The Weekly Update #4

Prospect’s Battle of the Books team has won the 2025 D181 Battle of the Books—our first victory since 2013!

We are incredibly proud of Anya, Bree, Emma, Hailey, and Milena for showcasing their outstanding reading skills and teamwork. A huge shoutout to our amazing coaches, Mrs. Swanson and Mrs. Nolin, for their dedication and support.

Way to go, Panthers! 🐾📚👏

Yesterday, we held our second Panther Family Activity, and we love the connections it's building in our school community!

How do Panther Families work?

Students in 1st-5th grade are each part of a Panther Family, led by one or two staff members as their Panther Parents. These mixed-grade families include 10-11 students, fostering relationships across grade levels.

During our first activity, students got to know their Panther Parents. In yesterday’s activity, we shared five fun facts about each student, helping us learn more about one another.

We have three more activities planned for this school year and can't wait to continue building strong bonds within our Panther Families!

Next year, we’re excited to expand Panther Families to include our current kindergarten students and our newest Panthers in all-day kindergarten!

We love seeing our school community grow stronger through Panther Families! 💙🐾 Be here. Be you. Belong. #PantherP.R.I.D.E.

Dear 5th Grade Parents,

We are excited to announce the upcoming Prospect Science Week (March 24-28). To prepare for the Family Night event, which is led mainly by the 5th-grade teams, we would like to invite all students to participate in the project sign-up:

There are nine exciting projects proposed for student teams to work on, and each team will have the flexibility to modify existing projects or even propose new ones (add rows at the bottom). Please let your students review and discuss the topics with friends/classmates. Then, make the selection as a team. The Science Week Committee will provide all materials for each project, and we encourage students to start working early to ensure they have ample time to make posters and prepare for the projects. Some projects may benefit from specific expertise, such as medical backgrounds, from the parents, but this is not a requirement for participation. A detailed tutorial folder will be provided to each team once the teams are formed and the projects are selected. We welcome all families to join in and contribute in any way they can! Related tools, demos, and example materials from work are highly appreciated.

To sign up, please use the link below to add student names, parent names, and project preferences. The deadline to sign up is Friday, February 21st, by the end of the day. If you have any questions or need further details, feel free to reach out to Edgar Wang, who helped organize the event in the past 3 years (cell: 906-370-6594, email: heronbank@gmail.com)

Sign up here.

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to a fun and engaging Family Night!

With the increase in illness please remember to follow the guidelines to reduce the transmission to others. If your student will be absent, for any reason, please complete the Absences Link.

D181 registration for the 2025-2026 school year is just around the corner!

More information for New Students, Preschool and Kindergarten registration will be sent to families from the district on February 3rd.

The D181 2024-25 CSCI climate survey will be open on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Families will receive a link to complete the survey via email on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

Staff will complete the survey during a staff meeting, and students (grades 4-8) will complete the survey during school.

This annual survey is not only a requirement for all school districts in the state but also an opportunity to share how we're performing as a school district with audiences near and far.

Participation from parents, teachers, and students is crucial to ensure we get a valuable snapshot of D181's school climate. All survey results are anonymous, as responses are reported directly to the National School Climate Center before being made available to the District and public.

If you elect to skip a question or feel a question does not apply to you, please select “Does Not Apply”.

For more information, visit https://www.d181.org/departments/communications.

As the temperature drops, we want to inform you about our school's procedures for cold weather. The district will follow these guidelines for outdoor activities:

Recess/Physical Education Classes:

• Feels like 0°F (or below): Indoor

• Feels like 1°F (or above): Outdoor

• Principal discretion if conditions are not safe

Please encourage your child to dress warmly for school, including a hat, gloves, and scarf. We will monitor students closely for signs of cold-related issues.

The school calendar has been established a year in advance and is available on the District website: www.d181.org. While we realize the value of family time, we strongly discourage the planning of vacations during regular student attendance days.

Elementary School Information Related to Planned Absences:

In the event of a planned absence, a parent must communicate directly with the school at least two days prior indicating their intentions. A parent/guardian may email, complete this form, or call the Office with the following information:

1. Name of student

2. reason for the absence, and

3. date(s) the student will be absent

If a planned absence consists of three (3) or more days, assignments and completion dates will be given after the absence as determined by the teacher. Teachers will not be required to re-teach material missed by students.

The Community House will be offering the Before and After the Bell programs at Prospect School to help meet the needs of our families.

The Community House Registration

For more information about either program, please contact Karen Kaspar at 630-323-7500 ext. 248 or at kkaspar@thecommunityhouse.org