Mix It Up at Lunch Day Change

The date for Mix It Up at Lunch Day has been changed. It will be this Friday, December 11th. The theme is Pajama Day. Students should wear their pajamas! The class that shows the most support by dressing up will win the PGE Spirit Flag for the month! The class that has won the Spirit Flag the most during the year will win a class party at the end of the year! Encourage your child to dress up!

Barnes and Noble Bookfair

It is that time of year where we are looking for that perfect gift for that perfect someone.  We have an opportunity for you to find that perfect gift while also supporting the North Boone Schools.  On Thursday, December 10th from 9 am -9 pm, the Barnes and Noble store at Cherryvale Mall is hosting our annual Bookfair.  A percentage of sales goes directly back into each school's library, including purchases made at the Starbucks cafe located in the store(you might even see a drink named after our Viking mascot).  That afternoon, we will also have: Holiday story time, face painting, and purchased books gift wrapping.  

Happy Thanksgiving

School Board Members Day

Nov. 15 is "School Board Members Day" in the state of Illinois. This day of recognition was set by legislative action in 2007. That proclamation stated that "school board members ... sit in trust for their diverse communities, meeting their communities' expectations and aspirations for the public education of their children. School board members selflessly donate countless hours to public service with no compensation ... providing leadership that sets high standards for the education of all students."

School board members are your neighbors, friends, and colleagues, i.e., everyday people who truly are "everyday heroes" for taking on this extraordinary duty — not for a paycheck or notoriety — but for the satisfaction of seeing all children excel through education.

On Nov. 15, and every day thereafter, I ask that you honor and thank these selfless individuals for their public service to your community, your schools and your children.

Thank you for your duty to our schools.

Respectfully,

Heather Walsh 

Principal

Poplar Grove Elementary

Veteran's Day

Make and Take Night November 10, 2015

Tomorrow night is Make and Take Night at PGE!   Stop by from 6-7 pm and make something to bring home to help your children practice their skills and succeed in school!   Also, our library is having a book sale.  All books are .25 or .50 cents.  You can pick up a goodie bag in the library just for stopping by! We look forward to seeing you tomorrow night!

November 2, 215

Fun Friday

Last Friday, we had an eventful day at PGE!  We began the morning with our Halloween Parade.  The students looked amazing in their costumes.  Thank you to all of the parents that came out to see our students all dressed up.  I really think the students enjoyed showing their friends in other classes their costumes, as well as family and friends that showed up to watch.  After the parade, our students got to participate in their Halloween parties back in the classrooms.  A big thank you goes out to the room parents that came and helped make this day such a success.  Thank you to all of the families that donated goodies for the parties.  The games and activities in all of the classroom were amazing! I saw masks, "Halloween" snow globes, games, spider webs, etc. 

After the parties, the students had their first PBIS assembly for the year.  The students danced and moved and had a great time during the assembly.  As a school we reviewed the rules of what being respectful looks like here at PGE!  The students and staff participated in several skits and reviewed what being respectful means.  Additionally, we had several prizes winners throughout the assembly.  The students earned opportunities to participate and win prizes by redeeming Eagle Eye Tickets at the store.   We ended the assembly with a game in which Mrs. Sowers, Mrs. Kleckler, and myself were wrapped in toilet paper by students for a Mummy Race game!  The students were excellent cheerleaders during the game!  Mrs. Kleckler's team were the winners!  As we closed out the assembly, we focused on our topic for quarter two, Being Responsible!  

The students at lunch were able to purchase items at the Eagle's Nest Store during all lunch hours!  The students have such a fun time picking out prizes for the Eagle Eye Tickets they have learned.  As a reminder, the store is open every other Friday during all lunch hours.  We are always looking for volunteers to come and help us out during the store.  If you would like to spend about an hour every other week helping out in our Eagle's Nest Store, it would be greatly appreciated.  Please contact the office if you are interested at 815-765-3113.  

October 28, 2015

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This Friday is our Halloween Party/Parade at PGE.  I just want to make sure that we are clear on costumes and how the parade will work.

