We have so much to be thankful so to all of you...... our parents, our children and our community members, I wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

Principal Schultz

Happy Holidays

What a wonderful time of the year. I hope everyone enjoyed their concerts this week. The choir and the cadet band were excellent. We also enjoyed bowling with the three grade levels and we are looking forward to going to the show as a whole school. The children have been wonderful and are respectful, responsible and safe. I am sure you have heard those words before because that is our new Positive Behavior Intervention System in action. May you all have a wonderful holiday season and continue our pledge of being respectful, responsible and, please during this season, be safe. Happy Holidays, Janeise

Thank you for your thoughts

I would like to say thank you for all the cards and flowers I have received on the death of my sister; everyone's kind words are so appreciated.
It is great to work with a extended family who truly cares about each other.
Thank you again, Janeise

Now here is what is happening at Prairieview School......

The fifth grade Girl Scout Troop #1810 made fleece blankets for the children in the special needs class at Prairieview School.

At a meeting Hailey Rodden, Damiya Perry, Kailee O'Conner and Emily Brindac chose to make blankets and cards for the "Helping Hands" portion of their "My Community Badge". Delivering the blankets and seeing the happy faces of the children was a perfect way to "wrap up" the project!

Happy Holidays to all

Happy Thanksgiving

We have been lucky to have had a visit from Kimberly Thompson who is an author and storyteller of children’s books. In addition to being an author she is an excellent storyteller. She has her Masters of Arts in Curriculum Instruction and Design from Concordia University and still has many friends in the area.
Ms. Thompson made three grade-level presentations
at Prairieview Elementary School on Friday, November 19, 2010. She read her book Toulouse on the Loose, which is a the tale of a French turkey, Toulouse, who travels to Washington DC at Thanksgiving time and discovers why everyone has turkey on their minds. The students still have a chance to order her book and have it autographed and personalized.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and enjoy the time together, Mrs. Schultz

Paper Recycling Fundraiser Comes to Prairieview

We are happy to announce we will be raising money for our district by recycling paper! And you can help us out, too! Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines, catalogs and construction paper---no cardboard, no phone books) send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the Green and Yellow Paper Retriever Bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). This bin is available for drop offs 24/7 and the more paper we recycle, the more money we make!

Please help our schools AND the environment!

Have a great weekend, Principal Schultz

PBIS at Prairieview

What an exciting day Prairieview had on Monday as we celebrated our PBIS recognition day.

Our very own Prairieview Cheer Club led the audience in a cheer centered around the three core expectations of being respectful, responsible and safe at Prairieview School. This cheer was created and choreographed by the students in the Cheer Club and really helped everyone get into the spirit of things!

Corporal Urso and Officer Stejskal from the DuPage County Sheriff's Department and Officer Skweres from the Darien Police Department presented Prairieview School with a special award. This award was in recognition of our work with PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports). The officers explained how being respectful, responsible and safe at school leads to making good choices when out in the community.

They also thanked us for our efforts in shaping our students since they are our future community citizens and leaders. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and stays warm. Principal Schultz

Fall is in the Air

We have completed our first week of MAP testing and it has been going well. We will be sharing information with you as soon as possible. Of course, this is a new test and we are still becoming familiar with all the reports and how to read them. The district staff will be trained on all the numerous reports we will be receiving from these tests on November 2nd during our District in-service day. Remember we have no school on that day which also coincides with state voting, so I am sure I will see many of you voting.

This week was also one of our monthly big PBIS winning days and those students who won got to have lunch with the principal. Every month the students will have a choice of treat to enjoy. This is, in addition, to our weekly drawings which have now been changed from three students a week to eight students. Because of the volume of PAWS we are receiving, students will have more of a chance to win. Ask your child if they have received one yet. I believe everyone has received at least one paw and, if not, they will be soon.

Have a wonderful weekend, Principal Schultz

Teacher In-Service

We had a wonderful day on Friday during our institute day when teachers in District 66 learned about a new assessment called MAP's which stands for Measurement of Academic Progress. It was a terrific learning experience for all. It will be a wonderful tool to identify all the individual needs of our students in math & reading.

I hope you all had a wonderful three-day weekend and are looking forward to another great week.

Principal Schultz

It's Homework Time Again

Yes, it is now that time of year when homework starts. Having a routine to do this homework becomes very important whether it be right after school or after playing and a snack. Both are fine, but you have to figure out which works best for your child in order for it to be effective. First, before they start help your children put their assignments in order; idea: suggest they rank homework from the hardest to the easiest and tackle the more complicated work first. Our children grow up so fast and these little tips will

hopefully follow them throughout their life and career.........................even to the big office.

