October 17, 2025

Screenagers: Oct. 23 at Platte Purchase Middle School

Join us next Thursday, October 23 for this special FREE screening from “ScreenAgers” filmmaker Delaney Ruston at Platte Purchase Middle School! Through storytelling and surprising insights from leading experts, this film reveals how screens are shaping kids’ development. Most importantly, it offers actionable solutions to help adults empower kids to navigate the digital age and find balance. Free pizza dinner will be included with the film screening, and limited childcare available for children ages 3-12 by registration only. This event is being hosted by Platte County R-3 School District and the Northland Coalition.

See flier for details and register here by October 20.

Siegrist Student Leaders Partner for Snow Plow Art Project

Siegrist Elementary's Career & Community Student Leader Team kicked off the school year with a creative community partnership! Students participated in a snow-themed art contest, with the winning design (created by 4th grader Chloe Spencer) to be painted on a Platte City Public Works Department snow plow blade.

Under the guidance of Mrs. Karen Moreno, Special Education Teacher and team facilitator, students spent last week bringing Chloe’s design to life. Platte City Public Works provided the snow plow blade, even sanding and priming it before delivery, and recently stopped by to reconnect it to their truck. Be on the lookout for the Siegrist snowplow out on the roads this winter, showcasing our students’ creativity and community spirit! Click here for additional photos.

(This project reflects PCR-3s commitment to meaningful experiences and collaborative community partnerships, helping students grow as confident, life-ready learners.)

Winter Weather Planning

For the 2025-26 school year, PCR-3 will implement the following Inclement Weather Plan:

• First 3 Inclement Weather Days: These will be traditional inclement weather days with no school and no virtual learning. 
• Inclement Weather Days 4-9: These will be designated as Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) days, where virtual learning will take place. 
• Inclement Weather Days Beyond 9: These will either be traditional snow days with no school or virtual learning. If necessary, additional school days may be added after Memorial Day.

Device Insurance - Register by November 1

If you haven’t registered for Device Insurance yet for your student's iPad or Chromebook, you have until November 1, 2025 to do so. For more information click here, and to register your device, click here. The cost for insurance is $30. If your student qualifies for free/reduced lunch, the $30 fee is waived, but you still need to register. Check out this video for a step-by-step guide, or call your school with any questions.

Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences are a very important time for parents to discuss their student's progress with teachers, as research has shown that parental involvement is one of the most important factors in a student's success in school. Please see the remaining schedule below (buildings and teachers will be communicating specifics for reserving time slots).

• October 22: Middle Schools Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7pm
• October 29: PreK-5th Grade Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:30-8pm
• October 30: No School; All Schools Parent/Teacher Conferences 
• 7:30am-3pm (6th-12th grades)
• 8:30am-4pm (PreK-5th Grades)

Nominate Hall of Fame Members by Dec. 1

Do you know of a special volunteer, former teacher/employee, or someone who has contributed significantly to the enhancement of the Platte County R-3 School District or has had outstanding accomplishments after graduating from PCHS? If so, now is the time to recognize those special individuals.

• Click here for a list of current Hall of Fame members
• Click here to complete an online nomination form

Pirate Pride: Community Collaboration

For the Pirate Pride portion of the October meeting, the Board recognized members of the Platte City YMCA for their outstanding partnership and support during the District’s evacuation and reunification after the gas leak in the area on August 29. Their willingness to open their doors and assist with relocating our students and staff played a vital role in ensuring a smooth, safe process.

The Board also recognized Dr. Tammy Kravitz, Board Certified Behavior Analyst with Summit Behavioral Health, for her partnership across Platte County schools. Dr. Kravitz supports students with complex behavioral needs, empowers staff through Professional Crisis Management training, and helps teams build positive, skill-based approaches to behavior.

Extraordinary Educators: Staff Recognition

Each month, PCR-3 will recognize staff members who are bringing our Strategic Plan to life by exemplifying one or more of the following strategies: providing meaningful experiences; creating safe, respectful environments; fostering a culture of innovation and excellence; and building collaborative community partnerships.

At the October meeting, Michelle Verhoff, Abby Kowalewski, Cody Wilkerson, Melanie Fuemmeler, and Kerry Thorne, Apple Innovation team members from Compass Elementary, were recognized for their leadership in advancing innovative teaching and learning through purposeful technology integration. Their commitment to sharing best practices, inspiring colleagues, and fostering creativity will have a lasting impact on students and staff at Compass and throughout the District.

2025 Bond Issue Project Update

At the October meeting, Newkirk Novak project managers reviewed construction progress of our 2025 Bond Issue projects.

Pathfinder Playground: Turf installation and playground equipment are being finalized, with the entire project scheduled to wrap up by the end of this month. Join us for a ribbon cutting and "Popsicles on the Playground" at 5pm on October 27!

PCHS Phase 2: Crews have completed pouring slab-on-grade concrete in the classroom wing, and underground plumbing and electrical work is actively progressing. Foundation work continues to take shape, and structural steel and precast installation have begun.

