The Texan Star February 2nd

Next week is National School Counseling week! Take a moment next week to thank our AMAZING school counselors, Lauryn Rutherford & Mia Semidey for all of the hard work they do at Prairie Trail.

School counselors play a crucial role in supporting the academic, social, emotional, & career development of our students, and we are SO blessed to have two of the best around! Let’s show them how much we appreciate everything they do! Check out the Staff Spotlight below to learn more about our fabulous counselors.

Calling all new students! LISD enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is now OPEN! Do you have a Kindergartener? Let's help you get them enrolled. The form for Prairie Trail Kindergarten can be filled out HERE!

PTA MEMBERSHIP (VIRTUAL) MEETING - Thursday, February 8th at 6:30pm

Everyone is welcome to attend! Click this link to join the meeting or log on to Zoom and use this code & password:

Meeting ID: 732 1608 9634

Passcode: i9yqjD

Raise happy and well-behaved kids with positive, loving tools!

The Love and Logic approach to parenting is built around the science of caring and respectful relationships. An authentic, loving connection between parents and their children forms the foundation of good behavior and healthy decision-making. Our approach provides a variety of simple and effective strategies for parenting children from birth to adulthood. Whether you’re embarking for the first time with your new baby or navigating the turbulent teens with your child, our strategies and techniques will help you create calm and loving solutions. Becoming A Love and Logic Parent © provides simple and easy to use techniques to help parents have more fun and less stress while raising more responsible kids of all ages. (www.loveandlogic.com).

These classes are offered FREE of charge.

Please let me know if you have any questions 👍

Lauryn Rutherford, M.Ed.

Professional School Counselor

Prairie Trail Elementary School

5555 Timber Creek Rd, Flower Mound, TX, 75028

Lewisville Independent School District

972-350-4062

It’s Valentine’s Day party time! We’re so excited to have our festive grade-wide parties back in the gym this year!

Each grade will rotate through the party during their regular specials time (times listed below), but there are 3 volunteer shifts to choose from. Feel free to sign up for 1 (or 2) shifts and then stick around to hang with your child during their party time.

Click HERE to volunteer and help us make this the best Friendship Party ever! Please note, ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST HAVE AN APPROVED BACKGROUND CHECK IN VOLY TO SIGNUP

Can’t volunteer but just stopping by to hang out with your kiddo during the parties? Pre-registration for volunteers AND visitors is required this year. Be sure to pre-register at this LINK.

Date: February 14, 2024

Times:

• Kinder - 1:00 - 1:50 pm
• 1st Grade - 12:05 - 12:55 pm
• 2nd Grade - 8:50 - 9:40 am
• 3rd Grade - 9:45 - 10:35 am
• 4th Grade - 1:55 - 2:45 pm
• 5th Grade - 10:40 - 11:30 am

Not sure if you have an approved background check on file? Go to https://lewisvilleisd.voly.org/volunteer/login.html and click "My Applications". If you see 4 green boxes, then you are good to go. If not, please complete the necessary steps for approval before signing up.

Back by popular demand is Harry Potter NIGHT!

We need all students to pre-register for this event.

In order for us to have enough materials for students to participate, you must sign-up each student.

The deadline for signing up is the first 300 students or Friday, February 2nd, whichever happens first!

Ms. Howell has planned a fun evening. Students are encouraged to dress up, but there will NOT be a costume contest this year. There will be plenty of opportunities to take pictures.

LINK to pre-register for Harry Potter Night!

All information must be filled out completely.

Add all STUDENTS attending.

Date: February 15th

Time: 6:00-7:30

We have extended the golden ticket Library Reading Buddy-A-Thon until Monday, February 12.

Also, today, we ran out of prizes (which is a good thing). We have more prizes are on the way. If your child didn’t get theirs today, don’t worry, he/she will get it early next week.

Thank you for your continued support!!

Jill Howell

This is our last lesson in Unit 2 over Emotion Management. The next lesson is #10 during the week of Feb. 5th

Here are the links to the overview of the lessons:

English

Spanish

For links to all the lessons for the entire year, CLICK HERE.

We're thrilled to announce our 2024 PTA Honorary Lifetime Member Recipients!

⭐ Melinda Butler-Woolley ⭐ Dana Rieger ⭐ Beth Wykrent ⭐

This prestigious award is a heartfelt acknowledgment of their incredible dedication to our school, our children, and our community.

Please join us in celebrating their well-deserved recognition!

Skip the sitter next weekend and drop the kids off at Win Kids for an evening of running, jumping, playing, gymnastics-ing, ninja-ing and FUN!!!

3 SOLID hours of FUN for only $25 per child!* $20 for each additional sibling. Please call 972-355-9988 to reserve your spot & plan to arrive a few minutes early to check in.

*Snacks & drinks not included; kids may bring their own snack and water bottle, or they will be available for purchase at the door.

Do you or someone you know own a local business & are looking for local sponsorship opportunities?

Do you (or your family) own an Airbnb or vacation rental and want to get the word out to potential renters?

