Heights Happenings

Heights Mission: Heights Elementary IB World School is dedicated to developing balanced, lifelong learners through educational excellence, a global perspective, reflection and action.

Heights Vision: To Be A World Class School.

Heights PBIS Statement:

We strive to be a school that models positive behaviors which develop the whole child and social skills. We have a common culture and language which supports student growth and high expectations to empower our students to become well-rounded global citizens through teaching and recognizing positive behavior.

Real learning happens when students are engaged. Authentic engagement during the school day

comes when students feel comfortable and confident in the classroom. Our teachers work hard at this by building relationships and working with students through our IB curriculum and using PBIS strategies.

How can you help at home?

One way is to feel comfortable talking with your student. Take math for instance. How should you talk to your student about what they are learning? Show enthusiasm. You may ask each day at dinner or homework time what they studied in math that day. Let them explain the concepts they are working on, and follow up with questions. For instance, if they are learning about decimals, ask them how decimal points are used in money. Then, when your student finishes their homework, have them show you how they solved the problems. As they explain their methods, they’ll be reinforcing the skills they’ve learned. And they’ll be proud they are teaching you something!

School Hours: 7:55 am—2:10 pm

Doors open: 7:30 am

Breakfast: 7:30-7:45 am

Heights Contact Information:

Address: 15200 Alexandria Ct. Ft. Myers, FL 33908

Telephone: 239.481.1761 Fax:239.481.3154

Website: het.leeschools.net

Twitter: @HeightsIB

Facebook: Heights Elementary

After School Program: Lisa McElyea

504 Accommodations: Bryanna Van Helden

Contact information Changes: Michele Curry

Transportation: Anika Carter

Gifted testing: Lisa Alexander

Clinic: Cheri Mack and Nurse Carey

March 1st: Heights Choir at Art Walk (Courthouse 5:30)

March 2nd: Height Campus Clean Up (8:30-10:30)

March 4th: Heights House Color Day

March 4th-8th: Heights Book Fair and Read Across America Week

March 14th: End of the 3rd quarter

March 15th: Professional Duty Day (Schools closed)

March 18th-22nd: Spring Break (Schools closed)

March 20th: 3rd quarter report cards available in FOCUS

March 29th: Good Friday (Schools closed)

March 31st: Easter

April 1st: Easter Monday (Schools closed)

Quarter 3:

• March 20th – Report Cards

Quarter 4:

• April 24th – Interims
• June 3rd – Report Cards

Parents may review their student's grades at anytime on Focus. Your student's grades will be up to date on the assigned interim and report card days listed above. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the school.

The IB Learner Profile aims to develop students who are risk-takers. Students who are risk-takers are able to approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought. They have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. Risk-takers are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

• If your child is feeling uneasy about trying something, encourage them to attempt it and have them reflect on how it felt.
• Set short term goals. Consider activities that push your child out of their comfort zone. Encourage them to offer their opinion, spend time learning a new activity, try a different food, learn a new game or even to spend time with someone they don't usually spend time with.
• Explain the difference between being a risk-taker (trying new things) and engaging in dangerous activities.
• Ask, "What's the hard part?" to identify the challenge and brainstorm ways to fix it.

• Thank you to all families who participated in our Penny War to support local organizations partnering with our Fifth Grade Exhibition Projects. As a result, we raised $1085 to split among 6 different organizations. We look forward to presenting these checks at our upcoming Exhibition Night in April. The Balanced Bunch won for the heaviest bucket weighing in at 35.4 pounds!

• Our third graders did a fantastic job building a Planetarium for the whole school to visit. As they continued to explore our planet, they were excited to visit the Naples Zoo on a field trip to learn about animals.

