Dear Families,
We are thankful for you!
As we prepare to take time off from school (11/28/24-11/29/24) for the Thanksgiving break, we are grateful for everyone who has helped to restore a routine for showing up to school while supporting students and families.
Daily routines are essential for reducing stress and creating a sense of security for students and adults. Please take steps to keep your child healthy and send them to school unless they are truly sick. Every day of school is an important opportunity for students to learn as well as connect to peers and their teachers.
We thank:
Our students and their families who do their best to show up to class every day even
when it isn’t easy.
Our teachers who have gone above and beyond to help make school a welcoming learning environment where students can thrive.
Our administrators who help us work together to ensure we are healthy and safe, feel a sense of community and experience the excitement of an engaging learning
environment.
Our many, many healers and helpers - the support staff and community volunteers who provide the extra hands and attention our children need.
May these days off be restful and healing.
If your family or your child needs support, please reach out to our counselors;
Ms.Taylor or Mr. Miller for help by emailing them at pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us
We look forward to seeing you again when school resumes on December 2, 2024
Thank you for partnering with us!
Sincerely,
JoAnne Fernandes, Principal
Mrs. Percefull and Mr. Beaulieu's 8th grade Social Studies classes are beginning their Revolutionary War units this month. Students will be evaluating the cause and effect of major events leading to the war and how it shaped the newly forming United States of America.
In 7th grade, we are beginning our unit on the Middle Ages of Asia. We will be learning about the major Chinese dynasties, Chinggis (Genghis) Khan's enormous empire, and how the feudal system worked in Japan. We will be discovering the impact the Mongols, China, and Japan had on Asia and the world. Students will identify geographical sites, explain the impact of China’s dynasties, create a comprehensive Mongol artistic G.R.A.P.E.S. explanation, and compare and contrast feudalism in Japan with feudalism in Europe.
In 6th grade Social Studies our classes have wrapped up their studies of ancient Egypt and have now begun learning about ancient Greece. Students have had opportunities to use maps, and to learn about what life was like in Sparta and Athens. Below you will find some pictures of a small project students completed in which they had to make a small flag that represented either Sparta or Athens. Students created amazing work! Currently, students are learning about Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. These three famous philosophers will be our focus for a debate we will hold in which students will have to pick who they think is the greatest of the three and argue why their choice was the correct one.
6th grade:
For Halloween week, Mrs. Guillen’s class did an invisible ink project using chemical reactions with baking soda, turmeric and hand sanitizer.
Now, students are studying the Microbiome Unit where they are learning about the fascinating world of microbiomes—communities of tiny organisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live in and on our bodies, as well as in the environment. Students will explore how these microorganisms play vital roles in processes like digestion, immunity, and even the health of ecosystems.
7th Grade: The 7th grade classes have finished their Geology on Mars unit by presenting posters. Students are beginning their study of the concept of plate motion and the dynamic nature of Earth's surface. They will explore how the Earth's lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates that are constantly moving, driven by forces like convection currents in the mantle. Students will be learning about different types of plate boundaries—divergent, convergent, and transform—and how these movements cause geological phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain formation, and the creation of ocean trenches. Emphasis on the slow but powerful nature of plate tectonics, helps students understand how these processes have shaped the Earth over millions of years and continue to impact the planet today.
8th Grade: Earth Moon Sun Unit
During October, students put their engineering skills to work by creating ‘pumpkin elevators’ using K’Nex and pulley systems. The project supported the concept of work reduction. More pulleys added to the system, reduced the amount of energy needed to lift the pumpkin.
Now, students are focused on the Earth-Moon-Sun system by exploring how these three celestial bodies interact to create predictable patterns and phenomena. Through hands-on investigations and simulations, students learn about the movement of the Earth around the Sun, the Moon's orbit around Earth, and the effects of these motions on phenomena like phases of the moon and eclipses. Emphasis on the importance of these relationships explains how life on Earth uses this system to measure time in days, months, and years.
