PUMA PRESS
Educating Today’s Child for Tomorrow’s World
NO SCHOOL: Monday, January 15th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Happy New Year from the Prairie Vista Staff! We wish you all the best for 2024!
Welcome back! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and were able to spend quality time with family and friends. We are looking forward to a fabulous 2024!
I would like to thank all of the families who purchased gifts for children in our PHM community. Your generosity is amazing!! You have truly helped in making sure that the holidays are bright for our children in the PHM family. We really appreciate the giving attitude of our families and staff!
I would also like to thank all of the parents who stayed after the December PTO meeting and wrapped gifts for the staff! It was a huge success, and the staff was so appreciative! I am certain that the entire staff will join me in thanking Katie Oney and the Staff Appreciation Committee
for the breakfast and all of the wonderful cookies and “goodies"! Finally, a big shout out to the Room Parents for planning and organizing the winter celebrations. We thank you all again for all of the support you show us each and every day.
Thank you again for sending us students who are consistently ready for the learning opportunities that await them each day!
Sincerely,
Dr. Keely Twibell
A Message From Food Service:
Notifications from PHM Food Service comes from Primeroedge and not from a PHM email. Please check your email and make sure that notices from Primeroedge and Schoolcafe are not being sent to your spam folders. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Silveus at
#PHMExcellence
As this calendar year comes to an end, we reflect on all the accomplishments of our students, teachers and staff this past year. Please click to watch 2023 - A Year of #PHMExcellence!
Two Hour Delays
When we have a two-hour delay due to inclement weather, we will start school at 9:55 and the doors will open at 9:40. Please remember that start times, as well as bus schedules, are all delayed by exactly two hours. Please note that Kids Club does NOT provide morning services on days that school is delayed.
e-LEARNING REMINDERS
With winter weather comes the potential of eLearning days. Penn-Harris-Madison has been approved for eLearning if school is canceled due to bad weather. As part of the new Indiana law HB-1093, schools are limited to three days of eLearning. Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation will use, if warranted, three weather related days (eLearning) as needed throughout the year. If additional make-up days are required, they will be added to the end of the school year calendar beginning on June 3 with required student attendance. Our eLearning expectations and possible calendar adjustments will be communicated as needed.
Children will NOT be required to print paper assignments at home for eLearning. Teachers ARE available during school hours to answer questions from parents and/or students. If, for some reason, your child/ren are not able to complete eLearning assignments on the day we are out of school, they have up to 5 school days to complete the assignments.
Teachers will review the eLearning procedures with students prior to one occurring. Below the attached letter about eLearning, you will find the elementary technology instructions for eLearning as referenced in the letter.
Important Dates
January 11 - End of the second grading period
January 15 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
January 17- PTO Give Back Night at Mishawaka Panera from 4-8
February 8 - LearningSphere
February 15 - Friendship Celebrations
February 21- PTO Give Give Back Night at Noodles & Company
March 4- 15 - Window for IREAD-3 State Assessment for 2nd & 3rd-grade students
March 29- Good Friday - No School
April 1-5- Spring Break-No School
April 15- May 10 - Window for ILEARN State Assessment for students in grades 3, 4, and 5
INFORMATION WORTH REPEATING
HIGH ABILITY INDENTIFICATION PROCESS
A Message from Cassie Scarsella, PHM High Ability Coordinator:
*This testing impacts all kindergarten students and many second and fifth graders*
In accordance with Indiana law, we are required to have an identification process in place to identify High Ability students. According to the Indiana Department of Education, ‘“High ability student” means a student who: performs at, or shows the potential for performing at, an outstanding level of accomplishment in at least one domain when compared to other students of the same age, experience, or environment; and is characterized by exceptional gifts, talents, motivation, or interests.’
Indiana requires the screening of all kindergarten, second grade, and fifth grade students who are not previously identified as High Ability. A student may be labeled as High Ability in Language Arts and/or Math.