• Students should come to school dressed in their costumes, if desired.  No face paint, face coverings over their eyes, or “look alike” weapons please.  This is so students can walk through the building safely without anything blocking their vision.  School clothes should be underneath the costume so that changing out of the Halloween costume is easily done. Being this is also Red Ribbon Week, our theme for the day is Team Up Against Drugs, so we ask that students wear spirit wear under their costumes, or bring them to change into after the parade. 
• Students will participate in a morning parade around the school, beginning at 8:20 a.m.  Hopefully, parents/grandparents will be able to stop by to enjoy this!  Parents may also wish to bring younger siblings to watch the parade!  We ask that younger siblings not participate in the parade or classroom parties. 
• All classes will participate in a small Halloween party from 8:45-9:45 a.m.  If you do not wish your child to participate in the Halloween celebration, please send a note to the school office, and we will provide an alternate activity for them to participate in. 
• On this day, we would like to limit the amount of candy coming into the school.  Please do not send in any food items with your child unless you have signed up to bring an item. 
• After the parties are completed, we will resume a normal school schedule and parents are asked to take costumes home at this time. 
• Students will then participate in a PBIS assembly, beginning at 10:00 a.m.   All students will participate and have a chance to earn prizes for earning Eagle Eye tickets during 1^st quarter. 

Please call the school office if you have any questions.

Thank You!

Mrs. Walsh

Administrator Meet and Greet

October 3, 2015

On October 9, 2015, North Boone School District will host a “Meet & Greet” to introduce our new Administrative team.  Please join us outside the Upper Elementary from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to meet our new Administrators and enjoy ice cream and cupcakes.  It is also Senior Night at the High School, so please stop by the game and cheer on the Vikings!

Safety Drills

September 30, 2015


As part of our continuing efforts to improve safety here at Poplar Grove Elementary, we conducted a "Hard Lockdown" drill this morning. The safety and welfare of our students and staff are our highest priority at Poplar Grove Elementary.   We practice safety drills throughout the year to help our students know what to do in the event of an emergency.  The school district is working closely with local authorities to correctly implement these procedures. The goals of the training drills are to improve our ability to protect students, save lives, and reduce injuries.

Thank you for your continued support of Poplar Grove Elementary.

Butter Braid Fundraiser

Don't forget our PBIS Eagle Eye Butter Braid Fundraiser continues until Wednesday, September 9th.  Prizes will be awarded for the highest seller in each grade, in the school, and the class with the highest percentage of sales will earn a pizza party.  All students that sell at least 6 items will earn a drawstring backpack.  I have had several students come in to get extra orders forms! Our Eagle's Nest store opened up last Friday and all proceeds from the fundraiser go to student incentives and prizes to allow us to continue to fill our store with fun items the students can earn for positive behaviors.

Week of Firsts!

Wow!  We had a great first week of school at PGE!  We had so many firsts...first bus ride, first classroom, first "hot" lunch, and first teachers!  There were so many smiling faces each and every day, it made my heart melt to see them truly enjoying their first week of school!  We met many parents and family members at our Meet the Teacher Night last Thursday.  If you have not done so already please fill out our Back to School Survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9FWZVBW. The survey results will help us plan events in the future!

Our Butter Braid Fundraiser officially begins today!  All order forms are due Wednesday, September 9th!  Prizes will be awarded to the top seller in each grade, in the school, and to the class with the highest percentage of sales.  All proceeds go to our PBIS Eagle Eye Program.  Throughout the year, as incentives we provide prizes and rewards for the students for displaying positive behaviors throughout the school.  We will be needing volunteers to staff our Eagle's Nest Store every other Friday this school year!  Please contact the office if you would like to volunteer to help during lunches if you did not sign up during Open House!  All students that sell at least 6 items earn a drawstring backpack.

Welcome back and we look forward to many more firsts this year at PGE!  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 815-765-3113 or via email at hwalsh@nbcusd.org.  My door is always open!

Also, please remember to visit the Poplar Grove Elementary School Facebook page.  Also, please follow me on Twitter at @PGE_Walsh.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Mrs. Walsh

Welcome Letter from the Principal

Dear Poplar Grove Elementary School Families,

I want to take the time to officially welcome you to the 2015-2016 school year.  My name is Heather Walsh, the new Principal at Poplar Grove Elementary.  I am looking forward to an exciting year of learning and growing with our students and working with our professional staff and you, our parents and community members.

My main goal is to ensure that every student is provided the highest quality of education possible in a safe and supportive environment.  Working together as a team with our staff and students, I am committed to helping each student achieve their very best.  Every student is valued and worthy of our best effort.

I hope each of you have been enjoying these past few weeks of summer, and now are looking forward to a great school year.  The year will be busy, exciting, and hopefully very rewarding for each student.  We want you to join us in making this the very best experience for your children.  Being informed will help. We have many important dates that are fast approaching.  Those dates are:


8/10: Kindergarten students and parents are invited to attend our Kindergarten Meet the Teacher Night /Open House on Monday, August 10th beginning at 4:00 PM.  Any students in Grades 1-4 may drop off their supplies at our Stop and Drop Event during this time as well.

