Knighthawk Family News

Knighthawk Family,

I hope that all of you have had a wonderful start to the 2019-2020 school year. We have tried to live by our motto this year ("Every day is an opportunity"). Our students and staff have started the year off working hard, growing and learning, and having fun.

I would like to thank all of our parents and families for supporting our school in so many ways. It is amazing to see the amount of volunteers at our school each and every day. If it is making copies, running the concession stand, or helping out in the Learning Commons, we can't tell you enough how much we appreciate your support.

Also, if you have not had the opportunity to get involved, we invite you to do so. There are multiple ways you can be an active part of your child's learning. Our PTO is always looking for volunteers to help in a variety of ways. You will also see below how to get involved in our School Improvement Council. If you like to be behind the scenes, then please contact your child's teacher on how you can help with their specific classrooms.

Thank you again for all you do for PKMS!

Grey Young, Principal

Do you want to help our school? If the Answer is “yes”, nominate yourself or someone else for the Pleasant Knoll Middle School Improvement Council!

What is the School Improvement Council (SIC)?

The Pleasant Knoll Middle School Improvement Council will be made up of parents, faculty, and community members. There will be approximately seven appointed or elected parent members on the SIC. The role of the SIC is to:

 Assist with reviewing and writing school accreditation and school improvement plans

 Assist the principal in writing the school narrative for the state report card

 Assist with funding ideas for any state incentive reward funds

 Assist with school budget planning for the next school year

 Serve as a liaison to other members of the community and other parents to share concerns and ideas

 Roundtable discussion for other school ideas, events, etc.

What is the time commitment if I serve on the (SIC)?

The SIC meets for about an hour each month (October- June). Additionally, the SIC might choose to sponsor a school event throughout the school year. SIC members might also be called on by the principal to assist with district-wide events as needed.

I’m already involved with the PTO, can I serve on the SIC?

Absolutely! The SIC and PTO often work hand-in-hand. There is usually an overlap between the two committees.

Please fill out the form below and send it in by September 25, 2019 if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bXsNWTqLAJNOjzrm70Cux1IPhqrBxhwm/view?usp=sharing

6th GRADE - Cori Hustedt - hustedtc@fortmillschools.org

7th GRADE - Daniel McCallum - mccallumd@fortmillschools.org

8th GRADE - Grey Young - youngg@fortmillschools.org

Carol Eaker - eakerc@fortmillschools.org

• All Students (Last Names A-G)

Allison Davis - davisa@fortmillschools.org

• All Students (Last Names H-N)

Margaret Causey - causeym@fortmillschools.org

• All Students (Last Names O-Z)

The Box Tops for Education program is changing the way we can earn cash for our school!

Participating brands have begun to change their packaging from the traditional Box Tops clip to the new Box Tops label.

Going forward, instead of clipping from packages and checking expiration dates, all Box Tops will be earned digitally by scanning your receipt. The Box Tops for Education team has worked hard to build a NEW-and-improved, user-friendly Box Tops mobile app, available now.

The new app features state-of-the-art technology that allows you to scan your store receipt, find participating products and instantly add Box Tops to our school's earnings online.

Be sure to download the new app or update your existing app (available in your favorite app store). Create an account if you don’t already have one, and remember to select Pleasant Knoll Middle School as the school you are supporting.

**Share this information with other family members/friends who would like to support us as well!

If you still have traditional Box Tops clips at home, make sure to send them to school! We will still earn cash for all clipped Box Tops until they expire. Better yet, you can “double dip” during the packaging transition by clipping traditional Box Tops AND scanning your store receipt containing participating products.

Thanks for helping our school get what it needs!

Learn More About These Changes At BTFE.com. Contact PKMS’ Box Tops Coordinator with questions: Dana Teubner, dana.teubner@gmail.com.

Attention 7th Grade Students and Parents,

The 7th Grade Duke TIP Talent Search is open to current seventh grade students who qualify through one of the following three methods:

1. Scoring at or above the 95th percentile on an accepted grade level National Standardized achievement or abilities test.

2. Scoring at or above the 95th percentile on a state assessment.

3. Scoring 125 or above on an accepted IQ test that is no more than two years old.

You must enroll online at www.tip.duke.edu/enroll. Pleasant Knoll Middle School’s registration number is 71477SKF. You can use Duke TIP’s look up tool to find accepted tests, subtests, and scores to see if your student qualifies. Other qualifying tests/subtests may be found at www.tip.duke.edu.

There is a non-refundable enrollment fee of $75.00 (or $30.00 for a student who qualifies for a fee grant.)

Please visit www.tip.duke.edu for a wealth of information on the Duke TIP talent search program.

