Week at a Glance
October 24th-October 31st
What's Happening This Week
Monday, October 25th
Sticky Fingers Monday Class 2:35-3:35
Chess Club 2:30-3:30
Tuesday, October 26th
Picture Retakes
Battle of the Books Meeting 7:30am
Lego League 7am on Stage in Main Gym
Lego League 2:30-3:30 in Main Gym
Sticky Fingers Tuesday Class 2:35-3:35
Fall Impact Art! Club 2:35-3:35
Bricks 4 Kidz 2:30-3:30
Spanish Ladder 2:30-3:30
Chinese Mandarin Ladder 2:30-3:30
Virtual Pumpkin Decorating Contest Pictures Due at 6pm
Wednesday, October 27th
World Occupational Therapy Day
4th and 5th Grade Chorus 7:30am
Young Rembrandts Class 2:30-3:30
Thursday, October 28th
Lego League 7am on Stage in Main Gym
Lego League 2:30-3:30 in Main Gym
Fall Running Club 7:30-8am Behind School
Friday, October 29th
Fall Running Club 7:30-8am Behind School
Fall Parade 1:20-1:40 on South Blacktop Weather Permitting
Fall Class Parties, 1:40-2:20
Saturday, October 30th
Sunday, October 31st
Virtual Pumpkin Decorating Contest Winners Announced in the WAAG at 3pm
Upcoming Events
Monday, November 1st, Re-Screening for Vision and Hearing
Monday, November 1st, Peer Buddies Club for 4th & 5th Graders Begins
Thursday, November 4th, Ripple Effect Club for 4th & 5th Graders Begins
Friday, November 5th, Spirit Day-Wear GREEN to show your Prairie Pride!
Monday, November 8th, Start of School Psychologist Week
Tuesday, November 9th, Virtual Home & School Meeting 8:30am
Thursday, November 11th, Veteran's Day Presentation
Friday, November 12th, End of First Trimester
Monday, November 15th, Start of American Education Week
Wednesday, November 18th, Educational Support Professionals Day
Monday-Tuesday November 22nd-23rd, Sticky Fingers Winter Session Begins
Wednesday, November 24th-Friday, November 26th, NO SCHOOL-Thanksgiving Holiday
Prairie's Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Yearbook Cover Contest!
Attention, 5th grade Families! The yearbook cover contest is underway! We can’t wait to see your creative, colorful, original artwork!
Remember there is only one entry per 5th grader and the deadline for submitting is Friday, November 5th.
Questions? Please contact Karen Kuhn or Colleen Troupis at yearbookprairie@gmail.com.
5th Grade Author Visit with Sharon Draper
Prairie Elementary is delighted to welcome New York Times bestselling author Sharon Draper for a virtual event on Monday, November 15. Ms. Draper will talk with 5th grade students about her career as an author and her new book, Out of My Heart.
To guarantee a signed copy (bookplate) of this book, please place your order online via this link by Wednesday, October 27. Books may still be purchased through Monday, November 22, however they will not be signed copies. Feel free to reach out to Tracy Simmons (tracyjsimmons@gmail.com) with any questions about book orders.
Please note that any Prairie family is welcome to order books via the author visit links, regardless of whether your child is in the grade the author is visiting.
Operation Support Our Troops
Thank You for Supporting the Book Fair!
This was a book fair of firsts: first time with kids in charge of purchasing (!!), first in person book fair for kindergartners and 1st graders and the first time with email ordering.
Hillary and I appreciate your patience with us as we tried to find new and easy ways for kids and parents to experience the fair.
We would like to express our gratitude to the parents that volunteered at the fair and to all of the teachers and staff that helped throughout the week! This was a huge endeavor that could not have been possible without all of you!
Many of the online orders and back orders were dropped off in the teacher mailboxes at school last week. Some books are on order through Anderson's due to either being out of stock in the warehouse or have not been released yet. We have a list of outstanding orders from Anderson's and will make sure you receive those books as soon as they come in. The books will be dropped off at school and delivered to your child's classroom unless you opted for shipping or pick up at the Naperville store.
If you have any questions about your order please reach out to Emily Kozlowski (emily_uofi2002@yahoo.com) or Hillary Lafferty (hillarylafferty3682@gmail.com).
Thank you for supporting the book fair and Prairie's Home & School!
