As we head into the final stretch of the school year, we’re reminding our Pirates of just how far they’ve come—and how important it is to finish strong. This time of year is all about reflecting on the growth they’ve made, celebrating their progress, and giving their very best as we close out the 4th quarter. Our message is simple and powerful:

• Be proud of your progress—you’ve worked hard and grown so much.

• Give your best effort—this is your time to shine.

• Lift each other up—success is even greater when it’s shared.

• Finish with confidence—you are ready, and you’ve got this!

Thank you for your continued support at home. Let’s work together to make these last weeks the best yet! Have a great weekend and GO PIRATES!!

📣 Our 6th grade students had an incredible day at JA BizTown — a one-of-a-kind experiential education program run by Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City! 🏙️💼

While visiting BizTown, our students became citizens for the day, taking on real-world roles in one of 20 different businesses. From earning paychecks and managing their own bank accounts, to producing and selling goods, repaying business loans, and working as part of a team — they got a true taste of how an economy runs! 💰🧾🏦

This hands-on experience gave them a powerful lesson in financial literacy, teamwork, and entrepreneurship.

Students and staff wore purple to show their support and thank military children for their strength and sacrifices. April is the month of the Military Child. Purple symbolizes all branches of the military.

• April 14:
• PTSA Meeting, 6pm, LMC (Updated meeting date- was previously scheduled for 4/21)
• Academic Lab, 2:50-4 PM
• Addams Family Musical Rehearsal, 3-5 pm (PCHS)
• Track & Field, 3-4:30 pm (PPMS)
• No Trolley Run Practice
• Swim, 3:00-4:50 (Platte City YMCA)
• April 15:
• Track & Field Meet @ Paul Kinder Middle School
• Addams Family Musical Rehearsal, 3-5 pm (PCHS)
• Track & Field, 3-4:30 pm (PPMS)
• Trolley Team, 3-4 pm (PPMS)
• Swim, 3:00-4:50 (Platte City YMCA)
• April 16:
• Addams Family Musical Performance, 7 pm (Wilson Auditorium- PCHS)
• Swim Meet @ NKC
• Track & Field Meet (7th Grade ONLY) @ Kearney (8th Grade will NOT have practice)
• April 17:
• Addams Family Musical Performance, 7 pm (Wilson Auditorium- PCHS)
• Track & Field Meet @ South Valley Middle School
• Trolley Team, 3-4 pm (PPMS)
• Swim, 3:00-4:50 (Platte City YMCA)
• PACE (Speech & Debate), 3-4 pm (PPMS)
• April 18:
• FCA 7:15 AM in the LMC
• NO Track & Field Practice
• Swim, 3:00-4:50 (Platte City YMCA)

April 14: PTSA Meeting, 6 pm, LMC

April 16-17: Addams Family Musical Performance (PCHS- See Info Below)

April 21: Real World Learning Showcase, 6-8pm (PCHS)

April 24: Take your Child to Work Day

April 25: 8th Grade Formal Dance, 6-8 pm (PCHS)

April 27: Trolley Run

May 2: Miles of Smiles Dental Forms Due/ Pirates ROCK End-of-Year Celebration! (Barry-Platte Park- See Info Below)

May 5-16: MAP Testing

May 9: Summer School Enrollment Deadline

May 12: PTSA Meeting, 6 pm, LMC

May 19-20: EOC Testing

May 14: Treasure Island Choir Dress Rehearsal (PPMS-Flex)

• 6th Grade Choir: 3pm-4pm
• Concert Choir: 4pm-5pm
• Honor Choir: 4:45pm- 6pm

May 15: Treasure Island Choir Concert

• 6th Grade Performance: 6 pm (call time 5:30)
• 7th & 8th Grade Performance: 7:30 pm (call time 7 pm)

May 22: Spring Band Concert

• 6th Grade Band: 6 pm Concert Start Time
• 7th Grade Band: 6:45 pm Concert Start Time
• PPMS Jazz Band: 7:30 pm Concert Start Time
• 8th Grade Band: 8:00 pm Concert Start Time

7:25 am- Doors open & breakfast begins

7:37 am- 3 minute warning bell

7:40 am- Class begins

2:50 pm- Dismissal begins

We've had a lot of late students. Please make sure your student is in class and ready to learn by 7:40 am.

