Pathfinder Press

Hello Pathfinder Families!

We’re off to an exciting start with our APEX fundraiser! We're at a currently at a total pledged amount of $6,646!🎉 The energy is high, the teamwork is strong, and we can’t wait to see our students grow as leaders while helping our school reach its goal. Stay tuned for daily updates and ways to get involved!

📅 Please take a look at the make-up day schedule listed below. Our school year has been extended by 3 days to May 29th.

📢 Important update: Summer school dates have changed! The new dates are June 2-30—please mark your calendars and don't forget to register!

Thank you for your continued support—we couldn't do it without you!

-Dr. Bohn and Mrs. Miller

The Board approved the following make up day plan to address our 10 inclement weather days to date this school year:

• January 7, 8, 9, and 10, and February 5, 2025 - Inclement Weather Virtual Learning Days (do not need to be made up)
• February 12, 2025 - To be made up on Monday, April 14, 2025 (previously a no school day)
• February 13, 2025 - To be made up on Tuesday, May 27, 2025
• February 18, 2025 - To be made up on Wednesday, May 28, 2025
• February 19, 2025 - To be made up on Thursday, May 29, 2025, a 3-hour early release
• February 20, 2025 - The Board has waived this day. With this waived day, PCR-3 would still be at the 169-day calendar required to receive full salary funding from the state.

Please note, with this plan, May 23 will now be a full school day. With this make up plan, we are also shifting Summer School Dates to June 2-30, 2025.

Today was Lead Day! Students gathered in their student leadership teams and participated in an assembly where each team had the opportunity to present. It was a great day of learning, leadership, and teamwork. Ask your student about their favorite part of the day!

Platte County School District is excited to announce that Summer School will be held June 2-30, 2025 (please note updated dates). All Platte County R-3 students are invited to attend and continue to grow as learners throughout the summer! The purpose of PCR-3’s Summer School Program is to provide an experience that is relevant, rigorous, and engaging, based on individual learner needs, in a safe and caring environment. Click here for more information about Summer School at PCR-3.

• 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.
• Incoming Kindergarten students will be able to complete summer school registration after they complete regular 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.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to share updates on our continued implementation of the Bus Compass

service! This innovative system allows you to know when your student’s bus is

approaching your stop and provides confirmation when your student gets on or off the

bus. It also helps our Transportation Department monitor ridership effectively.

Following the successful rollout with all special education routes, we are now expanding

the service to elementary bus riders. Later this school year, we will extend the program

to middle and high school students.

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, you can download the Bus Compass app from your

preferred app store. Through the app, registered parents or guardians can monitor the

bus’s progress, including notifications when the bus is 2 stops or 1 stop away, as well as

updates for drop-offs and pick-ups at school.

Visit www.plattecountyschooldistrict.com/departments/transportation/bus_compass for

more information including FAQs and instructions to begin using the Bus Compass app.

Thank you for your partnership as we work to enhance the safety and convenience of

our transportation services.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions at (816) 858-4820 or

transportation@pcr3schools.org.

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.

March's #PiratesROCK trait is INTEGRITY: having a sincere, honest nature.

Leader in Me connections to INTEGRITY:

• Habit 1: Be Proactive - You are in charge of you.
• Habit 3: Put First Things First - Do the important things first.

Character Strong connections to INTEGRITY:

• Responsible Decision Making, Honesty, Kindness, Respect, Selflessness, Commitment

Our weekly attendance numbers are in, and we’re setting our sights on exceeding the district goal of 90%! Let’s pull together and make sure Pathfinder has the best attendance in the district.

We know you’ve got this, Pirates—let’s show up strong and make it happen!

This question will be placed on the April 8, 2025 ballot. Pending voter approval, this 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, view the video linked below, or attend the next Informational Meeting:

• March 11, 6pm, Platte County High School Cafeteria

Children who have turned five years of age before August 1, 2025, are eligible for kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year. Families are encouraged to view the Attendance area boundary map linked here, or call the District office at 816-858-5420 for confirmation of attendance area.

Kindergarten Kickoffs will be hosted in each elementary on Tuesday, April 15. Incoming Kindergarten families will complete new student enrollment via our online registration process. Stay tuned for our 2025-26 new student registration forms.

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.

APEX is the PTA's largest fundraiser and will kick off next week. More information will be coming soon regarding this fundraiser. The fundraiser ends with a fun run for our students where they see how many laps they can run while raising money so we can pay for every child's field trip, classroom parties, Leadership t-shirts, playground equipment, and many other items. We need help from our parents to mark off laps for each student and to cheer them on! The fun run will take place on Friday, March 14th at the YMCA Challenger fields (park across the street from Barry Elementary).

Get ready for the Spring Fling parties in the Pathfinder Gym! On Friday, March 21st, students can enjoy inflatables and other fun activities during their designated party time. Don't forget to sign up to volunteer for this exciting event!

This spring, the FNA Flag Football League, co-founded by Drew Brees, will be expanding to the Kansas City Northland area. This league is designed for boys and girls from Pre-K through 10th grade and offers a non-contact platform to help kids advance their skills, teamwork, and offseason exercise.

Games will be held at Mark L McHenry Park in the community, making it a convenient and fun way for students to stay active and engaged in youth athletics. The league’s goal is to bring together young athletes in a fun and supportive environment, helping them grow together and progress through the years, ultimately preparing them for future contact football in high school and beyond.

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).

• March 7- End of 3rd Quarter
• March 11- Ballot Issue Info Meeting- PCHS. 6 PM
• March 14- APEX Fun Run
• March 14- Report cards go home
• March 20- Board of Education Meeting. 6:30 PM
• March 24-28- Spring Break
• April 14- School IN SESSION- Make Up Day
• May 2- Pirates ROCK End-of-Year Celebration, 5-7pm, Barry-Platte Park

Click on the image below to access a printable Parent Calendar that includes all of our important dates, our Specials rotation, and upcoming events! We will continue to include this in subsequent issues of the Pathfinder Press at the bottom of each edition.

