PCCS : Pioneer Update 9-24-21

Press release from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools:

09/24/2021 1:30 PM

Pioneer Update  9/24/21

Upcoming Dates:

Thursday, September 30, 2021 Pioneer Virtual Open House 6:00-7:30 PM

Friday, October 8, 2021 No School for students- P-CCS Professional Development

Friday, October 15, 2021 School Picture Retake Day

Monday, October 18, 2021 Pioneer Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences 4:15-7:30 PM

Monday, October 25, 2021 Pioneer Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences 4:15-7:30 PM

Tuesday, November 2, 2021 No School for students- P-CCS Professional Development

Pioneer Virtual Open House:

This year all P-CCS Middle Schools will be hosting virtual Open House/Curriculum Nights . These will take place on Thursday, September 30, 2021 from 6:00-7:30 PM. Parents will have the opportunity to meet all their student’s teachers via Zoom. We will be sending step-by-step instructions during the week of September 27th with directions on how to access all your student’s classes and teachers. Please stay tuned for more details.

Pioneer Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences:

Pioneer Middle School will be hosting virtual Parent Teacher Conferences on Monday, October 18, 2021 and Monday, October 25, 2021 from 4:15-7:30 PM. Parents will be able to sign up for a scheduled conference with teachers via Zoom. We will be sending step-by-step instructions during the week of October 4th on how to schedule a conference with a teacher. 

Masks:

Masks are required to be worn by all students, staff, and visitors in P-CCS each school day and on the bus.  Masks need to cover both the mouth and nose of the individual. Students will be allowed to remove their masks while they are outside (recess, mask breaks, outside class activities, and during lunch). If a student chooses to wear a cloth mask, please make sure they are being washed consistently. If a student needs a mask, we will provide one.

National Junior Honor Society:

Interested in joining the National Junior Honor Society? Any interested 7th or 8th grade student, with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, can apply by filling out this google form. The NJHS application window is September 27-October 4th. The deadline for applications is October 4th. No applications will be accepted late!

Current and future NJHS members- Here is the calendar for this year NJHS. Please review the dates and events for the upcoming year.

NWEA Testing:

All Pioneer students will be participating in NWEA testing on the following dates:

Math: October 5, 6, 7       Reading: October 12, 13, 14

Math testing will take place in students’ math classes and the Reading test will take place in students’ ELA classes. Please try not to schedule appointments for your child on these dates.

Students will need to bring a fully-charged Chromebook or personal laptop/device for testing. 

Chromebook Distribution:

In order to be eligible to receive a district-provided Chromebook, students and their families must have completed the following steps:

1. reviewed and completed the online Chromebook/iPad Take-Home Participation Agreement (it was one of the Back-to-School Check-In forms in Mistar Parent Connection), 

1. met a liability requirement (non-refundable insurance premium OR refundable deposit),

If you have not completed the following steps, your student will have to wait until Make-Up Distribution Day on Tuesday, September 28th to get a Chromebook. No exceptions. For more information, please email pioneer.technology@pccsk12.com. Due to short staffing, we do not have time to confirm in advance if your student is eligible. If you completed all of the steps as directed, your students will receive a device. Thank you.

Water Bottles:

We are finding that many students do not have refillable water bottles throughout the day. Since the mouth pieces to our drinking fountains have to remain off, we have installed three water bottle filling stations in the building. Please remind your student to bring a refillable water bottle each day so they can stay hydrated.

Positivity Project:

As part of the Positivity Project, each week at Pioneer we will be working with students on developing positive character traits during Homeroom. Next week we will be focusing on Teamwork. Please see the attached Character Card for more information. 

Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures:

If you are planning on dropping off and/or picking up your student from school each day please be prepared for some traffic congestion. All students who are being dropped off need to enter the building at the Event Entrance (Door 5) each morning (doors open at 7:45 AM). Please do not drop off your student at the Main Office (Door 1) because we need to keep the front driveway clear for the buses. We will have teachers in the parking lot directing traffic. The bus loop on the west side of the building is for buses only, so please do not enter that area. Lastly, please do not drop off/pick up your students on Rockledge Drive (the street behind Pioneer). This is creating a safety issue.

District Updates:

As of this week Durham School Services, which provides transportation for P-CCS, is  still short approximately 17 school bus drivers, including 10 general education routes and no substitutes to cover for illness or vacancies.   This is a national, state and local issue in the industry.   Durham will do its best to cover all home to school and school to home routes, which impact P-CEP, several middle schools and several elementary schools.   Your patience is appreciated and as soon as new bus drivers receive their full credentials,  we will revise the routing. CLICK HERE for the official posting on the district website.

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=z-5h-99tXYs

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