📢 Reminder for Students & Parents!

🔹 Chromebooks & Chargers: Please bring your Chromebook and charger to school every day, and make sure your device is fully charged each morning so you're ready to learn! A charged and ready Chromebook helps you participate in all class activities without interruptions.

✏️ School Supplies Running Low! The supplies students brought at the beginning of the year are nearly gone. Please ensure your child has a couple of pencils and some notebook paper for daily use.

Thank you for being responsible and prepared! 💡📚

If your student is a walker, please make sure they are utilizing the crosswalk. Using the crosswalk is crucial for safety, as it helps pedestrians stay visible to drivers and reduces the risk of accidents.

We've had some unsafe things happening in our Car Rider Drop Off/Pick Up Line with kids being dropped off or picked up from parked cars. This is certainly not safe for our students to be darting across our car rider traffic.

Please make sure if you are dropping off or picking up students that you are being patient and following the line of our car riders and dropping students at the sidewalk. We appreciate your help keeping our students safe.

Parents can deposit money for meal transactions through Linq Connect. Parents can access Linq Connect through this link or when signing in to PowerSchool Parent Portal. In addition to allowing for better and faster service to students during meal times at school, the online portion of this system allows guardians to set up scheduled meal deposits or deposits to accounts when falling below a certain amount. A transaction fee will be applied based on the amount of funds added. The Fees are 3.95% of the transaction total with a $2.85 minimum to be paid by the parent/cardholder.

Parents can still deposit money for meal transactions by sending payment via check or cash to their child's school.

Staff Appreciation Day is a wonderful opportunity to show our gratitude for the hard work and dedication of our incredible staff. Let’s take this time to recognize their efforts and let them know how much we truly appreciate them! If you’d like to donate a gift card, please review the available slots below and click the button to sign up. Kindly drop off all gift cards at the PPMS office by Friday, May 2nd. Thank you for your generosity and support!

This week PPMS Track took on Kearney Middle School on Tuesday. At that event we took three 1st places, three 2nd places and eight 3rd places. Sincere Sirls broke a school record in high jump, Kylie Hill broke school records in triple jump and shot put, and Daxton Leuschen broke a school record for discus.

Thursday we had our first home meet against Belton and Raytown. With seven 1st places, ten 2nd place, and six 3rd places. Girls 4x100M A Team broke the school record, Kylie Hill broke Tuesday's school records in triple jump and shot put and Elijah Lewis broke a school record in shot put.

Coaches are extremely proud of all the hard work the team has put in this season and are excited for everyone to keep gaining new PR's!! Go Pirates!

📣 Take Your Child to Work Day is coming up!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 24! If your child will be participating, please make sure to fill out the attached permission slip and return it to school by Monday, April 21 so the absence can be verified.

✅ Return completed forms to:

📧 Kristy Randall – randall.kristy@pcr3schools.org
📧 Kristen Harrington – harrington.kristen@pcr3schools.org

Congrats to our new board!

The April PTSA meeting will now be held Monday, April 14th at 6 pm in the Library Media Center at Platte Purchase.

They're creepy and they're kooky... and they're coming to the stage! PCMS & PPMS proudly present The Addams Family Musical! Don't miss this spooktacular middle school production—full of laughs, love, and a little mystery!

