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In partnership with parents and the community,
Prairie Elementary will educate and develop independent, responsible,
life-long learners. |
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Contact Information School Office 507-727-1250 Attendance Office 507-727-1272 Interpreter’s Office 507-727-1266 Dates to Remember: 4/17 4/21 4/25 Early
Dismissal 5/9
CARNIVAL 5/13 5/14 Band/Choir
& Orchestra Concert at Prairie 5/20 Last day for the
After School Program, Thursday May 1st 10
Ways Busy Parent’s Can Encourage 1) Place a variety of children’s books and
magazines in handy spots around your home.
Urge your kids to look through them often. 2) Bring books on family errands and trips-on
the bus, in the car, to the doctor, to the store, to relatives’ homes, etc. 3) Have your kids read books to you while you
prepare dinner or fold laundry. 4) Turn play dates into reading circles. Ask the children to read to each other, then discuss the story. 5) Go to the library regularly. Bring paperwork and small odd jobs that
need to be done with you while your children look at books. 6) When you read the newspaper, have your
children sit with you and read the comics or kids’ section. 7) Ask your children to read recipes to you as
you cook, or instruction manuals as you assemble
items. 8) Encourage your older children to read to
their younger siblings. 9) Give your kids books and magazines
subscriptions as gifts. 10) Limit TV viewing to make time for
reading. Even 15 minutes of reading
before bedtime can improve your children’s skills. Remember…..A love of
reading leads to success. The more
time your children spend reading, the better!!
Never assume that your child
knows the rights and wrong when using the Internet. Always discuss the proper
way for them to handle situations that might come up when they are online.
The following guidelines are a great tool to start that conversation with
your children. And don’t wait, thinking they aren’t old enough to really know
yet. Kids as young as Kindergarten know what My Space and Facebook are
because of their older siblings who might be using those sites. Talk to them
before issues come up so they are armed with the proper tools to protect
themselves from online problems. 1.
I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone
number, parent's work address/telephone number, or the name and location of
my school without my parents' permission. 2.
I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information
that makes me feel uncomfortable. 3.
I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet"
online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the
meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or
father along. 4.
I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first
checking with my parents. 5.
I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way makes
me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I
do, I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the online
service. 6.
I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going
online. We will decide upon the time of the day that I can be online, the
length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will
not access other areas or break these rules without their permission. Officer Fritz and Thursday, May 22nd
Prairie
Elementary Prep
Lab, Rm 403 Cost-
$8 Website:
http://www.isd518.net/ CommEd/computer.htm |
A Message from Principal
Besel: Wow! Last month I started my column by trying to
guess what March would be like. Well, it ended up coming in like a lamb and
going out like a lion. March 31st
was a shock to the system with the heavy wet snow we received. March 31st was the day we
invited parents and family members to bring their children to school who are
eligible to start Kindergarten next fall.
Students need to be 5 years old by September 1st in order
to start Kindergarten. Despite the
poor weather conditions, we registered 98 students. We have followed up on our census list by
mailing letters to all eligible families and will be doing follow up calls
next week. As I have stated in my
E-News, if you know of a neighbor or friend who has a child ready to start
Kindergarten, encourage them to contact us at 507-727-1250. MCA Tests are right around the corner. Teachers are doing the final preparations
for the tests. Make sure your child is
getting a good night rest and eating a good breakfast. We are in the midst of
planning for next year. Students will
be placed in classrooms for 2008-2009 to meet their academic and social
needs. A more complete explanation
will be coming home by April 11th. Let’s hope for April “rain”
showers and not “snow” showers! |
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Kindergarten Comments: Kindergarten is a great
place to be in April! We are looking forward to many fun themes
centered on the world around us in April, as well as more practice becoming
great readers, writers and mathematicians! We will learn about what
happens in our world in the spring and find out all about life cycles.
Our incubators will be coming out of the cupboards and eggs from the farm
will come to our classroom later in the month. We will watch and wait
for 21 days to see if our eggs will hatch. This is a real life cycle
experience right in our classroom! We will add these words to our list
of Kindergarten Words: and, there, give, little, that, and have.