Peer Buddies Club for 4th and 5th Graders Beginning Monday, November 1st
The Prairie Peer Buddies Club is a group that meets after school every Monday from 2:30-3:15 to participate in games, crafts, activities and more with peers across the building.
Students in 4th and 5th grade are welcome to join this free club. The club is an opportunity for students to be positive peer role models and foster friendships with our students within the Multi-Needs program. Through fun filled activities, students will work on communication, problem solving, social communication and more. At Peer Buddies Club we promote Kindness, Acceptance and Inclusion.
If your child is interested in participating, please have them ask their teacher for an information flyer and permission slip. Students who choose to participate will have an informational meeting the week of October 25th during their recess period.
Students will be supervised by Ms. Kurtides and Mrs. Alberts and other Prairie staff. Please reach out with any questions.
World Occupational Therapy Day
SFCP & Inside Out Club of DuPage present Kits for Kids!
Let’s show other kids how much we care! This fall, we are going to practice kindness and
empathy in a school-wide service project with Inside Out Club. Check out the flyer here and stay tuned for more details!
Questions? Email prairiesfcp@gmail.com.
Inside Out Club
Sticky Fingers Winter Sessions
Ripple Effect Club
In previous years, 4th and 5th graders participated in a club called “The Ripple Effect” in order to promote kindness throughout the school community. This year, Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Koziol are able to invite 20 students to join them in extending kindness beyond our school community! Students are invited to meet in Mrs. Koziol’s 5th grade classroom every other Thursday from 2:30-3:15. Our goal is to make a difference by spreading kindness to help further build a sense of community in our school and beyond. We will determine special projects to create for students in our school and extended communities in order to help people see the effects of acts of kindness and continue to spread it through the “ripple effect”.
Accessing SHIELD Results
District Reminders
DISTRICT 203 MASK POLICY
As a reminder, all students and visitors must wear a face mask upon entering the building. Thank you for your adherence to this policy.
COVID POLICIES
The district’s website has been updated to reflect all of the recent changes to the COVID policies and procedures. The link to the information is here.
Naperville 203 continues to use a layered mitigation strategy to ensure the safety of our students and staff members.
As a result of a recent update from the DuPage County Health Department, we are providing you with the following updates/points of clarification to our protocols.
1. A student sent home with COVID-19-like symptoms can now return to school if the student tests negative for COVID-19 on a PCR, rapid PCR or antigen test. PCR tests are strongly recommended.
This rule does not apply to students who have been identified as close contacts.
2. The sibling of a student who is experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms will no longer be immediately sent home. The symptomatic student should be tested within 24 hours, and the sibling can remain in school as long as the symptomatic student tests negative and documentation of the testing is provided to the school health office.
If the symptomatic student tests positive, the sibling will be required to follow the district's quarantine procedures.
Except in certain circumstances, people who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 should quarantine. However, the following people with recent exposure may NOT need to quarantine:
People who have been fully vaccinated
People who were previously diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last three months (IDPH, August 2021) If your child is in this category, you must share the positive results of their COVID test within the last 90 days with the health office
3. Testing is required for symptomatic individuals with symptoms not attributed to known or chronic conditions. The DuPage County Health Department does not allow for letters of alternative diagnosis. Please discuss any specific conditions or concerns with your certified school nurse as decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
These are the only procedures that have changed as a result of the DuPage County Health Department’s October 4th update. Please visit the COVID-19 Page on the district website for more information on Naperville 203’s COVID-19 protocols.
We thank you for your cooperation in keeping Prairie students and staff healthy in these ever-changing times.
ATTENDANCE LINE
District 203 asks that all parents call their school’s attendance line to report absences. While it is okay to also notify your child’s teacher of the absence, we still need you to call the attendance line, as your child’s teacher could have a substitute or there could be a substitute in the health office. The attendance line is available to take messages 24 hours a day / 7 days per week and is the same number as the health office. Please call 630-420-6350 to report absences.
Please contact Megan Pagnucci at prairieschoolvp@gmail.com with any questions about or submissions to the WAAG. Deadline for submissions are Wednesdays by noon, for posting in the following week's WAAG.
Here are some links you may find useful:
http://www.naperville203.org/prairie
www.facebook.com/prairiehomeandschool
Twitter: @Prairied203