PCMS Weekly Update

We hope you have all had a wonderful week and have been able to enjoy this beautiful spring weather! We’re halfway through April, and the sprint is almost on for the end of May! Hang in there and keep encouraging your kids to do the same! This week, a lot of our Pirates have been taking their Benchmark assessments in their Math and ELA classes - and they're crushing it!! This is a test that all of our kiddos take 3x per year over our most important standards in ELA, Math, and Science. It's the exact same test and it shows us how much they've grown throughout the year on our learning standards. Our early indications are that we're breaking records - super proud of them and their teachers on their progress!

And, as you might have heard from all of the loud thumping music during lunch, we're in the middle of our APEX fundraiser! See below for more info.

Have an amazing weekend, enjoy the summer-like weekend, and GO PIRATES!!

Our Lost & Found made it up to 97 items! We are exploding with lost coats, hoodies and water bottles. Please have your kids retrieve any items that you recognize.

APEX has been bringing the fun to our lunchroom this week with dance parties, push-up contests and fundraising contests. We have 188 students who now qualify for the Color Blast. They only need to raise $30 to qualify! Let's see how many we can get qualified before the event next Thursday, 4/17!

Mrs. Robertson’s 2nd hour were treated to a visit from retired A10 pilot Lt. Col (ret) Dean Gilbert. He shared about his career in the Air Force, showed them materials he used, and answered all their questions. Thanks for giving your time to PCMS!

Mrs. Codding (8th Grade ELA Teacher) has this to share:

"I am proud to share that my students have shown remarkable growth on the recent district benchmark assessment! They've been working hard, and it really showed in their results. Thank you families for the encouragement and support you give at home—it truly makes a difference. Have a wonderful weekend!" Mrs. Codding's students were able to spend some time in the game room today as a reward!

We are incredibly grateful to Judah City Church for their generous donation to help cover overdue school lunch balances for our PCMS families. Their contribution made it possible to pay off the majority of outstanding accounts, bringing relief and encouragement to many in our community. What a true blessing!

Pictured below are Pastor Curt Vignery with Dr. Chris Miller after he gave the $1975.00 check.

Thank you Judah City Church for your tremendous generosity!

Here’s a quick recap of our Pirates in action from this past week.

Swim: On Wednesday, our swimmers had a meet at North Kansas City. Both our boys and girls took 4th in the 200 Medley Relay and in the 200 Yard Relay. Amelia Trainer came away with 2nd in the 100 Yard IM. Way to go Swimmers!

Track: Track had a challenging meet at Kearney on Tuesday. Here are our teams top 3 placements:

Ron Purnell - 1st in 100 Meter Dash

Emmett Hughes - 2nd in 100 Meter Dash, 2nd in 200 Meter Dash & 1st in Triple Jump

Addison Linn - 2nd in 100 Meter Dash, 1st in 200 Meter Dash, & 3rd in Triple Jump

Lincoln Keith - 3rd in 200 Meter Dash & 3rd in High Jump

Benjamin Goodale - 3rd in 400 Meter Dash

Haddon Newsom - 2nd in 1600 Meter Run

Samantha Jones - 1st in 100 Meter Hurdles, 3rd in High Jump, & 1st in Long Jump

Girl's Relay Team - 1st in 4X100 Meter Relay

Girl's Relay Team - 3rd in 4X200 Meter Relay

Girl's Relay Team - 3rd in 4X400 Meter Relay

Boy's Relay Team - 2nd in 4X100 Meter Relay

Chloe Macaluso - 3rd in High Jump

Carlie Callaway - 3rd in Discus

Graysen Smith - 1st in High Jump

Jayden Horn - 1st in Shot Put & 2nd in Discus

Kade Fowler - 3rd in Discus

On Thursday, Platte County held their Invitational here at home. Again we had quite a few of our Middle Schoolers place in the top three, and these participants placed first place: Samantha Jones, Addison Linn, Journey Martin, Haddon Newsome, Emmett Hughes, Graysen Smith, Jayden Horn, and Kade Fowler. Way to go, Track!!!

The CharacterDare is a heart workout, inviting students and adults to practice kindness, patience, and respect with themselves and others. These school-wide challenges encourage staff and students to put character into action, fostering personal growth and positively impacting school culture.

This Week's CharacterDare is: Neighborhood Watch (see below).

Spring Reminder about the Dress Code Policy. As the weather gets nicer, we need to make sure we continue to adhere to our policy.

The Board of Education expects student dress and grooming to be neat, clean, and in good taste so that each student may share in promoting a positive, healthy, and safe atmosphere within the school district.