PHM uses two nationally-normed assessments to identify High Ability students: CogAT and NWEA. CogAT - Cognitive Abilities Test - testing will be done during the month of December. CogAT is an aptitude test that measures a student’s problem-solving skills and thinking abilities. There is no preparation that can be done for this test. Students will participate in a practice test to familiarize them with the type and format of the questions.
Depending on your child’s results and grade level, he/she may participate in NWEA testing in February. That information will be forthcoming.
Formal High Ability Identification Years
Because young students change and grow, there are three times in the elementary experience that we formally identify students who have high ability: kindergarten, second grade, and fifth grade.
The following documents outline the process:
Please view the PHM High Ability website if you have questions about our identification process. Any additional questions can be sent to Cassie Scarsella at cscarsella@phm.k12.in.us.
NEWS FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE
Transition of nurses
This message is to inform you that I will no longer be serving as your school's supervising nurse. It has truly been a pleasure to work with you and your students, but I will be transitioning my duties to an amazing nurse, Rachel Ransom. Caylynn Hickey, MA, will still work as your incredible health aide in the office. She has done a phenomenal job in creating a calm, welcoming environment for your students, and treats them with great kindness and care. This transition will be seamless, and I am so pleased that Rachel will be available to help care for your child. Please note that while I am not in the school, I am still overseeing the healthcare needs for all of the students and staff in the PHM school district. For day to day needs, please reach out to Caylynn first either by contacting the health office or emailing her chickey@phm.k12.in.us, or emailing Rachel rransom@phm.k12.in.us. You can also email me llatkowski@phm.k12.in.us.
Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your child's school expreience
Gratefully,
Lindsay Latkowski RN, BSN
Manager, School Health Services
Family Access for Report Card
Staff Favorite Things
Parents often ask for a list of their child’s teacher’s favorite things, so we decided to make a virtual list of the staff's favorite items! You can find the list by clicking on Staff Favorite Things
YOUTH SERVICE BUREAU SPECIALIST (YSB)
Please Welcome Shante’ Haines to the Prairie Vista Team
Prairie Vista Families,
My name is Shante’ Haines, and I wanted to introduce myself to everyone. I am YSB’s new Youth Development Specialist, and am very excited to assist the students at Prairie Vista. To tell everyone a little bit about myself, I currently am a graduate student at Indiana University of South Bend (IUSB) studying for my LMHC (licensed mental health counseling), but recently decided to take some time off to pursue this amazing career opportunity. I graduated with my Bachelors from IUSB in 2020 with my concentrations in Psychology as my major and Business Administration as my minor. I am a Michiana native born and raised in the area, and am a John Adams High School Alumni. In my spare time I enjoy amateur gourmet cooking, spending time with loved ones, and going to the beach when the weather permits. As far as professional interests, I have always enjoyed the many areas in the Human Services/ Clinical Psychology field. Ranging from Youth Counselling, Marriage and Family therapy, individual therapy, and Addictions Counseling. I feel honored to be a part of Prairie Vista's team! I look forward to the future working with, as well as becoming further acquainted with everyone at Prairie Vista!
I work with students on a variety of topics such as; self-esteem, grief/loss, building positive social skills, strategies for dealing with problems and conflicts constructively, coping with family changes, and helping students achieve their personal, social, and academic goals. The goal is to work with students through scheduled one-on-one meetings or small groups, depending on the need; which may consist of a one-time meeting or meetings that occur weekly with students at first and then slowly decreasing services to an "as needed" basis.
If you are interested in your child meeting with me or if you would like more information, please contact me at shaines1@phm.k12.in.us or 574-271-0055.
I look forward to getting to know your children and being part of the Prairie Vista Team.
Sincerely,
Shante’ Haines
Art in the Studio Schedule
ART SMART PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Art Smart is about to begin for the fall session on October 2nd!
Art Smart is a wonderful program combining art appreciation and art class, 100% led by parent volunteers like you .
We have prepared google slide presentations for all of the 18 art masters/genres to be introduced to our bright and creative students. The biographies/histories, step by step instructions, and examples of art work have all been prepared for you ahead of time. Presenting the artist and projects is as easy as following a cake recipe, every step is laid out for you. Plus all materials needed for your projects will be prepared and placed on the artist carts for your convenience.
