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Mars Area Primary Center Newsletter
April 2024
Celebrate National Library Week April 2-5
National Autism Awareness Day
K-6 Theme Days
Tuesday, April 2-Wear tie-dye, neon, or a shirt with your favorite character on it!
Wednesday, April 3- Wear Mars spirit wear, Mars colors, or your #bethekindkidshirt!
Thursday, April 4-Wear a shirt that highlights your favorite nonfiction topic to read about!
Friday, April 5- Wear pajamas and bring a stuffed animal to read with!
Spring Picture Day
Lifetouch will be at the PC on April 3 to take spring pictures. Spring pictures will not be included in the yearbook.
Remote Learning Day- April 8, 2024
Monday, April 8, Mars Area School District will hold a Remote Learning Day with instruction ending at 2 p.m. In addition, all evening activities will be cancelled.
Note: Given the early dismissal time, the Remote Learning Day on Monday, April 8, will run on a regular school schedule. The day will NOT run on a two-hour delay with modified kindergarten schedule, as with a typical Remote Learning Day. In addition, with instruction ending at 2 p.m.
AM Kindergarten: 9:00-11:40 AM
PM Kindergarten: 12:45-2:00 PM
Our District has made this decision to hold a Remote Learning Day to address some safety-related concerns surrounding the total solar eclipse that will be occurring between 2 and 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 8, and to provide students and their families with an opportunity to experience this rare celestial event together in the afternoon hours.
The District is excited to announce that Mars Robotics Association has generously donated 2,300 eclipse glasses, which will be sent home with our elementary students (Grades K-6) in the days prior to the eclipse. We truly appreciate Mars Robotics Association’s thoughtful contribution.
When viewing the eclipse, please be reminded of the following safety tips:
- Never look directly at the sun without proper eye protection. Use solar viewing glasses, a handheld viewfinder, a pinhole projector, or other optical device designed for sun observation.
- Do not look at the sun through sunglasses; unprotected cameras, binoculars or telescopes; or any other optical device, while using eclipse glasses or a handheld viewfinder. Concentrated solar rays can damage the filter and cause serious eye injury.
- The only time it is safe to view an eclipse with the naked eye is during the brief total phase when the sun's face is completely obscured by the moon. Otherwise, use protective eyewear at all times.
- Supervise children closely and ensure they understand the dangers of unprotected eclipse viewing.
Additional safety guidelines are available at https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety/.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation and we hope you have an educational experience while also staying safe during this extraordinary solar eclipse event.
Report Cards
First Grade Report Cards- for the 3rd 9 weeks will be posted online through the District’s Skyward website on April 8, 2024.
***Kindergarten does not receive a report card for the first and third nine weeks. Kindergarten students will receive a report card at the end of the first semester and at the end of the year. ***
Book Fair
The PC Spring Book Fair will be held April 15-19, 2024. Parents wishing to shop with their child’s class, must signup & have their driver’s license scanned in advance. The book fair will also be open during the evening of Open House, April 18, 2024.
Open House
American Heart Association
Awesome, Job!
Our school community had another amazing year for this year’s Kid’s Heart Challenge event! The PC raised $15,000 for the AHA! Thank you all so much for your generosity! Thank you for being heart healthy, raising awareness, and helping kids with special hearts! The Primary Center also completed the Principal Challenge this year! Congratulations to Mrs. Duff's AM Kindergarten Class and Mrs. Rios's First Grade Class who will get to “Silly String Mrs. Semler” sometime in May! Way to go!
PC's 16th Annual Diaper Drive
Stuff the Bus!
Collecting New Diapers to be donated to the Lighthouse Foundation April 15-19, 2024. We will stuff the bus on Friday, April 19th. Please Donate & Join in the Fun! Thank you in advance for your support!
Reading Rockets
Today a reader…Tomorrow a leader! Reading Rockets after school program for 1st graders only for the Spring Session began on January 29th and will meet every Monday from January 29th through April 29th when school is in session. Students will meet from 3:50-5:00. Information has been sent out and registration has been completed. If any parent decides at any time to register their child, please contact the PC as spaces are still available.
