What a week it has been! After all the snow days, we’ve loved having our students back, diving into learning, and making the most of our time together. This week was also a Lead Week, where we focused on essential skills and took the time to recognize some outstanding students.

To top it all off, we ended the week with a fun-filled assembly—such a great way to celebrate our students and their hard work!

Looking forward to another great week ahead!

High School Got Characters students announced the current front runners in the Attendance Competition this morning!

Kindergarten- 72%

First Grade- 75%

Second Grade- 83%

Third Grade- 77%

Fourth Grade- 72%

Fifth Grade- 66%

AWESOME JOB 2nd grade!!! Every day you come to school gets your grade closer to winning!

Bus Compass is an innovative system that allows parents/guardian to know when their student’s bus is approaching their stop and provides confirmation when their student gets on or off the bus. It also helps our Transportation Department monitor ridership effectively.

During the 2024-25 school year, the PCR-3 Transportation Department will be rolling out the service in phases.

For elementary students, a blue fob will be placed on their backpacks. Please note that the fob does not track students. Instead, it works with the driver’s close-proximity IR reader to log when a student boards or exits the bus.

To make the most of this service, guardians can download the Bus Compass app from their preferred app store. Through the app, registered parents or guardians can monitor the bus’s progress, including notifications when the bus is two stops or one stop away, as well as updates for drop-offs and pick-ups at school.

Click on the links below for additional information.

• Parent Frequently Asked Questions
• Bus Compass App Information

We are excited to announce yearbook purchasing through PowerSchool! This option is card only.

Hello All!

I am excited to share that Sunday kicks off our Read Across America Week (March 3rd-7th). This week is meant to encourage a love of reading among ALL our students and celebrate reading in all its forms. Throughout the week, we will have dress-up days to encourage excitement and participation surrounding reading. The nationwide goal for this week is to promote cultural awareness, build community, and improve literacy while celebrating all learners.

Thank you for your continued support!

-Ms. Begg

K-8 Summer School Enrollment Now Open via Parent Portal

Parents of existing students currently in grades PreK-7 interested in K-8 Summer School: You can now enroll for 2025 Summer School via the Forms on PowerSchool Parent Portal (via a browser or the app). Please complete by May 9, 2025.

Summer School will be held May 30-June 27 at the following locations. Click here for more information about summer school.

• Barry Elementary: For all K-5th grade southern attendance area students (Pathfinder and Barry Elementaries)
• Compass Elementary: For all K-5th grade northern attendance area students (Compass and Siegrist Elementaries)
• PCMS: For all 6th-8th students, and 9th-12 grade students

*Incoming Kindergarten students can complete summer school enrollment after completing their regular school year enrollment (Kindergarten Kickoffs will be held April 15). New Student Enrollment for 2025-26 school year will be available soon.

**Information about enrolling in the High School summer school program will be available in April.

We’re excited to announce the launch of a Grade Level Attendance Competition! As we’ve seen a decrease in attendance recently due to illnesses and vacations, we want to encourage our students to be present and engaged in school. To make it fun, we’re launching a friendly competition!

Competition Details:

• When: The competition runs from February 18th to March 21st.
• How it works: Each grade level will compete to achieve the highest attendance percentage during this time frame.
• Daily Updates: We’ll be announcing the current grade level percentages daily at 8:50 AM over the intercom.
• Visual Updates: The attendance bulletin board in the cafe will be updated weekly to show the running attendance stats.
• Prize: The grade level with the best attendance percentage will win a pizza party in the cafe during their lunch on March 21st!

Let’s make this a fun and motivating way to improve our attendance! We encourage everyone to stay healthy, show up, and cheer on their grade level!

Thank you for your continued support!

For the safety of all students, parents and guardians must accompany their child to the front office when arriving late. Dropping students off at the front door is a safety concern. If a student arrives without a parent/guardian, we will be reaching out and requesting you return to complete the check-in process.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe!

Mrs. Ambrose

Break out your crazy socks on March 21st as a celebration of World Down Syndrome Day. Also, please see the below flier for the Platte County Down Syndrome Walk that afternoon/evening. It was a great success last year and we're excited it's back this year!

This question will be placed on the April 8, 2025 ballot. If approved by voters, the approximately $62 million bond issue would fund the following projects identified in the District’s Long-Range Facility Plan:

• Completing Phase 2 of rebuilding Platte County High School, creating a consolidated high school building with all classrooms and programs under one roof
• Constructing site amenities at Platte Purchase Middle School activities complex
• Constructing playground facilities at Pathfinder Elementary
• Expanding parking and improving traffic flow and safety at Compass Elementary

For more information, click here, or attend an Informational Meeting:

• Monday, March 3, 2025, 6pm, Platte Purchase Middle School
• Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 6pm, Platte County High School

There is an opening for a lunch clerk at Barry Elementary! This is a two hour position. If you are interested please contact Chelsea Brotherton at brotherc@platteco.k12.mo.us .