To volunteer Sign Up here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/.../508084AAAA928A2F49...
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at pvartsmartpar@gmail.com
We are looking forward to another great year!
LUNCH INFORMATION
Kindergarten - 10:30- 11:00
First Grade - 11:00 - 11:30
Second Grade - 11:30 - 11:55
Third Grade - 12:00 - 12:30
Fourth Grade - 12:30- 12:55
Fifth Grade - 12:55 - 1:20
Lunch Visitors: If you would like to visit your student for lunch, we welcome you! We have limited room in the cafeteria. If you are interested in joining your child for lunch you will need to call the office 24 hours in advance to see if there is available space and to reserve a spot for lunch. Visitors will also need a background check. We have designated tables for parents to enjoy lunch with only their child. Additional students are not permitted to join the guest table. As a reminder, parents are asked to follow the Wellness Guidelines and not bring in fast food or sodas for lunch.
Lunch Guest Opportunities will begin September 14, 2023
Staff List and Positions
CONTACT INFORMATION
LIFE-THREATENING ALLERGY INFORMATION
GUIDELINES FOR HEALTHY SNACKS
Skyward Information: Access to View Your Child's Teacher
If you do not have a Skyward account, you will receive an email shortly before school starts from Family Access to set up your account. This email will include your username so you can establish your password. After receiving that email, you will also be able to fill out important forms for your child(ren) for the upcoming school year.
Before school starts on August 16th, please take the time to log in to Skyward to make sure that your contact information, including your email address, is current. We will use this information to communicate with you. Skyward will also provide you access to important information that you will need throughout the school year. See the file attached below regarding the login procedures for Skyward. A few additional forms will be sent home with your child the first week of school, which must be completed and returned to your child’s teacher. Please make sure that you have family access set up in Skyward. It is extremely important that information be updated for health reasons and school communications.
1. Open the Skyward Family Access URL at https://skyward.phmschools.org
2. Enter your user name and password and click Sign In.
If you have any issues, please email familyaccess@phm.k12.in.us to assist you.
NOTE: If you have not set up your Skyward Family Access account, follow these directions:
1. You will receive an email from Family Access prior to August 11th asking you to set up your account.
2. Click the link “Forgot your Username Password?”
3. On the following page, put in your username [USERNAME] and press submit.
4. You will receive an email with a link to set your password.
Skyward Family Access Will Provide the Following Information:
PHM Back to School Packet:
You will be able to access the PHM Back to School Packet with important documents (see instructions below on how to access them). There will also be electronic forms that you will need to complete online. The forms include the following: Free/Reduced Applications, Emergency Contact Form, Form to Update Health information, Chromebook Certification, and Immunization Certification.
On the first day of school, students will receive the following forms that must be returned via paper - Military Children in Education and Migrant Education Program Work Survey. Please sign and return these forms to the office at your convenience. You may also scan and email the documents to prairievistaattendance@phm.k12.in.us.
Your Child's Classroom Teacher:
To view your child's teacher click on the "Schedule" tab icon on the main screen next to your child's name. On Friday, August 11th, you will be able to view your child's teacher.
REPORT CARD:
At the end of each quarter, you will be able to access your child's report card.
Prairie Vista Lunch Account Information and Notifications
Parents:
Did you know that signing up for Schoolcafe is free??? There’s no charge to sign up and access information about your child’s meal account. There is only a fee if you deposit funds into your child’s account using your debit or credit card.
You might be asking, “Why should I sign up for Schoolcafe if I don’t plan to use it for deposits?”
There are many benefits of using Schoolcafe to monitor your student's meal account.
What you can do on Schoolcafe without paying a fee:
Check your child’s meal account balance
Keep track of how much your child is spending
See what your child is purchasing
Sign up for automated notices such as balance alerts, and Free/Reduced status
*Apply for Free/Reduced meals
**Set spending limits
Schoolcafe can be found on the PHM website, under the Parent tab, in the Food Service category.
