Registration is now open to schedule your Parent/Teacher Conferences to be held on Mar. 9th & 11th from 3:00-7:00 PM.  Please access the step-by-step directions, and be sure to register for each child.  At the elementary, we ask that you register with the homeroom teacher only, but you may also register to meet with special teachers if you like.  

As a reminder, we will dismiss at 1:30 on Mar. 9th & Mar. 11th.  There is no school Mar. 12th due to Professional Development.  

We have had an excellent start to the school year, and are very proud of how hard our 5th graders have been working. For this newsletter we would like to focus on how we utilize our Accelerated Reader program in 5th grade.

Each quarter every 5th grader is given three individual goals to work towards in AR. Each student has a book level goal, a points goal, and a percentage goal. Special prizes are given out at the end of the quarter for reaching their goals. In order to qualify for prizes, students must have read and passed a minimum of four quizzes at their individual book level goal. Research shows that if a student reads for 20-30 minutes a day at their individual book level, they can gain a full year without any interventions. Imagine what they can do when we are doing even more!!! 

The 2nd quarter will be ending Thursday, January 14- Those students that read at least 4 books at their book level and passed them will not only receive the above awards but will also be rewarded with a movie fun day. If they met all three goals they get a drink and a snack to enjoy with their movie. 

On January 18th, they will have new goals for the third quarter. Again these will be taped inside their planners. 

Please make sure that each night your student has set aside 15-20 minutes to read from their AR book, you can have them read to you or even share the reading. We read at least 10-15 minutes daily to start each reading class. Each student has their goals taped inside their planner. This is an expectation for ALL 5th graders.

First semester is at an end, and students are ready to take the Unit 4 Math assessment and start their second math journal.  Second quarter focused mostly on introducing fractions. Students now realize that fractions are actually division problems, the numerator divided by the denominator. They have learned how to convert improper fractions to mixed numbers and vise versa. They also worked on finding common denominators to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. This is a difficult concept for them. They are now able to find a fraction of a whole number and multiply two fractions. Simplifying fractions is still a struggle for most students, but practice makes progress, so we keep working at it.

Students have also been writing decimal numbers in expanded form and adding and subtracting decimals. They have learned that 0.6 is the same as 6/10, 0.06 = 6/100 and 0.006 = 6/1000.

We have also spent time working with ordered pairs and coordinate grids.

Next semester we will continue fraction work using more mixed numbers.

It is quite exciting to think about how much students have learned so far this school year.

Media Release

The USDA has issued nationwide waivers which allow school districts and community organizations to extend the operation of the Summer Food Service Program through the end of the current school year.

Pekin Community School District is participating in the USDA Summer Food Service Program during this time, which will allow for a safe and streamlined service of nutritious meals.  Meals will be provided to ALL Enrolled Children without charge.  FREE meals will be provided at the sites and times as follows: 

Pekin Elementary School

1062 Birch Ave., Packwood, IA 52580

Monday – Friday, Beginning September 14, 2020 to May 20, 2021

Breakfast serve time is 7:45 a.m.– 8:15 a.m.

Lunch serve time is 10:50 a.m. – 1:08 p.m.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.  

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1)       mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2)       fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3)       email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Iowa Non-Discrimination Statement: 

“It is the policy of this CNP provider not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or religion in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code section 216.6, 216.7, and 216.9.  If you have questions or grievances related to compliance with this policy by this CNP Provider, please contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Grimes State Office building, 400 E. 14^th St. Des Moines, IA 50319-1004; phone number 515-281-4121, 800-457-4416; website: https://icrc.iowa.gov/.”

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html