Dear Pine Ridge Prep Families,

Little Wolf's Camp - Summer School at PRP!! Expect a phone call this week confirming your student's enrollment in summer school. Detailed information will be sent home in May. If you have not enrolled yet and would like to have your student attend summer school, please call the office 785-329-7870.

PRP students will be attending the Stephen Fite concert on Wednesday, April 26 in the morning!

Please plan to attend the PTO meeting on May 2 at 3:45pm. We will be discussing graduation and our Field Day and Fun in the Sun afternoon.

Click the link to access the 2022-2023 Family Handbook.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to us!

Thank you for the privilege of serving you ~

Mrs. Gabrielle Tanner, Principal

Mrs. Shelley Banzhaf, Building Leader Intern

• April 25-28: Jungle Week! Keep an eye out for more information coming soon!
  
• April 26: Steven Fite Concert (AM)
• April 26: Parent Rights Advocacy Night @ 5:30-6:30 (at Sheldon Head Start)
• May 2: PTO Meeting @ 3:45

You can find all school events listed on our school calendar which you can access on our webpage.

We would like to provide a few important tips to prepare our families for the experience with our new Student Information System, Synergy!

1. When registration opens, families who have at least one student returning to Topeka Public Schools will receive an automated individual email sent directly from the Synergy system. This email will include a unique code the parent must have in order to create a username and password to use with the Synergy ParentVue portal. Once the parent creates these credentials, the link for online registration is at the top-right in ParentVue.
2. When registration opens, families who have NO STUDENTS previously attending Topeka Public Schools will begin the process from the district's website. Families with any returning students cannot begin from the website, as they must have the unique code provided in the automated email.
3. If you have an electronic copy of the student's birth certificate and other requested documents, you will be able to upload those prior to submitting your registration. This will save you having to provide those items to the school in-person later.
4. If you have any questions about logging into Synergy ParentVue or Submitting your Online Registration, please email SISHelp@tps501.org or call 785-438-4750 between 7:30 and 4:30 for assistance.

If you have any questions after submitting your online registration, please contact your student's school or the demographics office at 785-295-3000 for assistance.

• When completing online registration, if your child shows as "Graduated" or any other code that does not allow you to proceed with their registration, please email SISHelp@tps501.org.
  
• If you are a returning family and did not receive the email from Synergy, check your Spam/Junk folder.
• As was the case with TylerSIS, families who use a YAHOO.com account may not receive the automated email, and will need to email SISHelp@tps501.org for assistance.

Pine Ridge Prep students are invited and encouraged to register to attend Pine Ridge Prep Preschool Camp, available only to current Pine Ridge Prep students! Click the link below to see more information and to register your student(s).

Pine Ridge Prep Preschool Camp

In addition, Topeka Public Schools offers multiple summer programs for students. Click on the link below to explore the different programs.

PK-12 Summer Academic/Enrichment Camps

Math - 3 Year Olds

• We are learning to compare numbers and explain our answer so we can talk about what we want or need.
  
• We are learning to precisely describe and compare measurable attributes so we can compare objects.
  

Math - 4 Year Olds

• We are learning to compare numbers and explain our answer so we can talk about what we want or need.
  
• We are learning to precisely describe and compare measurable attributes so we can compare objects.
  

Reading - 3 Year Olds

• We are learning to ask and answer questions about a text so we can understand a text.
  
• We are learning to use illustrations so we can compare and contrast texts.
• We are learning to speak clearly so others can understand our ideas, feelings, and needs.
• We are learning to speak clearly so others can understand our ideas, feelings, and needs.
• We are learning to draw pictures so we can share information with others.
  

Reading - 4 Year Olds

• We are learning to ask and answer questions about a text so we can analyze key details from the story.
  
• We are learning to use details so we can compare and contrast text.
• We are learning to use words to express our thoughts so we can verbally express what we know.
• We are learning to use words to express our thoughts so we can verbally express what we know.
• We are learning to show our thoughts with words and pictures so that we can write our names.
  

Social Studies - 3 Year Olds

• We are learning to identify positive actions in the classroom so we can create a better learning community.
  
• We are learning to recognize events that have happened in the past, present, and future so we can understand changes in our daily lives.

Social Studies - 4 Year Olds

• We are learning to identify positive actions in the community so when we grow up we are a part of a nice community.
  