Meal Prices for Elementary are as follows:
Breakfast: $1.35 Reduced price is $.30
Lunch: $2.35 Reduced price is $.40
Adult meals are $4.50 as they are not subsidized by the government.
Alacarte purchases would range from $.25 - $2:30
*If you think you may or just aren’t sure if you qualify for free/reduced meals, it’s a good idea to go ahead and apply.
**When setting any spending limits, please remember to add in the lunch price as part of that limit. So if you want to allow your child to purchase an extra drink or snack, you would need to set the limit to include $2.35 and approximately $.75 for a total of $3.10 per day. Please do not set any weekly spending limits as this will allow your child to go over their daily limit and, by the end of the week, may not cover the cost of lunch.
Parents of incoming Kindergarten students: If you have an older student in any of the schools on free/reduced meals from the previous year, please be advised that your kindergartener will NOT automatically be included. Please email me to let me know that they have a sibling on free/reduced meals so I can get them added. My email is: ksilveus@phm.k12.in.us. You may also call me at 271-0055 Ext. 51700
REMEMBER to REAPPLY before the previous year’s grace period runs out. The deadline is Sept. 27, 2023. If you are new to PHM, approval in another school system does not carry over to PHM. You must reapply. You are responsible for any purchases till you are approved; the grace Period does not apply.
Kim Silveus
PHM Food Services/Prairie Vista
PLEASE COMPLETE THE CONSENT FORMS AT THE LINK BELOW:
Prairie Vista Elementary 2023-2024 back to School consent form
P-H-M District Calendar
Car Rider Drop-Off and Pick-up Procedures
All parents dropping off or picking up students are required to enter the west entrance to the school. All cars MUST turn RIGHT out of the Prairie Vista parking lot. No LEFT turns are permitted because it causes major issues with the flow of traffic and safety concerns. We also ask parents to approach Prairie Vista from the west instead of coming from the east and turning left across traffic into the Prairie Vista parking lot. Turning left into the parking lot can cause cars to get backed up on Brick Road which can block the crosswalk for children to walk across the road. Please find a route where you can turn right into the parking lot to allow students to use the crosswalk and to eliminate issues with the flow of traffic.
All buses will enter the ‘Main Entrance’ and stage curbside for students to enter and exit the buses. Traffic assistants and school staff will be available to supervise students at all times. No parking is permitted in the bus area at any time.
Upon buses exiting in the AM and PM, please permit the buses to exit onto Brick Road without delay. These buses have a second middle school pickup and are on a tight schedule. Your cooperation with this traffic pattern is crucial to the safety of students, staff, and patrons. A crossing guard will be assisting with traffic in the morning and afternoon.
Because your child’s safety is the highest priority for us, we are going to use a number system for families of students who are regular car riders at dismissal time. All families will receive a yellow, numbered car tag. Please have the driver who is transporting your child display the car tag in a spot that is easily viewable by the adult(s) at dismissal duty. The adult on duty will read your vehicle number and notify staff that your child may exit the building.
NOTE: If you need someone else to pick up your child, you can photograph the car tag and share it with that person. If that person can show us the photo on their phone, we will consider it your permission to dismiss your child to that individual. All persons picking up students must be listed on the student's Emergency Card AND have the car tag or a photo of the car tag. For the safety of your child(ren), cars without a car tag or no photo of the car tag will be asked to park and go into the office and show proper identification in order to pick up your child(ren).
Traffic assistants will be present to help load your children and guide traffic. Only curbside loading will be allowed. Parents/guardians are not to get out of their cars. If needed, one of our assistants will be present to help assist your child.
Arrival
Arrival begins at 7:40 a.m. Please do not drop off your child before a staff member signals you to do so.
Students need to be ready to exit the car as soon as the car stops. Please have your child practice buckling and unbuckling to provide for a quick entry and exit from the car.
Staff members will wave you forward and let you know when to stop.
For their safety, students MUST exit the car from the passenger side.
Parents must stay in the car.
