End-of-year letter

Dear East Prairie families,

As we officially conclude the 2019-20 school year, we want to take a moment to step back, reflect, and recognize the many accomplishments of our school.  As a community, we united together to ensure that each child was safe, cared for, and continued to learn under new, ever-evolving, and challenging circumstances.  These sustained, collective efforts speak to the qualities ingrained in our East Prairie community that make our school truly one of a kind!

We began this year by not just opening up a new school, but by embracing all of the potential and possibility that lie within such an incredible community investment.  We have committed ourselves to ensuring that every child, family, educator, and community member feels welcome, safe, and valued in this space.  We implemented RULER as a framework to support social-emotional learning PreK through 8th grade, and created common expectations to teach, reteach, and model positive behavior throughout the building.  Through intergrade level activities, team building activities, pep rallies, and daily classroom practices, we expanded the ways in which our students interact and relate to one another.  

This same desire to connect and further build community extended to our families as well.  This year we welcomed the Parent Mentor Program to EPS, introducing a new model of parent engagement for us to build upon.  We took on a leadership role within the township to address critical issues and foster community-building initiatives.  We expanded our family engagement events to better serve the unique needs of our community.  The response, support, and involvement has been astounding!  We aimed to communicate in clear and effective ways to ensure that every family and community member knew the many wonderful and transformative happenings of our school.  Above all, we did this together (and before March)!

When pandemic struck, we pulled together in unconventional and even more inventive ways.  We worked together to ensure that every child and every family had the essential materials and resources needed to support themselves.  Technology, food, and financial resources were shared, all while we collaboratively developed a new model of education for our students.  While the manner in which our students learn changed in an instant, the tighter connection of home and the school enabled us to accomplish significant social, emotional, and academic outcomes for our children.  We gathered, learned, laughed, cried, problem-solved, struggled, celebrated, and persevered together!  This is no small accomplishment.  It is one we must all recognize and celebrate!

As we transition to an uncertain summer and fall, we are keenly aware of the many challenges and longer-term impact and implications of this time away from school for children and families.  We will continue to work together to devise innovative solutions to support the growth and development of each child.  We also believe that through challenge, tremendous opportunity exists.  The schools we left in early March will be very different than those we ultimately return to.  At East Prairie, we are committed to this time being a moment of transformative change.  We will build upon the very best of our practices, while developing new structures, strategies, and supports for the areas we can and must do better.  Our team is committed to serving your children, your family, and our community to the very best of our ability.  We are confident in the strength and possibility of our partnership.  Thank you again for your support, energy, and effort throughout the entirety of this year!

In partnership,

The East Prairie Team