tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17546990789866390052024-02-20T14:05:47.515-08:00Carmen Bergmann- Prairieland PrincipalCarmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-74448644969948957832012-03-05T08:06:00.000-08:002012-03-05T08:06:06.638-08:00ISAT FAQsHello Cougar families! As we enter ISAT testing, I thought I would blog about some of the common questions about ISATs.<br />
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<strong>What are ISATs?</strong><br />
ISAT stands for Illinois Standards Achievement Test. It is a state test that is given to all public school children in grades 3 through 8. The students are tested on the skills and concepts that are in the Illinois Learning Standards for their grade level. The purpose of the test is to determine how well the schools are doing in providing appropriate instruction for each grade level. <br />
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<strong>What tests are given and how long are they?</strong><br />
In grades 3 and 5, the students take three reading tests and three math tests. In 4th grade, the students take three reading tests, three math tests, and two science tests. The testing sessions are all 45 minutes. All three reading tests have multiple choice questions, and two of them have an additional extended response question. Two of the math tests have multiple choice questions, one has three additional short response questions, and one test is made up of two extended response questions. The science tests are both exclusively multiple choice questions.<br />
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<strong>I heard this is the last year for ISATs. Is this true?</strong><br />
We will be switching to a new set of standards, called Common Core Standards. The Common Core Standards are a common set of standards across the nation. With this change, there will also be a new assessment that will be consistent across the country. At one point, the plan was to allow districts to pilot the new assessment during the 2012-2013 school year in place of the ISAT. Unfortunately, the assessment is not yet ready, so we will most likely take the ISATs in 2013.<br />
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<strong>I have heard about school districts that "teach to the test". My child has mentioned practicing for the ISAT. Does that mean our teachers are "teaching to the test"?</strong><br />
The term "teaching to the test" means that teachers teach a curriculum that is narrowed in scope to address only the skills that are most likely on the test. In addition, students are only assessed in ways that mirror the ISATs so that they become very accustomed to the format of the test. Our teachers do not do this. They teach a broad curriculum that includes all of the standards for their grade level along with introduction to the concepts in the standards for future grade levels. They assess students in a variety of ways throughout the year in order to provide them with the best chance to show what they know in a way that fits their learning style. When we get close to ISATs, our teachers do provide practice opportunities for the students to take assessments that are like the ISAT. They do this so that the students develop a level of comfort with the testing style.<br />
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<strong>What should we do differently during ISAT testing to ensure success for our student? </strong><br />
Prior to ISAT testing, you will often see tips for parents about making sure that students get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, etc... These are all good ideas, but our hope is that these things are always happening on school days! We don't want the students to feel like these weeks are really that much different. We do not want students to feel stress or pressure. I like to tell the kids that this is a great time, because it is their time to show what they know! It's like in sports where you practice and practice, then you get to show what you can do in a game. This is their game day!!<br />
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<strong>What if my child gets sick?</strong><br />
We do not want students coming to school sick. It will not allow them to do their best, and they will infect other students. If your child is sick, the teachers will work with them to schedule make up tests when they return to school. <br />
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<strong>When will we receive results from the ISAT testing?</strong><br />
We will get school wide summary reports in May or June, but you will not get your child's individual reports until next fall.<br />
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If you have other questions about ISAT testing, please feel free to ask! Our staff at Prarieland does a phenomenal job teaching all of our students. We are always excited to have our students show what they know because we trust in our instruction, in our students' hard work, and in the support and encouragement our students receive at home!<br />
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It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!<br />
Carmen BergmannCarmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-3739015408230612282012-01-17T11:55:00.000-08:002012-01-17T11:55:46.376-08:00Technology SafetyWe are definitely living in a world where children are becoming "tech savvy" at an earlier age. I have heard from many of our students about ipods, ipads, Kindle Fire, nooks, etc... that they have at home. Technology is such a great tool and it can be used in such a powerful way for children to learn and communicate. Unfortunately, it can also provide our children with access to information that is not appropriate, and it can provide the public with information about your child that you do not want shared.<br />
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It is very important for you to carefully monitor your children's usage of technology. It is also important to have conversations with your children about how to be safe when they are online. Mr. Ford and Mr. Sterrett will spend time during tech time teaching students about internet safety as well. Here is a website that can serve as a good resource for you as you have these conversations with your children:<br />