Have a great week, Principal Schultz

Another Great Week

We had another full week with our curriculum night for fourth and fifth grade. We also have been very busy setting up our reading classrooms to meet the needs of all our students. Our first Market Day of the year was held on Saturday; many turned out to help and get us off to a great start. Our students are doing well with our new PBIS -Positive Behavior Incentive System and receiving many paws for a job well done. Have a terrific weekend , Mrs. Schultz

Our First Week

What a terrific start! Thank you all for sending your children with the excitement for learning. Everyone was able to find their classrooms and start a great year. We had our first Curriculum Night when all our third grade parents were able to meet their children's homeroom teacher and their math teachers. We changed our format a little from being so formal to a more relaxed atmosphere. I hope you all enjoyed our evening and I certainly enjoyed meeting each of you and showing off our great school. Tonight we will have our fourth and fifth grade curriculum night and I hope you all enjoy yourselves with the new format. With Labor Day over we are now full speed ahead on a new journey, filled with exciting events and learning activities. Have a great week and hope to see some of you tonight, September 7th, at 6:30.

Welcome Home

It is hard to believe but summer is but a distant memory. It was wonderful this week to see everyone returning and filling up the school again. The faculty and staff of Prairieview gladly welcomed our students and parents to another terrific school year. We have introduced our new incentive program called PBIS which stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports which is a proactive system for establishing behavioral and cultural supports needed for students to achieve social, emotional, and academic success. We have our first open house for third grade this Tuesday with 4 and 5th next week, so please come meet your students teachers and hear more about PBIS. Have a great week and see you on Tuesday. Principal Schultz

Calculators

I have had many questions about students using calculators at home and with the summer approaching keeping math skills sharp is essential. Your child will use a calculator throughout life; so, it is good for him to be comfortable with the tool. He should also know how to do basic math operations - addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division - on paper and in his head. Your child's teacher will usually say when it's okay to use a calculator but at home keep practicing those math facts; it certainly will pay off when they get older and start computing their taxes. Have a great week and enjoy the weather, Principal Schultz

Open House & Book Fair

I would just like to thank everyone for taking the time out of their busy schedule to come last night. We had a wonderful turn out even though it was a beautiful night and being inside was no the optimal place. Again, let me apologize for the warm building which made it kinda cozy for some but just hot for others. It was extremely nice to see all of you and to see the excitement on our students faces as they showed everyone their special projects.

I would also like to thank everyone who worked the book fair, you all will be truly missed, maybe you could do one more year? :)

Remember to watch the speed limit in front of the school during school hours and to stay off your cell phone in a school zone.

Have a lovely weekend and just a reminder we have an early dismissal Thursday at 11:00.

Principal Schultz

Bald is Beautiful

Some times our children do things that are truly amazing. As many of you might have heard one of our teachers Mrs. Strong has one of those truly remarkable children. She participated in the St. Baldrick's fundraiser at her middle school. A quote from Mrs. Strong says it all, I have learned a valuable lesson from her about how much change one person can make in a community of friends and family. I also discovered the truth in these words... Bald Is Beautiful!

I would like to thank her for sharing her daughters pictures with all of us. She stated she was a very proud parent and we are a very proud district to know the caliber of teachers and their families. Have a lovely spring break and rest we still have a few more things to teach.

Be safe, Mrs. Schultz

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Bullying

At times I have had students come to me and say I saw someone being bullied. I have also heard that some students are coming home upset because their friends were being bullied on the bus. Here is advice I give my students and you can use this at home. Tell your child they have the power to help and stop the situation if they follow these guide lines.

There are several things they can do in this situation. First, start by reporting it to a teacher or the bus driver immediately when they see this happening. Make sure they know this is not tattling but a way to help someone who is being bullied. You can say, "Asking an adult to help with this situation is like asking the nurse to help someone with a skinned knee".

They can also help buy saying, "That's not very nice" to the bully and ask the person to join them someplace else. Either way the student should not be left to feel alone. We all at sometimes have been bullied and I want our children to know this is something which is wrong and shouldn't be tolerated. I want this to be a safe zone not a place they fear.

ISATS

ISAT testing is over :) For those of you new to the Illinois school scene, let me explain.
ISAT stands for Illinois Standards Achievement Tests.These tests are given in
grades 3 through 7 throughout the state’s public schools to measure individual student
achievement relative to the Illinois Learning Standards.The results give parents,
teachers and schools one measure of student learning and school performance. The
state assessment scores are used to measure adequate yearly progress (AYP) for all
public schools. All students’ scores are part of the AYP measure, including students with
disabilities and limited English proficiency. Furthermore, the state provides individual
student's results, and schools are issued a State Report Card based, in part, on these
scores.

