Pine Panther Pulse

Hello Pine Families!

It's a busy time at Pine! This week our Scholastic Book Fair will open. Grandparents & Friends are invited to a preview this Thursday (K-2) & Friday (3-6) morning following arrival to enjoy a donut while buying books to support our school and help our students become readers! Tuesday is Picture Day! See the ordering information below. All students will take pictures for the yearbook whether or not they are making a purchase. On Wednesday, our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students will attend the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra's Childrens Concert. Thursday we will have our ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open our new playgrounds. Don't forget to RSVP for our annual Haunted Hallways event where students can Trick-o-Treat at Pine!

Let's keep reading at home each day, coming to school on time, and showing those Habits of Character. It's the Wolfie Way!

We're looking forward to another great week of learning at Pine!

David A Alvarado

Principal

Our chorus performance begins at minute 24 of the video linked below.

We are now accepting nominations for the 2026 Teacher of the Year and Employee of the Year recognition program!

Each spring, MCAS recognizes employees in the following areas:

• Elementary Teacher of the Year

• Secondary Teacher of the Year

• Support Staff Employee of the Year

• Transportation Employee of the Year

• Food Service Employee of the Year

Anyone – students, former students, parents, staff, or community members – may nominate a teacher or staff member. There is no limit to the number of employees a person may nominate.

Please complete a separate form for each nomination.

Nominations are due by Friday, November 21, 2025.

Please visit this web page to learn more about eligibility and the selection process, and to nominate a teacher or staff member. (The nomination is very simple… just one question: Why do you believe that this individual should be honored as the 2026 MCAS Teacher or Employee of the Year?)

Paper nomination forms are also available at any MCAS school or facility.

We can't wait to celebrate our employees!

Doors open at Pine each morning at 8:15. Students have until 8:45 to arrive, have breakfast, and wait with their classmates in the gym. Teachers pick up students by 8:35 to head to classrooms. Students arriving after 8:45 are marked tardy. Be sure your children arrive on time!

Late arriving students should be walked into the office by a family member and signed in. Please refrain from dropping tardy students off at the curb without checking them in. Student absences should be called into the office. Students learn most when they are at school each day! Let's work together to have the best attendance possible!

Arrival Procedures

Doors open at Pine at 8:15 AM. Parents dropping off students at school should only use the north parking lot by the Red Pod. PreK families, students requiring special assistance, and families who need to visit the office may park in the south lot by the main entrance. No parents should park along the curb at the main entrance as this area is designated only for school buses. Breakfast is served from 8:15 - 8:45. Students arriving after 8:45 will be marked tardy. Attendance matters!

Dismissal Procedures

The final bell rings at 3:00. Bus riders will be escorted by their teachers to their proper buses. Boys and Girls Club members will report to the cafeteria. Car riders will report to the red pod where staff will organize them per our dismissal procedures. Parents picking up students should join the line around the north parking lot. Please comply with all instructions and expectations while remembering that student safety trumps adult preferences at all times. Parents must communicate any changes in dismissal plans to the office before 2:00 to ensure they are shared with teachers.

All students will have a supervised 15 minute recess each day before lunchtime.

All Pine students are invited to take a school breakfast and school lunch each day at no cost to families. Parents who prefer to send a home lunch with their child are of course welcome to do so.

See the link below for information on our Strategic Plan, the document that sets the purpose and describes our goals for serving our community.

https://www.mcas.k12.in.us/strategicplanning

Talk to your child's teacher about how communication will take place between home and the classroom this year! Whether it be via Class Dojo, email, or some other communication method, when teachers and parents stay in touch and work together, our students benefit the most!

Missed an issue of the Pine Panther Pulse? They're all archived on our website at the link below!

https://pine.educatemc.net/welcome-to-pine/news