Panther Press

August

27 PL Community Club Meeting, 6:30pm

28 Elementary Band & Strings Parent Meeting WMS, 6:30pm

30 Professional Learning - No School

September

2 No School - Labor Day

6 PLCC K-6 Outdoor Movie Night 7:00 pm

10 Step It Up Fundraiser Kickoff

21 Westside Foundation Dinner

20-24 PL Book Fair

24 PL Community Club Meeting 6:30 pm

25 School Picture Day

You can link to the live calendar at https://calendar.google.com/calendar/r/month?tab=mc.

Arrival:

Supervision and breakfast begins at 8:05 am with the first bell for students to enter the building at 8:20 am. The second bell rings at 8:30 am and students are considered tardy after the second bell. All students will enter DOOR 1.

• Walkers:
• Students walking will be directed to cross at the crosswalks where designated staff and safety patrol students will assist.
• Car Drop off:
• Use the dropoff lane and stay in the left lane.
• Stay in the line and do not pass other cars.
• Follow the lead of the staff and safety patrol.
• Keep crosswalks clear for crossing.
• No parking along Hascall Street.
• No parking in the Prairie Lane Parking Lot during arrival except for ECC families.
• You will be directed to drive straight or turn right out of the parking lot.

Dismissal:

We will dismiss Walkers and Club66 students at 3:25. Bus and car riders will dismiss at the 3:30 bell.

• Students are considered "Walkers" if they are meeting their ride parked along the side streets.
• We will have many crossing guards and staff to assist walkers.
• We ask parents picking up walkers to wait along the sidewalk next to Hascall Street at the parking lot entrance or along 114th St.
• Students will be walking to those areas to alleviate congestion at the car and bus loading zone.
• Dismissal is at 3:30 M, T, Th, F and 3:00 on Wednesday
• Please do not arrive before 3:25 (2:55 on Wednesday)
• No parking along Hascall Street.
• No parking in the Prairie Lane Parking Lot during dismissal except for ECC families.
• You will be directed to go straight or turn right out of the parking lot.
• See the attached map for loading/unloading zones, crosswalks and marked areas for students walking to/from school.

Arrival Map:

messages/attachments/5e14ec7704900049f635a15c9116ed1e/Prairie_Lane_-_Arrival_Revised_23-24.pdf

Dismissal Map:

messages/attachments/b3211eaad34d052d84854c534707f3bc/Prairie_Lane_-_Dismissal_Revised_23-24.pdf

We are excited to introduce two new opportunities for dining out to support Prairie Lane students and staff. In addition to the fourth Thursday Don & Millie's Night, we have added Raising Cane's nights (3rd Monday of the month) and three Godfather's Pizza nights during the school year. We hope you are as excited as we are to have options for dining out during the month while supporting our fabulous school. Flyers will be sent home each month as reminders.

We want to know that all our students are safe. Please notify the office at 402-390-6470, or thompson.janis@westside66.net, when your student is not coming to school or will be late for school. If we have not heard from you, it is our policy to call.

Students arriving after 8:30 am must come to the office and check in. Parents picking up or dropping off their students during the day for appointments, illness, etc., must sign them in and out through the office.

You are invited to BE A PART OF THE MUSIC! This fall, you will have the opportunity to do what so many successful students have done before you by being a part of Band and Strings! In the first three weeks of school we will be visiting all the buildings, demonstrating the instruments, and giving students the opportunity to select an instrument of their choice. We will have a parent meeting about our program on Wednesday, August 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Westside Middle School. All are welcome to attend to learn about elementary instrumental music and meet the teachers. We are excited to introduce your child to the world of instrumental music!

The Elementary Instrumental Music Staff

Gail Carpenter-Johnson, Tommy Krueger, Viktoria Matheson and Jennifer Johansen

All Westside Community Schools will communicate news and information via our school and district websites as well as email. Please update your Returning Student Registration to make sure we have your most current email address.

• Monthly Panther Press Newsletter and Panther Weekly Updates - These will be sent to you via email and are filled with important information for you about current events.

• Parent-Student Handbook and other important district information can be found at westside66.org, click on For Families, Forms & Handbooks.

Throughout the school year, the Prairie Lane Community Club plans and facilitates fun activities and fundraising events for the betterment of the school for its students, teachers and support staff. As a self-sustaining organization, the Prairie Lane Community Club relies on parent and teacher volunteers to coordinate and run all the activities and events. We hope you join us for our first meeting on August 27th.

Westside Community Schools continues the implementation of MTSS, which stands for Multi-Tiered System of Supports. MTSS in Westside assures that we regularly monitor student skills and follow-up with providing students what they need to be successful in learning. Beginning in August, this means that we first screen all students to determine their current skill levels and plan our instruction to meet their needs.

What is MTSS? MTSS is a framework for providing instruction and support to promote the academic and behavioral success of all children. Individual children’s progress & skills are measured, and these results are used to make decisions about further instruction and intervention. The MTSS process is flexible and allows for a continuum of supports designed to meet the needs of individual students. This support may be provided in a large or small group by the classroom teacher or other support staff, either within or outside the classroom.

What does this mean for my child? A key component of the MTSS process is that all children receive high quality instruction in their classroom. Universal screenings are brief tests used to measure the progress of all students and are given three times per year. As a result of the screenings, students may be identified as needing some degree of supplemental intervention in addition to the instruction they are receiving in their classroom. If your child is identified as needing intervention you will be notified. Please contact your child’s building principal with questions.

