School News

Watch Devon's #WorkforceWednesday video here!

Devon Hubbard Tessmer, a 2001 Crystal Lake Central graduate, has co-founded Project Front Line McHenry County, a grassroots coronavirus relief effort with a mission to aid local restaurants and give back to workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. Tessmer and a committee of four other community members have raised nearly $45,000 towards the cause. 

After recognizing this area of need in the community, the Project Front Line team began collecting donations that have been put towards meals for healthcare workers all across the county. 

“The idea was to raise money from the community and deploy that money at local restaurants to bring a little bit of happiness, joy, a smile to the front line workers,” said Tessmer.

To date, the team has supported 35 to 40 local restaurants and delivered food to approximately 4,000 front line workers. Tessmer and her team aim to raise $50,000 by the end of the Illinois stay-at-home order. 

The project also collaborated with Crystal Lake Central art teacher, Kerry Parrish, who enlisted her art students to create thank you messages that appeared on hundreds of donations, and the deliveries aren’t done yet. 

“We’re hoping to do one last final push, where we deliver to all of the hospitals in the county and all of the employees,” she said. 

Aside from her career in business development at Exemplar, her family’s wealth management firm, Tessmer has always had a passion for philanthropy and giving back. 

“I grew up with the ethos that you give back to your community more than you take, so I was lucky to be raised in Crystal Lake,” she said.

Registration for the 2020-2021 school year is now open. It’s important to follow the three-step process to complete registration to ensure a faster process. Please note, student information can be completed without payment.

If you are new to the district, please contact the Student Services office of the school your child should attend. 

For further registration information, please visit the Registration webpage.

Beginning Monday, May 4, seniors will be able to apply for a parking pass.

Beginning Monday, May 18, juniors will be able to apply for a parking pass.

Apply Here

A permit may be purchased at the cost of $150.00 for the entire school year. Permits are limited. You may not use Visa or MasterCard to purchase parking permits. Semester only parking stickers will cost $100 per semester. Proceeds from parking sticker sales help the district maintain its parking lots.

Dear Class of 2020,

Congratulations seniors! We are so proud of you as you reach the end of your high school career, but we also share your disappointment that you didn’t have the same opportunities as every class before you to participate in end of the year activities, sports, and celebrations. In many ways, the school year feels as if it ended abruptly, and we owe it to you to recognize your accomplishments here at Prairie Ridge High School.

Since I can’t see you in person, I wanted to share a video message with you all: https://safeYouTube.net/w/PZs8 

Friday Night Lights Parade - Seniors & Their Families

We were overwhelmed with our Friday Night Lights turnout, and we enjoyed seeing so many of you driving by in your vehicles with your families. We plan to host another Friday Night Lights parade for seniors and their families to honor the Class of 2020 on Friday, May 15 at 6 p.m. We are asking participating seniors and their families to enter PR on Walkup Road, tour through the parking lots, and exit out on Pleasant Hill. It will be a one-way parade of seniors, with faculty and staff along the way to cheer on your accomplishment.  Feel free to decorate your car and wear your cap & gown, if you’d like (we will be doing so).  Unfortunately, there won’t be time for stopping or gathering due to social distancing guidelines, but come and enjoy the smiles and cheers of your proud PRHS community!

Graduation

Our district administration team and Board of Education are committed to honoring your achievements over the last four years. So, the district is rescheduling our formal graduation ceremony for Saturday, July 25, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at Prairie Ridge. Please understand this ceremony will depend on guidelines from the Governor, CDC, and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Details. In the event that we cannot host a traditional graduation, we have also planned out an alternative option on this date that will allow for a formal reading of each graduate's name, the distribution of diplomas in person, and photograph opportunities with a photographer in each student’s cap and gown. More information would come out as this date gets closer.

Cap & Gown Pick Up

For everyone’s health and safety, and to avoid interpersonal contact, we have developed the following schedule for seniors to pick up their cap & gowns, cords, and medallions on Friday, May 8, 2020.  Jostens will be on hand with PRHS admin to help distribute. See the flier included with this email for specific directions.  To minimize the line of cars, maximize social distancing, and expedite service, please come to PRHS by the following schedule (use your last name):

A - E 10 am - 11 am

F - K 11 am - 12 pm

L - P 12 pm - 1 pm

Q - Z 1 pm - 2 pm

Decision Day / Best of the Best

There are several exciting traditions for graduating PRHS seniors, including Decision Day and the Best-of-the-Best awards. Look for an email early next week from Mrs. Buck that will contain a form allowing seniors to participate in these fun culminating events.

Honors Night

In lieu of an Honors Night ceremony, we will be creating an Honors Night video to recognize seniors that have earned various scholarships from school and community organizations. You should have already received a form to upload information about this, if you are participating. The due date is April 26th - contact Mrs. Buck with questions.

Senior Exit Survey

If you have not already done so, please go into Naviance and complete your senior exit survey. If you still haven't made a decision about where you will be in the fall, you can wait, but please contact Mrs. Steiner if there's any way she can help you with that. To access the survey, login to Naviance, click on the "About Me" tab at the top, drop down to "My Surveys", and then "Surveys Not Started" and you will see the Senior Exit Survey on the left. It shouldn't take you more than 5-10 minutes to complete. This is where we collect the information telling us where to send your final transcript. And......the only way we know who to contact for Decision Day swag!

Locker Clean-Out and Pick-Up of Belongings

Information regarding how seniors will be able to obtain the remainder of their belongings from the school will be communicated in the near future. 

Senior Last Day of Attendance

The last day of senior attendance for remote learning is May 13, 2020. The deadline for submitting assignments and projects is Monday, May 18, 2020. 

We look forward to saying goodbye to the Class of 2020, honoring your accomplishments, and coming together to celebrate you. Remember that wherever life takes you, you will always be able to call Prairie Ridge High School home. Once a Wolf, Always a Wolf.

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Steve Koch

Principal

PRHS