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<a href="http://kids.getnetwise.org/">http://kids.getnetwise.org/</a><br />
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Let me know if you have questions.<br />
It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!!<br />
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Carmen BergmannCarmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-68303620940284575972012-01-03T18:25:00.000-08:002012-01-03T18:26:12.599-08:00Happy New Year- My resolution.Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good break and that you had time to enjoy family and friends. I spent some of my break thinking about how fortunate I am to be a part of the Prairieland community and what I can do to maintain the high standards and success that characterizes Prairieland. My first year was spent getting to know the community and doing a lot of observing and reflecting. Unfortunately my first year was also spent completing my superintendent's certificate, which was very time-consuming and often stressful. Now that I have had time to acclimate myself to this wonderful place and now that I am done taking classes, I am very excited to put all of my time and energy into continuing the tradition of excellence that has always been at Prairieland.<br />
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One of my New Year's Resolutions is to work with the staff to ensure that we are always doing what is best for the children and families so that our students will be successful for their entire educational careers and into their adult lives. This is a tall order, but one that is wholeheartedly embraced by the Cougar staff. We have been challenged recently by budget cuts and increased initiatives relating to assessment and instruction. Our teachers are learning new approaches to literacy instruction, we are using a different approach to student interventions, and we are greatly increasing our use of data to form instruction and determine student intervention needs. It has been overwhelming for the teachers, but they have soaked it all up and have done a fantastic job of trying to stay ahead of the game. Everything we are doing is based on best practice and is intended to benefit all students. My only fear in all of this is that we will become so consumed with the new initiatives that we will lose the personal connections with students and the need to develop a love of learning by helping students to feel a connection to Prairieland and a desire to be in school. It is important for us to maintain a balance in all that we do. <br />
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In order to do this, our staff is going to spend time re-visiting our vision and core beliefs to ensure that we have a good balance. We will then print our vision and post it around the building so that we are always on the same page and maintaining a healthy balance in all that we do. <br />
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At Prairieland, our families are always an integral part of what we do, and I am amazed by the commitment and dedication that our families constantly demonstrate. In order to include all of you in this endeavor, I have created a very brief survey so that we can include your thoughts and beliefs in our discussions. I would really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to complete the survey (It is VERY short, I promise). I have set it up so that it can be completed more than once on a computer in case each parent/guardian in the household would like to contribute. <br />
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The survey can be found at this link- <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6G7Q58X">https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6G7Q58X</a><br />
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Thank you for your time and your thoughts! <br />
It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-70516299275708192072011-11-18T07:53:00.000-08:002011-11-18T07:53:32.795-08:00Happy ThanksgivingAs I am thinking about all of the things that I am thankful for, I have the usual list of family, friends, a warm home, food on the table, healthy children, etc... I am so blessed and fortunate to have all of these things and I will always be thankful.<br />
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I am also lucky enough to be thankful for being a part of the Prairieland Cougar family. I love coming to work every day because Prairieland is such a wonderful place to be! Every morning when I come to school, I have students who smile and greet me or respond enthusiastically to my greetings. Each day I get to witness or hear about student successes. Just today (in just one hour of school so far) I was able to celebrate with a second grader who earned stickers for working towards a goal that we set for him a couple of weeks ago. I celebrated with several kindergarten students who earned stickers for making good choices and following expectations in the classroom. I celebrated with a third grader who moved up 7 reading levels in just 2 1/2 months! I get to go into classrooms and see students excited about learning and working hard. I get to see the smiles on their faces when they succeed and when they are pleased with their work.<br />
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I am so thankful that we have parents who are excited and willing to be involved in the education of their children! I greatly appreciate the fact that parents share concerns with me and are willing to be a part of the solution. I also appreciate the fact that parents take the time to tell me about the good things that they are seeing at our school. <br />
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I am thankful that I get to work with such a wonderful staff every day. They make me smile, they make me proud to be a Cougar, they amaze me, and sometimes they make me cry because I am so touched by their passion. <br />
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I know this post is kind of a repeat of my last post, but this month of Thanksgiving has really gotten me thinking about how blessed I am to be at Prairieland!<br />