• We are learning to recognize historical figures so we can understand the changes that affect our daily lives.

Science

• We are learning to recognize the difference between helpful and harmful actions toward the natural environment.
  

Social/Emotional Learning

• We are learning to use fair ways so that we can have fun when playing with friends.
  
• We are learning to say the problem so that we can think of solutions.

Regular routines and schedules have changed dramatically. Families and educators are working together to ensure continuous learning opportunities for children. While it is important that children have access to and engage in continued academic learning, families are also attending to their children’s emotional wellbeing. Schools using Ci3T already have social skills instruction in place. Skills and language learned during social skills instruction at school may be useful for children during this time. Resources available from your children’s schools will provide language you can use to support everyone’s well-being. In this resource, we provide considerations for three areas of well-being, promoting self-regulation, relationship skills, and mindfulness, in addition to the resources you may receive from school. We offer a few examples and resources to support families in the context of COVID-19.

What is self-regulation?

Children can develop self-regulation through self-awareness and self-management skills. Self-awareness is recognizing one’s own behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and values. Self-management is being aware of one’s own behavior. This includes setting and meeting goals, self-monitoring, self-evaluation, and self-reinforcing.

Considerations

1. Self-regulation can be taught, modeled, and reinforced by focusing on self-awareness, setting goals, self-monitoring, self-evaluating, and self-reinforcing. For example, at breakfast the family might take turns to share a goal for the day, how they are going to accomplish it, and what they will do after to celebrate their success. Then, at the end of the day they might share an accomplishment and an action plan for the next day.

2. Everyone may benefit from self-regulating their thoughts and emotions during this difficult time. This might include developing strategies that support self-recognizing thoughts and emotions, as well as developing activities and exercises that support being present, including practicing mindfulness.

What are relationship skills?

Relationship skills support children in learning how to build and keep healthy, joyful relationships. These skills include cooperating, seeking help when needed, and preventing, managing, and resolving conflicts to name just a few.

Considerations

1. Developing and following schedules, as well as setting and teaching expectations can provide structures that help everyone in preventing conflict. Examples to manage and resolve conflicts include showing empathy, problem-solving together, and seeking help when needed.

2. Children can practice cooperation by engaging in a family project, where each person has a role in the success of the project (e.g., a spring cleaning project at home, building a fort in your living room, building a LEGO project, yardwork, helping a neighbor needing help with yardwork).

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a state of being present in the moment. Mindfulness strategies may promote slowing down, thinking before acting, improved listening, and managing stress, anxiety, and fears.

Considerations

1. Families, including children and adults can use mindfulness when needing to manage their emotions.

2. Mindfulness strategies include intentional breathing, connecting with nature (watching fish in an aquarium, watching animals at the zoo, taking a walk, etc.), or taking time for a favorite activity.

The Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP) is a program approved by the State Finance Council, as recommended by the SPARK Executive Committee, to support Kansas families and children recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning. KEEP provides qualifying parents and guardians with a $1,000 award per eligible student to pay for a variety of education goods and services that promote educational learning recovery and facilitate academic enrichment opportunities. Beneficiaries can spend their award funds in an online education marketplace that offers a variety of approved education goods and services.

https://www.keep.ks.gov/info

Communities In Schools of Mid-America is hosting two FutureNow: Finance events this spring. The first event is at Topeka High School on April 26th and 27th, followed by Topeka West High School's rescheduled event on May 4th.

Sign up for the event at Topeka High on April 26th and 27th here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094DA5A92CABFA7-futurenow7

Sign up for the event at Topeka West event on May 4th here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094da5a92cabfa7-spring#/

FutureNow: Finance is an interactive financial literacy simulation. Students receive a profile detailing their life at age 26, including their profession, salary, family status, and more. They use this information to navigate through stations representing all the expenses they must account for in a month, such as housing, transportation, child care, groceries, etc. Volunteers are positioned at each station to help students determine what they owe and help them with their budget. Students leave the event with a better understanding of creating and balancing a budget.

The success and lasting impact of these events depend on volunteers like you. We hope you will join us for this incredible volunteer experience. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me, Miranda Carpenter at Miranda.Carpenter@cismidamerica.org.

If in need of resources, you can also contact the United Way by dialing 211.

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