Pioneer Press

Wishing You a Wonderful Thanksgiving Break

As we head into the holiday weekend, I want to wish all of our Pioneer families a restful and joyful Thanksgiving break. This time of year reminds us how grateful we are for the partnership we share with you, and for the incredible students who bring energy, curiosity, and heart to our school every day.

I hope the next few days provide time to slow down, reconnect, and enjoy the people and traditions that matter most to you. Thank you for your ongoing support of our school community.

We look forward to welcoming students back on Monday, December 1st!

Warmly,
JoAnne Fernandes
Principal, Pioneer Middle School

A Look Inside Our Resource Classroom: November Update

This November, our resource classes have been focusing on the core themes of respect and gratitude. We've been exploring what it means to respect ourselves, our peers, and our shared learning environment. Students are practicing gratitude by giving their best effort each day and seeing mistakes as valuable opportunities for growth and learning.

Strengthening Key Skills:

We are working to build personal and academic responsibility by strengthening our respect for ourselves and our classroom community. Through this, we are also deepening our understanding of perseverance, learning to view mistakes as chances to reflect and refine our thinking.

What We're Learning:

Math

• Students are enhancing their visual thinking skills and developing strategies for accurate computation.

• We've also been learning to organize our planners using the AVID strategy, focusing on three key sections: Do, Learn, and Homework (Questions).

6th Grade ELA

• Students are developing strong paragraph-writing skills, including how to write clear and engaging topic sentences, add meaningful details, and craft effective concluding sentences.

• These skills are being applied to biography essays and are then transferred to digital platforms to build confidence and fluency with essential 21st-century tools.

7th & 8th Grade ELA

• In the upper grades, we're developing inferring skills through an activity called "Text Message Analysis."

• Students are reading short stories and responding to comprehension questions that require them to find and use text evidence.

A BIG Thank You to Our Athletic Program Donors!

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has generously donated to our sports teams. Your support plays a vital role in strengthening our athletic programs and helps us provide the best possible experience to our student-athletes.

We truly appreciate those who have already contributed and encourage anyone who is interested in supporting middle school sports to make a donation.

EVERY CONTRIBUTION MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Please use the link below to make your donation using TouchBase:

TouchBase

If you are donating to a specific sport, please email Mrs. Plumb at eplumb@steilacoom.k12.wa.us to ensure your gift is directed to the correct fund.

With Gratitude,

John Nystrom

Assistant Principal/Athletic Director

Pioneer Middle School will be closed on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, from 1:45–3:45 PM so that we can hold an important all-staff meeting, including office staff. During this time, the front office and phone lines will be unavailable.

We appreciate your understanding and support.

Class 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, tardies or other time-sensitive issues. If the staff member is out, your message may go unseen.

If you need to make a change to your student’s after-school transportation, please contact the main office by 1:45 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and by 12:45 p.m. on ACE days (Wednesdays).

You can reach us:

• Phone: 253-583-7205

• Email: pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us

These deadlines ensure we have enough time to communicate the change to your student before dismissal.

Please note:

• Transportation changes requested by parents/guardians 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.

• 🚫 Do not email staff directly regarding attendance, tardies or other time-sensitive issues. If the staff member is out, your message may go unseen.

You can now view your student’s Term 1 elective grade in Skyward Family Access.

Please note:

• Only students enrolled in the Elective Rotation option will have Term 1 grades posted.

• Use the link below to access your Skyward account:

• If you have questions regarding your student's grade, please contact the teacher directly through ParentSquare.

If you need help with your login or password, please email us at pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us

Sports Update

• Girls’ Basketball, Boys’ Soccer, and Co-Ed Wrestling will resume practices on Monday, December 1st, from 2:45–4:45 PM.

• Dance Team will practice Monday–Friday the week of December 1st, from 3:10–4:50 PM.

Reminder: Mandatory Study Hall is held every Wednesday from 2:40–3:10 PM.

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To view sports schedules on our website, use the link below:

Sports Schedules

Co-Ed Wresting:

Girls' Basketball:

Boys' Soccer

All Clubs will resume as scheduled next week!

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.

December 1st - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release time

December 9th - Band Winter Concert - Pioneer GYM at 6:30pm

December 10th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release time

December 16th - Choir Winter Concert - Pioneer GYM at 6:30pm

December 17th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release time

December 19th - Student Winter Assembly - Pioneer GYM

December 22nd - January 2th - Winter Break - NO SCHOOL

See our website for more information: https://pio.steilacoom.k12.wa.us/