12/12/25

Good afternoon!

I’d like to start by sharing a huge “Thank You” for everyone’s generosity as we collected donations these past “10 days”. The 10 Days of Giving were a huge success with Pinecrest collecting 2,925 lbs. of food  &  $610 = 3,535! As a small way to celebrate our success, our students will all be treated to a dish of custard next week, compliments of our Hastings Culvers.

Our elementary STEM classroom has been buzzing with curiosity and hands-on discovery. Students are exploring science, technology, engineering, and math through meaningful challenges that push their thinking and spark their creativity. From building structures to testing solutions, each grade level is diving into learning that encourages problem-solving, teamwork, and persistence. The energy in the room reflects just how much students enjoy experimenting, exploring, and finding new ways to apply what they’ve learned.

This week, our first graders took an exciting step into the world of coding by using Blue-Bots. With each programmed move, they practiced sequencing, cause and effect, and logical thinking, all while having a lot of fun. Students worked together to map out routes, test their ideas, and make adjustments when the robots didn’t move exactly as expected. Seeing their confidence grow as they learned to “talk” to a robot was a great reminder of how powerful hands-on STEM learning can be.

Have a wonderful weekend and read, read, read!

Sincerely,

Mr. Bakker  
Principal
Pinecrest Elementary