End of the Year

I can't begin to thank all of you for your help and dedication to our school this past year. We certainly have many things to be thankful for and being a part of a wonderful school district is one of them. We live in a great community with wonderful parents, children and staff members; this is something we must never lose sight of at these times. We are all very fortunate to be part of this community. Again I thank you for all your support.

You are all one in a million !

Have a wonderful and safe holiday season.

Principal Schultz

From the Heart

The holidays for some are an extremely stressful time of year. To help those who are finding this a difficult time, make an effort to smile or just be understanding to those who are experiencing unrest. I have been away from the office this week learning a new behavioral program and one thing I have found out is that it takes seven compliments to erase one poorly chosen comment. I hope this holiday season you take the time to talk, laugh, reminisce and create happy memories. Remember the best gifts of all are not wrapped in pretty paper and colorful bows but come from the heart.

A Holiday Miracle

It is so nice to know there are people who are really wonderful human beings. Here at Prairieview our Girl Scout troop 332 (grade 5) has been working on the "Business-wise" patch for the last month by making some craft projects which they sold last Friday. All of the profits are going to a family in our district. The troop's goal was to raise enough money to pay for expenses they will be receiving over time. The sale was a huge success and so far they've made over $550.00.

On Sunday the girls will go on their traditional caroling for canned goods event. They will tell the family that we just want to stop by and sing to them and then the girls will surprise them with the check.

This is our own holiday miracle one which should make everyone proud to be a part of the Prairieview Family. Have a lovely holiday and stay safe and warm, Principal Schultz

Happy Thanksgiving

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

May everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a lovely extended weekend.

Be Safe and Secure, Mrs Schultz

Allow Yourself to be Guided

First, let me thank everyone for the wonderful roller skating party we had this week. It was great to see all the dads and moms out there on the floor roller skating like the wind. All the children seemed to be having a wonderful time.



And just another thought -- I usually write in pencil and I feel this little saying was a great simile of how we feel about our students, our little pencils.



A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL FIVE IMPORTANT LESSONS :

1.) EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK.

2.) YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3.) WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4.) IN LIFE , YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON.

5.) TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.


Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm, Principal Schultz

Child Safe

This week your child received a card with their picture for identification. This picture was taken in conjunction with a 24/7 Rapid Response System from Lifetouch School Portrait and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help families stay safe. To customize this tool please visit http://www.smilesafekids.com/justforschools to download customizable parent/guardian communication tools and child safety tips in both English and Spanish. These materials will help you better understand the SmileSafe Kids program and how it can help children stay safer.

Absenteeism Procedure

Below you will find information about student absences. Have a good weekend and stay warm and healthy!

As the flu season begins this month, we have seen an increase in absences over the last few weeks. Teachers have worked very hard to modify instruction to accommodate students who are absent from school – especially those that are out more than two days. We have been forwarding all information to parents that we receive from the health department regarding H1N1, vaccinations, and any other important information.
If your child has missed school or becomes ill in the future, here are a few suggestions to help keep them up to speed academically. Although it is impossible to re-create much of the instruction that takes place in the classroom, here are some things you can do from home.
We will daily fill out an assignment sheet with all the subjects listed with the current homework. We will then give this sheet and books to the person you have assigned to bring home your child’s materials. If there are simply too many books we will ask you to come to school and get your child’s books and materials. The materials are available by 2:00 in our office which is open until 4:00 each day.

Continue to check your teacher’s blog for additional information: www.ccsd66.org. Teachers post information weekly however, you can always contact her through e-mail or phone at any time. Remember e-mail is the quickest way for a response for your concerns.

Please remember to indicate whether or not your child has flu-like symptoms when you call in an absence. We are required to forward information about absences to the Du Page County Health Department.
Tracking absences in schools across the county have indicated that flu symptoms are high in our area at this time. Hopefully, this trend will end soon!

Mario Karts

Well, it was an exciting end to the school week here at Prairieview. The classes who had the most magazine orders were going to compete in Mario Kart Races on Friday afternoon. The teachers and their students: Ms. Stetka, Mrs. Cushing, Mrs. Sulima and Ms Trefonas were going to compete for the fastest time; however..........due to technical difficulties and 412 students sitting watching adults frantically trying to get the Wii to work, we finally had to cancel.

