Pine Panther Pulse
February 9, 2025
Hello Pine Families!
This Wednesday at Pine, a very important meeting will be held for 2nd and 3rd grade families. Parents may attend the session at either 9:00 AM or 3:30 PM, but must choose one or the other. Information about the upcoming IREAD test and the ramifications of the outcomes of those tests will be explained. Families will have an opportunity to ask questions and see samples of the content of the test. See the letters teachers sent home recently for more details. We'll see you there!
To help support our readers, the #CityReads initiative is underway across Michigan City Area Schools! See the video below from our superintendent, Dr. McCollum, for important information. Reading for just 10 minutes a day can make a big difference! Let's work together to develop a culture of reading at Pine and across Michigan City!
This Friday is Valentine's Day. Talk to your child's teacher about what, if any, activities will take place in their classrooms.
We're looking forward to another great week of learning at Pine!
David A Alvarado
Principal
With winter weather here, there is always a chance that MCAS will call a two hour delay. Doors will open at Pine at 10:30 on two hour delay days, and breakfast will not be served. Buses will pick up two hours later than their typical times.
In case schools cannot be opened and we have an unscheduled eLearning Day, Pine students will follow the schedule below for live, online instruction with their teachers to keep the learning going from home. See the webpages linked here and here for more information.
Elementary School Students:
Live instruction
9:00am - 11:55am
(Break for lunch 11:55am-12:25pm)
Independent work, individual/small group instruction, and email support: 12:25-3:00pm
If you haven't done so yet, be sure to sign up for alerts from Michigan City Area Schools and Pine Elementary. https://mcas.parentlink.net/main/login/new-account-sign-up
Be on time and ready to learn!
Doors open at Pine each morning at 8:15. Students have until 8:45 to arrive, have breakfast, and wait with their classmates in the gym. Teachers pick up students by 8:35 to head to classrooms. Students arriving after 8:45 are marked tardy. Be sure your children arrive on time!
Late arriving students should be walked into the office by a family member and signed in. Please refrain from dropping students off at the curb without checking them in. Student absences should be called into the office. Students learn most when they are at school each day! Let's work together to have the best attendance possible!
Arrival Procedures
Doors open at Pine at 8:15 AM. Parents dropping off students at school should only use the north parking lot by the Red Pod. PreK families, students requiring special assistance, and families who need to visit the office may park in the south lot by the main entrance, otherwise this area is designated only for school buses. Breakfast is served from 8:15 - 8:45. Students arriving after 8:45 will be marked tardy. Attendance matters!
Dismissal Procedures
The final bell rings at 3:00. Bus riders will be escorted by their teachers to their proper buses. Boys and Girls Club members will report to the cafeteria. Car riders will report to the red pod where staff will organize them per our dismissal procedures. Parents picking up students should join the line around the north parking lot. Please comply with all instructions and expectations while remembering that student safety trumps adult preferences at all times. Parents must communicate any changes in dismissal plans to the office before 2:00 to ensure they are shared with teachers.