Check out the monthly newsletter from Mrs. Carlson! 👀

PAC elementary gathered yesterday to celebrate perseverance… and we successfully proved our students have a lot of it 😆 Between teacher-nominated awards and games like Human Bulletin Board and a Rubik’s Cube Relay (yes… that takes serious grit), our kids showed what sticking with something really looks like. Hard work ✔️ Teamwork ✔️ Laughing while trying again ✔️✔️✔️ A fun assembly and an even better reminder that perseverance is powerful and pretty fun too! 🎉👏

Through the module Adaptations and the Wide World of Frogs, our 3rd graders became frog experts! 🐸 Students shared their learning by creating books with informative and narrative writing pieces. Today they showed off their hard work and presented their books to the 1st grade students!

🚌 Field Trip Alert ⚠️‼️ 1️⃣st grade had the opportunity to visit the Sanford Museum & Planetarium in Cherokee, Iowa today. This trip was inspired to cap off their current learnings of the 🌞 sun, 🌙 moon, and ⭐️ stars. Students were able to show off their findings and knowledge to mueseum curators, while also learning about constellations 🌌and the history of the surrounding areas! Great memories 📷 were made and fun was had!

Free movie opportunity!!

There is a free movie opportunity on February 24th at 7pm.

See the attachment for details.

UPDATED SQUARES

🏈 PAC After Prom Super Bowl Squares 🏈
The board has been updated — limited squares still available!

• $20 per square
• Pay via Venmo @Carrie-Bunda
• Comment or message Carrie Bunda to claim

Thank you for supporting PAC After Prom!

🏈 SUPER BOWL SQUARES ARE LIVE! 🏈
Want to make the Super Bowl even more exciting?
Grab a square and support our PAC After Prom fundraiser!
💥 $20 per square
💥 Chance to win during the game
💥 Easy Venmo payment Check out the board below
⬇️ Comment or message Carrie Bunda to claim your square — they’ll go fast!

💸 Venmo Details
Venmo: @Carrie-Bunda
Scan the QR code below to pay quickly and easily.

— thank you for supporting PAC After Prom!

Radon Testing Notification:
Student learning and the safety of students, staff, and community are priorities for PACSD. The administration of PACSD is providing you with this notification that initial radon screening will be conducted during the week of January 26, 2026 in the All-Star Pre-school, Elementary Building, the District Office and the Transportation Building. The testing is not harmful in any way, and there is no need for students, parents and teachers to do anything special in preparation.
Radon testing is required at least once every five years for all Iowa public school attendance centers, licensed preschools, and licensed childcare centers. Radon is naturally occurring everywhere, but, if elevated, can cause an increased risk of lung cancer over the course of a person’s lifetime. Our district has received training and has proactively placed all our buildings on a rotating radon test schedule.
To test for radon in the air, kits that look like small envelopes will be used in our learning spaces. It is important these kits are not disturbed, and that exterior windows and doors are kept closed except for normal entry and exit. The envelopes will be left in place for five school days.
Final radon testing results will be communicated by the PACSD Radon Team to the board of education, staff, and the public on our website. In the event that elevated levels during occupied hours are found, steps will be taken to correct the issue using methods suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
For most students and staff, research suggests that school and workplaces are the second largest contributors to radon exposure. The home is likely to be the most significant source of radon exposure. Therefore, parents and staff are encouraged to also test their homes for radon and to take action to reduce elevated concentrations. If you have further questions regarding radon testing in PACSD, please feel free to contact me at (712) 335-4848 or at rboley@pocahontas.k12.ia.us. Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation.
You can find a copy of this notification in the documents section of https://www.pacsd.org/documents

Check this out!! These students attended the Karl King honor band on Saturday. Thank you 6th graders for stepping up and showing off your talents! Vivian Poppen, Ever Nystrom, Zoey Schoon, Jose Mumford, Addie Halligan
Way to go! We are proud of you!

Thank you to our Elementary Paraprofessionals for greeting our students on High Five Friday 👋

Pocahontas Area Community High School is excited to launch a School-to-Work program that connects students with hands-on learning opportunities right here in our community. Through strong partnerships with local businesses and organizations, students will gain real-world experience, earn CTE credits and certifications, and even have the chance to earn a wage... all while preparing for meaningful careers and giving back to Pocahontas. This program helps students build critical skills, supports our local workforce, and strengthens our community for the future. We’re proud to invest in opportunities that help every PAC student thrive! ❤️🖤📚💼 https://educate.iowa.gov/headline-story/2026-01-14/thirty-iowa-schools-receive-stem-bestr-program-awards

Thank you to these gals from Wells Ag and their kids for joining us on High Five Friday! 🖐

🌟 Help Us Make Recess Even More Fun! 🌟

As many people are doing post holiday clean-outs, we wanted to invite you to consider donating items that could help make recess, both indoors and outdoors, more fun, active, and engaging for our elementary students.

If you come across items during your clean-out that you no longer use but are still in good condition, we would love to give them a second life at school!

Donations can be dropped off at the elementary office or sent with students. Thank you for supporting our students and helping make recess a time they look forward to every day.

Here are our December award winners!! Way to go PAC elementary students!

On Thursday, we found ourselves in a tricky situation as bad weather kept us safely in place until 7:30 pm. While it wasn’t how anyone planned to spend the evening, our top priority, always, was keeping our students safe, calm, and cared for. And thanks to an incredible team, we truly made the best of it. Our students were fed (and well! 😊) with crispitos, chicken strips, and pizza, and the building quickly turned into a place of comfort, fun, and togetherness. Classrooms filled with Christmas movies, games, crafts, bracelet-making, face painting, and smiles. The gym echoed with laughter, movement, and joy. What could have been stressful became something special. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our administrators, Gina in the office, nurse Ashley, our teachers, associates, janitors, cooks, Jeff Halder, and our amazing police and fire departments. Every single person stepped up with patience, flexibility, and big hearts, working together to care for our kids as if they were your own. Because of you, our students didn’t just stay safe, they felt safe. And in the middle of an unexpected evening, core memories were made: laughing with friends, cozy moments, and seeing firsthand what a strong, loving school community looks like. Thank you for reminding us that even on the hardest days, this is a truly special place to be. ❤️🖤🏫✨#PACstrong

🎄🎅 Jammie Day wraps up our 12 Days of Christmas! Wishing all our students and families a happy holiday break! ❤️✨

🎉 WINTER BREAK IS HERE! 🎉

Wishing all Pocahontas Area students and families a happy, restful Winter Break!

Friendly Reminder:

❄️ Winter Break: December 22 – January 2
❄️ Students Return: Monday, January 5

Please plan accordingly. Thank you for your continued support, and we wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday season!