December time is here!! We have 15 school days left until we are out for another 2 weeks. This is a great time of year but it can also be really stressful. We will have lots of activities going on at school and around the district. We will do our best to keep you up to date on all the things going on. We wish you and your family a very merry holiday season!!

Pine Tree Middle School will use Remind to help facilitate messages in a timely fashion. To join text @7bch982 to 81010. This is a school wide account and is not tied to any specific teacher.

This is updated for the next school year. We do have two separate PTMS Reminds but they both will receive the same information. It is only necessary to join one.

https://www.remind.com/join/7bch982

Pine Tree Middle School will also communicate regularly through our Facebook page. Please "Like" our page @PTMiddleSchool.

Principal: Mickey White, mwhite1@ptisd.org

Assistant Principal: Sarah Beth Sage, ssage@ptisd.org

Assistant Principal: Kenneth Morris, kmorris1@ptisd.org

Counselor: Elizabeth Banta, ebanta@ptisd.org

Principal's Secretary: Jojean Arnett, jarnett@ptisd.org

PIEMS and Attendance: Norma Nix, nnix@ptisd.org

Receptionist: Dulce Barron, dchavarria@ptisd.org

I am proud to be a Pine Tree Pirate

I will work hard and be relentless in all my pursuits.

I accept responsibility for my actions.

I will respect myself and others.

I see my future and it is bright.

We are stronger together.

We are ONE!!

That's right, PTISD has it's own APP. Stay up to date with all the latest news and events by downloading the APP to your smart phone. You can download the APP through your APP store or by visiting:

https://www.ptisd.org/

We are inviting all students to join us during the holiday season for some special dress days:

Thursday, December 5: Color Block Day, Wear Your Favorite Holiday Colors.

Friday, December 6: Flannel Friday, Dress in your comfiest, coziest flannel

Wednesday, December 11: Sparkle City, Wear something with added sparkle

Thursday, December 12: Baby its cold outside, Wear your favorite scarf

Friday, December 13: Jingle Bells, Show off your best holiday bling

Tuesday, December 17: Candy Cane Courture, Wear Red, White and Stripes

Wednesday, December 18: Feeling Festive, Wear your favorite holiday sweater

Friday, December 20: Deck the Halls, Deck yourself out in your favorite festive accessories

Our second round of CBAs are coming up after Thanksgiving. Students will most likely test in their 1st period classes. Rosters will be posted before test day to ensure students know their testing locations. It is very important that students are present for the entirety of the day of testing day. Please avoid appointments if possible. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Reading CBA: Thursday, December 5

Science CBA: Thursday, December 12

Math CBA: Tuesday, December 17

PTMS will be having a school wide celebration on Friday, December 20. Each 1st period classroom will have their own information to send home for the class parties on this day. Parties will start at 9:00 am and parents will be welcome to attend.

Class Party Schedule

Schedule:

8:30-9:00-Party Prep Time

9:00-10:00-Party Time (1st Period Classes)

Parents are free to check students out in the front anytime after 9:45.

10:10-10:50-School Wide Recess

11:00-11:50-5th Grade Lunch

12:00-12:50-6th Grade Lunch

1:00-Dismissal

We have 3 weeks left in this grading period. December 20 will mark the end of the 2nd nine weeks and the 1st semester. Please check in with Skyward and your child's teacher on grades. If your student is missing work, please contact his or her teacher to get caught up. The last week of school prior to the break will be hectic so please take care of this early.

All PTISD schools will have early release on Friday, December 20th. PTMS will dismiss all students at 1:00 PM.

UIL Practices are currently underway for our 6th grade students. UIL practice will kick off for 5th grade students next week. If your student in planning to participate this year, please make sure they are at practice as much as possible.

Friday, January 24: 6th Grade UIL Speaking, Writing and Spelling, Location to be announced.

Saturday, February 1: 6th Grade UIL Meet, Pine Tree Junior High School

Saturday, February 22: 5th Grade UIL Meeting, Pine Tree Middle School

Our second round of CBAs are coming up. CBAs are kind of like practice STAAR tests. We use these exams to see how well our students are retaining information and then develop plans, as needed, to help them in areas where we see gaps. Here are the key points you need to know to help your student be successful:

1. Be present. Our reading CBA is on Thursday, December 5, 5th grade science is on Thursday, December 12, and math is on Tuesday, December 17. Please try to avoid any appointments on these days.

2. Work Hard. Each student has a goal for each of these exams. Ask your student his or her goal. Cheer them on to success and encourage them to do their best.