Pirates R.O.C.K. (Raising Outstanding Character Kids) is a program designed to surround our families with examples of strong character traits through school experiences, at home, and reinforced in their community. Each month our community focuses on a specific character trait and students are recognized for exhibiting these traits: Self Confidence, Pride, Responsibility, Citizenship, Compassion, Individuality, Self Control, Integrity, Perseverance, Respect, Honesty, and Cooperation.

February's #PiratesROCK trait is SELF CONTROL: displaying your emotions & behaviors in a positive way.

Leader in Me Connection to SELF CONTROL:

• Habit 1: Be Proactive - You are in charge of you.

Celebrating student leadership and recognizing the hard work and impact student leaders have at Barry Elementary is a priority to us. Every month, Barry staff and students take the time to highlight these Quality Students and their contributions to their classroom and our school. Students are selected by their classroom and specials teachers as showing exemplary leadership skills and living the 7 Habits. Each month we have a Lead Week that focuses on a Pirates R.O.C.K. Character Trait and one of the 7 Habits. At the end of this week, the student chosen gets to participate in a celebration surrounding their leadership! They wear their school leadership shirt, receive a badge and certificate, participate in a craft, enjoy a donut breakfast, and are celebrated at an all school assembly. We are so proud of these students and how they represent Barry Elementary!

Please visit our LinkTree for a one stop shop for all current Events and Sign-ups: https://linktr.ee/barryelementarypta

Please put our Barry PTA March events on your schedule next month! We would love to have a full room at our March meeting as we are holding elections for the 2025-2026 Barry PTA Executive Board. We will be posting the prospective board members on our social media page next week. At our March meeting, we also potentially have a District Leader from PCR-3 school district coming to discuss the April ballot question on the Bond Program and how it can impact our school. The Panera Restaurant Night flyer and more info on Apex Fundraising will be provided next week!

If you are needing to make a permanent change please use this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdctgWlI4RRV9QhrVKc2otnqLyVTOsfsbblv-LpDNBayDCNSg/viewform

This is a link to our BNN channel, where students get the daily news and happenings of Barry Elementary! https://www.youtube.com/@BNNBarryNewsNetwork

Please visit our Barry School Store website! If you have any questions, want to volunteer or make a donation, please contact Blaire Zessin or Teddi Weber.

https://sites.google.com/platteco.k12.mo.us/barryelementaryschoolstore

Download the App and scan to help support Barry Elementary!!

https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/

Safety is our District's top priority. PCR-3 has a system of safety and security measures in place, including trained security staff (now at every building following the passage of the Prop C Waiver/Levy Transfer), secure entryways, ongoing monitoring, and partnership with local law enforcement.

We remind parents, staff, and students that school safety is the responsibility of the entire school community. Please follow the principle of "see something, say something." If anyone (student, parent, staff member, community member) sees or hears anything of concern, please contact the District office at (816) 858-5420 so that those concerns can be investigated. You and your child can also easily report tips on bullying, harassment, or any safety issue you're concerned about through our online Safe Schools Alert system. Every tip is immediately logged in the system and our administration is notified so that they can investigate and take appropriate action. Tips may also be submitted anonymously. Each building's website has the Safe Schools icon located within the “quick links” bar on the homepage.

The PCR-3 Treasure Chest is a stocked resource center providing food, milk, and toiletries for PCR-3 students and families in need. Qualifying families will receive a weekly form via email to sign up or can call 816-858-7001 for assistance.

Families will receive an email with approval to come to the Treasure Chest on Wednesdays from 4-6pm at the new Treasure Chest site (south side of Paxton building).

We know parents worry about their child bringing home illnesses from school. While some exposure to germs is unavoidable, there are simple steps you can take to help keep your family healthy!

Daily Healthy Habits

• Hand Washing First Thing! Wash hands when arriving home from school.
• Change Clothes – Put on “home” clothes after school or take a quick shower.
• Shoes & Backpacks Stay Put – Keep them in a designated spot and sanitize frequently.
• Healthy Eating & Hydration – Nutritious meals and plenty of water support a strong immune system.
• Plenty of Sleep – 9-12 hours of sleep per night helps the body fight off illness.
• Fresh Air & Exercise – Daily movement and outdoor play boost immunity.

Cleaning & Hygiene Tips

• Sanitize toothbrushes every 2-3 weeks.
• Replace hand towels weekly to prevent germ buildup.
• Wash bedding once a week for a fresh, clean sleep environment.
• Disinfect high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, and remotes regularly.