At all times, stay in line along the curb.
If arriving after the tardy bell, students must be escorted in by an adult and signed in at the office.
Car tags are not needed for arrival.
Please do not talk on your cell phone when you are in the car line.
Dismissal
Dismissal begins at 2:15 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: We will be starting the dismissal process on August 16th, 17th, and 18th at 2:05 p.m.
Display your car tag so that it is easily viewable. If you do not have a number displayed, the staff will ask to see a picture of the tag.
Staff members will wave you forward and let you know when to stop. Even if you see your child, continue to pull forward, and your child will come to you. This allows for several vehicles to pick up children at the same time.
For their safety, students MUST enter the car from the passenger side.
Please do not talk on your cell phone when you are in the car line.
Your cooperation and patience with the traffic and student safety while visiting Prairie Vista is greatly appreciated. Remember, this is for the protection of your child and the safety of all.
Walkers and Bike Riders
EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ABSENCES & CHANGES IN DISMISSAL SCHEDULE
Please email prairievistaattendance@phm.k12.in.us and your child's teacher to let the school know of an absence, late arrival, early dismissal, or change in dismissal schedule. Please put your child's name and grade in the subject line.
ALL CHANGES ARE DUE BY 12 PM - NO EXCEPTIONS.
Medication:
Kids Club Information
Information from the Transportation Department:
2023-24
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR STUDENT TRANSPORTATION
Parent/Guardians,
We hope that you are having a great summer! The transportation department has been hard at work this summer getting our fleet refreshed and student routes ready to go for the 2023-24 school year. In order to prepare for a successful start of the school year with bus transportation, please review the following important information.
Important dates:
7/31/23 Elementary & Middle School Offices Open (school directory). Please contact your school with any transportation changes or requests.
8/8/23 Student enrollments/address changes deadline for the 1st day of School. Those changes shared with your child’s school by 12pm WILL be routed to begin on the first day of school. The EZRouting Parent Portal will go live on this day with routed student bus information.
8/9-16/23 Student enrollments/address shared with your child’s school will be routed in the order they are received. Please check your EZRouting Parent Portal after enrolling/requesting changes. When you see routing information for your current address – your student can begin riding! If the information is not posted, please make alternate transportation plans until your request is processed. An email will be sent to the primary contact in Skyward when routing is complete.
If you do not have an EZRouting Parent Portal – please visit www.phmschools.org/transportation for instructions and information on how to setup your account.
SAFETY FIRST
The PHM Transportation Department has a great responsibility for ensuring the safety of children. Changes to a student’s transportation schedule increases the chance that a child may be “lost" or not end up going to the proper and intended location. The student handbook states, “Students will ride only assigned school buses and will board and depart from the bus at designated bus stops. A change in a student's assigned bus route may be granted for a special need but is highly discouraged.” This guideline was instituted purely for the complete safety of all students. Changes to dismissal routines adds a great deal of responsibility to the office staff, teachers, and bus drivers by asking them to evaluate parent notes and keep track of students at more than one pick up and drop off location. Please do not make arrangements for playdates, sleepovers, and other activities that rely on school transportation or the office to organize and coordinate after-school transportation for students to non-school activities.
The safe transportation of students is the number one priority for the Penn Harris Madison Transportation Department. P-H-M currently has Stop Arm Cameras on all of our buses and uses 24-7 Security cameras that allow for full video and audio recordings of bus routes. Safety is a shared responsibility between the Transportation Department, parents, students,and schools. School bus safety is often impacted by student behavior. Schools and the Transportation Department reserve the right to remove students from the bus to maintain a safe environment for students and the driver. During a bus suspension, parents are responsible for transporting students to and from school.
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BUS CONDUCT GUIDELINES
Safety is our number one priority. Any action by a student that jeopardizes the safety of other students will result in removal from the bus.
Students are expected to follow directions given by the bus driver.
School behavior expectations apply to the bus.
Vandalism: Any form of vandalism to the bus will result in parents being billed for damages.
