Pioneer Press

Dear Parents and Guardians of Our 8th Grade Pioneers,

It’s hard to believe we’re already approaching the finish line of another school year—and what an incredible journey it’s been! As we prepare to send our 8th graders off to high school, we’re excited to invite you to celebrate their achievements at our upcoming 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony and Dance.

Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Time: Promotion begins at 4:30 PM
Location: Pioneer Middle School Gym (ceremony) and Cafeteria (dance)

The ceremony will recognize the hard work, growth, and character of our 8th graders. After the final applause, students will head straight to the cafeteria for a celebratory dance—just for them! (No outside guests, please.)

A Few Important Notes:

Dress to Impress (but keep it comfortable):
Think job interview-ready. Students are encouraged to dress neatly and appropriately—no jeans, t-shirts, sweats, or sagging pants. A collared shirt with pants or a modest dress, skirt/blouse, or pant outfit works great. No need for tuxedos or formal gowns; let’s keep it simple, stylish, and school-appropriate.

Guest Guidelines:
To ensure everyone’s safety and comply with fire code, we kindly ask that each student brings no more than three guests. And please, no balloons—they tend to block the view for others trying to catch a glimpse of their graduate!

Schedule for the Day:

• 11:40 AM – 8th graders are dismissed for the day (buses will run as usual).

• 4:00 PM – Students return to Pioneer (please arrange transportation).

• 4:30 PM – Promotion ceremony begins.

• Post-ceremony – 8th grade dance kicks off (for Pioneer students only).

• 7:30 PM – Dance ends—please plan for prompt pickup. (No transportation provided.)

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us

We’re so proud of our 8th graders and look forward to celebrating this milestone with them—and with you!

Warmly,
JoAnne Fernandes
Principal

Let’s Power Up Our Pirate Pride! 🏴‍☠️

We’re on a mission to raise $12,000 to support the amazing programs that make Pioneer Middle School a place where students grow, connect, and thrive — including sports, clubs, school socials, and other unforgettable student experiences.

Thanks to our incredible community, we’ve already raised $3,700 — but we still need your help to reach our goal!

That’s just $20 per student — a small contribution that makes a big impact.

Let’s come together to keep the Pioneer spirit strong and ensure every student has access to a vibrant and memorable middle school experience.

💛 Because when we all pitch in, great things happen!

Our math classes are winding down to a great second semester!

Just a reminder that our Math Club is now only open on Tuesday’s from 2:45 - 3:45. Students do NOT have to purchase an ASB card to attend Math Club. Math Club is a chance for students to get extra support, retake assessments and continue to practice math skills.

Here is a look at what each of our math classes are currently working on.

6th Grade - Mrs. Byrd’s sixth grade mathematicians are working with writing and solving algebraic equations, while Mrs. Herig’s classes have been working with area and volume that will culminate in activity where they create a water park. Solving equations and working with different units of measurement are both foundational skills for success as students move into 7th grade math next year. Our accelerated sixth grade math students are working on operations with rational numbers and will next begin to solve algebraic equations with rational numbers.

7th Grade - Seventh grade math students are also focusing on Geometry skills. Ms. Yuckert’s students have been working with finding the circumference and area of a circle, as well as with scale drawings. Ms. Nierman’s students have been working classifying triangles by angles and sides, as well as different angle relationships. Next week, they will start working with the area of compound shapes. Mrs. Herig’s seventh grade math students are currently working with scaling by creating enlarged versions of candy boxes.

8th Grade - Eighth grade math students are working with angles and their relationships.

Algebra - our Algebra students have been working with graphing quadratic functions. This work will continue next week and then will transition into solving quadratic functions.

Geometry - our Geometry students just concluded their work with transformations, concluding with an activity where they created a brand, logo, apartment or duplex using the different translations learned in the unit.

Tuesdays:

Junior Student to Student (JS2S) Room A115 with Ms. Taylor

Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) - Room C102 with Mrs. Iglesias

Christian Faith Group (CFG) - Room B103 with Mrs. Vaccaro

Math Help - Room B101 with Mr. Martin - TUESDAYS ONLY

Homework Help & Art Club -CANCELED for the remainder of the school year

Art Club - CANCLED for the remainder of the school year

Thursdays:

Builder's Club in the Library with Mrs. Holyfield

Pokemon Go! Club with Mrs. Elshire

Game Club Room C202 with Mrs. Nixon

Homework Help - CANCELED for the remainder of the school year

Transportation is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students attending school clubs. Use the link below for route information:

https://www.steilacoom.k12.wa.us/who-we-are/departments/bustransportation/after-school-activity-bus#fs-panel-2698

End of season banquets:

Volleyball - Thurs May 29th, 3pm - 4:30pm

Track & Field - Fri May 30th, 3pm - 5pm

Baseball - Mon June 3rd, 3:30pm - 5:30pm

To keep attendance records accurate, please remember to report and excuse any absences or tardies. Please follow the steps below to excuse your student's unexcused absences.

Classes 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🚫

Monday, May 26th - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, May 27th - 1st half of 5th grade students visit Pioneer MS from Saltar's Point Elementary - 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Thursday, May 29th 2nd half of 5th grade students visit Pioneer MS from Saltar's Point Elementary - 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Thursday, June 5th - Choir Concert - 6:30pm in PIO Gym

Tuesday, June 10th - 8th Grade Promotion - PIO GYM 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm, followed by a dance in the cafeteria

Thursday, June 12th - Field Day!

Friday, June 13th - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! - Half day, students released at

11:40 am

Check our district calendar for more information:

https://www.steilacoom.k12.wa.us/welcome-center/calendars?cal_date=2025-04-0