What's Rolling at Rolling :)

Families,

Thank you for how you showed up for conferences and your support as we've made it one quarter of the way through the school year! This next quarter will fly by with holidays and many events happening inside our school over the next two months - it's going to be fun :).

Today has been the beginning as there is such joy in seeing students dressed up! All day students have loved pretending and are smiling with what they see on one another. Every student here at Rolling has so much to offer just being themself and today captured that as everyone had fun pretending too. As adults, we have such an important position as we get to foster that belief or not. In education, we have learned through research, that one of the top three ways that we can impact learning is simply through believing. Not a wish, but a true belief that a student can and the support that backs that up.

The connection for me is that on a day like today, students get to "pretend" with a sense of belief as they dress up in costumes. It can be fun to watch as kids will live out that belief through pretending and dressing up. The reflection then is how much more powerful it can be when the adults that are around children believe too. In this case, not the costumes from today, but belief that students really can. That where they are now does not decide their future. That through the power of belief, matched by actions that show it's real, students will achieve.

When students believe that the adults around them believe in them, we truly have the power to change the world. I heard a speaker once say that there is no world, only 8 billion interpretations of it. So if we change the life of one person, even only one person, we've changed the world. So let's do that together.

-David Burden

Monday, November 2nd we will start sending home iPads daily. As we enter winter weather and the unexpected weather cancellations, having iPads ready at home is important to complete eLearning days when they happen with not much warning.

We encourage you to still find balance at home with screen time as the iPads will make access to getting online easier. Setting time limits at home as well as a designated place to plug in for the night is a good practice so that students are able to separate from the device. Devices should not be shared as each iPad is assigned to a specific student and so all data is recorded under their information. Finally, our district has a security filter that helps us safeguard against inappropriate content as well as flags words and phrases that would indicate unsafe online engagement.

Thank you for your help in keeping your child safe and monitoring the use of iPads as they go home. If you have any questions or issues, please contact the school's office for support.

We are fortunate to be able to offer warm jackets, hats and gloves as students have need during the upcoming winter weather. Students should do their best to dress for the weather, and often times this means dressing in layers. The school inside will be warm, however, as often as we can go outside for recess we will do so. Having the appropriate clothing to be outside will be important. If you need assistance with winter clothing, please reach out to Ms. Williams at mayawilliams@npusc.k12.in.us or on ParentSquare by sending a direct message to her.

Our feel-like temperature or windchill to go outside is 15 degrees. If the temperatures are below this, we stay inside for recess. During winter recess, as often as we can be outside we will. However, to play in the snow students need the 5 items to play - coat, hat, gloves, snow pants and boots. If they don't have these 5 items, they will still go outside for recess but not able to play in the snow. Students are able to leave their snow gear here at school. Please help practice putting on their snow gear should they bring it to school :).

Coughing and runny nose season is creeping up. It will be inevitable that your child will get a cold or symptoms like it during the winter season. Unless a child is throwing up or running a fever of above 100.4 degrees, they should come to school. A student should be fever free for 24-hours before coming back to school. Good attendance includes coming even when showing symptoms of a cold but not sick enough to stay home.

Preventative measures are the best steps you can take. Covering coughs and washing hands are great practices to remind your child of now. In addition, getting good rest will help keep bodies healthy during the upcoming season. So many fun things will be happening over the next two months, missing out with illness is hopefully something we can work together on to avoid!

Different than flex days, a day that is unexpected and we are at home because of weather cancellations, we may be in situations where students are expected to learn at home virtually. The first two weather cancellations will be made up in-person on 2/8/27 & 3/15/27. Live virtual instruction per state requirement would occur on weather cancellation days #3 through #7. An 8th weather cancellation day or more will result in additional school days added to the calendar in late May or June 2027.

In the event that we have cancellation days where students do live virtual instruction, the document linked below outlines the CST times that students would be joining via Google Meet or Zoom to do live instruction with their classroom teacher. To be counted present on these days, students must participate in all live instructional blocks. Teachers will communicate details through ParentSquare with families should these days be something we have to do.

Our next flex day on Tuesday, November 3rd will be another day where students are assigned tasks to work on independently. To be counted present for the day, students must log onto their iPad and answer the attendance question. From there, tasks will be provided to students that is meant to be practice of skills that have been taught. If you have any questions or need help throughout the day, please message teachers on ParentSquare and they will be able to assist throughout the day as they also are participating in professional development.

On Tuesday, November 10th we will have our annual Wizard Night from 5:30-6:30pm CST! This is a night where we encourage students and families to come dressed up with their wizard robes or magical costumes as we explore STEM ideas that feel a bit like magic :). We will have light refreshments, take home magic pen and prizes for those who come dressed up! Hope to see all our families here that night!

This year Rolling Prairie Elementary would like to recognize the veterans of our community by inviting any current or past members of our nation's military to come be part of a special parade within our school. Rolling will be hosting this parade on Wednesday, November 11th at 9am CST.

