Pacific Intermediate Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. As we kick off a new year and the second half of the school year, I want to encourage you to stay connected with your child's academic progress. Please remember to check your child's grades regularly through Infinite Campus. This will help you stay informed and address any potential issues before they arise.

As we move forward, please keep an eye on the weather. We will continue to send students outside for recess as long as the windchill is around 20 degrees or higher. Please ensure your child is dressed in layers as temperatures can vary throughout the building.

A friendly reminder: there will be no school on January 20th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Parent-Teacher Conference Week will be held during the week of January 21st. During this time, teachers will be reaching out to parents of students who are currently earning D's or F's. If your child does not have a D or F, but you would like to schedule a meeting with your child's teacher, please reach out to them directly via email.

Please save the date for our upcoming After-School Student Bingo on January 30th. Students will remain on campus after the buses depart and should be picked up around 3:45 PM. More information and a permission slip will be sent home soon.

If you purchased a blanket during our fundraiser and have not received it, please contact the Pacific Intermediate office so you can make arrangements.

We look forward to a productive and successful new year.

Sincerely,

Matt Agee

Pacific Intermediate Principal

Mrs. Jackson~ Math & Science

Mrs. Menley~Language Arts, Reading & History

Mrs. Alcorn~Math

Ms. DiBlasi~History & Science

Mrs. Tandy~Language Arts & Reading

Mr. Crabtree~Math

Mr. Gilcrease~Language Arts & Reading

Mr. Wengler~History & Science

5th grade math will begin the new year with 3-D shapes. Students will learn about pyramids, prisms, and cubes. Students will learn how multiple 2-D figures make up a 3-D figure which is called a net. After we finish our 3-D figures chapter we will be moving into our fractions unit. Students will gain an understanding of fractions and what they represent compared to whole numbers. Students will operate with fractions by adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions.

Unit 2 is going great! The students across all 3 teams seem to be enjoying learning about ancient civilizations. Students have started writing their first informational paragraph about the Maya. Students were given a choice to focus on for our 3 civilizations. This month students will have a set of spelling words to study. We are continuing to learn about prefixes and root words. Just a reminder that our new reading series can be found in Clever. If students choose the Amplify application they can read/listen to a story if needed. Students have been assigned Take-Home packets with this unit. Please encourage your student to work on these at home and have them share what they are learning.

History:Students will conclude the Civil War unit and then we will jump ahead quite a bit to World War I. Students will learn about the many causes of this war, the technology that was used, life in the trenches, and how it lead to World War II.

Science: Fifth grade scientists will conclude the Watery Planet unit. After that, we will begin our solar system unit called Spaceship Earth. Students will participate in interactive activities to learn mainly about the position of Earth and the Sun in space.

Mrs. Boling~English

Mr. Effan~Social Studies

Ms. Griffin~Science

Mrs. Voss~Math

Mrs. Stumborg~English

Mr. Slaughter~Social Studies

Mrs. Todahl~Science

Mrs. Weil~ Math

Ms. Shearin

English: Mrs. Boling & Mrs. Stumborg

In English, we will be continuing with our mentor/vocabulary unit. We will also be starting our next big project, the argumentative essay unit. We will be trying to wrap up that unit by the end of the trimester.

Math: Mrs. Voss & Mrs. Weil

6th-grade math will be starting Chapter 5: Algebraic Expressions. The advanced math students will start Ch. 8, Integers, Number Lines, and Coordinate Plane.

Please make sure to check Canvas for lesson videos. Continue to check for homework on a nightly basis, and it is a good time to restock your child's pencil supply.

Science: Ms. Griffin & Mrs. Todahl

This month we are starting with our Climate Unit. Please continue to look at our weekly emails, planners, and Google Classroom. While there is nothing to replace the information students gain from a teacher's instruction, if you are sick at home you should be able to complete everything online.

Social Studies: Mr. Effan & Mr. Slaughter

Social Studies finished up exploring ancient Indian culture and history. We also learned about the beginning of two major world religions and even got to practice meditation! This month we will start our unit on ancient China.

Reading: Mr. McMahon & Mrs. Meyers

In reading class, we recently wrapped up our novel unit on Freak the Mighty. We studied figurative language and many various elements of fiction. We took the middle-of-the-year assessments last month. This shows the student's progress in reading comprehension and fluency. The students also have the second-trimester book report in their Google Classroom. They will need to have this completed by the end of February.

Odyssey: Ms. Shearin

Odyssey students wrapped up final flights on their Aerodynamics units last month. This month we will begin our Foreign Language unit.

We hope you enjoyed your holiday with friends and family over the break. Welcome back! It's the new year, "2025!" A new year gives us time to reflect on the progress we made last year and personal goals of improvement we want for the coming year.

During the first half of the school year, students were busy increasing their knowledge of character education skills and applying these skills to their daily life. Character education included topics of accepting others, respecting diversity, learning how to reduce bullying, seeking help if you are being bullied, practicing social skills to make new friends and keep old friends, recognizing unhealthy relationships, resolving conflicts effectively, safety and coping skills, resisting peer pressure, and applying effective decision making. Students made a lot of growth in developing their skills to interact with others, collaborate, and resolve issues. Additionally, we had guest speakers from the Children's Advocacy Center presenting a one-day "Body Safety" program to both fifth and sixth grades.

During the second half of the school year, guidance will focus on topics including goal setting, time management, personal responsibility, stress management, and career exploration. Additionally, we will have guest speakers in January, March and April. This month the Compass Health Network will be presenting a five-day program to sixth graders called "Changes and Choices." In March, the Compass Health Network will facilitate a two-day program on "Violence Prevention" to fifth graders. During April the Chad's Coalition will present a one-day program to fifth graders called "Emotional Management", and a one-day program to sixth graders called "SOS." Please note, the district encourages all students to participate in these programs, but they are voluntary. Parents can opt their child out of any guest speaker program if they do not feel it is appropriate for their child.

We are looking forward to watching your child continue to grow academically, socially and behaviorally this year. Please contact us if we can be of any assistance to your child or you.

Sincerely yours,

Ally Speicher, 5th Grade Counselor

Jeanne M. Diamond, 6th Grade Counselor

We are committed to supporting our students’ well-being. Thanks to a recent grant, we can now provide feminine hygiene products to students in need. Please encourage girls to visit the school nurse if they are in need of supplies.

Pacific Intermediate

195 N Indian Pride Dr.

Pacific, MO 63069

www.mvr3.k12.mo.us

Phone: 636-271-1425

Fax: 636-271-1465