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Pioneer Elementary School

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March 2026 Pioneer Elementary Newsletter - The Bear Cub Bulletin

Posted Date: 03/11/26 (01:29 PM)
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Bear Cub Bulletin

March 2026

Student artwork on display in the hall
 

Message from Principal Lang

Welcome to the month of March! This month usually signals a turn in the weather, and hopefully more days of sun than rain. Even with springtime approaching, we still have a good number of months of learning ahead for this school year. What a great time to get involved at Pioneer, if you are not already!

Later this month, we will hold spring conferences. Attending your child’s conference is a great way to be involved in their educational journey. Be on the lookout for a Parentsquare message from the office to sign up for a conference time. We will also hold the Scholastic Book Fair in the library during conference week - and we are always looking for volunteers to help. Spring also means field trips and the annual field day. These provide yet another way to be involved at Pioneer. The volunteer application process is quick, easy, and will need to be completed before volunteering. Please contact your child’s teacher or the front office if you have any questions. Thank you for being involved at Pioneer!

We are looking forward to events which will bring the Pioneer community together for celebration. After Spring Break, our students will amaze us, as they take part in the Science Fair - set to draw in families on April 23rd. We hope to see you there!

Take care,
Mr. Lang
 

Cubs Counselor Corner

"A lie has speed, but truth has endurance."
– Edgar J. Mohn

Pioneer Families,

We had a wonderful month of February which was filled with events based on the character trait of compassion. We are now moving into the month of Honesty.

Here are some suggestions to promote honesty within your home:
  1. Role modeling honesty yourself - show them how to be honest by matching your deeds to your words. You set the example.
  2. Have talks with your kids about honesty - why it’s important and where it is important to be honest. This is also a great time to discuss silence as honesty or something known as the “white lie”, the time we might not want to be completely honest because it could cause hurt feelings ie. “Aunt Marge, your orange suit is ugly.” or “I hate this gift!”
  3. Acknowledge and recognize times when your student has been honest - not over the top, but simply a chance to say “thank you for being truthful about what happened.”
  4. Also, consider why your child might not be honest. What were your responses to their previous slip-ups? Are they avoiding trouble? Confront moments of possible dishonesty directly, but approach them as teachable moments. Guide them to the appropriate solutions.

With Kindness,
Mrs. Perry
 

Bear Cub Library

Grades K-1 - Fireworks won the Caldecott and we had a few classes predict the winner! We were very excited! In March we'll be focusing on Women's History Month - reading about courageous women who are athletes, fought for our rights, and who are poets! 
Grade 2 - We are continuing our biography projects and will be making a flip book!
Grade 3 -  We will host our Final Battle the first week of March and then we'll brush up on our Digital Citizenship with Media Balance.
Grades 4-5 - Our Final Battle will be mid-march (after 5th graders get settled back from Cispus). We're having ALOT of fun with the competition so far and the Battle books are still getting checked out like they'll never be seen again! 
ALL CLASSES: We will be talking about Book Fair towards the end of the month and getting ourselves ready to read the new books we discover in the Fair! 
Book Fair is during conference week, March 30 - April 3. We will be looking for volunteers, so keep a lookout for the PTA newsletter and flyer coming home soon! 

Pioneer Word of the Month Picture Book

Join us in reading a picture book each month that ties to our Word of the Month. March's word is HONESTY. We will be reading A Bike Like Sergio's by Maribeth Boelts. While we will be reading it in each classroom K-5, we invite you to read it at home as well and join us in conversations about honesty. You can find the story on YouTube here.

In February, we read Maddi's Fridge by Lois Brandt, ask your student about listening to the book in class and the conversations around compassion. You can listen to the February book at this link.

Ms. Beattie
Librarian
 

Specialist Time with Art, Music and P.E.

All K–5 artists are diving into landscapes and learning the basic elements that help create depth and space, including horizon line, foreground, middle ground, and background. Our Kindergarten and 1st-grade students are exploring the bold brushstrokes and expressive color of Vincent van Gogh as they create vibrant landscapes using oil pastels and watercolor paints. Second and third graders are learning about perspective while painting tulips and windmills inspired by Claude Monet. Meanwhile, fourth and fifth graders have been practicing in their sketchbooks as they prepare for abstract landscape paintings in the style of contemporary artist Ted Harrison. They will focus on creating a strong sense of depth and demonstrating their understanding of value by adding subtle color tints to bring their landscapes to life.