• Last month, our Fourth Grade students were able to deliver their Poetry Placemats to residents at Shell Point Retirement Community as a community action project.
• In March our Second Grade students are looking forward to the opportunity to spend the day learning all about our new Heights Garden and the many things we are growing. This aligns perfectly with their life cycle unit. In addition to their Garden Day, they are enjoying releasing the butterflies they have been observing in their classroom into our other amazing outdoor learning environment- the butterfly garden!
• Our First Graders are putting their mapping skills to the test as they learn how to read a map and use different devices, such as a compass to navigate.
• Our Kindergarten Students were excited to receive Valentines from around the world in the month of February. They were able to find each location on a map and learn about so many different parts of the world! This month they continue their journey explorations as they visit their Inquiry Room all about different places around the world.

To the Chairperson of the Parents Teachers Association and the Students of Heights Elementary

This school has been recently inspected and certain asbestos-containing materials or assumed asbestos-containing materials such as: fire doors or roofing materials that are tested prior to repairs or removal as needed, have been located in the school buildings. Please be aware that the School District of Lee County has an active management plan designed to ensure that the building is maintained safely for all occupants. These materials are being controlled in accordance with the Asbestos Management Program for the School and following the limitations and procedures of the policies and requirements of the Asbestos Operations and Maintenance Program of the School District of Lee County.

The report listing the location, quantities, and condition of all known materials and contains the details of the control procedures is available at the school office for your inspection during normal school hours. Copies of the whole or parts of the school’s asbestos file can be supplied to you at a cost of $0.15/page

Our next General Membership Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13 following MORNING DROP OFF in the Heights Media Center. Join us to meet the 2024-2025 slated board members & learn about ways to get involved for the balance of the school year.

Come one, come all to support the Greatest School on Earth!

Our Annual Auction will be held on Friday, April 26th at St. Charles Yacht Club. This year's theme is A Night Under The Big Top! Tickets will go on sale ONLINE ONLY on Monday, February 26th. Ticket quantity is limited so don't wait to purchase!

End of the School Year Skate Night on Thursday, May 2 at Spinz. The flyer with ticket sale information will be sent home with students in April.

Ice cream cups are on sale every Friday during lunch time. Each student will be limited to one ice cream cup during their lunch. The cost is $1 per cup. Money collected from ice cream sales goes to the Principal's Discretionary Fund. This fund is used to celebrate a variety of events and activities for our students and staff throughout the school year.

The Heights Spring Break Beach Book Fair will be here March 4-8 in conjunction with Read Across America Week. The easiest way to send money in with your child is by creating an eWallet. You can load money onto their account via credit card and students don't have to worry about losing money or dealing with cash at the fair. To create an eWallet, please go to our Book Fair page at: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/how-ewallet-works.html?fairId=5512335

The materials available for purchase at the Book Fair were not selected by the School District of Lee County. We encourage parents to review their student’s wish list and have a conversation about what they wish their student to purchase at the book fair before sending money to make any purchases.

The Heights Book Fair review link is below. The link is a representation of any Fair’s actual selection. Some books in the Preview might be excluded based on availability at the branch when Scholastic packs the Fair; likewise, you may see books that aren’t featured in the Preview sent as substitutes for other titles.”

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/heightselementaryschool2020

• Scholastic is offering a no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee if ever a student, family member, or teacher is not completely satisfied with their purchase.

• If a refund is requested, the purchaser should email custserv@scholasticbookfairs.com for help with their return.

Attendance rates are a very clear representation and reflection of the success of school. It speaks very clearly on how parents are active in their child’s education, how excited students are to come to school, how effective teachers are in providing an exciting learning environment, and how the school and parent organization are in providing a stimulating, positive school community.

Why it Matters

If students don’t show up for school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers.

When students attend school regularly, they can see outsized literacy gains.

Heights Elementary prides itself on the appearance of the facility as well as the students and staff. The responsibility for the personal appearance of the student rests with the parent/guardian and the student. Personal appearance shall not detract from the educational process. The following establishes the minimum acceptable standards for student dress to interpreted and endorsed by the Principal or designee.

Students are required to wear closed-toe sneakers or tennis shoes on a daily basis. No other footwear is permitted. Shoes shall be secure on the student’s feet and worn at all times. Croc style shoes are not permitted as well.

