• January 20:
• NO SCHOOL- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 21:
• PPMS Girls Basketball Home Game vs. Antioch, 4 PM (PPMS)
• PPMS Boys Basketball Away Game, 4 PM (Antioch)
• PACE (Board & Digital Gaming), 3-4 PM
• MS Step Practice, 3-4:30 PM
• Science Olympiad, 2:50-3:50 PM
• January 22:
• 8th-11th grade EXPO night @ PCHS (See Information Below)
• PPMS Boys Basketball, 3-5 PM
• PPMS Girls Basketball, 3-5 PM
• MS Cheer Practice, 3-5 PM (PPMS)
• January 23:
• PPMS Boys Basketball Home Game vs. PCMS, 4 PM (PPMS)
• PPMS Girls Basketball Away Game, 4 PM (PCMS)
• PACE (Cooking 101), 3-4 PM
• MS Step Practice, 3-4:30 PM
• Science Olympiad, 2:50-3:50 PM
• January 24:
• PPMS Boys Basketball, 3-5 PM
• PPMS Girls Basketball, 3-5 PM

January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day- NO SCHOOL

January 21: 3rd Quarter PACE begins (See information below)

January 22: 8th-11th grade EXPO night @ PCHS (See information below)

January 30: PTSA Papa John's Restaurant Night

February 13: 3 Hour Early Dismissal for Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences (More info to come!)

February 14: NO SCHOOL- PLD Day

February 17: NO SCHOOL- Presidents' Day

Come out and watch the Dodgeball Tournament tonight! Spectators are welcome!

📅 When: Friday, January 17th

⏰ Time: 6–8 PM

📍 Where: PPMS Gym

As a reminder, if you ordered Shakespeare's Pizza, you can pick it up while at the tournament!

Future Freshman Session and All High School Expo Night - January 22

PCHS is hosting an Expo for 8-11th grade families in conjunction with their 8th grade student/parent night on January 22.

Clubs, Activities, and Electives Expo: 5:30-8pm, in the cafeteria

New Course and Weighted Course Information Session: 6pm, in the auditorium

8th Grade Student/Parent Information Session: 6:30pm, in the auditorium

The purpose of the night is to meet teachers and learn about academics and curriculum offerings at the high school as well as attend our electives expo where families can learn more about elective courses, clubs, and activities.

FUTURE FRESHMEN: We encourage both the student (current 8th graders) and parent(s) to attend, so that all can receive the information about courses offered at Platte County High School. This will greatly assist you and your student in the planning process and in course selection for the 2025-26 school year. If you would like more information, please contact your student's counselor: Amanda Griffin, Platte Purchase Middle School Counselor.

PACE sign ups will close 1/19! There are still 10 spots left in Digital/Board Games.

3rd Quarter PACE options are available for sign-up!! Activities will be offered every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00-4:00 pm for 6 weeks. Students may sign up for one option per day.

Board and Digital Gaming- Tuesdays (Jan. 21, 28, Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25)

Cooking 101- Thursdays (Jan. 30, Feb. 6, 20, 27) *No PACE on Jan. 23, or Feb. 13th

At PCR3, we believe that students learn at different rates, times and in different ways. In order to support our Principles of Learning, students have the opportunity to receive additional time and support in content areas where they are struggling or where the student wants to improve.

Academic Lab will be held from 2:50 - 4:00 on Monday afternoons. Students must be signed up by a parent to attend prior to the start time of Academic Lab. Signups will be capped at 20 students. No bus will be available, so please make sure student's have a ride home at 4.

If you have any questions about Academic Lab, please direct them to Coach Brizendine (brizendine.dakota@pcr3schools.org) and/or Dr. Hoffecker (hoffecker.jessica@pcr3schools.org).

As a reminder, parents play a vital role in ensuring their children develop a habit of regular school attendance. Consistent attendance is closely linked to academic success, as students who attend regularly are more likely to grasp lessons, complete assignments, and build strong relationships with peers and teachers. Encouraging attendance helps children develop essential life skills, such as responsibility and time management, that extend beyond the classroom. Additionally, when parents prioritize and support attendance, it reinforces the importance of education and sets a positive example for their children. Together, these efforts create a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.

