Prussing News

Dear Prussing Families,

As we wrap up an incredible school year, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for such a warm welcome during my first 10 weeks at Prussing. I am filled with hope and optimism as I reflect on the energy and spirit of our school community. This brief time has helped me better understand where to prioritize and streamline over the summer, so we can hit the ground running in August and take Prussing to the next level.

We want to offer our deepest congratulations and well wishes to Ms. Dutan (teacher), Ms. Olechowski (school assistant), and Ms. Kapica (assistant principal), who are all moving on at the end of this year. They have each left a meaningful mark on our community, and we are grateful for their years of dedication and support.

As many have started to mention, Prussing was built in 1926, which means this coming school year marks our 100th birthday! We are already brainstorming ways to honor our rich history while looking boldly toward the future. If you know any alumni who would like to share photos or participate in the celebration, stay tuned for ways to get involved—we’d love to channel that Prussing pride into something special.

Looking ahead, some simple but important changes will be coming next year, including updates to entry and exit routines. These changes may alter some long-standing habits, but are designed to improve attendance, reduce tardies, and ensure consistent implementation of policies. Starting next school year, students will line up by homeroom at 8:15 AM and will not enter the building early (except in inclement weather), aligning with practices at other CPS schools. Instruction will begin promptly, so on-time arrival will be key! More details, including line-up locations and homeroom assignments, will be shared in a summer email.

We also hope to see many of you at our summer playdates! These gatherings are a great chance for students to reconnect, make new friends, and for families new and old to get to know each other. I’ll be at each one, and our PTO will generously sponsor lemonade and popsicles!

• Saturday, June 21 at 3:00 PM – Catalpa Early Learning Playground (for all Prussing students and families)
• Thursday, July 17 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Prussing Playground (for rising and returning K–2 students)
• Thursday, August 7 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Prussing Playground (for rising and returning K–2 students)

Inside the building, we’re making major moves this summer—literally! Classrooms are shifting to create a K–2 wing on the first floor, grades 3–4 in the mobiles, and a middle school hub on the second floor and annex. This reorganization will support clearer routines and expectations throughout the building. Our Auditorium renovation begins Monday, with new floors and chairs coming soon, and new smart boards are rolling in. You may see older materials being cleared out as we make room for updated, purposeful learning environments.

Please keep an eye out for updates over the summer, including homeroom placements, entry procedures, and more. Until then, I wish you and your family a restful and joyful break.

We can’t wait to welcome everyone back on August 18th!

Warmly,

Mr. Zalar

Please read through the following to stay up to date with events at our school.

😁 - Congrats to all the 8th grade graduates! We wish all the graduates the best.

😁 - Way to go to all the kindergartners who finished their 1st year at Prussing!

😁 - Congratulations and thank you to Ms. Kapica, Ms. Dutan and Ms. O. for all their years and dedication to Prussing School. We wish you all the best on your retirement.

It is so hard to say goodbye!

As I reminisce about my tenure in CPS, I have to say that I was lucky to work under

great leadership and I met many charismatic people along the way.

For almost half of my career, I was blessed to work at Prusssing as your assistant

principal. The Prussing community welcomed me and showed me love from day one

and for that I am grateful. My motto was that we are an extended family and I took to

my heart the well-being of your children, wanting all of the students to become good

citizens. I believe I accomplished this. It was my honor to see your children growing

and graduating each year.

I want to send my gratitude to all the Prussing stakeholders for your support, especially

my bilingual parents. I am proud of the Prussing community where we speak various

languages and we respect each other. It is evident year after year during the

International Parade and I am delighted to call that part of my legacy.

Prussing is my second home and I will always cherish in my heart the GREAT 14 years

I spent here. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for your community.

Enjoy your vacation and see you around!

Sincerely,

Hanna Kapica

If you were present, or maybe you have heard it through the grapevine, Ms. Kapica is retiring at the end of this school year. We are blessed to have had her as an essential asset to our Prussing Family and Community for the past 14 years! Prior to Prussing, Ms. Kapica has been with CPS for 32 years. Now, the doors open and she will take on the wonderful path of retirement- living the life and enjoying herself with surrounding family and friends. We are grateful to have had her lead our school and make such a strong and wonderful imprint on our students and teachers.

The students interviewed Ms. Kapica and wrote up the following in dedication to her.

(Interviewed by Soha Haidari, Cecilia Fiore, Ronan Dunne, & Sophie Quint)

As you all know, Mrs Kapica will be retiring. Mrs. Kapica has been in education for 32 years.

She has been wanting to be a teacher since her childhood. She has never thought about becoming an assistant principal from her childhood. Mrs. Kapica became an assistant principal because people told her to become one. Before this position, Ms. Kapica worked in CPS, specializing in the LSC department, and she also taught.

