May 16, 2025

Watch PCHS Graduation Live!

PCHS's graduation ceremony will be livestreamed this Sunday. Forward this link to family and friends who can't make it to commencement: www.youtube.com/PCR3Activities. PCHS's graduation ceremony will be shown LIVE starting at 1:50pm on Sunday May 18, 2025. Congrats to our #PCR3Classof2025!

Reminder: Make Up Day Plans

Our remaining make up days are as follows:

• Tuesday, May 27, 2025
• Wednesday, May 28, 2025
• Thursday, May 29, 2025, a 3-hour early dismissal

Please note, Summer School dates are now June 2-30, 2025, and Friday, May 23 is a full day.

Re-Enrollment of Existing K-11th Grade Students

Parents of existing Kindergarten through 11th grade students: If you haven't already done so, please complete online re-enrollment forms and electronic proof of residency by Tuesday, May 27, via your PowerSchool Parent Portal Account and clicking on the "Returning Student Registration 2025-26" link. If you need assistance, please contact your child's school. Please note: This must be done via a browser, not on the Parent Portal app. If using your phone, please turn your phone horizontally.

Summer School 2025 - K-12th Grade Enrollment Due TODAY

K-12 Summer School is scheduled for June 2-30 (please note revised dates) at the following locations:

• Barry Elementary: For all K-5th grade southern attendance area students (Pathfinder and Barry Elementaries)
• Compass Elementary: For all K-5th grade northern attendance area students (Compass and Siegrist Elementaries)
• PCMS: For all 6th-8th students, and 9th-12th grade students

Parents: Enroll for 2025 Summer School via the Forms on PowerSchool Parent Portal (via a browser or the app). Please complete by May 16, 2025. 

PCR-3 Announces Teacher and Service Person of the Year

With a surprise addition to an all-school assembly and a special interruption of a staff meeting, Platte County School District announced its Teacher and Service Person of the Year in May. This year's Teacher of the Year is Cherie Thatcher, Special Education Teacher at Barry Elementary; and Service Person of the Year is Jon Brady, Permanent Substitute at Northland Career Center. Fellow staff members nominate their peers for consideration in both the Northland Chamber of Commerce's Excellence in Education honors, as well as the District's staff recognition program; then nomination forms are completed and finalists are interviewed. Click here to read more.

Siegrist Elementary's Rachel Minter Named Christa McAuliffe Winner

Platte County represented well at the 39th Annual Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce's Excellence in Education banquet in late April! Nine of our staff members were honored with a special award, and Rachel Minter, Special Education Teacher at Siegrist Elementary, was awarded the Christa McAuliffe honor. This award has been given since 1987 to the most outstanding nominee for Excellence in Classroom Teaching from all of the Northland school districts. Read more here.

Y Club Enrollment for 2025-26

The Before and After School Program available to families in the Platte County R-3 School District is Y Club. Children in kindergarten through 5th grade benefit from homework enrichment, physical activity, and small and large group activities with a focus on building community and youth voice and leadership. Full-time and part-time Y Club is available at each of our elementary buildings, along with Y Club on days when school is out of session for inclement weather, seasonal breaks, and other days off (enrollment permitting). Operating hours are each weekday from 6:30 a.m. until school begins, and again after school until 6:00 p.m. Registration is now open.

If you have any questions about the Y Club program, please contact YMCA at (816) 360-3390.

Join our Team at PCR-3!

Join our team at PCR-3 and be part of a community dedicated to nurturing young minds! We are currently seeking extraordinary educators for the following roles: Teaching Positions at all levels, School Psychologist, Paraprofessional, Permanent Substitute, Bus Driver, Bus Aide, and more!

Be a part of our community, our family, our team, and our tradition! Visit the Careers section of our website to explore current openings and submit your application today.

High Reliability Schools Family Baseline Survey - Complete by May 30

As a District, we are beginning to utilize the Marzano High Reliability Schools (HRS) Framework to support our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement. This research-based model focuses on creating highly effective schools through five progressive levels of performance. The survey linked below is designed to gather parents insights related to first level of the HRS Framework. The information you provide will directly inform our school improvement planning for the upcoming school year.

District parents are asked to complete this survey by May 30.

