Prairie Dell Elementary News

PDE's Monthly Newsletter

2024-2025 School Year...Here we go!

18 Days until the first day of school...for those of you that are keeping track

It is the beginning of August, which means the start of school is just around the corner. Our first day of school is Tuesday, August 20. We are incredibly excited to get our students back into the building and get our school year off to a great start.

I will be sending out a newsletter at the start of every month to keep families up to date with news, information, and important dates as the school year moves forward.

Next week, all PDE families will be receiving information in the mail. The information will include: supply lists, your child's classroom teacher, logistical information about arrival and dismissal, and a welcome letter.

We are here to support our students and families. Please do not hesitate to stop by the office or give us a call if we can assist you in any way. We are excited about the great learning that will take place and we hope that every child is able to find greatness and success at Prairie Dell Elementary this school year.

Ryan Klein

Prairie Dell Principal

UPDATE Infinite Campus - Sneak Peek at Classroom Teacher Assignments

We have a new school information system this school year, it's called Infinite Campus. If you haven't already updated your information on our new system, you need to do that ASAP. Here is the link to update your information. If you have not created a new account, please look for the email today (8/2) from messenger@unionrxi.org. This will provide you steps to set up a new user account.

As a reward for updating your information, you will be able to see your child's classroom teacher assignment.

OPEN HOUSE NIGHT - August 15

Our Open House Night is on Thursday, August 15, from 5-7pm. This will be a great night to come into the building, meet your teacher, drop off supplies, and see your classmates. You can arrive anytime between 5-7. We are looking forward to seeing our students back in the building after summer break.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - August 20

Our first day of school is on Tuesday, August 20. Our doors open at 7:15 and the instructional day begins at 7:45. We begin our dismissal process at 2:45. Please pay close attention to the information coming home in the mail about our arrival and dismissal procedures.

Staff Spotlight - Mr. Ryan Klein, Principal

This is my first year at Prairie Dell as the building principal. This will be my 4th year in the Union R-XI School District. Prior to Union, I lived in Iowa with my family and served as an elementary principal of PK-2 building in Knoxville, Iowa. This is my 14th year in school administration. I am excited to see students and staff come back into the building for the 24-25 school year.

Staff Spotlight - Mrs. Ashley Smith, Assistant Principal

This is my 3rd year at Prairie Dell Elementary. My first two years in the building I taught kindergarten. This will be my first year as an assistant principal. I have over 15 years of elementary teaching experience in both Missouri and Kansas. I am excited to serve and support our students, families, and staff in my new role.

Staff Spotlight - Dr. Megan Griffin, Counselor

This will be my fifth year at PDE with the Union R-XI school district and my tenth year in education. I have served PDE students as their school counselor and it is the BEST job! I also get to work alongside Daisy Mae, who is our school therapy dog. I love having Prairie Dell as my home and school for my own children. I am very excited to get this school year started and get back to all the staff and students for a wonderful 2024/2025 school year!

PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Kickoff to Start the Year

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework that aims to establish the foundation for delivering regular, proactive support and preventing unwanted behaviors. During our first weeks of school, we will spend time learning and practicing our school wide behaviors. This common language creates consistency and a unified support for expected student behavior. Children thrive when they have consistent, predictable expectations and consequences. These are some of the components of the PBIS Framework:

Students can earn Paw Points and Paw Parties for showing their ROAR
Students can earn Wildcat Wows for showing their ROAR
Students can be selected for a leadership breakfast
Students can be selected for academic recognition for doing their Wildcat Best on their school work
We celebrate as a whole building every quarter for meeting PBIS goals

We show our ROAR at Prairie Dell Elementary. We teach and expect our students to be RESPECTFUL, take OWNERSHIP, have a positive ATTITUDE, and be RESPONSIBLE.

Floors are waxed!

All of our floors have been cleaned and waxed. They are ready for students and staff to return soon. Huge shout out to our custodial team for getting the building ready for students again this summer!

Improvements!

No more cones on our posts for pickups and dropoffs--we painted the posts to make them easier to see and easier for students to know where to stand. We are always making improvements.

Classrooms are clean!

Classrooms have been cleaned and ready for students and staff to return. Our teachers will be coming back into the building in the next two weeks to start preparing for the start of the year.