SHSD Family and Student Handbook:
We are so close to the goal of 100% participation - as of today, we have received 669 submissions, ONLY 99 to go!!!
Use the link below to review the SHSD Family and Student Handbook 2024-25.
https://www.steilacoom.k12.wa.us/for-families/handbook
Use this link to access the form after you have reviewed the handbook.
https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/36553567
*Once form per child in the family that attends Pioneer MS*
*****If you are unable to fill out the form online, send us an email at pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us and we will send a hard copy of the form home with your student.
If you have any questions regarding the handbook, email us at pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us. We are here to help.
Pioneer families,
REMINDER - Please remember that the parking lot, including the handicap designated parking spots and surrounding areas should not be used as a drop-off zone.
If you choose to drop off your student in the parking lot, please pull into a parking space to let your child exit the car. This practice will help maintain a smooth flow of traffic and ensure that both students and adults can walk safely to the school.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation in keeping our students safe!
All students participating in clubs are required to pay an ASB fee of $15.00
You can purchase your student's ASB through Mrs. Ruby
ASB fees collected go to funding clubs and sports activities at Pioneer MS.
*Students attending Math Club, are NOT required to pay the user fee*
For more information on the clubs we offer, use the link below:
https://pio.steilacoom.k12.wa.us/student-life
Transportation is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students attending school clubs.
Use the link below for route information:
Wrestling, Girls Basketball and Dance will NOT practice on:
Wednesday, November 27th
Thursday, November 28th
Friday, November 29th
Practices will resume on:
Monday, December 2nd
Transportation schedules for athletes:
User fees are now due, see information below:
All due fees have been added to your Touchbase account. You can pay in-person or click on the link below to sign-in to your student's account: TouchBase
If you have any questions, please call Mrs. Plumb at 253-583-7204
Student/Athlete Pick Up:
Bus loading zone is NOT to be used as a student pick up area.
For safety purposes student/athletes should be picked up at the parking lot nearest to the blacktop or the front of the building.
Durham Transportation does not allow buses to pull in when private vehicles are parked in the bus loading zones for the safety of the students.
If you any questions, please call us at 253-583-7200
Wednesday, November 27th - Half day for students and teachers
11:40 am release time
Thanksgiving Break - November 28th - 29th - NO SCHOOL
Monday, December 2nd - Students return from Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday, December 4th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release
Thursday, December 5th - Band Concert, Pioneer MS Gym - 6:30 pm
Wednesday, December 11th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release
Thursday, December 12th - Choir Field Trip
Advanced and Chamber Choir perform at Patriots Landing in Dupont
Tuesday, December 17th - Choir Concert, Pioneer MS Gym - 6:30 pm
Wednesday, December 18th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release
Thursday, December 19th - Choir Field Trip
Advanced Choir will be caroling at St. Clare's Hospital in Lakewood.
Friday, December 20th - Winter Assembly, Pioneer MS Gym - more information to come
December 23rd - January 3rd - Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
November 27th - regular business hours 7:40 am - 3:30 pm
Hours of Operation:
Offices opens at 7:40 am
-students should NOT be dropped off before 7:40 am unless teacher directed (Chamber Choir, Jazz Band and ASB)
Office closes at 3:30 pm
-students are not allowed in the building after 3:30 pm unless they are participate in sports or clubs.
Late to school:
Students start class at 8:10 a.m.
-If your student arrives at 8:10 a.m. or later, please have them stop at our check-in kiosk for a pass to class.
Excusing absences:
Option 1: Call 253-583-7200, choose the attendance option.
Leave a message if we can't get to your call. The voicemail to the attendance line is checked several times a day.
Option 2: Email us at pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us
Transportation changes:
Please call the office no later than 2:00 pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) and 1:00 pm on ACE days (Wednesdays) to request transportation changes.
*You can also request transportation changes by emailing us at pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us
If you would like to chaperone a school field trip, help out in your student's classroom, or help at school socials, you must be a registered district volunteer. Use the link below to submit your application.
