You may have seen your child bring a "Caught Being a Positive Planet" ticket home. Students are learning The Mars Way of making good choices, always be kind, ready to learn, and stay safe while here at the PC in support of our positive behavior initiative. Students may turn in their positive planet tickets they receive from a PC staff member to the office for a small prize. Each day, Mrs. Semler picks tickets at random to be placed on the Principal's 50/100 Clubs. Once a row is filled on the bingo board, those students earn a larger reward. Once a board is filled, the whole school will celebrate with a school-wide reward. Our school-wide reward for the first nine weeks will be a "Glow Day" on November 1. Students are encouraged to wear white or neon colors and will engage in a variety of activities during their special area time. The students are doing a great job being "Positive Planets!" We have already had some Bingo winners and first grade "Golden Spoon" winners. First grade classes receive golden spoons for showing The Mars Way in the cafeteria. Once a first grade class earns 10 golden spoons, they get to have lunch with the Principal!

In order to continue to provide positive reinforcement prizes, we would love your help! An Amazon "Wish List" has been created to support the PC students in being "Positive Planets." We will also accept any donations of items you have at your home that you would be willing to donate for prizes. Donations can be dropped off in the main office. Help us reward our students for doing a fantastic job at school. Thank you!

Drop-Off: Parent drop-off will be from 8:35-9:00 behind the school at the cafeteria entrance. Parents will pull up in lane 1 to the drop-off area and your child will exit the car by themselves. Any student arriving after 9:00 will need to report to the front office and will be marked tardy.

AM Kindergarten Pick-up: Dismissal is at 11:40 AM. Please line up along Doc's Way. You may enter off of Brickyard Road, proceed down the hill, past the Elementary School and turn around in the Lefcon Field Parking Lot to make your way back in line along Doc's Way for pickup or you can enter off of Three Degree Road onto Doc's Way. Please do not cut through and line up in the Mars Elementary School's parking lot or block the Elementary School's intersection while in line. If your child needs help with their seatbelt, please move forward to an open parking space in the parking lot to keep our dismissal running.

PM Kindergarten Drop Off is between 12:30-12:45 PM. Please line up along Doc's Way. You may enter off of Brickyard Road, proceed down the hill, past the Elementary School and turn around in the Lefcon Field Parking Lot to make your way back in line along Doc's Way for pickup or you can enter off of Three Degree Road onto Doc's Way. Please do not cut through and line up in the Mars Elementary School's parking lot or block the Elementary School's intersection while in line. Please have your student ready to go as soon as you make your way to the PC to make our drop off run smoothly and efficiently. Students will enter through the FRONT kindergarten doors located in the front of the building. To ensure the safety of all students, students are to exit all vehicles from the passenger side onto the curb ONLY.

End-Of-Day Parent Pick-up begins at 3:25 PM: If you are picking your child up at the end of the day, you must send a note to school that day with your child. Your child will need to give the note to their teacher. Parents MUST have their large district issued window card displayed to have your child released to your vehicle. If you need a window card, please pick one up in the PC office. Parents without a window card must park their vehicle in a designated parking spot, enter the PC office, and sign your child out.

Parents, please always bring your driver's license when entering the Primary Center. The safety of our students is our number one priority.

*Also, please make sure that your name on your license matches the contact information on Skyward.

On Wednesday, October 2nd , Mars Area Primary Center students will have the opportunity to participate in Mars Area Elementary PTO’s “March for Mars “walk-a-thon.” The events conclude the PTO’s annual “March for Mars” fundraiser, proceeds benefit the organization’s support of educational programs at the District’s elementary schools.

Please have students wear tennis shoes and bring a water bottle for the event.

***Parents picking up their child at dismissal On October 2 & 4 are asked not to arrive until after 3:00PM due to the administration lot being closed until 3:00PM due to March for Mars at the PC and MAE. We appreciate your patience and understanding for the safety of our students and staff.

Volunteers serving all District Schools must comply with Mars Area School District Policy 916, which clearly defines roles and requirements for parent /guardians and community members interested in volunteering in our schools. Policy 916 establishes the following three categories for volunteers:

1. Assistive Volunteers

2. Independent Volunteers

3. Volunteer Coaches/Sponsors

To view the definitions of each type of volunteer and the requirements to serve as a volunteer, please consult the PC handbook. All volunteers are based on a need by the classroom teacher, not all classroom teachers require volunteers in their classrooms.

Each year, parents must be board approved to be considered an Independent Volunteer.

Any parent wishing to be considered as a first grade field trip chaperone, must submit their clearances and paperwork by November 22, 2024 to be school board approved at the December board meeting.

