October 5th: Picture Day

October 25th: Trunk or Treat

October 31st: Half Day - Dismissal is at 11:50 AM

November 7th: No School

November 8th: Half Day - Dismissal is at 11:50 AM - Conferences

November 9th: Half Day - Dismissal is at 11:50 AM - Conferences

November 22nd - 24th: No School - Thanksgiving Break

We loved seeing all our Panthers and families out at last Friday’s Fun Run! Thank you to Mr. Chalker, PTA Wellness Chair, Kim Prodan, and all our PTA volunteers for making this annual event another wild success! A special shout-out to all our sponsors for supporting our students!

The 2023 Fun Run raised $9,000 – a portion of this will be donated to Variety, the Children’s Charity, while remaining funds will support the Pierce PE department and other PTA programs to provide enrichment opportunities and support for our Pierce students, teachers, and staff. Thank you to all who donated!

October is National Pizza Month and Capri Pizza is excited to help our Panthers celebrate! From October 18 – 25, Capri will be donating 10% of the proceeds from both their ZaBot and in-store/online orders to the Pierce PTA. Funds raised will help provide enrichment opportunities and support for our Pierce students, teachers, and staff! Get some delicious food while supporting our school! And...the ZaBot is just fun!

To make sure Pierce gets credit, mention Pierce when you order. If ordering online, enter PIERCE as the Coupon Code. Finally, if you order through the ZaBoth, it the Ring camera button and say "PIERCE!" into the camera!

Tickets on Sale now on MTK! Tickets are $10/child (staff, adults, & siblings under age 3 are free). Join us for a fun-filled night of:

• Trunk-or-treating around the Pierce parking lot
• Cider and donuts
• Teacher-decorated pumpkin raffle (tickets available for purchase on MTK)
• Panther-themed chocolate-covered Rice Krispie treats-gluten + nut free (pre-purchase on MTK)
• Dance party with music from Ralph the DJ
• And a 360 Photo Booth! (1x/per child, please, to keep lines to a minimum)
• Purchase your Trunk or Treat tickets and treats
  

DECORATE A TRUNK - Sign up for a space and hand out nut-free candy, snacks, or trinkets! There will be prizes for the best trunk so don't hold back! Spots are limited.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - please consider contributing your time to help make this event a success. Thank you!

COSTUMES - Kids and parents are encouraged to wear costumes (refrain from weapons & gore with both costumes and car decorations)

It will get dark so, for safety reasons, please supervise your kids. We encourage lower elementary students to come early while there is still some daylight, and feel free to bring flashlights!

Please have your trunk or treaters eat dinner ahead of time, it will not be served at the event.

This event will happen rain or shine!

Get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming our way (YAY!). Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them to become Bolder, Prouder, and Stronger Readers – AND, as always, every book they buy earns rewards for our school.

The book fair will take place in the Pierce Media Center from 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm (with a break from 4:00 pm– 5:00 pm) on November 8 and 9 during Parent/Teacher Conferences.

Volunteers are needed to help during the book fair with purchases & assisting families in locating books. We also need help setting up the book fair on November 1, and taking it down on November 10. If you are able to help, please sign up below.

One of our biggest needs each year is daily help in our school library. Before you volunteer in the library, we ask that you attend a 30 minute training session. Once you are trained, you'll be sent the Sign Up Genius to sign up for slots. There are 5 open slots/school day (2 in the morning, 1 midday, 2 in the afternoon) and you are welcome to sign up for as many or few as fit your schedule.

Our next training is this Thursday, October 5, from 8:45 to 9:15AM. No need to sign up ahead of time, please just check in at the office & head to the library that morning. Please reach out to pierceelementarypta@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Our front office is looking for volunteers to assist on a bi-weekly basis. Shifts would be either morning or afternoon, every other week – typically looking to have one volunteer per shift. If you are interested and available, please reach out to Carey Shields Larson (CLarson@birmingham.k12.mi.us) for more details.

Noon Aids assist daily in our cafeteria and on our playground, helping our lunch time run smoothly. At times, we need subs to fill in when our usual noon aids are out. If you can be available from 11:15 AM – 1:30 PM and would like to be placed on the Noon Aid On-Call List (you will only get called when there is a need), please email Rose at RDorre@birmingham.k12.mi.us.

