Pacific Intermediate Newsletter

Dear PI Families,

I hope this newsletter finds you and your families in good health and high spirits. It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through our first trimester, and we are so proud of the dedication and hard work our fifth and sixth graders have shown in their studies.

**Early Dismissal on October 13th for Homecoming Parade**

We have an exciting event coming up on October 13th! Our school will dismiss early at 12:00 PM to allow our students and families to attend the Homecoming Parade as well as put those finishing touches on floats. It's a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate school spirit with the parade beginning at 2:30 pm. We hope to see you there, cheering on our school with purple Indian pride!

**Spirit Week - October 9th to 13th**

To gear up for the Homecoming Parade, we are hosting a Spirit Week from October 9th to 13th. It's a chance for our students to show their school spirit by participating in fun dress-up days. Here's the schedule:

- Monday: **Sleeping Beauty PJ Day** - Wear your coziest school appropriate pajamas!

- Tuesday: **Lilo & Stitch Hawaiian Day** - Bring out those Hawaiian shirts and leis!

- Wednesday: **Tweedle Dee Twin Day** - Find a friend and dress up as twins!

- Thursday: **High School Musical Jersey Day** - Sport your favorite sports jersey or team gear.

- Friday: **Colors of the Wind** - Fifth graders wear yellow, and sixth graders wear green to represent their grade pride!

We encourage all students to participate and get creative with their outfits. Let's make this Spirit Week memorable!

**No School on October 16th and 17th**

Please mark your calendars; there will be no school on October 16th (fall break) and 17th (staff meetings). It's a great opportunity for our students to recharge and spend quality time with family and friends.

**The Importance of Good Study Habits and Routines**

As we reach the midpoint of the first trimester, I want to emphasize the importance of establishing good study habits and routines at home. Creating a conducive environment for learning is essential for academic success. Here are a few tips:

- Designate a quiet, well-lit space for homework.

- Set aside a specific time each day for studying and completing assignments.

- Encourage regular reading habits.

- Monitor your child's progress and offer support when needed.

-Communicate with your child’s teachers!

Consistency is key, and your involvement in your child's education plays a crucial role in their academic growth. We appreciate your partnership in fostering a love for learning.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to a fantastic month filled with school spirit, community events, and academic progress. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Wishing you a wonderful October!

Sincerely,

Matt Agee

Pacific Intermediate Principal

Mrs. Jackson~ Math & Science

Mrs. Menley~Language Arts, Reading & History

Mrs. Alcorn~Math

Ms. DiBlasi~History & Science

Ms. Shearin~Language Arts & Reading

Mrs. Aubuchon~Math

Mr. Gilcrease~Language Arts & Reading

Mr. Wengler~History & Science

We just completed our multiplication unit. We will be focusing on division, writing numerical expressions, and order of operations. There are several students who struggled with multiplication for two main reasons: not knowing their basic multiplication facts and difficulty following multistep problems. Continued practice at home on these items will help build their understanding not only of multiplication, but also of division. Thank you for all your support!

As we switch from Elements of a story to Elements of nonfiction, we will begin to look at a variety of different texts and how they can relate and differ from each other. We will continue with suffixes in morpheme magic as we begin to acquire and understand morphemes and lexicons. Students will also begin going through the writing process and developing an understanding of how a Narrative is written.

History: Students have been learning about the branches of American government and American symbols. Next, we will dive into the westward expansion of the United States by learning about our nation after the Revolutionary War era. Specifically, we will focus on Lewis & Clark and the resulting settlers of the West, including their impact on Native Americans.

Mrs. Boling~English

Mr. Effan~Social Studies

Mrs. Vondera~Science

Mrs. Voss~Math

Mrs. Stumborg~English

Mr. Slaughter~Social Studies

Mrs. Todahl~Science

Mrs. Weil~ Math

Mrs. Carrico

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 Infinite Campus. You should expect your child to have homework throughout the week. Also, if you are sending an email to us please include your child's first and last name. This is important especially if your last name is different from your child's. Please let us know if you have any questions. Happy Fall!

Science: Mrs. Todahl and Mrs. Vondera

In science, we have been working on creating line and bar graphs. We will be going outside to collect data on temperatures and students will then take that data and turn it into a graph. Ask your child what lab activities they have enjoyed doing so far this year. Don't forget that Mrs. Todahl and Mrs. Vondera have a website that is updated weekly. As always if you need anything, please let us know.

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

English 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.

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 Blooket links posted in Canvas or their paper copies of the vocabulary lists.

Also, Otoe parents need to know that Mrs. Boling will be leaving for maternity leave after September 29th. Questions and concerns after that date will need to be directed to either Mrs. Boling's substitute teacher-Ms. Emma Nichols, the office or if it is a curriculum question, to Mrs. Stumborg.

Social Studies: Mr. Effan and Mr. Slaughter

Social Studies is stepping out of the Paleolithic and Neolithic Eras and into our first major civilization and empire of Mesopotamia.

Reading: Mrs. Carrico and 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 Infinite Campus and their daily planner for updated information.

Get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is here (YAY!). Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them on their journey to becoming lifelong readers. AND—as always—every purchase at the Fair benefits our school.

Here’s what you need to know about the big event, which will take place from October 2nd - October 6th in the Pacific Intermediate Library!

Say goodbye to cash and hello to eWallet—your child’s digital payment account. Before the Fair, set up eWallet for worry-free, cash-free purchases. Anyone can contribute! Share each child’s eWallet so friends and family can add funds and give your kids more books to enjoy. Cash may still be used at the fair, if you prefer.

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

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping:

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/pacificintermediate

The countdown to more Bookjoy is on! Catch you at the Fair!

Happy reading,

Erlene Tweet

Librarian

Hello families!

We are excited to say we are over a month into school and we are loving it! Students are settled in and are feeling good about the school year. During the month of September we were able to serve many students and families with our counseling services. It is a joy to share in the celebrations and an honor to hear their challenges. Counseling is a balance of both.

In the classrooms last month we learned about bullying prevention. While many of our students feel confident about prevention, there is an ongoing need to remind students about the risks and consequences of bullying behaviors here at Pacific Intermediate. Students should now feel confident about recognizing when bullying is happening, reporting to a trusted adult, and refusing bullying by being kind and inclusive. Parents, we can use your help to connect school and home by making sure to let us know if you hear about bullying. Please let your child know they can report bullying to any trusted adult at school or at home and give them the clear message that it is never okay to bully others. If you have any questions about our bullying prevention lessons, please let us know. Thank you for helping us make our school a safe, respectful, and caring place where everyone can learn.

In October we will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week October 24th - 31st. This year's theme is “Be Kind To Your Mind. Live Drug Free”. The students will be watching videos throughout the week, having discussions, and learning more about making healthy and safe choices. We will be celebrating with many upcoming contests such as student art, essays, skits, videos, door decorating, etc. Contest winners will be announced at our assembly on October 31st with the opportunity to present. 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 the counseling department can be of any assistance to you or your child, please contact us and let us know how we can help.

Best,

Jeanne Diamond 5th Grade Counselor

Ally Speicher 6th Grade Counselor

Pacific Intermediate

195 N Indian Pride Dr.

Pacific, MO 63069

www.mvr3.k12.mo.us

Phone: 636-271-1425

Fax: 636-271-1465