We are proud to announce that Nicole Mentjes has been named the 2025-2026 Secondary Art Educator of the Year by the Art Educators of Minnesota. This prestigious award recognizes her outstanding contributions, unwavering dedication, and exceptional impact on the field of art education. Nicole is not only a talented educator but also a passionate advocate and visionary leader who continuously inspires students and colleagues alike. We celebrate Nicole’s remarkable achievements and look forward to her continued influence in shaping the future of art education. Congratulations!
5 months ago, PI Panthers
picture of staff

Pine Island Middle School Students are excited to serve their local community! Use this form to sign yourself or another person up to have students rake your yard on October 31st. Please sign up by October 8th!

*DISCLAIMER: We will do our best to rake the leaves for as many people as possible, but may not be able to accommodate everyone.*

5 months ago, PI Panthers
Pine Island Middle School Leaf Raking
Thank you to the grounds crew (Cody, Ken, and Craig) for all of your work to help make the field look amazing!
5 months ago, Brian Menk
Thank you to the grounds crew (Cody, Ken, and Craig) for all of your work to help make the field look amazing!

We are excited to offer a new student activity for our middle school students - Conservation Crew!

Conservation Crew is an extra-curricular program for middle schoolers who are interested in making positive change for people, for animals, and for the environment. Students will develop leadership skills by designing and working on conservation projects that impact our school and community. We will spend the year planning and implementing student-selected projects.

If you have a student who is interested in joining, please take a few minutes to complete this survey with your student. Your input will help us plan the club and determine the best meeting times for those who want to be involved.

Click here to learn more about Conservation Crew and Conservation Minnesota.

5 months ago, PI Panthers
Join Roots and Shoots students this Saturday, October 4th from 12:00-3:00pm for a Nature Play Trail Fall Clean-Up! We'll be adding fresh mulch to the trails, removing buckthorn, and making space for new play stations!

The nature play trail is adjacent to the Nature Preserve Park on 8th St SE. Park at the softball field complex and cross the street.
5 months ago, PI Panthers
description of fall clean up on nature trail
Pine Island Trap Team—Congratulations to Carter Kramer on his perfect round last night!
5 months ago, Pine Island Panthers
Carter Kramer- 25 round
Congratulations to Pine Island senior student-athlete, Teagan Barnett, who broke the school record for kills. The record was broken during the victory over St. Charles on 9/25/25.
5 months ago, Brian Menk
Congratulations to Pine Island senior student-athlete, Teagan Barnett, who broke the school record for kills. The record was broken during the victory over St. Charles on 9/25/25.
Congratulations to Pine Island senior student-athlete, Teagan Barnett, who broke the school record for kills. The record was broken during the victory over St. Charles on 9/25/25.
The Homecoming Parade will begin at 2:00 p.m. See the route below.
5 months ago, PI Panthers
Parade Route
🌟 Strategic Planning Kickoff – Coming This October!

Pine Island Public Schools is excited to begin a new strategic planning journey this October with the support of TeamWorks. This process will help us update our operational plan and ensure that everything we do is aligned to providing the best daily experiences for our students.
🔹 “Classroom to Boardroom” Approach – The process starts with input from students, staff, and families. Their voices will guide the work before it moves to the school board.
🔹 Community Engagement – Stakeholders will be asked to share their vision for what school should look like, sound like, and feel like each day.
🔹 Clear Roadmap – Feedback will help shape a three-year operational plan and a districtwide Strategic Roadmap that outlines our Mission, Vision, Core Values, and Strategic Directions.
🔹 Collaboration – The process will clearly define the roles of the school board (governance) and district administrators (management), ensuring everyone is working toward the same vision.

We look forward to working together with our community as we shape the future of Pine Island Public Schools. Stay tuned for opportunities to share your input and help us inspire excellence for every student!
5 months ago, PI Panthers

Pine Island Middle School Service Project Donations Needed

5 months ago, PI Panthers
Garbage bags needed.
Congratulations to Maria Carter, who was nominated and chosen for the MSHSL Most Valuable Teammate award! Maria’s positivity and energy are contagious. Her encouragement of others, whether celebrating their successes or lifting them up after setbacks, shows her genuine care for her teammates. Maria doesn’t seek the spotlight; instead, she consistently puts the team first, making her a role model both on and off the court.
5 months ago, Brian Menk
Congratulations to Maria Carter, who was nominated and chosen for the MSHSL Most Valuable Teammate award! Here is what was listed on her nomination: Maria’s positivity and energy are contagious. Her encouragement of others, whether celebrating their successes or lifting them up after setbacks, shows her genuine care for her teammates. Maria doesn’t seek the spotlight; instead, she consistently puts the team first, making her a role model both on and off the court.
Bus Route Update

Thank you for your continued patience as we’ve worked through the bus routes this fall. We know these adjustments impact families, and we truly appreciate the understanding and flexibility you’ve shown.