Friends of Different Learners is an independent organization of Birmingham Public Schools parents, staff, and community members dedicated to maximizing the potential of students with different learning styles and abilities.

• You’re invited to learn more about Friends of Different Learners at these two upcoming events:
  • Thursday, October 5 @ 7PM at the Birmingham Covington School Media Center – meet the BPS Special Services Team and receive a 2023/24 School Year Update
  • Friday, October 20 @ 9 AM in the Pierce Commons -- Friends of Different Learner's Pierce Families event.
  • Come join the Friends of Different Learner's group for some coffee and donuts and take the time to meet the Pierce Elementary Special Education Support staff. Learn what the Friends of Different Learner's group does, and how we can help. If your child has a 504 or IEP, or you have questions on that process, please join us and learn more!

If you are a parent of a student who was eligible to receive Free/Reduced lunch in prior years, BPS asks that you please fill out the online application again this year. Even though meals are free this year, it is vitally important that parents who meet, or believe they may meet, the free and reduced income guidelines, submit an on-line application or paper form. Without this information, our schools could lose important state funding for our programs that our students are entitled to.

Applying only takes a minute! Find the link to apply at https://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/Page/130. Please reach out if you have any questions at the BPS Food Service office: 248-203-3966 or via email

These supplemental grants and programs have the potential to offer support and services for our students including, but not limited to: Instructional staff (ex. Reading Interventionists, Math Tutors, Academic & Behavior Aids), Teaching supplies and materials, Counselors and Social Workers, School Nurses, Professional Learning for staff, Parent and Community engagement supplies and activities, or technology

This is an income-based application and based on your household income, your child may qualify for other programs such as: Summer EBT, Pay to play or Pay to Participate, Blessings in a Backpack, Potential household support for cable and internet, Test Fees

Thanks to all our Panthers and their families who signed up to run for Team Pierce at the SOS Run on October 1. For the second year in a row, Pierce had the largest team of any BPS school, earning a cash prize for our CSO fund! Our participation & support helped raise nearly $18,000 for Schools Offer Support!

Schools Offer Support (SOS) provides temporary financial support & volunteer services to BPS Community families in need. If you, or someone you know, needs support visit schoolsoffersupport.org to fill out a request for support.

Congrats to the top finishers from Pierce - Shaan Chaudhary (1 Mile) and Simon Varone (5K)!

Accelerated Reader (AR) is a PTA sponsored program to drive reading and reading comprehension for grades 2-5. For more information, please visit https://www.piercepta.com/accelerated-reader.

Reflections is a PTA Nationally Sponsored Arts Competition. This year’s theme is “I am Hopeful Because…”. Entries are due to the Pierce Main Office November 6th and 8th. Please reach out with questions to Heather Holladay (hdbpvigil@gmail.com) or see more information on the PTA website at https://www.piercepta.com/reflections.

Math Pentathlon is a PTA sponsored program where students meet weekly before school to play board games designed to enrich sportsmanship & critical thinking skills. 2nd – 5th grade will begin in November while Kindergarten/1st Grade will begin in December. If you have not on our mailing list yet and would like to be added, please email piercemathp@gmail.com or visit https://www.piercepta.com/math-pentathlon

What is Membership Toolkit (MTK)? MTK is a website managed by the Pierce PTA and is available only to parents of Pierce Elementary School students where you can:

• Visit our Store
• View the Pierce Online Directory
• Browse Volunteer Opportunities
• View the Calendar
• Review PTA Meeting Minutes & access prior PTA Posts

Hot Tip! Download the Mobile App available for either Apple or Android! With the app, you will have all of this information right at your fingertips easily accessible.

Questions? Email pierceelementarytreasurer@gmail.com.

Purchase your Pierce Spirit Wear here!

Pierce Elementary School

1829 Pierce

Birmingham, MI 48009

Phone: 248-203-4325

Fax: 248-203-4393

https://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/pierce

Ms. Carey Shields (Larson)

clarson@birmingham.k12.mi.us