Pine Panther Pulse

Hello Pine Families!

The new school year is off to a great start! Students met their new teachers, made new friends in their classes, practiced expectations and procedures, and some classes even have already started Beginning of the Year testing! I was happy to see so many families at Back to School night, and of course I was very happy to see returning students back at Pine for another great year of learning!

This week we will hold our first fire drill of the year, Boys & Girls Club will begin for families who are members, and teachers will continue to teach students about how their class will operate and what their expectations for behavior and learning will be. This Friday will be our first popcorn sale of the year! $1 for a bag of fresh, delicious popcorn with proceeds benefitting our school!

Again, welcome back! The beginning of the year is a great time to set new goals, make plans for success, and commit to demonstrating the habits of character. With families, students, teachers, and staff working together, this can be our best year yet!

We're looking forward to another great week of learning at Pine!

David A Alvarado

Principal

Thank you to all families who navigated the new Powerschool app to update their childrens' enrollments. If you still need to provide any birth certificates, health records, proof or residency, or any other documents please be sure to do so as soon as possible. Students will not be able to attend class until all required information is completed and submitted. This includes all students new to Pine and returning families who may have recently moved. Contact Mrs Timm in the office with any questions or to confirm your child's status.

Sign-ups for after school arts classes are now open! 5th and 6th graders may sign up for Art Club and 2nd - 6th graders may sign up for either Beginning Piano or Advanced Piano classes.

Registration forms are available at Pine and each completed registration must be turned in with a $5 registration fee. All forms must be turned in by Friday August 22nd.

Classes fill up quickly, so first come first served to get a spot!

To go along with the new playground put in last year for 3rd - 6th graders, our PreK - 2nd grade students now have a new playground on their side of the building as well! We hope our students enjoy all the new equipment and activities!

Doors open at Pine each morning at 8:15. Students have until 8:45 to arrive, have breakfast, and wait with their classmates in the gym. Teachers pick up students by 8:35 to head to classrooms. Students arriving after 8:45 are marked tardy. Be sure your children arrive on time!

Late arriving students should be walked into the office by a family member and signed in. Please refrain from dropping tardy students off at the curb without checking them in. Student absences should be called into the office. Students learn most when they are at school each day! Let's work together to have the best attendance possible!

Arrival Procedures

Doors open at Pine at 8:15 AM. Parents dropping off students at school should only use the north parking lot by the Red Pod. PreK families, students requiring special assistance, and families who need to visit the office may park in the south lot by the main entrance. No parents should park along the curb at the main enterance as this area is designated only for school buses. Breakfast is served from 8:15 - 8:45. Students arriving after 8:45 will be marked tardy. Attendance matters!

Dismissal Procedures

The final bell rings at 3:00. Bus riders will be escorted by their teachers to their proper buses. Boys and Girls Club members will report to the cafeteria. Car riders will report to the red pod where staff will organize them per our dismissal procedures. Parents picking up students should join the line around the north parking lot. Please comply with all instructions and expectations while remembering that student safety trumps adult preferences at all times. Parents must communicate any changes in dismissal plans to the office before 2:00 to ensure they are shared with teachers.

All students will have a supervised 15 minute recess each day before lunchtime.

All Pine students are invited to take a school breakfast and school lunch each day at no cost to families. Parents who prefer to send a home lunch with their child are of course welcome to do so.

See the link below for information on our Strategic Plan, the document that sets the purpose and describes our goals for serving our community.

https://www.mcas.k12.in.us/strategicplanning

Talk to your child's teacher about how communication will take place between home and the classroom this year! Whether it be via Class Dojo, email, or some other communication method, when teachers and parents stay in touch and work together, our students benefit the most!

Missed an issue of the Pine Panther Pulse? They're all archived on our website at the link below!

https://pine.educatemc.net/welcome-to-pine/news