No Reading Rockets: April 1-Spring Break
April 8- Remote Learning Day
Please remember to send in the permission slip if your child is attending or not. Circle Yes or No. Also, please provide a snack for your child to enjoy after school.
PTO Sponsored Field Trips
This year, kindergarten students will have their "field trip" at the Mars Area Primary Center. Outside of the Box Labs will be visiting the Primary Center on May 2 & 3 to present hands-on science instruction to our kindergarten students. Kindergarteners will have the opportunity to rotate through 3 different themed stations with their class to participate in STEM activities.
May 2: Mrs. Duff, Mrs. King & Mrs. Nusser
May 3: Mrs. Detore (Wahl), Mrs. Lumpp & Mr. Richards
First grade classes will be visiting Keysone Safari.
Tuesday, May 14: Raible, Rhea & Rios
Wednesday, May 15: Davis, Diani, Shine & Shuck
Thursday, May 16: Fox, Huggins, McElheny & McKee
Incoming Kindergarten Important Dates for the 2024-2025 School Year
April 26: Watermelon Welcome
May 10: Pre-kindergarten Assessments
First Grade Picnics
First Grade Picnic Schedule
When: May 20-22, 2024 (Rain or Shine)
Where: Mars Primary Center
Please be sure to bring a blanket, we hope to eat outside!
*To avoid tears, please be on time.
*All parents and guardians (NO SIBLINGS) wishing to participate, MUST have their driver’s license scanned at the Primary Center.
Forms are due April 22, 2024 to your child's classroom teacher.
Schedule below:
Special Consideration Letters for the 2024-2025 School Year
K-6 Special Consideration Letters
Principals are approaching the time of building classes for the 2024-2025 school-year. Regarding future teachers and class placement, most children will function quite well with most classroom assignments. We do, however, recognize that there may be special circumstances that warrant special consideration. In light of this, the following guidelines and procedures are to be used if a special circumstance warrants your parental input for a classroom assignment:
1. Parent input should be made in writing when an identifiable need exists…or if there is pertinent information, of which you believe, we need to be aware.
2. If you wish to provide input, you may submit a letter describing your child’s personality, learning style, and other pertinent information.
3. The purpose of a letter is NOT to request a specific teacher OR the classroom assignment of students with specific friends.
4. Please note that specific teacher requests and students with specific friend requests will NOT be honored.
NOTE: Special consideration letters are to be sent to the receiving grade level building principal by: May 10, 2024.
Excuses for Absence
Parents please be reminded that if your child is absent for any reason, you are required to provide a written excuse for the absence. On the excuse, please provide your child’s first and last name, date of absence, classroom teacher’s name and reason for the absence.
Emergency Early Dismissal/Car Rider Notes
Any student having to be picked up for an emergency early dismissal or needing to be a car rider for the day of and did not have a note for their teacher, please call the office to let the school know. Our teachers are busy teaching and instructing and may not see their email until the end of the working day. Please call the office and we will relay the message to the classroom teacher.
Early Dismissals
If you need to pick up your child during the instructional day, please write a note to your child’s teacher letting them know the day and time you will be picking your child up. All AM Kindergarten students need to have an early dismissal no later than 11:00 AM and Grade 1 and PM Kindergarten students may have an early dismissal no later than 3:00 PM.
Birthday Celebrations at School
Just a reminder that there are no birthday treats of any kind permitted in the Mars Area Primary Center. If you would like to distribute birthday invitations to students in your child’s class, an invitation needs to be provided for ALL students in the class.
PBIS-"The Mars Way!"
Congratulations!
A special shoutout to Mrs. McElheny's first grade class who has earned the most golden spoons in the cafeteria so far this school year! Their latest reward was having a "picnic" in the gym with Mrs. Semler. Keep up the great work!