Pulse of the Pirates
October Newsletter for Plainview Elementary School
Important Dates
October 1st - Picture Retake Day
October 7th - 1:00 Dismissal, Teacher & Staff Professional Development
October 13th - Miles of Smiles
October 13th - NCDHD FLU SHOTS
October 21st - Early Dismissal - 1:00 (Teacher Professional Development)
October 23rd - Full Day of School!
October 23rd - End of 1st Quarter
October 30th - Halloween Parties & Parade (Parade begins at 2:30)
October 31st - Halloween
Calendar Changes
Due to the late start for the school year, the Board of Education for Plainview Public School voted to make the following changes to the school calendar. Please mark your calendars with these changes!
October 23 (originally scheduled to be Fall Break)
now scheduled as a full school day for students
December 16 and December 17 - (originally 1pm dismissals)
now scheduled as Full school day for students
December 18 - (originally PD day for teachers)
now scheduled as Full school day for students
Parent Survey for NE English Language Arts Standards
The Nebraska State Board of Education approves content area standards in all content areas. It is then up to the Board of Education at each school district to adopt those standards at the district level. Nebraska’s College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) were approved in 2014 and due to state laws, they now require revision. An important part of this process is gathering feedback on the content and rigor of the current ELA standards. The revision committee will consider the information collected from the 2021 Nebraska English Language Arts Public Input Survey when revising the current standards.
As parents, I strongly encourage you to complete the public input survey and provide input for your child’s education. Our Nebraska Department of Education does a phenomenal job of listening to its stakeholders - but they can not hear your opinions if you do not voice them! Thank you in advance for your time.
Halloween Parties
Our Halloween parties will fall on Friday, October 30th. Classroom teachers will send more information about times and ask for volunteers to donate items if needed. It will depend on the current status of the risk dial as to whether parents are able to volunteer in the classroom, but that information will be made available as the date approaches.
Our Halloween Parade will take a twist this year since parents will most likely not be allowed to line the hallways this year as they have in the past. If weather permits, students will walk outside along the sidewalk in front (to the south) of the school and then back into the school to allow parents to take pictures from between the barricades if you choose.
If students choose to wear costumes:
1. Costumes must be in good taste and not represent horror movies or violent themes.
2. Costumes will not contain guns, knives, swords, hatchets or any other type of weapon.
3. Costumes, makeup, and masks that depict blood will not be allowed.
4. Do not send children to school wearing their costumes or any part of their costume.
5. Makeup will not be worn throughout the day. Students will be given a reasonable amount of time to prepare for the parade. (Parade begins at 2:30)
School Safety
If the barricades are not in place by 7:30 a.m., please do NOT drive through the street between the elementary and high school building as the street is still considered closed.
Do not drive through barricades during the school day. Once they are across the street, the students assume that no one will be driving through the streets and therefore do not look before crossing the street. In the morning, the first barricades in front of the elementary are moved for buses to arrive. They are not moved for parents to drive through.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. With nearly 100 elementary students crossing after walking club it is crucial that we ensure their safety!
School Arrival Times
Students should NOT arrive at school before 7:45 a.m. unless they are participating in the breakfast program or walking club.
Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. Please do not send students prior to 7:30. The weather is going to start getting colder and I don’t want students to have to wait outside in the cold. If they get here after 7:30, they don’t have to wait!
Walking Club starts at 7:30 a.m. - It’s great to see so many students getting exercise in the morning!
Student absences should be reported to the office (402-582-3808) between 7:15 and 8:15 a.m. This “call-in” procedure is designed to protect your child by providing clear communication. Ms. Patsy will begin calling to find students who are not accounted for by 8:30 each day.
Miles of Smiles
On October 13th, 2020, North Central District Health Department (NCDHD) will offer the Miles of Smiles program in Plainview Elementary School. Miles of Smiles is a school-based fluoride dental program, available to preschool, elementary and middle school students within the nine county health district.
This program is offered to ALL children! A non-required $15 donation is asked to help offset the cost, but there is no fee to participate in the program. Children will not be denied services due to inability to provide a donation.
For more information about the Miles of Smiles program, contact Sara Twibell, Miles of Smiles Coordinator for NCDHD at (402) 336-2406.
Mrs. Thompson - Principal
Email: hthompson@plainviewschools.org
Website: www.plainviewschools.org
Phone: (402) 582-3808
Twitter: @mrs_thompson007