Stay Connected

Pop POP parents of prairie

Parents of Prairie (POP) exists to work with the entire parent community to enhance the overall student experience.

How? By reinforcing the mission of the school, by bringing Prairie families together to build, enrich, and broaden relationships, by facilitating collaboration and dialogue between parents and faculty, by providing useful services and social opportunities.

Every parent is encouraged to participate in POP activities in order to build a strong, connected Prairie community.

POP Event Calendar:

• Friday, September 29th

• 3:30-6:30PM

• Prairie Playground

Come walk around campus and enjoy carved pumpkins from our students.

• Saturday, October 21st

• 6:30-7:30PM (PS)

• 7:30 - 8:30PM (MS & US)

• Prairie Sidewalks

• Thursday, November 2nd

• 6:30-8:30PM

• TBA

• Saturday, December 2nd

• 1:00 - 3:00PM

• Prairie Field House

From our POP Team:

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! We cannot wait for all of the memories we’ll share together: first day of school pictures and outdoor coffee stations, the jumping and bouncing and laughter at September’s Fall Fest, warm food and cool autumn air for our All Parent Social – just to name a few!
Best wishes for a wonderful start for you and your family. Go Hawks!

POP Team:

Parent Connections

Purpose: Create opportunities for parents across all three divisions to develop new relationships and deepen existing connections. Examples of events or activities put on by the Parent Connections team include:

• Welcome Back Coffee

• All Parent Social

• Moms’ and Dads’ Nights Out

Team Leads:

• Andrea Godson

• Paula Jedlicka

Family Connections

Purpose: Provide unique experiences and events that connect families school-wide or by division. Examples of events or activities put on by the Family Connections team include:

• Fall Fest

• Pumpkin Walk

• Gingerbread Bash

Team Leads:

• Heather Binder

• Monique Gutenkunst

Meet our POP Team Leaders

Heather Binder

  • Tell us about your kids: I have two sons, David (4th grade) and Matthew (2nd grade).
  • What inspires you to be a POP volunteer? Short answer, my kid. Having the opportunity to be a part of this amazing team that helps Prairie come together and bond as a community is such a joy.
  • Fun fact:  I grew up water skiing; it was my favorite weekend activity for many years.
  • What do you like to do in your free time? We enjoy hiking and exploring outdoors, traveling, local theater, and playing board games.
  • What do you love most about the Prairie community? I love how open and kind everyone is – the amazing sense of community that has been built here is second to none!
  • Preferred email address: hbinder22@gmail.com

Andrea Godson

  • Tell us about your kids: I am mom to Kyler (7th grade) and Finley (5th grade). Our boys began attending TPS when Kyler was entering 6th grade and Finley was entering 4th grade. It was a great time to make the transition, but I will say – I often think to myself that we should have explored Prairie sooner!
  • A little about me: I grew up in Racine, went to Carthage College, and met my husband, Adam, while working at church camp. We served in Americorps for a year with Habitat for Humanity in San Francisco, then returned to Wisconsin for him to attend Marquette for graduate school. I began working for our congregation, Holy Communion Lutheran Church, as a youth and family program coordinator, and continued in my position there for 10 years. When Kyler was born, we returned to Racine to be closer to family.
  • What do you like to do in your free time? I always wanted to be a writer. I love to read, especially memoirs and historical fiction. My favorite authors include Marilyn Robinson and Brené Brown. I love to attend an occasional barre or yoga class while the kids are in school, but the items at the top of my self-care list include a daily workout (thank you Burn Boot Camp!) and learning how to love vegetables (thank you high cholesterol!).
  • Preferred email address: andreagodson@gmail.com – I am always happy to meet Prairie parents and make connections in our community! If you have any questions about POP events or the Prairie Fund, would like to volunteer, or would just like to meet for a cup of coffee, please feel free to reach out!

Monique Gutenkunst

  • Tell us about your kids: I have three children – Emmett (11th grade), Lillian (7th Grade), and Henry (3rd grade)
  • What did you want to be when you grew up? After living in Kuwait as a Child I wanted to be an ambassador to a Middle Eastern country or be in the military.
  • What inspires you to be a POP volunteer? The kindness and integrity that we have been shown at The Prairie School has been inspiring .  I would like to bring the same feelings to others.
  • Fun fact: I was part of a women’s ice hockey group that played in Columbus, OH and I do not like spiders or water chestnuts. 🙁
  • What do you like to do in your free time? I love to sleep late, make homemade biscuits and do anything outside (including raising chickens!).
  • Preferred email address: mgute@mac.com

Get Invovled

Want to learn more about POP? Interested in serving on one of our POP Teams?

Contact Shay Borzynski, Director of Admission