Panther Press

As a principal—and more importantly, as someone who deeply values childhood—I’ve always felt a moral discomfort with the idea of young children spending their precious few hours at home (during the week) doing homework.

After a full day of learning, I believe those hours should be spent reconnecting with family, playing outside, exploring interests, and simply being kids. I actually have distinct memories of my working mom getting super frustrated every night while she struggled to do homework with my brother (not me of course I was perfect LOL)! All jokes aside it made my brother hate learning, it made my mom hate nights when she came home from work...and all in all the value that it added to our academic success was very minimal.

Research backs this up. Studies show that homework in elementary school has little to no academic benefit. According to education researcher Harris Cooper, while homework can support learning in older students, its impact on younger children is minimal and can even lead to stress and family tension. Instead of boosting achievement, it often takes away from time that’s more developmentally valuable.

Children thrive when they have time to play freely, engage in imaginative activities, and bond with loved ones. The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that play is essential to healthy brain development, helping children build social skills, resilience, and creativity. Similarly, family time—whether it’s reading together, sharing meals, or talking about the day—fosters emotional security and communication skills that are foundational for lifelong success.

That said, meaningful learning can still happen at home. Activities like reading, helping cook dinner, or exploring nature can reinforce classroom concepts in joyful, low-pressure ways.

As your principal, I believe in nurturing the whole child. Let’s continue to prioritize balance, well-being, and the kind of learning that happens not just in school, but in life.

Amy Lemons

Principal

Check out our Walk to School Pictures!

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Upcoming Events:

October 8th-Vertigo Spirit Night 5:30-7:30

October 13th-October 17th-Fall Break-No School

October 18th-Boo Bash at The Grove in Wills Park

October 21st-Lillie Pozatek Community Meeting at Northwestern MS 9:30am

October 22nd-Parent Class "Strategies to better communicate with your child." 8:00am

October 24th-3rd Grade Musical 8:00am-8:30am

Finding Nemo Auditions Begin

Taste of NPE-5:30-7:00 (Info Below)

October 27th-October 31st-Read Ribbon Week-Dress Up Days Below

October 31st-PreK & Kindergarten Character Parade 7:50am (Parents are invited)

Tuesday November 4th- No School for Students-Election Day

November 7th-House Day

November 8th-Hands On New Prospect-Clean Up Day 9:00am

Save the Dates for our Thanksgiving Feasts! In the Cafe during normal lunch times! Tickets will be on sale soon!

Tuesday November 18th- 1st & 3rd 11:20-12:30

1st starts at 11:20-11:54

3rd starts at 11:37-12:30

Wednesday November 19th- 2nd & 5th 11:05-12:15

2nd-11:05-11:40

5th-11:40-12:15

Thursday November 20th- PreK, K & 4th 10:30-12:50

PreK- 10:30

K-10:30

4th- 12:10-12:50

New Prospect Calendar 2024-2025

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We’re excited to invite all families to our annual event, Taste of New Prospect, on Friday, October 24th, from 5:30-7:00 PM.

This is a vibrant celebration of the diverse cultures that make our school community so special! Taste of New Prospect is a wonderful opportunity to share your family's heritage through food, music, art, clothing, or traditions. If you’d like to participate and showcase your culture, please sign up using the flyer below.

We can’t wait to learn more about the incredible backgrounds that enrich our school—thank you for helping make this night unforgettable!

Sign Up to Participate in Taste of New Prospect

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National Bullying Prevention Month

October in National Bullying Prevention Month, so it’s the perfect time to teach students how to handle bullying behavior- as well as what the difference is between rude, mean, and bullying behavior. Our on-site Mental Health Therapist, Mrs. Charlotte Handel led our first Parent Chat this year on Parenting and setting healthy boundaries around technology.

Guidance with Mrs. McLeod

In Brain Building Guidance Lessons, students learned to distinguish between different behaviors and how to respond to them. Check out some family tips below from common sense media:

Help Kids Fight Cyberbullying and Other Mean Online Behavior

Most kids will encounter mean behavior at some point in their digital lives. For some kids, this experience is a blip that's easily forgotten, while for others it can have deep, long-lasting effects. For parents, the key is staying involved in kids' lives -- both online and off -- so they can step in and offer help if necessary. With guidance from parents and educators, kids can learn how to dodge the drama and stand up for others.

