Giving thanks – this month, and always – for the Prairie community.

Thanksgiving 2025

Dear Prairie Community,

There is so much to be thankful for this fall and our community is at the top of the list. From the start of school through this Thanksgiving break, we have come together time and time again to support each other, helping our students move forward in the process of becoming their best selves.

Athletic events on campus and across the state. Academic teams like Robotics, Chess, Model UN, and Science Olympiad facing challenging competition. Families coming together at Fall Fest and Homecoming. Student leadership opportunities tied to Diwali, Books Alive, service learning projects, and community meetings. All of these experiences build relationships, shape character, and develop skills, and alongside our rigorous academic program, they allow us to live our mission, strengthen our community, and support each other as our students grow.

David Epstein’s best seller Range: Why Generalists Triumph In A Specialized World provides the well-researched support for almost everything we are trying to do as a school. He writes about the importance of experimentation and exploration across a range of experiences in multiple fields. I am most proud when our younger students explore a little bit of everything, grow and thrive through high school across a range of activities, and then begin to focus and pursue excellence in college and beyond.

I was recently speaking with a Milwaukee employer who has hired a handful of our young alumni, all of whom consistently impress him with their skills set and work ethic. He shared that “the two things I most love about these Prairie graduates is they aren’t afraid of a lot of work and they aren’t satisfied with just getting it done — they do it right.”

This pursuit of excellence is built upon a foundation of doing things the right way from the very beginning. Habits like being present, treating people right, staying organized, being a team player, working hard, listening to understand, and finishing strong are things that we emphasize in every aspect of the Prairie experience. I am thankful for our alumni for living full and meaningful lives, positively impacting their communities; to our parents for supporting the fifteen year process and building for long term success; and to our teachers and students for the tireless pursuit of excellence.

Looking ahead, I hope to see you all at one or more of our home basketball games this winter. They are a great way to get out of the cold and connect with your community and the season starts tonight at 6:30 in JAC. Don’t forget to attend Jubilate on December 10th and our 12 Days Celebration on the 19th. In the new year, be on the lookout for our annual State of the School presentation where I will share the latest update of our strategic plan, as well as a visit by Ben Tracy in February. Ben is a national leader in online safety and his presentation will be full of helpful information for all of us, no matter our stage of life.

In the meantime, I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving full of food, family, and friends!

Take care,

Nat