Next week at PCMS, we will all be celebrating our Classified Staff. These individuals go above and beyond to make sure that our spaces are clean and safe, meals are hot and nutritious, learning is supported and encouraged, and our day-to-day operations happen without a hitch! We have such a special group of people that are able to spend time with our Golden Eagles each day and it is the honest truth that the work of a school CANNOT be done without them. A million ‘thank yous’ to our incredible staff!
Grade Reminder: Remember, if you see work within your student’s Canvas page that is marked 50%, that DOES NOT MEAN that they have completed this assignment in any meaningful way. With the change in our MS and HS grading systems, a 50% (or No Grade – NG) is the lowest grade that a student will receive. Now would be a great time to go over this with your student as well as take time to look at your student’s Canvas report to monitor progress. HERE is a link to the grading policy and HERE is a helpful guide to get set up as a Canvas Observer.
Additionally, it is very important that students complete all Asynchronous work during their Asynchronous Days. The work that is assigned during this time is mandatory and will receive a grade just as any other assignment. These days are also good times for students to engage in personal reading and mathematics using the supports that have been designed by classroom teachers. There is always room for more if these days feel light. Please reach out directly to classroom teachers to get the best information as to what additional work can look like during these days.
Now that we are in Semester II, we can use data from Semester I to identify students who experienced a high degree of struggle. During next week, we will be reaching out to families to create schedules for students who may need scheduled supports on Asynchronous Days. This will include a letter home, permission slip, and a connection point for the family moving forward. Because we want to create a different trajectory for these students during second semester, we are excited about launching these supports. Please know that if you are contacted, we are simply interested in providing more support for the future.
Conference Update: In mid-April, we will have conferences. These likely will be virtual but this remains to be seen. Prior to signing up for conference times, students will be bringing home a Take Home Conference to complete with families by April 7th. After the Take-Home Conference is completed, families will be able to determine if they would like to meet with teachers or not. Some families may be directly contacted prior to April 7th to attend an Invite Only conference as well. I will share more information regarding conferences in subsequent News from the Nest issues.
Youth Truth Survey: Thank you to everyone who was able to participate in our school survey earlier this year! We just received the data from our survey and what stands out more than anything is that our students are feeling really connected to our school and love their teachers! It is no surprise for any of us that the vast majority are also really excited to be learning in school rather than alone at home. It is a really nice reminder what a special place Pacific Crest is for our young people. I will share more information in future News issues. Stay tuned!
Purchasing Photo Packets Online: You have the ability to order pictures up to four (4) days after picture day online by visiting dorianstudio.com and searching for your school’s name. After the 4-day grace period expires, a personalized access key will be sent home with picture delivery. A $7 shipping and handling fee will be added to all orders made with a personalized access key and orders will ship directly to your home. Questions…contact Dorian Studios at (800) 826-3535 or www.dorianstudio.com/support. Please note: We will not be having a photo retake day this year.
Final Reminder | Yearbook Purchasing: Don’t wait! We are up against our ordering deadline to our yearbook publisher. We will NOT be placing a reorder for books this spring when books are distributed. So go to https://touchbase.bend.k12.or.us/ to order now! Yearbooks at $20.00.
Family Fun Trivia Night is now FREE! As a community building event, we want to invite all households to join in the fun on Wednesday, March 10 at 6:oo PM. Simply go to the following Webex Room: https://bls.webex.com/meet/liza.huet. Click here for flyer.
For families who would still like to support Family Access Network (FAN), we are collecting NEW pairs of winter gloves and socks. Look for the collection container at the main entrance of the school beginning Monday, March 1.
Athletics Information: Track started this week and it was an awesome turn out! Thank you athletes and families for helping our systems run so smoothly! Please note that we will NOT have spectators at events this year. THIS LETTER outlines the guidelines for HS Athletics and middle school will be similar; however, at the MS level, we will not have live-streamed events at this time.
We are excited to welcome Troy O’Bryan and Ron Lund to our football coaching staff. We continue to look for a Volleyball coach as well as an assistant Cross Country coach. If you or someone you know is interested, please encourage them to apply using the BLP link found HERE.
A Group for Learning: Race, Equity, History, and Raising Great Humans– We have had an ongoing book club at PCMS focused on Equity for the past year. During the next two months, we will be changing the structure and using podcasts, essays, articles, and other information to explore some of Oregon’s history as it relates to the above topics. Join us for one or all of the sessions during March and April (3/4, 3/18, 4/1, 4/15, 4,29). We will meet every other Thursday from 6-7 pm in Lisa’s Webex room and discuss one focused article each time. If you are interested, please sign up to receive information using THIS LINK. Everyone is welcome so don’t hesitate to share this with others. The first reading/video will be sent on Monday (3/1). Come ready to think and learn together!
Go Golden Eagles!
Calendar
- Feb. 12 – Mar. 5 | Purchase PCMS Spirit Wear Online
- Mar. 1 | Area Change Requests (ACR) Deadline | All paperwork due to home school
- Mar. 4 | Race, Equity, History and Raising Great Humans Group | 6-7 pm | https://bls.webex.com/meet/lisa.birk
- Mar. 10 | NEW DATE (again)! Family & Friends Trivia Night | 6:00 – 7:30 PM
- Mar. 19 | High School Choice Options
Helpful Links