6th Grade Families,

We are in urgent need of five male chaperones for Session 2 of 6th Grade Camp.

Session 2 dates - April 23rd - April 25th

Without them, we will be forced to cancel camp, which would result in losing our grant funding for camp.

If you or someone you know is available to help, please reach out as soon as possible.

Your support is essential to ensuring this camp happens for our students!

Additionally, if your child will NOT be attending camp, please let us know as soon as possible:
📧 Mr. Haller: khaller@steilacoom.k12.wa.us
📧 Mrs. Gidley: gidley@steilacoom.k12.wa.us

Best Regards,

JoAnne Fernandes

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we approach the spring semester, we would like to inform you about the upcoming Smarter Balanced Assessments for Math and English Language Arts (ELA), as well as the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science for our students. These assessments are an important part of tracking your child’s academic progress and ensuring we continue to meet their educational needs.

Test Dates:

• Smarter Balanced Assessments (Math and ELA): May 13, 15, 20 and 22

• Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science: May 21 (8th grade only)

Attendance is Critical: Please plan ahead to ensure your child is present for testing. Absences during these dates can impact your child’s ability to participate and complete the tests. We ask that you avoid scheduling appointments or other activities that could interfere with testing.

Testing is Required: Participation in state testing is required for all students. If, for any reason, you wish to refuse testing for your child, we require a meeting with an administrator prior to April 4. Please note that refusal requests will not be accepted without a prior meeting, and no refusals will be granted after the cut-off date.

How You Can Help: To support your child’s success, please encourage them to:

• Get plenty of rest the night before each test.

• Have a healthy breakfast to start the day energized.

• Approach the tests with confidence and a positive mindset.

We appreciate your support in ensuring your child is prepared and present for these important assessments. If you have any questions, or if you need to schedule a refusal meeting, please send a message to the Pioneer Office via ParentSquare (include your student’s full name) or call Mrs. Dueñas at 253-583-7265.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued support!

6th Grade-

Sixth graders are continuing their novel study of Boy:Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl, with an emphasis on vocabulary building and narrative writing. We’re learning to expand our writing by incorporating description, dialogue, and reflection.

In Mrs. Brown's class, March Madness, poetry edition is under way. So far, "Maybe Dats Youwr Pwoblem Too" by Jim Hall won the first matchup with a landslide victory over "You Can’t Write a Poem about McDonald’s" by Ronald Wallace. The second matchup was split, with some classes voting for "SIMS: The Game" by Elizabeth Spires, and others voting for "Footsteps to Follow" by Kelli Carter. But it’s still anyone’s game. Who else will advance to the Elite Eight?

7th Grade-

7th Graders are wrapping up their study of The Outsiders. Mrs. Vaccaro's class is nearing the end of the novel and practicing their grammar skills with an emphasis on correctly using apostrophes. Mrs. Martin's class is watching the 1983 movie adaptation of the novel and creating a sociogram to demonstrate their understanding of the intricate, and often complicated, relationships between characters.

8th Grade-

Mr. Milton's 8th Graders are in the middle of Red Scarf Girl, a memoir of middle school life during the upheaval of the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1960s. At the same time, we continue to exercise a variety of reading and writing skills, in preparation for upcoming state testing.

Students in Mrs. Marrero’s ELA Classes concluded their unit on Lord of the Flies. Their end of unit focus, in addition to comprehension, was symbolism and how symbols are woven into the common themes found throughout the novel. Their next unit of study was Argumentative writing. Students focused on the writing process including the development of a thesis, identifying central ideas, finding supporting evidence, and drafting strong introductions and conclusions to ensure their arguments are specific and strong.

Student artwork showing symbolism from the book - The Lord of the Flies

Congratulations to winners!

Calling all book lovers, reluctant readers, and snack-hunting wanderers—Pioneer Middle School is hosting its annual Scholastic Book Fair, and it’s going to be epic!

Mark your calendars from MARCH 31st to APRIL 4th, because this is one adventure you don’t want to miss.

Hours of Operation:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 8 AM - 3 PM (plenty of time to browse before or after class!)

Thursday: 8 AM - 7 PM (yes, you read that right—late-night book shopping! It’s like a literary party, but with fewer snacks… or maybe more? You’ll have to come find out!)

