During a special board meeting Thursday, the Cumberland County Board of Education voted to continue with remote learning for all Cumberland County Schools (CCS) students through December. The Board will consider resuming in-person instruction after winter break based on metrics from the Department of Public Health.

• Please remind your child(ren) that remote learning is just as important as if we were face-to-face. Their studies are important, and it requires discipline to complete all work and assignments by their due date. Incomplete and late work will affect your grade – just as it does in the regular classroom. Remote learning is not ideal, yet our teachers are creating opportunities for meaningful learning and following the curriculum every day. It’s important that all students are present and online.
• We know that is not possible without our wonderful parents and guardians. We would like to take a moment to thank all the parents who are wearing the extra “hats” as teacher, scheduler,  technology troubleshooter, and more.  You might find it helpful to create a parent canvas account and see what your child has going on. Here is the link for the instructions on how to do that: Parent Canvas Account. We hope this helps you in some small way.
• The 7th grade Navigator team is hosting an online “Navigator Q&A Parent Night” on Thursday, September 24th at 6:00 pm. Details will be available in the weekly, Sunday night ClassTag team newsletter.  Navigators Parents should look for and fill out the google form that will be linked in the newsletter to RSVP, we’d appreciate it.  The video chat Link will be sent out on ClassTag early next week.

The faculty and staff at PFMS would like to wish you and your family a safe and restful Labor Day Weekend. Classes resume on Tuesday, September 8th.

• The free Summer Meals Program has been extended until the end of December. This means all children under the age of 18 can continue to eat at no charge just as we have done all summer!
• We’d like to remind you Progress reports will be available online through the Parent Portal on September 14th. Please make sure your student is completing all assignments by the teacher’s due date. Progress reports will not be mailed home.
• If you are interested in Fall Sports, we have asked for you to enroll in FinalForms. If you did not get a chance to do this, please follow the directions given on our website. Thank you!

Beginning Tuesday, September 1st, you will have to provide your students lunch number(s) when picking up meals at the drive-thru. We are strongly discouraging cash payments due to COVID and our inability to provide change. Please pre-pay online at k12paymentcenter.com.

Meal prices for enrolled students are: No charge for Free & Reduced Students and $2.25 for Full Paying Students

Athletics Announcement: Although all athletics are on hold due to COVID, we would like all parents and students interested in FALL Sports ONLY (Boy’s Football, Girl’s Volleyball, Boy’s Soccer, and Girl’s Track) to complete the online registration at our new platform Final Forms. Final Forms replaces Arbiter-Athlete. Please remove all links on your devices related to the old “Planet HS” or “Arbiter Athlete.”

• Student Service has opened a Virtual Office. The link is on our website: pfms.ccs.k12.nc.us. Students may request a meeting and find out about the resources available to them.
• Outsiders are trying to get into GoogleMeets and do inappropriate things to disturb classes. Because of this, we all have to learn new GoogleMeet codes every day. It’s the only way to keep everyone safe. Teachers will send students an email at 4 pm with the code for the next day (ex. Monday’s codes will go out today at 4 pm).

• • Remember, if you need help finding your teacher’s GoogleMeet, click one of the help desk links on our PFMS website. Tell the name of the teacher’s class you are trying to enter (ex. Ms. Sandoval’s 4th period). Please be polite and don’t take your frustrations out on them. They only want to help!
• Laptop update: Students may use their own device, OR request one from the school.  We are still filling requests and will call you when it is ready for Pick-up. Pick-up is from 8:30-3:30 and we ask you to bring your own pen and wear a mask. Some of you will get a call next week to swap out your 14-15 or 15-16 laptops. We appreciate those of you who filled out the survey. Remember: 16-17 laptops will not be replaced – only 14-15 and 15-16.

• • We have distributed about 500 laptops and have 60 laptops that were never picked up. We have placed individual calls twice as a reminder.
  • Right now, the 8:30-3:30 pick up time is largely due to the COVID rules we have to follow. Temperature testing is required in the mornings, and we need to leave campus on time in the afternoon so our custodians have the proper time to sanitize.
• We have a list of families who have requested a hotspot. Technology will contact us when they have more. In the meantime, Families on Free and Reduced lunch should read the “Virtual Learning help sheet” we posted with the open house documents on our website. There is information on a program for internet service.

Student Services has opened a Virtual Office! Please click on the link below to get more information on the help available to you and your family!

Student Services Virtual Office

• First, to make sure students without any laptop at all are given one.
• Second, to begin replacing as many 14-15 or 15-16 laptops we can from our current inventory.

Starting Monday, August 17th, if you need help finding your teacher’s GoogleMeet click below.

Hours of operation will be Monday-Friday from 8 AM – 2:30 PM.

Welcome to our Virtual Open House! Click the link to travel to our 2020-21 Back to School Open House.

Instructions and reference items you may want to print:

• Our daily PLAN C DAILY SCHEDULE to know when to be online for class.
• Student Log in Instructions and Tips (corrected) 
• Virtual Learning Help Sheet
• Login to your Destiny Library Account

Laptops: If you ordered a laptop, we provided a number of important documents for you, including a copy of the bell schedule, the code of conduct, free and reduced lunch applications and more. Be sure to read them!

We just heard at 9 am today, Mr. Starks’ all-call was cut off. He resend an all-call today at 10 am.

If you filled out the county laptop survey/request, it will be ready for you based on the schedule below.

Device and materials pick up will occur in the back of the school on:

• August 10- 1:00-4:00 6th Grade
• August 11- 9:00-12:00 7th Grade
• August 11-  1:00-4:00   8th Grade
• August 13- 4:00-7:00 pm

Question: I have students in different grades at PFMS. May I pick up all my students’ laptops at the same time?

Answer: We will try, but we may not have them all processed until their scheduled day.

Question: I didn’t fill out the survey, but need a laptop!

Answer: Drive to the back of the school and tell them you need to fill out a request. We will ask you to pull to the side and wait while we fill the request. Depending on the number of drive-ups we have, I may need to ask you to come back at another time, but we will try our best to avoid that!