This was to be a great culminating activity for the school for all their hard work which benefited the whole district. We quickly transformed the gym into a theater and watched Charlie Brown. There was also a pizza party for the classroom that had the most orders and the classroom with the highest percentage of students participating. Those lucky classrooms were Ms. Stetka with 126 orders and Mrs. Cushing with 64% participation.

Thanks to all of our students and their families who helped make our magazine drive a success.

Have a safe and warm weekend, Principal Schultz

Lunch in the Library

October Book Month

This week we started our “Lunch in the Library” series for students. Almost 100 students participated, munching in the library while listening to fellow students talk about books they have enjoyed reading. Our students did a wonderful job sharing their book reviews! Because we had so many students attending, not everyone got to share their books. But everyone did get the chance to write a review of their book for the library, and everyone received a list of favorites recommended by the group. They had a great time and we hope to see many more students for next month's “Lunch in the Library!”

Have a wonderful long weekend, Principal Schultz

Homework: Play-by-Play

Since our Mustangs and our Bears are doing well on the field let's look at our team... the homework team...as a sport we all would like to win. First, make a schedule! Together help your child figure out the best time to do homework, if you have them be a part of the process they will take ownership. Also, understand the game plan, remind your child that it is their responsibility to keep track of their assignments.You can help by having them repeat the directions, it makes it much clearer to them and yourself. Finally stay on the sidelines. Be available if your student needs support, but let them know it is their homework not yours. Resist the urge to jump in ---you probably have already done this project for a grade by yourself. After all, homework assignments show your child's teacher what they can and can't do by themselves.

Have a great weekend and remember new band students, lessons start next week , don't leave Mr. Ohlsen alone!

Be careful and be safe, Mrs. Schultz

Boy Scouts - Character Counts

We were very lucky to have Amy Burrows and Ciara Crowther, den mothers from Cub Scout Pack 48. They came to Prairieview Elementary School today armed with pictures and stories of camping trips, fishing extravaganzas, bow and arrow activities, and derby races, they sought out to recruit 3rd grade boys. Encouraging personal growth in boys age 8 and 9, Cub Scouts have been a staple in Darien and Downers Grove for years and we hope to see many of our students join this worthy group.

Today, we also had a character counts assembly which highlighted all the pillars which represent good character. The children will be asked to wear the appropriate color on Friday to show which represents the pillar being highlighted.

September 11th

Patriot Day was observed on September 11th in memory of the 2,993 people who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 attacks here in the United States. On that day, two hijacked airplanes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in NYC. A third hijacked aircraft crashed into the Pentagon near Washington, DC. Then a fourth airplane which was to crash into the White House, was diverted by passengers which took control over the hijackers to prevent the attack; that plane ended up crashing in Pennsylvania. Many innocent people lost their lives during this tragedy and many of them through heroic efforts died trying to help others.
Here at Prairieview we observed a moment of silence at the beginning of the day and asked all our students to wear red, white and blue in honor of those heroic people. Many teachers talked to their classes about this day and followed up with different activities. This was indeed a horrible time for our country and should never be forgotten.

Safety Number 1

Since many of our students walk home, please follow the suggestions below.
Your child's safety is number one with us.

Walking in Traffic

Protect yourself and your family by doing these things:
Walk on the sidewalk and crosswalks.
Avoid walking in traffic where there are no sidewalks or crosswalks. If you have to walk on a road that does not have sidewalks, walk facing traffic.
Cross at intersections; most people are hit by cars when they cross the road at places other than intersections.
Stop at the curb and look left, right, and left again for traffic.
Stopping at the curb, signals drivers that you intend to cross. Cross in marked crosswalks and obey the signal.

Make sure you check our district web page for all the updated information concerning current topics which are making the news this week.

Have a lovely long weekend and just be safe, Mrs. Schultz

The First Week

If you haven't heard by now we had a winner at Prairieview Elementary School. This year the Metra Railroad Safety Awareness Program invited students in the six-county region to submit poster designs displaying important railroad safety messages. They received over 3,000 entries from hundreds of schools and the winner received a laptop computer for first place.

William Burne a fourth grade student at that time received the honorable first place award. Congratulations to both his art teacher, Miss Smeltzer, and Bill for such a wonderful job.

I would also like to thank all the parents for making our first week of school such a wonderful experience. Everyone came in with a smile and was ready to work. A special thanks to our PTO for all they did to help our teachers smile this week, they are truly a wonderful group.

Remember to order Market Day which is a big help to our fundraising.

