Pine Panther Pulse

Hello Pine Families!

There are less than three weeks left in the school year! Though we are down to these last few days, there is still more learning to do. Some students will have another opportunity to demonstrate proficiency on the IREAD exam this week, and others will do so during summer school. ILEARN testing is complete, and scores will be shared after they are released by the Indiana Department of Education. Though we still have a number of field trips and other fun activities scheduled, remind your children that they will still be expected to follow directions, meet expectations, and demonstrate appropriate behaviors each day.

Pine's volleyball team will have two games this week on Monday and Thursday, and our Girls on the Run will have a practice event tomorrow before their culminating run at Valparaiso High School next weekend.

Let's keep reading at home each day, coming to school on time, and showing those Habits of Character. It's the Wolfie Way!

We're looking forward to another great week of learning at Pine!

David A Alvarado

Principal

We need your help! The number of late arriving students has been increasing lately. Doors open at 8:25 and students have until 8:45 to get to class. Let's do a better job of getting to school on time, and being ready to learn! Lost instructional time, plus extra work for office staff to write tardy passes and update attendance on the computers takes away from the learning. When your children are late though, please come in the building to sign them in tardy rather than just dropping them off along the curb. Your help can make the difference!

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Doors open at Pine each morning at 8:25, beginning Oct. 20. Students have until 8:45 to arrive, have breakfast, and wait with their classmates in the gym. Teachers pick up students by 8:35 to head to classrooms. Students arriving after 8:45 are marked tardy. Be sure your children arrive on time!

Late arriving students should be walked into the office by a family member and signed in. Please refrain from dropping tardy students off at the curb without checking them in. Student absences should be called into the office. Students learn most when they are at school each day! Let's work together to have the best attendance possible!

Arrival Procedures

Doors open at Pine at 8:25 AM. Parents dropping off students at school should only use the north parking lot by the Red Pod. PreK families, students requiring special assistance, and families who need to visit the office may park in the south lot by the main entrance. No parents should park along the curb at the main entrance as this area is designated only for school buses. Breakfast is served from 8:25 - 8:45. Students arriving after 8:45 will be marked tardy. Attendance matters!

Dismissal Procedures

The final bell rings at 3:00. Bus riders will be escorted by their teachers to their proper buses. Boys and Girls Club members will report to the cafeteria. Car riders will report to the red pod where staff will organize them per our dismissal procedures. Parents picking up students should join the line around the north parking lot. Please comply with all instructions and expectations while remembering that student safety trumps adult preferences at all times. Parents must communicate any changes in dismissal plans to the office before 2:00 to ensure they are shared with teachers.

All students will have a supervised 15 minute recess each day before lunchtime.

All Pine students are invited to take a school breakfast and school lunch each day at no cost to families. Parents who prefer to send a home lunch with their child are of course welcome to do so.

See the link below for information on our Strategic Plan, the document that sets the purpose and describes our goals for serving our community.

https://www.mcas.k12.in.us/strategicplanning

Talk to your child's teacher about how communication will take place between home and the classroom this year! Whether it be via Class Dojo, email, or some other communication method, when teachers and parents stay in touch and work together, our students benefit the most!

Missed an issue of the Pine Panther Pulse? They're all archived on our website at the link below!

https://pine.educatemc.net/welcome-to-pine/news