However, student dress and grooming will be the responsibility of the individual and parents/guardians, within the following guidelines:

Allowed

• Tops: All Shirts(t-shirts, sweaters, tank tops, sweatshirts, etc.) must cover the belly button and cover private parts/undergarments.

• Bottoms: All pants ( jeans, ripped jeans, sweatpants, shorts, skirts, dresses, leggings, yoga pants, etc.) must cover private parts/undergarments.

• Hats and head coverings: If headwear negatively impacts the school environment, teachers and/or administrators will have the right to have students remove them.

• Shoes/sandals- must be worn at all times

Not Allowed

• No sheer or mesh clothing, undershirts/tanks are considered undergarments.

• Any clothing that promotes, displays, or symbolizes statements of hate, discrimination, violence/weapons, illegal activity, profanity, sexual innuendos, alcohol/tobacco/ drugs, weapons, or threatens health and safety

• Wearing or carrying a blanket

If out of the dress code or when, in the judgment of the principal, a student's appearance or mode of dress does not comply with the above criteria, the student may be required to make modifications.

Note: Additional dress guidelines may be imposed upon students participating in certain extracurricular activities.

Each year on the last week of school, we host a FUN day for PCMS 8th Graders to celebrate their achievements in middle school. The PTO provides lunch and dessert, special treats and help offset costs for a class shirt. Every 8th Grader participates and every 8th Grader receives a t-shirt!

We are looking for sponsors to help us provide another great experience for these students. If you business is willing to help please reach out to plattecitymspto@gmail.com.

Thank you in advance!!

Platte County School District, in partnership with The Missouri Department of Conservation, will offer Hunter Education during our Middle School Summer School session. Students will meet with their instructor every day for the duration of summer school. As a reminder, summer school is held during June, with half-day sessions. Students age 11 and above are eligible to participate. For addition questions, please contact Dr. Duff, Director of Secondary Education: duff.aaron@pcr3schools.org

Take Your Child to Work Day is Thursday, April 24. Below is a permission slip that needs to returned to school by Monday, April 21st so the absence for this event can be a verified absence. Please return this completed form to Val Gillilan at gillilan.val@pcr3schools.org and/or Ali Hill at hill.alexandra@pcr3schools.org so student's absence can be recorded as verified for this day.

Last week, we emailed families with UPDATED 2025 MAP Grade Level Assessment Information. The dates for MAP Testing have been revised. Please see below for the new ”at-a-glance” testing schedule for this year. We ask that you make every attempt to ensure your child is present during these testing dates and that he/she is prepared for testing. (Please Note: Students will need to have plug-in earbuds for testing. We have some available for purchase in the office for $1.)

They're creepy and they're kooky... and they're coming to the stage! PCMS & PPMS proudly present The Addams Family Musical! Don't miss this spooktacular middle school production—full of laughs, love, and a little mystery!

• April 16 & 17 | 7 PM
• Wilson Auditorium, PCHS
• Just $5 per ticket, tickets need to be purchased online ahead of time (clink link below)

In conjunction with The Addams Family Musical performances, a Middle School Art Exhibition will be held in the Lobby of the Wilson Performing Arts Center one hour prior to the opening of the musical on both April 16th and 17th.

Tickets can be purchase starting MONDAY, April 14th on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you are using the app on your phone, please select the "More" icon at the bottom of your Dashboard screen. Then you will select the "Forms" icon to find the "PCMS 8th Grade Formal Dance" Form. If you are on a desktop, you will just need to select the "Forms" tab from the Home screen.

While you are filling out the order form online, you will be able to pay the $7 for the dance via debit/credit card.

To purchase tickets at the door, you will need to pay $10 in cash.

• 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 16, 2025.
  • Incoming Kindergarten students will be able to complete summer school registration after they complete regular enrollment. Click here for 2025-26 New Student Enrollment. (Kindergarten Kickoffs will be held April 15 and parents will learn how to enroll your kindergartner in Summer School).
  • High School summer school program enrollment will begin April 14, 2025 via Parent Portal.

Click here for details on high school summer school offerings including traditional courses, credit recovery courses, and driver's education. Sign up via Parent Portal starting April 14.

With the Flu and Cold Season hitting our school in full force, we find ourselves running low on tissues. Having tissues in our classrooms will help to slow down the spread of these viruses. If anyone would be willing to send in donations of tissue boxes, we will gladly accept them.

We are happy to announce that we are again partnering with Miles of Smiles to host in school dental services for students in the Platte County R-3 School District.

