PIONEER PRESS
Pioneer Elementary School - March 2023
Greetings from Mr. Mac, Principal of Pioneer Elementary
Pioneer Families,
During this month, the Pioneer staff is focused on accelerating student learning as we prepare for important assessments that take place in April and May. March also brings the end of the 2nd Trimester of school, daylight savings and the start of spring. March is also our longest month of the school year, with a total of 23 days of school!
School Calendar Highlights:
Title Reading Night on Friday, March 3 (6:00-7:30pm)
Sunday, March 12 is Daylight Savings (move your clocks forward by 1 hour on Saturday night)
March 16 marks the end of the 2nd Trimester
Every remaining Monday this school year is a 1-hour late start (school starts at 9:45am)
Due to the snow day on December 1, our final school day of the year will be June 22
Sincerely,
Paul McKenzie - “Mr. Mac”
Principal, Pioneer Elementary
UPCOMING DATES
- Friday, March 3: Title Reading Night - 6:00 p.m. See article below for more information.
- Monday, March 6: PLC Late Start - 9:45 a.m. Start Time
- Monday, March 13: PLC Late Start - 9:45 a.m. Start Time
- Monday, March 20: PLC Late Start - 9:45 a.m. Start Time
- Monday, March 27: PLC Late Start - 9:45 a.m. Start Time
- Monday, April 3: PLC Late Start - 9:45 a.m. Start Time
- Monday, April 10 to Friday, April 14: SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL!
- Monday, April 17: PLC Late Start - 9:45 a.m. Start Time
- Thursday, April 20: Class Photos Day
- Thursday, April 20: Immunization Clinic - 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. (Pioneer Gymnasium)
- Monday, April 24: PLC Late Start - 9:45 a.m. Start Time
ENROLLMENT FOR NEXT YEAR'S KINDERGARTEN IS OPEN!
Do you have a child who will turn 5 years old by August 31st, 2023? If you answered yes, then now is the time to sign up your child for kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year!
For more information, CLICK HERE, call us at 253-931-4986, or stop by the office to speak with our office staff.
TITLE READING NIGHT AT PIONEER
On Friday, March 3rd we had our “Title I Reading Night” for Pioneer Elementary students and families. This was a special event with 475 people in attendance! Thank you to our families and students for joining us as we spent time learning about the power and joy of reading. We hope you found the resources and activities helpful. Special thanks to our Title I staff and other Pioneer staff members who made this event a success. Check out our school Facebook page to see pictures from the event!
PIONEER TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Mrs. Rose-Fufa, 5th grade teacher, for being chosen as the Pioneer Teacher of the Year! Mrs. Rose-Fufa is known for her positive demeanor, collaboration with staff, hard work and humility. Her classroom has high expectations for students with lots of love and support. Thank you Mrs. Rose-Fufa for making Pioneer a great place for students, families and staff!
ATTENDANCE UPDATE
Dear Families,
As we near the end of the school year, we want to encourage you to support your child’s attendance.
Remember, attending school regularly and arriving on time can greatly impact your student’s school outcomes.
At Pioneer, we encourage all students to arrive to school at 8:30 am (9:30 on late start Mondays). This allows them to get their breakfast and to be in the classroom ready for learning at 8:45 am. We have been recognizing classes who had 6 days of no tardies within the month for being ON TIME. For each day that all students who are present that day and arriving ON TIME, classroom teachers are filling out an ON TIME chart.
So far in the month of March we have been able to recognize the following classrooms:
- Ms. Roble’s 1st grade
- Ms. Schleif’s K/1 Split
- Ms. Verlander’s 4th grade
See previous classroom winners below.
February -
- Ms. Roble’s 1st grade
- Ms. Verlander’s 4th grade
January -
- Ms. Roble’s 1st grade
- Ms. Verlander’s 4th grade
- Mrs. Beckett’s 5th grade
December -
- Mrs. Atkinson’s 1st grade
November -
- Mrs. Atkinson’s 1st grade
- Ms. Verlander’s 4th grade
October -
- Mrs. Atkinson’s 1st grade
Please help your child’s class be recognized for the months of March, April, and May by getting your child to school on time. Students in these classes have been receiving coupons for free pizza from Papa John’s, free frozen yogurt from Menchies, free burritos from Taco Time and more!
Beginning April 3, there are only 52 days of school left for the 2022-23 school year. Let’s work together to get our students to school ON TIME for the remainder of the school year!
If you need support with attendance and getting your child to school on time, please contact us at Pioneer Elementary.
Rachel Collins
Assistant Principal
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
As we transition into spring, it is a good idea to make sure students continue to have a consistent bedtime routine. Additionally, when students have a full night’s sleep they are better prepared to focus in school, participate in activities and make progress in their learning. We encourage families to consider having their children stay off screens (tablets, phones, TVs and other electronic devices) for 30 minutes prior to their bedtime. This practice helps children fall asleep much quicker, plus it is a great time for students to read (or be read to).
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL INFORMATION
Due to a City of Auburn Road Construction Project, Riverwalk Drive SE is closed until May. Because of this project, M Street SE has additional vehicles that are using it to travel to and from Muckleshoot Hill. This is causing our arrival and dismissal process to be slower than normal. Despite this impact, please continue to use the vehicle loop, as this is the safest and most efficient way to drop off and pick up students. Thank you for your patience!
Please remember…The City of Auburn does not allow parking on K Street SE or M Street SE. Parking on those streets could cause a traffic accident and result in you receiving a ticket. Please use our north lot and follow the traffic procedures.
Parking is reserved for ECEAP, Kindergarten, ECE, TK Office Visitors and Pioneer Staff only. Parents of 1st-5th grade students must drive through the vehicle loop. Please see picture below.
