Pioneer Press

Dear Pioneer Families,

I’d like to share a few important reminders to help keep our school safe, supportive, and focused on learning.

Student Behavior Reminder:

We’ve noticed an increase in students engaging in rough play—such as jumping on one another’s backs, playing “keep away” with belongings, and using inappropriate language. While we understand that middle schoolers are energetic and playful, these actions can quickly lead to accidents or conflicts.

Please help us by reminding your student:

• Hands and feet should be kept to themselves at all times.

• Games involving grabbing, chasing, or physical contact are not allowed at school.

• Respectful and appropriate language is expected both in and out of the classroom.

Our goal is to maintain a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for every student. Thank you for reinforcing these expectations at home.

Attendance:

Regular attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student success. Please help your child arrive on time every day and aim for 95% or better attendance. Missing more than one day per month can affect learning progress and achievement.

Cell Phone Policy:

A reminder that all student cell phones must remain “off and away” during the school day, from 8:03 AM to 2:40 PM. Phones should be stored in lockers or backpacks—not in pockets—to help minimize distractions and encourage full participation in learning.

October Conferences:

Parent-teacher conferences are right around the corner. Here’s what to expect:

• Monday, Oct. 20 – 11:40–3:10 PM | Teacher conference preparation

• Tuesday, Oct. 21 & Wednesday, Oct. 22 – 12:10–3:10 PM | Scheduled conferences by teacher or parent request. These are required for students with academic or behavior concerns, or a grade of C- or lower.

• Thursday, Oct. 23 – Arena-Style Conferences | Held in the gym from 12:45–3:00 PM and 4:00–7:00 PM. Parents/guardians may meet with teachers on a first-come, first-served basis—no appointment necessary.

• Friday, Oct. 24 – Early release; teachers may leave with students at 11:40 AM.

Skyward:

Please take a moment to check your student’s Skyward account for current grades before conferences.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in helping your child—and all of our students—thrive at Pioneer Middle School.

In Partnership,
JoAnne Fernandes
Principal, Pioneer Middle School

8th grade social studies has started out with North American Geography looking at the physical features, landforms and regions that make up the North American continent. Students will study several indigenous cultures from the different regions and present their findings. Classes took a quick break to celebrate Constitution Day Sept. 17th and learned about the make up of the US constitution. Students will also be studying where all the states go on a map and the Taino people of the Caribbean.

Caption for Picture: Mr. Beaulieu's 8th Grade History class celebrating Constitution Day Sept. 17th with a "Happy Constitution Day!" cake and a pocket copy of the Constitution.

7th grade Historians have been getting to know each other, building connections, and exploring the importance of history. Soon, they will travel through time to Medieval Europe, analyzing the culture using six key components of civilization: Geography, Religion/Beliefs, Achievements, Politics, Economics, and Social Structure.

Captions For Pictures: Students learned that EVERYTHING has history, by interviewing classmates!

In Social Studies 6 students began the year with some basic geography work and becoming familiar with a few vocabulary words associated with the keeping of time. We have also begun our study of the Egyptians. At this time students have created timelines, made a map of the Nile River, and have also studied and discussed some of the social groups that made up Egyptian society. We learned what it was like to be a farmer as well as being the pharaoh, with several other groups in between. Up next, students will get to choose a famous pharaoh to learn about and to make a tomb wall that shows their pharaoh’s accomplishments and challenges.

STEILACOOM APPLE SQUEEZE
Sunday, October 5 from 10 to 4

Press apples into cider the old-fashioned way! Listen to great music while strolling through the street fair featuring quality handcrafts and booths. Enjoy apple related foods such as apple cider float, caramel apples or apple pie with ice cream! Check out the firetruck and meet firefighters! This is a family friendly event.

Student clubs from the Steilacoom High School will offer activities for children in the tennis court area and help out in other ways. Members of Boy Scout Troop #71 run one of the presses and help with the press operations. The Museum and the Wagon Shop will also be open.

Sponsored by the Steilacoom Historical Museum. Call 584-4133 for more information or go to www.steilacoomhistorical.org

The Steilacoom Historical School District does not sponsor or endorse this event/information and the district assumes no responsibility for it.

🌟 A HUGE thank you to our incredible PTA! 🌟

We are deeply grateful for the time, energy, and support you continually pour into our school community. From organizing events, to providing resources, to showing up for our students and staff—you make a lasting difference every single day.

A special shout-out to the PTA for helping us purchase student planners! Your generosity ensures our students have the tools they need to stay organized and successful.

Your dedication helps create meaningful opportunities and experiences that enrich learning and strengthen our school. We truly couldn’t do it without you! 💙

Class Act Portraits emailed families last week notifying them that their student’s image gallery is ready to view.

If you have not received an email with your link, please reach out to Class Act Portraits directly at info@classactportraits.com or by phone at 253-569-1627 for assistance.

📦Free shipping ends Saturday, September 27th.

For next week's sports schedule please see our website, use the link below:

https://pio.steilacoom.k12.wa.us/student-life/athletics

Below is a list of the clubs we are currently offering:

Tuesdays

• Starting October 7th: Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) – Room A101 with Mrs. Percefull

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

Thursdays

• Starting October 2nd: Pokémon Go! Club – with Mrs. Elshire

• Game Club – Room A202 with Mr. Milton

Transportation:
After-school activity buses are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students attending school clubs. Click here for route information.

If your student will be tardy or absent, please call 253-583-7205 and leave a voicemail (we receive a high volume of calls), or email us at pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us.

When leaving a message or sending an email, be sure to include:

• Your student’s full name

• Their grade

• The reason for the tardy or absence

✅ No need to call back to confirm—we check both voicemails and emails regularly.

Thank you for helping us keep our attendance records accurate!

October 1st - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release

October 10th - Teacher Prof. Development - NO SCHOOL

October 20th - October 24th - Fall Conferences - HALF DAY release 11:40 pm

October 21st - Picture Retakes - 8:30 am - 11:30 am in the auxiliary gym