I am sure our students here at Prairieview did a wonderful job, thanks to our teachers and yourselves. They are all truly a product of the wonderful things which go on here at District 66. So now starts our last trimester; hopefully, everyone will give his or her
best effort during this last grading period. Have a great week and enjoy the weather.

We have a winner !

I am happy to announce to everyone that Karina Kling, our 5th grade student from Prairieview participated in the DuPage County Regional Spelling Bee which took place on February 17, 2010. There were students from 24 schools who participated in this annual event. We are proud to announce that Karina placed 9th out of 27 participants from grades 5th thru 8th. Congratulations to Karina for all of her hard work!!!


Requests for conferences have been sent out this week. This set of conferences revolves around Math. However if you would like to meet with your child's homeroom teacher this is always an open option. Being a part of your child education should be foremost as a parent and showing that you are involved and caring is the first step. Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the Olympics

Cell Phones

The cell phone use banned in school zones started January 1, 2010
Effective January 1, 2010, House Bill 72 became law and bans the use of cellular telephones by drivers while traveling on a roadway through a marked highway construction or school zone. The law contains an exemption for people using voice-activated mobile telephones.
Existing Illinois law (625 ILCS 5/12-610.1) prohibits the use of wireless telephones by most minors while driving on Illinois roads. However, there were no prohibitions on the use of wireless telephones by any other drivers. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that up to 80% of crashes are caused by driver inattention/distracted driving. Dialing on a cellular telephone can increase the chance of crashing by 1.3 times. As many as 10% of Illinois drivers are estimated to be using their mobile phones at any given moment in time. The Distracted Drivers Task Force was created by resolution by the Illinois General Assembly. The Task Force issued its final report in 2008, recommending a ban on the use of cellular telephones while driving through highway construction and school zones. So, please be careful with your usage and stay safe, Mrs. Schultz

Family Book Night

What a great event ! Prairieview School hosted Family Book Night on Thursday, February 11th. Participating families were given passports to travel around the school visiting book stations. At the stations, they followed directions for a variety of fun adventures with books.

For example, when reading from Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor, they were to dress up in a feather boa and tiara. One student said that what he enjoyed most about the evening was reading with mom and dad. Everyone had a wonderful time and the teachers did a wonderful job creating this event, especially our new library aide Mrs. Gloria Walsh - Rock.

Next year this is a must to put on your calendar.

Have a great Valentines Day and a safe long weekend, Principal Schultz

Strategic Plans

This last weekend was truly amazing. We had over 75 people here at Prairieview working on our Strategic Plan for the upcoming years at District 66. Many wonderful ideas came from lively conversation on Saturday morning. A big thank you to all those who participated. For those of you who are anxious to see the results, they should be on our website shortly.

Our PV family keeps getting bigger and bigger with boys. As you all know by now Mrs. Cushing's two boys are doing well. Adding to the team, Mrs. Travis also had a boy last week named Benjamin and Mrs. Csorba had a boy yesterday named Jack. We all wish our new little boys their moms and dads the best of health and happiness.

Stay safe and warm this week, Mrs. Schultz

IOWA WEEK

We finally made it through the week and our students did a wonderful job! However, now it is your turn. Congratulate them on doing their best and when you receive their scores go over them with your child and see where they can improve. We constantly look at this data to effectively develop interventions to help your child meet state scores.

I hope you all have a lovely three-day weekend and thank you to all of you who gave your time to lace up skates. Everyone had a great time skating; as for me, it was just fun watching. Stay safe and warm and enjoy your time with your children.

The IOWA's

We made it through our first week and a big thanks to all of you who managed to have your students arrive on time. Next week it is imperative that they are on time because IOWA testing begins on Monday and,as we all know, standardized tests are a fact of life for American students. Here is some important information that will help them and you survive next week and the weeks to come.

Encourage, don't pressure.

Encourage your child to do their best, but avoid putting on the pressure. Too much pressure can cause test anxiety and lead to worse, not better, scores. Understand that standardized tests are just one way schools measure a child's ability.

Give the "brain food."

Give your child a healthy breakfast in the morning - remember that good nutrition fuels brains year- round.

Put them to Bed Early

Sleepy students have a tough time succeeding academically and do we all. It's particularly important for your student to get a good night's sleep the night before a test. For most elementary school children about 10 hours of sleep every night is best.

Aim High

Finally aim high and encourage them to do their best this will help them believe in themselves and they will do well.

Have a great weekend and Stay Safe and Warm , Mrs. Schultz