The Pritchett Post -- 9/4/26
Home of the Panthers!
Dear Pritchett Families,
Our Open House was very exciting and officially kicked off our new school year! It was nice to see so many of you, and we appreciate your wonderful comments about the Pritchett staff. Many have asked to review the presentations shared by the Specials, Related Services and Emergent Bilingual teams. Please find them below. I also included my presentation as well.
At Open House, we shared our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework. At Pritchett, PBIS helps us focus on teaching and celebrating the behaviors we want to see every day. We center our daily expectations around three simple goals: Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful. When our Panthers show these behaviors, teachers recognize them with blue tickets called "Paws." Students collect their Paws to help fill our "Pritchett Ticket Tower"—and once we reach the top, our entire school will enjoy a school-wide celebration! Please take a moment to review the attached PBIS matrix with your child to help reinforce these expected behaviors at home.
Finally, please be mindful of when school begins. We bring students into the building at 8:50 a.m. and start instruction at 9:00 a.m. Please make sure your child arrives at school on time. It is unfair to classmates to interrupt or repeat directions due to tardiness. We appreciate your support in this matter.
For your children,
Dr. Moreland, Principal
Save the date.....Pritchett School Picture Day will be Thursday, September 17. Be sure to tell your child to wear their smile!
More information will be shared soon.
Starting mid September, we will begin Second Step® Elementary, a research-based social-emotional learning program designed to improve children’s social-emotional skills. Second Step skills and concepts are designed to help children both in and out of school. Four units will cover the following:
- Growth Mindset & Goal-Setting: Children learn how to pay attention and manage distractions, develop a growth mindset, and apply goal-setting strategies to their social and academic lives.
- Emotion Management: Children learn how to identify and label emotions and use emotion management strategies—including stress management for older students—to calm strong feelings.
- Empathy & Kindness: Children learn how to recognize kindness and act kindly, have empathy for others and take others’ perspectives, and recognize kind acts and empathy as important elements of building and maintaining relationships.
- Problem-Solving: Children learn how to identify and state a problem, recognize if a problem is an accident, and use the STEP problem-solving process:
- S: Say the problem
- T: Think of solutions
- E: Explore the outcomes
- P: Pick a solution
For an overview of our first unit, Growth Mindset & Goal Setting, please click the grade-level link below. You’ll receive weekly communications from your child’s teacher to help you reinforce Second Step language, skills, and goals at home. If you have any questions about Second Step Elementary, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Moreland, Mrs. Robinson, or your child’s teacher for more information. Thank you for your support as we work to build a safe and supportive school community.
Mrs. Colvin's Class
Mrs. Huling's Class
Mrs. O'Gara's Class
Mrs. Zimmerman's Class
Ms. Boznos invites all students to participate in this September's Reading Challenge! Click on the flyer below to see what Ms. Boznos has prepared! Please note that books read by parents count. Happy reading!!
If you are driving your child, please note that students will not be able to enter the building nor exit their vehicle prior to 8:50 a.m. Staff will be present out front in our car drop-off line each morning. Students are dismissed between 3:25 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Please Note:
Cars need to approach the school traveling south on Horatio Blvd.
Cars may only make a right-hand turn into the parking lot.
Cars may only make a right-hand turn to exit the parking lot.
Parents need to remain in their cars during drop-off and pick-up.
Cars need to pull all the way forward to the marked “Stop Here” sign.
Parents need to stay “in line.” Please follow the car ahead of you.
Illinois State law prohibits cell phone use in a school zone.
Cars may begin lining up to pick up their child no earlier than 3:10 p.m. If you plan on picking up your child at the end of the school day, please print the "Student Pick-Up Sign" below. Please display it on your dashboard, closest to the passenger side of the car. This particular sign lets the pick-up supervisors quickly identify your child, their grade level, and their teacher. Displaying this sign will add to the efficiency of our pick-up process. Thank you! (Please see the map below)
For example, if your child takes the bus every day and you are picking them up for a doctor's appointment at 2:30, please send a note that morning. In an 'emergency' situation you may send an email to Ms. Barraza via email at ibarraza@d102.org. Unfortunately, we will not be able to honor any emails/calls after 3 pm.
Tuesdays: 9/8, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29,10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27
Thursdays: 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 10/8 (no class 10/15) 10/22, 10/29
If you have specific questions, please reach out to our ASP Sponsor:
Julie Coon (jcoon@d102.org)
First Student has implemented a new bus monitoring system called FIRSTacts. This system quickly and efficiently captures inappropriate behavior and instantly shares it with Dr. Moreland and Mrs. Robinson. Students who are reported will receive communication through email regarding their child's misconduct. Various disciplinary measures will be issued including suspension from riding the school bus.
To ensure the safest transportation possible for all of our students, please take a moment to review the following bus etiquette with your child:
- Remain seated, facing forward
- K-3 students must sit in their assigned seat
- No eating or drinking on the bus
- Use inside voices
If you have specific questions about FIRSTActs please reach out to our Director of Transportation, Ms. Denise Koto (dkoto@d102.org) or First Student.
A Note from the Nurse
Hope everyone is getting settled in the 26/27 school year! My name is Mrs. Priscilla Lowe, and I am the nurse at Pritchett School. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any health concerns or questions.
If you have a child with life threatening food allergies who requires epinephrine, an inhaler for asthma, a seizure disorder, or a daily medication, please reach out to me ASAP to keep your child safe in school.
As a reminder, children cannot be given prescription medications or over-the-counter medications at school without a medication authorization form signed by their doctor. I have provided the link from the D102 website where you can download this form. Click Here. Please remember ALL medications must be in the original bottles or boxes, and brought to school by an adult.
Please follow this link if you have questions about immunizations, physical, dental, and vision forms. Links to forms are on the bottom of the page.
Finally, please see the excusal chart for physical education class below.
Hoping to have a happy, safe, and healthy school year with your children!
Priscilla Lowe, RN, BSN, PEL-Certified School Nurse
Phone: (847) 353-5708
Fax: (847) 215-3259
ROOM PARENTS
The PTO is looking for Room Parent volunteers to help support your child's classroom! Room parents assist teachers in planning the Halloween and End of Year Parties, are a "go-to" resource for classroom support, and help connect families in the classroom and throughout D102. If you are interested, please review the requirements and submit your name for consideration using the Room Parent Interest form by 9/11. We will notify selected room parents by email by 9/14. Please note there will be a Zoom orientation for those selected on 9/16 at 7:30pm. Please direct questions to PTO Co-VPs for Pritchett, Carolyn Tomchik and Mandy Roeder (D102PritchettVP@gmail.com).
In case you get more parents interested in volunteer opportunities, here's our interest form:
PTO VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: https://d102pto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/168988
Thank you!
Carolyn Tomchik & Mandy Roeder
PTO Co-VPs for Pritchett
September Calendar Events
September 7: No School
September 14-18: MAP Testing for 3rd Grade Students
September 15: Practice Fire Drill (AM)
September 16: Early Dismissal @ 2:00 PM
September 17: Picture Day
September 21: No School
September 25: Fire Drill Practice with BGFD (AM)
September 30: Early Dismissal @ 2:00 PM
Dr. Matt K. Moreland, Principal
Email: mmoreland@d102.org
Website: https://www.d102.org/pritchett/
Phone: (847) 363-5700
Mrs. Lexi Robinson, Associate Principal
Email: arobinson@d102.org
Website: https://www.d102.org/pritchett/
Phone: (847) 353-5700