TOMAHAWK TRIBUNE

The Board of Education meets on the third Wednesday of each month. To view board agendas and all supporting documents use the attached link.

https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=157

The Board of Education will have two open seats for the April 2022 ballot. Incumbents, Tim Richardson and Louis Vondera's term will expire in May of 2022. These positions are three-year terms that will expire April of 2025. Filing will begin on December 7, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. and will continue during the district’s regular business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Except for the first and last day of filing with the hours being 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Filing will not occur on days that the school district’s Administrative Central Office is closed due to inclement weather, Holiday breaks or in the event of closure due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Administrative Central Office is located at 126 North Payne Street in Pacific.

Candidates must personally sign the declaration of candidacy and other documents necessary for filing that requires a signature, and the signatures must be notarized. A candidate's completed declaration of candidacy and other necessary documents must be received by the district during the official candidate filing period in order for the candidate to appear on the ballot. Interested candidates may contact Stephanie Schomber at 636-271-1400 to register. Use the attached link to find the School Board Member requirements: https://www.mvr3.k12.mo.us/page/board-of-education

The Board of Education office will be closed for the Christmas Holiday on Thursday, December 23 through Monday, December 27th. The office will be open for the last date of filing for candidacy on Tuesday, December 28th from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

• The Coleman, Robertsville, and Truman playground projects are underway with concrete poured, most equipment in place, and the rubberized surface being installed. Equipment is starting to arrive in the District for the Nike and Zitzman playgrounds with new surfaces being set by the end of the month. Ribbon cutting ceremonies will be scheduled for the opening of each playground once they are complete.
• The Pacific Intermediate office renovation is nearing completion. Guests will continue to use the original main entrance until the ADA ramp to the new entrance is completed in February.
  

• Seven of the nine new buses are in the state of Missouri with the delivery of the seven buses to take place before the end of the trimester.

The MVR-III Safe Return to School Plan and quarantine requirements are based on current Franklin County Health Department (FCHD) guidelines. Updated FCHD quarantine options are below.

1. 14-day Quarantine - Quarantine at home for a full 14 days from the date of last exposure to the positive case. Return on day 15.
2. 10-day Quarantine - Quarantine at home for a full 10 days from the date of last exposure to the positive case. May return to school on day 11, but will need to be watched closely for any symptoms, and wear a mask at school through day 14. If symptoms arise, stay home and arrange to get tested for COVID-19.
3. 7-day Quarantine - Quarantine at home for a full 7 days from the date of last exposure to the positive case. May return to school on day 8, as long as they have proof of a negative COVID-19 test dated day 5 or later. Will also need to be watched closely for any symptoms, and wear a mask at school through day 14. If symptoms arise, stay home and arrange to get tested for COVID-19.
4. Modified Quarantine - Only applies to exposures in school where both the positive case and close contact are properly masked. Students who are eligible for a modified quarantine are only allowed to attend school, must quarantine at home at all other times, and are not eligible to participate in extracurricular activities during modified quarantine.
5. Test to Stay - Quarantine outside of school, but would be allowed to stay in school and participate in extracurricular activities under specific testing and masking protocols. Consent for testing is required.

(**Test to Stay option is not available for household exposures.**)

Additional items for consideration may be found in the MVR-III Safe Return to School Plan using the following link: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1559711/Safe_Return_-_COVID_Plan_Sept._16__2021___1_.pdf

MVR-III teachers are lifelong learners who are continuously developing new skills and strategies to create engaging, meaningful lessons for our students. Teachers participated in a 16 hour training to earn their certification in Project Lead The Way (PLTW). Project Lead The Way is a STEM initiative that teaches students how to explore nature, engage in learning that feels like play, and encourages children to keep discovering - now and for years to come. These lessons engage students in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science.

Photos courtesy of Christine Pruett, Elementary Instructional Coach.

Pictured above from left to right. Far Left: Colton Henley and Debbie Dunn. Middle: Colton Henley, Jamie Harris, and Christina Oskins. Far Right: Christina Oskins and Bergandi McElwain.