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Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Enjoy the time with family and friends.Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-37372531518461565522011-11-10T08:52:00.000-08:002011-11-10T08:52:51.023-08:00Prairieland successAs our staff has been studying the student data from Prairieland, we feel tremendous pride for all of the success that our students have had and continue to have. We will, of course, continue to look for areas for improvement, but we also like to take time to celebrate the successes!<br />
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Here are some of the things that we want to celebrate:<br />
<ul><li>92% of our students met or exceeded on the Reading ISAT last year and no one scored in the warning range.</li>
<li>97% of our students met or exceeded on the Math ISAT last year and no one scored in the warning range.</li>
<li>In Reading, Math, and Language Usage, our mean RIT scores on the MAP testing exceeded the National Norms at every grade level for the fall term. </li>
<li>Our students have an attendance rate of over 96%.</li>
</ul>I could, of course, go on an on about the successes that we celebrate daily. I am so proud of our Cougars and the hard work that they put into their learning. <br />
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There are many reasons for the success of the students at Prairieland:<br />
<ul><li>We have a supportive and encouraging parent community. This support includes volunteering at school, encouragement at home to value education, assistance at home on homework and practice activities, attendance at school events, parent support of teacher initiatives and interventions, and much more! </li>
<li>We have an outstanding staff. The staff at Prairieland cares about the whole child, works tirelessly to find the best way to educate the students, uses creativity to "hook" students, meets students where they are ready to learn, and much more!</li>
<li>We have great students who want to learn. Our students are respectful, they work hard, they understand their responsibility in the learning process, and they are motivated to be the best they can be.</li>
</ul>Thank you for your continued support. During this time of Thanksgiving, I have to say that I am thankful to be surrounded by such a phenomenal group of people who are all united by the desire to "Educate each student to achieve personal excellence"! <br />
It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-39604585119523590222011-10-25T09:20:00.000-07:002011-10-25T09:20:32.812-07:00Parent SupportAs I watched all of our parents coming to school and spending time talking about their child's education, I was reminded once again how proud I am of the parent involvement at Prairieland. I am so glad that our parents find so many ways to be involved in the education of our students. We have many parents who come to the school and volunteer on a regular basis, we have many parents who assist with extra curricular activities after school and sometimes on the weekends, we have many parents who spend time reading with their child at night, we have many parents who study with their child, we have many parents who talk with their child on a regular basis about what they are learning about in school.... I could go on and on about all of the ways that our parents are involved in the educational process. I know that not everyone is able to to come to the school during the day to volunteer, so I am so happy to see our parents getting involved in many different ways. I came across a document put together by the Michigan Department of Education that summarizes the research done on parent involvement. It is very interesting, but I really like how it outlines the various types of parent involvement. Here is a link to the document:<br />
<a href="http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Final_Parent_Involvement_Fact_Sheet_14732_7.pdf">http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Final_Parent_Involvement_Fact_Sheet_14732_7.pdf</a><br />
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Thank you for all that you do to make the Prairieland community so wonderful! It is a GREAT day to be a Cougar!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-74253409114650124052011-10-18T08:24:00.000-07:002011-10-18T08:24:18.946-07:00Parent ConferencesIt is already time for Parent/Teacher Conferences! It is important to take full advantage of this opportunity to talk with your child's teacher about how your child is performing in school. We are a team and this time to connect and share is so important to the success of all of our children. <br />
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During your conference, you will be given some information about your child's MAP scores. This is a new assessment for us, and we are still learning about how to best use the information that we are getting. Please feel free to explore the website- <a href="http://www.nwea.org/">www.nwea.org</a> to find out more about this assessment.<br />
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You will also receive information about your child's reading level (the lexile is listed on the MAP score report). It is a good idea for you to be aware of your child's reading level when you are choosing books for your child to read at home. Please keep in mind, that a good way to challenge your child with books above his/her level is to read to them and talk with them about what you are reading. Speaking of reading, I discovered some interesting information as I looked at the MAP scores. When I looked through our scores, I noticed that most of our students' Reading MAP scores dropped from our spring testing to our fall testing, whereas most of our Math MAP scores increased. I think this really shows us the importance of keeping students reading and talking about their reading!<br />
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I look forward to seeing all of you on Friday at Parent Teacher Conferences! Be sure to stop in the IMC to see the Book Fair. We will also have computers on for you to take the District Parent Satisfaction survey.<br />
