Pioneer Middle School Leadership

A Message from Principal Fernandes

 

Dear Pioneer Middle School Families,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at Pioneer Middle School! I hope this letter finds you well and brimming with anticipation for the upcoming academic year. As your principal, I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful community and to share in the journey of your child's education.

The halls of Pioneer Middle School are buzzing with energy as we prepare to welcome our students back. The staff and I are eager to embark on this journey with your child, fostering a stimulating and engaging learning environment that encourages curiosity, creativity, and a love for learning. Our dedicated teachers have been hard at work preparing innovative lesson plans and activities that will not only challenge your child academically, but also inspire them to explore new ideas and reach their full potential.

We continue to be a no cell phone school. Our policy for cell phones and smart watches is "off and away all day." 

At Pioneer, students are asked to keep their phones off and away in their backpacks/lockers from 8:03am (when they enter the main hallways to head to class/lockers), until 2:40 pm (when they leave). Our staff understands that communication between students and home is important. We ask that if students need to use their phones to contact home, that they come to the main office. If students are unable to follow this expectation, they will be asked to turn their phone into the main office, until the end of the day.  If this happens a second time, the phone will need to be picked up by a parent/guardian. Our goal is not to punish our students, but to empower and retrain them to be fully present at school and in their classrooms.

To that end, I encourage you to read the article Take Away Their Cellphones…So we can rewire schools for belonging and achievement and discuss our cell phone policy with your student prior to their first day on August 29th. Our goal is to support all of our students to grow academically and socially, and we want to remove any barriers that may prevent this.  

Here are the important dates you need to know in August:

• Tuesday, August 20th - Schedules are made available to students/families via Skyward

• Thursday, August 22nd from 9:00am-2:30pm (closed from lunch from 11:30-12:30) - Pirate Day

9:00 - 11:30 a.m. - 7th grade students
12:30 - 2:30 p.m. - 8th grade students
6th grade students can drop in any time during either shift.

Pirate Day is your opportunity to pay ASB fees, and purchase school spirit wear and PE shorts/shirts

School tours are available for new students and parents can meet with food service, transportation, and the school nurse (teachers and counselors are not available this day)

• Tuesday, August August 27th - Pioneer Open House for 6th Grade Families 4:00-5:00 pm; 7th/8th Grade Families 5:00-6:00 pm

Here's to a successful and rewarding academic year full of learning, laughter, and memorable experiences. Thank you for being an essential part of the Pioneer Middle School family!

Sincerely,
JoAnne Fernandes, Principal