Pacific High School will open their doors to Cara Filler in honor of Red Ribbon Week. Cara is a Motivational Youth Speaker that has reached over 2 million students and received hundreds of standing ovations. The program will highlight the "Power of Choice." She will share her powerful message and deliver an eye-opening presentation on traffic safety, risk-taking, and peer pressure. Cara believes that everything in life is a little funny, and when you care more for others, speak up for yourself and for what you believe in, you will stand out from the crowd. The Power of Choice presentation is scheduled for October 28th.

Field Trip to the Farm

Third generation farmer, Harry Engelhart, shared his passion of farming with a group of Pacific High School students. Engelhart gave the students a tour of the farm and showed the students how to pick pumpkins. Families can find the Engelhart Farm at 2940 West Osage in Pacific.

Fall Musical

Honk! the musical is coming to Pacific High School. Theater students will perform their first show FREE of charge for area senior citizens on Tuesday, October 26th at 4 p.m. in the PHS Auditorium. Regular show times are Thursday through Saturday, October 28-30th at 7 p.m. with the final public showing on Sunday, October 31st at 3 p.m. Tickets may be purchased through the BOOKTIX Website: https://phsmo.booktix.com. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Riverbend staff is busy planning activities for students and community members. Up first is Red Ribbon Week October 25th-29th to promote a drug free lifestyle. Please see the list of spirit days above and encourage your student to join in on the fun.

On November 11th, the staff and students will host a Veteran’s Day drive-through parade. Riverbend students and faculty will be lining the school parking lot with messages of appreciation for all of our honored military veterans. The middle school band will be playing as the parade travels through the lot. All veterans are invited to take part in the celebration in honor of their service to our country. Contact the Riverbend Main Office at (636) 271-1481 for details.

Pacific Intermediate students are excited to have the opportunity to participate in Club Days. The last Friday of the month, students have the option to join a club sponsored by a teacher or staff member. Clubs give students an opportunity to meet new students and teachers, as well as exploring new hobbies and interests. Fifth grade students are given the choice to pick their top 3 clubs, which they visit on a rotating schedule. Sixth graders are able join as many clubs as they have time for during Club Day. Some clubs sponsored are: the vibe tribe, games, yoga, green team (recycling), yearbook, Dungeons and Dragons, and craft club.

The third week of October is Digital Citizenship Week around the globe. What is Digital Citizenship? Digital citizenship is behaving responsibly and appropriately when utilizing technology—especially the internet. It involves morals, digital literacy, online safety, speaking up against cyberbullying, protecting privacy, good manners, respecting copyright laws, and more. Good digital citizenship also helps students understand the importance of balancing technology use with other non-digital activities. To help students learn more about digital citizenship, FBI Agent William Shink presented internet safety tips to students at Pacific Intermediate and Riverbend Middle School.

Tips for Internet Safety at Home

• Create Internet boundaries at home

• Discuss when and how long it is acceptable for your child to use the Internet

• Discuss how to behave towards others when gaming, chatting, e-mailing, or when using social media

• Encourage your child to be careful when disclosing personal information

• Talk about the risks associated with meeting online “friends” in person

• Discuss the consequences for bad behavior on the Internet

The Blessing Box outside of Coleman Elementary was recently stocked with nonperishable food items. Thanks to Daddy O's Cheesesteaks for matching the proceeds of an area raffle to fill the Blessing Box. Since 2019, many families in the Gray Summit and Villa Ridge areas have come to rely on the items found in the box. Three former students, Mardi Fievet, Jenna Adair and Maygen Adair gifted the Blessing Box as a Girl Scout Silver Award project. Coleman appreciates these Difference Makers for supporting the community.

On March 22, 1915, the 48th General Assembly set aside the first Monday in October each year as "Missouri Day," due to the efforts of Mrs. Anna Brosius Korn, a native Missourian.

In 1969, the 75th General Assembly changed the date to the Third Wednesday in October. Missouri Day is a time for schools to honor the state and for the people of the state to celebrate the history of the state.

