


Pine Panther Pulse
October 6, 2024
This week at Pine...
Hello Pine Families!
This week at Pine, our Scholastic Book Fair will open. Teachers will be taking their classes to have a look, and students who bring money will be allowed to shop as well. See the flyer linked here for more information. The Book Fair will be open this week and next, including on Parent Teacher conference night next Tuesday if you prefer to accompany your child as they shop. All purchases help support our school!
This Wednesday is Picture Day! All Pine students will take pictures for the yearbook whether or not they are planning to make purchases. Families may visit www.inter-state.com and use Event Order Code 87558BF to purchase online.
Looking forward to next week, Tuesday Oct. 15 will be Parent/Teacher conference night, and next Thursday and Friday is Fall Break so all MCAS schools will not be in session.
We're looking forward to another great week of learning at Pine!
David A Alvarado
Principal
ILEARN Checkpoints Family Guidance
Pine is using IDOE Checkpoints in grades 3-6 as a way of monitoring what students know and how prepared they are for the ILEARN assessments in the spring. See the attached family guidance letters attached here for more information.
Third and Sixth Grade Trip to Laporte County Symphony
All 3rd and 6th grade students will attend a field trip to the Laporte County symphony on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Be sure to return the $1 fee to school if you have not yet done so. As a Fine Arts school, Pine provides many opportunities for students to engage in the arts!
New Playground at Pine
Work continues on our new playground and lots of progress has already been made! The "big" playground where our 3rd - 6th graders spend their recess each day is being revamped to provide all new equipment, flooring, and play structures. Please know that there is fencing up to keep children separated from where the installation is taking place, and multiple staff members are monitoring each recess period to ensure students are safe.
Be on time and ready to learn!
Doors open at Pine each morning at 8:15. Students have until 8:45 to arrive, have breakfast, and wait with their classmates in the gym. Teachers pick up students by 8:35 to head to classrooms. Students arriving after 8:45 are marked tardy. Be sure your children arrive on time!
Late arriving students should be walked into the office by a family member and signed in. Please refrain from dropping students off at the curb without checking them in. Student absences should be called into the office. Students learn most when they are at school each day! Let's work together to have the best attendance possible!
Drop-off & Pick-up
Arrival Procedures
Doors open at Pine at 8:15 AM Parents dropping off students at school should only use the north parking lot by the Red Pod. PreK families, students requiring special assistance, and families who need to visit the office may park in the south lot by the main entrance, otherwise this area is designated only for school buses. Breakfast is served from 8:15 - 8:45. Students arriving after 8:45 will be marked tardy. Attendance matters!
Dismissal Procedures
The final bell rings at 3:00. Bus riders will be escorted by their teachers to their proper buses. Boys and Girls Club members will report to the cafeteria. Car riders will report to the red pod where staff will organize them per our dismissal procedures. Parents picking up students should join the line around the north parking lot. Please comply with all instructions and expectations while remembering that student safety trumps adult preferences at all times. Parents must communicate any changes in dismissal plans to the office before 2:00 to ensure they are shared with teachers.
Recess and Lunch
All students will have a supervised 15 minute recess each day before lunchtime.
All Pine students are invited to take a school breakfast and school lunch each day at no cost to families. Parents who prefer to send a home lunch with their child are of course welcome to do so.
MCAS Strategic Plan
See the link below for information on our Strategic Plan, the document that sets the purpose and describes our goals for serving our community.
Keep in Touch!
Talk to your child's teacher about how communication will take place between home and the classroom this year! Whether it be via Class Dojo, email, or some other communication method, when teachers and parents stay in touch and work together, our students benefit the most!