Prairie View Elementary School
"Shoot for Success"
Welcome Back!
We are down to our final few days of summer! The staff at Prairie View is excited to welcome our students back into the building. Throughout the summer, Mrs. Hall, Mr. Beverage, and Ms. Biernacki have done a fantastic job getting the building ready. The halls are shiny, carpets have been cleaned, and bathrooms are sparkling. Teachers and paraprofessionals have spent their final summer days preparing their rooms for squeaky shoes and smiling faces. This is one of my favorite times of the year!
As I enter my 16th year in education, I still develop first-day jitters. These are feelings of anticipation, excitement, and a few nerves. We know that for our students and their families the first day of school can also bring many of the same emotions. Therefore, parents/Guardians are welcome to join their student(s) on the blacktop on the first day to partake in this special day and capitalize on all those "kodak" moments. We ask that you assist us in setting a new routine for the new school year and allow your student to walk into the building and to their classroom with just their peers and teachers. Reassuring your child that they will see you later and saying goodbye on the playground will help build their independence and allow them to learn to cope with emotions around separation. Our experienced staff is full of caring adults on hand to help your child navigate the building, start their day, and support them if there are any nerves. This also allows teachers to begin the routines of their day more smoothly with their students. Therefore, once the bell rings at 8:00 am, only students and staff will enter the building and head to classrooms (Kindergarten parents are invited to join their student-see schedule below).
Please read the information below to prepare for our first school day and the start of the school year. I apologize for the significant amount of information; however, I wanted to be sure that you have access to the information you need to be ready to start a great year. As a reminder, August 17th will be our first day of school, and it will be a 1:10 pm dismissal.
First few days of Kindergarten
The following schedule is listed below for the first days of kindergarten. Please refer to the schedule to determine which day(s) and the time your child will attend. On the first day, students attend for one hour with their parent/guardian(s). We ask that siblings not attend as this is a special time for you and your child to get to know the teacher and their new classroom. We are looking forward to welcoming the many new faces and families to school!
- Open House for parents and students whose last names fall between A-J will attend from 8:30-9:30 am. (No bus service will be provided on this day)
- Open House for parents and students whose last names fall between K-Z will attend from 9:45-10:45 am. (No bus service will be provided on this day)
Thursday, August 18th
- Kindergarten students whose last names fall between A-J will attend for the full day of school. (Busing will be provided for eligible students)
Friday, August 19th
- Kindergarten students whose last names fall between K-Z will attend for the full day of school. (Busing will be provided for eligible students)
Monday, August 22nd
- All Kindergarten students will attend for a full day.
Stop & Drop with a Treat!
Who: Prairie View students!
What: Stop by and drop off your classroom supplies in your new teacher's room. Then head out through the gym to the playground to see Mr. Ryan and enjoy a popsicle.
When: Tuesday, August 16th from 2:00-3:00 pm
Where: Everyone's favorite school!
Why: We know how heavy a backpack full of supplies can be on the first day of school.
- Please have your student's belongings in a plastic bag(s)
- Label all bags with your student(s) first and last name and teacher's name
- Students may enter the building through the front doors to find their classroom and drop off their supplies to their teacher!
**If you cannot attend on the 16th between 2-3, please contact the main office about dropping off supplies at another time. 815-786-8811.
Teacher Assignments for the 2022-2023 School Year
- Class lists will be viewable on the Tyler parent portal today (August 10th) at 4:00 p.m.
- Simply log into your student(s) Tyler account and look in the bottom right corner under the portion titled "student schedule."
- Click Here to access the Tyler Parent Portal.
Welcome aboard Mrs. Malone!
Welcome aboard Ms. Knezevich
Welcome Back Ms. Moore
Hello! My name is Ms. Moore. I am the new school social worker at Prairie View. I am so excited to be a part of the Prairie View community again. This will be my 6th year working in the district. I will be teaching Second Step lessons weekly and will be working with students individually and in groups.
I look forward to the coming school year and getting to know the students and their families.
Orientation Night: August 24th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
1st Grade: 6:15-6:45 pm
2nd Grade 6:45-7:15
3rd Grade 7:15-7:45
*We are not able to provide supervision for students during classroom presentations. Therefore, all students and siblings must stay in classrooms with parents/guardians while in attendance.
**Kindergarten: Kindergarten will host an open house for all students and parents on the first day of school (see schedule above).
Arrival and Dismissal
- Morning playground supervision begins at 7:45 am. If your student is dropped off or arrives at school before 7:45, an adult will not be on the playground.
Walkers/Bike Riders:
- There will be a City of Sandwich-provided crossing guard at the corner of Castle St. and Pleasant Ave.
- Bike racks are located on the south side of the building near the 2nd and 3rd-grade classroom window.
