Pioneer Press

Eighth grade students in US history are finishing their Revolutionary War units and beginning their units on the US Federal Government. Students will be learning about the structure and functions of the federal government as well as the rights and responsibilities that come from the constitution. Students will begin their Classroom Based Assessment on constitutional issues this month as well.

In Mr. Beaulieu's Social Studies class, students are learning why people need government by studying the Enlightenment thinkers Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and others. The lesson was designed around the show “The Bachelor.” First, they compared their beliefs about natural rights, freedom, and government to those of the Enlightenment thinkers to see with whom they were most compatible. Then, they posted their rose sticker next to the thinker’s picture they were most closely aligned with. Overall, students were most aligned with the thinking of John Locke!

Ms Joslin's 8th Grade History class has been analyzing primary sources from the revolutionary war era of U.S. History, specifically political cartoons. Students then created a political cartoon of their own relating to a cause of the Revolutionary War.

Washington State History students have jumped feet-first into their study of how our beautiful state has evolved over time. They established that the first humans to inhabit this region migrated many centuries ago, potentially from north Asia across the Bering Land Bridge. Humans have lived in this region "since time immemorial," stewarding and caring for the land and its resources. Students are exploring the geography of the state, noting the differences between the 7 unique geographic regions. Their learning is guided by the standard, "Explain and analyze how the environment has affected people and how human actions modify the physical environment, and in turn, how the physical environment limits or promotes human activities in Washington state in the past or present" as it relates to "Understanding human interaction with the environment." Next, students will learn about the journey to statehood, including foreign explorers and settlers.

In 6th grade social studies, we ended the semester having some fun building ancient artifacts and writing a mini research paper. Students were tasked with picking an event or object from one of the civilizations we studied during the semester and then building a replica of that event or object. We had items such as Roman ships, Greek armor, Nile River scenes, the Trojan Horse, and even Mount Vesuvius! After our building project, we wrapped up our studies by writing a paper about Julius Caesar and answering the question whether Caesar was good or bad for the city of Rome. I am sad our semester ended because I had such a great time in our classes together. Most students have moved on to P.E. We wish all our students the best of luck and we want to say thank you to all our students for making the semester a great experience.

If you need to change your student's after-school transportation plan, please contact the main office by the times listed below:

• 1:45 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays

• 12:45 p.m. on ACE days (Wednesdays)

These deadlines allow us adequate time to notify your student before dismissal.

Contact the office:

• 📞 253-583-7205

• 📧 pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us

Please note:

• Transportation changes requested after the deadline cannot be guaranteed to reach your student before the end of the school day.

• Bus passes will not be issued to students at the end of the day.

• 🚫 Please do not email individual staff members regarding attendance, tardies, or other time-sensitive matters. If a staff member is out, your message may go unseen.

To keep our bus zone safe and accessible, this area must remain clear at all times. Parking or playing in the bus zone creates safety concerns and may prevent buses from entering or exiting safely.

Visitors attending athletic events should park in the lot adjacent to the basketball hoops or in the main parking lot at the front of the building.

Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe.

See our school club schedule below:

Tuesdays

• Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) – Room A101 with Mrs. Percefull

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

Thursdays

• Pokémon Go! Club – Room E129 with Mrs. Elshire

• Game Club – Room A202 with Mr. Milton

• Builder's Club - Cafeteria with Mrs. Holyfield

Transportation:

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

⏰ School Start Time & Attendance Reminders ⏰

School begins promptly at 8:10 a.m. Students who arrive at or after 8:10 am must check in at the kiosk to receive a pass to class.

🔹 All tardies and absences require a parent/guardian excuse 🔹

How to Report Absences & Tardies:

✅ Option 1: Call 253-583-7200 and select the attendance option.
If there is no answer, please leave a voicemail. Messages are checked regularly—there is no need to call multiple times.

✅ Option 2: Email pioneermsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us

✅ Option 3: Send a ParentSquare message to the Pioneer Office.

Please include your student's first and last name when reporting an absence or tardy.

🚫 Important Reminder:

Please do not contact individual staff members about attendance, tardies, or other time-sensitive matters, as messages may not be seen if staff are out of the building.

February 16th - President's Day - NO SCHOOL

February 18th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release time

February 25th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release time

March 4th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release time

March 11th - ACE Day - 1:40 pm student release time

March 12th - March Social - 2:45 pm - 4:30 pm - more information to come

March 13th - Teacher Professional Development - NO SCHOOL

See our website for more information: https://pio.steilacoom.k12.wa.us/