Ms. Kapica is full of pride, passion and dedication here at Prussing. When we asked her, her favorite memories were the Cultural Parades and the Halloween parades. Mrs. Kapica always made sure that she and Dr. Chipain would match on Halloween. We remember that Ms. Kapica and Dr. Chipain were Mario and Luigi, smart cookies, coffee and a donut, and ninjas. For the Cultural Parades, she loves seeing everyone’s culture and nationalities. The most interesting part of her job was seeing students interacting with each other and watching them learn in their classrooms. She loves engaged learning experiences. Ms. Kapica said that one field trip she would want to go on is the Field Museum and she would go there with the kindergarten teachers because she felt like the kindergarteners would love the museum and would learn and enjoy a lot of things. One renovation she would’ve loved to have made was to add a second floor to the annex, like a lot of other schools have. Prussing was going to do that but the cost went up after the pandemic.

A fun fact about Ms. Kapica actually is that at her house she talks very loud, instead of using a normal voice with her family members because she is used to using a loud voice here at school. Her family members tell her to talk lower because of that.

Mrs. Kapica was an awesome assistant principal and will always be remembered for her excellent work! We will miss her!

Interviewed and written by Leonardo Sagasti, Lupita Rivera, Juan Rivera, Noah Hernandez. and Monserrat Mascote.

From the beginning, Ms. Dutan was a teacher. She began teaching adults who didn’t know how to read or write when she was only a kid. Because she did so well in school, her mom signed her up for this opportunity. After that, she started to like teaching, so, she began teaching kindergarten. Ms. Dutan said her advice to any new teachers is to try to incorporate what you do at home with your kids in your class. The home and school connection is very important!

Many of us don’t know this, but she said that when she teaches, she is a clown, always making her students laugh. She said the one thing she will remember is the discipline in this school. Ms. Dutan mentioned that one challenge is to teach certain grade levels, because every grade level needs different material. Prussing will always be a special memory to her.

Interviewed and written by Nejla Karic, Kingston Zac and Kacper Sarnecki.

Ms.Olechowski will be remembered for being kind and believing in order and structure. We, the students, loved interviewing her because she was so sweet! We learned that Ms.O started in 2012 and has been at Prussing for 13 years. She worked with teachers and kids in the classroom and now is a school assistant, who is known by everyone!

All of her life, she has really liked little kids (going back to 1994). After leaving Prussing, she is going to travel a lot in her retirement and she will go to Poland in July. Ms.O. is going to miss the staff and students and the people here. The most memorable thing was the three years that she spent with the kindergarten team, and the scary Halloween parade with the carbon monoxide incident. She is relieved that all were okay.

We will always remember you and hope you can come back so we can see you again. We are forever thankful for your time and dedication to us.

We are so proud of our kindergarten students as they celebrated a big milestone! The ceremony was filled with smiles, songs, and special moments as our young learners showcased how much they’ve grown this year. Thank you to all the families who joined us to celebrate their accomplishments. We can’t wait to see all the wonderful things these future first graders will achieve!

Prussing is filled with so much culture!

Room 007 and room 008's end of the year tie dye project was a success! Special thanks to Ms. Keiper, Ms. Oksana, Mrs. Williams, Ms. Cervantes and Ms. Weingardt for their assistance.

Congratulations to the 4th grade team for winning 1st place and the 3rd grade team for winning 2nd place in The Stock Market Games. They won a total of $175 and decided to have an ice cream party. Way to go to all students playing the game.

The 7th grade created coil mugs, bowls and planters!

The Prussing Class of 2025 Rock Garden is under the Prussing marquee. Each student created their own rock. If you have a chance, stop by and check it out!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE GRADUATING 8th GRADERS!! We know how hard you worked to get here!

Please make sure that you fill out the High School Connection Interest Form. Click here for the link to the form: High School Connection Interest Form. Even if you filled it out for the high school you are going to, this one needs to be filled out as well.

If you would like more information about high school connection visit the website: https://www.cps.edu/academics/summer-programs/high-school-connection/

If you have any questions ask Ms. Keiper or Ms. Kelly. Thanks!

All Prussing Families - Tips on Summer programs to stay active and have fun!

Chicago Park District - They have TONS of low priced or Free activities all summer long!

Chicago Public Libraries - Keep up with reading this summer, they have a lot of fun programs and reading challenges this summer!

We hope you all have a safe and fun summer!

Here are some important numbers you should know:

988 - Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

1-800-345-9049 - Screening, Adolescent, and Support Services (SASS)

At our past meeting June 11, 2025, Dr. Hlepas announced the end of her service and LSC Chairperson. We want to thank her for her service and taking the lead, her dedication and guidance over the past couple of years. Our next LSC meeting is on July 9th, 2025, at 6pm. The link will be on the school website. Thank you to all the families who are able to attend and help guide the school with making very important decisions. We welcome more attendees, as you know, it takes a village - Have an enjoyable summer!

Click on the button to see upcoming events!

If you would like to find archived newsletters, please visit our Facebook page or school website.