Teach Your Child Germ Etiquette

• Cough or sneeze into their elbow or a tissue.
• Keep hands away from their face (especially eyes, nose, and mouth).
• Avoid sharing drinks, food, and personal items with friends.

Easing Anxiety Around Germs

• Stay calm and reassuring. Kids pick up on parental worries!
• Remind them their body is strong. Good habits help their immune system do its job.
• Focus on staying healthy rather than fearing sickness.
• By practicing these simple habits, we can all help keep our children healthy and in school as much as possible!

Make sure your student is prepared for the school year. When kids are covered through MO HealthNet, they’re covered for doctor visits, emergency care, dental care, mental health services, and more! Enroll now at mydss.mo.gov – their health is worth it. For help with application-call 1-800-466-3213.

3:00 PM is the cut off for nurse visits UNLESS THERE IS AN EMERGENCY! This is to ensure all children are with their class and ready to go at dismissal.

• Please only invite your specific children to eat with you.
• Help your children follow the lunchroom expectations the rest of the cafeteria is asked to follow like remaining at the table until their class is dismissed.
• When you have finished your lunchtime, please return to the front office rather than making rounds through the cafeteria to say hello to other students. The other students would love a wave though!

Thank you for wanting to be a part of our school community and we'll see you at lunch!

K-12 Payment Center is now Linq Connect, where parents can deposit money for meal transactions. Parents can access Linq Connect through this link or when signing in to PowerSchool Parent Portal. In addition to allowing for better and faster service to students during meal times at school, the online portion of this system allows guardians to set up scheduled meal deposits or deposits to accounts when falling below a certain amount. A transaction fee will be applied based on the amount of funds added. The Fees are 3.95% of the transaction total with a $2.85 minimum to be paid by the parent/cardholder.

To set up your student's account, you'll need their student ID number, which can be found on your Parent Portal. Parents can still deposit money for meal transactions by sending payment via check or cash to their child's school.

Free and reduced applications from last year expire in October. You need to reapply.

School Messenger is our automated phone calling and text notification system. We use this system to notify parents quickly for sudden changes in schedules due to emergencies, school cancellations, or just important school announcements.

If you aren't receiving the District's text reminders and notifications and would like to opt in to receive these, simply text "YES" to 67587. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Visitors to the building: you will always need to bring your ID with you when you come into the building. We will scan your ID into our safety system Platte County uses to ensure the safety and security of our students.

We ask that students be checked out NO LATER than 3:15. This is helpful as dismissal is our busiest time in the building. This will also ensure our dismissal team has time to be informed of changes. Please note that any check-outs before 3:50 reflect as an early dismissal on your students attendance.

Students are not allowed to order or have deliveries sent to them at school.

All Platte County R-3 athletic event tickets are now digital only. We no longer accept cash as the gate. Fans will purchase tickets online through GoFan or by presenting a card or mobile payment option at the ticket gate. Prices remain the same; a regular season game is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Below is our link to our digital tickets; please share this with any of your friends and family members that plan on attending our events and tell them to purchase tickets in advance to avoid long lines.

Digital Ticket Link:

PCHS Digital Tickets

Please note:

• PCR-3 staff members are admitted free to home and away regular season events by showing their staff ID at the gate. Please have your ID ready to show the gate workers.
• PCHS students and fans aged 55 and older are admitted free with a valid ID to regular season events.
• Everyone (including PCR-3 staff, PCHS students, and senior citizens) must purchase a ticket to any tournament or post season event.

Middle School/Elementary Attendance at PCR-3 Events

All middle school and elementary students (ages 6 and up) must purchase a digital ticket and must be accompanied by a supervising adult to attend PCR-3 athletic events. Middle school and elementary students are not allowed to be dropped off. If they do not have a supervising adult, they will not be allowed to attend.

Live Streaming

Most of our PCHS athletic events will be streamed on PCR3 Activities Youtube. Please share this link with friends and family members who are unable to attend in person.

Regular school day office hours run from 8:15am - 4:15pm.

• Students can enter the building- 8:30 a.m.
• Official start of school- 8:50 a.m.
• Dismissal- Car Riders and Y-Club-3:35 p.m.
• Dismissal-Bus Riders- 3:50 p.m.

Principal: Kacie Ambrose

Email: ambrose.kacie@pcr3schools.org

Assistant Principal: Dr. Mindy Wheeler

Email: wheeler.mindy@pcr3schools.org

Website: https://barry.plattecountyschooldistrict.com/

Location: 2001 Northwest 87th Terrace, Kansas City, MO, USA

Phone: 816-436-9623