3. Schedule Change: the day is going to be different on testing days and we will not be in our normal routines. Because of this, we will not be able to accommodate any lunch visitors on testing days.

4. Morning Tutorials: due to testing restrictions, we will not have morning tutorials on testing mornings.

Live School is an app that allows teachers to reward students with House points for positive behaviors and actions. Students then have the option to redeem House points for various prizes throughout the school year. Each student (and each teacher!!) have been sorted into one of six Houses:

Perseverance

Integrity

Resilience

Adaptability

Tenacity

Excellence

Students were sent home with information during the first couple of weeks of school on how to log in to Live School to view their points. If you need that information, please contact the office and we will send another sheet home.

All students to PTISD are required to have documentation that they live in district. This is the proof of residency. Examples of acceptable forms of proof of residency are an electric bill, water bill, gas bill or internet bill. The items cannot be over 30 days old. Thank you for getting this taken care of.

Please know that we are working diligently to ensure all of our students have the right classes. When it comes to schedule changes, we will do our best to accommodate any reasonable request. Please note that we do not accept schedule change requests for specific teachers or so that students can be in classes with friends.

At this time we are planning to be fully open for campus visitors during the 24-25 school year. If you wish to eat lunch with your student, you are welcome to check in at the office and come to the cafeteria during their lunch time. Please do not drop off fast food for your student. If you have fast food, please come in and enjoy it with your student.

For the 2024-2025 school year, all students in 5th and 6th grade will receive a free breakfast and a free lunch each day. There is no paperwork to complete for your child to receive their free meals. Please make sure your child knows his or her student number to take advantage of this incredible deal.

Please be aware that our final bell rings at 4:00 PM. While we understand that sometimes doctor's appointments have to be scheduled late in the day or emergencies may come up, we would ask that all changes to transportation be made before 3:15 PM. Our primary goal is to ensure that students get home safely each day. Late changes to transportation can cause confusion and may create an unsafe situation. The front office staff at PTMS thanks you for your attention to this matter.

Attendance is a key component to student success. By law, students are required to have at least 90% attendance in a course to receive credit. In reality, we need them here as much as possible. However, must also take certain precautions when students exhibit symptoms of not feeling well. If you feel like your child is sick, please take them to the doctor and get a note to return to school.

**We will only accept 3 parent notes per semester. All other absences not covered by a doctor's note may require attendance at Saturday School.

The front doors open for car riders at 7:00 am. Please do not leave children unattended prior to 7:00 as this presents an unsafe environment.

Bus doors will open at 7:45 am.

The school day ends at 4:00 pm.

Thursday, December 5: Reading CBA 2

Saturday, December 7: TMSCA Foster Meet

Monday, December 9: School Board Meeting, 6:00 PM, Central Office

Monday, December 9: 6th Grade Band Concert, 6:30P PM, PTJH

Wednesday, December 11: Kona Ice, All Lunches!!

Thursday, December 12: Science CBA 2

Saturday, December 14: Breakfast with Santa, 9:00-12:00, PTJH

Tuesday, December 17: Math CBA 2

Friday, December 20: Early Release, 1:00 PM

Friday, December 20: Class Party Day

Friday, December 20: End of the 2nd Nine Weeks

Friday, December 20: End of the 1st Semester

Monday, December 23: Begin Winter Break!!

Tuesday, December 24: Christmas Eve!!

Wednesday, December 25: Christmas Day!!

Tuesday, December 31: New Year's Eve!!

Wednesday, January 1: New Year's Day!!

Monday, January 6: Professional Development Day, No School for Students

Monday, January 6: Begin School Board Appreciation Month

Tuesday, January 7: Begin 3rd Nine Weeks.

Thursday, January 9: Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Monday, January 13: iReady Reading Assessment Window Opens

Monday, January 13: School Board Meeting, 6:00 PM, Central Office

Monday, January 20: MLK Holiday, No School for Students and Staff

Tuesday, January 21: iReady Math Assessment Window Opens

Wednesday, January 22: Kona Ice, All Lunches

Saturday, January 25: TMSCA Atlanta Meet

Saturday, January 25: We is Greater than Me!!

Tuesday, January 28: MS UIL Part 1 (Speaking Events, Writing, Spelling)

Saturday, February 1: MS UIL Part 2, PTJH

Saturday, February 1: Beginning of Black History Month

PTMS proudly serves the 5th and 6th grade students of the Pine Tree Independent School District!! Go PIRATES!!

Email: mwhite1@ptisd.org
Website: www.ptisd.org
Location: 600 Pine Tree Parkway, Longview, TX, USA
Phone: 903-295-5160
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PTMiddleSchool/