Prairie View Elementary
August/September 2022
Shoot for Success!
A message from Mr. Ryan
Our students are enjoying their days full of learning in their classrooms, music, P.E., lunch, and of course, recess. As a classroom community member, regardless of grade level, students are learning many "soft skills." These interpersonal, communication, and social skills are intentionally taught daily in our school. As educators, a significant amount of lesson planning focuses on providing opportunities for students to practice these soft skills by creating opportunities for students to work in groups, or pairs, sharing materials, collaborating on projects/work, and learning teamwork and compromising skills in Physical Education class. For some of our young learners, these skills are sometimes a struggle. At times, the emotions and frustrations that result from these collaborative opportunities can get the best of our students. These struggles create yet another learning opportunity where we work on problem-solving and conflict resolution skills. All skills, whether they are academic or behavioral, take time and practice. We encourage you at home to take the time to practice these skills as well. Modeling appropriate behaviors, practicing interactions with your student(s), and helping them take responsibility for actions are great ways to help facilitate the learning process and help build the bridge between home and school.
Absences
Student absences need to be called in by 8:15 am (815-786-8811) on the day of the absence for the safety of your student. There is an answering machine here at school, so you can call at any time to let us know if your student will not be present. An automated system will take calls before 7:00 a.m. If your child is not at school and we have not been contacted, we will make every effort to get in touch with you, including calling emergency contacts that you've provided during the registration process. If contact cannot be made, please note that the absence will be considered UNEXCUSED.
Students shall be permitted no more than seven (7) excused absences, including vacations, per school year, based upon parental/legal guardian confirmation for the reasons of the absence. After the student has been excused seven times in one school year, additional excused absences for illnesses may only be verified through a written medical statement from a physician. For our full attendance policy, please refer to our student handbook.
New Treat Policy
Celebrations and positive reinforcement are an important part of our district’s culture of supporting students. Often students bring treats or snacks to school to share on special occasions. Due to food allergies and other health concerns, we do not permit students to bring in food items or treats to school to share. We would like to encourage healthy eating habits and promote non-food items such as pencils, stickers, bookmarks, or other small items in place of food treats. Curricular activities involving food will be dealt with individually. Safety provisions will be set up for food or environmental allergies on an individual basis.
Erin's Law Classroom Presentations
Next month, on October 6th, Prairie View will host professionals from Safe Passage into our classrooms to speak with our students about Erin's Law. Please read over the information below. After reviewing the provided information, if you would like your student(s) removed from the classroom during Erin's Law presentations, please let your student(s) teacher know.
What is Erin’s Law?
Erin’s Law, or Illinois Public Act 097-1147, requires public schools to provide child sexual abuse prevention education for children in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades.
How is Erin’s Law taught at Prairie View?
In order to meet the requirements of Illinois Public Act 097-1147, Prairie View utilizes a local community resource called Safe Passage. Safe Passage social workers provide age-appropriate instruction that will help students recognize unsafe situations, keep themselves safe, and how to respond to unsafe situations. This year, Safe Passage's staff will visit each classroom and deliver an in-person presentation. Common themes instructed at all grade levels include:
- Identifying safe versus unsafe or unwanted touching
- The Safety Rule About Touching (The Touching Rule): Private areas are not for others to touch, except to keep a child clean and healthy
- Understanding the difference between good and bad secrets
Any further questions regarding Erin's Law?
If you have further questions regarding Erin's Law, please click here to view additional information provided by Safe Passage. Once you've reviewed the information provided by Safe Passage, if you have additional questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact the main office at 815-786-8811. If you'd like to opt your student from Safe Passage's Erin's law presentation, please contact your student(s) teacher and let them know.
Picture Day is Coming up
Volunteers & Visitors Back in the Building!
Beginning of the Year Reminders
Student safety is our number one concern every day. Therefore, we have a thorough arrival and dismissal process that allows for the supervision of all students safely and effectively. Please look over the information below before the first day of school.
- 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. If the weather is inclement, students will come directly into the building at 7:45 am.
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.
Busing
We want to thank you for your patience with our transportation of busing students. The first few days have taken longer than we would like; however, our students are learning the dismissal process, and our staff is checking and rechecking to ensure all students are getting home safely. We are happy to announce that each day seems to be getting a little smoother and faster.