Have a great weekend and stay dry. Mrs. Schultz

Welcome Home

I would like to take the opportunity to welcome all our new 3rd grade students and welcome back our 4th and 5th grade students. Truly this is my favorite time of year. Some see this time as a closure to the seasons however, I see this as a chance for a fresh beginning. We are all starting with a clean slate only to improve on where we have been and start anew on where we want to be. I am looking forward to a great school year and getting to know each of our students. Have a great week and enjoy our open house on Monday the 24th from 9:00 till 11:00.

Staley Da Bear

This year we had a special treat with a presentation of Staley the Chicago Bears Mascot. The presentation was an effort to encourage children to make healthy choices for a healthy life. The major goal was to encourge your child to make a conscious decision for themselves when it comes to food. First and Goal was created by Staley Da Bear, the official mascot of the Bears to educate and jumpstart your child's desire to live a smater and healthier life. This is a family project and by making this descion we will all live be scoring a touchdown come the fall. Have a great long weekend and stay safe.

IPA Breakfast

This year's winners of the Illinois Principal Association were Larissa Gurnic and Cryrus Santiago from Prairieview. This recognition was for citizenship and overall character. The students, their parents and myself attended a breakfast on May 13th to acknowledge the contribution they have made to our school. The featured speaker was Mawi Asgedom, a youth educator, who has dedicated himself to uplifting American students.

Take Your Child to Work

Last week the annual Take Your Child to Work Day was celebrated on April 23rd. This event was an opportunity for both girls and boys to learn about the world of work, the challenges their parents face, and how school work will help them in their future . We had about 10% of our students attend and for their reflection they had to fill out a form of the activities they participated in and what they learned. It was a wonderful event as always and everyone was happy to be with their parents. The picture is of two of our students, Cannon and Marjorie Brackett with their Mom enjoying the day. Have a lovely weekend and stay dry, Mrs. Schultz

Illinois Principal's Breakfast

I would like to congratulate the following two fifth grade students who were chosen by the fifth grade team to represent Prairieview at this year’s annual Illinois Principal Association’s Breakfast. This is an honor they will remember and they will be excellent representatives for all our wonderful students here at Prairieview.

Larissa Gurnic – Mrs. Bucklin's class

Cyrus Santiago – Mrs. Bell’s class.

I would also like to thank you all for a wonderful turnout last night at the open house it was very nice seeing all of you taking an interest in our children.
Have a wonderful and warm weekend, Principal Schultz

Open House

Just a reminder that tonight is our Open House and Spring Book Fair

from 6:30 to 8:00. We are inviting our second graders to check out their new

school and our fantastic facility. All the classrooms have been decorated with

our students work and they have done a wonderful job. We are lucky to work

in a district where pride and excellence are displayed by each and everyone working as a team. I

hope to see all of you and enjoy the evening brought to you by our staff and PTO.

Another Winner at Prairieview !

Citizens Financial Bank is proud to announce the winners of the Abraham Lincoln Essay contest for students in schools in the Darien / Downers Grove area. Citizens Financial Bank sponsored this contest where students were asked to describe one specific individual who has had a significant impact on his/her life and why. Tell us how someone in your life has had an impact on you like Abraham Lincoln impacted so many others. One prize was awarded for grades 4-6 and one prize was awarded for grades 7-8. Each prize includes a $100 savings bond and a $25 gift card.
There were 151 entrants in the contest and the winners were:

Megan Stoppelman – 5th grade -- Grade 4-6 Group-- Prairieview Elementary School
Kishore Palla – 8th grade --Grade 7-8 Group -- Lakeview Junior High

Reading Comprehension

Does your youngster listen actively when you read aloud? It's a key to understanding what's happening in the story. Try these simple tips to build listening skills:

• Ask your child to retell small parts of the story to you or ask him questions while you read. Examples: "What will happen next?" Why do you think she did that?" Find the answers to the questions together.
• After you've read a story together two or three times, skip a word or two and have your child fill in the missing words.

Either way if you become an avid reader your child will be come one also. Enjoy the weather and take a book outside both can do wonders for your spirit.

Have a great weekend and stay safe, Mrs. Schultz

The Lights Are Out !

