PCMS Weekly Update

We are already crushing it this year! Not that we are concluding our second week of learning, the planners and binders are flowing, iPads are up and running, and Advisory lessons are creating that strong community. Students are doing great transitioning and getting back into the routine! Teachers are diving into content and some grades are even rolling in! Thank you so much to our 7th and 8th grade families who came to Back to School Night this week. We truly believe the school and family partnership is crucial to student success! It was great to see parents and students interacting through our hallways and walking the path that students take each day.

Enjoy this long weekend and we will see everyone safely back at school on Tuesday! GO PIRATES!!

~Your principals,

Dr. Chris Miller, principal

Dr. Emily Miller, assistant principal

Attendance matters! We’re starting the school year strong with an impressive 98.2% attendance rate! 🎉 September is Attendance Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to remind ourselves that every day counts.

Students in the 95% Club can earn:

• 🍽️ Leave class early for lunch
• 🔔 Leave one minute early at dismissal
• 🎉 Exclusive incentives, rewards, and special events

This is a month-by-month program:

• 95% or better attendance in September → Incentives in October
• 95% or better attendance in October → Incentives in November
• And so on throughout the school year!

High rates of attendance are critical because they give us the opportunity to work closely with your students each day. Consistent attendance is one of the most important factors in achieving high levels of student learning and success.

Want to learn more about the importance of attendance? Visit the Attendance Works website.

Our goal is simple: Be here, be engaged, and make every day count!

If your child participated in PCR-3's Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) testing or End-of-Course (EOC) testing in the Spring of 2026, assessment results are now available.

2025-26 Students in Grades 3-11 (now in Grades 4-12): Hard copy results will be coming home with your child today, Friday, September 5.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) publishes a Guide to Interpreting Results that provides additional details about the content of the Individual Student Reports. Please see the guide linked here: MAP Grade-Level Assessment Spring 2025-26 Guide.

Please keep in mind these assessments are only one piece of information your child’s teacher looks at to determine how your child is performing. The Platte County R-3 School District uses multiple methods to frequently monitor student achievement and provide a more complete picture of your student’s progress towards grade level proficiency on the Missouri Learning Standards. If you have questions about how your child is performing in school, please contact your child’s teacher.

Most families have already taken care of iPad Device Insurance—thank you! If you haven’t completed the process yet, there is still time. The deadline to register is October 1.

To take your student’s iPad home, you must complete the Device Insurance registration through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Until the registration is completed, your student will not be able to take their iPad home.

If you qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch, the $30 insurance fee is waived, but you still need to complete the registration form.

To register: PowerSchool Parent Portal → Forms → 2026–2027 Platte County Schools Device Insurance Payment

Please see the FAQ below for more information about device insurance and coverage.

Introducing our Morning Fitness Program starting Tuesday, September 8th. Students must sign up to participate! See the document below for all the details.

• Select the More icon at the bottom of your Dashboard.
• Tap Forms.
• Choose Platte County School District Parent/Student Handbook.

• Sign in to PowerSchool Parent Portal.
• From the left menu, select Forms.
• Choose Platte County School District Parent/Student Handbook.

There is still time to order Music Shirts for the 2026–27 school year! Orders are due September 11.

IMPORTANT: We have received some payments without a completed sizing form and some sizing forms without payment. We need BOTH to complete your order.

✅ Complete the Google Form to provide the correct shirt size.
✅ Pay the $15 shirt fee through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

6th graders: A Music Shirt is required for Band or Choir.
7th & 8th graders: Complete the Google form if your student needs a new shirt. The fee will then be added to PowerSchool the next day. Please pay this promptly.

Students in both Band and Choir only need one shirt.

Already have a shirt from an older sibling? Please email Kristie Tomlinson so we can remove the fee from your account.

Please make sure BOTH the form and payment are completed by September 11!

The PCMS PTO shop is open!! Support our PTO and buy your Pirate swag below. There are so many fun fleece and winter options available! Order through 9/10!

At the beginning of each school year, we ask parents and guardians to complete our Resource Checklist.

The Resource Checklist is a brief questionnaire and serves as your School Social Worker’s primary tool to help connect families with support services. It also provides an opportunity for you to let us know if you’re interested in giving back to the school community.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our PCMS School Social Worker, Mrs. Katie Powers, at 816-858-2036 ext. 3016 or powers.katie@pcr3schools.org.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete this important form!

This summer, PCR-3 middle schoolers took part in a Make48 Summer School challenge. Make48 is now coming to Kansas City this month for their Season 10 National Finale and they want to pack the house for the final Pitch event! Seven teams that competed at their 2026 regional playoff events are coming back to compete one more time. They will have 48 hours to invent a solution for the Veterans Community Project, and on Sunday afternoon they pitch what they built to a panel of judges. The winning team takes home $10,000, a custom trophy, and national bragging rights. This is the loudest, most exciting part of the whole weekend, and Make48 wants to open its doors to the Platte County School District community to watch. Teachers, students, faculty, staff, and parents are all welcome.

Please note: Make48 can only take the first 100 responders. All Attendees must RSVP, sign an NDA, and sign a film release, as we'll be filming for a TV show! RSVP HERE!

Sunday, September 20 at 1:00 PM; doors open at 12:45 PM

Ignition Lab at Operation Breakthrough
3039 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64109

Want a preview of what these events look like? Make48 Season 9 Nationals Sizzle

On Monday, September 21, school will not be in session for our first Professional Learning Community (PLC) day of the 2026-27 school year.

PLC days are designed to establish sustained and uninterrupted time for teachers to work together and collaborate to improve student learning and achievement. This time allows educators to examine and respond to the four basic fundamental questions of a Professional Learning Community:

• What is it we want students to learn?
• How will we know when each student has achieved the learning?
• How will we respond when a student is not learning?
• How will we respond when we know a child has mastered the learning?

For more information on PCR-3's Professional Learning Community, visit the PLC page on the District's website.

Sept 7

• No School - Labor Day

Sept 14

• Volleyball A/B/C Team Games @ New Mark Middle School, 4 pm

Sept 16

• Volleyball A/B Team Games @ Heritage Middle School, 4 pm

Sept 17

• Cross Country Meet @ Platte Ridge Park, 4 pm
• Football A Team Game @ Walden Middle School, 4 pm
• Football B Team Game @ Walden Middle School, 6:15 pm

Sept 18

• FCA Meeting, 7:10 am
• 8th Grade Band Step Off Night @ PCHS Home Game

Since 2005, Pirates ROCK (Raising Outstanding Character Kids) has helped shape a strong culture of character across Platte County School District. More than 20 years later and beginning with the 2026-27 school year, we're building on that tradition by aligning Pirates ROCK with our Portrait of a Graduate essential skills.

This evolution creates a more consistent, student-centered approach to character development by focusing on the six essential skills that prepare learners to thrive in school, careers, and life. Students will continue to be recognized for demonstrating outstanding character while developing the competencies that support our mission of ensuring every learner thrives in an ever-changing world with confidence and resilience, all through a consistent framework and shared language as they grow from kindergarten through graduation.

Throughout the year, we'll focus on these essential skills:

• August/September: Effective Communication
• October/November: Self-Awareness
• December/January: Personal Connections
• February: Personal Growth
• March: Problem-Solving
• April: Global Connections

Email: tomlinson.kristie@pcr3schools.org
Website: http://www.pcms.plattecountyschooldistrict.com
Location: 900 Pirate Drive, Platte City, MO, 64079
Phone: (816)858-2036
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plattecitymiddleschool/