Pacific Intermediate Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am thrilled to welcome you back to another exciting school year at Pacific Intermediate! As we embark on this new journey together, I want to extend my sincere gratitude for your continued support and partnership.

Upcoming Events:

We have a fantastic year ahead, filled with exciting learning opportunities and memorable experiences. I am particularly excited to share that our 5th grade students will have the honor of singing the national anthem at the St. Louis Cardinals game on September 16th. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their talents and represent our school community.

Our first Student Club Day will be on September 27th. Students will soon be signing up for clubs, so please encourage them to explore their interests and get involved.

Please remember that there is no school on September 20th as our staff will be attending a professional development day.

Free Breakfast:

As a reminder, all breakfast is free for our students this year. We encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful benefit.

Pick up and Drop off:

I want to express my appreciation for your help with morning drop-off. To ensure a smooth and efficient process, please feel free to drop your students anywhere on the sidewalk and do not hesitate to enter the circle. Additionally, it is important that traffic moves out of the parking lot toward Zitzman.

During afternoon pick-up, we kindly request that all traffic pull into a parking spot. This will help to minimize congestion and ensure a safe environment for everyone.

Contacting Teachers:

As we move forward, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns. Building strong partnerships between school and home is essential to your child's success.

Football season is here!

We love seeing our students at the high school football games. However, we ask that students attend with their parents and sit with them throughout the game. This ensures their safety and well-being.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year of learning, growth, and community together.

Sincerely,

Matt Agee

Pacific Intermediate Principal

Mrs. Jackson~ Math & Science

Mrs. Menley~Language Arts, Reading & History

Mrs. Alcorn~Math

Ms. DiBlasi~History & Science

Mrs. Tandy~Language Arts & Reading

Mr. Crabtree~Math

Mr. Gilcrease~Language Arts & Reading

Mr. Wengler~History & Science

Welcome back! We just finished our beginning of the year testing and are currently working on our whole number unit (ones - billions). This unit includes understanding place value, reading/writing numbers, comparing, ordering, adding, and subtracting. Your child should have homework over these concepts Monday - Thursday night. We encourage you to look over these assignments with your child nightly. Homework is an important part to their learning and understanding concepts. If you have any questions please email your child's math teacher. Thank you for all your support in your child's learning!

Meramec Valley R-III School District

August 16, 2024

As the 2024-2025 school year kicks off, the Meramec Valley R-III School District is excited to offer a nutritious and energizing start to every student's day—FREE breakfast for all! This incredible opportunity is made possible by provision 2 under the National School Breakfast Program, and it’s designed with one simple goal in mind: ensuring that our students have the energy they need for a successful day of learning.

However, to keep programs like these available, it’s crucial for families to complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application. By doing so, you help the District qualify for vital funding that supports all students. Your participation ensures that every child continues to receive the benefits of nutritious meals, which are key to their academic and personal growth.

If you haven’t yet filled out the application, please reach out to your child’s school office for a form or assistance. Together, we can make sure every student in the Meramec Valley R-III School District starts their day ready to learn, grow, and succeed.

MEAL BENEFITS APPLICATION

You may have received a paper copy, but it is possible to fill out this form online:

• Log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal

• Click on More Click on Meal Benefits > Meal Benefits Application

If you would like to have a paper copy sent home with your student, please contact the office at 636-271-1425.

Mrs. Boling~English

Mr. Effan~Social Studies

Ms. Griffin~Science

Mrs. Voss~Math

Mrs. Stumborg~English

Mr. Slaughter~Social Studies

Mrs. Todahl~Science

Mrs. Weil~ Math

Mr. McMahon

Ms. Shearin

English:

English students are going to start their survey projects and work on them throughout the month. Students will brainstorm an idea for a useful invention. Then they will write questions to survey their classmates about how to improve the invention. Finally, they will present their results to their classmates. Other daily classwork includes working on our vocabulary units and grammar skills.

Social Studies:

Social Studies has gotten off to a great year. We are getting right into our first unit about Stone Age mankind, discussing everything from cavemen to the very first farming civilizations. We will be exploring how to design our own villages and understanding how to survive in the ancient world.

Science:

We are reviewing the Scientific Method. We will spend approximately 3 weeks on this mini-unit. We will have our first vocabulary quiz the first Friday of the month.

Towards the end of September, we will start our first Module/Chapter in our science book, The Sun-Earth-Moon System.

Please ensure you have signed your child safety contract so they can participate in labs this year.

Supplies needed all year in science: highlighter, red pens, pencils, colored pencils, glue stick and scissors

Math:

Math is off to a fast start! Your child will be bringing home math homework most nights. Please check the Big Ideas website for any assignments. If your child is having difficulties they may see their teacher in the morning from 7:05 – 7:25. Please make sure your child has plenty of pencils to get them through the month.

Reading:

In reading class we are enjoying the short story "The Ravine." We are analyzing the plot and various elements of fiction. All of the student's work is completed in the Into Fiction textbook. This textbook will be kept at school.

We also visit the library every Wednesday. The students will be required to complete a book report each trimester. They will have time during the school day to complete the required reading.

Odyssey:

We are finishing up our goal setting unit and moving onto our history unit. Students will pick a piece of history to research and fully document and categorize in their own way!

Hello Pacific Intermediate families! We are off to a wonderful start this year. Our returning sixth graders are enjoying their new freedom of changing classes and having the opportunity to meet more of their classmates. Our fifth-grade students are transitioning well to a new building, starting earlier and merging with the other elementary schools. This is the beginning of making new lifetime friends! Teachers are impressed with the students' ability to follow new routines, listening skills and most of all their respect towards each other.

Most of the students we talk to are adjusting to the new year and the new challenges. However, I know some are struggling. If your student is finding the transition difficult, please encourage them to reach out to the guidance office. Sometimes just knowing you can talk to someone regarding an issue will make it seem less overwhelming. As always, parents can also contact us and let guidance know any concerns you may have.

Pacific Intermediate is thrilled to have two School Counselors to better serve our students and their families. Ally Speicher is the 5th grade School Counselor and Jeanne Diamond is the 6th grade School Counselor. Jeanne was able to move up with her 5th graders from last year! The School Counselors will be in your child’s classroom each month to discuss guidance topics such as avoiding peer pressure, staying safe, steps to making effective decisions, making and keeping friends, healthy relationships, conflict resolution, bullying and how students can help decrease bullying. In addition, we will cover respecting each other as individuals and parts of a group, setting goals, careers, identifying emotions, mental health and the importance of reporting suicide ideation.

This month, both 5th and 6th graders will receive a lesson on our school's policy on bullying, our expectations to help others when witnessing bullying, and how to report bullying if it is happening to you or someone you know. Pacific Intermediate wants all students to feel valued, safe, and respected. When bystanders become upstanders and help decrease bullying, we all win! This helps us meet our school mission to create an engaging and safe environment, with a welcoming atmosphere, which instills a sense of belonging and a love of learning.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us at Pacific Intermediate. We look forward to growing together with your students! Please let us know if we can be of any assistance.

Best,

Jeanne M. Diamond

PI School Counselor, 6th Grade

jdiamond@mvr3.k12.mo.us

636-271-1425 x 3504

Ally Speicher

PI School Counselor, 5th Grade

aspeicher@mvr3.k12.mo.us

636-271-1425 x 3509

Pacific Intermediate

195 N Indian Pride Dr.

Pacific, MO 63069

www.mvr3.k12.mo.us

Phone: 636-271-1425

Fax: 636-271-1465