Pirate Pride: Students Earn Seal of Biliteracy

For the Pirate Pride portion of the May meeting, the Board recognized Tasneem Alkahldi, Sidney Bigus, Anna Fairchild, Nicole Fernandez, Melanie Frame, Ailin Garcia, Sofia Guerrero, Nargiz Jafarli, Sophie Lugo Barra, Raina McDowell, Madelynn Nichols, and Camila Zavala, students who have earned the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy. These scholars have demonstrated proficiency in two or more languages, highlighting their dedication to communication, culture, and global citizenship. 

SCHIVIR Me Timbers Staff Recognition

Each month, PCR-3 recognizes staff members who are living our vision, mission, and values, by presenting the "SCHIVIR Me Timbers" award. SCHIVIR is an acronym for our values: Student Focus, Collaboration, High Expectations, Integrity, Visionary Leadership, Innovation, and Results Orientation.

At the May board meeting, we recognized Seth Bass, permanent substitute at Platte Purchase Middle School, for his student focus. Seth has been a consistent presence and support to our students and staff at PPMS.

2025 Bond Issue Project Update

Each month, we will provide an update on our 2025 bond issue projects. At the May meeting, Dr. Devin Doll shared our preliminary project timeline as well as the following updates:

Pathfinder Playground: Members of the Student Lighthouse Team ceremoniously broke ground on the project on May 2. Construction will begin once school ends.

Platte Purchase Site Amenities: The building pad has been installed and footings have been poured. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work will soon begin on site.

PCHS Phase 2: Paxton is being renovated to house our band, vocal, and theatre programs during PCHS Phase 2 construction. Job site trailers have been placed, and preparations are being made for the deconstruction of the southern end of PCHS which will begin in early June.

City of Kansas City Commits $25M to NWDC

The City of Kansas City has committed $25 million to the Northland Workforce Development Center (NWDC), bringing the $74 million project closer to reality. The new facility will replace the aging Northland Career Center in Platte City, expanding career and technical education for students and adults across Platte and Clay Counties. With the City’s latest investment, more than $68.2 million has now been secured for the project, including a $37 million commitment from the State of Missouri. Click here to read more.

PPMS Announces New Assistant Principal

Bradley Brown will serve as Assistant Principal at Platte Purchase Middle School beginning with the 2025-26 school year. Bradley brings a strong background in student engagement, behavior management, and collaborative leadership. He currently teaches at Platte Purchase Middle School, where he also serves as an 8th Grade Team Leader and mentor teacher. Bradley earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Central Missouri, his Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Management, and is currently completing his Specialist in Superintendency from Northwest Missouri State University.

Board Approves 2025-26 Salary Recommendation

At the May meeting, the Board approved 2025-26 salary enhancements for District employees, as part of the District's commitment to retaining and attracting "Extraordinary Educators." The District’s compensation strategy remains focused on positioning all classifications at or above the market median, ensuring competitiveness in the education labor market.

The recommendation (incremental step movement and additional dollars added to the schedule) results in an average 4.1% increase for the certified schedule, and an average 4% increase for support, professional technical, and administrator schedules. 2025-26 salary schedules can be found on the Careers channel of our website here.

Elementary Gifted Program Move to Center-Based Model

Beginning in Fall 2025, elementary gifted programming (LEAP) will transition to a center-based model. This change increases weekly instructional time from 150 to 250 minutes and brings gifted students together at a centralized location (Pathfinder Elementary) for a full day of project-based, standards-aligned learning with intellectual peers. The new model addresses previous challenges with consistency, scheduling, and equity while improving academic rigor and supporting students' social-emotional needs. Click here for a presentation outlining the process for the change.

High School/Elementary Schedule Changes for 2025-26

The following updates to our academic schedules will begin next school year, aimed at supporting consistency and maintaining compliance with state requirements:

Platte County High School will transition from a modified block schedule to a traditional 7-period day. This change, shaped by staff and student feedback, will provide a more consistent daily routine, especially important during Phase 2 construction, and ensure all teachers have a daily planning period. The District will also conduct a comprehensive scheduling review throughout 2025-26, with input from staff, students, and the community, to determine the best long-term model.

