December 17 — the PIHS music department hosted the K-4 students for the annual “Making Spirits Bright” concert. The young students arrived dressed in their holiday best. The Concert Choir, Symphony Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble performed.

Some Pine Island staff & their children sang Christmas carols to spread holiday cheer at Pine Haven Nursing Home!

The Spain/France informational meeting that was canceled last Tuesday due to weather has been rescheduled to this coming Tuesday (12/16) at 5:30 pm in the art room. Hope to see you there!

Congratulations to juniors, Jace Renk and Ella Bloxham, the 2025-2026 Pine Island High School MSHSL ExCEL Award winners!

Immersion students in the Spanish for Medical Careers II class practiced giving exams and instructions in Spanish to patients today with props.

TZD hosted its annual Winter De-Stress Party today, which included sessions on mindful eating, meditation, and mental health trivia. Thank you to our presenters: Kelsey Kosberg, Kaylyn Hayter, Cait Carr, and Tom Horner.

1) Pine Island Lego Robotics kids in the Post Bulletin! (Pictured are several of our Pine Island teams working!)

2) One of our teams placed in the top 3! The Team "The Lego People" included Derek Weis, Isaiah Caskey, Isaac Geier
Advanced Long Term:

Stewartville: Project Ted Gen 2
Schaeffer Academy: That Team
Pine Island: The Lego People

The PIHS TZD chapter spent this week decorating classroom doors with messages of positivity. The mission of TZD (Toward Zero Deaths) is to help students avoid destructive decisions. Here’s a sample of just some of the many doors!

Pine Island Schools will run 2 hours late due to the weather and road conditions. Childcare will open at 7:00 am at the Early Learning Center only. No AM preschool.

Due to the weather, tonight's (Tuesday 12/9) Spain/France information meeting has been canceled. We will still meet tomorrow night (Wednesday) 12/10 at 7 pm in the art room and will schedule a makeup night for tonight's canceled meeting at a later date.

Pine Island Schools will be dismissing early today due to National Weather Service forecasts.

Early Learning Center and Elementary: Dismissal at 2:00 PM

Grades 5–12: Dismissal at 2:15 PM

Daycare will close at 4:00 PM at normal locations.

A reminder that all evening activities are cancelled.

Evening Activities Cancelled-December 9th, 2025
Due to forecasted weather conditions late afternoon and early evening, all evening activities for today have been cancelled.
As we continue to monitor the weather closely we will communicate any additional changes to today’s school day schedule as soon as possible. Please stay tuned for further information.

Spanish classes are planning a trip to Spain and France for the summer of 2028! Cities include Madrid, Burgos, San Sebastian, and Paris! We are having two interest meetings this month in the art room on Tuesday, December 9 at 5:30 pm and Wednesday, December 10 at 7:00 pm. The meetings will go over the same information so you only need to come to one or the other. See Ms. Stai or Mrs. Wernau for questions or more information. Hope to see you there!

We are thrilled to announce that Larissa Kabat has been named the Pine Island Schools 2025–2026 Teacher of the Year!

Please join us in celebrating this amazing accomplishment—congratulations, Larissa!

Hello Pine Island Community!
Now that it looks like we may have a Minnesota winter, the 5-12 SOP ("Support Our Panthers") resource room is in need of winter gear, in particular snow pants and boots.
If you are willing to help, please contact Cait Carr to inquire about specific donations at cait.carr@pineisland.k12.mn.us.
Thank you!

Students in the Introduction to Visual Arts SMSU College Now class visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art to research, draw, and write an art analysis paper. It was inspirational to watch them slow down, examine and really connect with a work of art they chose.

Check out the New Podcast Episode!
Great conversation with Dr. Josh Stein, child psychiatrist, clinic director, and youth mental health advocate, on the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism in today’s teens.

The Pressure to Be Perfect.png
In this episode, Tom Horner and Dr. Stein cover:
-What’s driving perfectionism right now
-How adults can recognize early warning signs
-Practical tools to support healthy motivation and balance

Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uAAEUtO4b7mAYDnDT87SA?si=3goQcaIoTmunbn_23bX_tA&nd=1&dlsi=50ac21e186414e77

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pressure-to-be-perfect-what-we-really-need-instead/id1674911368?i=1000739292593

Students in the PLTW Human Body Systems class used blood pressure cuffs and fetal Doppler ultrasounds to measure their Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) — a comparison of blood pressure in the arms versus the ankles.

The ABI is a simple, noninvasive test that helps detect issues with blood flow and can be used to diagnose conditions such as Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). By practicing this procedure, students not only learned how the cardiovascular system functions, but also gained experience interpreting real data.

Early Dismissal-Early Learning Center Only

Dear Pine Island Families and Staff,

Out of an abundance of caution, we are dismissing all students and childcare at the Early Learning Center this afternoon. Please pick up as soon as possible at the high school forum room Door #27 across the street from the ELC. This is due to a report of a concerning smell that could indicate a gas leak. The Pine Island Fire Department and the District are investigating.

All other buildings will dismiss on schedule.

We will keep you updated as we learn more. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Sincerely,

Barry Schmidt
Superintendent

Hey Pine Island Families!
We've got 5 days left for you to donate items to our Pine Island Holiday Toy/Gift Drive. Please consider donating to this AMAZING program, it touches more lives than you could ever imagine right here in Pine Island!