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It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-22263705145707080122011-10-05T09:03:00.000-07:002011-10-05T09:03:08.338-07:00New Resolve and Literacy informationOkay, so I have not been a good blogger so far! I really do want to do better, and will try to be more regular. Interaction on the blog will help me to be motivated, so please feel free to respond, ask questions, share sites, etc... <br />
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I would like to share some information with you about what we are doing with our literacy instruction. The way that we instruct students in literacy is changing. First of all, you will be hearing terms like Reader's Workshop, Writer's Workshop, Daily 5, and CAFE in relation to literacy time. What all of this means is that the instruction and practice opportunities for students is very individualized. Students are spending a lot of time reading independently at their level. During this time, they are working on the skills that they need to work on to improve their reading. The reason that much of this is done independently is that our students are not all reading at the same level, and they do not need to work on the same skills. So, we are moving away from whole group lessons on reading skills and having students all read the same book. Instead, our teachers are using assessments to find out where are students are in their reading abilities and what skills they need to refine in order to advance. They are helping students find books at the appropriate level and they are conferencing with them individually or in small groups to guide them and provide them with instruction on specific skills. Our students are engaged in literacy activities like the ones I have described for 90 minutes each day.<br />
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Our students also have an additional 30 minutes per day to work in intervention groups. This time is used for intensive work on specific reading skills for students who are not meeting the grade level benchmark. These students will be in small groups working with other students who have similar needs. The rest of the students are in larger groups working on enrichment activities to help them advance their reading levels and deepen their thinking about what they read.<br />
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What can you do as a parent to support our literacy instruction? Encourage your child to read for enjoyment. This means that they are reading whatever they are interested in- the newspaper, magazines, graphic novels, chapter books, etc... Talk with them about what they are reading and ask them questions. It is also wonderful when you read with your child. When children listen to reading, they are still working on important comprehension skills. Encouraging your child to write is also very beneficial. You can purchase a journal for your child to write their thoughts and feelings, or just to record what they do each day. You can also encourage them to write letters or e-mails to friends or family. <br />
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As always, we appreciate all that our parents do to support the education of our Prairieland Cougars!<br />
It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-49586642634608497752011-08-24T15:10:00.000-07:002011-08-24T15:11:48.372-07:001st and 3rd Grade class sizesI have heard from a number of parents with concerns about the size of our 1st and 3rd grade class sizes. I have been in contact with the Unit Office and we have discussed the concerns. I am posting a message here from Nate Cunningham, our Assistant Superintendent regarding the concerns:<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;">Thank you for expressing your concern about staffing at Prairieland Elementary School. The board and administration share your concerns. The board has established ranges for classrooms by grades in the elementary schools to ensure our schools can complete the mission of educating each student to personal excellence. The following are the ranges of students per class as established by the board of education: kindergarten (20-25), 1st grade (20-25), 2nd grade (22-27), 3rd grade (22-27), 4th grade (24-29), and 5th grade (24-29).<br />
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One of my many duties is to report the number of elementary classrooms that are under, within, and above the range, to the board of education. As a part of the process of reporting, I visit each school and talk to the principals and teachers of classrooms that are over the range. The options that we normally use are guided by the percentage of students that are under the range (combine classes-reduce sections) and sections that are over the range (split classes or add a paraprofessional/teaching assistant).<br />
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Please know, we value your concern and just as you, we do not take these actions lightly. We will investigate and review stability of the classroom before acting. Keep in mind, as school enrollment is very volatile; we do not act on our numbers until we have some stability and understanding of the classrooms. We do however; understand the importance of class size and will review and revise the appointment of employing a teacher or paraprofessional, when and if needed.<br />
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I can assure you that I have been in communication with your principal and that we will investigate your concerns. Though I have noted your concerns, I cannot promise you that we will split a section or add a paraprofessional. I can promise that we will consider all options; and will always work to achieve what is best for every student in Unit 5 schools.<br />
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If you would like to discuss our school staffing process further, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your continued interest and education of all McLean County Unit 5 students!<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
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Nathaniel Cunningham, Jr.<br />
