Prairie View Middle School News

I want to welcome you and your student to the 2024-25 school year! We are excited to begin this learning journey with our students and the Prairie View Middle School community. PVMS is filled with passionate and dedicated staff members that strive to make each students' middle school years engaging, enjoyable and a growth opportunity. We look forward to connecting with students and families at our upcoming 5th WEB orientation day and our scheduled Open House. It will be great to have both students and adults back in the building!

We know that middle school can be complex and students are changing and growing. Know that we are on this journey together and want to provide the support that will be most helpful to your child. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the materials below or the needs you have for your student for the coming year. Thank you for choosing Prairie View Middle School for your student and for being wonderful partners with us!

Julie Athman, Principal

julie.athman@isd728.org

763-274-6261

Prairie View Middle School Main Office: 763-274-6260

Website: pvms.isd728.org The school website is a great resource for calendar information, student handbook, attendance and transportation resources.

August 19 - 23 - 6th grade Band Lessons (schedule communicated to families by Mr. Jaeger)

August 20 - 8th grade WEB Leader Training 8:00 - 4:00

August 22 - 5th Grade WEB Orientation 8:00 - 12:00 (see details below)

August 22 - Orientation for NEW 6th - 8th grade students, 1:00 - 2:30

August 29 - Open House (See full details below)

September 3 - First Student Day!

We want our incoming 5th grade students to feel connected to one another and supported in their transition to middle school. We will host a 5th grade WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) orientation on Thursday, August 22 from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm at Prairie View Middle School. This is a student only event and families should expect for their student to be at the orientation for it's duration.

WEB, which stands for “Where Everybody Belongs” is a middle school orientation and transition program that welcomes students to a new building and makes them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their middle school experience. Built on the belief that students can help students succeed, the program trains mentors from the 8th grade class to be WEB Leaders. As positive role models, WEB Leaders are mentors and student leaders who guide the incoming students to discover what it takes to be successful during the transition to middle school and help facilitate student success.

More and more, studies show that if students have a positive experience their first year in middle school, their chances for success increase dramatically. WEB provides the structure for incoming students to receive support and guidance from 8th graders who have been through the challenges that middle school poses and understand that the transition to a larger school can sometimes be overwhelming.

WEB also acts as an anti-bullying program for our school by providing it with a cadre of student leaders who look for bullying behavior and help stop it. WEB gives older students permission to be aware of and report any negative behavior they see, creating a safer school for everybody.

When our 5th grade students come to their WEB orientation they will have a great opportunity to meet other students in their grade, become familiar with the school building, receive their schedule and practice accessing their student locker. WEB is a helpful means to relieve those first day jitters and start the year out in a positive manner.

Parents will need to drop off their student at the front entry at Prairie View Middle School between 7:45 - 8:00 on Thursday, August 22. WEB Leaders, WEB Advisors and School Administrators will meet your student at the front entrance and will guide them to the space they will be within the school building. Your student will be waiting to be picked up at the school at 12:00, when the event has ended.

We will have approximately 275, 5th grade students joining us this coming year! We strongly encourage carpooling when picking up or dropping off your 5th grade students to attend the WEB orientation time. Please adhere to the directions below for pick up/drop off to allow for a smooth process. Students may begin being dropped off at 5th Grade WEB Orientaton at 7:45 am.

Please pull as far forward as possible before students exit your vehicle. As displayed in the photo below, pull all the way up to the yellow marked line on the first image. Once your vehicle is stationed along the sidewalk, it is expected and encouraged that your student will get out at that point and walk into the school. This allows more students to be dropped off at a time and will keep traffic moving. We understand there will be many vehicles in the line for drop off, so if we all work together, we can make this a smooth, quick, and safe process. We strongly discourage the practice of dropping off/picking up students in the middle of the parking lot as students are then required to cross the moving traffic. This practice puts your child at great risk of being harmed as they cross traffic to get to the sidewalk. It also greatly frustrates your fellow parents/guardians that are also dropping off their children. We ALL need to work together to create a safe environment for our students. Following this process exactly as described will allow for a quicker drop off process and will increase safety for all students and parents. Thank you for your cooperation!

If you choose to park your vehicle in the lot to drop off your student, you are expected to walk them through the lot to the crosswalk. A staff member will assist you with getting students across traffic and to the sidewalk in front of the building.

Students that will walk or bike to Prairie View Middle School for WEB Orientation, August 22, from neighborhoods to the south of our building should follow the bike path and sidewalk from 80th St, along the sidewalk that runs through the Prairie View Elementary grounds and onto our Prairie View Middle School grounds. Bike racks are located at the front of the school building to the left of the main entrance.

Students must refrain from lingering on the elementary campus or interacting with the elementary students that may be at the elementary building on this date. Students should remain on the sidewalk space and cross through the elementary grounds to the middle school grounds in a swift and respectful manner.

Please see the map below to review the expected route that your student will navigate to or from Prairie View Middle School. We discourage students entering or exiting the Prairie View Middle School grounds at our main entrance, as you would need to cross traffic entering or exiting the parking lot.

Open House for 5th grade students will be held on Thursday, August 29 from 3:00 - 6:00.

Students and families will have the opportunity to connect with core content teachers and school administration, learn about class specific information, see classroom spaces and access their locker.

