The Pritchett Post -- 8/9/24

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." -Confucius

Dear Pritchett Families,

We wanted to take this opportunity to formally welcome both you and your child(ren) to the 2024-2025 school year. It is hard to believe summer vacation is nearing its conclusion, but we know everyone is anxiously awaiting the start of the school year. Teachers are preparing their classrooms in anticipation of August 21, our first day of school! Our office secretary, Ms. Barraza, and Mr. Ed, our custodian, have done an amazing job getting the building ready for students.

Please look for your child’s teacher placement on Tuesday, August 13, for all 1st-8th grade families! Registered families will receive an email with the homeroom teacher's name along with additional important information.

In closing, we hope that each of you has had an opportunity to relax, enjoy family, and catch your breath this summer. We continue to work hard to get Pritchett ready to welcome our amazing students.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us or any member of the Pritchett Office.

For your children,

Dr. Matt K. Moreland, Principal
Mrs. Julie Cummings, Assistant Principal

Health Office

If your child will be absent from school because of illness, doctor appointments, or vacation, please call your school’s attendance line, 847.353.5703, by 8:00 am. Please state your name, your student's name, the reason for absence, and your homeroom teacher when you call. Keeping track of all students every day is an important task and we greatly appreciate your assistance.

Lunch

To access the Food Service Lunch page, and the monthly Quest hot lunch menu, please click HERE. Ms. Annette Giegoldt is the Food Services Director for our school district should you have additional questions regarding the lunch program. You can reach Ms. Giegoldt at 847.353.5512 or email her at agiegoldt@d102.org. (Please see attachments below)

Transportation

Please look for transportation information in the District letter that will be emailed on Tuesday, August 13.This will contain your child’s bus number. To check the status of your child's bus, please call First Student Bus Company, at 847.634.0868. If you have a busing question or want to report a problem, please contact our Transportation Coordinator, Denise Koto at 847-353-5680 or email her at dkoto@d102.org.

Drop Off & Pick Up

If you are driving your child, please note that students will not be able to enter the building nor exit their vehicle prior to 8:50 am. Staff will be present out front in our car drop-off line each morning. Students are dismissed between 3:25 pm and 3:30 pm.

Please Note:

• Cars need to approach the school traveling south on Horatio Blvd.

• Cars may only make a right-hand turn into the parking lot.

• Cars may only make a right-hand turn to exit the parking lot.

• Parents need to remain in their cars during drop-off and pick-up.

• Cars need to pull all the way forward to the marked “Stop Here” sign.

• Parents need to stay “in line.” Please follow the car ahead of you.

• Illinois State law prohibits cell phone use in a school zone.

Cars may begin lining up to pick up their child no earlier than 3:10 pm. If you plan on picking up your child at the end of the school day, please print the "Student Pick-Up Sign" below. Please display it on your dashboard, closest to the passenger side of the car. This particular sign lets the pick-up supervisors quickly identify your child, their grade level, and their teacher. Displaying this sign will add to the efficiency of our pick-up process. Thank you! (Please see Pick-up Sign below)

Meet & Greet Information & Kindergarten Open House

We look forward to seeing you on August 20 for the Pritchett School Meet & Greet for first through third-grade families, 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm. Meet & Greet provides an opportunity for students to see the classroom, drop off supplies, and check out the building prior to the start of school.

We will also hold our Parent/Guardian Only Kindergarten Open House on August 19, from 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm. All parents/guardians of Kindergarten students will meet in their child’s Kindergarten classroom to learn about the upcoming school year.

Open House: First, Second and Third-Grade

August 27 is our Parent/Guardian Only Open House for our first through third-grade families. This event is scheduled from 5:30 pm to 7:25 pm. Please click button below for specifics about this important evening.

Please note that 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 them up for a doctor's appointment at 2:30, please send a note that morning. In an 'emergency' situation you may send an email to Ms. Barraza via email at ibarraza@d102.org. Unfortunately, we will not be able to honor any emails/calls after 3 pm.

In an effort to curtail poor bus behavior, First Student has implemented a new bus monitoring system called FIRSTacts. This system quickly and efficiently captures inappropriate behavior and instantly shares it with Dr. Moreland and Mrs. Cummings. Students who are reported will receive communication through email regarding their child's misconduct. Various disciplinary measures will be issued including suspension from riding the school bus.

To ensure the safest transportation possible for all of our students, please take a moment to review the following bus etiquette with your child:

• Remain seated, facing forward
• K-3 students must sit in their assigned seat
• No eating or drinking on the bus
• Use inside voices

If you have specific questions about FIRSTActs please reach out to our Director of Transportation, Ms. Denise Koto (dkoto@d102.org) or First Student.

Welcome to the new 24-25 school year! I am looking forward to seeing all of your kids. My name is Mrs. Priscilla Lowe, and I am the nurse at Pritchett School. Please do not hesitate to call or email me with any health concerns or questions. 847.955.3508.

If you have a child with life threatening food allergies who requires epinephrin, an inhaler for asthma, a seizure disorder, or a daily medication, please reach out to me ASAP to help with the necessary steps to have these medications in school.

Just a reminder, children may not bring prescription medications or over-the-counter medications to school without a medication authorization form completed by the parent and doctor. I have provided the link from the D102 website where you can download this form. https://sites.google.com/d102.org/d102-health-services/home. This also includes immunizations, physical, dental, and vision forms that you can download if needed.

Please remember ALL medications must be in the original bottles or boxes. Prescriptions must have the prescription label on them for me to be able to keep them in the health office and administer them.

I am looking forward to a happy, safe, and healthy school year with your children.

Priscilla Lowe, RN

plowe@d102.org

847.353.5708 - Phone

August 12 & 13: Kindergarten Emergent Bilingual Screening

August 14 & 15: General Screening for All Kindergarten Students

August 16 & 17: Kindergarten Families Emailed Name of Kindergarten Teacher

August 19: Kindergarten Open House (5:00 pm - 6:00 pm)

August 20: 1st-3rd Grade Meet & Greet (3:30 pm to 5:00 pm)

August 21: 1st-3rd Grade Half-Day of School (9:00 am to Noon)

August 21: Kindergarten Drop-in (with parent) between 9:30 am to 11:00 am

August 22: First Full-Day of School!

August 23: Bus Evacuation Practice

August 27: 1st-3rd Parent Only Open House (5:30 pm to 7:25 pm)

August 28: Early Dismissal (Noon)

Office Phone Number: 847.353-5700

Fax Number: 847.215.3259

Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Student Hours: 9:00am - 3:30pm

Health Office

Mrs. Priscilla Lowe, Nurse

Attendance Line: 847.353.5703

Email: mmoreland@d102.org
Website: https://www.d102.org/pritchett/
Phone: (847) 363-5700

Email: jcummings@d102.org
Website: https://www.d102.org/pritchett/
Phone: (847) 353-5700