Please take a moment to watch the video School Bus Safety Training: How to be a Safe Rider with your student(s) as well as review the Bus Rider Do’s and Don’ts and Conduct Guidelines.
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With GPS tracking, you can track your child’s bus LIVE letting you also know exactly what time your child is dropped off. Follow the steps to create your account today! You can use Here Comes the Bus on your desktop, laptop or tablet. Make sure to download the app and use it on your smartphone.
You will need the following information to register:
PHM account number is 76205
Your child's last name
Your child's student ID (found in Skyward)
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BUS ROUTE INFORMATION
To change a student's home address, use this form. Please print off and return to your school or call your school office.
EZRouting is the first place to look for bus route information! This goes “live” on August 8th.
Calling your school office is a good way to verify bus routes, stops, and schedules
To request a review of a current bus stop, use this form. Bus stop reviews will begin to take place on Tuesday, September 5th. These will be processed in the order they are received.
Your child will be assigned to a bus route and have a designated bus stop. Students will not be assigned to more than two (2) bus routes.
To request an alternate bus stop location, use this form. Please print off and return to your school or call your school office.
Bus Stop Distances - The district approved walking distances for PHM bus riders to their bus stop is 150 yards for K-5 students and 300 yards for 6-12 students.
Cul-de-sacs - Unfortunately due to the turning radius of a school bus we cannot drive down many cul-de-sacs. PHM Transportation requires a minimum diameter of 105 feet and no obstructions in all cul-de-sacs we travel in.
Bus service is available for all resident students within the district's boundaries to their assigned schools (based on address). Self-transportation is required for all non-residents or in-district transfer students.
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BUS RIDING INFORMATION
10 Minute Window - Please be at the bus stop 10 minutes prior to scheduled pickup. Buses can run early based on ridership. Also be willing to wait at the stop, buses can also run late due to external factors such as railroads, traffic, etc. If a bus is running later than 10 minutes an email will be sent to parents informing them of the late route.
Seating Charts - All students will have assigned seats on the bus
Parents are not permitted to board the school bus unless approved as a chaperone for a field trip.
In the event that a student must cross the street when boarding or leaving the bus the student should look to the driver for approval to cross.
Please only bring items on the bus that allow aisles to be clear and all students to sit comfortably.
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BECOME A BUS DRIVER!
P-H-M is hiring both regular route and substitute Bus Operators. These positions serve as crucial members of our P-H-M family. This is a rewarding and important position in our efforts to educate the youth of our community. To apply, please click here and visit the Frontline website.
Regular Route Drivers enjoy:
Guaranteed minimum of 4 hours per day (2 hour am / 2 hour pm)
P-H-M Route Bus Drivers are paid $25.00 per hour
Work 180 days (this is the number of days school is in session)
Insurance - medical and dental, and the opportunity to enroll in Section 125 Plan
Indiana state employee pension benefits (Click for an explanation)
Paid leave: 10 sick days, 2 personal business days, and 6 paid Holidays per year
6 months after receiving their CDL license, new drivers that remain in good standing and have been trained by P-H-M will receive a stipend of $300.00.
Regular route drivers have an opportunity for additional earnings by helping out on field trips during the school day, evenings, and weekends
The pay rate on field trips is $16.00 / hour. Minimum pay on all field trips is $35.00.
Substitute Drivers enjoy:
Guaranteed minimum of 4 hours per day (2 hour am / 2 hour pm)
P-H-M Substitute School Bus Drivers are paid $23.75 per hour
Tablet computers with GPS are provided to display routes and provide an auditory guide for all student stops
Sub drivers have an opportunity for additional earnings by helping out on field trips that are in conflict with regular routes or outside of the normal time frame.The pay rate on field trips is $16.00 / hour. Minimum pay on all field trips is $35.00
To apply, please click here and visit the Frontline website.
Not interested in driving, but still interested in joining the transportation team? Consider becoming a Special Education Bus Paraprofessional. Paraprofessionals are paid $14.01 per hour. Hours vary based on assignment. Please contact the P-H-M Transportation Department at (574) 258-9565 for more information.
