PCMS Weekly Update

Thank you to all our 8th-grade families who joined us for Pastries with Pirates on Wednesday morning! We had a great turnout and loved seeing so many parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles in the building. And an extra shout-out to those of you who took a few laps around The Square with our students!

We also had a full house for Parent-Teacher Conferences this past Wednesday! If we missed you, we hope to see you this coming Thursday, conferences run from 7:30 AM to 3 PM, and there are still plenty of open spots. Next week, we also have a few spirit days next week: twin day, wear red, and costumes. Details below!

Finally, 1st Quarter Progress Reports were emailed home today. Please take a look and reach out if you have any questions.

Have a great weekend and GO PIRATES! 🏴‍☠️

~Your principals,

Dr. Chris Miller, principal

Dr. Emily Miller, assistant principal

The StuCo Spirit Team hosted a Halloween Door Decorating Contest that ties into our Red Ribbon Week Theme “Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free". Each grade level and team were given a superhero or villain to help inspire their door decorating skills. Here's a few of their creations:

Mrs. Carver’s 6th graders enjoyed some free time in the game room for completing their 1st quarter book reports.

What an amazing time at our Color Battle! 🎨 We had 245 students qualify to participate, and it looked like fun was had by all! We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to our PCMS families and our incredible PTO for supporting our school and helping raise funds for our students and staff. Your generosity and support make a difference, and we are so grateful to have such a wonderful school community! 🏴‍☠️🧡

Please make sure your student brings their iPad to school every day, fully charged! iPads are essential to classroom learning. Replacement chargers are available in the office for $39. Please use only Apple-certified chargers to help protect the device and avoid potential warranty issues.

If your student is unable to charge their iPad at home, please make sure they bring a charger to school. We do not have extra chargers available for student use.

Students also need to bring USB-C wired earbuds to class each day. Earbuds help students focus during individual video assignments and prevent distractions for others. Earbuds are available in the office for just $1.

Thank you for helping your student come to class prepared to learn!

All of our Pirates were in action this week! Here’s a quick recap of their week.

Football: This week the Pirates concluded their season with great competition. The A/B Teams started the week with two victories; A won 6-0, and B won 22-0. On Tuesday, The C Team played a tough Pleasant Hill team, and lost 42-18. The final contest was a combination of A and B Teams against Raytown Central. The Team won 48-0. It was a great season for all, thank you to the Pirate community for supporting our teams!!

Volleyball: This week, A and B teams played PPMS to win both matches in 2 sets. It was fun to watch both middle schools go head to head. Wednesday, A, B and C teams traveled to Smithville to play. A and B teams won in 2 sets. C team won in 3 sets. On Saturday, B team will travel to Kearney to play in their end of season tournament and A team will travel to Liberty to play in their end of season tournament.

This Week's CharacterDare is: Create a Connection (see below).

Ask your students how they’re doing with their CharacterDare each week, and consider joining them in taking on these CharacterDares yourself! Modeling these character-building challenges can make them even more meaningful for our students.

These students were nominated by their teachers for doing it the Pirate Way by showing great character! They were recognized at our Assembly on Thursday where they received a certificate and a gift bag with goodies. Today, they were able to have a pizza lunch with a friend and play in the game room with a friend during Advisory. Congratulations - we’re super proud of them!

Pirate Crew Members of the Month is a monthly recognition program that celebrates school employees who go above and beyond for our students, staff, and school community. Each month, we will highlight two staff members who demonstrate exceptional dedication, kindness, professionalism, and a positive impact on our school.

For October, students selected Mr. Lakey and Mr. McLean . 🏴‍☠️

Our after-school tutoring program, Homework Harbor, takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3–4pm! Homework Harbor gives our Pirates a place after school to work on homework, get extra help, or retake a test if needed. If you’d like your child to attend, please sign them up each week using the form below.

We will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week October 26–28th. Students can join in the fun by participating in our daily dress-up days as we celebrate making healthy choices and staying drug-free.

Monday, October 26th: The dynamic duo, twin with a friend

Tuesday, October 27th: Red-y to say NO to drugs, wear red

Wednesday, October 28th: Don't be tricked by drugs, dress up for Halloween

We have one more day for Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences next Thursday, October 29 from 7:30 am-3 pm. You will have the option to schedule a virtual or in-person conference - all conferences will be scheduled in 10-15 minute sessions so please do not plan on stopping by for an unscheduled conference as all times will likely be taken. Please sign up with the teachers you would like to meet with by clicking below. If you have any questions regarding conference sign-ups, please contact your child’s teacher(s) or call our office.

Get ready for an exciting winter sports season! Wrestling practices will begin on October 26, and boys’ and girls’ basketball practices/tryouts will begin on November 3.

We’re looking forward to a great season filled with teamwork, hard work, and school spirit!

Please check out the links below for more information about each sport, including schedules and other important details. If your student is interested in wrestling, please fill out the form below.

Let’s get ready for a great season! 💪

It’s time for tricks, treats, and all things Halloween! 👻🎃

Students and staff are invited to join in the fun by wearing their Halloween costumes to school on Wednesday, October 28! Dressing up is completely optional, but we can’t wait to see everyone’s Halloween spirit!