Students may wear:

• Any pants or jeans, fastened at the waist when needed.
• Any shirt except see-through, open-sided, or those that advertise drugs, tobacco, alcohol, or have any profanity, obscenity, graphic violence, or gang insignia.
• Any long shorts (below the fingertips with the arms held at the sides).
• Girls may wear skirts & dresses that are an appropriate length (below the fingertips with the arms held at the sides).
• Closed-toe shoes with back ankles straps, tennis/running shoes.

Students should refrain from wearing:

• Oversized apparel, including baggy pants, overalls with unfastened straps and pant legs worn below the shoe NOTE: Florida Statute requires schools to adopt dress codes barring clothes that “expose underwear or body parts in an indecent or vulgar manner.”
• Tank tops, halter tops, low necklines, sun dresses, bare midriff, strapless tops, pajamas.
• High heels, platforms, flip flops, slides, croc style shoes, slippers.
• Body paint and/or body writing, sunglasses, hair paint/gel, unnatural/dyed hair color, extreme hairdo that is disruptive to class.
• Intentionally altered or ripped clothing,
• Apparel such as hats, hair nets, excessive/large jewelry, fake fingernails
• Any form of make-up
• Apparel, emblems, insignias, badges, or symbols that promote the use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or any other illegal activity or that discriminates against race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or religion.

This list is meant as an example and is not intended to be all inclusive. According to Florida State Statute, the principal has sole discretion over what is or is not appropriate attire for school functions. Any items of clothing that are deemed as interfering with the educational process will be dealt with in accordance with procedures set in the Student Code of Conduct. The school administration shall have the right to appraise any current fashion or fad and determine whether it is appropriate for school wear.

Any Heights Dads or father figures that are interested in becoming or continuing to be a Heights

Watch DOG, please click here or scan the QR Code.

April 4th: 4th & 5th grade Writing FAST

May 7th: 5th grade Science FAST

May 13th: 3rd grade ELA FAST

May 14th: 1st & 2nd grade ELA FAST

May 15th: 1st & 2nd grade MATH FAST

May 16th: 4th & 5th grade ELA FAST

May 17th: Kg ELA FAST

May 20th: Kg MATH FAST

May 21st: 3rd, 4th, 5th grade MATH FAST

End Of The Year Celebrations:

May 22nd: 5th grade Awards (8:15 am) Tokan, Walklett, Chesnut, & Elverd

May 23rd: 5th grade Awards (8:15 am) Caruso, Mintz, Driscoll, & Junkin

May 23rd: 5th grade Drive Through Celebration (6:30)

May 24th: Kg End of the Year Celebration (8:15 am) Pittard, Douglas, Bates, Lewis, & Naugle

May 28th: Kg End of the Year Celebration (8:15 am) Fastenau, Kee, Caudill, & Bovinett

May 28th: 5th grade End of the Year Field Trip (Busch Gardens)

Florida State Statute 1012.42 recognizes that teachers at times must be assigned duties in a class outside the field in which the teacher is certified. The following teachers at Heights Elementary are certified, but may be assigned one or more classes outside their areas of certification and are required to take appropriate steps to comply with the statutory regulation:

Michele Ware and Carmen Diaz

In addition, the following teachers are engaged in training to add the endorsement, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), to their certificates: Nicole Driscoll, Courtney Sleeper, Monica Fastenau, Jennifer Kee, Gina Celej, Julie Ramsay, Stephanie Bovinett, Michele Ware, and Carmen Diaz.

Board Members:

District 1 - Samuel Fisher, Board Chair

District 2 - Melisa W. Giovannelli

District 3 - Chris N. Patricca

District 4 - Debbie Jordan

District 5 - Armor Persons

District 6 - Jada Langford-Fleming, Board Vice Chair

District 7 - Cathleen O'Daniel Morgan

Superintendent:

Christopher S. Bernier, Ed.D.

School Board Attorney:

Kathy Dupuy-Bruno, Esq.