Miles of Smiles is a full service dental program that provides FREE comprehensive dental care to those who qualify. Whether you have insurance or not, qualifying children receive comprehensive dental services at no cost. You might be surprised at how flexible the income guidelines actually are. For example, if your annual family income is below $62,000 for a family of 4, your child will qualify for services.

If your child participates in the program, their dental care will be provided on site, in the school, by a Missouri licensed dentist and dental team. These services include, but are not limited to, cleanings, x-rays, fillings, crowns, pulpotomies, and extractions. Miles of Smiles also offers follow-up appointments year-round at their office, Monday through Friday.

The dental clinic will be in our district from May 5th to May 20th. Your student could be seen at any time during that time frame.

For more information about Miles of Smiles and to take advantage of this opportunity, please complete the online registration form below.

The deadline to sign up is May 2, 2025!

If you need a paper copy sent home with your student, please call or email me, and I will be happy to do that for you.

Open to current 8th, 9th, and 10th grade students.

Cheer clinics: 5:30- 7:00 pm, PCHS North gym, May 5-7

Cheer Tryouts: Starting at 3:30pm, PCHS North gym, May 8

We’re going to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden in Summer 2027, and you’re invited!

We’re excited to tell you more about the trip we’re planning with EF Tours, our educational travel partner. Please be sure to register for this info session to be considered for this opportunity: https://rsvp.eftours.com/cxtv4gw

When students travel, they expand their knowledge of the world around them, discover more about themselves, and grow more confident. These skills are critical for creating the global citizens of tomorrow, and we would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

In this info session, we’ll talk about:

• How this opportunity will benefit your student
• What we’ll see and do on our trip
• Everything that’s included in this experience
• How your child can earn academic credit
• How we’re keeping this safe and affordable
• How to enroll on this trip (before it fills up!) during EF’s risk-free enrollment period

There are limited spots on this trip, so we would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

--Daria Opanasenko-Davydova

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.

You're invited to our Community Advisory Meeting on April 21 from 6:00-8:00 PM, starting in the PCHS Cafeteria! All families are welcome to explore a showcase of Real-World Learning experiences across our district, at all grade levels. (You do not have to be a Community Advisory member to attend.)

Students will be stationed throughout the Cafeteria and classroom wing of the PCHS Phase 1 rebuild, sharing their projects and experiences. Families and Community Advisory members can visit with students, learn about their work, and provide feedback. Some stations will offer items for purchase, so be sure to bring your wallet! 💵💳

We look forward to seeing you there!

Get ready for the "Greatest Show" of Character! The Pirates ROCK End-of-Year Celebration and Sharpen the Saw Challenge Course will be at Barry-Platte Park on Friday, May 2. Course is open from 5-7pm, with the character recognition ceremony at 6pm. Pre-register here and see flier for details.

👕 Want a $10 Pirates ROCK race day t-shirt?
👉Complete registration/order by April 16!

Apr 15

• Track Meet @ Paul Kinder Middle School, 4 pm
  

Apr 16

• Gaga Ball Tournament, 3 pm
• Swim Meet @ Platte City YMCA, 4 pm
  
• Track Meet @ Kearney High School - 7th Grade Only, 4 pm
  
• The Adams Family Musical Performance @ PCHS Wilson Auditorium, 7 pm
  

Apr 17

• APEX Color Battle, 1:15 pm
• Track Meet @ South Valley Middle School, 4 pm
• The Adams Family Musical Performance @ PCHS Wilson Auditorium, 7 pm

Apr 24

• Take Your Child to Work Day
• Champs Swim Meet vs North Kansas City @ Platte City YMCA, 4 pm
  
• Home Track Meet @ PCHS, 4 pm
  

Apr 25

• 8th Grade Dance @ PCHS North Gym, 6 pm

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.

April's #PiratesROCK trait is PERSEVERANCE: giving your best effort regardless of obstacles & rejection.

Leader in Me Connections to PERSEVERANCE:

• Habit 1: Be Proactive - You are in charge of you.
• Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind - Know what you want before you do it.
• Habit 4: Think win-win - Find ways where everyone can win.
• Habit 6: Synergize - Work together to do better.

Character Strong Connections to PERSEVERANCE:

• Self-Management, Commitment

Welcome to Platte City Middle School where we are Building Learners of Tomorrow!

Email: tomlinson.kristie@pcr3schools.org
Website: http://www.pcms.plattecountyschooldistrict.com
Location: 900 Pirate Drive, Platte City, MO, 64079
Phone: (816)858-2036
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plattecitymiddleschool/