PRE Newsletter
April 9, 2021
Important Dates
April 9 PRE Day of Community Service
April 16 Kansas Teacher of the Year Forms Due!
April 22 & 23 5th Grade Science State Assessments
April 23-30 PTO Auction
April 26 & 27 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade ELA State Assessments
April 30 No School, Teachers in Professional Development
May 3 No School
May 5 & 6 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade Math State Assessments
End of Year Activities
Details for each of these activities will be shared soon. For now, I will share the dates of these events.
May 25 Talent Show
May 26 Fifth Grade Farewell
May 27 (24th if forecast looks undesirable for the 27th) Field Day
Allergy season is here!
The weather is warming up, the days are growing longer, and everything is blooming! This time of year, we all want to be outdoors! For students who suffer from allergies, however, this can cause an increase in symptoms. Here are a few ways you can help your student get through allergy season:
· Consider a daily allergy medication – Over-the-counter antihistamines like Claritin, Zyrtec and Allegra can be very helpful in controlling symptoms. Nasal sprays and eye drops can also be helpful.
· Allergy medication options: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases- conditions/ allergies/indepth/allergy-medications/art-20047403
· Why antihistamines work best when taken consistently: https://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/pretreatment?scrlybrkr#2
· Save Benadryl (diphenhydramine) for bedtime or severe allergic reactions. It often makes students too sleepy for use during school.
· Consult with your pediatrician or allergist - If your student continues to have symptoms and over-the-counter treatments don't seem to help, call your health care provider for guidance.
· Shower after spending time outdoors – prevents transfer of pollen to your bedding at night and decreases symptoms. At the very least, change clothes and was your hands and face.
· Take your shoes off at the door – reduces pollen transfer to carpets and furniture.
· Use a sinus rinse – A Neti pot or over-the-counter sinus wash kit can help rinse allergens from your nose. Follow provided directions carefully for safe use.
The school health room unfortunately does not have antihistamines for seasonal allergies. Be sure to treat allergy symptoms consistently at home.
Remember allergies symptoms are sometimes the same as Covid-19 symptoms. Per district policy, any student with one or more primary symptom (cough, difficulty breathing, loss of taste and/or smell) OR two or more secondary symptoms (fever 100 degrees or higher, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, headache, muscle/body aches, extreme fatigue) should stay home. Please call the school nurse for guidance on how and when your student can return to school.
Kansas Teacher of the Year Program
The De Soto School District has been an important and strong participant in the Kansas Teacher of the Year Program for many years. De Soto has had fifteen state finalists and twelve semi-finalists represented in the program since 2000. Two of our very own teachers were chosen as The Kansas Teacher of the Year; Keil Hileman in 2004 and Jeri Powers in 2008. This is truly unprecedented!
We would like for you to nominate any teacher whom you consider to be an outstanding and effective educator and whom you or your child has had as a teacher. This person must be a tenured employee of USD 232. If there is a De Soto educator whom you believe to be outstanding and deserving of special recognition, please fill out the nomination form at www.usd232.org/ktoy . This form needs to be completed by noon on April 16, 2021.
PRE PTO Spring Auction
PTO will be holding an online auction from Friday, April 23rd to Friday, April 30th. Many great items will be available to bid on including teacher experiences and items donated by local businesses and PRE families. We are excited that Luxury & Imports is sponsoring the online site so that 100% of the proceeds from the auction will go to support Prairie Ridge. More information about the bidding site and how to bid will be available in the April 16th newsletter.
If you would like to contribute to the auction, we are looking for additional donations to pair with some of the items donated by local businesses. You can help by purchasing an item off our Amazon Wish List at: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/A420KB3G30JB?ref_=wl_share or by making a monetary donation through Venmo @PREfamilies-PTO or PayPal to prefamilies@gmail.com. Please add “spring auction donation” in the comment field. Donations will be accepted through April 15th.
Car Loop Assistance
The weather is getting nice, and it is a great reason to assist with morning car loop! If you are still looking for a way to volunteer at the school this year, then this is your opportunity!