Happy New Year!!!

 Thank you for standing with us, believing in our mission, and truly living the values that East Prairie was built upon.  Looking back on 2025, we are proud of how we collectively showed up for our students—prioritizing both their academic growth and their wellbeing.  Together, we pushed harder, set the bar high, and reached new heights.  We couldn't have done it without you!

We are grateful to our students, teachers, support staff, families, Board, and community members.  Over the past year we have accomplished so much together.  Some highlights from 2025 include:

- Further expanding our comprehensive, collaborative, and collective framework (RULER, Positive Behavior teams, MTSS) to support the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students;

- Creating a culture of care and support - over 93% of our staff are satisfied and engaged;

- Reaching all time high levels of learning for our students as measured by both the Illinois Assessment of Readiness and MAP assessment.

- Year three of the EPS/NN Mentoring Program, involving over 100 3rd through 12th grade students.  The mission of the program is to enhance the academic, social, and emotional growth of the students in our community through meaningful connections with one another;

- Expanded technology opportunities including the addition of a podcasting studio and soon to be shared hydroponic garden.  These initiatives foster creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking, empowering our students to become innovative thinkers and lifelong learners.

- Continuing development of systems, structures, and supports that ensure every child is met where they are at and has a collaborative team working to ensure their growth towards high expectations; 

- Enhanced co-teaching and collaboration practices to support our growing special education and multilingual populations - these efforts led to a doubling, and sustaining, of our exit rate on the ACCESS test for our multilingual students;

- Extension and deepening of our writing practices, kindergarten through 8th grade;

- Robust and regular communications with families and community partners - weekly newsletters, Principal’s blog, new video page, The Gazette, social media messaging, updated website, and teacher communications;

- Expanding family events throughout the school year to provide more opportunities for our community to gather, connect, and learn together;

- Increased partnership with community organizations (University of Chicago, Niles Township Government, behavioral health centers, etc.) to connect resources, ideas, and opportunities to our students and families.

East Prairie educators have shared their knowledge and expertise with educators from throughout the country and state at the following: ASCD/ISTE National Conference, Multilingual Illinois Conference, Raising Student Achievement Conference, Sharing a Vision Conference, National Association of Bilingual Education Conference.

Our educators are actively shaping the future of instruction beyond our own classrooms.  By presenting at major national and state forums—such as the ASCD/ISTE National Conference, Raising Student Achievement Conference, Sharing a Vision Conference, Multilingual Illinois Conference, and the National Association of Bilingual Education Conference—East Prairie staff are collaborating with educators nationwide to elevate student achievement, bilingual education, and instructional vision.

For this work, and all that came before it, East Prairie has been recognized this year as:

- An “Exemplary” school rating from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

- A top school as rated by U.S. News and World Report - we are part of fewer than 2% of schools nationwide by giving our elementary and middle school top school status.

- Niche.com has again recognized East Prairie as a top performing school - rating us as a “Top 10 Best K-8 Schools in Illinois” and #3 in Cook County.

- ISBE Bilingual Award

- ISBE Gold Circle of Quality recognition for our preschool program

As the year draws to a close, it is the perfect time for reflection.  On behalf of everyone who has the privilege of working with your children and family, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude.  We are truly fortunate to be part of such a phenomenal community of students, educators, and families here at East Prairie. We wish you and your loved ones a wonderful winter break and a very happy New Year!  We hope these coming weeks allow you plenty of quality time with those you care about most.  We eagerly look forward to 2026 and all the successes, challenges, celebrations, and memories that lie ahead.