Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope this newsletter finds you well and excited for the start of the first full month of the school year at Pacific Intermediate! We are thrilled with the fantastic energy and dedication that students, parents, and staff have shown during these initial two weeks. Your support truly makes a difference, and we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for being such wonderful partners in education.

**Celebrating a Great Start:**

The first two weeks have been filled with enthusiasm, learning, and connection. Our students have shown incredible adaptability, and it's been a joy to watch them engage with their studies and peers. We appreciate your role in encouraging their success and making their transition back to school smooth and enjoyable.

**Stay Hydrated, Stay Healthy:**

A gentle reminder to please send your child to school with a water bottle each day. Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining focus and energy throughout the day. Having a reusable water bottle will ensure your child has easy access to water and can help them stay refreshed during their learning activities.

**Open Communication with Teachers:**

We believe that communication between parents and teachers is a crucial component of your child's educational journey. If you ever have any questions about what's happening in your child's classroom, please don't hesitate to reach out to their teachers via email. Our dedicated educators are here to support your child's growth, and your involvement is greatly appreciated.

**Engaging in Daily Discussions:**

We encourage you to take a few moments each day to engage in conversations with your child about their experiences at school. Asking open-ended questions about their lessons, projects, and activities can spark meaningful discussions and deepen their understanding of the topics they're learning about. Your involvement in their daily experiences fosters a strong home-school connection.

**Football Season is Starting**

We love seeing our students at the Pacific High School football games, and football season is about to be in full swing with several home games in September. Students must come with and remain seated with their parents or guardians during the game. Students who are dropped off or arrive with older siblings only will be asked to leave.

Thank you once again for your unwavering support and partnership. We look forward to another month of growth, learning, and memorable experiences for our students. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or feedback, please feel free to share them with us.

Here's to a successful and enriching month ahead!

Yours in Education,

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

Happy New School Year! We are so excited to begin 5th grade math with our students. We will begin the year by understanding place values to the billions place. This includes reading, writing, ordering, comparing, and rounding numbers to the billions place. Look for the notes pages in your child's folder to help you be able to help them with homework! Our first week was fun getting to know your kids. Now we are off and running with curriculum and looking forward to a successful year in math!

We will be beginning Elements of a story, writing complete sentences using subjects and predicates, and we will begin Morpheme Magic in week two. We will also be beginning BOY testing as soon as the window opens.

Science:

We will begin our ecosystems unit using our Mystery Science resource. Students will begin to explore and deepen their understanding of how matter and energy flow through different ecosystems. In addition, students will use the scientific process to make observations, ask testable questions, and design fair tests.

History:

Students will begin to study American Government. We will analyze the roles and responsibilities of our local, state, and federal governments. We will then start traveling along the timeline of history post-revolution through the 21st century!

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

Welcome to 6th Grade! We hit the ground running. Most of us have settled into our routines and know what we are doing. Please make sure you are checking Infinite Campus to keep up to date with your child's grades and assignments.

English:

Sixth-grade English students are going to start their survey projects and work on them throughout the month. Students will brainstorm an idea for a useful invention. Then they will write questions to survey their classmates about how to improve the invention. Finally, they will present their results to their classmates. Other daily classwork includes working on our vocabulary units and grammar skills.

Reading:

In 6th-grade reading class, we are enjoying the short story "The Ravine." We are analyzing the plot and various elements of fiction. All of the student's work is completed in the Into Fiction textbook. This textbook will be kept at school.

Math:

6th-grade math is off to a fast start! Your child will be bringing home math homework most nights. Please check the Big Ideas website for any assignments. If your child is having difficulties they may see their teacher in the morning from 7:05 – 7:25. Please make sure your child has plenty of pencils to get them through the month.

Social Studies:

6th grade Social Studies has gotten off to a great year. We are getting right into our first unit about Stone Age mankind, discussing everything from cavemen to the very first farming civilizations. We will be exploring how to design our own villages and understanding how to survive in the ancient world.

Science:

We offer both breakfast and lunch at school everyday! You can find September lunch and breakfast options here:

https://mvr3.nutrislice.com/menu/meramec-valley-middle-school. If you would like to fill out a free/reduced lunch form, please contact the office to have one sent home with your student.

Full Meal Prices:

Elementary Breakfast - $2.10

Elementary Lunch - $3.30

Secondary Breakfast - $2.15

Secondary Lunch - $3.50

Extra Milk - $0.75

Reduced Meal Prices:

Breakfast - $0.30

Lunch - $0.40

Pacific Intermediate students and staff are off to a wonderful start this year. Our returning sixth- graders are enjoying their new freedom of changing classes and having the opportunity to meet more of their classmates. Our fifth-grade students are transitioning well to a new building, starting school earlier and merging with the other four elementary schools. This is the beginning of making new lifetime friends! Teachers are impressed with the students' ability to follow new routines, listening skills and most of all their respect towards each other.

Most of the students we talk to are adjusting to the new year and the new challenges. However, we know some are struggling. If your child is struggling, please let their homeroom teacher and/or us know so we can reach out to discuss how we can help. Sometimes just knowing you can talk to someone regarding an issue will make it seem less overwhelming. As always, parents can also contact us and let us know of any concerns you may have.

This year we are thrilled to have two School Counselors to better serve our students and their families. Jeanne Diamond is the 5th grade School Counselor and Ally Speicher is the 6th grade School Counselor. We will be in your child’s classroom each month to discuss guidance topics such as avoiding peer pressure, staying safe, steps to making effective decisions, making and keeping friends, healthy relationships, conflict resolution, bullying and how students can help decrease bullying. In addition, we will cover respecting each other as individuals and parts of a group, setting goals, careers, identifying emotions, mental health and the importance of reporting suicide ideation.

This month, 5th and 6th graders will receive a lesson on our school's policy on bullying, our expectations to help others when witnessing bullying, and how to report bullying. We want all students to feel valued, safe, and respected. When bystanders become upstanders and help decrease bullying, we all win. This helps us meet our school mission to create an engaging and safe environment, with a welcoming atmosphere, which instills a sense of belonging and a love of learning.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us at Pacific Intermediate. We are looking forward to a great year. Please let us know if we can be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Jeanne M. Diamond

5th Grade Counselor

jdiamond@mvr3.k12.mo.us

636-271-1425 x 3504

Ally Speicher

6th Grade Counselor

aspeicher@mvr3.k12.mo.us

636-271-1425 x3509

The Meramec Valley R-III School District receives federal funds under ESSA Title programs, such as funds for reading specialists, Project Lead the Way supplies, and training for counselors. Below is a link for complaint procedures regarding ESSA programs:

https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/essa-complaint-procedures

Pacific Intermediate

195 N Indian Pride Dr.

Pacific, MO 63069

www.mvr3.k12.mo.us

Phone: 636-271-1425

Fax: 636-271-1465