We will explore addition and subtraction using hands-on materials. And
finally, we hope to be avoiding mud instead of snow on our playground soon! |
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1st Grade Facts: First Graders are working
hard and becoming very good readers! We are planning our third parent/child
Reading Day for some time in May - stay tuned for more information to
come. This month we will have the
Prairie Ecology Bus come to present “A Whale in My School” on Thursday, April
17 and Friday, April 18. We are also looking forward to our physical
education Olson Park Day on May 9. We hope to have many parents join us for a
fun and active day outside! |
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2nd Grade Speaks: We will have our music
programs this month. This year’s
program is titled E-I-E-I Oops. Be
sure to watch for a note coming home with your child for the specific date
and time of the program. Please help
your child practice his/her parts.
April is our last month for Little D’s pyramid café lessons. Talk with your child about some of the
healthy eating habits they have learned.
We would like to send a friendly reminder home that we need your help
in filling our class basket for the silent auction at the carnival. |
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Look What’s
Springing Up in 3rd Grade! Spring is the time of year
when the seeds we have planted and faithfully watered with love start to grow
and bloom…and boy do we have great children popping up in 3rd grade! We are learning about
folktales, fables, and fairytales in reading.
In math we are working on our measurement and geometry skills. In
Science we will be studying the Water Cycle and Conservation of Water. Each student will create a water
conservation poster. In Social Studies
we will be learning about labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar
Chavez. On April 9th the
Youth Diversity Corp will be presenting a program to our students on Bullying. Our 3rd graders
will be taking the MCA assessment tests on April 22nd, 23rd ( |
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4th
Grade Festivities: Wow, the end of this school
year is rapidly approaching. This month the fourth grade will be doing band
screenings starting on the 14th. Then on the 16th we
get to go to the auditorium and see a play entitled “The Midnight Ride of
Paul Revere”. A great history lesson for our students. We are
also preparing for the MCA tests which will start the week of the 21st.
To help prepare them we will be reviewing many areas of both reading and math
prior to their testing times. Also, plenty of rest, an extra good breakfast,
and lots of positive reinforcement are especially helpful on test days!!! We
are looking forward to a great April and a positive push to the end of the
year. |
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5th Grade Focus: April is a busy month for
fifth graders! We will have a visit
from the Middle School counselor, to begin looking ahead to next year. Parents will be invited to attend an
informational meeting at the Middle School. DARE Graduation is set for
April 4th at Prairie, with a celebration that evening at the
YMCA. Students, staff and parents
should express their thanks to the Worthington Police Department, Officer
Fritz, Officer Honius, and other supporters of this valuable program. The The days between April 7
and 18 will be filled with the annual 3-Star Academy. Students are assigned to a team, which will
“travel” from one 5th grade teacher to another for seven, half-day
sessions each week. Intense study and
review of reading and math skills will help to prepare the students for the
up-coming MCAs, to be taken during the last two weeks in April. Students are able to earn a reward for
their hard work during these two weeks.
