Ridgecrest Panther Press

It’s a great day to be a PANTHER!

Dear Parents,

Summer Bridge registration is OPEN. Only scholars who received an invitation will be eligible for enrollment. Families can follow the Summer Bridge link below to register their child. Families must use their Focus username and password to register. If you are in need of your credentials, please present your valid ID to the front office. More information is available at www.pcsb.org/SummerBridge.

Rising K will be open to Pinellas County Schools students registered for kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year. Rising K is focused on preparing children for kindergarten and does not have the same eligibility requirements as other elementary programs. Families can learn more about Rising K at www.pcsb.org/risingk.

End of the year FAST PM3 State testing. Grades 4-5 begin testing FAST Writing Tuesday-Thursday this week. We request families to schedule appointments with testing dates in mind so that it does not impact on time arrival and early releases.

Looking forward to seeing you all around campus!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Gardner

Mrs. Nguyen

April

4/8 - KONA ICE - in Y parking lot after school

4/11 - Dress Rehearsal for Chorus Concert

4/15 - 🎼Chorus Concert 🎶🎵🎶 - 7pm🎵🎶🎵

4/17 - Spirit Day - Jett's Pizza - all Day

4/18 & 21 No School for Students

4/24 - 🔬 SCIENCE - SEM SHOWCASE🔭 - 5:30-7pm, 🧪 details to follow soon.

4/25 - iMoms - 7:45 in the library

May

5/1 - PTA MEETING - 6pm

5/6 - KONA ICE - in Y paring lot after schooly

5/5 -5/7 - Staff Appreciation Week

5/23 - All Pro Dad's - 7:45 am Wigfall Hall

• Coffee with the Principal/SAC - 7:45 am Media Center - Specialist Presentation
• 5/26 - Memorial Day - All Schools Closed, enjoy the 3 day weekend!

5/28 - 🧑🏻‍🎓👩🏻‍🎓 5th Grade Social - 👨🏻‍🎓👩🏻‍🎓 volunteers needed.

5/29 - Last day of School for Students - REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS, not a half day, as originally scheduled due to Hurricanes.

• Fifth Grade Moving Up Ceremony 10:00am, Anona United Methodist Church, 13233 Indian Rocks Road, Largo, FL

⛵🌴👙🎣🏊🏻‍♂️😎🏄🏻‍♂️🍉⛳HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER! 🩴🍧⛲🏊🏻‍♀️🚤🔅👙🌴🍉🏄🏻‍♂️😎🍧

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

One of our teams made it to the Semi-Finals of Battle of the Books!

We don't know our exact date yet, but the contest for Finals will be held the 22-24 of April!

More to follow!

It’s that time of year again! Overdue library book notices were sent home this week. We need your assistance in locating overdue books and bring them back to school.

If you have received an overdue notice and believe that is an error, please contact the teacher or marlows@pcsb.org

Families can check the status of Summer Camp applications starting tomorrow

Parents who applied for Summer Enrichment Camps are encouraged to check the status of their children's applications starting tomorrow, April 1, at 8 a.m. They can check the status by logging into their parent portal. Here are the steps to check their application status and reserve a camp seat:

1. Log into the Student Reservation System (SRS) through Focus using their parent username and password.

2. Select "Summer Camps" from the menu options.

3. Review the status of their child's camp application (Invited or Waitlisted).

4. Reserve a seat for camp invites by checking the specific camp and clicking "Checkout."

5. Complete the registration payment to secure their child's seat in the selected camp.

Camps will have a cost of $75 per session or a rate of $25 per session for students eligible for free- or reduced-price meals. Parents must accept camp invitations and make the payment from April 1 through April 15 to secure their child’s seat. Starting April 16, camp coordinators will email families on the waitlist if any remaining camp spots are available. Parents who need help can reach out to summercamphelp@pcsb.org.

As a reminder all Pinellas County Schools students can ride PSTA buses for free with their school ID, providing transportation to school, activities, jobs, and recreation. This partnership ensures reliable travel and supports student success.

To maintain a safe environment, please remind students of the following:

1. ID Proof: Students must show their ID or proof of enrollment when boarding for accurate ridership counts. For ID questions, email UPASS@psta.net.
2. Behavior Expectations: Disruptive behavior, such as fighting, profanity, loud talking, or playing music without headphones, is not allowed.

PCS will be contacting families about their transportation needs for next school year. Starting this week, April 1, families can share their transportation needs by completing a Transportation Ridership Form.

Parents will be able to access the form in their parent Focus account. This process should take about a minute to complete.

Current Title: Fifth Grade Teacher Magnet Program

Hometown: Howell, New Jersey

Years Teaching: Three

Hobbies: Hammock at the park, sunset beach swim, yoga with friends

What I Love about Ridgecrest Elementary: Meeting lifelong friends who are great coworkers

Current Title: Fifth Grade Teacher Magnet Program

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Years teaching: 2 years

Hobbies: Yoga, Running, Painting, Hiking and Reading.

What I Love about Ridgecrest Elementary: I love being part of our amazing school community, where staff and students make everyday inspiring and rewarding.

PTA is looking for volunteers to help the week of May 5-9th. If you are interested in helping with this week-long event, either with donations, or time, please contact the PTA president at: President@theridgepta.org.

PTA also has openings for volunteers for next year. If you are interested in helping with the Welcome Back Breakfast, fundraising, Spirit Week and Family Events, please contact the PTA directly at: President@theridgepta.org, for more in depth information, keep in mind that some of these tasks can be done from home. 😊