Promise Prep Weekly
April 22, 2024
Dates to Remember
April 15-May10th- ILEARN Standardized testing for grades 3-4
May 27- School Closed- Memorial Day
June 5- Last Day of School- Early Dismissal 1PM
Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6-10, 2024, is Teacher Appreciation Week. Teacher's work hard planning lessons, teaching, managing classroom behaviors, training, etc. The work never seems to end when one chooses the teaching profession. Please take a moment or two and thank your child(ren)'s teachers for their hard work. Taking a moment to appreciate them goes a long way. It could be a simple text message or email, maybe a small token of your appreciation. But knowing that parents recognize teachers for their hard work really goes a long long way.
Over the years, I have had parents ask me what they could purchase for their child's teacher. So, I have compiled a list of things that I know teachers really, really appreciate:
School supplies
Kleenex
Dry Erase Markers
Dry Erase Erasers
Folders
Pencils/Pens
Regular erasers for pencils
A ream of 8 1/2 x 11 Copy Paper
Non-School Supplies
A card showing appreciation
A treat such as a candy bar or snack
Gift cards to Starbucks
Gift cards to the movies
A simple message or text thanking your child's teacher
Please understand a gift is not required. I have found that teachers, as good as ours, really appreciate your kind words and continued support. For, without any of you, Promise Prep would not be possible. If you wish to purchase something, feel free to look at the lists above, or come up with something special, that you think your teacher would like.
Boys and Girls Club Calendar
The last day for the Boys and Girls Club after school program will be Friday May 10th. From May 13- June 5, please make other arrangements for afterschool pickup.
State Testing
Testing Season
NWEA- January and May
ILEARN- Late April, Early May- 3rd and 4th grade only
These tests are not like a classroom tests. They are standardized tests 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.
PLA University
PLA's goal is to not only serve our scholars but also support our communities.
PLA University is a free workforce development program. It provides an excellent opportunity for adults 18 and up to increase their salaries, start new careers and build brighter futures for their families. This program is FREE to any family member of PLA network scholars.
Career Path options offered by PLA Univeristy are as follows:
- Agriculture (9 Careers*) (Agricultural Mechanic, Veterinarian Technician, Veterinarian Assistant, etc.)
- Advanced Manufacturing (7 Careers*) (Material Handling, Quality Assurance and Control, RV or Diesel Technician, etc.)
- Building & Construction (12 Careers*) (Heavy Equipment Operator, Electrical Technician, HVAC Technician, Welding Specialist, etc.)
- Business & IT Services (15 Careers*) (Help Desk Technician, Software Developer, Cyber Security Analyst, etc.)
- Healthcare and Life Sciences (19 Careers*) (Certified Medical Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Dental Assistant, etc.)
- Transportation & Logistics (8 Careers)* (Commercial Drivers Licenses CDL-A and CDL-B, Freight Broker/Manager, etc.)
- Entrepreneurship (Infinite*) (Start your own business)
- Other Career Pathway*
Our doors are open to all family members of any PLA Network School.
Click below to learn more and apply.
A Thought from Principal Mayer
Mistakes, are the to be managed or avoided?
Recently I came across a wonderful article titled, Old Fashioned Parents: What do they Want?, by David Fornaciari. This artilce has quite a few talking points, but one that reall caught my attention was titled "Mistakes: Managed or Avoided." This section hits really close to home for me, especially since my wife and I often do not see eye to eye on this aspect of raising our children. While she would like our children to avoid the mistakes, I would rather our children learn to manage through them.
Let's face it, we are all going to make mistakes. Just the other day, I left the house in a hurry, and forgot to bring my lunch. Today, I let a teacher in the building that forgot her key card. Both of these were mistakes and were certianly not done on purpose. However, the consequeces of our these two specific examples are completely different. The teacher had to ring the doorbell and wait until someone let them in. I, on the other hand, had to go without my lunch that day. While the teacher had to be patient, I had to go hungry.
So, what did we learn from our mistakes. I bet the teacher will not forget the key card again, especially on days where it is raining. I, on the other hand, have not forgotten my lunch since. While these are small consequences for our mistakes, both the teacher and I learned from them.
How do you handle mistakes in your home? Do you allow your children to suffer the consequences of the mistakes they make, even if that means missing a lunch, or do you bring them a lunch? Do you try to avoid the mistake all together by packing your child's lunch and placing it in the back pack?
Allowing scholars to make a mistake and work through the consequences teaches them some valuable life lessons. One of these lessons is that no one is perfect. We ALL make mistakes, and it is okay. It is okay when we correct the mistake and move on. What is not okay, is not correcting the mistake and making the same mistake over and over and over again.
Mistakes are opportunities to learn. If we do not allow our scholars to make mistakes, and suffer the consequences of said mistake, then they are not learning. For example: Your child comes home with homework that should take 30-40 minutes. Before your child can go outside to play, the house rule is that homework must be done. In an effort to go outside your child spends about 3-4 minutes on the homework, and does not give it the proper amount of time to do their best work. You decide to let it go, and the scholar gets a poor grade, that then leads to being grounded or some other consequence, until they get their grade up. Knowing if the child would have just done it correctly, the first time, this whole mess could have been avoided, hopefully, they will learn from this mistake and try better not to let it happen again.
Keep in mind, some mistakes, parents cannot avoid or do anything about, except set the consequences and follow through. It is up to the child to learn from the mistakes. Whatever the case may be, the child might need to make the same mistake a few times to get the appropriate outcome, and it is up to us as parents to coach them through the mistakes. DO NOT do the work for the child, they have to learn on their own.
ILEARN Testing is continuing next week. Make sure your scholar is here, on time, ready to work hard.
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.