Pacific Intermediate Newsletter

Dear Pacific Intermediate Families,

As the leaves change and we move into November, there's a lot of exciting activity and important academic checkpoints happening at Pacific Intermediate! I hope this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying the beautiful fall weather.

The Annual Coin War is Coming!

Get ready to collect those coins—it’s almost time for our annual Pacific Intermediate Coin War! This fun and competitive event is also a heartwarming way for our school to give back to the community.

• When: The Coin War will run from Monday, November 10th through Friday, November 14th.

• What: The money raised from the Coin War goes directly to provide Thanksgiving Meals to local families right here in the Pacific community.

• The Prize: The homerooms with the highest total contributions per student will earn the chance to participate in our highly anticipated annual school dodgeball tournament! This is always a student favorite as it's held in front of the entire student body. Start saving that spare change for a great cause and a great competition!

• The First Trimester ends on Thursday, November 6th. This will be a half-day for students.

• There will be no school on Friday, November 7th, as it is a professional development day for our staff.

A quick and important reminder: As the trimester closes, please check your student's grades regularly. Students who end the trimester with more than two F's may be required to attend summer school. Encourage your student to talk with their teachers about any missing assignments or areas where they need extra support over the next couple of weeks!

Community Support and Resources

At Pacific Intermediate, we believe in supporting our whole community. If your family is in need of resources during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out to our dedicated counselors:

• 5th Grade Counselor: Ms. Diamond

• 6th Grade Counselor: Ms. Speicher

They are here to help connect you with the resources you may need.

Weather Closures and Thanksgiving Break

As we move deeper into the season, please be mindful of the changing weather. In the event of inclement weather, any school closures or late starts will be announced on the school website. Please check there for the most up-to-date information.

Also, please mark your calendars for our major break this month:

• Thanksgiving Break is the week of November 24th. School will be closed for the entire week, from November 24th through November 28th, with classes resuming on Monday, December 1st.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of Pacific Intermediate. We look forward to a fantastic and giving month!

Sincerely,

Matt Agee

Pacific Intermediate Principal

Mr. Crabtree~Math

Mr. Gilcrease~Language Arts & Reading

Mr. Wengler~History & Science

Mrs. Alcorn~Math

Mrs. Strauss~History & Science

Mrs. Tandy~Language Arts & Reading

Ms. Higgins~Math

Mrs. Jackson~ Science & Social Studies

Mrs. Menley~Language Arts & Reading

Language Arts

Students have completed Unit 1 and we have started Unit 2 about Early American Civilizations. Students will be learning about the Maya, Aztec, and Inca. In this unit, students will be learning paraphrasing, finding text evidence, and prefixes. Students will be creating a Codex Project by writing about a specific aspect of each civilization. Look for more information soon. Students will be focusing on action and linking verbs.

Please encourage your student to read independently every night. Make sure it is a book on their level and that they enjoy reading. We appreciate your support at home.

Dear Pacific Intermediate Families,

We are off to a great start this school year. It has been great getting to know our students and building relationships. Transitioning to a new school can be a big adjustment for many students, and it’s completely normal for them to experience challenges along the way. Please know that we are here to support both you and your child throughout this process. Clear communication between home and school is one of the most important ways we can work together to ensure a smooth and successful year. If questions or concerns come up, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.

The Importance of Homework
Homework is an essential part of reinforcing daily learning. It gives students the opportunity to practice skills taught in class and build confidence in their abilities. Homework is also a reflection of responsibility and preparation for class. Please help encourage your child to complete and return homework on time each day. It is important to note that homework is not just “50% of their grade”—it plays a significant role in overall success by supporting mastery of skills and readiness for assessments.

What We’re Learning in Math This Month
In math, our focus for the month will be on whole digit number operations. Students will be learning about:

• Order of operations: Following the order of operations to solve multi-step problems.

• Volume: Finding the volume of cubes and rectangular prisms.

• Polygons: Identifying polygons based on the number of sides.
  
  

We are so grateful for your partnership and support. Together, we can make this a year full of growth, confidence, and success for every child.

Science is working on our Web of Life unit which includes plant parts, producers, consumers, decomposers, omnivores, herbivores, and carnivores as well as food chains and food webs.

