Pathfinder Press

Hello Pathfinder Families!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2nd and 3rd grade concerts! Your support means so much to our students and staff.

Next week, we’re excited to celebrate Holiday Spirit Week—check out the flyer below for all the details. Let’s make our last week of 2024 a memorable one! Please note that Friday, December 20 will be a 3-hour early release.

As the temperatures drop, please ensure your children are dressed appropriately for the weather. . There will be outdoor recess unless the "feels like" temperature is at 20 degrees or below.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to a fantastic week ahead!

-Dr. Bohn and Mrs. Miller

Pirates ROCK (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.

December's #PiratesROCK trait is COMPASSION: showing concern through words & actions.

Leader in Me Connections to COMPASSION:

• Habit 4: Think Win-Win - Find ways where everyone can win.
• Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood - Listen first, then talk.
• Habit 6: Synergize - Work together to do better.

Character Strong Connections to COMPASSION:

• Relationship Skills, Social Awareness, Patience, Kindness, Selflessness, Forgiveness

Take a look at what is going on in our Student Leadership Teams!

On December 19, all unclaimed items will begin their new life as charitable donations.

Football For Christmas was created to show the world the positive impact that sports and football can have on our lives. The skills, benefits, teambuilding, and much more are paramount. Sports change lives. Football changes lives. Football for Christmas was started by Coach to be able to provide kids with a football for Christmas. To show and provide that positive support and impact. The Boys to Men SLT at Pathfinder has joined forces with Football for Christmas to help with this project of giving. We are looking for donations of lightly used, or new footballs These footballs will be donated to kids around the area for Christmas. Donations can be dropped off with Mr. Dillon or Mr. Jacob at Pathfinder Elementary. Don't just change Christmas with a football. Change a life.

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!

The PCHS Treasures Dance Team is inviting all boys in grades K-5 to invite their mom (grandma, aunt, guardian, etc.) for the 2024 "Holiday Heroes Themed" Mother & Son Bash on December 13! See flier for details and sign up below.

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).

• December 19- PTA Skate Night. River Roll. 6 pm.
• December 19- Board of Education Meeting. 6:30 pm.
• December 20- 3 hour early release.
• December 23- January 6- No School. Winter Break.

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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Please make sure that your children come to school dressed for the weather – pants, socks, winter coats, hats, gloves when necessary. There will be outdoor recess unless the "feels like" temperature is at 20 degrees or below. During times of year that temperatures can be unpredictable, dressing in layers is preferable.

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!

It is that time of year where students have access to costume-like accessories, which can cause a distraction in the classroom. Please remember to adhere to our school dress code. Thank you for your partnership in maintaining the learning environments at Pathfinder.

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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