Falcon Newsletter
March 17, 2023 - Pinewood Elementary School
Principal's Message
Hello Pinewood Community,
Welcome back Falcons! I'm so glad that we were able to be here this week. A full week of school coupled with the time change, has led to some tired kids. I hope you are all able to take this weekend to relax and recharge for another great week of school.
Fortunately, the rains have come and washed away a lot of the snow on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods. Most of the roadways are much easier to navigate than they have been over the last few weeks. With all of the runoff combined with overnight freezing temperatures, our parking lot can still be icy. As always, use extreme caution when driving around our campuses. We want all of our students and families to have a safe, positive start to each day.
This week, you should have received your child's report card in their weekly folder. Take some time to review this as a family. If you have any questions, or are concerned about your child's progress, don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher.
Next week, our 4th grade Oral Interpretation team will be heading to Pioneer School to participate in the Oral Interpretation Competition. They have been working so hard over the last couple of months. We know they are going to do fantastic. Good luck to all of our amazing participants.
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Heather Minton
Information and Updates:
- TK/Kindergarten Enrollment 2023/2024 - TK/Kindergarten Enrollment for next year is open. Enrollment packets are available in the Pinewood Office, District Office, and on our website. Returning these packets as soon as possible helps us to make sure we have accurate staffing to support your child. Students currently enrolled at Pinewood TK-4th Grade do not need to re-enroll.
- PTC - PTC is a group of families and staff members responsible for planning events and fundraisers for our schools. If you are interested in joining our PTC, you can reach out to Heather Minton, or attend the next meeting on April 11th at 2:45 in Room 2.
- Pokemon Cards and Other Toys - Remember that students need to keep their toys, including Pokemon cards, at home. Students should not be bringing them to school.
Attendance Matters
We love having your children at school all school year!
This is the time of year when winter weather takes a toll on school attendance. Snow and rain can make it hard to get your children to school. So can illnesses such as colds, flu, fevers, earaches and Covid-19.
These absences, even if they are excused, break the routine of daily attendance that contributes to students feeling connected and engaged in learning. Please consider these steps to keep your children healthy and in school this winter:
- Develop back up plans for getting your children to school. Check who can give your children a ride if you can’t take them.
- If your children get sick or you are concerned about Covid or the flu, talk to your child’s medical provider or the school nurse for advice.
- Stomach pain and headaches can be signs of anxiety and may not be reasons for keeping a child home. If you feel that anxiety or stress is playing a role, talk to your child’s teacher, the school nurse or counselor or your medical provider about how best to support your child.
- Encourage children to wash their hands before and after eating and after using the restroom.
- Avoid sharing cups and utensils with other individuals.
- Dress your children for the cold weather. If you need help with winter clothing, call the school.
- Encourage healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, drinking fluids and getting exercise.
- If your children need to stay home for a prolonged period due to illness, talk to your child’s teacher to find out about resources, including computer or internet access, that they can use at home to keep learning once they feel well enough.
Let us know how we can help you. If you’re having trouble, need resources or advice, please call us at 530-644-2384 and ask to speak with Mrs. Minton.
Thank you for partnering with us!
Second Step Monthly Focus:
This month, our schoolwide theme is empathy. In our morning announcements and school assembly we'll be reminding students to have empathy, identify their own and others' feelings, notice and respect same and different feelings, and show compassion. When students can identify, understand, and respond in a caring way to how someone else is feeling, it helps create a positive and accepting school climate.
Please tell your child's teacher if you have any questions about how you can help your child learn to identify feelings and show empathy and compassion at home.
Nurse's Corner
Guidelines For Sick Days:
- Temperature of 100 or higher
- Diarrhea
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Green/Yellow nasal discharge (signs of infection)
- skin rashes/sores (can be serious)
- pink eye (may have itching and drainage)
- head lice (usually seen around the nape of the neck and/or ears itching or white dots on the shaft of the hair)
- other health complaints (deemed by the nurse or staff as a reason to be sent home)
Mark Your Calendars:
- March 22nd -- Oral Interpretation Competition
- March 27th-31st -- School In Session
- March 28th -- Harvest of the Month
- March 31st -- Last Day of PTC Hot Cocoa before School
- April 3rd-7th -- Spring Break
- April 10th -- School in Session
- April 13th -- Nature Bowl
- April 13th -- Sky Dome Assembly
- April 18th -- Dine Out Event at Chipotle: Benefitting 4th Grade Coloma Trip
- April 21st -- ACE Starts
- April 25th -- Harvest of the Month
- May 10th-11th -- 4th Grade Field Trip to Coloma
- May 12th -- Spelling Bee
- May 16th-19th -- Book Fair
- May 17th -- 4th Grade Orientation (for incoming Sierra Ridge 5th graders)
- May 18th -- Open House
Employment Opportunities:
Substitute Teachers and Support Staff -- Contact District Office (530)644-5416
School & District Events
Community Events
Important Links
Pinewood Elementary School
Email: jmckeand@ppesd.org
Website: https://pes-ppesd-ca.schoolloop.com/
Location: 6181 Pine Street, Pollock Pines, CA, USA
Phone: (530) 644-2384