Parent Attendance Tips for January and Starting 2nd Semester

1: Review Progress Together

Reflect on attendance from the first semester. Praise successes and identify areas for improvement. Adjust routines or goals if necessary.

2: Promote Good Sleep Habits

Ensure your child gets enough sleep each night. Sleep deprivation can lead to tardiness or absences. Establish a consistent bedtime routine.

3: Teach the Value of Commitment

Explain how showing up every day, even when it’s tough, builds responsibility and resilience—important life skills beyond school.

4: Schedule Appointments Outside School Hours

Whenever possible, book doctor or dental appointments after school or during breaks to avoid disrupting attendance.

PPMS Attendance Improvement Plan 2nd Semester

Improve student attendance by:

• Recognizing milestones
• Setting achievable goals
• Engaging students, families, and the community

Action Steps:

• Attendance tracking and goal setting every two weeks
• Celebrations/Recognition of attendance milestones
• Growth/Improvement
• Incentives at individual, class, and grade levels
• Student Survey Results
• Family and community involvement

It's our first week back, and we've already collected some items! Do any of these belong to you?

Tuesday and Wednesday Evenings

July 29th and 30th

August 5th and 6th

Paradise Pointe Golf Complex Smithville, Missouri

18212 Golf Course Rd, Smithville, MO 64089

Price: FREE OF CHARGE

T-SHIRTS GIVEN TO EACH GOLFER AND ONE LUCKY GOLFER WILL WIN A FREE SET OF GOLF CLUBS

In February, MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault) will be visiting our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes.

MOCSA's education presenters offer age-appropriate programs for students in elementary, middle, and high schools. They are active in over 30 school districts in the Kansas City metro area, serving both sides of the state line. Their presentations use various teaching methods, including group discussion, lecture, Q&A sessions, and activities to enhance learning and behavior change.

If you prefer your student not to attend this presentation, kindly contact me at 816-436-1443 or email me at griffin.amanda@pcr3schools.org

Feel free to read more about MOCSA's educational programming or contact youthed@mocsa.org for additional information.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

This year, 6th and 7th graders from Platte Purchase Middle School and Platte City Middle School will be participating in a Career Fair on Friday, March 14, 2025. The event will take place at Platte Purchase Middle School from 8:00 a.m. to 2:25 p.m.

We would love to partner with parents from both schools to make this a successful and enriching experience for our students. If you’re interested in participating, please complete the 2025 Career Fair Presenter Sign-Up Form.

For any questions about the Career Fair, feel free to reach out to Amanda Griffin, counselor at Platte Purchase Middle School, or Kim Schank, counselor at Platte City Middle School.

This question will be placed on the April 8, 2025 ballot. If approved by voters, the approximately $62 million 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, or attend an Informational Meeting:

Monday, March 3, 2025, 6pm, Platte Purchase Middle School

Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 6pm, Platte County High School

Message from Platte County Prevention Coalition: 5 Urgent Reasons to Keep Kids Marijuana-Free

Whether you know it as marijuana, THC, cannabis, or weed, one fact is clear: No amount of marijuana use is safe for youth. Because young people’s brains are still developing into their mid-20s, they are much more vulnerable to the harmful effects of marijuana. Not only is today’s marijuana stronger than ever before, but it's more addictive than ever before. Marijuana use harms teen mental health and school performance, and makes driving even more dangerous for our kids. Here are 5 urgent reasons to keep our kids marjuana-free:

1. Marijuana today is stronger than ever before. The average potency of THC is marijuana flower in 1995 was just 3.96% compared to 15.34% in 2021. That’s an almost 400% increase in just the last 25 years!

2. Marijuana, like other drugs, can be addictive. About 1 in 10 people who use marijuana will become addicted, but if they start before age 18, the risk of addiction rises to 1 in 6.

3. Marijuana use harms teen mental health. Depression and anxiety are more common in teen marijuana users than in their non-using peers.

4. Marijuana use negatively impacts school performance. Students who use marijuana tend to get lower grades and are more likely to drop out of high school compared to their peers who don’t use. The effects of marijuana use can include things like difficulty thinking, worsened problem-solving, memory and learning issues, and difficulty maintaining attention. All important skills for succeeding in school.

