Letter to Parents
June 2018
MP-E Families: Happy Summer!
I hope the kick off to summer has been great for your family. As Mr. Schneider likes to remind anyone he sees, only 79 days until school starts in August! We can't wait to see you all again!
Thank you for a great year of learning and fun with your child. We had the best, first year as Mid-Prairie East Elementary. I am proud of our teachers and students who contributed positively to our school year even with the many changes we faced together.
Before you get too settled into your summer routines, please see the attachment, Why Read at Home? Many parents ask me, "What should my child do over the summer?" I have the same answer every time, "READ!" Read to your child, let your child read to you, let them tell a story through pictures, make up their own words, etc. Reading matters in the classroom and at home, for life! Our local Kalona Public Library and Wellman Public Library both have Summer Reading Programs. You can also find fun reading activities (BINGO games) to do with your child online. Please let me know if you have questions.
You will see some new and familiar faces in our classrooms at Mid-Prairie East Elementary during the 2018-19 School Year. (see attachment)
Preschool: Lori Miller (4 year old) & Ericha TeBockhorst (4 year old & AK)
Kindergarten: Joyce Billups, Kara Troyer, Shaina Gearhart
1st Grade: Melissa Gerot, Melissa O'Rourke, Becca Droll, Kaitlyn Van Fossen, Nikole Eichelberger, Sarah Holtkamp
2nd Grade: Lori Simon, Renee Fisher, Kerri Bell, Emily Zehr, Jill Lundberg
I hope you have a fantastic summer with your child. Thank you for all you do to support their learning at school. I truly look forward to having them back in August for another great year together!
Important Dates:
- June 27: 7:00-10:00: Family Movie Night, MP-W, Sponsored by MP Student Boosters
- August 10: 7:00-10:00: Family Movie Night, MPMS Sponsored by MP Student Boosters
- August 9: 10:00-6:00: E-Registration
- August 22: First day of school for Kindergarten ONLY from 8:30-11:00! Kindergarten teachers will send more information regarding this day in their welcome back letter in August. Transportation is not provided.
Robin Foster
Principal, Mid-Prairie East Elementary School
Mid-Prairie Community School District
702 6th Street
Kalona, IA 52247
319-656-2243
April 2018
Hello Parents,
It was too long to finally get a beautiful day in Iowa - today felt great and it looks like we will be able to enjoy it this week, too! No coats at recess make our students extra excited! We are looking forward to a fun and busy week with Grandparent's Day on Friday. If you have not turned in an RSVP form, please do so by Wednesday. This helps us get an accurate count for cookies and chairs!
Can you believe May is right around the corner? The 2018-19 school year is near and we will be intentional about preparing our students who will be transitioning from Preschool to Kindergarten, Kindergarten to 1st grade, and 2nd grade to 3rd grade (and of course our current 1st graders!) Each student will visit their new school and/or classroom during a transition day in May. More information will come from your child's classroom teacher as the time gets closer.
Other Important Information:
- Summer School Dates (Students who completed K-4)
- June 11-14; June 18-21; and June 25-28) from 8:30-10:00 AM
- More information to come from your child's classroom teacher
- CLICK HERE to access the video from the MP-E Elementary Music Concert
February 2018
February 19, 2018
Hello MP-E Families,
I hope you are all enjoying the long weekend!
While our students were not in school on Friday, Mid-Prairie educators participated in a day of learning at SEIIS (Southeast Iowa Innovation Showcase) for the second year in a row. Educators from Mid-Prairie, Washington, WaCo, St. James, IMS, and our local GWAEA gathered to hear Buddy Berry speak about his School on Fire - encouraging and empowering all of us to 'think outside the box' and continue to improve education for our students.
In addition to our keynote speaker, our local educators presented on various practices they currently implement in their classrooms. There were a variety of presentations in the area of innovative practices, building strong relationships with students/families, language rich classrooms, ELL, writing, social media, etc. There were even some of our middle school students presenting on the Mid-Prairie Middle School Innovation Lab!
We had a great day of learning and collaborating together on Friday. I am proud of our district educators who took a chance and presented their favorite practices to area educators to help improve student learning. We have an excellent group at Mid-Prairie!
Important Information:
- No School, Monday, February 19!
- Kindergarten Registration for the 2018-19 school year will be held on Tuesday, February 20 in the Mid-Prairie High School Cafeteria from 6:30-7:15. Please help spread the word!
- Family Literacy Night: Thursday, March 8: 5:00-7:00 at MP-East!
- MP-E Grandparent's Day: Friday, April 27: 1:30-3:00 - More information will come prior to Spring Break!
- Attached are two Staff Spotlights: Jean Hussey (Chinese) & Renee Fisher (2nd Grade)
Thanks for supporting your child's education. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or something to celebrate!
Have a great week!
Robin Foster
Principal, Mid-Prairie East Elementary School
Mid-Prairie Community School District
702 6th Street
Kalona, IA 52247
Hello Families,
We are excited to celebrate Literacy Week, or "Pete the Cat Week", during the week of March 5-9, with a family night on Thursday, March 8 from 5:00-7:00.
Please see the attached newsletter for more information for Pete Week at MP-E!
Have a great day!
--
Robin Foster
Principal, Mid-Prairie East Elementary School
Mid-Prairie Community School District
702 6th Street
Kalona, IA 52247
319-656-2243
Pete Week Flier
Hello and Happy February! Our school year is flying by - it's hard to believe we have less than 80 days of learning left for this school year.
Have you ever wondered why we have early dismissals and/or how our teachers use this time? Please see the attached newsletter to learn more about how we spend our time together during early dismissals.
MP-E will host Grandparent's Day/VIP Day on Friday, April 27. More information will come from your classroom teacher as the time gets closer. We want you to have time to plan for your child's grandparent OR special person to visit our school on this day.
Preschool Parents: Kindergarten Registration will be held on Tuesday, February 20 from 6:30-7:15 at the Mid-Prairie High School Cafeteria -- A flyer will come home with your child this week. Please spread the word to anyone you know who has an incoming Kindergartener!
Please see Staff Spotlights: Elena Beachy (Spanish Instructor) & Kaitlyn Van Fossen (1st Grade)
Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.
Have a great week!
--
Robin Foster
Principal, Mid-Prairie East Elementary School
Mid-Prairie Community School District
702 6th Street
Kalona, IA 52247
319-656-2243