Nebraska Reading Improvement Act: The Nebraska Reading Improvement Act went into effect at the start of the 2019-2020 school year. The goal is that all Nebraska students are able to read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. This is accomplished by ensuring all students have access to high-quality instruction and for struggling readers to receive targeted support (intervention). Our current MTSS framework in Westside Community Schools already allows for us to meet these state requirements. Also, the more students continue to read, review math facts, and write/journal each day at home, in addition to their instruction from school, the more secure their skills may become.

Meals are provided as follows:

Student Prices:

Breakfast: $1.80

Lunch: $2.75

Extra Main: $1.20

Extra Milk: $0.50

*Meals includes one milk.

Please note there are additional charges for any extra items not included in a full meal. Students in grades 4-5 may request an extra main meal.

BREAKFAST PROGRAM - Breakfast is served from 8:05 - 8:30 daily. Our breakfast program will be available beginning August 8th, the first day of school.

LUNCH MONEY

• CASH OR CHECK - Breakfast and lunch charges come out of the same account. Each student in your family has a separate account, but you may send one check to be divided. Please make checks out to “Prairie Lane.” You may also drop lunch money in the “lunchbox” at the office during our Open House night or anytime. Be sure to include your child's NAME.

• PAY ONLINE - Our online payment website is www.myschoolbucks.com. If you are setting up a new myschoolbucks account, you will need your student's ID numbers available from Mrs. Thompson at the office. For additional support or questions, please contact Jacklyn Cambridge at cambridge.jacklyn@westside66.net or 402-390-3382, or you can go to support@myschoolbucks.com.

Free/Reduced Applications - For families in need, applications for free/reduced meals MUST be completed every year regardless of the current free meals program or whether you qualified in the past. Forms are available on-line now and anytime at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application .

Please take a moment to view and familiarize yourself with the District Approved Snack List below. All birthday treats and snacks provided for class must be on the District Approved List. Students may bring individual snacks for themselves that aren't on this list, but we still encourage foods from this list when possible to help keep all of our learners safe. Teachers will provide more guidelines for individual classrooms.

See the complete policy in the 2024-2025 Student Handbook.

A student’s personal appearance is the responsibility of the student and their family. Students in the Westside Community Schools are expected to dress in a way that is appropriate for the school setting. Students should not dress in a manner that is dangerous to the health and safety of anyone or interferes with the learning environment or teaching process in our school. Following is a list of examples of attire that will not be considered appropriate; this list is not exclusive, and other forms of attire may be deemed by the Principal to be inappropriate for the school setting:

1. All students must wear a shirt, bottoms, (pants/sweatpants/shorts/skirt/dress/leggings) and shoes (soft-bottomed slippers are not allowed). Undergarments are not considered tops or bottoms. Clothing/undergarments should cover a student’s private body parts. Clothing should not expose genitals or undergarments.
2. Costumes and blankets should not be worn during the school day unless they are a part of a school-sponsored activity.
3. Clothing and jewelry should not advertise beer, alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
4. Clothing and jewelry should not be lewd, indecent, vulgar, make sexual references, exhibit nudity or profanity, or include violent images or language, hate speech, or images or language creating a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class.
5. Clothing and jewelry should not be able to be used as a weapon (ex: chains, spikes) or encourage horseplay or cause property damage (ex: cleats).
6. Clothing and jewelry should not promote illegal activity.
7. Heavy coats should be put away during the school day.
8. Unless it is part of a school-sponsored activity, students should not wear baseball caps, stocking caps, hoods. This does not prohibit religious headwear.

Violations of dress code will expose the student to disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct.

Nuisance Items:

Students are discouraged from bringing gum and candy to school. Toys, skateboards, etc. are also discouraged except when their presence serves an educational purpose assigned and approved by the Principal. The School is not responsible for items that are lost or broken. Pets are not allowed unless prearranged with the teacher and approved by the Principal.

Use of Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices:

Students are discouraged from bringing cell phones to school. [This does not include devices authorized by a staff member for an educational assignment or by an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Accommodation Plan when used as set forth in the plan.] While students are permitted to bring phones with them to school, phones may not be on a student’s person between the school’s start and dismissal times. During school hours, phones must be either checked in with staff for safekeeping or kept in the student’s book bag.

Use or possession of cell phones and other electronic devices, including the recording of any person, on school grounds, at school-sponsored events, and in school vehicles is prohibited when the use or possession:

• disrupts or is reasonably likely to disrupt the educational environment;
• is an illegal activity under state, federal or local law/ordinance;
• is prohibited under any Board policy including, but not limited to, the Student Code of Conduct (Board Policy 5300) or District rules for internet use;
• is contrary to a directive previously given to a student by a staff member;
• creates a risk to the safety of students or others;
• infringes on a person’s reasonable expectation of privacy; or constitutes “sexting.”

In addition to discipline under the Student Code of Conduct, cell phones and other electronic devices used in violation of these rules are subject to confiscation, and arrangements will be made to return the item to the student or a parent/guardian after school hours.

Have a Safe, Respectful, Responsible Summer!

# BE KIND

SEE YOU SOON!