Prairie City Elementary Newsletter

April 2021

PBIS School-Wide Reward

During the month of April, grade levels will earn the chance to eat lunch outside at the end of the month! Students will earn this by improving on following lunchroom expectations and demonstrating appropriate lunchroom behavior. The projected reward date is set for Friday April 30th. Please remind your children to practice good manners while eating at school as they would in a restaurant with you. That's the reminder I use at school. Thank you for helping us earn this opportunity.

Earth Day Activities

PCE will be celebrating Earth Day school-wide on Friday, April 23rd. One way we will recognize this day is to start the morning with every student K-5 walking out into the community by grade levels to clean up around the school grounds and in the community. This is a great way for our students to practice being responsible citizens and give back to the community! We are excited to do this. Please know the younger students will be remaining closest to the school grounds for this event. There will be other activities throughout the day occurring within the school as well. The rain date for the clean up day is April 30.

Upcoming Student Assessments

Iowa Statewide Assessments of Student Progress (ISASP):

Week of April 19-Grades 3,4,5

*Thanks to the PTO for providing treats for this.

FastBridge Fall, Winter, Spring Assessments:

Week of May 3-K-5 Math Screening Assessments

Week of May 10-K-5 Reading Screening Assessments

Field Trips Update:

Traditional spring field trips are being examined and depending on mitigation that can be implemented, consistent with PCM guidelines and which businesses are accepting schools right now, decisions will be made about what trips/activities will occur. Thanks for understanding.

Thanks to our amazing Parent-Teacher Organization!

Because of all of the generous donations from our extended family and friends of Prairie City Elementary, the PTO fundraiser with POP! at pop4kids.com, with Chad Svendson, was a HUGE success! The fundraiser earned over $40,000 and a net profit for the PTO to give back to our school (curricular materials, new playground costs etc.) of over $20,000 plus over $4,000 to spend on Science, Math, Technology equipment for our classrooms.

Stay tuned for details about an end of the year celebration family fun night sponsored by PTO! Save the date for May 14 5:30-8:00 for a free outdoor family celebration on a wonderful year! Be on the lookout for details from the PTO.

Plans for New PCE Playgrounds!

There are quotes coming in for a new preschool play area. The tentative plan for this is to be located on the south side of the link office area, to the east of the baseball field in the grass area west of the middle school building.

There are also quotes being gathered for plans to replace the larger school-age playground on the west side of the school where the current playground is. Stay tuned! This is so exciting!

Bittersweet News

PCE parents/guardians,

As most of you know, this is my fifth year as the Prairie City Elementary principal.The time sure has flown by! I have absolutely enjoyed my time serving in this capacity for the PCM CSD. Getting to know and support the PCE staff, you parents and your sweet children is one of the best things about my time as a principal. I will cherish all of the relationships I have formed while in this position and intend to continue to nurture those. Thank you for your support these past 5 years.

In the fall, I will be transferring into a new role for PCM. I will be serving as the full time PK-12 Special Education Director for PCM in an operational sharing position with Colfax-Mingo. I will serve PCM for 3 days and Colfax-Mingo for 2 days per week. While I am truly excited about this and my background experience has been in special education, I am saddened to think of what I will miss in the role of the principal when the fall comes.

I am confident in the direction of the district and in Prairie City Elementary. I believe we have strong teachers, committed teacher leaders and terrific support staff that know how to work together as a team to do what is right for students. I know those great things will carry on at PCE under new instructional leadership and I plan to collaborate with the new administration, just in a different role.

Thank you again for all you have helped teach me while in this role, thanks for your patience, support, encouragement, feedback, collaboration, teamwork and most of all, for sharing your children with me. I have been blessed and have grown both personally and professionally because of it.

I will still see you around the district and will continue to live in Prairie City with my family.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Ver Helst

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