Thank you all for being so patient during our blackout on Wednesday. Without going into much detail it was a ground fault in our parking lot lights. When the building has no electricity not only are lights and heat are affected, we are no longer have direct service with our fire department. This, as you can see, really becomes an unsafe environment for all our students. Therefore, they received an extra day to enjoy your company. I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend and a safe one, Mrs. Schultz

Testing Week

Next week we will be testing and nobody likes to take tests. Some of our students get what is called "test anxiety." They are so worried about taking the test they forget all they have learned for the test. Just telling your child don't worry and relax doesn't always work; so here are a few tips to tell your children:

• Don't cram. A good night's sleep is more important than an extra hour of studying. Studies show that last minute cramming does not work; so relax and pull from the knowledge you have already acquired.
• Read the directions carefully!
• Don't be afraid to skip a question and go back later. Don't waste time worrying about a question; you should be able to go on and then return to the item you skipped before time is called.
• Remember past tests when you did well. You can do it again.

We have set a good base for our children and they all will do well . Have a lovely weekend and remember we have Monday off -- so just enjoy!

Mrs. Schultz

Beat the morning Rush

We seem to have many children reporting late in the mornings. I realize with the change in weather it becomes more difficult to rise and shine; however here are a few short tips to ensure a happy and calm school morning.

• Check the weather forecast and help your child choose clothes, coat, and shoes for the upcoming day
• Have them put their backpack by the door and be sure they put their homework, permission slips inside and a reminder their lunch is in the refrigerator
• Together, plan breakfast, and pack a healthy snack or lunch.
• Test your child for tomorrow's quiz that one last time.
• If you still have problems set their clocks in their room ten minutes ahead this always gives a little cushion.

If you follow this advice you and your child will have a great morning which always sets the tone for the day. Have a great weekend and hopefully we won't be shoveling for long.

Principal Schultz

Presidents Day

We have had wonderful Valentine Parties here at Prairieview, all the children had a party in their room and enjoyed the day. It was great to see all our students smiling and having a good time.
I hope everyone will enjoy their day off and I hope we all reflected on how all our Presidents were able to make a contribution to our country, for without these men freedom would not be possible.
This Friday we have our Family Bingo Night, February 20th starting at 7:00 till 8:30. This event is free but a donation of an item for the service men and women in Afghanistan would be appreciated for they are the true backbone of our freedom.
Have a wonderful week, Mrs. Schultz

Phone Week

It seems like everyone in the world has a cell phone including most of our students. This morning a few students came into the office to call home after asking them their phone number I realized no one knew their parents phone number. This included third through fifth, and was I shocked. So we have developed phone week, this week every child has to memorize a number which they can reach a parent. It is an all school effort including teachers, students, office, and most importantly our parents. Please this weekend and all next week practice your phone number because they will be quizzed by our teachers to make sure we keep our children safe and responsible. Have a great weekend.

Art Rules

Since we have had so many cold and snowy days I thought some of you would be interested in the different art projects we have opened up to our students.

We are asking students to participate in the Darien Woman's Club Creative Youth Art Fair. We have had many winners in the past but remember this is strictly optional but those who would like to participate can send in their artwork and we inturn will forward it. These art pieces will also be displayed throughout the building after the contest.

We will also be entering the Metra Safety Poster Contest this week. The poster contest is about railroad safety ('Safety Rules: Look, Listen, and Live). All posters must be received by Friday Feb. 20th so we can meet collect and mail in before the deadline of March 1st

All of these contests have been discussed in our art classes and the children all know the rules. Have a warm and safe week, Mrs. Schultz

Dental Health Grant

The Du Page County Health Department has asked if we would be part of their grant for Dental Prevention. This offer has been extended to school districts in Du Page county and is totally volunteer. It consists of an oral screening and height/weight measurement called Healthy Smile Healthy Growth 2009/10. This oral screening and height/weight measurement is free of charge to our third grade students. Screening will take place on January 28, 2009. The consent forms need to be returned to the office by Tuesday, January 27, 2009.

Again with our weather changing hourly please watch our web site and the appropriate radio and television stations. No one would like to see another snow day; well, perhaps some of our students but we will keep you informed. Have a great week and stay warm, Mrs. Schultz

Welcome Back

I hope everyone has rested and ready to come back to school, for I certainly can't wait for school to resume. It was a hard holiday for me,as you might know, my father passed away on Christmas Eve and he will be missed every day. He was a very kind and organized man who wrote in a journal everyday of his life, I only hope, in his honor, to follow in his foot steps.
Thank you for all your cards, flowers, and kind words you are all truly amazing.
I am extremely lucky to work in a wonderful, caring district.

Principal Schultz