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 get in touch with the school office no later than 2:00 pm 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.
News from Ms. Moore in the Social Work Office
Social-Emotional Learning with Ms. Moore
September is Self-Care Awareness month. Practicing self-care shows your child how important it is to create healthy habits. Self- care doesn’t always have to take a lot of effort. Here are some ways to practice self-care with your child this month.
Go on a nature walk: while walking, try to find something that represents each color of the rainbow
Cook a favorite meal together
Create something together: such as painting, coloring, or drawing a picture
Practice self-love with positive affirmations ( “I am proud of myself,” “I am capable,” “I love myself”)
We are beginning our Second Step lessons throughout the building. I am so excited to join the classrooms and get to know the students. The first unit of Second Step is Growth Mindset & Goal Setting. In this unit, students will learn self-awareness, self-management, and relationship skills. At home, you can ask what they have been learning about and have them practice some of the new skills they are learning with you.
News From the Reading Room
Dear Prairie View Families,
Young readers become better readers by listening to good readers and by reading themselves. Reading at home will make a HUGE difference in your child’s success at school.
You may choose to:
Read to your child while he/she listens - could be higher level texts, not just at their grade level
Reading with your child (can repeat page after you)
Listen to him/her read to you
Modeling how to track their reading with their finger as they read through the text
Think out loud the way you think about a word or what the text is saying
The Elementary Reading Department has put together some at-home guides to help foster the love of reading for your child. Please take any information that you would like to help guide your reader at home.
We are excited to help support students during our WIN (What I Need) time at each grade level. Students will be working on targeted skills that are the foundation to becoming a successful reader.
Please reach out with questions. We are looking forward to a great year!
Happy Reading!
Mrs. McGregory bmcgregory@sandwich430.org
Mrs. Malone jmalone@sandwich430.org
Reading Specialists - Prairie View Elementary
Help!
PPA
The Prairie View PPA would like to welcome back our faculty, staff, students, and parents. We are very excited about the upcoming school year and all it has in store. This year, Prairie View PPA meetings will be held in person on the third Wednesday of every month at 1:00 p.m. Meetings will take place in the Prairie View Gym/Cafeteria. Anyone who is a parent or guardian of a Prairie View student is welcome to attend!
We would like to introduce our current officers for the 2022-2023 school year.
Becky Englehart-President
Vice President-open position
Amber Plata-Secretary
Brenda O'Neil-Treasurer
We currently have an open position on our PV PPA Board as Vice President. We are always looking for new members and would love for anyone interested to please come to our first meeting. If you are unable to attend the meetings, please reach out either on Facebook or by email. We value your opinions and ideas, as well as your help, and we really need your assistance this year to pull off amazing things for your students!
PPA email: prairieviewppa@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PVPPA
Thank you,
Prairie View PPA
SY 22-23 Meeting Dates:
- September 21st, 2022
- October 19th, 2022
- November 16th, 2022
- December 14th, 2022 ***Not the third Wednesday of the month**
- January 18th, 2023
- February 15th, 2023
- March 15th, 2023
- April 19th, 2023
- May 17th, 2023
FREE AND REDUCED MEAL PROGRAM
Dear Sandwich School District 430 Parents and Guardians,
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 next 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 next school year at no cost or a
discounted rate. Families who qualify will have registration fees waived or applied at a
discounted rate. Since this adjustment may create a financial burden on some of our
families, we are writing to give you advance notice of this change.
In order to review the requirements to qualify and to apply, please use the link below:
https://www.freereducedlunch.com/sandwich430
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
Thank You,
Tom Sodaro, Superintendent
Sandwich CUSD 430
720 S. Wells St.
Sandwich, IL. 60548
LUNCH CARD NEGATIVE BALANCES:
Homecoming Spirit Week
Prairie View Important Dates
- Thursday, September 1st: First Grade Hoover Field Trip
- Monday, September 5th: Labor Day- Non-Attendance Day
- Friday, September 9th: Fair Friday- Non-Attendance Day
- Wednesday, September 14th: Fire Drill
- Friday, September 16th: 11:10 Dismissal
- Tuesday, September 20th: Picture Day
- Tuesday, September 20th: Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, September 22nd: Bus Evacuation Drills
- Wednesday, September 28th: Disaster Drill