Do you or your company have season tickets for the Cowboys, FC Dallas, The Mavs, The Rangers, Broadway Dallas, or something similar, and you aren’t able to attend every game or event?

The Spring Fest Silent Auction is coming up soon (April 9th - 16th) and is our primary Prairie Trail PTA fundraiser of the year. Spring Fest and the Silent Auction have a broad reach beyond just our school and neighborhood and can help you or your business reach potential new customers/renters/etc.

● Last year’s online silent auction site had over 66,000 views!

● Reach up to 2,000 Spring Fest attendees & social media fans

● Individual auction items had up to 475 UNIQUE clicks/views!

Every penny we raise comes from donations from businesses and families like yours. The funds we raise help to pay for things like:

● New shade structures for the courtyard and the playground

● Basketball goals for the playground

● Classroom supplies for teachers

● Field Trips

● Assemblies and special programs

● Special events for our families like Trunk or Treat

● SO much more!

If you own a business, please consider sponsoring the auction. If you are able to donate an item, tickets to an event, or a week/weekend at a vacation rental, or if you would like to donate your time or services in any way, we would be SO grateful!

Please email Cortney at silentauction@prairietrailpta.org with questions or for more information.

Spread the love with Prairie Trail & Petite Sweets Bakery!

PTE is thrilled to once again partner with Petite Sweets Bakery to bring you DIY Sugar Cookie Decorating Kits just in time for Valentine’s Day!

For just $30, you’ll receive a dozen delicious sugar cookies, along with icing and sprinkles to unleash your inner cookie artist. Plus, 10% of the sales go directly to support PTE!

Click HERE to order, now through Sunday, February 4th @ 9pm.

Pick up your kits on Friday, February 9th from 4-6pm at PTE.

First Grade! This is your time to shine! Each month we’re asking one or two grades to be good citizens and give back to the Prairie Trail community. For the month of February, we’re asking 1st grade to help.

What can you do? There are 3 different ways you can help your Prairie Trail community this month:

1) SNACK DRIVE: February 5th - 9th. Help us restock the snack pantry by bringing in snacks like individually wrapped bags of pretzels, goldfish, applesauce pouches, nutrigrain bars, nut-free granola bars or raisins/craisins. You can also shop directly from the snack wishlist at https://tinyurl.com/Snack1st and select “Prairie Trail Elementary” to have it shipped directly

2) SERVICE SATURDAY (Saturday, February 10th): Join fellow kinder & 1st grade families at Service Saturday on February 10th from 8am-10am as we give back together and help clean up our Prairie Trail Community

3) Valentine’s DIY Cookie Kits (now through February 4th): Create new core family memories while decorating these adorable Valentines Cookies at home & supporting our school at the same time! Order yours today at Tinyurl.com/PTECookieKits

Join us on Saturday, February 10th as we give back to our Prairie Trail Community! We’ll be sprucing up the playground, gardens, plant beds and the surrounding areas to make sure our school is looking its best! So grab the family & bring your rakes, gloves, & anything else you think you might need & join us from 8-10 next Saturday!

Everyone is welcome but Kinder & 1st grade families are ESPECIALLY encouraged to attend this one.

Join the ‘stache bash for Valentine’s Day fun! Bring $1 and rock a mustache all day long at PTE this Valentine’s Day! (Mustaches provided!)

All proceeds go directly to the 5th grade field trip fund.

✋🙋🏽‍♀️🙋‍♀️HELP WANTED🙋🏻‍♂️🙋🏾‍♂️✋: It’s a fresh new year and we have fresh new opportunities to volunteer! Click the links below to learn more and sign up to volunteer during the months of January & February. We can’t wait to see you! :)

📚📚January/February LIBRARY HELPERS📚📚

📝January/February COPY ROOM HELPERS📄

🐶 WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Spring 2024 🐾

Dad, Papá, Baba, Grandpa, Uncle, Papaw, Father, Abuelo, Daddy…whatever name the special kiddo in your life may call you, Prairie Trail NEEDS YOU!!!

Did you miss the kickoff event? No worries! You can still be a part of the Watch D.O.G.S.

How do you get started?

• Make sure you have an updated Background Check Volunteer / Home
• Background Checks have to be done every year.
• Read through the slide deck from last night's event: Linked HERE!
• Don't forget the Safety and Security slides: Linked HERE!
• Optional - Order a shirt https://shop.dadsofgreatstudents.com/shop-all/

***Need more info? Please email Matthew Kulik watchdogs@prairietrailpta.org or Amber Bearden, VP of Volunteers volunteers@prairietrailpta.org.

For ALL the latest info & more upcoming events, hop on over to our PTA WEBSITE at www.prairietrailpta.org. 🌐👀

Follow us on FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM for daily updates, fun content, photos & more!

How many years have you been working in education? 5 years

What do you love about working at Prairie Trail? I love the supportive environment created by the staff, and building relationships with students.