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources McLean County Unit District No. 5</span> </span> </span></span>Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-85966569367373802112011-08-11T07:18:00.000-07:002011-08-11T07:18:51.651-07:00Welcome Back!We are so excited to start a new year at Prairieland! Our staff has been busy preparing for our Cougars and we are looking forward to seeing everyone. <br />
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We will be posting class lists on Friday, August 12 at 4:00. <br />
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I think I became an educator because I just love the idea that every year is a fresh start with new beginnings. I love it that each year, the students get to learn with different children and different adults who bring new and diverse ideas and ways of thinking. I also love this age because children's interests, talents and dreams are constantly developing and maturing. I love talking with the kids about the things that they are passionate about and watching them glow as they learn and mature. I can't wait to continue our journey together!<br />
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As always, please let me know if you have questions, concerns or celebrations to share. Communication and parent involvement are very important to me and I want all of us to work together at all times to create the best learning environment possible!<br />
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It's a Great Day to be a Cougar!!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-1219516503098528882011-03-08T12:30:00.000-08:002011-03-08T12:30:24.882-08:00ISATs and Lunch changesI would like to send a huge thank you to our Prairieland families for providing our students with healthy snacks for ISAT testing. The kids absolutely loved it and looked forward to it each day. Anything we can do to make these weeks a little more fun and a little less stressful is great! <br />
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I will be sending a mass e-mail soon about a couple of changes that we are making for lunch. The first change relates to negative lunch balances. If a student has a negative balance greater than $20.00, we will not be able to serve him/her a hot lunch. You will be notified before this happens, but we wanted you to be aware of the new approach to keeping balanced lunch accounts.<br />
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The other change relates to the lunch/recess times. We continue to have concerns from students and parents about students not having enough time to eat their lunch. In fact, I even received a petition from a group of 5th graders about the fact that they always have to wait so long for their lunch. We have decided to try a staggered lunch to address the concern. We will begin the new schedule after break so that we can try it out and make decisions about next year. The schedule will be as follows:<br />
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Grade /Recess /Line up /Lunch<br />
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2nd /11:00-11:25/ 11:20/ 11:25-11:50<br />
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5th /11:10-11:35/ 11:30 /11:35-12:00<br />
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Kind./ 11:30-11:55/ 11:50/ 11:55-12:20<br />
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3rd /11:40-12:05 /12:00 /12:05-12:30<br />
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1st /12:00-12:25/ 12:20 /12:25-12:50<br />
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4th /12:10-12:35 /12:30/ 12:35-1:00<br />
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We are very hopeful that this new schedule will work well in ensuring that all students get the most time possible to eat and that it will cut down on the amount of time that they are waiting in lines. Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-75618712682535573162011-02-22T18:28:00.000-08:002011-02-22T18:28:46.813-08:00February 22I hope you have all enjoyed some time with your students over the long weekend. We had a very productive day at school today, but we are ready to have the children back tomorrow!<br />
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Our teachers worked hard today on a number of initiatives. Much of our time was spent preparing interventions and enrichment activities that will allow us to challenge all students at their own level. The Prairieland staff is such a dedicated group, and they are always looking out for each and every student in the building!<br />
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Next week our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders will begin taking the ISATs. We do not want the children to be nervous or anxious about the tests. We have tried to keep it low key and let them know that their best is all that we can expect and that they are well-prepared and ready to go. Please help your child do his/her best by encouraging plenty of rest and good healthy eating. <br />
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Thank you for all that you do! It is a GREAT day to be a Cougar!!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-88131179995038322332011-01-28T07:18:00.000-08:002011-01-28T07:18:44.354-08:00Friday, January 28We managed to get the kids outside this week! We have noticed that the kids are starting to have a tougher time with inside recess. When we have so many days in a row of inside recess, the kids get tired of their options and they get very antsy! The teachers also notice a difference in student focus and attention in the afternoon if they do not get to move around and get fresh air during recess. On Thursday, it was still a little cold, so we just took the kids on a lap around the building to get fresh air in their lungs and to get their bodies moving. I am hopeful that we will be outside today!<br />
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We have seen an increase in student illness, which is not uncommon at this time of the year. When we are all enclosed in a building all day, every day, it creates a breeding ground for germs. We have asked our custodians to spend more time on table and desk surfaces, and we have increased the number of times we clean the water fountains. Please encourage your child to wash his/her hands regularly, and be sure to keep your child home if he/she has a fever or has vomitted. Let's hope that the Groundhog tells us that spring is just around the corner!<br />
