Our annual "Year in Review" is officially here! We invite you to dive into this year's publication, which celebrates the incredible achievements of our students, staff, and families. Inside, you’ll see exactly how your collective support has made East Prairie a safe, caring, and inclusive environment where every student can thrive. Thank you for bringing this vibrant spirit of care to life in our school and neighborhood every single day!
East Prairie is proud to be recognized as an International Model Professional Learning Community (PLC). Each and every day that means that our educators are collaborating, analyzing data, and learning from one another to ensure your child receives the best possible instruction, alongside an abundance of care. We’ve put together this short video to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the teamwork that makes our school so extraordinary. Thank you for your continued partnership in making this work possible!
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!!! A time to pause and truly honor the excellence of our East Prairie teaching team. The care, creativity, and heartfelt commitment our educators bring to the classroom are simply unmatched; their impact on our students’ lives is profound. This team works with such thoughtfulness and gratitude every day to serve your children and our community. We invite you to join us this week in celebrating these incredible individuals who make our school a second home.
In addition to Teacher Appreciation Week, Wednesday is School Nurse Appreciation Day! Throughout each day, Nurse Hannah provides extraordinary care and support to our students, staff, and families. She navigates an incredibly complex role with a blend of grace and expertise. We are beyond fortunate to have such a compassionate, kind, and talented professional in this essential position. Please join us in thanking Nurse Hannah for her tireless dedication to the health, safety, and well-being of our entire school community.
We understand the financial strain that comes with SNAP benefits becoming less accessible. Please know that our school is a place of unconditional support for all your family’s basic needs. We are prepared to help with access to daily school meals, local food pantry referrals, and connections to utility assistance. Please reach out directly to any member of our team so we can ensure your family's basic needs are being met.
Through our strong community partnerships, we can readily connect families to a wealth of essential support and help you navigate the process.
The Niles Township Food Pantry, Community Clothing Closet, and more.
Skokie Health and Human Services.
Utility and housing assistance programs through the Niles Township Government.
Legal aid and "Know Your Rights" resources available through our community partners.
Please contact Mr. Boule, Dr. Schmeisser, or our main office for a confidential referral.
We also want to remind all families that our district is dedicated to ensuring every student has access to nutritious meals. Your child is eligible to receive a free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch meal through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) on every school day if your household qualifies. Students who receive SNAP benefits are generally automatically certified for free school meals. For those who are not currently receiving benefits but believe they may qualify, we urge you to complete a free and reduced-price meal application today at nslpapp.com. Please reach out to our business manager, Tim Gavin (tgavin@eps73.net) for any help and support with this process.
A huge thank you to our PTA for orchestrating a festive, high-energy, and incredibly colorful Panther Dash! From the upbeat music and games to the personalized tie-dying, this year’s event was a true celebration of community.
We are so grateful to our students, families, and staff for coming together to prioritize wellness, have fun, and support a great cause.
Today was a vibrant reminder of the "East Prairie Heart" that makes our community so uniquely special!
We want to take a moment to thank our East Prairie families, educators, and students for creating a culture that defies the unkind rhetoric we often see in the world today. We are committed to ensuring our school remains a welcoming space for every member of our community.
Supporting our students means supporting the whole child. Through caring relationships and explicit social-emotional skill building and support, we are here for your children every day. We are also here for you. Whether it is help with daily meals, navigating utility assistance, or connections with community and mental health resources please lean on us. We believe that building deep trust and connection is how we ensure East Prairie remains a powerful force for good. Thank you for your continued kindness and partnership!
Here are a few additional resources to support this conversation with your children at home:
Conversation starters to promote social and emotional skills at home
Tips we can all practice to help families feel better and build stronger relationships
Anti-Defamation League strategies for beginning discussions with children
And a list of more in-depth additional readings:
Creating Compassionate Kids, by Shauna Tominey, Ph.D
Raising Emotionally Intelligent Teenagers, by Maurice Elias, Steven Tobias, Brian Friedlander
Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers, by Mike Riera
Check out the latest addition to our East Prairie video collection! Dive into the incredible creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration happening in our STEAM program every day. These one-of-a-kind opportunities are doing more than just teaching, they are preparing our students to lead in an ever-evolving future.
