PCK Weekly Newsletter

We are thrilled to share that PCK has once again been recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, receiving two prestigious honors this year.

PCK has been awarded the 2024 John Irwin School of Excellence Award—an incredible achievement we’ve earned for the 23rd time in our school’s history. In addition, PCK received the 2024 Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award, which recognizes outstanding growth in student achievement.

We are especially proud to share that PCK is one of only seven schools in the Douglas County School District to receive both of these awards. This accomplishment is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and high standards demonstrated every day by our students, staff, and families.

Thank you for your effort in helping PCK thrive!

Hello PCK,

I can’t believe we’re in the final month of school! This year has gone by so quickly and I keep being amazed by how much the kids have grown in nine months. I’ve been getting into more of the classrooms lately as a guest teacher which have included fifth grade science and sixth grade math (yes, math!) which I’m always excited to take part in.

I wanted to use this Badge Brief to address my role in the school when it comes to reporting. Some questions have arose regarding police reports and how incidents are documented, as well as how I partner with the school when a situation might arise:

1. If I take a report, I will document the original allegation and note my findings and the outcome. The charge documented does not indicate the outcome of the investigation.
2. Our student’s privacy is a primary concern in any investigation. Neither the school or I will release information to other parents or students about investigations unless there is a safety concern, but only to those directly affected.
3. We are not permitted to inform other parents of any consequences that are put in place.
4. If I interview your child, either I or a school administrator will let you know as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about reporting or if you hear about an incident, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either me or administration! We will answer as many questions as we can.

Warm regards,

Deputy Sandifer

Way to Go’s Schoolpool program will be returning to PCK for the 2025–26 school year. Schoolpool is a secure, easy-to-use system that helps connect families who live near one another to share the responsibilities of getting students to and from school through carpooling.

While many families use Schoolpool to set up a daily carpool, the program can also be helpful in other ways—such as getting to know families in your neighborhood or simply having contact information for nearby parents in case your child ever needs a last-minute ride.

If you would prefer not to participate in Schoolpool and do not want your contact information shared with nearby families, please opt out by completing the form linked below. If you wish to participate in the program, no action is needed at this time.

Thank you for helping us support a safer, greener, and more efficient commute for our students!

We’ve partnered with School Tool Box once again for the upcoming 2025-26 school year. This convenient option provides families with prepackaged school supply boxes that match each grade level’s supply list—designed to last students for the entire school year.

Ordering is open from today, May 1, through Sunday, June 1. Please note: When ordering, be sure to select the box that corresponds to the grade your child will be entering in the 2025-26 school year.

Our Athletic Department will be hosting its final tournament of the year with a Cornhole Tournament on Thursday, May 22 at 5:00 p.m. This event will feature three different brackets: Grades K–2, Grades 3–5, and Grades 6–8.

Teams will compete in a round-robin style format. What makes this tournament special is that we’re encouraging family participation—parents or guardians are welcome to compete alongside their child as a team. Please refer to the team and player registration forms below for more information on this tournament.

Our Athletic Department will be hosting its final camp of the year on Tuesday, May 13. This girls' soccer camp is open to students in kindergarten through fifth grade and will take place from 3:15 to 4:35 p.m.

We are currently recruiting for the 2025–2026 school year and would like to highlight our Special Education Teacher opening.

As always, our school community plays an essential role in shaping the heart of our program. We deeply value the connection we have with our families and believe that you reflect the values and spirit that make our school special. If you know someone who would like to be considered for this role, please click the button below for more information about the position and how to apply.

Additional openings are also available—please visit our Careers page to explore all current opportunities.

As the school year winds down, we wanted to let you know that our Homework Club will also be coming to a close for the year. The final day for Homework Club will be Thursday, May 15.

We would like to inform our families that the Late Testing Lab will be cancelled on Friday, May 2, and Wednesday May 7. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thank you so much to everyone who has signed up to help with our upcoming Field Day on Thursday, May 29. We are incredibly grateful for your support and enthusiasm—your willingness to volunteer is what makes events like this possible.

While we’ve had many volunteers step up, we still have just over 180 slots that need to be filled to ensure the day runs smoothly for our students. If you’re able to lend a hand, even for a short time, we would be so appreciative.

Just click the button below to view the available opportunities and sign up. Every helping hand makes a difference!

Fiddler on the Roof Programming Considerations

Fiddler on the Roof is a classic musical theatre production featured prominently in the Core Knowledge Curriculum. Because of its connection to our curriculum, we have chosen to produce this show again on the PCK stage, but it is prudent to provide some storyline details for parents.

Fiddler is set in an Eastern European Shtetl around the time of the Russian Revolution and pre-World War II and was first performed in 1964. That said, we understand the world has changed significantly since the musical was first penned, and adjustments must be made. Originally, there was a staged pogrom at the end of Act 1. Yet, the PCK Music department feels strongly that there is a way to honor history and the story without reenactment; therefore, we have developed a poignant and deeply respectful scene. After all, between the lines of the story and in real life, many innocent people were caught in a dark time.

We have worked hard to portray this story with empathy and respect, and have been steadfast in conveying the true message of Fiddler—hope. There is always hope, and this story has much to teach us all.

We welcome everyone to this family-friendly production and look forward to seeing you there!

We are excited to announce that the Fifth Grade class is the winner of our Gala Basket Competition! Their creativity and participation truly stood out, and as a reward, they’ve earned a Root Beer Float Party to be enjoyed in the near future.

We’d also like to take a moment to highlight and thank our amazing Basket Coordinators, Jessica Norton and Laura Erhuy, for their fantastic work in organizing and coordinating all of the grade-level baskets. Their time, effort, and dedication made this event a great success.

The End-of-Year Survey for the 2024–25 school year is now open and will remain available until Tuesday, May 13 at 4:00 p.m.

Each year, this survey helps us reflect on what’s working well and where we can grow as a school community. Your feedback is especially helpful as we look to improve fundraising efforts and strengthen communication between families and school organizations.

We’ll be reviewing the results at our meeting on May 14, and we’re excited to use your insights to help our school.

This week, we are excited to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on our incredible Junior Achievement volunteers: Kristyn Koller, Jason McCarthy, Sarye Glidden, and Bonnie Whiting.

Junior Achievement is a dynamic program that helps students develop essential knowledge and economic reasoning skills to make sound financial decisions. It supports key standards across multiple subjects—including social studies, business, economics, reading, writing, and mathematics—through engaging, hands-on classroom activities.

We are so grateful to Kristen, Jason, Sarye, and Bonnie for generously volunteering their time and talents to make PCK a better place for our students. Their efforts truly make a difference!