Prairie Trail Elementary is

No Place for Hate

PRAIRIE TRAIL STAR An edition of the Prairie Trail Elementary PTA

Vol. 17, Issue 2

www.prairietrailpta.org October 5, 2012

President’s Pen............................p. 2

From The

Principal.......................................p. 3

iPad for Schools...........................p. 3

Counselor’s

Corner...........................................p. 4

Upcoming Events.........................p. 4

Pajama Fundraiser......................p. 5

PTA

Fundraising...................................p. 6

In This Issue Members and Volunteers – We can

do great things with your help!

If you missed our last PTA

meeting, I explained why PTA

meetings are important. The truth

about those meetings is that we need

you there. While the board can vote

on a number of things (budget,

fundraisers, programs, etc.), YOU –

the

membership – are the final vote that

gives the authorization for everything

that we do. The board is responsible

to

membership, so we report to you. We

need YOU to make everything happen

within PTA.

I know that the feeling about

the PTA meetings is ―get them over so

we can get on to the program‖ but our

goal this year is to provide something

educational in every meeting so that

you will get something worthwhile out

of your time spent at the meeting. My

hope is also that you will learn

something about what is going on

within the PTA and the school as well.

We have until October 15 to

finalize our membership count to the

state and we still have a way to go to

meet our membership goal. My hope

is that every parent will sign up to be a

member this year. Membership is one

of our largest fundraisers for the PTA

and your membership dues go directly

toward programs that benefit ALL of

our children. We were able to expand

Accelerated Reader this year because

of membership dues. We fund Field

Trips, Field Day, Youth Protection

and College Week activities, Talent

Show and Spring Fest and many other

programs out of the dues we receive

from membership. Please show your

support of YOUR PTA by signing up

as a member and encourage those you

know to sign up as well. It’s the best

$11.50 that you can spend.

Beyond dues, our membership

is important because there is impact in

our numbers. The more members we

have, the bigger our impact is in

Austin. There is a legislative arm of

PTA that represents us and speaks for

our children to our government. They

have helped to make significant

changes in the past to things like

seatbelt laws (and other important

legislation) and are currently working

to ask for equitable Public School

Funding and reduced emphasis on

High-Stakes Testing among other

issues. The more voices we have in

our membership numbers, the louder

we will be heard and this will impact

all of our children.

The last thing I would like to

mention is our volunteers. We have

an OUTSTANDING group of

volunteers this year. I am so

impressed with the number of people

that have stepped forward! We can do

such great things with your help and

commitment! Please keep up the great

work already begun.

As always, if you have ques-

tions, concerns or suggestions, please

contact me at jill@fourzs.com or

940-367-0355.

Regards,

Jill Zielinski

Prairie Trail PTA President

Prairie Trail

Elementary PTA

5555 Timber Creek Road

Flower Mound, TX 75028

Facebook/PrairieTrailPTA

Websites:

www.PrairieTrailPTA.org

www.ptavenue.com

President’s Pen

From The Principal, Mrs. Adams Dear Prairie Trail Parents,

On Monday, September 24th, Prairie

Trail won it’s designation from the Anti-

Defamation League as a No Place for Hate

school. This was the culmination of a year of

training, community collaboration, and stu-

dent initiated activities aimed at making Prai-

rie Trail a school where everyone is respected

and diversity is celebrated. I want to thank

Roberta Clark of the Anti-Defamation League

and all of the parents who joined us for our

Flag Presentation and Pledge Ceremony.

While we are excited about

receiving recognition as a No Place for

Hate®school, we know that the work of cre-

ating a safe, respectful and nurturing school is

a continually evolving process. We will con-

tinue to work with students and parents to

build a community of acceptance that does

not tolerate teasing, name calling, bullying or

harassment of any kind. Please take time to

review our behavior policies in the student

handbook located on the school web site. Dis-

cuss with your child how they are being

treated at school. Encourage them to report

troubling behavior to the nearest adult. If you

become aware of negative

behaviors happening at school, contact your

child’s teacher or an administrator so we can

investigate. It is everyone’s job to insure the

positive learning environment our children

need to thrive and grow.

I hope all of you will be able to join us

for the iPad for the West Zone 5K Fun Run/

Walk on Sunday, October 28that 2:00p.m.!

The event will take place on the Forestwood

Middle School Trails. Parking will be avail-

able at Flower Mound and Marcus High

Schools with shuttle bus transportation pro-

vided to Forestwood. You can register or do-

nate on line by going to the West Zone Fun

Run link on the

Prairie Trail web page.

See you at the race!