Why did you become an educator? I became an educator to give back what I experienced as a student. I experienced teachers and counselors who believed in me and supported my dreams. I love to support students in their passions and encourage them to achieve anything they put their minds to.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be and why? If I could travel anywhere, it would be Italy. I am very interested in art and history, and Italy has so much to experience. Plus, you can't beat having the most delicious pizza and pasta!

How many years have you been working in education? This is my first year as a Special Education Counselor.

What do you love about working at Prairie Trail? Everyone has been so kind and welcoming to me.

Why did you become an educator? Working in schools is the best way to be a resource for families.

What's your most embarrassing moment? While playing volleyball in middle school, I got hit in the face by a serve from the other team... twice in a row!

How many years have you been teaching? 24 years

Why did you become a teacher? My second grade teacher made such a positive impact on my life. She was so nice, kind, and helpful to all the students. I remember at that young age, I wanted to become a teacher. I wanted to be able to positively impact students as my teachers did for me.

Why do you love teaching at Prairie Trail? I have taught at several schools. There are some schools that are more welcoming than others. PTE has been, by far, the best school I have worked at. From the moment you walk in the front door, you are greeted by the nicest office staff. They are all so helpful and fun. That attitude is seen past the front doors. All staff members go above and beyond to help anyone in need. It truly is a family. The environment makes it easy to come to work everyday. I love teaching at PTE.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be and why? If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would travel back in time to spend the day with my dad. We'd eat our Braum's, while watching the Dallas Cowboys as he reminisced his old football days. I could be anywhere with him, and feel at home.

How many years have you been teaching? This school year is 22 years.

What do you love about working at Prairie Trail? My team is THE best! We support and take care of each other and I couldn't do it without them. Everyone at this campus is kind and generous with their time and knowledge - there is just a good vibe at PTE!!

Why did you become a teacher? I love to be with kids and watch them grow and blossom in so many different ways. It is an honor to be a little part of their life journey!

What is something most people don't know about you? I grew up by the beach and I just know one day I'll be back living somewhere by the sand and water.

How many years have you been teaching? 16 years

What do you love about working at Prairie Trail? I love our school community because we know how to work together to achieve greatness.

Why did you become a teacher? I became a teacher because I wanted to help students learn to develop a love of learning. Knowledge is power!

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be and why? I would visit every tropical beach in the world. There's no other place I would rather be than some beach, somewhere.

Meet the Marauders - Thursday, February 8th 6:00-7:30 @ Awesome Times in Highland Village (2630 Justin Rd. Suite 107)

Join us for a special evening to meet the 2024 Marcus Varsity Baseball Team! It's a fantastic opportunity for our 'Lil Marauders to connect with the players, collect autographs, snap photos with their favorites, and enjoy a memorable time with friends. We will also be giving away MARAUDER SWAG and offering our latest spirit wear for sale. Make sure to grab a burger or MARAUDER sandwich while at Awesome Times (or anytime throughout the day) and make sure to mention Marcus Baseball! We can't wait to see YOU!

Recognize Someone submissions are open again! Would you like to recognize a staff member at Prairie Trail or LISD, click here to type a quick note. It will be printed on a nice post card and delivered to that staff member. It is free for you, but worth so much!! :)

https://www.lisd.net/recognize

• February Elementary Breakfast Menu

• February Lunch Menu

To get to your child's meal account: RevTrack link

Check out dates for the school year.

• 2nd - Last Day to pre-register for Harry Potter Night
  
• 8th - PTA Meeting on ZOOM - 6:30 pm
• 9th - Multicultural Day & Read Around the World
• 10th - Service Saturday 8:00-10:00 am
• 14th - Friendship (Valentine's Day) Parties
• 15th - Harry Potter Night
• 16th - Student Early Release - 11:45 am
• 16th - Progress Reports
• 19th - School Holiday
• 21st - Field Trip 1st Grade LISDOLA
• 22nd-23rd - Field Trip 5th Grade Outdoor School
• 27th - LISD 5th Grade Honor Choir Performance 7:30-8:30 pm
• 29th - Talent Show 5:45-8:00 pm

• February 14th - Friendship (Valentine's Day) Parties
  
• February 29th - Talent Show @ 5:45-8:00 pm (NEW DATE)
• March 7th - Open House
• April 12th - Spring Fest
• April 17th - Reading and Writing STAAR (3rd-5th grades)
• April 18th - Spring Picture Day (Individual and Class)
• April 24th - Science STAAR (5th grade)
• May 2nd - Math STAAR (3rd-5th grades)
• May 10th - Field Day (May 16th is rain out day)
• May 22nd - 5th Grade Celebration
• May 23rd - Last Day of School

Need some ideas to keep the kind acts going? Check out the Random Acts of Kindness Calendar below. One kind act can change someone's day!

The 2024-2025 School Calendar has been approved by the school board. Check it out at this LINK.

Email: prairietrail@lisd.net
Website: lisd.net/prairietrail
Location: 5555 Timber Creek Road, Flower Mound, TX, USA
Phone: (469)713-5980
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prairietrailes
X (Twitter): @PrairieTrailES