Life on the Prairie

April 7th - 10th & 14th . . . IAR testing

April 10th . . . 6th grade combined social at Prairie . . . 7 - 9 PM

April 16th - 18th . . . Spring musical at Prairie

April 21st . . . Spring band concert in the Prairie gym . . . 7 PM

April 21st & 23rd . . . MAP testing (6th & 7th grade)

April 21st & 23rd . . . ISA testing (8th grade)

It’s that time of year again - time for brilliantly clean garbage and recycling cans! Sign up for garbage/recycling bin cleaning with San-A-Can and support the Prairie PTO. Service will be scheduled for the day following your regular trash collection. Simply leave your bins out for cleaning. The cost is $25 for one bin, $50 for two bins, $15 for each additional bin AND (!) 20% of all proceeds will be donated to the Prairie PTO.Sign up here by April 6th for a cleaning during the month of April. Be sure to enter "PRAIRIE PTO" in the comments to participate.

Following sign up, you will receive a booking confirmation with your scheduled cleaning date. You have the option of paying online or providing a check at time of service. Check out the San-A-Can website for more information.

Sixth graders from Prairie and Station are invited to attend the 6th grade combined social (Beach Bash) on its new date: Friday, April 10th, 7 - 9 PM at Prairie! If you previously purchased tickets for the event in January, you are all set. If you haven't yet registered, you can do so here.

"Welcome to the Real World" is a simulation for 8th graders of what life will be like when they are 25. We love to have parent volunteers join us for this activity to help it run smoothly and be as successful as possible!

Please see the SignUp Genius for additional information.

8th grade parents, please click here to read about our end of the year expectations and privileges for your 8th grader.

Excited to celebrate the milestone of your student wrapping up their middle school adventure? The Prairie PTO is pleased to offer an 8th grade celebration tee shirt (or sweatshirt!) complete with the names of each student from the Prairie class of 2026. Order your shirt here by April 17th for free delivery direct to your student at Prairie. Congratulations class of 2026!

Do you have an incoming 6th grader or are you looking to refresh your Prairie student’s spiritwear selection? Look no further - the Prairie PTO has you covered! Check out our online spiritwear store here and order by April 15th.

The Prairie PTO is gearing up for the 2026/27 school year and is looking for volunteers to fill key committee positions. These fabulous committees keep our PTO programming running - from staff appreciation to the grade-level socials, the PTO brings joy to the BMS Prairie community all year long. Sign up here and please share with incoming 6th grade families as well!

While we have you here - join us on Tuesday, April 14th for a general PTO meeting at 9:15 AM. All are welcome to attend and we always have great updates from Mr. Lobbins and his administrative team. RSVP here.

As we begin the next stretch of the school year, we want to thank you for your continued cooperation during dismissal. Your support helps us keep students safe and ensures that our procedures run smoothly for everyone.

To maintain a safe and orderly dismissal, please follow these expectations:

Parents may park in the ELC parking lot and wait for their students.
Supervisors will be stationed outside to monitor students as they walk along the sidewalk to the ELC so they can reach your vehicle safely.

Parents may also park in designated parking spaces in the upper lot between Prairie and the ELC.
However, all vehicles must be parked fully in marked spaces. Please do not block other cars, stop in drive lanes, or pull along the curb. This expectation is mandatory to keep traffic flowing and ensure visibility for students and staff.

Please stay alert to students and staff entering all parking lots and crosswalks.
Our students are excited to head home, and we need every driver to remain attentive and cautious.

Finally, we know dismissal can be busy, and many families are trying to get to after-school responsibilities. No matter how rushed we may feel, we ask everyone to show patience—and most importantly, kindness. A calm and respectful environment keeps our students safe and models the behavior we hope to instill in them.

Thank you for helping us make dismissal safe, efficient, and positive for all Prairie students and families.

For the safety of our students, please let us know anytime someone other than a parent/guardian will be picking up your child.

If your student will be leaving early with a different person for any reason, please include the following information in the notes section of the absence request form:

• The name of the person picking up your student

• The reason for the early dismissal

If this information is not included in the form, a parent/guardian must call the front office so we can properly document the change.

Without prior notification, we are unable to release a student to another parent or authorized individual. This policy helps us ensure that every dismissal is approved by the family and that all students remain safe.

Additionally, due to a change in school code by the Illinois State Board of Education, a medical note is now required when selecting “MEDUE: Medical/Dental Appointment” in Infinite Campus or when calling your student out for a any health-related appointments. The absence will be marked unexcused until a note is provided. If your student does not return to school the same day, the note may be submitted the following day.

Check out our spring offerings!

Click here to check out all of the great things that are happening with the Boys and Girls Club!

Your outgrown spiritwear, that is. To school. No extra trip to the resale shop required!

The PTO has placed boxes inside the main and student activities entrances to collect your too-small or rarely worn spiritwear. They are hoping to pass along items your kids have outgrown to others who can give them a second life.

The plan is for the boxes to be there throughout the year, so send 'em in!

Click here!