April 16 & 17 | 7 PM

Wilson Auditorium, PCHS

Just $5 per ticket, online only: https://search.seatyourself.biz/.../acc.../plattechs/buy-tix

Please note that the Band Concert originally scheduled for May 13th has been rescheduled to May 22nd. An email was sent to parents/guardians with this update, along with a form that needs to be signed and returned. If you haven't done so already, please make sure to review the form below and submit it to Ms. Swink or Mr. Linville before April 25th, 2025.

Has your child visited the nurse?

We understand that students may occasionally feel unwell, fatigued, or overwhelmed by schoolwork or tests, and may contact their parent/guardian to be picked up. However, we encourage parents to ensure that their child has been seen by the school nurse before deciding to pick them up.

It’s essential to keep healthy students in school, where they can continue to learn and engage with their peers. The school nurse plays a key role in evaluating your child’s condition, helping to determine whether they are truly ill, and ensuring they receive appropriate care.

Additionally, these evaluations allow our health services team to monitor any illnesses or potential outbreaks in the building and across the district. Your cooperation helps us maintain a healthy and safe environment for all students.

Thank you for your support in keeping our students healthy, safe, and ready to learn!

- Nurse Kelly

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).

You're Invited! Community Advisory Real World Learning Showcase - April 21

You're invited to our Community Advisory Meeting on April 21 from 6:00-8:00 PM, starting in the PCHS Cafeteria! All families are welcome to explore a showcase of Real-World Learning experiences across our district, at all grade levels. (You do not have to be a Community Advisory member to attend.)

Students will be stationed throughout the Cafeteria and classroom wing of the PCHS Phase 1 rebuild, sharing their projects and experiences. Families and Community Advisory members can visit with students, learn about their work, and provide feedback. Some stations will offer items for purchase, so be sure to bring your wallet!

🦷 FREE Dental Care at PCR-3 Schools! 🦷

Miles of Smiles will be at Platte County School District Schools from May 5th - May 20th, providing FREE dental care for those who qualify!

📅 Sign-up deadline: May 2nd

📲 Scan the QR code below to sign up!

📄 Paper copies are available in the front office.

Need an electronic copy? Contact Nurse Kelly at 📧 thomas.kelly@pcr3schools.org.

Don’t miss this great opportunity for free dental care! 😁✨ #MilesOfSmiles #FreeDentalCare #HealthySmiles

📢 Save the Dates! 📢

📝 MAP Testing: May 5th - May 9th
📚 End of Course Exams: May 12th - May 16th

Make sure to mark your calendars and come prepared!

Dear Platte Purchase families,

We’re going to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden in Summer 2027, and you’re invited!

We’re excited to tell you more about the trip we’re planning with EF Tours, our educational travel partner. Please be sure to register for this info session to be considered for this opportunity: https://rsvp.eftours.com/cxtv4gw

When students travel, they expand their knowledge of the world around them, discover more about themselves, and grow more confident. These skills are critical for creating the global citizens of tomorrow, and we would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

In this info session, we’ll talk about:

• How this opportunity will benefit your student
• What we’ll see and do on our trip
• Everything that’s included in this experience
• How your child can earn academic credit
• How we’re keeping this safe and affordable
• How to enroll on this trip (before it fills up!) during EF’s risk-free enrollment period

There are limited spots on this trip, so we would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

Do any of these belong to you? We have A LOT of coats and water bottles left behind! Students can check lost and found during school hours. Lost & found is located across from Studio 2 & 3.

PCHS JV Cheerleading Tryouts are coming! Open to current 8th, 9th, and 10th grade students.

Cheer clinics: 5:30- 7:00 pm, PCHS North gym, May 5-7

Cheer Tryouts: Starting at 3:30pm, PCHS North gym, May 8

Cool Swim Team Starting at YMCA North

The Cool Swim Team is building a new competitive swim team at the Platte County Community Center North for swimmers aged 8 through high school. See flier below for details.