Please review our Halloween Costume Do’s & Don’ts before choosing a costume:

• Follow the dress code. Keep costumes covered, safe, and appropriate.
• Wear clothes under your costume so you’re ready for PE and other activities.
• Keep it school-appropriate. No guns or weapons!
• No face coverings, masks, or face paint. We need to know who you are at all times!
• No inflatable costumes.
• No props. Please leave all costume accessories and props at home.
• Don’t be disruptive. Costumes that interrupt learning will need to be removed.
• Have questions? Ask the Millers if you’re unsure whether your costume is appropriate!

We look forward to a fun-filled day of Halloween spirit at PCMS! Have fun, be creative, and let’s make it a spooktacular day! 🧡🖤👻

Device insurance for student devices has moved to a new system for the 2026-27 school year. Families who wish to participate must enroll by October 29 through your PowerSchool Parent Portal account.

• Enrollment Cost: $30 per student device
• Free/Reduced Meal Students: $0 enrollment cost
• How to Enroll: Log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal account and complete the Insurance Form under "Forms." Via the PowerSchool app, go to "More," then "Forms." The $30 enrollment fee will be collected within the form.

Visit the One-to-One Learning page of our website for additional Student Device FAQs and responsibilities.

Is your 7th or 8th grader interested in joining Robotics? Tryouts will be held on Tuesday, November 3, from 3:00–4:00 p.m. Students must have one teacher recommendation submitted by the end of the school day on Wednesday, October 28, to be eligible to participate. Please make sure recommendations are turned in by the deadline!

Platte County School District will be offering suicide prevention and awareness training this Fall during the school year 2026-2027. This program includes videos, the opportunity to complete a brief questionnaire and to offer support if needed. Families can view the videos and the content through the link provided in the suicide prevention parent letter attached below.

If you do NOT wish for your child to participate in the SOS program, please complete the form that is linked in the suicide prevention parent letter before November 6th. If we do not hear from you by this date, we will assume that your child has permission to participate in this program.

The Platte County Wrestling Club is a non-profit organization for boys and girls ages 5-14, dedicated to producing athletes of character through wrestling, good sportsmanship, self-discipline and hard work, in addition to wrestling skills, and physical and mental toughness in a safe and fun environment. We are an equal opportunity youth club.

• Practices: Practices start Monday November 2. 6U will generally practice On Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-6:15pm. Novice (0-2 yrs experience) will generally practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:15-7:30pm. Advanced will generally practice Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6:00-7:30pm. P. Practice locations and times will change occasionally based on room availability. All practice times and locations (and changes) will be published on the SportsYou App. (make sure to turn on notifications to get the most up to date information on where practice will be held!)
• Registration: 2026-27 Season Registration is OPEN! Register via www.plattecountywrestling.com. You must register by November 1 to be guaranteed club gear.

We cordially invite all family members and friends who are veterans to join us as we honor their service, dedication, and sacrifice.

• Date: Wednesday, November 11th

• Refreshments: 7:00 AM – Enjoy donuts, coffee, and juice before the program.

• Assembly: 7:45 AM

We would be deeply honored to have our community's veterans with us for this special morning. Thank you for your service, and we look forward to celebrating you!

The 12th annual Yuletide Market is scheduled for 9am to 2pm on Saturday, November 7 at Platte City Middle School to benefit the PCHS Music Parents Association. The Yuletide Market features local crafters, artisans, and direct sales consultants.

Along with Newkirk Novak Construction Partners and Incite Design Studio, the District will be hosting a ribbon cutting and open house of Phase 2 of the PCHS Rebuild project on Thursday, December 3 from 5:30-7:30pm. Please enter through the new main entrance! This event is open to the community and tours and refreshments will be provided following the ribbon cutting at 5:30pm. Come tour our new completed high school which will be open for second semester!

Oct 26

• First Wrestling Practice

Oct 27

• Choir Fall Concert, 7 pm

Oct 29

• NO SCHOOL
• Parent Teacher Conferences, 7:30 am - 3 pm

Oct 30

• NO SCHOOL

Nov 2

• NO SCHOOL, PLD Day

Nov 3

• First 7/8 Boys Basketball Practice/Tryouts, 3 pm
• First 7/8 Girls Basketball Practice/Tryouts, 3 pm
• Robotics Tryouts for 7/8 Grades, 3 pm

Nov 5

• NJHS Meeting, 2:15 pm

Nov 6

• FCA Meeting, 7:10 am

Nov 7

• All-District 7/8 Gr Band Auditions @ Central High School, 7 am

Since 2005, Pirates ROCK (Raising Outstanding Character Kids) has helped shape a strong culture of character across Platte County School District. More than 20 years later and beginning with the 2026-27 school year, we're building on that tradition by aligning Pirates ROCK with our Portrait of a Graduate essential skills.

This evolution creates a more consistent, student-centered approach to character development by focusing on the six essential skills that prepare learners to thrive in school, careers, and life. Students will continue to be recognized for demonstrating outstanding character while developing the competencies that support our mission of ensuring every learner thrives in an ever-changing world with confidence and resilience, all through a consistent framework and shared language as they grow from kindergarten through graduation.

Throughout the year, we'll focus on these essential skills:

• August/September: Effective Communication
• October/November: Self-Awareness
• December/January: Personal Connections
• February: Personal Growth
• March: Problem-Solving
• April: Global Connections

Email: tomlinson.kristie@pcr3schools.org
Website: http://www.pcms.plattecountyschooldistrict.com
Location: 900 Pirate Drive, Platte City, MO, 64079
Phone: (816)858-2036
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plattecitymiddleschool/