our school, by making sure our test score data reflects as many students as possible.
Thank you for your continued partnership to ensure every child at Prairie is thriving. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Principal Lauren Delahanty directly at [email protected]. You can also find this information on our website at any time, at https://www.kcsd96.org/curriculum/school-report-cards.
REPEAT *Human Growth and Development*
Illinois State law requires all school districts with a comprehensive health curriculum to provide instruction on specific health topics including human growth and development. These topics align to the Illinois Physical Development and Health Standards. KCSD96 recognizes that parents/guardians are the primary educators for their families on these topics.
This instruction falls under a specific list of topics that you may elect to have your child excused from, as outlined by Illinois School Code. If you choose this option, please submit a specific request, in writing, to the school principal, asking that your child be excused from the class during that specific period(s) of instruction, and we will provide an alternate assignment.
For questions about the 4th grade program, please consult the links below. Parents of 5th graders will receive more information after the start of the school year. If you still have questions, please contact the school’s principal or assistant principal.
For specific materials, please see below.
Fourth Grade
This year KCSD96 will be hosting Candor Health Education (formerly Robert Crown Center) on November 18th. Candor Health will provide the learning to 4th grade students, and 4th grade teachers will be present during this learning experience. As in the past, students will not be separated by gender during the presentation by Candor Health.
Please click on the links below for a helpful overview of the program. The letter contains tips for parents to start conversations with children at home. The video will show you everything the students will see during the presentation.
School Program Overviews for Parents – Candor Health Education VIDEO
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