PRAIRIE POST
August 21, 2018
Message from the Principal
Hello Parent and Guardians of the Pawsome Pumas,
I hope that your summer was full of fun excitement, learning, and cheer. The 2018-2019 school year is literally right around the corner and we can not wait to have all of our scholars enter our doors on September 4th at 8:35 a.m. Classes will begin promptly at 8:40 a.m.
This summer, Prairie was under construction as the walls between classrooms were opened up (or brought down) to create a team teaching dynamic at Prairie. The team teaching concept is not new to Prairie as many educators have participated in this teaching style last year. There are many benefits that will take place with team teaching that include but are not limited to:
Student Engagement
Enhanced Social Learning For Scholars
Higher Levels Of Differentiation (Meet Scholars Where They Are)
Acceptance of Diversity
Improved Instruction
Access to Educators
Behavior Managment
Sense of Belonging
We look forward to you seeing the rooms on Wednesday, August 29th at our Open House that will begin at 5:30 p.m. The rooms will not be complete until your scholar has the opportunity to add their personal touch to the room. As we transition to the team teaching format, I will be hosting several opportunities to talk with parents regarding our progress and to listen to any concerns that you may have as well.
The grade level educators for this year are as follows:
4K: Andrea Lorenz
5K: Heidi Gerlach and Rebecca Taddey
1st: Lynn Dugan and Jordan Fink (New)
2nd: Jen Baker and Melissa Brendel
3rd: Barb Blott and Kim Ferguson
4th: Tom Haynes and Stacie Winkler
5th: Madison Corey and Maria Klassy
Special Education Educators
Emily Sowinski
Danielle Schaar (New)
Hannah Shields (New)
Art
Michelle Anderson
Music
Tara Wirth
Physical Education
Randy Booth
Speech
Molly Poeske (New)
School Psych
Andrew Endsley
Instructional Coaches
Jenny Restock
Michelle Tranchita
The class list for first through fifth grade will be different this year as both educators will be identified as the homeroom educators. The class list will come into play when your scholar attends art, music, and phy ed. We are currently working on creating an email system that will allow you to email both educators simulataneously with any words of wisdom, praise, or concerns that may come up during the year. In addition to that, the Infinite Campus Portal will mirror a similar look. As we continue to work out the logistics, we will provide additional information.
If your son/daughter is enrolled in 5K, you will have access to their homeroom teacher this Friday afternoon. Look under "Schedule" in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
We will be releasing more information in the very near future. I look forward to seeing you at Open House on Wednesday night, August 29th.
Upcoming Dates for the New School Year!
8/23: New Family Orientation 6-7 p.m.
8/29: Open House 5:30-6:30 p.m.
9/4: 1st Day of 18-19 School Year!
9/7: PTA Ice Cream Social
9/20: School Picture Day
Annual Online Registration
Infinite Campus Parent Portal - click on the icon for the Infinite Campus Portal on the upper right part of the page.
School Fees
School/Community Activities
All school and community activities are now being posted on the Waukesha School District website under the Community tab and then "Community Connections". Here is the link for easy reference. We also have the same information posted on the Prairie Elementary Website under the "For Families" tab and "Community Connections". Here is the link for your convenience.
Prairie Elementary School
Email: vanderso@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Website: www.waukeshaschools.com/prairie
Location: 1801 Center Road, Waukesha, WI, United States
Phone: 262-970-2205