8/10-8/12 and 8/14: During the week of August 10th, please feel free to stop by PGE from 1-3 PM to drop off your student's supplies before the first day of school.  Teachers will not be available to meet during this time.  We will be taking supplies in the Multi-Purpose Room.

8/10 and 8/11: Late Registration at the High School from 10-2 PM.

8/17: First Day of School

8/20: Students in grades 1-4, you are invited to attend Meet the Teacher/Open House on Thursday, August 20th beginning at 4:30 PM until 6 PM.  


The first day of school is Monday, August 17, 2015, starting at 8:00 AM.  Students should plan to arrive at school between 7:50 and 7:55 AM.  We will have a brief assembly starting 8:00 AM.  If weather permits, we will meet on the playground.  Have the students find their teacher.  We will have signs posted and staff members available to assist any families.  We are so looking forward to seeing all of the new faces!

Throughout the year our school website, periodic calendars, newletters, and school website will contain valuable information regarding the great things happening at Poplar Grove Elementary.   You can also find us at:

* Facebook - Poplar Grove Elementary School
* Twitter - https://twitter.com/PGE_WALSH  or @PGE_Walsh

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at 815-765-3113 or via email at hwalsh@nbcusd.org


Thank you and kind regards,

Heather Walsh, Principal
Poplar Grove Elementary

Students Honored at Leadership Breakfast

I am pleased to announce that Jenna Seeber and Ben Castillo were selected as this year's PGE Leadership Award Recipients.  They and their parents were honored at a Student Leadership Breakfast, hosted by the Illinois Principal's Association, on April 22nd.  The students were acknowledged at the breakfast and received a certificate and a book. Congratulations Jenna and Ben!

Please Complete the Before and After School Care Survey Below

How can we support our busy working families? 

To understand how we can better support our parents’ extended child care needs and the feasibility of offering solutions, North Boone CUSD 200 is considering partnering with Champions, a leading provider of enriching before and after school learning solutions, to conduct a Needs Assessment Survey. Fully understanding your needs as we explore the potential of implementing a before and after program will ensure our proposed solutions hold the highest value to you and your children.

Our Proposed Solution: 
North Boone CUSD 200 and Champions are considering offering a Before and After-School program located on-site at Poplar Grove Elementary School. Transportation will be provided for students who attend Capron, Manchester, and North Boone Upper Elementary Schools. Parents would be required to pick up their children at Poplar Grove Elementary. At this time, we are not anticipating that there will be additional costs to our families for the transportation.

What does Champions have to offer our families? 
With Champions, you have access to fun before and after school activities, dedicated enrichment programs, school holiday and break solutions, and more. More importantly, you have the peace of mind you deserve during the work day knowing your children are in a warm, welcoming learning environment that nurtures all aspects of child development. While Champions’ age-appropriate, structured activities support our district’s objectives and individual school goals, they also offer fun and engaging learning activities, including arts, sports, reading, science exploration, math and technology programs, homework support, and more. With programs that nurture learning beyond the school bell, you can count on added education, homework completion and care for your children. The outcome? More cherished family time during the evening!

Please help us understand how best North Boone CUSD 200 and Champions can support you and your children by completing the survey below by April 14th 2015: 
https://knowledgeuniverse.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3CPHe1boYmH58Xz

Elisha Needs a New Bike

One of our very own PGE Life Skills student needs an adaptive bike.  Elisha has Down's Syndrome and is autistic and would love to be able to bike with her family. Please click the following link and help Elisha win this special bike.  It truly only takes a minute!

https://www.friendshipcircle.org/bikes/2015/02/elisha-w/

Kindergarten Pre-Registration is Coming!

Valentine's Dance

TONIGHT is PGE's Valentine's Dance from 6-8 p.m. Family admission is $5 and concessions will be served. Bring a camera and be ready to DANCE!!!!

Principal for a Day

On Thursday, February 19th, we had the pleasure of having Mr. Keith Richard serve as PGE's Principal for a Day. Mr. Richard was able to visit with every grade level. In some classrooms, he read to the students, in another he was interviewed about his own schooling, and he even worked with a 4th grade reading class. Mr. Richard said that he very much enjoyed his afternoon at PGE and we even talked about plans for him to return for another visit!