Promise Prep Weekly
February 20, 2024
Dates to Remember
February 28- Learn from Home Day- Parents In Touch Day
March 22- Early Dismissal 1PM
March 25-29- Spring Break- School Closed
Calendar UPDATE!!!
Monday, April 8th, is a full Solar Eclipse. Because of the safety concerns many school systems will be closed that day. All PLA schools will be closed and switching to a Learn from Home Day. Packets will be sent home, closer to the actual date. If scholars do not finish the packet it will be considered an absence.
For a complete PLA@PromisePrep calendar, click the link below
Parents In Touch Day
Boys and Girls Club Calendar
February 19- Boys and Girls Club Closed for President's Day
Wax Museum Event
On behalf of all the staff and scholars here at PLA@PromisePrep, we cannot thank you all enough for the help and support of our scholars at last night's Black History Month Wax Museum. The scholars did a terrific job and they all looked great!! The support of parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends made this such a wonderful evening. We hope you enjoyed it as much as the scholars. Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!
Solar Eclipse Safety
A solar eclipse is when the moon is directly in the path of the sun. It will make the middle of the day look like nighttime. Because the moon will not cover the entire sun, there will be a halo, or ring around the moon. To look at this ring could cause damage to the eyes, and could be temporary or permanent, and the results could not be known until days or weeks later.
Because of this safety concern, schools all around Indiana will be closing. For PLA@PromisePrep, we will be closing school and instituting a learn from home day. Your scholars will receive a packet that will need to be completed. When the packet is completed and returned, the scholar will then be marked present.
Since this is a once in a lifetime experience, many people will be treating this as a celebration. Like any celebration, it is always best if it is safe. Below are some safety suggestions for observing the Solar Eclipse:
1. NEVER look directly into the sun, but especially during an eclipse.
2. The only way to safely observe a solar eclipse is through protective eye wear.
3. Only purchase safety glasses that are ISO 12312-2 standard.
4. Wear the safety glasses at all times leading up the eclipse and until the moon has completely moved through the sun.
We hope you can enjoy this once in a lifetime event safely.
State Testing
Testing Season
NWEA- January and May
WIDA- Janurary and February(This tests is for English Learners only)
IREAD- March, Grades 2 and 3, plus any 4th graders who did not pass
ILEARN- Late April, Early May- 3rd and 4th grade only
These tests are not like a classroom tests. They are standardized testing and will cover the knowledge that the scholars have learned over the year.
What can scholars do to prepare for these tests? There is nothing really to study, but they can get a good night sleep, have a protein packed breakfast, show up to school, every day, and on time. Look for specific dates and times, as we get closer to the testing dates.
Feeling Sick
It is that time of year for colds, flus, and sickness. How do you determine whether or not to send your scholar to school? Below are the some points to consider when sending your scholar to school.
1. If your scholar has a fever, vomitting, or diarehha, please keep them at home.
2. Any scholar with the above symptoms cannot return until they are symptom free for 24 hours.
3. Any scholar taking medication to reduce a fever, needs to stay home until they are fever free, without medication, for 24 hours.
4. In the event that your scholar gets sick at school or breaks a fever, parents will be called immediately and the scholar will need to be picked up from school. If they are bus riders, they will not be able to ride the bus home.
Some frequently asked questions:
1. If my scholar's only symptom is a cough, can they come to school? Yes
2. Can I send my scholar to school with cough medicine or cough drops? Yes, but they must be turned into the front office for safe keeping and distribution. A form will need to be filled out in the office.
3. If my scholar's only symptom is a runny nose, can they come to school? Yes.
4. If my scholar complains of an upset stomach, but they have not had any vomitting, can they come to school? Yes
A Thought from Principal Mayer
Every year, about this time, the state of Indiana is in a legislative session. This means there are a number of bills that are up for discussion and have the real possibility of becoming law. Today, I am going to share an important education bill that is currently being disucssed that would have a tremendous affect on scholars all across the state of Indiana.
Senate Bill 0001 is an education bill focused on children's ability to read. This bill requires all 2nd and 3rd grade scholars to take and pass a minimum reading competency test called IREAD.
IREAD is first given to scholars in second grade and will test the basic reading skills of scholars. This test will give educators data on where the scholars are in relationship to passing this test. If a second grader passes the test, they do not need to take it again. If they do not pass the test, it does not mean that the scholars will be given remediation and take the test again in third grade.
All 3rd grade scholars will take the IREAD exam, unless they passed it in second grade. If a scholar does not pass the exam, they will be given some remediation and will have a chance to take the exam again. This remediation wil take place throughout the rest of the school year. It will also mandate that the scholar take summer school. Then the scholars will be given the IREAD test again, at the end of the summer sesson. If they do not pass, according to this bill, the scholars will be required to repeat the third grade. There are exceptions to this rule, for example, if a scholar has a state issued Individual Education Plan.
All that said, if this bill passes it will begin in the 2024/25 school year. While I am not sure it will affect this year's third grade scholars, it could potentially mean retention for any third grade scholars that do not pass this exam. We will have to wait and see, first if the bill passes and second when the bill will take affect.
Next weeks note will highlight some things that parents can do to support their children and lead them to success on the IREAD exam.
Have a great week.
Alec Mayer, Principal
PLA@PromisePrep
Follow us on Social Media
Follow PLA@PromisePrep on Social Media at any or all of the following:
Instagram- PromisePrepIndy
Twitter- PLAPromisePrep
Facebook- www.facebook.com/PromisePrepIndy
We will use Social Media to show off all the wonderful things we do here at PLA@PromisePrep. We will also use it to keep families informed of upcoming events, school delays and closings, etc. Whenever you see us on Social Media, please give us a like and share with your family and friends.
Check out our Instagram and Twitter feeds for pictures from the Ice Cream Social and the First Day of School!!
Click the Link below to the PLA@PromisePrep website.
School Uniforms
This year, in an effort to be more like our other PLA schools, PLA@PromisePrep will be changing our uniforms. The following is the uniform requirements:
Shirts- Red or Gray collared Polo shirts(long sleeve or short sleeve)
- PLA Crew neck Sweatshirts
Bottoms- Solid color pants or shorts(no shorts after 11/1 and before 4/1)
- Khaki, Navy, or Black in color
- Jeans, solid in the same colors as pants
- No holes, designs, patches, etc.
Uniform no nos- No hoodie sweatshirts, no leggings, no yoga pants, no sweat pants, no basketball shorts
Scholars will no longer be allowed to wear the Promise Prep shirts from last year.
Uniform good news- We have contracted with a uniform company called SchoolZone. They have all the unform requirements and logoed uniform shirts for purchase. They are located at 5425 N. Keystone Ave, suite 200. Any uniform purchased from School Zone, they will donate 10% of all sales back to PLA@PromisePrep. Click on the link below to reach their website.
Cost of Uniform Shirts:
Youth Sizes 4-20 $13.99.
Adult S-XL $15.99
2x & up $17.99
NEW ADDITIONS:
Sweatshirts- $21.99
Pants- $15.99-$26.99 depending on size
If you are in need of uniform assistace, contact your local trustrees office for a unifrom voucher.