We want your child to be successful in school and that means supporting and encouraging their whole development. While excelling in academic classes is important, children also need skills to take on learning challenges, make good decisions, manage strong emotions, and get along with others.
This month we began Second Step® Elementary, a research-based social-emotional learning program designed to improve children’s social-emotional skills. Second Step skills and concepts are designed to help children both in and out of school. Four units will cover the following:
- Growth Mindset & Goal-Setting: Children learn how to pay attention and manage distractions, develop a growth mindset, and apply goal-setting strategies to their social and academic lives.
- Emotion Management: Children learn how to identify and label emotions and use emotion management strategies—including stress management for older students—to calm strong feelings.
- Empathy & Kindness: Children learn how to recognize kindness and act kindly, have empathy for others and take others’ perspectives, and recognize kind acts and empathy as important elements of building and maintaining relationships.
- Problem-Solving: Children learn how to identify and state a problem, recognize if a problem is an accident, and use the STEP problem-solving process:
- S: Say the problem
- T: Think of solutions
- E: Explore the outcomes
- P: Pick a solution
For an overview of our first unit, Growth Mindset & Goal Setting, please click the grade-level link below. You’ll receive weekly communications from your child’s teacher to help you reinforce Second Step language, skills, and goals at home. If you have any questions about Second Step Elementary, please don’t hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher for more information. Thank you for your support as we work to build a safe and supportive school community.
For your children,
Dr. Matt K. Moreland, Principal
This week our school celebrated “Peace Week”. This Pritchett tradition was started in 2012 on the 11th anniversary of 9/11, now known as Patriot Day. The goal was to bridge September 11 with an emphasis on patriotism and heroism, with the message of creating peace at school, home and in our world. We want our students to think about the freedom we have as Americans and how we can use our freedom to be the change we wish to see in the world. We encourage social action as well as simple acts of kindness. Please spend some time talking to your child about what peace means and how you can share peace in your lives.
Today, September 20, children will create a pinwheel and throughout the day more than 400 students will place them in the school's front lawn as part of the international effort, "Pinwheels for Peace". It will be inspiring to be a part of such a wonderful event!
Are you interested in getting more involved in your child's classroom? The PTO is currently looking for volunteers to be room parents at Pritchett. This is the best opportunity to spend wonderful times with your child. Details & responsibilities are listed below.
Please use this link to sign up by Monday September 30th:
https://forms.gle/PrhSX fmZBC wAXh9
1) Plan and attend two classroom parties (Halloween and End of Year)
2) All selected parents will be required to volunteer for a minimum of one of three district wide events. These events will be shared after room parents are selected, more information will be found at the D102 PTO website: http://d102pto.membershiptoolkit.com.
*If you have more than one child at Pritchett, you can only be Room Parent for ONE classroom.
Questions? Please contact the Pritchett PTO Co-VP’s:
Shelbee Hundley(shelbeelayne@gmail.com)
Kristin Welcome (kristinwelcome@gmail.com)
THANK YOU!!
Pritchett's After School Program is now up and running! Please direct any questions to Julie Coon, After School Program Director. jcoon@d102.org
- Tuesday Dates: 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/12 (No Class on 11/5)
- Thursday Dates: 9/19, 9/26, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 11/7, 11/14 (No Class on 10/3 or 10/31)
Transportation Changes
Please note we will send children home according to our student database records. If you are changing your child's transportation, please send your child with a note in the morning.
For example, if your child takes the bus every day and you are picking up for a doctor's appointment at 3:30 p.m. (dismissal) please send a note that morning. In an 'emergency' situation you may contact Ms. Barraza by phone or email. Unfortunately, we will not be able to honor any changes after 2:00 p.m.
Busing Information
In continued partnership with our transportation provider, First Student, District 102 is launching FirstView®, a bus tracking, and parent communications app for your smartphone or desktop. To download the app and get started using FirstView, click on this link. This app provides:
- Live Tracking
- Predictive Stop Arrival Times
- Custom Alerts and Messages
- Multi-Stop View
- Secure and Easy Access
- Dedicated Customer Support
If you have a busing question or would like to report a problem, please call First Student Bus Company at 847.634.0868 or our Transportation Coordinator, Denise Koto. She can be reached at 847.353.5680 or through email at dkoto@d102.org.
A special invitation from the Stevenson High School Math Team:
Hello, parents! The Stevenson High School Math Team is excited to invite you to their annual Math Carnival on Tuesday, October 29 from 6 - 8 pm. Students from 3rd to 5th grade will have the opportunity to play fun and engaging math games to win prizes! Admission is FREE upon registration. Please see the flyer below. For more information and to register, visit the event webpage at this link.
PHYSICAL SUBMISSION REMINDER: If your child(ren) is new to Pritchett or in Kindergarten, a new completed physical form is required to be submitted to the Health Office by 10/1/24. If the exam form is not submitted, your child(ren) is at risk of being excluded from school.
EYE EXAM SUBMISSION REMINDER: Illinois law requires that proof of an eye examination by an optometrist or physician (such as an ophthalmologist) who provides eye examinations be submitted to the school no later than October 15 of the year the child is first enrolled or as required by the school for other children. The examination must be completed within one year prior to the first day of the school year the child enters the Illinois school system for the first time.
DENTAL EXAM SUBMISSION REMINDER: Current Kindergarten and second-grade students need a dental exam submitted by 5/15/25.
We appreciate your attention to this important health matter!
Priscilla Lowe, RN
847.353.5708 - Phone
September / October Calendar Events
September 25: Early Dismissal (2:00)
September 26: Fire Drill Practice (P.M.)
October 3: No School
October 4: Kindergarten Letter Parade! (10:30 - 11:00)
October 8: PTO Dessert Day
October 9: Early Dismissal (2:00)
October 9: Pritchett Family Book Club (4:30 to 5:30)
October 11: Earthquake Drill (AM)
October 15: Practice Lockdown Drill (AM)
October 21 - 25: PTO Sponsored Book Fair!
October 23: Early Dismissal (2:00)
October 23: Pritchett Family Book Club (4:30 to 5:30)
October 31: Pritchett Celebrates Halloween!
Dr. Matt K. Moreland, Principal
Email: mmoreland@d102.org
Website: https://www.d102.org/pritchett/
Phone: (847) 363-5700
Mrs. Julie Cummings, Assistant Principal
Email: jcummings@d102.org
Website: https://www.d102.org/pritchett/
Phone: (847) 353-5700
