Tuesday Talk with Dr. Dain

Dear Pirate Nation,

This past weekend, I had the chance to reconnect with my three best friends from high school, one of whom traveled back from Amsterdam during her fall break. She wasn’t able to attend my father’s funeral, but this visit meant the world to me. During our dinner together, she got a little teary-eyed, reflecting on how long our friendship had endured and how, despite the years and distance, we still just “got” each other in a way that time hadn’t touched.

As the night went on, we shared stories, laughter, and a fun little activity—each of us had to pick one word that described our favorite thing about one another. It was such a simple gesture, but it made me reflect on the power of those words and how deeply they captured the essence of our connection. The words were thoughtful, kind, and revealed a bond that had grown even stronger over time.

The moral of the evening was a reminder of the beauty in longstanding friendships. Life may scatter us across the globe and keep us busy, but the relationships that matter can weather any storm. The years may change us, but the foundation of love, trust, and understanding never fades. Sometimes, all we need is a moment to reconnect and remember that the people who "get" us are the ones who make the journey a little easier to bear.

Proud to be a Pirate!

Dr. Jessica Dain, Superintendent

Piper USD 203

Have you ever experienced going through an event in slow motion? Often this happens when you experience something traumatic or find yourself in a dangerous situation but some people can even experience it when there’s intense conflict. It can be a very odd experience and trauma survivors describing their event will have a common thread when recounting how they saw everything in slow motion.

Once I remember a teen telling me about falling off a high jungle gym when they were a kid. The fall happened in a split second but she felt herself falling in slow motion, all while noticing the rungs on the ladder that she’d slipped on and seeing the sky and the exact shapes of clouds as she landed on her back.

So what exactly is happening to our brain when we experience things in slow motion like this? Well, there’s a couple of things at play actually and it’s all so interesting!

So our brain actually takes us on a slow motion ride in an effort to help us cope and keep us safe and to sharpen our memory of an event in case we ever need it for future reference. This is nothing short of extraordinary and it can serve as your reminder to please take care of the amazing brain that you have. I promise you won’t regret it!

Stay well friends,

Laura Moore, LCPC

District Mental Health Professional

WE DID IT! Quarter 1 is officially in the books!

Please take a few moments to complete the Parent Survey for Quarter 1. Your feedback is invaluable in helping Piper continue to grow as a Destination District for families. The information gathered allows building and district leadership to learn, grow, and better address the needs of our families, ensuring we provide a positive and supportive environment for everyone. We are committed to continuous improvement, and your insights will help guide our efforts!

Thank you for choosing to be a part of the Piper family—we truly appreciate the opportunity to serve you!

Dr. Jessica Dain, Superintendent

Piper USD 203

We are pleased to announce that our new communication service regarding student attendance is now in effect. This service will notify you when your child has an unexcused absence from school, enhancing our partnership in supporting your child’s education.

This system is essential for keeping you informed about your child’s attendance, allowing for timely follow-up on any unexplained absences. Please note that notifications will only be triggered for unexcused absences; other attendance records will not prompt a call.

We believe this enhancement will significantly improve our communication and help maintain a consistent line of support between home and school. Thank you for your continued partnership in fostering your child’s educational experience.

It is great to see the enthusiasm and excitement the Piper community has for supporting our students’ athletics and activities. Attending these events is a great way to come together to show school and community spirit. We thank you for your support of our students, coaches, and activity supervisors.

As our district has continued to grow over the past several years, so have crowds at district events. The larger crowds make supervision of unsupervised youth even more difficult. We have had a few concerning issues where student safety has been compromised.

In an effort to provide a safe, positive, and fun fan experience, parental supervision of middle school and elementary school students will be required at ALL district functions for the 2024-25 school year (unless otherwise noted by the building principal or other administrator). Middle school and elementary school students MUST attend games with a parent, guardian, or trusted adult. Unsupervised students will not be permitted to enter the events.

For football games, as per last year, the expectation is that young people sit in the stands with their parent or guardian or on the hill with staff supervision. Students will be able to access concessions and restroom facilities without supervision but will be directed back to their seats to enjoy the game.

The November Board of Education Meeting will take place on Monday, November 11, at 6 p.m., in the Board Room. Community stakeholders who wish to address the Board of Education should complete the following form (linked below) and send the completed form to the Board Clerk, Kim Buckner, at kim.buckner@piperschools.us no later than end of day on Monday, November 11.

Access Board Docs (Agendas and Corresponding Reports)

Reminder that patrons can access agendas and corresponding reports via the website prior to or after each Board of Education meeting. For access, click here, where you will find agendas and reports from previous Board meetings.

A colleague said, "Katie is the para you can always count on! She goes above and beyond every day and is the kids’ favorite all the time! Katie builds relationships with all our kids and meets their needs on their level and their terms! She’s one in a million and we are so lucky to work with her every day!"