Encouragement from parents is a vital part of this experience; thanks
Parents! |
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Music Notes: The 2nd grade
students will be presenting their musical program, “E-I-E-I Oooops!” in Room
61 on the following dates/times: Thursday, April 24th
Friday, April 25th
Thursday, May 1st Friday, May 2nd |
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LUNCH MONEY: The end of the year is coming fast and I need your help collecting lunch money. Time does not allow phone calls to everyone who owes money. If you need balance information, please call me at 727-1190 or e-mail shauna.brignac@isd518.net. Any money left in your account in May will be available in September. Middle School &
High School lunch prices: Breakfast .95/day or $19.00/month. Lunch $1.50/day or 30.00/month. Prairie Elementary
lunch prices: Breakfast .65/day or $13.00/month. Lunch $1.35/day or $27.00/month. |
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Student Services: The article
below is entitled “Children Need More Exercise and Martial Arts Can Help”
(Robert Jones), but whether or not you enroll your child in martial arts our
children as a whole need more exercise period. Kids need
exercise at this time of their lives to help their developing bodies and to
help their developing body image, but we all know how it is. By the time most
kids get home from school they want to relax. The problem is that many kids
now spend their “off” time watching television, playing video games and
chatting with their friends on the Internet (and this doesn’t even take into
account the time they need to spend doing homework each night). I’m not
trying to say that school and studying isn’t important. It is important, but
the schedule of school days and the rigor of homework leaves it up to the
parents to change their evening routines to make sure their kids get the
exercise and physical activity they need. According to
the Centers for Disease Control, “It is recommended that children and
adolescents participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical
activity most days of the week, preferably daily.” Lack of physical activity
can lead to many problems in children such as weight problems, low muscular
strength, poor aerobic fitness, lack of bone mass, high anxiety and stress
and low self esteem. Furthermore, school-age children need to have activities
in their lives to help them start developing a healthy body image and the
confidence they need to be successful in life. Regular
physical activity of any sort can help them be healthier. Encouraging and
modeling physical activities such as family walks and hikes, playing active
games in the yard after dinner and allowing your kids to participate in
organized sports all help. However, activities like martial arts take this
physical activity one step further because they continue year-round, focus on
personal goals and achievements and incorporate mental and emotional
training. Furthermore, proper training changes and advances with your
children as they need new challenges. Whatever you
do, it’s up to you as a parent to make sure your children are having a
well-rounded day so that they can healthily grow intellectually, mentally and
physically. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_L._Jones |
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Parent Group
Prattle: Prairie
Elementary Parent Group
March
Meeting Minutes
The March Prairie
Elementary Parent Group Meeting was held on Treasurers Report:
There is approximately
$23,000 in the general fund. There is $41,000 reserved
for playground equipment. Principal Report by Mr. Besel: Gifted Program: Teachers
will be trained on how work with students that are gifted academically in
their classrooms. Gifted students are
ranked in the top 10% in math and reading at Prairie Elementary. This new program will work with student’s
abilities so that they can be challenged at their level. State Tests: Students and
staff are preparing for state tests that will take place in April. More information will be coming home on how
parents can make sure their children are ready for these tests. Certificate: On
behalf of Prairie Elementary Mr. Besel accepted a certificate for being one
of nineteen schools to meet or exceed the standardized testing scores in Teacher Liaison’s Reports: Kindergarten: Mrs. Kremer
shared that they have just finished conferences. In March they are getting ready for
Leprechauns, Easter and Kindergarten roundup.
Kindergarten Round-up will be March 31st. Second Grade: Mrs.
Hoekstra reported that they have just finished conferences. Students are setting personal goals and
accelerated reader goals. Students are
working on two digit addition and substation, money and telling time. First Grade: Mrs.
Krekelberg announced that the students have been using computers to become
better readers by taking tests called accelerated reader. There are also quizzes that can be taken in
math called accelerated math. Both the
accelerated programs can be done at the student’s academic level. Students have also been working on place
value and writing to 1000. Old
Business: Earth Balloon: There were
many thank yous from students, families and staff to the parent group for
supporting the Earth Balloon that was at Prairie Elementary on February 20th
and 21st. Frozen Food Fundraiser: The fundraiser had a profit of $23,379. Thank you to the many people you helped
with this exc School Tool Box: For a small
fee your student’s school supplies can be purchased for you and placed on
your student’s desk on the first day of school. Example if you have a Kindergarten Student
the cost would be $23 and you would also receive a free $4 book during the
book fair and a $5 gift card to Target.
This is not a fundraiser just a service to help families. First grade request for
funds: The request that was presented in February for $1018
for the Whale Program was approved by the board. New Business: Carnival
preparations: Heather Abdulrahman reported that the carnival will
be held May 9th from Funds Request:
Scheduled Speaker: Next Meeting: April 8th at |