PCR-3 Elementary Schools will extend the instructional day by 5 minutes to ensure meeting the state’s instructional hour requirements, even in the event of significant inclement weather. Starting in 2025-26, elementary buildings will open at 8:30am, the school day will begin at 8:45am (instead of 8:50), and bus dismissal will remain at 3:50pm.

Elementary Strategic Plan Update 

Leadership teams from Barry, Compass, Pathfinder, and Siegrist Elementaries, along with Dr. Jen McClure, Director of Elementary Education, provided the Board with an elementary school strategic plan update at the May meeting. Click here to view the presentation.

PCHS Dance Team Tryouts - May 19-22

Auditions for the 2025-26 PCHS Treasures Dance Team are May 19-22. Current 8th-11th graders interested in trying out should attend clinics and tryouts. See flier for details.

Middle School Cheer Tryouts - May 19-21

Incoming middle school 7th and 8th graders interested in middle school cheer should attend clinics May 19 & 20 and tryouts May 21 in PCHS's North Gym. Register here, and see flier for details.

PCYFL Registration Open

Platte County Youth Football League registration is now open for the 2025 season for incoming Kindergarten through 6th graders! See flier for details and click here to register. Camp will be held July 21-22 at Platte Ridge Park. Register for camp here.

PCC Registration Open

Pirates Cheerleading Club registration for the 2025-26 season is now open. See flier and visit www.pirates-cheerleading-club.com for more information.

Platte City Summer Concert Series

Enjoy some music on the Platte County Courthouse lawn in Platte City from 7-9 p.m. on the second Saturday of June, July, and August, sponsored by the Platte City Friends of the Arts. See flier for details.

Senior Singing Contest - June 14

Platte City Friends of the Arts is hosting a $500 scholarship singing contest for college-bound seniors at the June 14 summer concert. See flier for details.

Community Education Classes for Kids

NCC Community Education is offering several STEM youth program opportunities in June at Compass and Barry Elementaries! Click here to register.

Summer Reading Program - Jun 1-Aug 24

MCPL Summer Reading Challenge "A Blank Canvas" invites artists of all ages to showcase their creations, encouraging them to explore their imaginations. By participating in the Summer Reading Challenge, kids, teens and adults can earn prizes for daily reading.

Register for the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge here and the Platte City branch kickoff Party on May 27 here.

PCR-3 Summer Athletic Camps

Several athletic camps are available this summer for our students. Please see the fliers/registration forms linked below. Note that the grade will be the grade your child is entering in the 2025-26 school year.

• Girls Basketball (2025-26 Grades 4-8): June 17-18 (Click here to register)
• Swimming (2025-26 Grades 4-8 & 9-12): July 14-17
• Baseball (2025-26 Grades 3-5 & 6-7): June 16 (Grades 3-5th) and June 17 (Grades 6-7th) (Click here to register by June 2)
• Boys Basketball (2025-26 Grades 4-6, 7-9): June 2-5, 2025 (Register by May 27)
• Golf (2025-26 Grades 9-12): June 9-13 and July 28-August 1, 2025
• Soccer (2025-26 Grades K-8, 9-12): June 23-27, 2025 (9-12th grades) & June 23-25, 2025 (K-8th grades) (Register by June 6)
• Softball (2025-26 Grades 6-8): May 22, 2025 (Click here to register)
• Tennis (2025-26 Grades 9-12 Beginner): June 5-6, 2025 (Click here to register)
• Tennis (2025-26 Grades 9-12 Varsity Prep): June 9-10, 2025 (Click here to register)
• Tennis (2025-26 Grades K-3 & 4-5 Introductory): June 17-18, 2025 (Click here to register)
• Volleyball (2025-26 Grades 7-8): June 23-24, 2025 (Register by May 28)

May 17: NCC Graduation, 10am, Pirate Fieldshouse

May 18: PCHS Graduation, 2pm, Hyvee Arena

May 27, 28, 29: Make-up Days

May 29: Last Day of School, 3-hour early dismissal

June 2: First Day of Summer School

June 18 (Wednesday): Board of Education Meeting, 6:30pm, (reconvene from closed session which begins at 5:30pm)

June 19: No Summer School (Juneteenth)

June 30: Last Day of Summer School

August 19: First Day of School, 2025-26 School Year

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 2024-25: Farmers Insurance - Weaver Hamman Agency.