September News

We are off to a splendid start!

What a great first week of school we have had! Students are sharing joy and kindness and spreading it around like wildfire. It is refreshing to see how they look after one another and care for each other. The strength in their friendships stands out.

In our opening days we gathered outside for a Flag Raising Ceremony to commemorate our first day, we had an assembly where we welcomed all new students and staff, and we had Scherlings Photography onsite for our annual School Picture Day. All of that was smooth sailing!

We started a facebook page for our school so you can follow us on social media. We intend to use the page to share information with you and to recognize and celebrate success of Prairie Rose Elementary. Please use this link to find and follow our facebook page.

September is a busy month...as busy as any! Students will engage in a beginning-of-year assessment process in which all students will complete short, screener-type assessments to determine readiness for learning, retention of skills, and potentially level of need for intervention. If your child's results indicate an intervention might be a good fit, the classroom teacher will be in touch. Otherwise, we will hold formal Parent-Teacher Conferences in October where information about student progress will be made available.

Our high school, BHS Demons , are hosting their annual Homecoming Week in September and we plan to celebrate with them in their week-long dress up days. Stay tuned for details about our Prairie Rose version of dress up days. 😄

What a wonderful time of year Fall is! Enjoy every minute, enjoy every color change! 🍃🍃🍂🍂

You can order Prairie Rose gear anytime throughout the year by visiting our online store. The online store features many styles and choice and plenty of Panther pride!

Show your school spirit and gear up in style! 👉 Visit our apparel site HERE

Applications are accepted anytime during the school year for free or reduced meals. If your household income changes at anytime during the school year and you think you may qualify for Free or Reduced Meal benefits, you can apply Online through your LINQ Connect account or submit a Free/Reduced application at Prairie Rose Elementary.

Free or Reduced meal benefits DO NOT rollover from year to year, you must reapply every year. If you qualified for Free or Reduced Meal benefits during the previous school year, you will receive a 30 school day grace period. Your benefits will expire after the first 30 school days of new year, if a new application has not been received. Students will be charged full price for lunches if no application is received by the 30 day cut off. Charges will continue until the application is received, entered, and approved for benefits. These meal charges will not be reversed, and will become the parents' obligation to pay.

When students are approved for Free or Reduced meals, it covers reimbursable meals and does not include any Ala-Carte items. Ala-carte is an additional food item that can be purchased at full price if a student has funds in their lunch account or cash to cover the cost. There is no charging allowed for Ala-carte items.

You may find the online application at our BPS Website.

On November 3, 2026, Bismarck voters will consider a $116.5 million bond referendum to address significant facility needs across Bismarck Public Schools.

The revised proposal is approximately $10.5 million less than the measure considered in June. It focuses on four priorities across the district:

• Keep Students Safe
• Create Better Learning Spaces
• Expand Student Opportunities
• Preserve Our Investment

What This Means for Prairie Rose

If the bond is approved, planned projects at our school include:

• New front office and lobby area for upgraded security
• Elevator addition so all students have easy access to all levels
• Complete building ventilation upgrade for improved ventilation and air filtration.
• Partial roof replacement to address a section of roof that is overdue for replacement.

Benefits Throughout the District

The proposal includes work at schools throughout BPS. Even projects that are not located at Prairie Rose will affect our students as they move through the district, particularly at the middle and high school levels.

• Wachter Middle School
• There are several planned upgrades to accessibility, restroom and locker room families, ventilation, and more at Wachter Middle School.
• Bismarck High School
• BHS will receive additional classroom space, a modernized and enhanced library, building-wide ventilation upgrades, and more.

The November bond measure requires 60% voter approval to pass. Families can learn more about the complete proposal, individual school projects, tax implications, and the long-range facilities plan at: http://www.bismarckschools.org/2026bond

Missing just 1 or 2 days a month makes it hard for students to:

• Gain and retain reading and math skills

• Build meaningful relationships

• Develop life and work habits

• Feel positively about school and themselves

What you can do...

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before
• Use the school calendar in your family planning
• Talk about and celebrate school everyday
• Keep up to date with school communication
• Create a routine for practice and learning at home

Start the school year off right!

• Generate excitement by doing a countdown until the 1st day of school.

• Attend open house with your child to meet teachers and classmates.

• Read the school handbook for health and safety procedures.

• Ask for resources to continue learning at home when needed.

• Have a backup plan for getting to school such as family members, neighbors or another parent.

• If your child seems anxious about school talk to your teacher, doctor or other parents for advice.

We warmly invite all Prairie Rose families to get involved in our Parent Teacher Association (PTA)! Your participation makes a meaningful difference in supporting our students, staff, and school community.

Our first PTA meeting of the school year will be held on September 14th from 6:00–7:00 PM. Meetings are held in our school Collaboration Room, conveniently located next door to the office.

We’re excited to kick off our PTA fundraiser with SchoolStore

SchoolStore is an easy way for families to help support Prairie Rose classrooms and our school through everyday online shopping—no selling products, collecting money, or delivering orders! Participating retailers include many stores families already use.

🦣 And there’s some fun for the kids, too! This year’s theme is Ice Age! Students will bring home a lanyard with simple information for families. By participating, students can earn an Ice Age Book Buddy Mystery Prize, and additional prizes are available through the program.

Watch for more information coming home the week of September 8! We’re excited to try something new and see our Prairie Rose Panthers have some fun while supporting our classrooms! 🐾💙

SEPTEMBER

4 - 4th Grade Field Trip - Indigenous Culture at BHS

7 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

11 - 4th Grade Field Trip to Pow-Wow

14 - PTA Meeting (6:00-7:00)

14-18 - BHS Homecoming Week

21 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Staff Development Day

OCTOBER

7 - Chess Enrichment Day for Grades 3, 4, 5

9 - School Picture Retakes

12 - PTA Meeting (6:00-7:00)

17 - PTA Sponsored Event - Prairie Rose Haunted House

19 - Parent Teacher Conferences (3:00 - 7:00)

20 - Parent Teacher Conferences (3:00 - 7:00)

22 - NO SCHOOL - Administrators Convention Day

23 - NO SCHOOL - Administrators Convention Day

To help with family planning and possible getaways, we wanted to share several upcoming long weekends during the 2026–2027 school year:

• September 5–7 (Labor Day Weekend)

• September 19–21 (Staff Development Day on Monday)

• October 22–25 (No School Thursday–Friday, Admin Convention)

• November 26–29 (Thanksgiving Break)

• December 19–January 3 (Winter Break)

• January 16–18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

• February 13–16 (Presidents’ Day + Staff Development)

• March 4–7 (Storm Make-Up Day + Conferences)

• March 26–29 (Spring/Easter Break)

• April 23–25 (Storm Make-Up Day)

We hope this overview helps your family plan ahead and make the most of these extended breaks! The BPS school calendar is attached below for your reference.