Warmest Regards,

Chellie Adams

ATTENTION ATHLETES AND EXERCISE ENTHUSIASTS!

All of the schools in the Marcus and Flower Mound feeder

patterns are joining together to raise money to buy iPads for

West Zone Schools! The Flower Mound Showdown West

Zone 5K Fun Run/Walk will be held at the Forestwood Mid-

dle School Trails on Sunday, October 28th at 2:00 PM. Park-

ing will be available at Flower Mound High School or Marcus

High School with shuttle buses provided.

To register, click here or visit the LISD or Prairie Trail website and look for the Flower Mound

Showdown 5K Fun Run/Walk iPad with red sneakers. From there you can follow the links to register

or donate for this great cause. The entry fee of $25/person or $75/family of four or more covers your

participation fee and t-shirt while supplies last.

Let’s do Prairie Trail proud and support 21st century learning tools for our schools!

Guidance Lessons in the classroom have begun. This year’s guidance lessons will add the

Second Step Program to the curriculum in all grades. The four units of the program are:

Skills for Learning: Promotes the development of the skill of self-regulation. Students who

can self-regulate are better able to participate in and benefit from classroom instruction.

They are also more successful in social interactions with their peers. This unit is reinforced

throughout the program.

Empathy: Teaches student skills for identifying emotions in themselves and others, labeling

the emotioins, and taking the perspective of others. These skills are the basis for helpful,

responsible behavior. Having empathy is also related to academic success.

Emotion Management: Teaches students proactive strategies that help prevent strong

emotions from escalating into negative behaviors.

At times, papers will come home with your child so you can discuss and reinforce what your

child has learned in the guidance lesson.

Sherri Woolson

PTE School Counselor

woolstons@lisd.net

972-350-4021

Upcoming Events

Counselor’s Corner

OCTOBER NOVEMBER 5 End of 1st 6 Weeks 2 Pajama Day Spirit Day

8 Columbus Day/Fair Day—No School 5 - 9 CCA Food Drive

11 Teacher Luncheon 7 - 9 Book Fair Preview

12 Report Cards go home 9 School Fundraiser Money Due

22 - 26 Red Ribbon Week 9 Veteran’s Day Celebration

24 Picture Retakes 12 - 16 Book Fair

26 Spirit Day 15 PTA General Meeting & Talent Show

29 School Fundraiser Delivery (Cafeteria—6:00 pm)

31 3rd Grade Field Trip—Elm Fork Book Fair Open—5:30 pm

16 End of 2nd 6 Weeks

You can get a sneak peak now!

Go to www.pajamafundraiser.com and check out all the great styles and patterns!!

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

Your Prairie Trail PTA is selling quality, affordable, pajamas for the whole family!!

Tell your friends and family!!

Prairie Trail PTA Pajama Sale

October 5 – 19, 2012

The best part…40% of all sales go directly to OUR SCHOOL!!

There’s something for everyone: Ladies, Men, Girls, Boys, Toddlers, Slippers,

even Pets!

Holiday Gifts Pajama Day at School Sleepovers –

Birthday Gifts (they are coming!) your child can be

Teacher Gifts the best dressed!

As a reminder, here are some easy ways to help raise funds for our PTA and school:

Box Tops for Education We all shop for groceries, sometimes two or three times a week –or more. Now turn those shopping trips

into easy cash for our school, and encourage friends to do the same! Clip these little labels for BIG earn-

ings - 10 CENTS PER box top.

HOW? Bring your box tops to the drop-off bin in front of the cafeteria doors!! Get more program

details including product listing at www.boxtops4education.com.

Campbell’s Soup Labels Each label gives us points to buy items needed for our school (Clip UPC ONLY-don’t send the

entire label.)

HOW? Bring your UPC labels to the drop-off bin in front of the cafeteria doors!!

Funding Factory Funding Factory is a recycling program that pays us for sending in used cell phones, laser

and inkjet cartridges, laptops etc.

HOW? Bring your products to the drop-off bin in front of the cafeteria doors!!

Target’s RedCard Take Charge of Education Program This program allows you to select a school, register your RedCard for the program and the school will

earn 1% on all of your RedCard Target and Target.com purchases.

HOW? Go to the link below to register for the program and start earning today!

http://www.target.com/redcard/main . You can apply at the store right at the checkout line the

next time you’re at Target.

Prairie Trail PTA Fundraising

Something to Share??? Please send all news you would like to share with Prairie Trail students, teachers

and parents to:

Amy Kenney · PTA VP of Communications · amy.kenney@verizon.net