PCE Newsletter
December 2023 Newsletter
A Message from our Principal Ms. Gaston
Dear PCE Families,
December is here! The fall semester has gone by so fast! I am so excited to see how much our students have grown in this first semester. Parents, thank you for supporting our teachers and staff! It definitely takes a village.
As we prepare for the winter break, please note that the last day of classes is an early release day Friday, December 22, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. Please make arrangements to ensure scholars are picked up from school on time. School will resume on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
I wish all families a restful and enjoyable break filled with special moments. We look forward to a wonderful new year filled with continued growth and collaboration.
Weather
We are starting to have colder weather. Please make sure scholars wear a jacket on cold days.
Lost and Found Items are piling up!
We have a Lost and Found area in the cafeteria. Please feel free to stop by the school to see if these items belong to your scholar. If items are not claimed before the break, they will be donated.
December Happenings:
- December 7-PCE Winter Concert
- December 8-PCE Sneaker Ball
- December 7-22-12 Days of Holiday Dress Up (see flyer below)
- December 25-January 8-Winter Break
- January 9-Students return to school
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please contact us. I look forward to working together and staying in communication with you all.
Happy Holidays,
Ryane Gaston
Principal
Pioneer Crossing Elementary School
A Note from Assistant Principal Duffin
Parent Pick up Procedures
- Please use the crosswalk when crossing the street to pick up students.
- When driving through the drive-through loop please be cautious and drive slowly at all times.
- When picking up students for dismissal please be patient in the school pick-up line. Please stay in your cars and do not attempt to skip the line.
- Students are not allowed to be picked up in the bus loop.
Having Lunch With Your Child:
- You can sit with your child at a booth.
- You can bring lunch for your child and yourself or you can eat one of our wonderful cafeteria meals. Our students eat for free, but the meal for adults is $4.50.
- This is time for you to bond with your child. Your child may invite one friend to eat with you.
- Every grade has a scheduled time to eat, if you have multiple children, you can not pull them from class to eat together. You will have to eat with them at their scheduled time.
Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast and lunch are free for all students this school year. Breakfast is served daily from 6:45 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. If a student gets a second breakfast or lunch, they will be charged. Please send money to be placed on your child's account for snacks and ice cream on Fridays. These items are not included as part of the free lunch. Students will be allowed to purchase two snacks per day. If you would like to allow your student to purchase more, please send an email to our cafeteria manager marcela.medrano@manorisd.net.
COACHES CHRONICLES
By now you most likely have attended your parent conference and found out how your child is performing in class. One of the ways your child is assessed in Literacy is through Istation, an online platform that assesses the small building blocks or skills that contribute to being a great reader including fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and many more. To stay involved in your child's academic journey this year, you can ask your child's teacher for their monthly Student Summary to be sent home. You will notice if your child is continuing to grow as a reader or demonstrating weaknesses in a specific area. To support their growth at home, carving out reading time is important as well as practicing sight words and exposing students to new experiences and consequently new vocabulary. Students are also assessed in Math through iReady, an online platform that shows what students know, how much growth is needed to reach grade level expectations, and what students need to do next to get there. Math skills are vital to our everyday life and are easily accessible to practice with students at home. Playing games that involve using dice, playing cards, and problem-solving skills can help your child retain these foundational skills and help build upon them as they continue to progress through the year.
PCE Coaches
Ms. Willis and Ms. Vela
A Note From Our Social Worker
For many families the holidays are a time of excitement, togetherness, and happiness, but for
some this time of year and bring up extra stressors, financial worries, and even feelings of
depression and grief, especially if loved ones are no longer with us. Please know that you are
not alone. If you are feeling a sense of hopelessness or depression, please reach out to
someone, whether that someone is a professional, a friend or a family member. Please also
know that the National Suicide Hotline is also a resource that is available 24/7, just by dialing
988.
Other ways to take care of yourself over the holidays include planning self care activities,
especially before or after an event that you know might be hard to deal with. These could be
taking a walk outside, listening to a song that you really enjoy, taking a drive by yourself, or
even just saying “no” to an extra task or activity. If feelings of loss come up ways to deal with
those might be sharing about the person you missed, remembering a funny thing that
happened with them, or creating a new ritual in your family to keep their memory alive, such as
making an ornament using their picture to hang on the tree.
You are never alone, and Manor ISD, Pioneer Crossing ES, and myself, are here to support you
in any ways that we can. Please feel free to reach out to me by phone at 512.537.7543 or email
at Kathryn.Lewin@manorisd.net with any needs or concerns that you may have.
A note from our parent liaison
Gratitude is an attitude. Children learn gratitude by watching their parents, teachers, grandparents, and other adult role models in their lives. Children mirror the values they see on a daily basis. If children are shown and experience the value of gratitude in daily life, appreciation will become a part of their attitude. Title I, Part A Parent and Family Engagement Statewide Initiative
Have a Happy Holiday and Stay Safe!
Email: laura.adams@manorisd.net
Phone: (512)278-4250