Pacific Intermediate

Pacific Intermediate Families,

The year is rapidly moving forward, and we’ve already made it to October!

Parent Teacher Conference night is Thursday, October 6th. We ask that you have signed up in advance at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44A4A829A4FFC07-parent1

if you need to meet with a teacher. All teachers will be unavailable from 6:15-7:00 for dinner break. If you need help with sign ups, please contact the main office, and the secretaries will be happy to help you.

The homecoming parade will be held Friday, October 7th. School will be dismissed at 12:00 that day. Since the parade will be starting and ending at PI, we will not be bussing students to attend the parade. Please see communication from Dr. Armstrong for further information, or contact the PI office with any questions.

As we approach Halloween, we will allow students to wear their costumes on October 31st with the following guidelines for safety and distractions:

• No blood or gore

• Students may not wear full face masks (COVID covering are acceptable) or face paint

• Students may color or dye their hair

• No weapons

• Costumes should follow the student dress code in regards to covering the body

• If a costume becomes a distraction, a student may be asked to change. We ask all students to follow directives that are given to them by their teachers and the building staff.

Thank you for helping us to continue a great start to the school year!

Yours in Education,

Matt Agee

Pacific Intermediate Principal

Mrs. Alcorn~Math

Mr. Gilcrease~Language Arts & Reading

Mrs. Bielicke~Science & Social Studies

Mrs. Aubuchon~Math

Ms. Shearin~ Language Arts & Reading

Mr. Wengler~Science & Social Studies

Ms. DiBlasi~Math

Mrs. Menley~ Language Arts & Reading

Mrs. Jackson~Science & Social Studies

We will continue multiplying large numbers using the standard algorithm and also introduce division up to 2-digit divisors. We will end the month learning to read, write, and interpret numerical expressions using variables. Parents, thank you for helping your children with their homework!! We appreciate your support in your child's learning. If your child is still unsure of their math facts, that is a great task for your continued support. Find math games, online fact games, flash cards, skip counting, and/or songs to help your child memorize their facts. As we are learning new mathematical procedures and material, some students are struggling with correct fact knowledge and therefore unable to fully focus on the new material of fifth grade.

We have been continuing our work with Parts of Speech and writing in complete sentences. We will soon begin a narrative writing. Students will get to pick from a list of Halloween writing prompts to create their own story. Figurative language has been our focus in reading. Ask your student what the difference is between a simile and a metaphor. Students have also been working on looking back into a text to find text evidence.

Science: Students will continue focusing on our life science unit through the month. They will be able to understand that in ecosystems, matter and energy are transferred from one form to another. Nutrients and living matter are passed from producers (plants) to consumers (animals), then broken down by decomposers. We will continue to use Mystery Science and Project Lead the Way as resources for instruction.

Social Studies: Students will be focusing on our westward expansion unit throughout the month. They will understand how the physical characteristics of land presented many challenges and opportunities to settlers during westward expansion. They will also examine interactions and conflict among different groups of people, mainly Native Americans and settlers during the expansion of The United States.

Dear Parents and Families:

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. This event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. As always, all purchases benefit our school.

Our fall Book Fair will be a familiar, welcome event for our students. Here’s what you need to know about the Fair, which will take place from September 30th-October 7th at Pacific Intermediate. Shopping hours are from 7:30 AM to 2:15 PM. We will be open the night of Parent Teacher Conferences on October 6th from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM. We will be closed from 6:15 PM-7:00 PM for dinner break.

• Our Book Fair offers a cash-free payment option called eWallet. It’s a convenient digital account that your child can use for shopping at our Fair. Grandparents, friends, and others can contribute, too!

• If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop online at our school’s Virtual Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/pacificintermediate.

We’re excited to celebrate our love of books together at the Book Fair. We look forward to seeing your child there!

Happy reading,

Mrs. Henley

Math~ Mrs. Weil

English~ Mrs. Stumborg

Science~ Mrs. Todahl

Social Studies~ Mr. Slaughter

Math~ Mrs. Voss

English~Mrs. Boling

Science~Mrs. Vondera

Social Studies~Mr. Effan

Reading~Mr. McMahon

We hope everything is going well for you and your family. We are off to a great start and the students are settled into their routines. Please make sure you are checking your student's grades and looking for missing assignments in In Tyler SIS. You should expect your child to have homework on a nightly basis. Also, if you are sending an email to us please include your child's first and last name, especially if your last name is different from your child's.

Science: Mrs. Todahl and Mrs. Vondera

We have been working on creating line and bar graphs. We went outside to collect data on temperatures and we are going to take that data and turn it into a graph. Ask your child what lab activities they have enjoyed doing this year. Don't forget that Mrs. Todahl and I have a website that is updated weekly. As always if you need anything please let us know. Happy Fall!

Math: Mrs. Voss and Mrs. Weil

Math students will be learning how to multiply and divide decimals and fractions. This is one of the most difficult chapters of the year. Please make sure your child is doing their homework on a nightly basis.

English: Mrs. Boling and Mrs. Stumborg

Students on both teams are currently working on a survey project. They had to develop an invention and create a survey questionnaire for classmates to complete. We will be using the information they gather, using their surveys, to make an advertisement for their inventions.

Also, please be aware that we have quizzes over vocabulary and grammar concepts covered in class every other week. Your child should be studying for these quizzes using the Quizlet links posted in Canvas or their paper copies of the vocabulary lists.

Social Studies: Mr. Effan and Mr. Slaughter

Social Studies is talking about prehistoric humans and starting to get into our first full-on civilization Mesopotamia.

Reading: Mr. McMahon

We are currently working on our reading unit "Finding Courage". This unit includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and media. The students also have a book report that is due at the end of trimester one. Please check your student's progress in SIS and their daily planner for updated information.

Last month I facilitated a guidance classroom lesson with both 5th and 6th graders focusing on reducing bullying behaviors with inclusion and acceptance of others. In our discussion we reviewed our district policy, effects of bullying, types of bullying and bystander "witness" responsibility. We also spoke about ways to help stop bullying when they see or hear bullying and the power in numbers. Students practiced ways to decrease unacceptable behavior through kindness and inclusion, asking classmates to stop unacceptable behaviors, reporting and the use of our district bullying report form. I encouraged all students to let us know if they are being bullied so we can help resolve any on-going issues. Pacific Intermediate wants all students to feel like they belong and are safe at school. Additionally, 6th grade students were able to participate in a "Kid's Rights - Internet Safety" lesson last month which focused on teaching them to keep safe on and offline. They learned about privacy, digital footprint, and how once things are posted they cannot be taken back.

Since October is Red Ribbon Month, our guidance lesson will focus on the negative consequences drugs can have on your life, ways to avoid peer pressure and make effective decisions to keep students safe. We will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week in many ways including a student art or essay contest: “Why I Elect to Be Drug Free.” Contest winners will be able to read their essays or tips to stay off drugs in the morning announcements. Additionally, students will also be given the opportunity to pledge to be drug free and proudly display their pledge cards to classmates. Finally, we will celebrate Red Ribbon Spirit Dress Up Days, October 25th - 31st. On Halloween, students will be allowed to wear school appropriate Halloween outfits. Please note, students are not allowed to wear face paint or masks at school.

If I can be of assistance to you or your child, please contact me and let me know how I can help. I am looking forward to seeing you at our first Parent Teacher Conference night on October 6th.

Jeanne M. Diamond

PI School Counselor

Pacific Intermediate

195 N Indian Pride Dr.

Pacific, MO 63069

www.mvr3.k12.mo.us

Phone: 636-271-1425

Fax: 636-271-1465