Pirates ROCK End-of-Year Celebration/Sharpen the Saw Challenge - May 2

Get ready for the "Greatest Show" of Character! The Pirates ROCK End-of-Year Celebration and Sharpen the Saw Challenge Course will be at Barry-Platte Park on Friday, May 2. Course is open from 5-7pm, with the character recognition ceremony at 6pm. Pre-register here and see flier for details.

Want a $10 Pirates ROCK race day t-shirt? Complete registration/order by April 16!

Summer School 2025: K-8 Enroll via PowerSchool Parent Portal by May 16
Platte County School District is excited to announce that Summer School will be held June 2-30, 2025 (please note updated dates). All Platte County R-3 students are invited to attend and continue to grow as learners throughout the summer! The purpose of PCR-3’s Summer School Program is to provide an experience that is relevant, rigorous, and engaging, based on individual learner needs, in a safe and caring environment. Click here for more information about Summer School at PCR-3.

• Parents of existing students currently in grades PreK-7 interested in K-8 Summer School: You can now enroll for 2025 Summer School via the Forms on PowerSchool Parent Portal (via a browser or the app). Please complete by May 16, 2025.
• Incoming Kindergarten students will be able to complete summer school registration after they complete regular enrollment. Click here for 2025-26 New Student Enrollment. (Kindergarten Kickoffs will be held April 15 and parents will learn how to enroll your kindergartner in Summer School).
• High School summer school program enrollment will begin April 14, 2025 via Parent Portal.

Summer School Middle School Experiences: Middle School students will partner with the Missouri Department of Conservation to explore real world ecological issues on our campus, as well as participate in a Make48 Innovation experience.

• Missouri Department of Conservation: Students will be examining issues related to water and its impact on our land. Teachers will guide students through a project-based experience with the Missouri Department of Conservation, called "Unhooked."
• Make48 Innovation Experience: Students will work in teams for this innovation challenge, and will engage with a real-world client to work through a design problem and ultimately create a solution including a small-scale prototype, a one-minute marketing or informational video, and an informational sales sheet.

Current Students in Grades 8-12 interested in PCHS Summer School: Enrollment via Parent Portal will begin April 14

High School Summer School: Click here for details on high school summer school offerings including traditional courses, credit recovery courses, and driver's education.

Enrollment for PCHS 2025 Summer School will be open via the Forms tab on PowerSchool Parent Portal starting April 14 until May 16. PowerSchool forms are available on web browsers and through the PowerSchool app (not via a browser on your smartphone). See images below on where to find these forms on your Parent Portal browser or app.

Summer School Traditional Courses (Available for incoming 9th-12th graders): All traditional courses will be taken off campus, virtually. Students will only be allowed to earn a ½ credit (one class) of traditional courses in the summer.

PLEASE NOTE:

• At least 5 students must enroll in a course in order for the class to be offered. Courses will also be capped when full. If this should happen, students will go on a waitlist.
• If a student enrolls in any course and misses TWO FULL DAYS of attendance, they will be dropped from the course and no credit will be received. This is a state of Missouri expectation.
• The deadline to register for PCHS summer school courses is Friday, May 16, 2025, by 4pm.

Starting April 14, parents (and students) can follow the steps below to complete the online summer school enrollment.

• Log on to Parent Portal via a web browser or PowerSchool app. If you need assistance logging in, please contact your child's school.
• Find and click on the "Forms" tab via the left-hand navigation on a web browser or via the "More" tab at the bottom of your app. (See screenshots).
• Under General Forms, complete the PCHS Summer School Enrollment Form(s) for each eligible student.

Platte County Health Department is offering the Safe Sitter course (March 27, June 11, July 7, and August 6), designed for young teens in grades 6-8, to equip students with essential skills for safety, childcare, first aid, and rescue, as well as life and business skills, preparing them to be safe and competent babysitters.

Register by clicking here.

See flier for details.

Please see information below about Northland Career Center's Winter and Spring Community Education Courses. The link to the registration website is https://northlandcareercenter.asapconnected.com/

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).

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.

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