Use the link below to set up your eWallet:

To keep attendance records accurate, please remember to report and excuse any absences or tardies. Please follow the steps below to excuse your student's unexcused absences.

Classes begin at 8:10 a.m.

If your student arrives at 8:10 a.m. or later, they must check in at the kiosk to receive a pass to class. 🔹 Tardies require a parent/guardian excuse.

Reporting Absences & Tardies:

Don’t forget to excuse your student’s absences and tardies!

✅ Option 1: Call 253-583-7200 and select the attendance option.

• If no one answers, please leave a voicemail—messages are checked frequently.
• No need to call multiple times.

✅ Option 2: Email pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us or send a ParentSquare message to the Pioneer Office.

🚫 Do not email staff directly regarding attendance.

Boys basketball banquet Tuesday 3:30pm - 5:30pm Pioneer MS Cafeteria

Practice for Track & Field starts Monday 4/14

Boys Baseball and Girls Volleyball both tryout sports - Tryouts start 4/14

SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATION CLOSES - April 14th

_________________________________________________________________________________

SPORTS REGISTRATION - See below:

How do I sign up?

1. Go to: https://steilacoomhist-wa.finalforms.com/

2. Locate the parent icon and click NEW ACCOUNT below.

3. Type your YOUR NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, and EMAIL. Next, click REGISTER.

NOTE: You will receive an email within 2 minutes prompting you to confirm and complete your registration. If you do not receive an email, then check your spam folder. If you still can not locate the FinalForms email, then email support@finalforms.com informing our team of the issue.

1. Check your email for an ACCOUNT CONFIRMATION EMAIL from the FinalForms Mailman. Once received and opened, click CONFIRM YOUR ACCOUNT in the email text.

2. Create your new FinalForms password. Next, click CONFIRM ACCOUNT.

3. Click REGISTER STUDENT for your first child.

Final Forms - REGISTERING A STUDENT

What information will I need?

Basic medical history and health information. Insurance company and policy number. Doctor, dentist, and medical specialist contact information. Hospital preference and contact information.

How do I register my first student?

IMPORTANT: If you followed the steps on the previous page, you may Jump to Step number 3

1. Go to: https://steilacoomhist-wa.finalforms.com/

2. Click LOGIN under the Parent Icon.

3. Locate and click the ADD STUDENT button.

4. Type in the LEGAL NAME and other required information. Then, click CREATE STUDENT.

5. If your student plans to participate in a sport, activity, or club, then click the checkbox for each. Then, click UPDATE after making your selection. Selections may be changed until the registration deadline.

6. Complete each form and sign your full name (i.e. ‘Johnathan Smith’) in the parent signature field on each page. After signing each, click SUBMIT FORM and move on to the next form.

7. When all forms are complete, you will see a ‘Forms Finished’ message.

IMPORTANT: If required by your district, an email will automatically be sent to the email address that you provided for your student that will prompt your student to sign required forms.

How do I register additional students?

Click MY STUDENTS. Then, repeat steps number 3 through number 7 for each additional student.

If you have questions, email Mrs. Plumb at eplumb@steilacoom.k12.wa.us

Tuesdays:

Junior Student to Student (JS2S) Room A115 with Ms. Taylor

Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) - Room C102 with Mrs. Iglesias

Christian Faith Group (CFG) - Room B103 with Mrs. Vaccaro

Math Help - Room B101 with Mr. Martin

Homework Help in the Library with Mrs. Hilton

Art Club with Mrs. Palacios has been suspended for the rest of the school year

Thursdays:

Builder's Club in the Library with Mrs. Holyfield

Pokemon Go! Club with Mrs. Elshire

Game Club Room C202 with Mrs. Nixon

Math Help Room B101 with Mr. Martin

Homework Help in the Library with Mrs. Hilton

Transportation is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students attending school clubs. Use the link below for route information:

https://www.steilacoom.k12.wa.us/who-we-are/departments/bustransportation/after-school-activity-bus#fs-panel-2698

Friday, March 28th - NO SCHOOL - Snow make up day (weather dependent)

April 2nd - April 4th - Spring Conferences - students 1/2 day release (11:40 am)

April 7th - April 11th - No school - SPRING BREAK