Thursday March 20: Half day of school for students (dismissal at 11:52 AM)

Thursday March 20: Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 PM, 5:00-8:00 PM

Thursday March 20: 1st day of Spring

Friday March 21: No School

Monday March 24: School resumes( students back to school)

Monday March 24: Parent Cafe at PC from 5:30-7:30 PM (Register with this link: bit.ly/3DoehCZ)

Tuesday March 25: Pine Creek Speaker Series: Johnny Garcia at 2:30 PM in the PC library

Wednesday March 26: Half day of school for students (dismissal at 11:52 AM)

Friday April 4- Friday 11 April : Spring break no school

Monday April 14: School resumes students back to school

PC Families,

As we reach the halfway point in March, we also enter one of the most important weeks of the school year—Parent-Teacher Conference Week. At Pine Creek, we believe that a strong partnership between families and teachers is essential to every child's success. When we work together, communicate openly, and support each other, we create the best possible learning experience for our students. Your time, dedication, and involvement in your child’s education make a tremendous impact, and we are grateful for your partnership. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us, celebrate your child’s progress, and set goals for the rest of the school year!

March is Reading Month: March is Reading Month, and we encourage all students to dive into great books, explore new stories, and develop a lifelong love of reading! Our theme for March is Reading Month this year is “Reading is Out of this World.” Please be sure to read each night with your child to help them complete their BINGO boards. Everytime they get a BINGO on their board, they can show their teacher and earn a fun March is Reading Month prize, for a total of 5 awesome prizes!

Parent Teacher Conferences: Spring conferences are this week! We will have conferences on 3/17 from 5:00-8:00 pm and on 3/20 from 1:00-4:00 pm and 5:00-8:00 pm. Students will have a half day of school on Thursday March 20 with dismissal at 11:52 AM. We do not have school on Friday March 21. Please contact your child’s teacher or call our main office if you need help scheduling a parent teacher conference.

Grand Rapids Gold Basketball Game: West Ottawa families can sign up here for FREE tickets (4 tickets per family) to the Saturday March 22 Gold game at noon against the Wisconsin Herd. Additional tickets are $10 each. The discount for the complimentary tickets will be applied at checkout. There will also be transportation to Van Andel for families who need bussing. The bus will depart from the Transportation Department parking lot (294 W. Lakewood Blvd) at 10:30 AM and will return after the game is done.

Lunchroom Superstars Competition: Our Lunchroom Superstars Competition continues! Everyday our food service staff will determine which grade level demonstrated the 3Rs (being respectful, responsible, and ready to eat) the best out of all of our YK-5 grade levels. Our team will keep a visual track as to which grades are earning this top spot each day. The traveling trophy will be given to the grade level who earns the title of “Lunchroom Superstars”. The contest is all about showing respect, responsibility, and teamwork in the lunch line and lunch room!

Half Day: On Wednesday March 26 we will have a half day of school due to teacher professional development. Students are dismissed at 11:52 AM. Please be sure to pick up your students on time as teachers and school staff have professional development that afternoon.

Panther Pathways: Our last and final round of Panther Pathways is starting after spring break. Our 4th and 5th grade students can sign up for Girls Soccer, Flag Football, and Crafts and Connection Club. Permission slips will go home with students this week and are due on Friday March 28. We look forward to a great final session of Pathways offerings for our Pine Creek students!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Rios

riosj@westottawa.net

Azariah Davidson

Lisa showing off her saint Patrick's spirit. Always has a smile! Thank you for all you do!

The Kinderparade is Thursday, May 8th, with NO rain day makeup.

What?

• Elementary Bilingual Family Event with Grammy Award-winning Duo, 123 Andrés!

• Flyer (English & Spanish)

• Feel free to explore some videos by 123 Andrés on YouTube!
• Free food, bilingual t-shirts & swag for sale, & a free concert! *Donations will be welcomed by the PTO of Los Lagos Bilingual Academy to launch this new program.

When?

• Monday, April 21: 5:30-7:30pm

Where?

• North Holland Elementary School (Los Lagos Bilingual Academy) 11946 New Holland St
• Outdoor event: Bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit on!
• In case of rain or unfortunate weather, we will meet at Harbor Lights Middle School Cafeteria

Who?

• All are welcome! We especially invite YK-5 families who want to celebrate bilingualism

Spring is here… I thought! The first week of March we completed our programming fun with the Indi Car robots. The last two weeks all grade levels have continued our programming and exploration of coding concepts online. 3rd-5th were challenged with Code Monkey. Students had to write code to help the monkey grab all his bananas. There were some math components as well. Some levels had students estimate the steps needed, or use a virtual ruler to measure. In harder levels, the ruler also turned into a protractor to show the students the angle that the monkey needed to rotate. Negative numbers were also part of a few levels.

Part of learning to code is also recognizing patterns. One fun game grades 1st-5th explored was PBS kids’ Odd Squad Code Breakers! In this game, students had to find the number pattern and then choose the correct path to break the code. Everyone had a blast trying to get through all 45 levels!

Kinders continued working on their Starfall Reading levels and simpler coding and pattern games.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at johnsond@westottawa.net. Thanks! We are having a great year!

Mr. Johnson

March 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As spring break approaches, we want to take a moment to remind families about the importance of keeping our community healthy and safe. With travel plans underway and people heading to various destinations, we want to highlight the potential risk of measles, a highly contagious viral infection that can be spread through coughing, sneezing, and close contact.

Why Should You Be Concerned About Measles?

Measles can be a serious illness, especially for young children. It can lead to complications such as pneumonia, ear infections, and even encephalitis (brain swelling) in some cases. The infection is still common in many parts of the world, and cases have been reported in various U.S. states.

Measles and Spring Break Travel

Many families travel during spring break, and some popular destinations, both domestic and international, may have outbreaks of measles. If you're planning to travel, especially outside of the U.S., we encourage you to check the health and vaccination guidelines for your destination.

Measles Symptoms to Watch For

• High fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes
• A characteristic red, blotchy rash that usually starts on the face and spreads downward

If your child develops any of these symptoms after travel, please contact your healthcare provider immediately.

What Can You Do to Protect Your Family?

1. Ensure Your Child’s Vaccinations Are Up-to-Date
   The best way to protect your child from measles is by ensuring they are vaccinated. The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is highly effective and is typically given to children in two doses: the first at age 1 and the second at age 4-6. If your child has not received their vaccines or if you have any questions about their vaccination status, please contact your pediatrician.

2. Check Travel Health Advisories
   If you are traveling internationally, be sure to check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for current travel advisories and vaccine recommendations. Certain countries may have higher risks for measles outbreaks.

3. Monitor Your Child’s Health After Travel
   After traveling, be vigilant for any symptoms of illness. If your child develops symptoms of measles, keep them home from school and inform the health office right away.

Helping Prevent the Spread of Measles

If your child is exposed to measles or develops any symptoms, please keep them at home and consult with a healthcare provider. We also recommend practicing good hygiene, such as frequent handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when sick to protect others.

Our goal is to keep all students safe and healthy during this spring break season. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to the health office.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation!

Warm regards,
Lindsey Prentice
School Nurse
Pine Creek Elementary
616-786-1600 ext 3509