Conversations Around Race & Ethnicity

 “Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.”

- bell hooks

Please join us for a new PTA sponsored program of informal conversations to learn and share experiences around race and ethnicities. The first Conversations Around Race & Ethnicity (CARE) program will be held in the Atrium at 6:00 the evening of Tuesday, May 18th.  The goal of this program is to bring our community closer together by raising cultural awareness.  Each session will begin with a speaker, followed by guided conversation and discussion from the participants.  Through intimate discussion and the sharing of lived experiences we hope to both learn something new and apply that learning towards having a positive impact in our school and broader community.  This group is open to all families, please email Joe Saucedo (josephasaucedo@gmail.com) to register and join.  Please see the attached flyer for additional information.

Why did the chicken...

 Thank you to the preschool team for letting us bring home the baby chicks this past weekend!  They were a HUGE hit with the whole Schmeisser family!

Clean Green Skokie!

Thank you to Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. Clapper, and our 4th & 5th grade Student Leadership team for their efforts to clean up Hamlin park in support of a Clean Green Skokie! These efforts exemplify the many ways in which Panther seek to make a meaningful difference in our community!

Panther Power-UP - Summer Programming @EPS

We are excited to share our plans for extended learning and additional support for our students over the summer.  Keenly aware of the ongoing challenges and impact of the pandemic upon many of our children and families, we committed to think creatively about how to best sustain ongoing academic and social-emotional growth for our students.  Here is an overview of our FREE plans, open to all - current kindergarten through 7th grade students and families.

The “Panther Power-Up” summer program seeks to balance targeted instruction with high academic expectations, social-emotional support, and care.  Our goal is to have this time be a relevant, engaging, meaningful, and enjoyable learning experience for our current kindergarten through seventh grade students.  Through participation in this program, we expect to see clear evidence of student growth and achievement related to the learning we have collectively identified as essential for each grade level.

Here is a slideshow overview of the programming for families.

Community Vaccination Clinic

 Please click this link for information regarding a FREE vaccination clinic open to anyone 16 years or older this Thursday, April 29th. The clinic will be open from 8:00AM-2:00PM at the Mayfair Salvation Army, located at 5020 N. Pulaski Road in Chicago. There is no residency requirement, simply book your appointment online.  

Please call State Senator Ram Villivalam’s office (872-208-5188) for assistance booking an appointment.

Strategic Planning Video

As you know we have spent the last week and a half focusing on the different elements of our strategic plan - mission, vision, values, and goals - as well as, the underlying cooperative process behind them.  Here is a video presentation overviewing the entirety of the plan for our families and broader community.  We will be putting together more in-depth forums for all of our stakeholder groups in the weeks and months ahead.

Culturally Responsive Teaching & Equity

The second goal of our newly developed strategic plan is:

Implement culturally responsive teaching practices and social-emotional learning (SEL) to develop the whole child.

As we have shared before, the diversity of our community is our most remarkable strength.  Each day, our East Prairie community learns from, with, and alongside one another, which we view as an incredible gift - and one that benefits both children and adults.  These opportunities are also complex and laden with challenge.  This strategic goal strives to cultivate the mindsets, practices, and policies to ensure we are supporting EVERY child in reaching their fullest potential.  Our school, like every public institution, has a responsibility to ensure we meet the needs of every child and every family - ensuring access and opportunity to the highest-quality educational experiences in an environment that is safe, caring, and inclusive.

This goal reflects our community’s priority of actualizing terms like “equity,” “culturally responsive practices,” and “social-emotional learning” into real, meaningful, and sustained action.  It reflects our focus for making changes that have a real impact, make a difference, and endure to improve not only our school and community, but the broader world as well.  This goal is a promise towards openly, earnestly, and collaboratively addressing the very real challenges and issues facing our school and community.  We know that despite our best intentions, and perhaps because of them, ensuring educational equity for every one of our students is a daily endeavor, requiring constant care and attention.  

As with all of our strategic goals, it is the time, attention, and collective effort behind them that will drive success.  We look forward to sharing more on our efforts to achieve this, and our other goals, in the weeks, months, and years ahead.