Innovation for Success
The children in the Prairie du Chien Area Schools are exposed to the best quality and challenging curricula. Students from 3 years old to graduation have high expectations and meet those expectations. Prairie du Chien is recognized statewide, and increasingly nationwide, as being leader in educational innovation, technology, and student academic achievements. The professional instructional staff and support para-professionals serve the children of the community as caring role models and create a vigorous and challenging year-round learning environment within the culture of very high expectations.
Prairie du Chien offers a comprehensive educational program that is both rigorous and relevant. The overall educational goals are to develop and enhance young peoples’ creativity and entrepreneurship within a college or career ready preparatory program. The school district is constantly exploring ways to improve or offer better service to the community, such as starting out strong with 3-year-old kindergarten and a full-day 4-year-old kindergarten option.
Across the public school curriculum, the core academic skills are covered in a basal format that has high expectations for all children. Interventions are present to help children in need of more help, and challenging coursework is in place for those students who have already mastered grade level information. In addition, Prairie du Chien presents students with encore opportunities for wellness, recreation, performing and visual arts, additional literacy, and other academic enrichments. The public schools have a full summer school schedule that features 30 days of rigorous academic programming in a more relaxed and enriched setting – including breakfast and lunch.
Prairie du Chien schools have instruction that is literally world class and lives up to the trademark of Innovation for Success. For example, there is international education from kindergarten to graduation. It also offers dual Global Language series in both Spanish and Chinese languages. At the public high school there are currently 17 different Advanced Placement classes offered across various disciplines. Prairie du Chien students earn over 225 potential college credits per year. Prairie du Chien schools are recognized as nationwide leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). STEM is embedded in elementary lessons. Through the middle grade levels, the school offers Computer Programming and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Gateway to Technology programs, in addition to challenging math and science curricula.
As a capstone, Bluff View eighth-grade students take the accelerated Algebra-Based Physics. The high school students have access to an unmatched program of STEM offerings, including PLTW programs in engineering, computer science and biomedical fields. Students have access to a full array of mathematics offered, including AP Statistics and both AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC. Students across the grades have full access to technology with Chromebooks for all students. Prairie du Chien also offers a full array of on-line classes for students within the district and statewide through the Mighty River Academy Virtual School.
Along with the entire umbrella of academic offerings, Prairie du Chien Area schools offer a full array of co-curricular sports and activities across the grades from sports/recreation activities for the younger students up to competitive WIAA sports in the high school. Prairie du Chien is small enough to allow full participation, such as a no-cut policy on all activities, but large enough to offer a wide variety of choices to include sports of girls cross-country, football, girls golf, boys soccer, cheer squads, volleyball, boys cross-country, dance, girls basketball, boys basketball, wrestling, boys track and field, baseball, boys golf, softball, girls track and field, girls soccer and archery.
In the performing arts, there are many full music programs across all grades with extra programming available. Both the band and the choir are high quality. The music students regularly perform with guest artists and concerts featuring these guests. Prairie du Chien school choir groups have performed at Carnegie Hall. The drama department produces high-quality musicals and plays that are great learning platforms for the students and superb entertainment for the whole community.
Finally, the Prairie du Chien Area schools have tremendous community support. Beyond the supportive structure of state and local funding, the giving to the school by individuals and businesses is very generous and greatly appreciated. Visit www.pdc.k12.wi.us for more information on the Prairie du Chien Area Schools.
Holy Family Parish – Prairie Catholic Schools
Prairie Catholic School enjoys a rich heritage that many prior generations have sacrificed to attain. Prairie Catholic Schools combines the concepts of God’s light in the world and the light of knowledge we strive to kindle in our students. As Catholic School educators, we hope to light the way through a faith-based education that supports the whole child in learning about and leading a fulfilled life. Our students, in turn, will “light the way” to a brighter future through leadership in their communities, church, businesses and families.
The parishes of St. Gabriel’s and St. John’s trace a rich history of faith and education since the establishment of each church. Both parishes recognized the importance of education in the lives of their parishes by establishing schools early in the century, St. Gabriel’s in 1867 and St. John’s in 1902. Each school has long been recognized for its high academic strengths as well as its emphasis on family; a home away from home where family values are nourished and actively cultivated. Since its consolidation in 1991 Prairie Catholic Schools continues to be a dream of parents who support an environment where their children are challenged intellectually as well as supported in their development of the Christian faith, service to the community, and the acquisition of values that will last a lifetime.