The parking lot opens at 8:25 am for all grades. However, ECEAP may arrive at 8:15 since their program begins before TK-5th grade.
Please do not arrive early, as this results in traffic congestion. Students are not to be dropped off until 8:30, as that is when staff are on duty to supervise them.
Dismissal Times by Grade Level: We ask parents to arrive at the time of their oldest student. (Arriving at the correct time prevents traffic jams and keeps everyone safe.)
2:50 ECEAP families may drive into north parking lot and park in their section
3:05 TK and Kindergarten families may arrive (pick up in front of school)
3:07 1st grade
3:09 2nd grade
3:11 3rd grade
3:13 ECE (pick up in front of school)
3:13 4th grade
3:15 5th grade
Can I park on M STREET SE or K STREET SE?
No. The City of Auburn has designated these areas as no parking zones.
Parking in these areas could result in a traffic accident and/or a traffic ticket from the City of Auburn.
Why do I have to turn right out of the north parking lot?
Turning right helps our traffic flow. It also reduces the likelihood of an accident between cars turning left out of the parking lot and cars turning into the parking lot.
Thank you for turning right only!
How can we help the neighbors?
Use the north parking lot system if you are driving your child to and from school.
Please do not park in the neighborhoods, do not park in or block driveways, and do not drop off your child on M Street SE or K Street SE.
Can I park in the emergency lane in the north parking lot?
No. This is a designated area for emergency vehicle access.
We appreciate your support in helping to keep our students safe by following the parking lot procedure. THANK YOU!
VOLUNTEERING AT PIONEER
Volunteers provide active support and assistance in Auburn schools. We welcome your involvement at Pioneer, and we use volunteers in a variety of ways.
Prior to volunteering, all volunteers are required to complete an online application form and receive approval from the Auburn School District.
You can complete your online application by clicking on the following link: ASD Volunteer Application.
Instructions for the online volunteer application can be viewed here: Instructions for ASD Volunteer Application.
If you have submitted a form for another group or agency outside of our district, you will need to fill out a new form. The Washington State background check ensures we keep students safe when having non-staff members volunteer in our building. This volunteer application is valid for 1 school year and must be completed each new school year.
If you require assistance or have questions, please contact our Family Engagement Liaison (Mr. Moyer) at 253-931-4986 or nmoyer@auburn.wednet.edu.
We appreciate your interest in volunteering at Pioneer, and look forward to having you partner with us to support student learning!
CLASS CELEBRATIONS & TREATS
In the event of a class celebration or birthday recognition, please keep the following guidelines in mind. Thank you for your cooperation!
Auburn School District policy states home baked goods are not to be brought to school for class or birthday celebrations. All treats/snacks must be store bought. We encourage families to consider healthy food options when bringing in treats (ex: pre-packaged apple slices, crackers, pretzels, raisins). Although not as healthy, store bought items such as cookies, Rice Krispies Treats or cupcakes are allowed.
Helium balloons are not allowed on campus, as they cause a distraction, are difficult to retrieve if they are released and cause problems with our school alarm system.
Please first contact your child’s teacher to find a mutually agreeable day/time if you wish to help recognize your child’s birthday in the classroom. Our preferred time for celebrations is near the end of the school day.
RECOGNIZING CLASSIFIED PIONEER STAFF
During the week of March 13-17 we want to recognize the great work of our Educational Support Professionals. ASD classified employees play many different roles, and they do so much to support students and families each day. Please join us in expressing appreciation for their work!
FOOD DRIVE!
We are also having a contest within Pioneer. The group of classes that brings in the most items will watch as their teacher pours a bucket of cold water over Principal Mac’s head, and they will be given a cold treat, as well!
- Bring nonperishable items (canned and boxed foods)
- Boxed foods include cereal, macaroni and cheese, crackers, etc.
- Pet food
- Paper products
- Baby and child nutrition items
- Household cleaning supplies
- Personal hygiene items
- Check or cash donations (checks should be written to “Auburn Food Bank”)
HEALTH ROOM NEWS - FREE IMMUNIZATION CLINIC!
Are you missing or needing immunizations? The Medical Center Pharmacy will be holding an immunization clinic at Pioneer Elementary School on April 20th from 3:30-5:30 in the gym. The Medical Center Pharmacy is licensed, immunization certified and fully insured. This service is completely free for all children grades K-12. Please contact the Pioneer health room with any questions.
Immunizations available are DTAP, TDAP, IPV, HPV, VARICELLA, MENINGOCOCCAL AND
HEP A & B.
Please bring a current vaccination record and completed consent form, which is linked below.
Kelly Benshoof, MSN, RN
Pioneer School Nurse
Kathryn Wentzel
Pioneer Health Technician
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/asdpioneer to follow our school on Facebook! Each week we post our Monday announcements, and also post other important school and district news.
MISSION STATEMENT
At Pioneer we dedicate ourselves to students and their families, to inspire and empower children to achieve their greatest academic and social potential.
CONTACT US
- Principal: Paul McKenzie “Mr. Mac” pmckenzie@auburn.wednet.edu
- Assistant Principal: Rachel Collins rcollins@auburn.wednet.edu
- Office Manager: Patty Ankerfelt pankerfelt@auburn.wednet.edu
- Office Assistant: Karin Ode kode@auburn.wednet.edu
- Office Assistant: DesMarie Wilson dwilson@auburn.wednet.edu
Email: pmckenzie@auburn.wednet.edu
Website: www.auburn.wednet.edu/pioneer
Location: 2301 M St SE, Auburn, WA 98002, USA
Phone: 253-931-4986
Facebook: facebook.com/asdpioneer