2023-2024 FOOD SERVICE INFORMATION
The prices of breakfast and lunch for the 2023-24 school year are as follows:
Breakfast:
- Elementary: $1.35
- Middle and High School: $1.60
- Reduced Price for all eligible students: $0.30
- Click Here for Free/Reduced Application
- Adult Price: $2.50
Lunch:
- Elementary: $2.35
- Middle and High School: $2.60
- Reduced Price for eligible students: $0.40
- Click Here for Free/Reduced Application
- Adult Price: $4.50
You can add money via the app School Cafe or by sending money clearly marked with your student's name, grade, and teacher to the office. Click HERE to create an account for School Cafe.
Click here for more information about Food Service.
FREE MEALS ASSISTANCE
Here is the link to the application.
Water Bottles
Volunteer Information
Dear Parent: August 2023
As a staff, we can’t thank you enough for the time and effort you devote as a volunteer at Prairie Vista Elementary School. We truly believe that education is a partnership between the school, students, and parents.
Volunteers play a very important role in the educational experience offered at Penn-Harris-Madison and we are thankful for the generous support of hundreds of people who donate their time in our schools. Because of the importance of student safety, the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees has adopted a policy that requires limited criminal history checks on all volunteers who are in direct contact with students. This includes volunteer coaches and volunteers who travel on trips with students.
The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation requires all volunteers to complete a limited background check prior to approval to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, the first step for volunteers will be to complete the process related to background checks.
P-H-M also requires all volunteers to watch an 8-minute video on anti-bullying and complete the mandatory Google Form: PHM Volunteer Bullying and Harassment Training - Prairie Vista before working with students. A designated staff person at each school will run the background check on each individual and the information will be stored in a confidential manner. It will be necessary to watch the video and complete the forms prior to your next scheduled volunteer time, because it could take up to 48 hours or more for the background checks to be processed by the state. We appreciate your cooperation. Working together, we can continue to provide great opportunities for our students.
All schools have an electronic visitor management system that checks visitor identification against a National Sex Offender Registry.
Here’s how the visitor management system will work. All visitors and volunteers will be asked for a driver’s license or legal identification. The license will be electronically scanned into a computer. A visitor/volunteer badge will be printed with the person’s name and photo. In addition, volunteers will be issued a “Red” badge that indicates all background checks have been cleared. Visitor/Volunteer badges must be worn at all times while the person is in the school and visible to all staff. Visitors who are just dropping off an item and not going beyond the school office, are not required to sign in using the visitor management system.
Please be assured that all information will be held in confidence. I appreciate your willingness to do so much for the students and staff at Prairie Vista Elementary School. We could not possibly manage without your generous support. Safety is our highest priority and we are committed to providing a safe, caring learning environment for our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 574-271-0055 or ktwibell@phm.k12.in.us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Keely Twibell
Principal
PTO UPDATES
Hello Prairie Vista parents & guardians!
We are excited for the upcoming school year and would like to take a moment to share who we are and what we stand for, as well as introduce the PTO officers, and encourage you to get involved!
PTO Mission: The purpose of the Prairie Vista PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) is to strengthen, enhance and encourage the educational and social environment of Prairie Vista Elementary.
What we do: The PTO sponsors, organizes and/or supports school events, fundraising efforts, and enrichment programs at Prairie Vista.
Officers:
Vanessa Andrews, President, prairievistapto@phm.k12.in.us
Courtney Brown, Vice President
Mary Barrett, Treasurer
Julie Kusher, Recording Secretary
Rachel Mospan, Communications Secretary
Helpful Links
Outside Organizations
P-H-M no longer distributes paper flyers or other promotional items of outside organizations through our schools. Please do not print and send flyers to our schools for distribution.
Instead, we now post digital flyers on our Community Events & Activities section of P-H-M District website at this link: https://www.phmschools.org/community-events-activities (linked below, as well) There is also a link back to this page off all 15 school websites.
The principals promote this link to parents through their school newsletters, as do some of the PTOs.