Panther Pride

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a solar eclipse will be visible (weather permitting) across nearly all of North America. All 50 U.S. states (excluding most of Alaska) will experience at least a partial solar eclipse, with our area experiencing a maximum percent coverage of 93.6%. In partnership with the District 181 Foundation and Hinsdale Public Library, we have procured compliant special-purpose solar filter “eclipse glasses'' for this event so students in grades 3-8 can safely view this exciting solar event. Students in grades K-2 will be able to engage in viewing the eclipse via a live stream from their classrooms.

ALL 3rd-8th grade parents must fill out a permission form to indicate if they want their child to participate in viewing the partial solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. Please fill out this form by Thursday, April 4. If you have additional questions about the event after reviewing the website linked above, please contact your child’s principal.

IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE 3RD-8TH GRADE CHILDREN, PLEASE FILL OUT ONE FORM PER CHILD. KINDERGARTEN, FIRST, AND SECOND-GRADE STUDENTS WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THE LIVE OUTDOOR VIEWING - THEY WILL VIEW A LIVE STREAM FROM THEIR CLASSROOM.

I am thrilled to report that our recent Family Science Night was a tremendous success! I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the families who attended and participated in the various activities. It was truly inspiring to see so many enthusiastic young scientists exploring the wonders of the natural world alongside their parents.

We owe a special debt of gratitude to Mr. Wang for his outstanding efforts in organizing yet another amazing Science Family Night. The event wouldn't have been possible without his dedication and creativity. The feedback from both students and parents has been overwhelmingly positive, and we're grateful to Mr. Wang for helping to make science education so engaging and enjoyable for our community.

As we enter Autism Acceptance Month, it's a wonderful opportunity for us to embrace and celebrate the unique qualities and perspectives of every individual in our community. Autism Awareness has evolved into Autism Acceptance, a movement centered around understanding, inclusion, and support.

Throughout the month of April, we invite you to join us in fostering an environment of acceptance and appreciation for neurodiversity. One simple way to show our support is by wearing blue each Tuesday, symbolizing our solidarity with individuals on the autism spectrum and their families.

Let's use this month as a chance to educate ourselves, promote understanding, and celebrate the strengths and talents of every individual, regardless of their neurotype. Together, we can create a more inclusive and compassionate world for all.

Thank you for your support and participation.

Students in third, fourth and fifth grade will be taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness when we return from break. Here is the schedule:

Math- April 3rd, 4th and 5th

ELA- April 10th, 11th, and 12th

Due to the interenet outage prior to break, 5th grade students will complete the Illinois Science Assessment on Tuesday, April 2nd.

All cell phones, smartphones, smart watches, and similar electronic devices must be kept powered-off and out-of-sight during the regular school day. Texting, calls, etc. should not be available to students during the school day, as it poses a distraction to our learning environment. Please see the D181 K-8 Student Handbook for more information.

As always, we welcome you to contact the office by phone/email or teacher via email if you need to communicate any changes to your child's routine during the school day.

If your child has an Apple Watch, I have included some helpful information below regarding "Schooltime".

All students currently in D181 Preschool/ECE and entering Kindergarten through 8th Grade for the 2024-25 school year must complete the District registration and fee payment process (including the payment of all past due fees from the current school year).

Steps to Complete Registration:

1. Log In to Skyward: Sign in to your Skyward Family Access Portal. Only the primary guardian will have access to D181 online registration.

2. Registration Steps: For step-by-step instructions, click here.

3. SchoolPay Fees: All D181 schools use SchoolPay for processing fees. For instructions on how to use SchoolPay, please click here.

4. PTO Registration: Are you registered with your school’s PTO? After registration and fee payment is complete, you can complete PTO tasks, including ordering supply kits, registering for the PTO directory, and signing up to volunteer.

5. D181 Foundation: Don't forget, you can also donate to the D181 Foundation during registration.

6. Final Submission: Once you have completed PTO information, return to Skyward Family Access and complete the final submission on your registration application.

Visit our registration link for more information: https://www.d181.org/parents/registration

If you have any questions about D181 registration, please email nskrip@d181.org.

D181 Summer Learning Program: Register Now!

In-person program at Clarendon Hills Middle School (June 10-28, 2024).

• View the course catalog

• Register by April 18th: https://www.d181.org/schools/summer-learning-program (Login required)

• Cost: $175 (1 hour) or $350 (2 hours)

Questions?

• Program: Jessica Schultz (630.861.4900 ext 5162, jschultz@d181.org)

• Registration: Nick Skrip (nskrip@d181.org)

New and improved absence reporting. You may now notify us of illness, vacation, appointments, and other absences through the same Absence Reporting Link. You may also submit them in advance and we will keep track of them.

Below you will find a QR code for visitor check-in at Prospect. You can complete the day of arriving at Prospect and your badge will be waiting for you in the office.

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

I encourage everyone to follow us on Twitter @ProspectSch181 and "like" our Facebook page. We have so many great things happening-so don't just FOLLOW but SHARE our PROSPECT PRIDE within our community and help us build our following! #ProspectPride