PCCS : Pioneer Update 12/3/21

Press release from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools:

12/03/2021 2:00 PM

Pioneer Update 12/3/21

Pioneer Parents,

I can honestly say to you that this week has been one of the most challenging in my career in education. Between COVID, the incident at Oxford High School, and the related potential threats of school violence, the students and staff at Pioneer are feeling overwhelmed. Last evening, I worked with our district safety team to investigate rumors that have been circulating over social media in our community. It is an extremely challenging and time consuming process. While many of the leads we followed were not credible, we are continuing to follow up on concerns to make sure our students and staff are safe. Many of you reached out to me yesterday asking what you could do to help. After careful consideration, here are some ideas:

1. Please make sure you are having conversations with your children about appropriate use of social media. We know that students are active on a variety of apps and websites, but they need to be extremely careful on what they post and what they share. Rumors can spread quickly and cause serious harm. An open and honest conversation about this topic would go a long way. Additionally, this is another reason why we ask students to have their cell phones “away for the day”. It limits their exposure to social media and allows them to focus on their schoolwork. If a student ever needs to contact you, or if you need to contact them, please have that communication take place through the main office.

2. We ask that you speak to your children and urge them to reach out to school officials directly or through the State of Michigan’s Okay2Say tip line at 8-555-OK2SAY or OKAY2SAY@mi.gov if they hear of any potential dangerous actions that may put our school community at harm. We ask students, families, and community members to report all suspicious or threatening activity to law enforcement and/or school/district administration immediately. 

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you for your continued support and patience during this difficult time. I hope that you will all have some time to rest and regroup this weekend and that we have a peaceful two weeks of school before Winter Break.

Sincerely,

Kevin Rhein

NJHS Food Drive:

The National Junior Honor Society annual “Line the Library” food drive was a tremendous success. Thank you all for your generous donations.

Upcoming Dates:

December 20-January 2, 2022 Winter Break

January 3, 2022 Classes Resume

Boys Basketball Tryouts:

Boys' basketball tryouts for 7th & 8th graders will begin on Monday, December 13, 2021 after school in the Pioneer Gym. In order to try out for the team, students must have a physical on file with the office dated after April 15, 2021. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Fenner at Jennifer.Fenner@pccsk12.com

Pioneer Book Fair:

Our Pioneer Middle School Book Fair begins next week and will run from Monday December 6th-Friday December 10th. 

Our Book Fair offers eWallet, a safe and secure alternative to cash. Simply create a free account to add funds and/or invite family and friends to contribute so your child can select their own books. Any unused funds can be spent at The Scholastic Store Online or to fund a future eWallet. We are also doing a coin drive to purchase books for teacher's classroom libraries and for the school library. 

Our Book Fair is having a Family Night on December 9th before the Band Concert. Please come in and shop between 5:00-6:15pm.  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/pioneermiddle 

All students will be visiting during their ELA classes, and they are also able to come during homeroom, recess, and after school. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Mrs. Lalejini at alexa.lalejini@pccsk12.com. Thank you for supporting your students' love of reading! 

District Updates:

• P-CCS will once again be hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic.  This clinic will offer vaccinations for the newly eligible 5–11-year-old population, as well as vaccinations for older individuals.  Here are the details 

Wednesday 12/15/21 from 3 to 7 p.m. - Dose 1

Wednesday 1/5/22 from 3 to 7 p.m. - Dose 2

Canton High School Little Theater (near the front entrance and across from the main office)

Advance registration will be required.  Please click on this link to register:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeQdAZ-_nWabNUn-VHPSoDPJe5NsGKSBAvCHO-YZVy4HHO3w/viewform?usp=sf_link

Boosters are available for adults who have completed their primary series, 6 months or later. Pfizer vaccines are available for ages 5 and up. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available for ages 18 and up. Please bring your completed forms and vaccine cards to the clinic for updates. 

*P-CCS is recommending all students get vaccinated, but it is not mandatory.  Each family should decide if getting vaccinated is right for them and their students.

Beginning Wednesday, December 1, P-CCS secondary (6th through 12th grade) families will have the opportunity to select the learning experience they prefer for their student(s) for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year. This will be the only opportunity to change placement for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year.

This switch will likely change your child’s schedule and teachers.

• Middle school families who want to change from in-person to the Virtual Academy can complete this form: https: Middle School Form. Please complete a form for each student. You will receive a confirmation email after you submit the form.

• High school  families who want to change from in-person to the Virtual Academy can complete this form: High School Form. Please complete a form for each student.  You will receive a confirmation email after you submit the form.

• Middle and high school families that are currently attending the Virtual Academy will receive an e-mail communication with a link from the Virtual Academy coordinator.

• Middle and high school families will have until Friday, December 10 at 11:59 p.m. to make their selection.

• We are asking that ONLY families wishing a change complete the form.

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools is applying to receive Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER III) along with accessing funding made available through an Equalization allocation (referred to as Section 11t Equalization funding). These funds are designated for one-time and/or short-term expenditures to address learning loss and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are seeking input and feedback from district stakeholder groups, including students, families, and staff members, as we develop a plan for the most appropriate use of the funds to support student learning, mitigate the impact of COVID-19, and address the needs of students within the parameters of the grant funds.

Your input is valued greatly. We look forward to sharing more information about these important funding sources, responding to questions you may have, and to hearing your thoughts, ideas and priorities for use of these funds to support student learning. Questions or comments may be directed to Nick Brandon, P-CCS Executive Director of Communications & Marketing, at nicholas.brandon@pccsk12.com.

This form will close on Tuesday, December 7 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools produces a weekly podcast with all the important district information for students, staff and families.  You can view the click  last LPT in 3 podcast for this school year on the district’s official YouTube channel at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-CrQRFRdCw

This press release was produced by Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.