Students buying lunches may pay for them by the day, week, or month for the entire 2024-2025 school year. The cafeteria accepts cash and checks made out to the Mars Area Cafeteria Fund.

Beginning with the 2024-2025 School Year, parents/guardians will need to log on to SchoolCafé to view a student's purchase and payment history, meal account balance, and to set up low balance alerts.

A SchoolCafé account must be set up in order for parents/guardians to view their child(ren)’s meal account activity and/or to be able to make payments electronically. Once a “parent account” is created, you will need to add your student(s) to the account. When all students have been added, parents/guardian will be able to see account balances, a transaction history, and menus, as well as to set up low balance alerts.

Once an account has been set up, any specific questions regarding the use of SchoolCafé may be directed to Mrs. Kris Barr, Registrar, at kbarr@marsk12.org.

RevTrak

To ADD FUNDS TO A STUDENT’S MEAL ACCOUNT ELECTRONICALLY, parents/guardians must set up an account through RevTrak, the District’s new webstore, which integrates with SchoolCafé and the Skyward student information system. The webstore is available at https://marsk12.revtrak.net/.

A RevTrak account must be set up in order for parents/guardians to make electronic meal account payments. (Note: Checks that are sent in with students will still be accepted.) The webstore offers a secure, user-friendly and convenient way for parents/guardians to pay student fees as well as to manage and add funds to a student's cafeteria meal account. The system also offers e-mail notifications and receipts for all purchases.

There is a fee to prepay using your credit card. There is no fee if you prepay to the school cafeteria.

Cafeteria Prices:

Breakfast with Milk: FREE for K-6 Students

Lunch with Milk: $2.90

Milk Only: $0.65

Students missing school due to a vacation must obtain a vacation form from the school office or the district website. Students may not miss more than 10 consecutive school days. Students are not to be excused for more than two vacations/educational trips within a single year. Vacation forms must be submitted to the Primary Center office at least 2 weeks prior to departure. If the proper application is not completed, the absence will be considered an unexcused absence.

Just a reminder that there are no birthday treats of any kind permitted in the Mars Area Primary Center. If you would like to distribute birthday invitations to students in your child’s class, an invitation needs to be provided for ALL students in the class. Students may also donate a book to the PC Library as part of the “Birthday Book Club.” Please contact Mrs. Vandevort for more details.

Parents please be reminded that if your child is absent for any reason, you are required to provide a written excuse for the absence. On the excuse, please provide your child’s first and last name, date of absence, classroom teacher’s name and reason for the absence. A phone call to the school is not required. Please send the note in with your child to give to their teacher.

If you need to pick up your child during the instructional day, please write a note to your child’s teacher letting them know the day and time you will be picking your child up. All AM Kindergarten students need to have an early dismissal no later than 11:00 AM and Grade 1 and PM Kindergarten students may have an early dismissal no later than 3:00 PM.

Any student having to be picked up for an emergency early dismissal or needing to be a car rider for the day of and did not have a note for their teacher, please call the office to let the school know. Our teachers are busy teaching and instructing and may not see their email until the end of the working day. Please call the office and we will relay the message to the classroom teacher.

All kindergarten and new Mars Area School District students in grades K-6 will receive a free #bethekindkid t-shirt through a generous donation from Rhoads Orthodontic Specialists. It is highly encouraged that all students wear their #bethekindkid t-shirts every Wednesday throughout the school year.

**All kindergarten and new first grade students to the district will be coming home with their #bethekindkid shirt on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. To show our support, the Mars Area Middle School will be sponsoring our annual Pink Out & Hats for Heroes event on Friday, October 4th. By bringing in a donation, students will be permitted to wear a hat for the day and choose from some great prizes! All money collected will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. Last year the Mars Area School District raised an amazing $6,000! Our goal is to match or even surpass that this year.

In addition to accepting in-person donations on Friday, October 4th, we will also be accepting virtual donations. Please feel free to click the link below to visit our district fundraising page.

Click here for Online donations: http://www.info-komen.org/goto/Hats_for_Heroes

If donating by check please write the check to the Susan G. Komen Foundation

Don’t forget to wear PINK!

The Mars Area School District will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week from October 28-November 1, 2024. Red Ribbon Week is the largest drug-abuse prevention campaign in the nation. Listed below are the spirit days your child can have the opportunity to participate in:

Join us in helping Inspired Hearts and Hands provide holiday meals to families facing poverty! A list of requested donations is listed below. TOGETHER, we can make a difference!

Students may wish to dress in costume on October 31, 2024.

AM Kindergarten: 9:30-10:30

PM Kindergarten & First Grade: 1:15-2:15

Parent Party Helpers who are scheduled to assist, please make other provisions for any younger children. These special parties are ONLY for the students of the Mars Area Primary Center.