Pacific Intermediate Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back to Pacific Intermediate! I'm so excited to start another school year with you and our staff truly appreciate your continued support and partnership as we work to grow our kids!

Upcoming Events:

We have a fantastic year ahead, filled with exciting learning opportunities and memorable experiences. Picture day is set for September 12th, and we are looking forward to seeing all of our students looking their best. Purchasing information has been emailed home, and can also be found on our school website, www.mvr3.k12.mo.us/o/pi.

Our first Student Club Day will be on September 26th. Students will soon be signing up for clubs, so please encourage them to explore their interests and get involved.

Please remember that there is no school on September 1st for Labor Day and September 19th as our staff will be attending a professional development day.

Free Breakfast:

As a reminder, all breakfast is free for our students this year. We encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful benefit.

Pick up and Drop off:

I want to express my appreciation for your help with morning drop-off. To ensure a smooth and efficient process, please feel free to drop your students anywhere on the sidewalk and do not hesitate to enter the circle. Additionally, it is important that traffic moves out of the parking lot toward Zitzman.

During afternoon pick-up, we kindly request that all traffic pull into a parking spot. This will help to minimize congestion and ensure a safe environment for everyone.

We have had a great first few days with very few incidents, and I strongly appreciate your attention as we work to keep everyone safe!

Contacting Teachers:

As we move forward, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns. Building strong partnerships between school and home is essential to your child's success.

Football season is here!

We love seeing our students at the high school football games. However, we require that students attend with their parents and sit with them throughout the game. This ensures their safety and well-being.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year of learning, growth, and community together as we spend the year celebrating success!

Sincerely,

Matt Agee

Pacific Intermediate Principal

Mr. Crabtree~Math

Mr. Gilcrease~Language Arts & Reading

Mr. Wengler~History & Science

Mrs. Alcorn~Math

Mrs. Strauss~History & Science

Mrs. Tandy~Language Arts & Reading

Ms. Higgins~Math

Mrs. Jackson~ Science & Social Studies

Mrs. Menley~Language Arts & Reading

Reading: We started the year with Elements of Fiction, learning about plot, setting, and characters. Later this month we will be talking about Point of View.

Grammar: Students have started learning Parts of Speech. We will be learning about nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Writing: We are working on sentence structure. Students have been practicing writing complete sentences and restating the question. This will progress into writing complete paragraphs.

Dear Pacific Intermediate Families,

Welcome to a brand-new school year! We are so excited to partner with you as your child begins their journey here at Pacific Intermediate. Transitioning to a new school can be a big adjustment for many students, and it’s completely normal for them to experience challenges along the way. Please know that we are here to support both you and your child throughout this process. Clear communication between home and school is one of the most important ways we can work together to ensure a smooth and successful year. If questions or concerns come up, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.

The Importance of Homework
Homework is an essential part of reinforcing daily learning. It gives students the opportunity to practice skills taught in class and build confidence in their abilities. Homework is also a reflection of responsibility and preparation for class. Please help encourage your child to complete and return homework on time each day. It is important to note that homework is not just “50% of their grade”—it plays a significant role in overall success by supporting mastery of skills and readiness for assessments.

What We’re Learning in Math This Month
In math, our focus for the month will be on whole digit numbers. Students will be learning about:

• Place value and the relationships between values
  
  

• Reading and writing numbers up to a billion
  
  

• Comparing and ordering numbers to a billion
  
  

• Adding and subtracting numbers to a billion
  
  

Once we build a strong foundation in these areas, we will move into multi digit multiplication and division of whole numbers. These skills are key building blocks that will prepare students for even more advanced math concepts throughout the year.

We are so grateful for your partnership and support. Together, we can make this a year full of growth, confidence, and success for every child.

Science is focusing on the Scientific Method and starting our Chemical Magic Unit.

Social Studies is working on reading maps and will be starting Government next week.

Otoe Tribe

Mr. Effan~Social Studies

Ms. Griffin~Science

Mr. McMahon~English

Mrs. Voss~Math

Mrs. Boling~Social Studies

Ms. Stumborg~English

Mrs. Todahl~Science

Mrs. Weil~ Math

Mr. McMahon

Mrs. Meyers

Ms. Stumborg

Ms. Shearin

English:

English students are going to start their survey projects and work on them throughout the month. Students will brainstorm an idea for a useful invention. Then they will write questions to survey their classmates about how to improve the invention. Finally, they will present their results to their classmates. Other daily classwork includes working on our vocabulary units and grammar skills.

