Prairie Trails

January 2022

zoom_out_map

Important January Dates:

What's Happening at Prairie Trails?

January 2023 Happy New Year!

January 10 - Students Return (Tuesday)
January 16 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day, No School
January 17 - Board of Education Meeting 7pm
January 24- PTC Meeting 6:00 pm
January 26- PTC Parent Night out @ Red Barn
January 28- RTSD26 Family Night with the Chicago Wolves 7:00pm

zoom_out_map

Fridays are for Spirit

Show your PT pride, wear your Prairie Trails spirit wear or Prairie Trails colors every Friday!!

zoom_out_map

IMPORTANT STUDENT SAFETY REMINDER (AGAIN)

If your child is a car rider, you MUST remain in your vehicle and our supervisors will bring your child to you. You may NOT park on the admin side parking lot, get out of your car, walk through the lot and grab your child out of the holding area.
It becomes an extreme safety hazard when parents get out of their cars and walk through the parking lot to get their child. If you wish to physically get your child, have them meet you at the walker door for pickup instead of the car line.
Please help us keep our students and staff safe.

zoom_out_map

PT Specials Update

ART

This month, we are learning about texture and how to create texture with lines and paper. After winter break, students will create more texture in their artworks by painting with different objects.

Happy New Year! Lauren Pennington lpennington@rtsd26.org

LIBRARY

Please continue to keep library books in great shape! Make sure your student returns their book on Wednesdays!

MUSIC

We’re learning how music can tell a story without any words. We’ve been using pieces from The Carnival of Animals to meet new instruments and explore the movement of different animals through our own bodies. We’re also beginning to talk about the highs and lows of melody as we sing many songs! Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions: mthompson@rtsd26.org Meghan Thompson

PE

Friendly Reminder-students need GYM SHOES for P.E. every day.

We started December practicing basketball skills. We are learning to dribble, to bounce pass, to chest pass, and to shoot. We now have a real basketball hoop in the gym-yay! During the last 2 weeks of December, we played a lot of holiday games, such as Grinch Tag, Holiday Lights Relay, Sleigh Ride Toy Delivery, & Feed the Reindeer. Ask your child to tell you all about our “Toy Testing” and “S-A-N-T-A basketball” station activities. It has been a FUN month!

Happy New Year! Beth Miller evossmiller@rtsd26.org

STEM

This month we have been creating as members of TEAMS! Teamwork makes the outcome better, but we all need to learn how to listen, discuss and plan together. We will continue this work throughout the year!

If you have any questions, please reach out to me at jwagner@rtsd26.org.

Jeannine Wagner

zoom_out_map

Cold Weather & Snow

Here are some things to please keep in mind:

Gear: Each day, please make sure that you send your student with hats, gloves, boots, snow pants and a winter coat that they can get on and off by themselves.
Label: Please label all clothing with your child's first and last name.
Independence: Please help your student practice getting their gear on at home. Talk through with him/her the order to put things on (ex: gloves go on last).
Regular Shoes: Students need to have a pair of shoes to change into to wear at school for the day if they wear boots to school. They will need gym shoes for P.E.
Recess: Students need to have proper attire (snow pants, boots, hat, gloves) in order to play in the snow during recess times.
Extra Clothes: Make sure your child has a change of warm clothes in their cubbies. Many kids get wet at recess and will need to change

Erin's Law

Our Prairie Trails social worker and school psychologist will be presenting age appropriate information regarding Personal Body Safety to all PT students towards the end of January/ beginning of February. This presentation is in accordance with Erin's Law, which was passed in 2013.

To gain an overview of the program that was written by District 26 social workers in consultation with Northwest Center on Sexual Assault, please go to the River Trails School District Site (www.rtsd26.org). Click on the Families Menu Tab on the top of the page, then click Erin’s Law on the left sidebar.

If you do NOT want your child to participate, please go to the webpage detailed above. You will find the link to Erin’s Law opt out form. You can complete this form online or at your child’s school office.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either the building social worker, principal or Dr. Carie Cohen (Assistant Superintendent for Special Services) at 224-612-7304 or ccohen@rtsd26.org.

Winter Assessments

ACCESS

Students that are identified as English Learners will be given the annual ACCESS test for English Language Proficiency during the month of January. In kindergarten, this test is individually administered and takes between 30-45 minutes to complete.

KID SQUAD Update

Starting on January 17, Kid Squad will no longer be held at the Weiss Center. Students will be bussed from and to either Euclid or Indian Grove (based on their home schools).

For more information about Kid Squad and how to sign up, please visit the Kid Squad page of the River Trails Park District.

zoom_out_map

Metra Contest

Metra is conducting a safety poster and essay contest. It is open to all students (K-12) and a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner will be selected from each grade. Prizes are $500 for 1st, $250 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd.

This year’s theme is “Stay Safe, Stay Off Train Tracks.” Entries are due by Friday, January 20, 2023. For more info, visit metracontest.com or check out the attached flyer.