History is working on our Civil War Unit

Mr. Effan~Social Studies

Ms. Griffin~Science

Mr. McMahon~English

Mrs. Voss~Math

Mrs. Boling~Social Studies

Ms. Stumborg~English

Mrs. Todahl~Science

Mrs. Weil~ Math

Mr. McMahon

Mrs. Meyers

Ms. Stumborg

Ms. Shearin

English:

English students just finished their first major project and presentation, which used student-created surveys to collect and report information. Currently, students are writing personal narratives about events they experienced in their lives. We will be focusing on sensory details, transition words, and dialogue for this project.

Math:

Math students will be starting Ch. 3: Ratios and will move on to Decimals, Percent's, and Fractions. They have homework every night and should bring it home.

Advanced classes will be starting Ch. 5 Algebraic Expressions and moving to solving one-step equations.

Reading:

In reading class, we are currently working on Unit 6- "Hidden Truths". We have just completed two folktales. During this unit, we focused on plot, theme, and narration. Next, we will be reading a play entitled "Prince and the Pauper." We will also read a couple of nonfiction selections and some poetry.

Science:

In science, we’ve been learning about objects in space, such as stars, moons, and asteroids, and how they fit into the universe. Next, we’ll begin exploring our solar system in more detail. Students will learn about the planets, their order, and the relative distances between them to better understand the scale of our solar system.

Social Studies:

We will be looking at the history of Ancient Egypt, and the major impacts their society had on the ancient world.

Hello Pacific Intermediate families,

Trimester 1 will be ending on Thursday, November 6th, which will be an early release day for students. There will be no school on November 7th due to a professional development day. Most sixth-grade students will start their second exploratory class beginning Trimester 2 on November 10th. The district will email parents on November 13th to notify parents when report cards are available in their Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Hopefully, you and your student will be happy with their grades and hard work. Parent involvement and clear expectations are crucial to achieving higher grades, displaying appropriate behaviors, and establishing good study habits. Working as a team, we can help your student overcome obstacles to success. However, each student must take primary ownership and responsibility for their success or failure.

Last month, character education lessons focused on “Drug Prevention” efforts to recognize and celebrate Red Ribbon Month. Students discussed how drugs prevent us from reaching our goals. In addition, it affects all areas of our lives, such as health, relationships, and school/career goals. We also discussed how drugs can lead to addiction, criminal issues, and loss of life. In support of Red Ribbon week, we celebrated with spirit dress-up days, a student essay/drawing contest, homeroom puzzle pieces and student-developed skits. The celebration ended with a school assembly featuring the Pacific Police Department as a guest speaker, discussing drugs and the dangers. Additionally, students shared essays, artwork, and skits to encourage each other to choose to be drug-free.

As our tradition has been the last several years, we have partnered with local churches, which generously donate gift cards or turkeys to families in need for a “Thanksgiving meal.” If your family is struggling, please contact us and let us know if your family could use a Thanksgiving Basket. To encourage our students to be part of their community and help others, we will be providing an opportunity for students to participate in our “PI Caring Community Change War.” The Change War will take place from November 10th - November 14th. Monetary donations will be used to help us provide each family a complete “Thanksgiving Dinner Basket” to include vegetables, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, fruit, and dessert items. To make things more fun and increase donations, we will have a competition between homeroom classes to raise funds. The top classrooms will receive school recognition along with the opportunity to participate in a dodgeball tournament to become "PI Dodgeball Champions” and play at a school assembly in December. We hope to encourage donations, but still emphasize to students, “Caring means feeling a genuine concern for the well-being of others without expecting something in return. Joy is received in helping others.” Your help in providing change for your child to donate is appreciated.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break. Appreciate what you have, and enjoy your time with family and friends.

Sincerely,

Jeanne M. Diamond

5th Grade Counselor

636-271-1425 x 3504

Allison Speicher

6th Grade Counselor

636-271-1425 x 3509

Pacific Intermediate

195 N Indian Pride Dr.

Pacific, MO 63069

www.mvr3.k12.mo.us

Phone: 636-271-1425

Fax: 636-271-1465