Pioneer Trail Elementary
November 2019 Parent Newsletter
PRINCIPAL'S NOTE
I am including an article below that I have seen several times of late. I believe there are some hard truths in there about our world today in relation to how we are raising our children. Not to say there is a right or wrong way, because parenting does not come with a step by step guide....but I do think the article offers some insight to some ideas that I believe would make a difference for me as a parent if I had a do over.
Thank you for your partnership with us in helping your kids be the best they can be! As always, let us know if you have any questions about anything!
Meet our Instructional Coach, Reading Specialist, and Reading Interventionist
INSTRUCTIONAL COACH - TERRI MILLER
I am currently in my 22nd year of teaching. I taught one year teaching a program called "Write to Read" for the Eldon School District. Then I moved to School of the Osage and taught 8 years in Kindergarten and one year in First Grade. Life then took me to Sedalia to teach one year of Early Childhood Special Education. When I found out I was pregnant with triplets, I felt it was worth my while to be a stay at home mom for the next five years. When I was ready to return to teaching, I moved to Jefferson City and taught Kindergarten for 4 years. My favorite subjects to teach were reading and writing so I applied to be a Reading Recovery teacher and loved every minute. I taught Reading Recovery for three years and was given the opportunity to be an Instructional Coach. I am now on my 4th year as the Instructional Coach for Pioneer Trail Elementary.
I received my bachelors from Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City and my masters from the University of Missouri-Columbia. I also have a Reading Specialist Certificate.
My biggest adventure in life has been raising my triplets. I have two boys and one girl. They are going into high school as freshman this year.
Kathy Haselhorst, Reading Specialist
Tara Verslues, Reading Interventionist
This is my 11th year of teaching and my second year as a Reading Interventionist. My first nine years were spent teaching third grade at Pioneer Trail. I received my Masters in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Technology from Lincoln University in December 2011. I received my Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education from Lincoln University in December 2008.
My husband, Matt Verslues, is also a teacher. We have two sons, Wyatt and Bryson. Our boys are such an amazing blessing to our life! In my free time, I enjoy working out and attending sporting events at the high school, college, and professional level. I also enjoy being outdoors, traveling, and most of all spending time with my family.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO HAVE MY CHILD AT SCHOOL EACH MORNING?
So when is the best time to get your student to school? If they are going to eat breakfast at school, they really need to arrive before 7:30 AM. If they are not eating at school, it would be best if they could at least be in their classrooms by 7:40 AM. Once that 7:45 AM bell rings to officially start our day, we are going strong to get our day going. When students have a chance to get settled and check in with their teacher before then, it just sets the stage for a great day.
Even as adults, a lot of us get flustered when we are running late. It is not different with kids, it just gets their day off to a better start when they have a chance to catch their breath and prepare for the day.
Make it your family goal to be at school on time EVERYDAY....the earlier the better! :)
UPCOMING NOVEMBER EVENTS
November 6 - Pioneer Trail Night at Freddy's (proceeds go back to P Trail) - 5:00 - 9:00 PM
November 7 - Parent Teacher Conferences - 3:00 - 7:00 PM
November 11 - Veterans' Day Assembly - 8:00 AM
November 11 - PTO Business Meeting - 6:30 PM
November 15 - Fall Picture Retakes
November 15 - PTO Movie Night - 6:00 PM - Movie starts at 6:30 PM
November 20 - Two Hour Early Release - 12:45 PM
November 22 - Monthly Awards Assembly - 8:00 AM
November 26 - Mid-terms Sent Home
November 27 - 29 No School - Thanksgiving Break
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
Difference Makers are those who go above and beyond to serve our students, staff, and schools. We need your help in identifying those individuals, teams, or groups who have made a difference in our district. Please use the button below to share your Difference Maker's story. We are specifically looking for Difference Makers tied to the JCPS organizational pillars: Learning, Partnerships, and Stewardship.
While we will thank all who are nominated, some will be recognized monthly at the Board of Education meeting.
HELPFUL HINTS FROM THE OFFICE
- To ensure the safety of our students, we will always follow the set routine for your child to go home from Pioneer Trail unless we have a note or phone call from you. Please call no later than 1:45 pm.
- If your child will be absent, please notify the office as soon as possible at 632-3400.
- When dropping your child off in the morning, please remain in your vehicle. If you need to exit your vehicle, please pull into a parking space so that the flow of traffic is not disrupted.
- If you are dropping your child off after 7:45, please walk them inside and sign them in.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!!