Pierce Families,
It has been a busy week at Pierce! We especially had fun today wearing our MSU or U of M Spirit Wear!
Our fall weather seemed to officially arrive this week! Our students were eager to get outside, however, two days of rain forced us into a few days of indoor recess. Let’s hope the weather is better for us next week. Please know we will normally go outside every day, except when it is raining and extreme temperatures. Thanks for making sure your children have plenty of layers for outdoor play, including hats, mittens and boots.
Our teachers have been hard at work helping our students get acclimated to our new math curriculum and our reading lessons. It has also been so fun to see our students engrossed in our science curriculum! I have visited classrooms observing mealworms (eww!), separating mixtures and solutions (fun!) and learning about the structures of life in plants and animals. These hands-on experiences allow our students a fantastic opportunity for engagement and retaining the information.
We have many fun activities coming up, including Trunk or Treat this Wednesday. We REALLY need more families to sign up for a "trunk" - please consider signing up by clicking on the link for the PTA Post (below). Additionally, our staff has been hard at work decorating pumpkins! These are raffled off during our Trunk or Treat event. Families need to purchase raffle tickets ahead of time on MTK, so don't forget to do so asap!
Warmly,
Kate Martin
Pierce Principal
October 18 - 25: PTA Pizza Fundraiser at Capri Pizza
October 25th: Trunk or Treat
October 31st:
- Classroom Parties and Parade (see details below)
- Half Day - Dismissal is at 11:50 AM - Kids Club is available
November 1st: PTA Meeting
November 7th: No School
November 8th:
- Half Day - Dismissal is at 11:50 AM - Conferences
- Book Fair
November 9th:
- Half Day - Dismissal is at 11:50 AM - Conferences
- Book Fair
November 22nd - 24th: No School - Thanksgiving Break
December 22 - January 2: Winter Break
Parent – Teacher Conferences Fall 2023
We are looking forward to welcoming parents/guardians into our buildings for in person parent-teacher conferences. Our partnership is so important and the Pierce staff is excited to share your child’s progress as a Panther. Our goal is 100% percent participation in this partnership for parent-teacher conferences. The school is alive with projects and student work that is filling the hallways and classrooms. We will be sending our online PTC Fast link to all families on Wednesday, October 25th by noon.
We understand that sometimes there are circumstances that won’t allow you to attend in person for your child’s conference. Please consider signing up for a conference time using the PTC Fast link and email the classroom teacher to request a Zoom link.
There is a ½ day of school on Wednesday, November 8th and Thursday, November 9th. School will be dismissed at 11:50 a.m. and Parent -Teacher Conferences are from 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. both days.
In Birmingham, we highly value our partnership with parents and are committed to providing meaningful insights into each child's educational journey. This academic year, we are improving how we share this important information with our families.
Our first opportunity to discuss student progress with parents will be during the November 8th and 9th elementary conferences. Instead of issuing report cards now, we have prioritized personalized, teacher-led conversations about your child's growth and achievements.
The next formal update on your child's progress will be provided in January in the form of a traditional report card. In March, we will hold our second set of conferences, providing you with another invaluable opportunity to connect with your child's teacher and discuss their development. The final report card will be sent home in June.
It is essential to balance personal interactions with teachers and the formal issuance of report cards. It should be noted that parents are always welcome to contact teachers for updates on their child's classroom performance at any time. Your active involvement plays a crucial role in your child's success.
1. Pack your patience! With the Pierce Street construction still going on, almost all families have to come through the parking lot areas of Pierce. We have many more parent pick-ups compared to car & bus riders.
2. Stay on the sidewalks! Please don't walk through the bus loop, and be aware of the yellow lines. Stay on the sidewalk side of the yellow lines.
3. Look both ways before crossing into the parking lot.
When Entering the Building...
All visitors to the building (who will be leaving the front office) MUST bring their ID with them to sign in. This includes all parent volunteers - anyone in the building. This is a new requirement within all BPS schools. We will scan your ID. Then, once cleared, we will print a visitor nametag which must be worn and clearly visible. Thank you for helping us to make Pierce a safer environment for your child(ren)!
Volunteer Form (iChat)
If you plan to volunteer at Pierce this year, attend field trips, or come for special events, you should complete this volunteer form! Return to Carey Shields Larson at clarson@birmingham.k12.mi.us.
As the weather changes and is getting wetter and colder, here are a few friendly reminders!
