PreK-8th Summer Letter - July 23, 2022

 

Please CLICK HERE to see our latest calendar of events, holidays, and breaks!

 

 

All new parents (PreK3-12th) to Pinecrest Academy are invited to an Orientation on Monday, August 1 at 6:00pm. This event will take place in the Upper School Gym Atrium area. New Middle School students are also invited for their own orientation while Middle School parents are participating in theirs. The New Parent Dinner is later in the week on Friday, August 5 at 6:00pm.

 

 

Meet and Greet is scheduled for Monday, August 8, between 8:00am and 11:00am. We ask parents to visit during selected times to spread out the number of visitors to campus. School representatives will greet families in the Lower School Gym beginning at 8:00am. We ask parents to begin in the Lower School Gym to receive information about the school year and then proceed to the Lower and/or Middle School buildings to meet your child’s teacher(s).

 

Information in the Lower School Gym will include:

After Care Program

Lunch Options

School Uniforms

PAPA (Pinecrest Academy Parents Association)

Band

 

Visit time is arranged by last name:

A-G: 8:00-9:00am

H-P: 9:00-10:00am

Q-Z: 10:00-11:00am

 

 

Teacher assignments will be posted in the Paladin Portal on the afternoon of Friday, August 5. Here’s how you can access this information:

 

Once access is open, you will be able to see your child’s homeroom teacher and full list of classes under his/her progress tab. Log in to the Paladin Portal, click on your child’s name, and select the “Progress” tab.

 

For middle school students, you can see a schedule with meeting times by clicking the “Schedule” tab > “View Full Schedule.” You will then need to advance the calendar to the start of school.

 

 

Monday, August 1 - New Parent Orientation, 6:00pm

Monday, August 1 -New Middle School Student Orientation, 6:00pm

Friday, August 5- New Parent Dinner, 6:00pm

Friday, August 5 - Class schedules are available in the Paladin Portal (4:00pm)

Monday, August 8 - Meet and Greet, 8:00-11:00am

Tuesday, August 9 - First Day of School for PreK3 through 8th grade*

Tuesday, August 9 - Boo-Hoo Breakfast (For PreK and Kinder Moms), Lower School Gym

Wednesday, August 17 - Middle School Curriculum Night 

Wednesday, August 24 - Lower School Curriculum Night 

 

*PreK3-2nd grade dismissal at 10:45am; Grades 3rd-5th grade dismissal at 11:00am; Middle School to begin with a full day of instruction.

 

 

Carpool procedures remain the same as last year.  New parents will receive this information at the New Parent Orientation. If you are interested in after school care, the application is located on the Paladin Portal.  Aftercare and early morning (7:15-7:40am) drop off will begin the first week of school. Early morning drop off will be in the carpool in front of Portable C. Car tags will be distributed by the teachers on Meet and Greet day.

 

 

Pinecrest Academy's recent growth and the opportunity we afford educators to teach in a Christian environment has enabled us to attract and hire eight new PreK-8th faculty and staff members. Please join us in warmly welcoming these stellar new employees to our school. We are blessed to have them!

 

 

Dana Oshinski (Kindergarten) is a native Atlantan with over 30 years of teaching experience. She and her husband, David, have three children who are all graduates of Pinecrest Academy. Dana is a member of St. Benedict Catholic Church where she is also a part-time employee in the music department, providing piano accompaniment for two of the church's choirs. 

 

Christine Hardy (Kindergarten) recently moved to the Atlanta area and is excited to begin her ninth year of teaching! She has taught preschool, kindergarten, and 2nd grade, and piloted a reading intervention program for students in K-4th grades. She loves teaching in a Catholic school and can't wait to begin here at Pinecrest!

 

Caroline Brenner (1st Grade) attended Pinecrest Academy as a student and is thrilled to return to teach 1st graders. Ms. Brenner has been teaching the last two school years at a nearby elementary school in Forsyth County. She received her degree in Elementary Education, as well as her ESOL endorsement, from the University of Georgia. 

 

Mrs. Wallace (3rd Grade) is excited to join the Pinecrest community! She is originally from Ohio and a graduate of Youngstown State University. She enjoys time with her husband Jason, and their children Katie, Jack, Emma, and Sarah, as well as their sweet and lazy golden retriever, Abbie. Having been raised in Catholic schools, and with previous experience teaching in Catholic Schools, she is happy to once again have the opportunity to share the true gift of Catholic education with the children entrusted to her care.

 

Andreina Rincon (Teacher Assistant) was born in Venezuela. She attended Florida International University and graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management. She has been teaching PreK-4 at St. Benedict Catholic Church for the last four years and is a very experienced teacher assistant. She has been married for ten years and has three children who will be attending Pinecrest Academy.

 

 

Marisa Fisher (Language Arts) was born in Connecticut and comes from a large devout Catholic Irish/Italian family. She has a BA in Secondary Education, with a major in English, and also holds a master's degree in Religious Education. Marisa has over five years of experience teaching middle school language arts and religion. She is thrilled to join our middle school team and is looking forward to meeting her students and parents.   

 

Kathy Coker (Science) has been teaching middle school science for over 20 years. Mrs. Coker has a BS degree from Georgia State University in science and social studies. She comes to us from Webb Bridge Middle School in Fulton County. She has expertise in instructing middle school students and has been a grade chair at her school. She is excited to be in a Christian School where she can assist in the formation of our students.

 

Lisa Paciorek (Math and Social Studies) graduated from Saint Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta, GA and Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. She has a master’s degree in middle level education and has been teaching middle school math and history for 17 wonderful years. She has two children, ages 11 and 13, and loves to play tennis and travel. 

 

We are planning to follow a "regular" school day when we return to school. We will begin the day with Announcements and Prayer, followed by the academic schedule. The first day back will be an early dismissal for Lower School grades - PreK3 through 2nd grade will dismiss at 10:45am, and 3rd-5th grade will dismiss at 11:00am. Middle School will begin with a full day of instruction.

 

 

Students will have the option to bring their own lunch or purchase a lunch from the school. If you send your child with his or her lunch, please provide a meal that does not require use of a microwave, as there will not be one available. Registration for the lunch program is available on the resource page in the Paladin Portal.

 

School Supplies  

 

For grades PreK3-5th, supply kits have been ordered for every student, as we have done in the past. Each kit will contain supplies necessary for your child's respective grade. As in previous years, families will be billed $55 per kit, for each student they have in the Lower School.

 

Supply lists for grades 6-8 are listed on the Paladin Portal Resource Board. You will find the most current lists for your child’s classes under the title labeled, “Middle School Supplies & Summer Work.” 

 

 

The weekly Mass schedule for our students is:

PreK Mass - Thursday at 8:25am

K-5th Grade Mass - Friday at 8:30am

6th-8th Grade Mass - Tuesday at 2:15pm

 

We offer a daily Mass during the school year, celebrated each weekday morning at 7:00am in the beautiful Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel. These daily Masses will be available for all families beginning on Monday, August 8. Please join us and bring your entire family! Daily Mass is a great way to start your day.

 

We are looking very forward to another successful school year at Pinecrest Academy! Thank you for all of your support, and may God bless us as we all work together to form Christian leaders who will transform society.

 

Sincerely,

 

Lenny Forti

Principal, PreK3-8th Grade