Car Rider Information:
- Attn families who will be "car riders." Your student will come home with an orange and black vehicle visor with your student's last name printed. These are required to help expedite the pick-up process. Please attach the vehicle visor to the backside of the passenger seat visor.
- When you pull into the pick-up line, please flip down your visor to allow our staff to view the printed name. Thank you in advance for your patience during the first few weeks of the school year. We promise that our pick-up process will speed up and that all students will remain safe.
- Before the first day of school, please review the car rider map below.
Transportation Changes
Change in Transportation
When there is a change in your student's transportation, we prefer an email notice to your student(s) teacher. In an emergency, please contact the school office no later than 2:00 p.m. so we can notify our staff and ensure your child's safe dismissal. If the school does not have notice of a change in transportation, a student will be sent home in their typical fashion.
*When dropping students off in the parking lot, we ask that everyone stays in line to exit the parking lot for everyone’s safety. Please do not go around the vehicles in the line unless one of the building staff asks you to.
*If your student arrives after the 8:10 bell, you must accompany your student to the front doors of the school to sign your student in. Please ring the doorbell, and someone in the office will assist you.
*If your student needs to leave school before the end of the day, please email your student's teacher. When picking them up, please come to the front doors, and someone in the office will assist you in signing your student out for the day. Your child will be called to the office when you arrive.
Bus Route Information
COMMUNICATION: WHO SHOULD I CALL?
Have you wondered who you should call if you have a school or student-related question? We want to ensure you always feel heard and can access our staff to answer any questions you might have. Here are some helpful tips in order to support you in knowing who to contact.
School Office: Questions about registration, records, paperwork, attendance, dates and times of activities/events, changes in transportation, and much more can all be answered by calling our main office and speaking with Ms. Michael or Mrs. Huhn. This is the quickest way to get a hold of our office. The office is open from 7:00-3:20. Please leave a voicemail if your call is not answered, as the voicemail is checked regularly.
Classroom Teacher: This is the first person to contact with any questions about your child, whether it be academic, social-emotional/behavioral, any school-related incidents that took place during the school day, questions about homework, advice on supporting your student's growth and progress and anything else related to your child that you feel the teacher needs to know. We are your partners, and we are here to support one another. We love hearing about your celebrations and good news as well! Please note that if you have a question about your child's IEP or a special class such as music or PE, those staff members can also be contacted directly.
Principal: Mr.Ryan always aims to be available and accessible to families as much as possible. If you have struggled to have questions answered after first going through the classroom teacher or office, have sensitive information or more that needs to be communicated, need advice or help to solve an unresolved issue, or more, please know that you can contact him by phone or via email. Just like the teachers, he also loves hearing your great news and celebrations!
School Nurse: Questions or information about anything health-related, physicals and immunizations, medications or treatments, health care plans, and more.
Our goal is always to respond to inquiries within 24 hours or the next business day. Sometimes the staff is out of the building or in meetings, and there may be a delay.
News from the Nurse
MEDICATION FORMS AND HEALTH CARE PLANS
Keep in mind medication, prescription or over-the-counter, cannot be given without a completed school medication authorization form on file at school. Also, health care plans (asthma, food allergy, etc.) should also be updated for the 2022-23 school year. If you have questions, you may contact the School Nurse, lhoyt@sandwich430.org. A link to the forms on the district website is below.
Prairie View Important Dates
- August 16th: Stop & Drop with a treat
- August 17th: First Day of school- 1:10 dismissal
- August 24th: Orientation- 6:00-8:00 pm
- August 29th-September 2nd: 2nd and 3rd Grade Fastbridge Benchmarking
District News
FREE AND REDUCED MEAL PROGRAM
Dear Sandwich School District 430 Community,
The federal program that has allowed school districts across the country to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of income expired on June 30, 2022. Since 2020, this program has eliminated the need to collect payments for school meals for any student.
At this time, the federal government has not extended the waivers for this school year to allow free meals for all students. As a result, schools across the nation will be reverting back to free and reduced-price meals based on income eligibility guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
During the 2022-2023 school year, families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch will have to pay for school meals and registration fees. Students whose families are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch will be able to access meals this school year at no cost or a discounted rate. Families who qualify will have registration fees waived or applied at a discounted rate.
In order to review the requirements to qualify and to apply, please use the link below:
2022-2023 Free/Reduced Application
Only one application needs to be completed per household. If you recently received notification that you have already been approved for free or reduced meals for the 2022-2023 school year, you do not need to complete an application.
Lunch Prices for 2022-2023:
K-5 Schools $3.10
Sandwich Middle School $3.20
Sandwich High School $3.20
If you have any questions, please reach out to:
Jody Kruswicki, Administrative Assistant
815-786-2187 or jkruswicki@sandwich430.org
Prairie View Elementary School
Website: https://pv.sandwich430.org/
Location: 1201 Castle Street, Sandwich, IL, USA
Phone: 815-786-8811
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PVElementary430