Those who would be willing to come would be invited to wear their military uniforms and be escorted in the parade by their student(s) that attend Rolling Prairie. The parade will be a walk through our building as the entire student body lines the hallways to show our appreciation for our veteran's service. After the parade, students who escorted their veteran will enjoy a refreshment in the cafeteria as a final celebration.

If you would like to participate in this special day or have a family member who is a veteran that would be able to come, please call the office to RSVP for the event at 219-778-2018. We are honored to open our school to you and yours as we recognize the incredible sacrifice made for us and our children of Rolling Prairie Elementary.

We need you! Coming in January, we will need a new secretary/treasurer at Rolling as Toree Friedrich has accepted a new role in the district. Toree has been at Rolling for many years and she will certainly be missed. So here is where you come in :)...

Help us get the word out to apply for our secretary/treasurer position! See the application link below.

I invite ALL students to join me in wearing red on Friday, November 13th for World Kindness Day. An individual I admire and modeled this in ways ahead of his time is Mr. Fred Rogers. So for those of you that would like to help me in honoring him and all he did to bring kindness to our world, you can wear a cardigan as well. I'll be wearing my red cardigan on this day :)

We are back again for with Girls Who Code in November! This is led by Amazon Think Big Space as they visit our school monthly with 1st & 4th grade students. The upcoming Girls Who Code club are on Monday, November 9th with 3rd-5th grade students, and Tuesdays, November 10th with K-2nd students. Each night the club is from 3:30-4:30pm CST in our STEM Lab at Rolling Prairie. Sign up link is below!

AGT's Matt Wilhelm, BMX star, at our anti-bullying assembly.

Fire prevention and safety presented by the Kankakee Fire Department.

Kindergarten's field trip to the pumpkin patch.

1st grade's pumpkin investigation, prediction, and math practice.

Staff vs. students volleyball game as we celebrated our Tat-a-Teacher fundraiser.

4th grade's field trip to Kankakee River Days.

Kindergarten's apple experiments.

International Day of Coding on October 29th.

October Leaders of the Pack!

NPUSC is looking for substitute teachers! Those interested can apply at https://www.npusc.k12.in.us/substitute-teachers/ or contact us at 574-654-7272!

Join us and experience The New Prairie Difference!

We strongly encourage families to complete the link below for a volunteer background check. This is needed annually. Background checks are required to chaperone field trips, being a classroom helper, VIP days, and lunch at school with your child. Taking care of this early is so important so that no one is excluded from events because of missing information as it can be prevented.

Other events such as "Leader of the Pack" at Gathering and showcases of learning will only require an ID to enter the building.

11/2 - Boys Basketball Game @ 4pm at Rolling Prairie

11/3 - Flex Day, eLearning

11/4 - Boys Basketball Game @ 4pm at Rolling Prairie

11/5 - 1st Grade Vision Screening at Olive

11/5 - PTO Full Tilt Give Back Night @ 3-9pm

11/6 - Late Start Friday

11/8 - International STEM Day

11/9 - Smiley's Think Big Space Field Trip @ 12pm at NPHS

11/9 - 3rd-5th Girls Who Code @ 3:30pm in STEM Lab

11/10 - 5th Grade South Bend Symphony Field Trip

11/10 - Pavey's Think Big Space Field Trip @ 9:30pm at NPHS

11/10 - Surma's Think Big Space Field Trip @ 12pm at NPHS

11/10 - Smiley's Owl Pellet Dissection @ 2pm in STEM Lab

11/10 - K-2nd Girls Who Code @ 3:30pm

11/10 - Boys Basketball Game @ 4pm at Prairie View

11/10 - Wizard Night @ 5:30-6:30pm at Rolling Prairie

11/11 - Veteran's Day Parade @ 9am at Rolling Prairie

11/11 - Pavey's Owl Pellet Dissection @ 11:50am in STEM Lab

11/11 - Wolfe's Think Big Space Field Trip @ 1:45pm at NPHS

11/12 - Fire & Lockdown Drill

11/12 - Kirkham's Think Big Space Field Trip @ 12:15pm at NPHS

11/12 - Serry's Think Big Space Field Trip @ 1:45pm at NPHS

11/12 - Boys Basketball Game @ 4:30pm at North Liberty

11/13 - World Kindness Day (wear red)

11/13 - Late Start Friday

11/16 - Paull's Think Big Space Field Trip @ 9:15am at NPHS

11/16 - Horvath's Think Big Space Field Trip @ 12:15pm at NPHS

11/16 - PTO Meeting @ 3:30pm in Library

11/17 - 1st Grade Ethos Field Trip

11/17 - Spence's Think Big Space Field Trip @ 12:15pm at NPHS

11/19 - Boys Basketball Game @ 4pm at Rolling Prairie

11/20 - Late Start Friday

11/20 - Popcorn Friday sponsored by PTO

11/23 - School Board Spotlight of Rolling Prairie @ 6pm at Rolling Prairie

11/24 - 3rd Grade Showcase of Learning @ 1pm

11/25 - 11/27 - Thanksgiving Break, No School