The PHS Post

This week we are kicking off National School Lunch Week. The National School lunch program was started back in 1946 to offer healthy midday meals to children at school. President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week in 1962 to observe the importance of a healthy school lunch and the impact it has both inside and outside the classroom in a child's life. Today the NSLP serves nearly 30 million children every school day! Check out the PHS Cafe and all the healthy options we have to offer - Grille Line, Pizza Line, Sub Sandwich and Full Salad Bar Line and Homestyle meals on the Prairie Place Line! Help Celebrate #NSLW!

• Drawing for prizes all week in the PHS Cafe - stop through the PHS Cafe and WIN BIG!
• Thursday, October 13th school wide 60's or 70's dress up day! Students who participate will get extra entries into the drawing for a tablet on Friday!
• Friday's drawing is for the GRAND prize - a Tablet w/detachable keyboard, touch screen, 32 GB storage with a 10" display!
• The Cafe will be playing 60's and 70's music all week!
• Photo booth set up in front of the coffee bar in the cafeteria all week.
• New fall menu items at breakfast and lunch on October 13th.

We are looking forward to a fun week with students and staff promoting #NSLW!

Mrs. McSpadden

PHS Cafe

Conferences are just around the corner, watch for an email later this morning from the PHS Main Office for the link to sign-up. Fall conferences this year will be Tuesday, October 18 (In-Person and Virtual conferences) and Thursday, October 20 (Virtual conferences ONLY).

Mark you calendars as the next two weeks are very busy...

Thursday, October 13

• 60's and 70's Dress up day - WIN prizes in the PHS Cafe - Tablet drawing on Friday

Monday, October 17

• No School - Professional Learning for Teachers

Tuesday, October 18

• Fall Conferences - In-Person and Virtual conferences available
• PHS FAFSA Workshop, PHS Presentation Room, 3:00 - 6:30pm. Sign-up here

Wednesday, October 19

• ACT for Juniors beginning at 9:15am - Modified PHS Schedule for Sophomores and Seniors
• Juniors will begin the ACT Exam at 9:15am
• Sophomores and Seniors will attend school beginning at 1:17pm and will follow their schedule
• Students riding the bus or needing to arrive before the 1:17pm start time will head to the PHS Cafe for Study Hall
• Breakfast and Lunch will be available

Thursday, October 20

• Fall Conferences - Virtual conferences only

Attendance Matters

Research shows that attendance in the first 30 days of school sets the stage for the rest of the year. At College Community, we are striving to increase the number of students who are present at school for over 90% of school days. Consistent attendance sets predictable, healthy routines that students can carry with them throughout school and after graduation.

If you have any questions or concerns about your students' attendance please reach out to their Dean or Counselor. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!

Enjoy every moment!

Mrs. Hawley

• Sophomore Homeroom: Tuesday, October 11 Jostens will meet with Sophomores regarding class rings - look for an order packet to come home - orders will be taken during lunch on Wednesday, Oct. 19

Scholarships

US Service Academies Senior Deadline 10/22

Fall Scholarship List - Make sure to check XELLO for the information and applications!

Events and Information

• Volunteer Cord Process

Testing Information

• ACT Dates
• SAT Dates

ICAN Support

• ICAN Financial Aid Resources (FAFSA)
• Call ICAN 877-272-4692 or visit www.icansucceed.org/apt to set up in person or virtual appointment

Student Planning Guides

• ICAN Transition Guide
• ICAN College and Career Ready

Available NOW...

Mercy Urgent Mental Health Care

The start of the school year can cause some anxious feelings for students. This is common. But sometimes those feelings don’t settle down and start to impact life at school and at home.

Mercy Urgent Mental Health Care is available to all Prairie students and is conveniently located at the Mercy Prairie Creek office east of the Prairie Campus.

This service is free to all Prairie students and the referral process is simple. If you’d like more information or to schedule an appointment, please reach out to your student’s school counselor. All counselors’ contact information is available at this link.

We are grateful to the Mercy organization for their partnership with College Community Schools.

Sign-Up to attend a FAFSA Workshop: The FAFSA opens up on October 1st, 2022. Submitting and completing the FAFSA is one of the single most important things you can do to open access to various forms and sources of financial aid. College admissions and financial aid professionals encourage all families, regardless of income, to submit and complete the FAFSA as there are financial aid opportunities for everyone. For example, Future Ready’s Last Dollar Scholarship covers any remaining gap between federal and state grants/scholarships and tuition and qualified fees for students enrolled in an eligible program, regardless of financial need! Questions or concerns? Contact Ms. Rawson at nrawson@crprairie.org or 319-848-5340 x 2061.