- No matter your child's age or grade, include a spare set of clothes in their backpack to keep in their locker. I promise it will come in handy when it's wet or muddy outside!
- Label, label, label! Label every jacket, hat, glove, and mitten! We can easily empty out our lost and found if we know who it belongs to.
- We go to play outside unless it is below 15 degrees (including wind chill) so please send your child with cold-weather items suited for the temperature.
Halloween Agenda
Monday, October 31 is a Half Day of School with dismissal at 11:50am.
Students come to school dressed in costume and drop off supplies on the tables outside before 9:15am. Be sure to include the donation with the teacher name.
9:15-10:00: 3rd grade Halloween party (all other grades' parties immediately follow the parade)
10:20 Parade begins - EVERYONE IS WELCOME - and students will exit through the Pierce street door, proceed to the sidewalk and walk north on the Pierce St. sidewalk around the perimeter of the school grounds and will enter back in through the main entrance.
Immediately following the parade the party will begin for grades K, 1, 2, 4, and 5.
Halloween Dress Code and Celebrations
All Pierce students will be allowed (and encouraged) to wear their school appropriate Halloween costume to school. There will not be an opportunity for students to put on their costumes at school. Please make sure your child's costume falls within our costume guidelines. The don'ts of Halloween costumes for the Pierce Parade and Party are as follows:
- No masks
- No blood or gore
- No weapons (real or fake)
*Students who have purchased a costume that does not fit the appropriate school costume guidelines often wear a dressed down version of the costume to fit into the Pierce Halloween Parade and Party guidelines or wear something different to school (eg. sports uniform).
Parent Party Volunteers: All volunteers need to sign in on your way to the classroom
Decorations and Set up: Please report to the classroom at 10:00. (9:00 for 3rd grade)
Party workers: Volunteers need to stay in the classroom for the duration of the party and should plan on assisting with clean up as well.
Kindergarten- 5-6 volunteers
1st- 5th- 2-3 volunteers
WE ARE IN NEED OF ASSISTANTS!
Reminder, we are currently capped at 36 for the AM and PM. Spots fill up quickly.
If you know of anyone who is interested in working in our PM Kids Club as an assistant, please email Carey Shields Larson at clarson@birmingham.k12.mi.us. We have an immediate need to fill these positions. As soon as we can hire more assistants, the sooner we can increase the caps on our programs.
Join us as we root on our Middle School Football teams Wednesday, October 25th at 5PM at Seaholm. Derby fans are encouraged to wear red for the RED WAVE and Berkshire fans are encourage to wear black for a BLACKOUT. Concessions will be available for purchase. Please note cash only! We hope to see our BPS community out in force supporting these future Maples and Falcons. All students 8th grade and under should be under adult/guardian direct supervision while attending this event.
Board of Education
Board of Education (BOE) meetings and study sessions occur once a month on Tuesdays. The board meetings commence at 7 p.m., while the majority of the study sessions take place at 6 p.m. throughout the year.
Special Meeting
- Tuesday, Oct. 24 | 5 p.m.
Board Retreat
- Saturday, Oct. 28 | 9 a.m.
Bond Committee
- Tuesday, Nov. 7 | 5 p.m.
Study Session
- Tuesday, Nov. 7 | 6 p.m.
Finance Committee
- Tuesday, Nov. 28 | 6 p.m.
Regular Meeting
- Tuesday, Nov. 28 | 7 p.m.
BEF Unabashed Bash
Mark your calendar now for the BEF Unabashed Bash on Saturday, February 3rd at Daxton Hotel in downtown Birmingham. You won't want to miss this fun evening of dinner, dancing, live and silent auctions, games and more! If you are interested in sponsoring this year's BASH or donating to our auction, please contact Kathy Zanolli: BEF@birmingham.k12.mi.us | 248-203-3030. For more information visit: https://www.supportbef.org/sponsor-the-bash.html
OK2SAY, which is housed within the MSP Office of School Safety allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees, or schools in this state.
If you receive a threat or know of a threat of violence against your community, please contact your local law enforcement or call 9-1-1. Non-emergency tips can be submitted the following ways:
- Dial: 8-555-OK2SAY, (855-565-2729 )
- Text: 652729 (OK2SAY)
- Email: OK2SAY
- Website: OK2SAY website
- OK2SAY mobile app is available for download for iOS, Google and Android devices.