For over 20 years, Nike Elementary has hosted Missouri Day, a day to celebrate and embrace all things Missouri. Nike transforms into a place when things weren't so modern, and things were done the old-fashioned way. This year, students embarked on a day filled with learning about bees, Missouri mules, playing simple "non electronic" games like ring toss and sack races. They enjoyed eating kettle corn, learning about the history of the Pacific Fire Department and explored a firetruck. Volunteers showed students how to make quilts and explored antique toys. It was a beautiful day to take a step back in time. Collaborators for this year's Missouri Day included Pacific Fire Department, Melissa Sostman, Shaw Nature Reserve, Robertsville State Park, Jesse Shoemaker, Wayne Winchester and The Kettle Korner.

Scientists and writers have been hard at work at Robertsville Elementary. Students in second grade completed the stages of the writing process and published their first narrative pieces. The writers finalized their writing project by using their presentation skills to share their work with their peers.

How strong is your magnet? Third grade scientists explored with magnets to understand the forces that occur on earth which cannot be seen. The learning objective was to understand that objects, such as the earth or electrically charged objects, can pull on other objects.

Students and teachers are on schedule with their learning objectives as they focus on the end of first trimester. Kindergarten students are learning outside when the weather is nice to identify leaf features and working on their motor skills. Writing has been a focus for first and second grade students this trimester.

Teachers are observing their students work hard and meet their learning targets. Dr. Sladek said, "Truman staff are balancing the learning curriculum while creating an awesome environment for students to learn and grow."

Yoga Kids is now a featured activity at Zitzman. Students meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning with their Yoga Instructor, Jerri Anding. Thirty-three students ranging in ages from Kindergarten-4th grade enjoy their morning mindfulness sessions. Anding has a second session starting after Winter Break to allow a new group of students to attend Yoga Kids.

The program focusses on yoga poses, stretching, breathing, and mindfulness. Anding says, "It is a great way to start the day and prepare the mind and body for learning."

Please complete this registration form below if you are interested in your child participating in the Little League Basketball Program. Form link here: https://forms.gle/9WU7EGym6JFyTxmQ6

Girls and boys in grades 1st through 4th grade from our elementary buildings are eligible to participate.

All games will be played on Saturdays at Riverbend School (2085 Highway N in Pacific).
Student participation will determine program organization and scheduling of games.

1ST AND 2ND GRADE STUDENTS:
Students in 1st and 2nd grades will form teams to compete against each other.
The basketball season for 1st and 2nd grade will start in January after Winter Break and conclude in February.

3RD AND 4TH GRADE STUDENTS:
Students in 3rd and 4th grades will form teams to compete against each other.
The basketball season for 3rd and 4th grades will start in late February and finish in March.

Registration is open now through December 1st.
There will be a $25.00 fee due once registration is complete. Cash will be accepted or checks/money orders can be made out to "Pacific Little League Basketball". Please send money to the school office in which your child attends. Please make sure your envelope is labeled LITTLE LEAGUE BASEKETBALL ATTENTION: GILCREASE.

Any questions or concerns can be directed to Phil Gilcrease at 636-393-9155 or pgilcrease@mvr3.k12.mo.us

Oct. 25-29- Red Ribbon Week

Nov. 1st- No School/Professional Development Day

Nov. 8th- Parents as Teachers Day

Nov. 11th- Veterans Day

Nov. 12th- End of First Trimester

Nov. 13th- World Kindness Day

Nov. 17th- Education Support Professionals Day

Nov. 18th- Substitute Educator Appreciation Day

Nov. 22nd-26th- No School/Thanksgiving Break

Dr. Ketina Armstrong

Director of Communications

Email: karmstrong@mvr3.k12.mo.us
Website: www.mvr3.k12.mo.us
Location: 126 North Payne Street, Pacific, MO, USA
Phone: 636-271-1400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mvr3.socs.net/
Twitter: @DistrictMVR3