• Tuesday, October 18th, 2022: Prairie High School FAFSA Workshop, Prairie High School Presentation Room, 3:00 - 6:30pm. Sign-up here.

• More events will be scheduled in November and December, stay tuned!

FAFSA Prep Checklist:

1. Both students AND a parent must create an FSA ID. An FSA ID is a username and password that will be used to access and sign the FAFSA electronically. The FSA ID will stay with you for life, so make sure to use an email that you will have access to after leaving PHS. Write down your username and password somewhere secure.

2. Start collecting the following documents:

• Parent and Student SSN# or Alien Registration #'s

• Parent 2021 federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned

• Student 2021 federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned (if applicable)

• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)

• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

Have questions about college or career planning?

Reach out to Ms. Rawson at nrawson@crprairie.org or schedule an appointment here.

EFFECTIVE STUDYING STRATEGY - SHORT SPRINTS: NO MARATHONS

Cramming does not work. What does work is what is called “Distributed Practice” – practice spread out over time.

It’s actually better to focus for thirty minutes on one thing and then move to a different topic and spend thirty minutes on that than to cram the same topic for three hours in a row.

It’s also much, much better to study material fifteen minutes a day over two weeks than it is to study six hours in a row, right before the test. That sends your short-term memory into Defcon 1.

Thanks,

Mrs. Hoffman

Junior and Senior Students - Why Consider an Internship?

There’s no better way to learn skills related to your future career and the workplace in general.

The internship program is a great way to develop skills in Professionalism, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Social Awareness, and Communication.

1. Learn about a field before you commit to it. Get an inside look at jobs in the field you’re considering and figure out if it's a good fit for you.

2. Earn high school credit while exploring a potential career. This can help you make decisions about your high school coursework and the investment in your post-secondary education.

3. Enhance your resume for college, scholarship, and job applications.

4. Networking. Internships allow students to meet people at all levels of the company and those connections can be valuable.

Juniors and Seniors can sign up for Winter & Spring Internships through Workplace Learning Connection. Check out www.kirkwood.edu/wlc/internships for more details.

Please contact Mary Gudenkauf, Prairie High School Career Services for additional information and thank you for supporting this student-focused exploration program.

mgudenkauf@crprairie.org

PHS Administration...

Mrs. Karla Hawley, Principal khawley@crprairie.org

Mr. Rocky Bennett, Athletic Director rbennett@crprairie.org

Mr. Travis Sprague, Associate Principal - tsprague@crprairie.org

Mr. Rich Jackson, Dean of Students (Last Names A-L) rjackson@crprairie.org

Mrs. Kelly Klekar, Dean of Students (Last Names M-Z) kklekar@crprairie.org

PHS Main Office and Dean's Complex...

Mrs. Brenda Haendler, Main Office 319.848.5340

Mrs. Lori Pleiness, Athletic Office 319.848.5350

Mrs. Debie Towe, Dean's Complex/Attendance 319.848.5360

Mrs. Angie Wagner, Dean's Complex 319.848.5340 x2052

Officer Janae Obbink, Student Resource Officer jobbink@crprairie.org

Mrs. Jackie Martin, Nurse 319.848.5340 x2011 jackiemartin@crprairie.org

PHS Student Services...

Mrs. Laura Fisher, Counseling Secretary 319.848.5344

Mrs. Angela Amunson, Counselor (Students with Last Names A-G) aamunson@crprairie.org

Mr. Mike Reshetar, Counselor (Students with Last Names H-O) mireshetar@crprairie.org

Mr. Clay Stoffer, Counselor (Students with Last Names P-Z) cstoffer@crprairie.org

Mrs. Erin Hoffman, Gifted and Talented Coordinator ehoffman@crprairie.org

Mrs. Nicole Rawson, Kirkwood: College and Career Transition Counselor. nrawson@crprairie.org

Mr. Nick Norris, Grades 7-12 Transition Specialist

Mrs. Mary Gudenkauf, Career Services: Internships & Job Shadows mgudenkauf@crprairie.org

Ms. Karinda Bacon, Counselor - Tanager Services

Ms. Kerry Kilker, Community Engagement Specialist