News from the Nest

Happy November Crane families!

What an exciting month October was! We had the best time during Red Ribbon Week, Trunk or Treat, and our Book-O-Ween parade. We love seeing our community engaged and enjoying these special times with the children. We have more exciting events in November. We will share details below.

We wish everyone a fun-filled and restful Thanksgiving Break! There will be no school for students November 25-29.

If either of us can ever be of any assistance to your child or family, please reach out to us.

#CranesALLin

Mrs. Shauger and Mrs. Chmurzynski

We wanted to inform you about some unfortunate news regarding our playground. During Hurricane Milton, the sunshade over the playground sustained significant damage. This sunshade, which was generously funded years ago by the PTA and a grant from Moffitt, has been an essential feature for our students’ outdoor activities.

Currently, we are working closely with the district to address this issue. However, it appears that the cost to replace the sunshade will not be covered. As a result, our administration is collaborating with the PTA to explore fundraising options to finance the replacement.

We value your input and support during this time. If you have any suggestions for fundraising ideas or would like to get involved, please let us know. Together, we can ensure that our students continue to have a safe and enjoyable outdoor space.

Thank you for your continued support.

SPES staff and students will celebrate World Kindness Day by wearing shirts with a kind message and performing random acts of kindness!

Please contact Jennifer Cortez, our School Counselor, if you would like to present. jcortez@pasco.k12.fl.us

For the safety of all our students, staff, and parents, we kindly ask that you refrain from using your cell phone while in the carline. Distracted driving can lead to accidents, and we want to ensure that everyone remains safe during drop-off and pick-up times.

Additionally, once you have pulled into your designated spot in the carline, please put your car in park and remain stationary until a staff member waves you on to leave. This helps maintain an orderly flow of traffic and ensures that children can safely enter and exit vehicles.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding in helping us keep our school community safe.

Walkers and bikers should not arrive at the corner outside the school gate until 8:55 A.M. at the earliest. There is no staff supervision before then. We have had reports from our crossing guards that students are arriving much earlier and are unsupervised. Also, no dropping students off at the bus loop entrance to walk or on the side of the road. These are safety concerns, and we appreciate your assistance with this.

If buses are late, you will be notified by transportation. For real time information, you can download the Where's My Bus app. Here are the directions: https://pasco.k12.fl.us/transportation/full-page/wheres-the-bus

To reach transportation directly, please call: 813-320-2562.

Changes of transportation - If you need to change your child's mode of transportation for the day, please fill out the MACH form on our school website no later than 2:15 pm. We will no longer take changes over the phone for safety reasons. We want to ensure that all students get home the correct way and safely.

Once again, we are welcoming our families back on campus to have lunch with their child. This began on September 9. Family lunches will be on Monday and Friday only.

Here are the lunch procedures:

1. Parents must show a physical ID (a photo of your ID will not be accepted). You will check in at the front office and be Raptored in prior to joining their child for lunch. They must wear badge the entire time they are on campus. Only family members listed on the emergency card of the child may visit for lunch.

2. Parents may not sit at the table with the class. There are some tables inside the cafeteria, outdoor lunch tables, and in the Butterfly Garden where you can enjoy lunch.

3. Parents may only eat with their own child (no classmates).

4. Once lunch is over, parent should go back to office to check out. They may not join their child at recess or walk them back to the classroom.

Progress Reports for the second quarter will be released in the Parent Portal on November 15. Please log in to the portal to find out how your child is progressing and contact your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns. Our goal is for every student at SPES to grow academically, socially, and emotionally each and every day!

Pasco County Schools are partnering with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation this year. Let's "Raise the Flags" together with students across Tampa Bay by encouraging everyone to wear Bucs colors, red and pewter, to school each Friday before a Bucaneers home game. Below is a schedule of the "Raise the Flags" dates:

Friday, November 8

Friday, December 6

Please be sure to follow our school Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SandPineElementarySchool, our Sand Pine PTA page at https://www.facebook.com/SPESPTArocks, and our school X account (@SPES_Cranes). Throughout the school year, we will be posting information for families and photos of all the amazing things happening on campus!