Check out these 6 tips

Define your terms.

Make sure kids understand what cyberbullying is: repeated and unwanted mean or hurtful words or behavior that occur online (through texts, social media posts, online chat, etc.).

Check in about online life.

Just like you'd ask your kid about their sleep, exercise, and eating, stay on top of their online life. Who are they chatting with? How do people treat each other in the games and on the sites they're using?

Role-play.

If kids feel like they might have trouble removing themselves from digital drama, experiment with some different ways they can make a graceful exit. Talk through words they can use, ways they can steer conversations in positive directions, etc.

Encourage upstanding.

Let kids know that supporting a friend or acquaintance who is being bullied can make a big difference. If they feel safe confronting the bully, they should. If not, a private message to the victim can be enough to help someone through a tough time. Speaking up against hate speech is important, too.

Take breaks.

If you notice your kid getting pulled into digital drama, help them take a break. It's great if they can determine for themselves when they need to step back, but they might need some help setting limits. Putting devices to bed at a specific time, plus breaks for mealtimes and face-to-face connection, can help kids recharge.

Review worst-case steps.

Walk through what to do if your kid is being bullied online. First, step away. Ignoring a bully can be very effective. If the bullying continues, take screenshots or print out evidence. Then block the person. If it gets worse, report the behavior to a trusted adult. Talk about who those people are and make sure your kid has their contact information.

Creative Thinking with Mrs. Anderson & Mrs. Share

This was a fun month in brain building. Our K-5 students used the letter V to learn about the four parts to creativity: fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration.

Fluency – Students in grades K-5 brainstormed many things that a letter V could transform into. They came up with an alligator’s mouth, peace sign, ice cream cone, volcano.
Flexibility - We then talked about how the letter V can be turned in different directions or stretched to show the idea of flexibility. For example, a student could turn the V into a rocket and add the motion of it taking off.
Originality discusses coming up with ideas that nobody else has thought about yet. One student came up with the V being a dog’s collar. Since no other student had thought of this idea, it was considered original
Elaboration – Adding details and titles to make the idea more interesting and more complete. If they said they were making a volcano, they could elaborate by adding lava flowing out, smoke clouds, and trees. When coming up with a title, instead of using “Volcano,” they might say, “Run!” or “The creation of a new island” or “Eruption!”

Students then had a chance to practice with a different letter. The letters they received were differentiated by their grade, and we helped write the titles for our youngest students.

Media Center with Ms. Spitzner

In the Media Center, the focus for this round of Brain Building was Digital Citizenship!

Some grades focused on Privacy and Safety. Kindergarteners learned about staying safe online by sticking to websites that are right for them and only talking to people they know. First grade talked about the "Internet Traffic Light" and considered situations when it's safe to go ahead, or when it's best to pause and talk to an adult. Second and fourth graders talked about private vs. personal information, and we reinforced the importance of seeking a trusted adult when a website asks for either. Fourth graders went a little deeper and discussed more nuanced boundaries as they navigate the internet more independently.

Third and Fifth graders focused on Media Literacy. Third graders studied how easily images can be manipulated online, and they discussed ways to be critical of what they see on the internet. Fifth graders reviewed the different parts of an online article and talked about how each one can point us toward relevancy (or lack thereof).

The FCS Instructional Technology Department uses Common Sense Media to teach these lessons to students through videos, discussion, and activities. All of the students participated so well and had terrific thoughts to share! We hope these lead to thoughtful approaches to navigating the internet both at school and at home.

Health with Mrs. Friedman

Health lessons during Brain Building focused on the Strong4Life healthy habit “Eat Smarter.” Students were introduced to the term “nutrition” while learning about the five food groups. Fruits and vegetables and their many nutritious, bright colors were highlighted, as part of the “eat a rainbow” strategy. Students also learned about the “MyPlate” model, which is a helpful visual guide for making healthy food choices.

In kindergarten and first grade, students met five adorable cartoon characters designed to introduce students to the five food groups. In second grade, students made decisions about their favorite healthy foods while creating their own “MyPlate.” Third graders brainstormed recipes for delicious, nutritious smoothies, while fourth graders created grocery lists to help them plan a healthy meal of their choice. In fifth grade, students focused on healthy snacking, creating snack box plans using the five food groups.