Prairie Dell Elementary News

PDE's Monthly Newsletter

MONTH OF OCTOBER EDITION

October is Bullying Prevention Month

October is Bullying Prevention Month. In honor of National Bullying Prevention Month, we partnered with the Bully Buster Stars Program to bring awareness to bullying on October 16. During these programs, students participated by answering questions and singing songs about bullying prevention. These were interactive assemblies for K-2nd grade students and for 3rd-5th grade students.

In addition to the Bully Buster Stars Program, Dr. Griffin uses the First Step Bullying Prevention curriculum in her counseling lessons in each classroom. The curriculum focuses on how to recognize bullying, how to report bullying, and how to refuse bullying. All students receive this instruction.

We take bullying seriously at PDE! We want all of our students to feel safe, successful, and happy while in our building. Please communicate with your classroom teacher or the office if you feel like your student(s) are a victim of bullying behavior.

We are here to support our students and families. Please do not hesitate to stop by the office or give us a call if we can assist you in any way.

Ryan Klein - Prairie Dell Principal

NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1

There will not be school on Friday, the day after Halloween.

PDE Kindness Club

The Kindness Club at PDE centers around promoting kindness to others, ourselves, nature, and the community. Each time we meet, we focus on a different value that can promote kindness. We encourage our student members to be the role models of what kindness looks like at PDE. Below is are a few of the kind things our club has done this year.

showing kindness by cleaning up our playground and outside of school grounds
promoting "no bullying" by making a buddy bench and posters around our school showing kindness to others.
planting mums to welcome visitors to our school.
went to a high school volleyball game to cheer on our district team.
gave each staff member an apple to welcome them back to school.
we are going to go trick or treating at a nursing home to spread holiday joy to the residents.

Parent / Teacher Conferences

Teachers have started scheduling parent / teacher conferences. Our big night for parent / teacher conferences is scheduled for Tuesday, October 29. Please communicate with your student's teacher about what times work best for you. Parent / teacher conferences are a great opportunity to check in on 1st quarter progress and share celebrations and growth opportunities about students.

Fall Scholastic Book Fair

Information about the Fall Scholastic Book Fair has been sent home.

Book Fair Days October 24 - October 30

The book fair will be open for students during their regularly scheduled library time while at school. The bookfair will also be open during parent/teacher conference night until 7:15.
If you can't make it to the book fair and you want to order something, please visit our online book store. The dates for the online store are 10/24-11/6.

Picture RETAKES - November 14

Picture Retake Day Is: Thursday, November 14, 2024

Wagner Portrait Group will be photographing students for portrait packages & school records.

Only online orders will be accepted.

We will send the link via email when we have it.

Prairie Dell Pride Recognition

Every month, one student from each classroom is recognized for "Growing their Brain." This recognition isn't reserved for the student with the best assessment scores. This recognition goes to students that are doing their wildcat best and working hard on their academics. When a student is recognized, they earn a Prairie Dell Pride t-shirt. These t-shirts are worn with pride and students enjoy being recognized for their hard work in the classroom.

Union Fire Department - Fire Prevention Day

We partnered with the Union Fire Department to teach our students about fire prevention and fire safety during the month of October. Students got to learn about fire equipment, fire trucks, and how to prevent fires. We greatly appreciate our partnership with UFD and want to thank them for teaching our students about fire safety.

Staff Spotlight - Mrs. Brooke Girrens, Kindergarten Teacher

Hi! My name is Mrs. Girrens and I am a Kindergarten teacher at Prairie Dell Elementary. This marks my sixth year teaching Kindergarten and my love for teaching grows stronger each year! My first year at Prairie Dell has been a fantastic journey so far. I’m thrilled to be part of a team filled with skilled and compassionate educators who share the same passion for nurturing young minds. I look forward to growing and learning alongside my students, exploring new ideas, and making wonderful memories together this year.

Staff Spotlight - Coach Goddard, PE Teacher

What up Prairie Dell! My name is Coach Goddard and I have been teaching and coaching for 13 years. I absolutely love teaching PE at PDE because I love to see the excitement of our students when they are being physically active in the gym. I am blessed to have the ability to teach each and every student in the entire school including my daughter Addie, and next year my son Archie! I enjoy spending my spare time with my family camping, playing golf, and just enjoying the outdoors.

Staff Spotlight - Mrs. Hilton, Special Education Teacher

Hello everyone! My name is Jes Hilton, and I am a Special Education teacher here at PDE. This year, I am celebrating 20 years as a teacher! Wahoo! In my spare time, I enjoy going to concerts, tie dying, reading, and playing with my 2 dogs. My favorite part about working at Prairie Dell is that we feel like a family. Our team works hard to make students feel safe and loved in their learning environment. I can't wait to see what else this year brings at PDE!