PKMS Band: Knighthawk Notes

We look forward to a successful, meaningful, challenging, and fun school year! PKMS Band is a great place to learn and enhance your school experience by providing musical memories cherished for a lifetime.

Please “keep an eye” on Parent Portal, Google Classroom, and my teacher webpage for reminders and updates throughout the year. Thanks for supporting our band family as we work hard and have fun this year!

August/September Reminders:

$40 Band Fee (all band students)

Due August 29th (pay online via “Pay Fees”)

Fall Fundraiser

August 27th- September 10th

8th graders can earn money towards their optional, extra-curricular spring trip (incentive)

School Owned Instrument Fee (7th/8th grade)

Due September 5th (pay online via “Pay Fees”)

PKMS School Owned Instrument Pick-Up Night (6th grade)

September 25th

PKMS Band Room

3:30pm-6:30pm (drop-in)

Note: this is ONLY for students playing oboe, bassoon, french horn, euphonium/baritone, & tuba

Roper Music Instrument Purchase/Rental Night (6th grade)

September 26th

PKMS Band Room

3:30pm-6:30pm (drop-in)

Note: this is NOT for students playing: oboe, bassoon, french horn, euphonium/baritone, & tuba

October dates to look ahead:

Fall Fundraiser Pick-up

PKMS Band Room

Date TBA (early October)

Volunteers needed! (Signup genius)

6th grade students START monthly practice logs

2nd nine weeks

8th grade students STOP monthly practice logs

2nd nine weeks

ALL seventh graders are REQIIRED to get the Tdap vaccine to protect them against whooping cough (pertussis). One (1) dose of the Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) administered on or after the 7th birthday is required for all seventh graders. Updated Tdap immunization records must be turned in before September 18.

If you have any questions please contact Nurse Young at 803-835-3734.

Hand Washing

Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to clean hands.

During the month of September, the PKMS BETA Club will be collecting travel sized toiletries to donate to the ROC (Renew Our Community) in Rock Hill. Please bring donations to the front office or Ms. Torrence's room (C202).

PKMS BETA Club Members have a 3 hour service opportunity on Saturday, October 19th beginning at 8:50am with Adopt A Road. Members will meet at Allison Park in Baxter off Sutton Road. If you have questions, please email Ms. Lyons (lyonsa@fortmillschools.org).

There's nothing like getting your yearbook. It's the limited edition collection of our school's stories of the year. Let your student share and relive the big events that will make this year special.

Yearbooks are now on sale for the lowest price of the year, $35.00. ORDER NOW AND SAVE $5.00!! For a limited time add Personalization for $7.00 and get up to 4 FREE ICONS.

Hurry! This Back to School Offer only lasts until September 7, 2018.

Ordering Instructions: Click here to go to the PKMS Jostens Yearbook site. Please enter your student's legal first and last name and what grade they are in. Please email Mrs. Munn (munns@fortmillschools.org) if you have any questions.

All of our Knighthawk readers are excited to begin our One Book One School read aloud, Restart, by Gordon Korman. This story is about a middle school bully, Chase, an 8th grade star football player who suffers amnesia after a bad fall. This accident gives him the opportunity to restart his life even though it is an uphill battle when everyone else still remembers how badly he mistreated them. Chase attempts to rebuild himself based on what his friends and family tell him, but the more he learns about how he treated others, the less he likes the old Chase. This book is told from multiple perspectives which gives readers a thorough, intricate picture of Chase’s influence and impact on everyone around him. We look forward to sharing this story with our students through our read aloud, as it is an irresistible invitation to welcome them into the exciting world of literacy. Through this read aloud, our goal is to serve many instructional purposes—to motivate, encourage, excite, develop comprehension, encourage our students to make connections, build background, and serve as a model of what fluent reading sounds like. By sharing this book with our students we hope to envelope them in a risk-free learning environment that allows them freedom to wonder, question, and discuss this wonderful story of redemption, friendship, kindness, and forgiveness.

We would like to keep all of our parents informed of upcoming events, classroom news, and school news. Please use the PKMS website, http://pkms.fortmillschools.org/. It should be a primary source of communication for our families and Mrs. Munn does an outstanding job of updating it on a regular basis. Please also use our Twitter and Facebook pages for information as well.

Twitter - @PK_Knighthawks

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PKMSKnighthawks/

Email: zeppelink@fortmillschools.org
Website: http://pkms.fortmillschools.org/
Location: 2320 Pleasant Road, Fort Mill, SC, United States
Phone: 803-835-3770
Facebook: facebook.com/PKMSKnighthawks/
Twitter: @PK_Knighthawks