Prairie Crossing Elementary

Communication

Please feel free to contact me with ANY questions and/or concerns.  Please keep in mind that I will be teaching during school hours Monday - Thursday and during virtual class times on Friday but will typically reply as soon as I am able.  E-mail is the best way to reach me: tara.liedell@dcsdk12.org

Learning At Home

Each Friday, teachers will be sending an email with all the learning that will need to be completed from home the following week.  

• We recommend setting up a regular “school” location where your child can focus.  The location should have all needed school supplies (see below), the Chromebook or other tech device, charger, any work sent home, etc.

• On the first two “home learning” days of the week (Tuesday/Thursday for Cohort A, Monday/Wednesday for Cohort B) kids will be working through assigned activities in each subject area.  The work will consist of about the same quantity of work that would have been completed during a typical in-school day.  There may be recorded video lessons, online activities and non-tech based activities.  For the most part, we will assign work that the student can complete independently (since teachers are not available and we know many parents are juggling work, siblings, etc).  We are also striving to keep the weekly  activities fairly consistent to eliminate confusion. 

• On Friday, ALL students from Cohort A and B will be completing learning activities from home as well as attending live virtual lessons using Google Meet with the teacher.  All live virtual lessons will be recorded and linked after the lesson in the event a student cannot attend. 

• Attendance will be taken and completing work is required on “home learning” days.  We will update families on exactly how attendance is being taken once we have specifics from the district.  

• Click here for a sample schedule of eLearning days. 

Chromebooks

Each child will be assigned a PCE Chromebook to use for learning at school.  This chromebook will only be sent home for “home learning” days if you have completed the Student Tech Loan Request.  However, your child will need to bring their Chromebook back to school fully charged each day they are in class.  We highly recommend having a backpack with a padded computer compartment to protect the device.  

Mask Usage

Please send your child in a clean face mask each day.  DCSD has mandated that students and staff wear a mask at all times while inside the school building.  Students are permitted to take their masks off during outdoor recess, while eating lunch, and while in P.E.  Each child will be given a lanyard to wear and hang their mask on whenever it is removed.  It would also be helpful to label your child’s mask in the event it gets lost. 

School Supplies

Below is a list of the school supplies for the year. If you ordered an EduKit of supplies it will be waiting at school for your child on the first day.  In addition to the supplies on this list we also need each student to bring a supply box such as the one pictured to the right (approximately 8.5 x 5.75 x 2.5 inches - the larger size won’t fit in their storage space). Due to Covid-19, students will be keeping all of their own supplies in this box rather than sharing with classmates.  Please label all supplies.  Since kids will be doing much of their learning at home, we are having you keep some of the supplies to use at home.  You may also want to pack chapstick and/or lotion in your child’s backpack as we are unable to provide those for kids this year.  

Lunch

Lunch is 20 minutes.  Please remind your kiddos to take that time to eat their lunch, rather than just talking with friends.  Also, they will start offering additional snacks  for purchase next week.  Many kiddos will buy snacks even if they have not finished lunch.  We do our best to remind them, but appreciate any support you can provide at home.  You can go into their lunch account and see what they are buying.  

Snacks

 We will have time for a morning snack each day during our 10:15 morning recess. Please provide one healthy snack for your child each day (and provide any necessary utensils). We recommend something that the kids can eat in a few minutes so they can head out and enjoy their recess.   No candy please.

STAR Student

Each child will have an opportunity to be our Star Student of the week. During this time he/she will complete a poster and bring in a favorite book and  4-6 special items to show the class. The class will complete a Student Star book for each child to take home.        Student Star Calendar.

Toys

 Toys and jewelry are a real distraction and interfere with learning. It is just too tempting for kids to play with them at the wrong times.  Please do not allow your child to bring toys or jewelry to school. 

Water Bottles

 Because water fountains will not be available, each child MUST bring a full water bottle to school every day. Only water is allowed. Please clearly label the bottle with your child’s name. Make sure it is a bottle that doesn’t leak and that your child can easily open and close on their own. We recommend the pop up or push button styles such as Contigo. 

Birthdays

We love to celebrate and make your child feel special on their birthday.  Unfortunately, PCE policy is not to serve edible treats or pass out goodies when celebrating birthdays. 

Schedule

Our First Grade schedule is linked here should you need to access it. 

After School Plans

Students will need to know how they are getting home each day. If there are any changes please notify the teacher by 11:00 a.m. or call the office for last minute changes.  There are 3 choices. 

1. B.A.S.E. after-school child care program (must be signed up)

2. BUS  - Students will be called to exit out the front and proceed directly to busses in the bus loop. 

3. Parent meet-up - First graders exit out the front door and meet parents in the front area of the building. Please arrange a spot where your child should meet each day (such as the flagpole or carpool lane).  We are asking parents and students to ensure social distancing and exit the school area promptly after meeting up.

Dressing for the Weather and Classrooms

Please help your student come to school with the appropriate clothing for recess outdoors.  This includes hats, coats, gloves and of course boots when there is snow on the ground.  Be sure to label your child’s belongings with their name or initials. Conditions can change rapidly in Colorado and we wouldn't want your child to end up cold or have soggy feet for the remainder of the day.  In addition, our classrooms are often chilly so sending a sweatshirt or sweater might be a good idea even on warm days.