Please note: Open House for 6 - 8 grade students will also be held on Thursday, August 29 from 4:00 - 7:00. Teachers and staff that serve students in grade 6 - 8 will not be available at Open House prior to 4:00. We strongly encourage 5th grade families to attend Open House between 3:00 - 4:00, if possible, to have the opportunity to access the building prior to other families.

Please note: 6th - 8th grade teachers will not be available from 3:00 - 4:00 on the night of Open House. We hope to give our 5th grade students and their families an oppertunity to be in the building one hour prior to others arriving on site.

Students that are new to Prairie View Middle School in the 2024-25 school year are invited to attend the NEW Student Orientation time on Thursday, August 22 from 1:00 - 2:30. During orientation, students will meet school counselors and administration, have a tour of the building, receive their schedule and locker assignment, and meet other new students.

Open House for 6th - 8th grade students will occur on Thursday, August 29, from 4:00 - 7:00. To ease parking difficulties and have better access to teachers during this event, we ask that families adhere to the following schedule based on your student's last name. Of course, if attending during the requested timeframe will not work for your family, you may choose to come at the time that is most convenient for you.

4:00 - 5:00 - (families with last names beginning A-H)

5:00 - 6:00 - (families with last names beginning I-Q)

6:00 - 7:00 - (families with last names beginning R-Z)

All student schedules will be posted on Campus Parent Portal for access by noon on August 29. Please access this schedule with your student prior to arriving to Open House. Students may print their schedule prior to coming to Open House and printing kiosks will also be available that evening, if needed. Maps will be provided at the event.

During Open House, students will be able to walk their schedule, meet their assigned teachers, access their lockers and place school supplies in their locker spaces. We look forward to welcoming and reconnecting with our 6th - 8th grade students and their families at Open House!

We understand that many students carry personal devices (cell phones) with them during the school day. We want parents and students to be aware of the practices and expectations around cell phone use at the middle school level. We expect this practice to allow our students to focus on learning and be free from distractions that personal electronic devices can create.

Cell phones are allowed prior to 8:10 am and after 2:55 pm and must be off and away in school assigned lockers during school hours, which includes students lunch periods and when passing in the hallway. Please note, this expectation of use will also include the use of air pods or ear buds connected to personal electronic devices or cell phones.

If a parent needs to contact their student, a message can be left with the office between the time of 7:30am - 4:00pm or the parent can communicate with their student via their school email account, which the student can access on the student's school issued chromebook.

Specificially stated in our ISD 728 Middle School Handbook:

Students are prohibited from using cell phones and other electronic communication devices during the instructional day. Students also are prohibited from using a cell phone or other electronic communication device to engage in conduct prohibited by school district policies including, but not limited to, cheating, bullying and harassment.

If the school district has a reasonable suspicion that a student has violated a school rule or law by use of a cell phone or other electronic communication device, the school district may search the device. The search of the device will be reasonably related in scope to the circumstances justifying the search.

Students who use an electronic communication device during the school day and/or in violation of school district policies may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to the school district’s discipline policy. In addition, a student’s cell phone or electronic communication device may be confiscated by the school district and, if applicable, provided to law enforcement.

Inappropriate and illegal use of cell phones and online postings: Students are warned that taking, posting, sending and receiving sexually explicit photos that are retrievable within a school facility or grounds, may result in suspension or expulsion by the school.

At no time are students allowed to be recording students/staff during the school day (video or audio).

Only clear, see through water bottles, containing water only, may be used during the school day or taken out of the commons/lunchroom area. We ask that students refrain from bringing metal or glass thermoses or containers, (like a Stanley cup) into the classroom space. Students are not to store other open beverages in their lockers or bring any beverage, other than water, out of the commons space to the locker area, or classrooms. Water fountains and water fill stations are available throughout the building as well.

We want all students to consider the attire they will wear to school and ensure it will allow them to fully engage in their learning throughout the day. Following are the dress guidelines found in our middle school student handbook.

The purpose of the Student Dress and Appearance Policy is to enhance the education of students by establishing expectations that support educational goals. Teachers and other district staff should exemplify and reinforce student clothing and appearance standards and help students to develop an understanding of appropriate appearance in the school environment.

• Any apparel that is sexually suggestive, promotes alcohol, drug use, violence, or is vulgar is not allowed.

• Historically offensive symbols such as swastikas, confederate flags, etc. are not allowed on school property.

• Shoes with soles must be worn at all times.

• Dress appropriately for physical education including tennis shoes.

• PVMS and RMS Grade 5 students do not change clothes for physical education classes.

Headwear will be allowed as long as the student’s face is visible. During testing staff reserves the right to ask students to remove headwear. In addition, staff can require students to remove headwear for safety purposes such as science labs and tech ed classes. Exceptions will be made for religious, ethnic and medical reasons.

If students violate this policy, they will be sent to the office to change clothes before continuing the school day. Students who refuse to change will be sent home or to an alternative setting. Repeated infractions or failure to comply with administrators or staff members will result in further disciplinary action.

Please review the ISD 728 Middle School Student Handbook to understand expectations for all students. The materials found in this handbook will be discussed with students in the coming weeks. Additional detail pertinent to Praire View Middle School can be found in Section 4 of the document.

Linked is the 24-25 Supply List for all students grades 5 - 8.

ISD 728 Student Device Plan & User Agreement: Prior to starting each school year parent/guardian must sign-up for a device plan for each student attending grades 5 through 12. Returning 6th - 8th grade students will bring the school issued chromebook from home to school on the first day. Incoming 5th grade students will be issued a chromebook during the first week of school.