Pioneer Press
March 20th
A Message from Principal Fernandes
Spring Student Conferences
Spring conferences are approaching, and we want to share how they will work this year. April 1–3 will be half days of school for all students to allow time for conferences.
Unlike fall conferences, these meetings are not scheduled for every student. Spring conferences are focused on students who may need additional academic support.
Teachers will be reaching out to families of students who:
Are not currently meeting standard
Have a D or F in a class
Are close to not meeting standard
Have other academic concerns that would benefit from a conference
If your student falls into one of these categories, your student’s teacher will contact you directly to schedule a conference. Both the student and a parent/guardian should attend so we can work together to review progress and make a plan for success.
If your student is meeting standard in all classes, a conference is not required at this time. Of course, families are welcome to contact teachers if they have questions about their student’s progress.
Conference Times
Wednesday, April 1: 12:30–3:10 PM
Thursday, April 2: 12:30–6:30 PM
Thank you for partnering with us to support student learning at Pioneer Middle School.
Principal Fernandes
ELA Highlights
6th Grade:
Dr. Pilon's 6th graders are wrapping up a rich unit on Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds, a novel made of ten connected “walk home” stories about students from Latimer Middle School. Throughout the unit, students have analyzed how each block reveals big ideas about friendship, fear, grief, courage, and belonging, and how the same streets, buses, and corners look very different from each character’s perspective. They’ve tracked recurring symbols—like the school bus, Ms. Post’s corner, and the cemetery—and discussed how these shared places connect the neighborhood and challenge us not to make quick assumptions about others. This week, students are finishing up the unit using narrative writing by imagining a “Block 11” set one week after the book ends, continuing a chosen character’s story and showing how that character has changed. The work students have completed in this unit has helped them cite details from the text, develop believable characters, and use vivid description, key skills in our 6th-grade ELA standards.
Mrs. Brown's 6th graders read a chapter from Boy: Tales of Childhood describing a humorous incident involving the elaborate school uniform Roald Dahl had to wear. Inspired by this, we held a Socratic Seminar, discussing three nonfiction articles about school uniforms. Students did an outstanding job crafting open-ended questions to spark meaningful conversation. They also showcased their civil discourse skills, building on each other's ideas, disagreeing politely, and asking for evidence and clarification to deepen the discussion. It was a great opportunity to practice critical thinking and respectful dialogue.
Mrs. Nixon's, and Ms. Stewart's classes are also finishing Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl. It explores themes of harsh education and medical practices, the resilience of childhood, and the influence of early trauma on storytelling. Dahl's memoir shows how mischief and resilience shaped his later writing. Sixth graders used Dahl's writing as a springboard for their own narrative writing with a focus on including dialogue, reflection, action, and description in their writing. They have been fun to listen to and read! We will conclude the unit with an argumentative essay.
7th Grade:
Students in Ms. Stewart's seventh grade hi-cap have learned how to write free verse poems, focusing on how to choose a topic, the importance of an "I" voice, breaking lines and stanzas, and starting "in media res" among other things. They've also memorized and recited 50 lines of poetry so far this year with another 25 lines due after spring break. Next up: an argumentative research essay.
Students in Mrs. Martin's ELA classes finished up the classic coming-of-age tale The Outsiders this week, while Mrs. Vaccaro's are around the midpoint. The novel centers around social class divisions and the bonds that connect the characters. Throughout the story, the protagonist's perspective gradually shifts as he begins to recognize the shared humanity among the people he once thought of as enemies. This tends to resonate with middle schoolers as they are discovering their own identities and navigating friendships through this period of life.
8th Grade:
Mr. Milton’s ELA students did a short unit on the Economy and Personal Economics topics. After that, we started reading Red Scarf Girl, a memoir of a middle school girl's life in Maoist China in the 1960s. We’re working on identifying the psychology and sociology of order and authority in social organization.
Students in Mrs. Marrero's ELA classes just finished reading Fahrenheit 451 and recently completed a culminating group project where they analyzed an assigned character, explored an allusion from the novel, and connected a song to the story’s themes. It was a great way for students to synthesize their understanding of the text and think creatively about its ideas.
We are now transitioning into our essay writing unit, beginning with argumentation. Students will start learning how to develop clear claims, support them with evidence, and structure strong argumentative essays.
Attendance Matters
Regular attendance is essential for student success. Being on time and present each day helps students stay engaged, keep up with instruction, and build strong academic habits.
All absences and tardies must be excused by a parent or guardian. Timely communication helps ensure our records are accurate and allows us to best support your student.
📌 How to Report an Absence or Tardy:
✅ Call: 253-583-7200 and select the attendance option
If there is no answer, please leave a voicemail. Messages are checked regularly—there is no need to call multiple times.
✅ Email: pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us
✅ ParentSquare: Send a message to the Pioneer Office
🚫 Important Reminder 🚫
Please do not contact individual staff members regarding attendance, tardies, or other time-sensitive matters. If staff are out of the building, messages may not be seen.
Thank you for partnering with us to support strong attendance and student success!
Top Tier 6th grade Camp Sponsors
The PTA extends its sincere appreciation to the following businesses and individuals who are our top-tier sponsors for the 6th-grade camp. Melanie Tinsley, REMAX Exclusive Mike and Michele Madden (personal donation)
Transportation Changes & Bus Passes
🚍 After-School Transportation Changes 🚍
If you need to change your student's after-school transportation plan, please contact the main office by the times listed below:
1:45 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
12:45 p.m. on ACE days (Wednesdays)
These deadlines allow us adequate time to notify your student before dismissal.
Contact the office:
📞 253-583-7205
📧 pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us
Please note:
Transportation changes requested after the deadline cannot be guaranteed to reach your student before the end of the school day.
Bus passes will not be issued to students at the end of the day.
🚫 Please do not email individual staff members regarding attendance, tardies, or other time-sensitive matters. If a staff member is out, your message may go unseen.
Buy your Yearbkook
Sports Updates
Week at a Glance:
Games for the week of March 23rd - March 27th
School Club Schedule
See our school club schedule below:
Tuesdays
Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) – Room A101 with Mrs. Percefull
Christian Faith Group (CFG) – Room B103 with Mrs. Vaccaro
Thursdays
Pokémon Go! Club – Room E129 with Mrs. Elshire
Game Club – Room A202 with Mr. Milton
Builder's Club - Cafeteria with Mrs. Holyfield
Transportation:
After-school activity buses are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students attending school clubs. Click here for route information.
Bus Zone Safety
🚍 Bus Zone Safety Reminder 🚍
As we continue working together to keep our campus safe, we kindly ask for your help in keeping the bus zone clear at all times. This space is reserved strictly for buses so they can arrive and depart safely. Parking or playing in this area can create safety concerns and disrupt bus access.
If you’re visiting for athletic events, please use the parking lot near the basketball hoops or the main parking lot at the front of the building.
We truly appreciate your support and partnership in helping us keep all of our students, staff, and families safe. Thank you!
Coming Up!
March 18th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release time
March 19th - Band Concert - 6:30 pm in PIO Gym
March 25th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release time
April 1st - 30th - Volunteer Appreciation Month
April 1st - 3rd - Spring Conferences - student 11:40 am release time - more information to come
April 6th - April 10th - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break
April 15th - ACE DAY - 1:40 pm student release time
See our website for more information: https://pio.steilacoom.k12.wa.us/