NWDC Project Update

At the October meeting, JE Dunn project managers reviewed construction progress of the Northland Workforce Development Center.

Work is continuing on underground footings and grade beams as crews move counterclockwise around the building. Underground plumbing and electrical will follow that same sequence as the project is prepared for slab preparation in the coming month. Installation of storm boxes and piping/site utilities is ongoing.

Enrollment Update Shared with the Board

Dr. Drew White, Deputy Superintendent, provided the Board an enrollment summary by building, grade, and cohort for the 2025-26 school year. Kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment across PCR-3's schools is 4,227, a decrease of 112 students from last year. The District’s largest class is this year’s sophomore class with 374 students, while the smallest is the kindergarten class with 282 students (the smallest kindergarten class PCR-3 has seen in 16 years). Additionally, with the expansion of the early childhood program, PCR-3 is serving 115 PreK students, an increase of 50 students from last year.  

Academic Achievement Results Summary

At the October Board of Education meeting, Dr. Alicia Casey, Executive Director of Teaching & Learning, presented the 2025 Academic Achievement Results Summary. This annual update outlined results from the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and End-of-Course (EOC) exams administered in the spring of 2025. Dr. Casey highlighted the following key takeaways from PCR-3’s state assessment results summary:

• Overall results exceed the state average by double digits in all four content areas.
• Five-year growth (2021-2025) is evident across all content areas, with the largest gains in Math and Science.
• High school performance shows significant improvement in students scoring Proficient or Advanced, including Algebra II (+19%) and English II (+23.2%).
• EL and IEP student groups show stagnant growth in ELA and Math, with slight gains in Science.
• AP exam scores of 3+ have increased by 20% over the past four years, with consistent 5% annual growth.
• Early literacy and numeracy remain areas of focus to strengthen achievement by third grade and beyond.

Platte City Parks and Rec Basketball: Register by Oct. 18

Registration is open for Platte City Parks and Recreation youth basketball for 3rd-6th graders! See flier for details and visit teamsideline.com/sites/plattecitymo to register.

YMCA Kids Learn to Cook: Oct. 18

Kids ages 5 to 12 years are invited to learn how to make your own pizza dough and turn that into your own pizza at the Platte County Community Center North. See flier for details and call 816-858-0114 to register.

YMCA Trunk N Treat: Oct. 24

Join the community "in the land of oz" at Platte City YMCA's Trunk N Treat - October 24 from 4:30-6:30pm. See flier for details.

MCPL Teen Hangout and Book Groups

Mid-Continent Public Library's Platte City Branch is hosting various teen book groups and programs. See fliers below.

• Teen Hangout: HalloTeen - Oct. 30
• Teen Book Groups: Nov. 15, Dec. 13, and Jan. 10

MPA Yuletide Market - Nov. 8

The 11th annual Yuletide Market is scheduled for 9am to 3pm on Saturday, November 8 at Platte City Middle School to benefit the PCHS Music Parents Association. The Yuletide Market features local crafters, artisans, and direct sales consultants. See flier for details.

PCHS Fall Musical - Nov. 12, 13, 15

Mark your calendars for the PCHS Fall Musical: Newsies! November 12 and 13 at 7pm; November 15 at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are on sale for $10 per ticket, sold online by clicking here. You will be prompted to enter a code. See flier for details.

Girl Scout Troop 1488 - Smilers Drive

Platte County Girl Scout Troop 1488 is completing their Silver Award and needs your help! Project Smilers (Celine Bien-Aime, Caitlyn Parisi, and Shae Sipes) would love for their Platte County Pirate family to participate in their donation drive to create Hope Kits for teens with long hospital stays. See flier for details and click here to see their donation list.

Girl Scouts Troop 1488 Ray of Hope Drive

Platte County Girl Scout Troop 1488 is completing their Silver Award and needs your help! Project Ray of Hope (Julia Belcher, Darby Jeffries, Delayna Noller, and Zoe Jones) would love for their Platte County Pirate family to participate in their donation drive to support children battling cancer. See flier for details and click here to see their donation list.

October 17: End of 1st Quarter, 3-hour early dismissal

October 22: Middle Schools Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7pm

October 24: Report Cards Go Home

October 29: PreK-5th Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:30-8pm

October 30: No School; All Schools Parent/Teacher Conferences 

• 7:30am-3pm (6th-12th grades); 
• 8:30am-4pm (PreK-5th Grades)

November 3: No School - Professional Learning Day

November 20: Board of Education Meeting, 6:30pm, (reconvene from closed session which begins at 5:30pm)

November 26-28: No School - Thanksgiving Break

Thank you to our Pirates ROCK Stars!

Thank you to all our Pirates ROCK Star business partners who support character education in our schools including our District-wide Pirates ROCK Star business partner for 2025-26: United Fiber.

The mission of the Platte County School District is to ensure our learners thrive in an ever-changing world with confidence and resilience, prepared to pursue their unique futures.