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I look forward to seeing everyone at the concert on Thursday. I have heard the students practicing their songs and can tell you that you are in for a great night! I will be sending an e-mail with tips and reminders for the concert. <br />
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Have a wonderful weekend!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-72064763254391356352011-01-21T11:28:00.000-08:002011-01-21T17:32:41.633-08:00Back to Blogging!I have not been good about keeping up with my blogs! I would, however, like for this to be an active and effective source of communication. Therefore my New Year's resolution is to make every effort to blog once a week. If I do not have new and important news to share, I will just share some funny, sweet, exciting, or encouraging sights that I observe throughout the week at Prairieland. <br />
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For now, I would like to make sure that everyone is aware of our phone number changes. For most of this year, our old numbers still worked, but soon only our new numbers will work. Here are the new numbers:<br />
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Office- 557-4424<br />
Attendance- 557-4473<br />
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Have a wonderful weekend!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-86825959857723719372010-10-19T11:24:00.000-07:002010-10-19T11:26:08.390-07:00Parent Conferences/Halloween PartiesI hope you are all enjoying a beautiful fall!! This is such a great time of year! <br />
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<strong>Parent/Teacher Conferences</strong><br />
We have one of our most important school events coming up on Friday - Parent/Teacher Conferences. In order for our students to be as successful as possible, all of us need to work together as a team. Parent/Teacher conferences provide a very important opportunity for teachers to meet with every family about their students' needs and successes. This communication is extremely important because you can provide information about your child that we may not know or understand. <br />
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Please keep in mind that, while Parent/Teacher Conferences are only held once a year, we hope to keep the lines of communication open during the entire school year. If you have questions or concerns at any time, it is important to communicate with your child's teacher immediately before a small concern becomes much bigger. <br />
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<strong>Halloween Party/Parade</strong><br />
Our Halloween Parade/Parties will be held on Friday, October 29 at 2:00 pm. The Parade will start at 2:00 in the bus lane, with parties to follow. Parents are, of course, welcome to attend! A map will be available on the website that shows the parade route and good places for parent viewing. Please note that we will not have any parking in the bus lane or on the East and North sides of the building so that our route is clear. We also ask that the front entrance of the building and the bus lane remain clear so that we can get the students out of the building and ready for the parade. <br />
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<strong>Break the Rules Week and Cougar Pride Night Pictures</strong><br />
A big Cougar thank you goes out to everyone who participated in the Break the Rules Week and Cougar Pride Night pictures. We were able to raise a lot of money to help our Prarieland families, which further demonstrates the extremely caring nature of the Prairieland community! <br />
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As always, please contact me with any questions, concerns, or celebrations! It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-32365401454060750222010-09-22T10:53:00.000-07:002010-09-22T10:53:04.799-07:00Mass e-mailYesterday in an attempt to send an e-mail to our Prairieland families to remind everyone about the Rusty May Bullying presentation on September 29 and the early out for Homecoming on Friday at 1:45, I inadvertently sent e-mails to every student in Unit 5. We now have the problem fixed for any future mass e-mails, but it did create a lot of confusion yesterday and I apologize for that. <br />
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Just to reiterate the message:<br />
<ul><li>The RSVPs for the Rusty May Bullying dinner/presentation were due today, but we will still accept them tomorrow. </li>
<li>We will dismiss at 1:45 on Friday for the Normal Community West Homecoming parade. It should also be noted that this year we will also dismiss for the Normal Community Homecoming parade on October 15- also at 1:45. </li>
</ul>As always- please contact me with questions or concerns!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-33631933787968574692010-09-15T10:18:00.001-07:002010-09-22T10:48:43.526-07:00PIECE<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We had our first PIECE meeting of the year on September 14. We were very excited to have a number of new families in attendance! We have several announcements to share from the meeting:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• We will be having an additional meeting to discuss the budget and elect a secretary on Monday, October 4 at 6:30 in room 29 in the 4th/5th grade commons. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• We have an opening for a new secretary for this school year. At this time we have several members who are interested in filling the opening, and we will be presenting the candidates and conducting an election at the October 4 meeting. If you have not yet expressed an interest in the position and would like to, please e-mail Board President Lisa Albaugh (lmalbau@ilstu.edu) by September 20.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• Please note also that we will not be combining a meeting with Cougar Pride Night on October 5. We will have a meeting on October 12 with Dr. Niehaus as our guest speaker. We will alternate business meetings with guest speakers each month. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thank you for your strong support of our school!</span>Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-7180433644522973312010-09-01T11:27:00.000-07:002010-09-01T11:27:53.925-07:00Curriculum night and updatesIt was great to see so many of you at Curriculum Night! I hope you learned lots of things about your child's classroom and that you now have a good picture of what the year holds for our Prairieland Cougars. I have especially enjoyed meeting all of our Prairieland families. Please be sure to stop and introduce yourself any time you see me around or when you are in the office.<br />