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Students will be bringing home order forms for this year’s yearbook, so keep an eye out! Each yearbook is $20, and orders are due by March 21—no late orders will be accepted. Don’t miss out on the chance to capture this year’s memories!

Just a friendly reminder that our doors open at 8:30am and car riders are free to exit their cars and enter the building. To ensure the line is running smoothly, please pull down to the joining sidewalk (to the y club entrance) and our staff will help open car doors and greet the students. Thank you for your cooperation with this matter!

Do you have a free day or a few hours to spare? Pathfinder teachers would love to have volunteers in their classroom or helping with extra jobs! These tasks may vary among teachers but some examples are:

• Copying

• Cutting laminate

• Organizing supplies

• Working with a small group or one-on-one (reading, writing, or math help)

• Reading with students

Please reach out to your student’s teacher if you would like to volunteer.

Thank you for your support!

We are on our way to reaching our goal, but we need everyone's help to make sure our teachers get the essential tools they need to help our students succeed.

If your family has not participated, there's still time!

This safe and easy program is 100% online so there is no face-to-face selling, collecting money, or delivering products. Your child will receive a prize just for participating, and more prizes will be awarded when goals are reached. Those prizes are mailed to the school monthly.

Please help now. It really will make a difference.

You can register at www.schoolstore.net using code 361851. They can earn more great prizes when your family and friends help our school raise money, so don't forget to send the filled-out envelope back to school. Thanks for your support.

As we work to ensure a smooth and orderly end to each school day, we kindly ask that there be no student checkouts in the office after 3:25 pm beginning Monday, October 28. During this time, teachers are focused on important end-of-day activities, including helping students pack up, reviewing key information, and closing circles in the classroom. Late checkouts have become disruptive to this process and can also interfere with the flow of the car rider line, making dismissal less efficient for everyone. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a smooth and efficient dismissal process!

Click here for information on school cancellations/modifications due to inclement weather, how the District will notify parents, as well as information on recess, Y Club, and Inclement Weather Virtual Learning Days. For the 2024-25 school year, PCR-3 will implement Inclement Weather Virtual Learning Days for the first five canceled school days. These days will not need to be made up. Any additional canceled school days may be waived, or may need to be made up (added to the academic calendar).

Please refer to the chart below to find your child's lunch time. Make sure to register using the link provided. We kindly ask visitors to arrive a few minutes before the scheduled lunch time and bring a government-issued ID. Visitors will be capped per grade level so please use the sign-up to ensure that there is space available. If you choose to eat school lunch, please be prepared to pay $4.05 via cash or check. Unfortunately, we are unable to charge a student's account for an adult lunch. We appreciate your understanding.

In the next few days, you’ll notice some changes to the car rider dismissal line. Parents will continue to enter through the first entrance, but the line will now split into two lanes in the back before merging back into a single line for pick-up. Check out the graphic below for details.

All transportation changes need to be made by calling the office at 816-436-6670. We will not take your child's word for any transportation change. All changes need to be made prior to 3:00 PM each day.

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. Please be advised that 2023-24 balances will carry over to 24-25.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.

The Platte County Health Department distributes food every 2nd Thursday of the month from 1-2:30 pm.

The Before and After School Program available to families in the Platte County R-3 School District is Y Club. With Y Club before and after school, children in kindergarten through 5th grade will benefit from homework enrichment, physical activity, and small and large group activities with a focus on building community, youth voice, and leadership. Full-time and part-time Y Club is available at each of our elementary buildings (Barry, Compass, Pathfinder, and Siegrist), along with Y Club on days when school is out of session for inclement weather, seasonal breaks, and other days off (enrollment permitting). Operating hours are each weekday from 6:30 a.m. until school begins, and again after school until 6:00 p.m. Registration is now open.

If you have any questions about the Y Club program, please contact YMCA at (816) 360-3390.

We want families to stay connected to all Pathfinder information. In addition, we invite you to visit our social media and platforms below.

• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Visit our Website

You can always pick up the phone and give us a call anytime. The school number is 816.436.6670. If you have a specific question for administration, please email us at bohn.anna@pcr3schools.org (Dr. Anna Bohn, Principal) or miller.emily@pcr3schools.org (Mrs. Emily Miller, Assistant Principal).

• If you haven't already, please sign up for the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Parent Portal allows parents access to class schedules, attendance, homework, grades, and will have links to meal payments and fees.
  
• Parents should receive their initial Parent Portal Access ID and Password (for each student) during registration or by calling your child's school." to "New families should receive their Parent Portal Access ID and Password (for each student) at back to school nights or by calling your child's school. If any returning families have not set up Parent Portal, please contact the school.
  
• Click here to create an account and login.
  
• Students will be able to login to Student Portal using their school email address and password.
  
• Click here for a Guide to Parent Portal.

A district communication medium is our School Messenger system that we use for phone calls and text notifications. As with any school district, PCR-3 must often contact hundreds of parents quickly for sudden changes in schedules due to emergencies, cancellation, or just important announcements.

If you have provided a cell phone number, parents can opt in to receive text alerts and messages. Simply text "YES" to 67587 (standard text messaging fees apply).

Email: bohn.anna@pcr3schools.org
Website: https://pathfinder.plattecountyschooldistrict.com/
Location: 1951 NW 87th Terrace, KCMO, MO, United States
Phone: 816-436-6670
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pathfinderelementary/
Twitter: @pathfinderelem

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