5. Marijuana use makes driving dangerous. Marijuana negatively affects the skills needed for safe driving - especially for inexperienced teen drivers - like alertness, concentration, judgment, coordination, and reaction time. Marijuana use is thought to roughly double a driver’s chances of being in a crash.

We can prevent youth marijuana use by caring about their developing brains, connecting, communicating, and paying careful attention to our kids and teens. To protect young minds, visit ParentUpKC.com/drug-topics/Marijuana for free tips and resources to help prevent youth marijuana use.

We are excited to share a helpful "Canvas How-To" video designed to support parents (and students) in navigating their child’s Canvas account. This guide covers tips on how parents and students can:

• Understand what assignments are due and where to find them.
• View grades and recent feedback.
• Communicate with teachers and access helpful resources.
• Set up and customize an Observer account, including adjusting notifications and using the Canvas Parent App.

With these tools, we aim to strengthen family communication and involvement to help drive student success. You can find logins, guides, and this video linked on our Parent Portal and Canvas landing page here. Should you need assistance in setting up your Observer account, please reach out to your child's advisory teacher or contact our office.

Pirate Fans, starting in December we will no longer be streaming our athletic events to YouTube. All regular season athletic events will now be streamed on our Hudl Fan page:

https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mo/platte-city/organization/117/platte-county-r-3-high-school

You will still be able to purchase all postseason events on MSHSAA.tv.

GO PIRATES!

Please visit the Winter Weather Information page on the Parents Tab of the District website for information on recess and clothing considerations (there will be no outdoor recess when the wind chill is at 20 degrees or below), cancellations, two-hour delayed starts, how the District will notify families, and Y-Club info.

In the event of school cancellation or delayed start, PCR-3 will get that information out as early as possible through automated phone calls and text messages, the District website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the District Hotline (816-858-2752), and local media. Parents: To opt in to receive texts, please text the word "YES" to 67587.

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). Click here for details on our Inclement Weather Virtual Learning Days.

Our district and building expectations are that staff respond to parent communication 24-48 hours (during school workdays) to parent communication. If you have sent emails or phone calls that are not getting a response during that time frame, please reach out to our admin team, Dr. Hoffecker or Dr. Adams (hoffecker.jessica@pcr3schools.org and adams.jeff@pcr3schools.org). Sometimes we've found that it might be a simple typo in the email address that is prohibiting that communication, so please reach out quickly so we can help troubleshoot any issues. Our partnership and communication is important and we want to support the necessary communication between our families and our staff.

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.

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.

We invite families to join us in these challenges and look forward to the positive impact they will have on everyone.

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).

Platte Purchase Middle School is seeking a second (or third) business partner to support our Pirates ROCK character education program! Your $500/year sponsorship includes:

• Participation in monthly character recognition events
• Logo and link in building parent and staff e-newsletters
• Logo and link on Pirates ROCK webpage
• Partnership status for flier/community event promotion on Community Events webpage and social media
• 18” x 24” poster displayed in building front office/entrance and additional poster and window cling offered for business to display
• Exclusive event table at annual staff Convocation in August
• Invitation to participate in other school-wide events

For more information or to sign up for this important program, contact Laura Hulett, Dr. Jessica Hoffecker, or Dr. Jeff Adams.

The following business partner contributes goods, services, and financial support toward supporting students and staff at our school! Thank you!

Tradition Home Group:(816) 857-5700

https://livelovekchomes.com/

Farmers Insurance Alisha Elliott Agency: (816) 841-9494

https://agents.farmers.com/mo/kansas-city/alisha-elliott/

Email: hoffecker.jessica@pcr3schools.org
Location: Platte Purchase Middle School

9400 N. Platte Purchase Dr., Kansas City, MO 64155
Phone: 816-436-1433 x. 3401
Twitter: @PlattePurchase

Facebook: www.facebook.com/plattepurchasemiddleschool

Instagram: @plattepurchase

Email: adams.jeff@pcr3schools.org
Location:Location: Platte Purchase Middle School

9400 N. Platte Purchase Dr., Kansas City, MO 64155
Phone: 816-436-1433 x. 3402
Twitter: @PlattePurchase

Facebook: www.facebook.com/plattepurchasemiddleschool

Instagram: @plattepurchase