Social Studies:

Social Studies has gotten off to a great year. We are getting right into our first unit about Stone Age mankind, discussing everything from cavemen to the very first farming civilizations. We will be exploring how to design our own villages and understanding how to survive in the ancient world.

Science:

We are reviewing the Scientific Method. We will spend approximately 3 weeks on this mini-unit. We will have our first vocabulary quiz on the first Friday of the month.

Towards the end of this month, we will start our first Module/Chapter in our science book, The Sun-Earth-Moon System.

Please ensure you have signed your child safety contract so they can participate in labs this year.

Supplies needed all year in science: highlighter, red pens, pencils, colored pencils, glue stick and scissors

Math:

Math is off to a fast start! Your child will be bringing home math homework most nights. Please check the Big Ideas website for any assignments. If your child is having difficulties they may see their teacher in the morning from 7:05 – 7:25. Please make sure your child has plenty of pencils to get them through the month.

Reading:

In reading class we are enjoying the short story "The Ravine." We are analyzing the plot and various elements of fiction. All of the student's work is completed in the Into Fiction textbook. This textbook will be kept at school.

We visit the library every week. The students will be required to complete a book report each trimester. They will have time during the school day to complete the required reading.

📚 Get Ready to Read with Beanstack! 🎉

This year all our library reading challenges will be on Beanstack—monthly challenges, award nominee challenges, class and grade competitions, and even a whole-school reading goal!

Students can log reading on their Chromebooks at school or with the app at home. Directions to download and track reading are below—let’s start stacking those minutes!

Get ready—the Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school! This is a great opportunity to build your child’s home library with new books they’ll dive into again and again.

The easiest way to let your child shop the Fair independently is by creating an eWallet. It’s easy to set up and easy for others to add funds.

Here’s everything else you need to know about the Book Fair:

Dates: Monday, September 29 - Friday, October 3rd

Location: PI Library

For full details, and to create an eWallet, visit our school’s Book Fair homepage: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/pacificintermediate

Happy reading!

Dear Pacific Intermediate Families,

We’re off to a fantastic start here at Pacific Intermediate! Our staff and students are settling in well, and we’re excited for the year ahead.

We’re pleased to welcome back our two School Counselors this year: Ms. Ally Speicher (6th grade) and Ms. Jeanne Diamond (5th grade). Ms. Speicher will continue working with her students from last year, helping to build even stronger relationships and deeper understanding. Ms. Diamond is excited to get to know her new students and their families, and she’s already learning names and making connections.

Our 5th grade students are adjusting wonderfully to their new building, earlier start times, and new expectations. They’re beginning to form friendships that may last a lifetime! Meanwhile, our 6th graders are enjoying the added responsibility of changing classes and meeting even more of their peers. Across both grades, our teachers are impressed by the students’ ability to adapt to new routines, their strong listening skills, and most of all, the respect they show one another.

While most students are adjusting well, we know that some may still be facing challenges. If your child is having a hard time with the transition, please encourage them to reach out to the guidance office. Sometimes just having someone to talk to can make all the difference. Parents are always welcome to contact us directly with any concerns, too.

Throughout the year, our counselors will visit classrooms monthly to cover a wide range of important guidance topics. These include:

• Peer pressure and decision-making

• Building and maintaining friendships

• Conflict resolution and coping skills

• Healthy relationships and bullying prevention

• Respect for self and others

• Setting goals and exploring careers

• Emotional awareness and mental health

• The importance of reporting concerning behaviors, including suicidal ideation

This month, both 5th and 6th grade students will learn about our school’s bullying policy, how to recognize and report bullying, and how to support others. Our goal is for every student to feel valued, safe, and respected. When bystanders become upstanders, everyone benefits!

Thank you for sharing your amazing children with us. We’re excited to grow and learn alongside them this year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything we can do to support your family.

Warm regards,

Jeanne M. Diamond

PI School Counselor, 5th Grade

jdiamond@mvr3.k12.mo.us

636-271-1425 x 3504

Ally Speicher

PI School Counselor, 6th Grade

aspeicher@mvr3.k12.mo.us

636-271-1425 x 3509

Pacific Intermediate

195 N Indian Pride Dr.

Pacific, MO 63069

www.mvr3.k12.mo.us

Phone: 636-271-1425

Fax: 636-271-1465