Starting after MEA weekend, we will be making a few more route changes and will notify families who are directly affected (via the stopfinder app). While we recognize that it’s not possible to meet everyone’s needs, we remain committed to improving wherever we can. This includes continuing to look for efficiencies in our routes, ensuring student safety, and exploring ways to create more room for those on the waiting list.

Your communication plays an important role in this process. When families share questions, concerns, or observations, it helps us identify areas where we can adjust or improve. Please don’t hesitate to keep reaching out—we want to make sure we’re staying on top of the needs of our students and families as best we can.

Stopfinder Accounts
If you do not yet have an account with Stopfinder, please email Tammi Quintero at tquintero@pineisland.k12.mn.us for assistance. Stopfinder provides families with the most up-to-date bus information, including route changes due to weather or road construction.

Once again, thank you for your patience and support as we work through these challenges together.

Tammi Quintero
Director of Transportation
Pine Island Schools
5 months ago, PI Panthers
Our amazing staff has been working hard all year — check out this lighthearted video we put together to bring some smiles your way.

https://youtu.be/JvTZAi3t3cA

Video credit: Ben Thornton
5 months ago, PI Panthers
Shout out to the Pine Island Spirit Team- PI Trap loves our locker signs!
5 months ago, Pine Island Panthers
Trap Locker Signs
🎉👑 Congratulations to Our Homecoming King and Queen! 👑🎉

We are proud to announce Jayk Klusmann and Miley Hoffarth as this year’s Homecoming King and Queen!
5 months ago, PI Panthers
student homecoming king and queen
kids on stage
kids by building
Foods 3 enjoyed their tougher cuts of meat lab or moist heat lab making and sharing beef tips over noodles and beef stew with baking powder biscuits! Everyone seemed to enjoy the food!
5 months ago, PI Panthers
kids with food
kids with food
kids with food
kids with food
kids with food
kids with food
Drawing 2 class started the year by working on human figure drawing. Students learned proportion and started with 1, 2, and 5 minute gesture drawings, as well as a 25 minute charcoal sketch. Final drawings used students' choice of media and pose to create extremely creative compositions.
5 months ago, PI Panthers
Drawing 2
Drawing 2
Drawing 2
Drawing 2
Drawing 2
Drawing 2
Drawing 2
Drawing 2
Hello Pine Island Community!
Our 5-12 SOP ("Support Our Panthers") resource room is running low on some supplies and we'd love your gracious help!

- Non-perishable snacks (granola bars, small packs/bags of cookies or crackers, trail mix, etc)
- Deodorant for boys
- Calculators
- Computer Mouse
- Three ring notebook paper

If you are willing, please contact Cait Carr to inquire about specific donations at cait.carr@pineisland.k12.mn.us. Deliveries can be brought to the 5-12 office.
Thank you!
5 months ago, PI Panthers

Congratulations to the 2025 Homecoming Court!

Senior Girls: Norah Brandt, Miley Hoffarth, Teagan Barnett, Grace Brewster, Meta Schutte
Senior Boys: Aspen Gorman, Troy Hinton, Eli Bartholomew, Jayk Klusmann, Nicholas Thein

11th Grade Attendants: Addalyn Anderson and Jaxon Hartzell
10th Grade Attendants: Avery McNamara and Brandon Moreno
9th Grade Attendants: Jaiden Stucky and Calvin Fletcher

Coronation will be Monday, September 22nd at 7:00pm in the auditorium.

5 months ago, PI Panthers
homecoming sign
Students in the 2025 EcoliteracySCHOOL (Students Collaborating in Health Oriented Outdoor Learning) class are off to their first field experience of the year. Students from PIHS and University of Minnesota Rochester will spend the weekend at Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Sandstone, MN, where they will embark on experiential learning adventures to make connections between human health and the environment.
5 months ago, PI Panthers
students standing by a tree