Ms. Hougan
Art Specialist
Our Kindergarten and 1st grade students did an amazing job at their performance on Friday, March 6. I am so proud of them!

We have two more exciting performances coming up. On Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 PM, students from Mr. Kerber, Ms. Major, and Mrs. Dunlap’s classes may participate in the Regional FamOLY Choir Concert, performing alongside students from Washington Middle School and Olympia High School. Students should arrive at Olympia High School at 7:15 PM for this performance. They may dress up or wear whatever is comfortable.

At the end of the month, our 2nd and 3rd grade students have their concert on Friday, March 27 at 9:00 AM in the Pioneer gym. This performance will be followed by a cookie reception! 

Ms. Ardington
Music Specialist
 

Pioneer Science Fair

All students are invited to participate in the Pioneer Science Fair which will be held on Thursday, April 23.

Look for an information packet which will be sent home soon in school folders. If your student plans to participate, please complete the registration form attached to the packet and return it to your child’s teacher by March 27. You can also find more information or a link to the packet online. Free tri-fold poster boards for displaying science projects will be available in the school office during conference week and after spring break.

Students will present their projects during the school day on April 23. That evening all students and families are invited from 5:30-7:00 PM to view the posters and celebrate science together!
 

Elementary Spring Conferences

Spring Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held in the afternoons from March 30 through April 3. Please watch for communication from your student’s teacher with detailed instructions on how to sign up for a conference time. Online conference scheduling will be available beginning March 19 at 9:00 AM and will close on March 27 at 4:00 PM. We look forward to connecting with you!
 

Compassion Bingo Challenge

In February, our students began the Compassion Bingo Challenge. Each student received a Bingo board and was challenged to complete a bingo as part of our effort to earn a school-wide reward. Our goal is 50% student participation. If we reach that goal, all students will enjoy a Popcorn Day with a visit from the Popcorn Man!

Please help your student complete a bingo on their Compassion Board. If your student has a completed bingo board at home, please return it to school so it can be counted. If your student needs another copy or wants to complete a second bingo, they can ask their teacher or stop by the school office.
 

Tips and Helpful News

  • Kindergarten registration is happening! The OSD Student Enrollment page provides helpful information regarding the enrollment process and provides the link to the online Kindergarten registration form. If you already have a student in our schools log into your existing Skyward Family Access account and locate the link for New Student Enrollment.
  • If your student is currently a transfer student and plans to return to Pioneer in the fall, you can now begin the Transfer Request process for the 2026-2027 school year. A transfer request does need to be completed for each school year your student lives outside our Pioneer school boundary.
  • School arrival and dismissal is a busy time. To help keep drop off and pick up running smoothly, families who choose to use the drive up lane must remain in their vehicle at all times so you can help keep the vehicle line moving forward during these busy times. If you need to leave your vehicle, please park in a designated space or at a location off campus.
  • When you come in for conferences at the end of March be sure to check the Lost and Found. Items remaining after conference week will be donated.
 

Upcoming Events

  • March 11: Washington Middle School 5th Grade Parent Informational Night at WMS (6:00 - 7:00 PM)
  • March 12: OSD Board Meeting (6:30 - 8:30 PM)
  • March 13: PTA Bunco Bash Fundraiser (6:00 - 10:00 PM)
  • March 18: Orchestra Concert for 5th Grade at Olympia High School (7:00 - 8:00 PM)
  • March 19: Conference Scheduling Opens to Families (starting at 9:00 AM)
  • March 19: FamOLY Concert at Olympia High School (7:30- 8:30 PM)
  • March 19: PTA Board/General Meeting (6:00 - 8:00 PM)
  • March 20: Movie Night (5:30 - 8:00 PM)
  • March 22: Spring School Garden Clean Up Party (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)
  • March 26: OSD Board Meeting (6:30 - 8:30 PM)
  • March 27: Music Concert for Grades 2 and 3 (9:00 - 10:00 AM)
  • March 30 - April 3: Conference Week School Dismissed at 11:35 AM
  • March 30 - April 2: Scholastic Book Fair (12:00 PM - 4:00 PM)
  • April 2: OSD Board Work Session (6:00 - 8:00 PM)
  • April 6 - 10: OSD Spring Break - No School
 

Catch up with OSD District News

 

Connect with our PTA

The Pioneer PTA Website shares information regarding the PTA sponsored events happening at Pioneer. Check it out!