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I have a couple of announcements about changes/additions to our calendar in the next month or so that I would like to share:<br />
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<ul><li><strong>September 14-</strong> We will have a very informal Club Night before the PIECE meeting. The Club Night will be in the Multi-Purpose room from 5:30 pm-6:30 pm and will include the following: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Craft Club (K and 1st only), Chess Club, Gardening Club and Cooking Club. The PIECE meeting will begin at 6:30 pm.</li>
<li><strong>October 5- </strong>On our original calendar, this was listed as Open House/PIECE meeting w/ a visit from Dr. Niehaus. The PIECE meeting/visit from Dr. Niehaus will be moved to <strong>October 12</strong> at 6:30 pm.</li>
</ul>I hope you are all having a positive start to the year. The kids have been doing a wonderful job at school, and our staff has very exciting plans for the year! Please know that your children are in good hands with our wonderful staff!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-80111146351151917552010-08-26T07:33:00.000-07:002010-08-26T09:44:43.631-07:00First WeekThe Prairieland Cougars are off to a great start! Our students arrived on Monday with smiles on their faces, backpacks full of supplies and minds ready to be challenged! Many parents were also seen skipping away with smiles on their faces after dropping their students off.<br />
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We have several events/deadlines coming up that I would like to remind you about:<br />
Saturday, August 28- Movie Night- "Furry Vengeance" at dusk<br />
Monday, August 30- Picture Day- practice those smiles!<br />
Monday, August 30- Spiritwear orders are due<br />
Tuesday, August 31- Curriculum Night<br />
<ul><li>6:00-6:45- 1st and 2nd grade</li>
<li>6:45-7:30- 3rd and 4th grade</li>
<li>7:30-8:15- 5th grade</li>
</ul>I would also like to let you know that we will have a very informal "Club Night" on September 14 before our PIECE meeting. Not all of our Clubs/groups will be present, but we will for sure have Craft Club, Girl Scouts, and Chess.<br />
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We appreciate all of your support as we start this new year. Please communicate regularly with the school about any questions or concerns that you may have. Education is truly a team endeavor!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-71258100684634482102010-08-18T10:58:00.000-07:002010-08-18T10:58:52.436-07:00Back to school!Now that class lists are complete, and teachers have their classrooms almost complete, it is time for the students to arrive! We are all looking forward to seeing students on Monday! I just wanted to put a reminder out about some dates and times:<br />
Thursday, August 19- 6:00- Kindergarten Open House for parents only<br />
- Mrs. Lockenvitz and Mrs. Riley 1st grade Open House for families- 6:00-7:30<br />
Monday, August 23- 1st 1/2 Day of school- 8:30-11:30 am for 1st-5th grade/Open House for Kindergarten (times for the Kindergarten Open House will be shared by the Kindergarten teachers)<br />
Tuesday, August 24- 1st Full day of school- 8:30-3:15<br />
Tuesday, August 31- Curriculum Night – Adults Only<br />
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6:00 – 6:45 1st and 2nd grades<br />
6:45 – 7:30 3rd and 4th grades<br />
7:30 – 8:15 5th grade<br />
It's a great day to be a Cougar!!!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-58480632561195818872010-08-06T05:29:00.000-07:002010-08-06T10:42:37.377-07:00Registration/Class listsWe had registration last night and it was wonderful to meet all of our new families and many of our returning families. It is awesome to see how welcoming our Cougar staff and families are!<br />
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If you have not registered your child, please be sure to call the school office- 888-6838 or stop by as soon as possible. <br />
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Also, please stop by and pick up your School Kidz kits if you ordered them in the spring. They are in the front lobby, organized by grade level. There is a check out sheet in the office. <br />
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Class lists will be posted on Friday, August 13 after 4:00 pm.<br />
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I can't wait to see everyone in a couple of weeks!!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754699078986639005.post-67304954880424324952010-07-31T15:14:00.000-07:002010-08-19T14:51:46.438-07:00Back to SchoolAs we all head back to school, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Prairieland families and a welcome back to our returning Prairieland families. I am very excited to be a part of the Prairieland family, and I am looking forward to meeting all of you!<br />
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Please know that I am available to answer your questions, hear your concerns and listen to your ideas. I also love to hear about the things that are going well for you and your child as the year progresses. Please feel free to call the school (888-6838) or send me an e-mail (bergmacm@unit5.org) if you have anything to share or discuss.<br />
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It's a great day to be a Cougar!Carmen Bergmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08972281523977050484noreply@blogger.com1