

Principal Weekly Update to Families
December 8, 2023
A Message From the Principal
Dear Prairie Families,
Yearly, Yelm Community Schools shares Family Belonging Survey information to families to gain perspective of your student and family's experiences within schools in our district. The link to the Prairie Survey is https://bit.ly/PRfambelong, available in both English and Spanish this survey closes on December 15. A separate survey is available for each campus where you have a student attending. At this time, only three people have taken part in Prairie"s Family Belonging Survey. We value our partnership with families and want to know your thoughts. It is important that all families experience a sense of belonging in our schools and want to hear how we are doing.
We understand this time of year is busy for our families and want to express our appreciation to you (in advance) for taking time to participate in both of these important surveys.
In partnership,
Tami Beach
Staff Spotlight
Wise Center Staff
The Wise Center is a classroom built around inclusion, growth, and positive structures to help support all Wise Center students in the areas of reading, writing, math, social emotional, and adaptive learning. Mrs. Brazil heads a team with five very talented para's that help support this environment — Teresa, Michelle, Darron, Jetti, and Sammie. Their job is to provide their students with additional intervention support on top of what they are receiving in the general education environment. Thank you, Wise Center Team for helping Prairie students grow.
Prairie PTO
The annual PTO Santa Shop was a success! Thanks to a team of parent volunteers and PTO for sponsoring another great Santa Shop. There were lots of smiles as students shopped for their mom, dad, sisters, brothers, and other family members. It was a great lesson in money management and budget! Thanks again to PTO and our parent volunteers.
Popcorn Dates for December & January:
- December 14: Popcorn Day
- January 4: No popcorn
- January 11: Popcorn Day
- January 18: Popcorn Day
- January 25: Popcorn Day
Make sure to follow Yelm Prairie PTO for great reminders and information on upcoming events at Prairie. Parents may contact them by email at yelmprairiepto@gmail.com at anytime with questions or to volunteer.
Family Handbook Spotlight
Food Service/Meals
The breakfast and lunch program is provided by our district’s Food Service department. Breakfast is served at 8:10 a.m. Lunch is served mid-day. Daily menus are made available monthly for students or accessible on the Quick Link located at the top/right of the Prairie webpage.
Emergency Closures & Delays
Keep Information Handy as Winter Approaches
In case you missed in in last week's newsletter this information can be handy in the event of inclement weather days. Yelm Community Schools will notify families of any emergency schedule changes by an automated phone call, email, and/or text as early as possible but not later than 5:30 a.m. Occasionally, circumstances change quickly and late announcements are unavoidable. The following information is for reference in the event that the schools are closed or buses operate on an emergency schedule:
- School Closure: All schools will be closed all day and any activities planned for the day or evening will be announced by 12:00 p.m. on the district website.
- Emergency Schedule: Indicates that schools will start on a delayed schedule. Parents are reminded that although the buses will start the runs later if we are on an emergency schedule, the buses may be slightly later near the end of the run. We request that parents make allowances for this.
- Limited Transportation: Limited transportation will prevail if some roads become inaccessible or if the county announces road closures. The school will be in session unless otherwise announced by the Superintendent’s Office.
Stay informed about Emergency Closures & Delays by:
- Signing up for FLASH ALERT to receive an email notification.
- Updating your Family Access email address, home, and cell phone numbers
- Opting In for Text Messaging (Text YES to 67587)
- Following Yelm Community Schools on Facebook and Twitter
- Visiting the district website for detailed information and updates.
- Tuning in to other media outlets
It is requested that parents/guardians do not call the media stations for closure information.
Announcements and Reminders
- Friday, December 15: Assembly, 8:40 a.m. (in-person)
- Monday, December 18: Spirit Day—Pajama Day. Wear some cozy pajamas.
- Monday, December 19: Spirit Day–Hype for the Holiday. Wear any Christmas attire you would like.
- Wednesday, December 20–Tuesday, January 2: Winter Break! Please contact our attendance line if your family will be planning to start your vacation early. Click here to contact our Attendance office to pre-approve your student's absence.