August Edition

The "Bobcat Bulletin" is our monthly newsletter for families at Sawgrass Bay Elementary School. It includes important updates, upcoming events, and student achievements to keep everyone informed and connected. Our goal is to foster a strong school community and ensure clear communication between the school and our families.

Greetings Bobcat Families,

Welcome to the August edition of the Bobcat Bulletin! I hope you all had a wonderful and restful summer break. As we prepare to begin the new school year, I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you.

We are proud to announce that Sawgrass Bay Elementary has received a letter grade of "B" from the state of Florida! This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of our students, staff, and families. I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to everyone for their contributions toward this significant accomplishment. Together, we have made tremendous progress, and I am confident that we will continue to strive for excellence.

As we embark on this new school year, I encourage you to stay actively involved in your child's education. Your support and engagement are essential for making our school a positive and enriching place to learn. We have many exciting plans and initiatives lined up, and your participation will help make this year memorable and successful for all our Bobcats.

The safety and well-being of our students remain our utmost priority. We will continue to follow and implement strict safety protocols to ensure a secure learning environment for everyone. All visitors and guests will be required to enter through the front office. Please be prepared to show your photo ID for the camera prior to being admitted on campus.

Thank you all for your partnership and support. Together, we will continue making our school a happy and exciting place to learn. Let’s work together as we inspire students to LEARN, LEAD and SUCCEED.

Your Partner in Education,

Gary Locuson, Principal

Sawgrass Bay Elementary

August 9: Meet the Teacher

August 12: First Day of School

August 14: Bobcat Olympic Fun Run Kick-Off

August 15-29: IReady (Math), Lexia (Reading), and Amira (Reading) testing window

August 20: SAC

August 22: PTO Meeting

August 29: ESOL/ELL Family Night

August 30: No School/Teacher Professional Development Day

September 6: Bobcat Olympic Fun Run

Sawgrass Bay Elementary School is honored to be certified as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School by FranklinCovey Education.

This certification is due to the efforts and leadership of our students, staff, and school community. Achieving Lighthouse Certification demonstrates that our school has a strong leadership model and has produced outstanding results in school and student outcomes in learning and leading using the habits and paradigms of the Leader in Me model.

Below is a link to the school supply list. You are encouraged to bring these supplies in during Meet the Teacher to reduce the amount of items that students are carrying on the first day of school.

All students shall conform to the uniform policy that has been set forth by our parents and instructional personnel of Sawgrass Bay Elementary.

You can purchase SBE school uniform shirts, sweaters, and hoodies at the link below.

Due to safety precautions, parents and families will not be permitted to walk their students into campus. We will have staff members stationed through out the campus to ensure that all students make it safely to their classrooms. We know that this is a big day for our students and we will make sure that their first day is filled with joy and excitement!

Please determine the method of transportation your child will use for the year. We highly encourage students to arrive to school and go home from school using that method on the first day of school.

Students typically make it home faster if they ride the bus or live within walking distance. The car rider line could take over an hour the first few weeks of school. If your student is able to take a bus, we highly recommend it.

See below for details regarding transportation.

Thank you for reviewing our arrival and dismissal procedures below. You will find a map below with the entrances/exits for different modes of transportation. We highly encourage you to have your child use the same method of transportation the first day that they will the whole year.

The car rider, walker, and bus loop gates remain closed during the school day. The parking lot and front office can be accessed through a single-point entry using the front gate.

Main Car Rider Line (K-5):

Cars will be able to enter the car line close to dismissal. Please do not arrive earlier as that will cause a backup on Superior Blvd.

Walkers/Bike Riders:

Please meet your students at the walker gate. For safety reasons, we are asking families to remain at the gate and wait for their student to arrive.

Car Rider Line Path:

For safety purposes and to help reduce the wait time in the car line, please ensure the path below is followed in the morning and afternoon.

Students who live across Hwy 27 and those who live more than a mile away from our campus will receive transportation through Lake County Schools. The actual bus routes should be available the first week of August. Below is the link to the transportation page for Lake County.

If your child rode the bus last year, the bus routes, names, and times should be about the same.

Click on the button below to view our 24-25 SBE Student Handbook. This handbook provides lots of great information regarding some of our policies and procedures we have in place to ensure that our campus runs smoothly. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

We are pleased to inform you that the Lake County School Board will again be participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program called the Community Eligibility Provision for 2024-2025 School Year.

Schools that participate in the Community Eligibility Provision are able to provide a healthy breakfast and lunch at no charge for ALL students enrolled during the 2024-2025 School Year. A la carte items will still be available for purchase.

Below is the link to the SBE lunch menu where you will be able to access the menu, nutritional fact, and allergy information.

The goal of the SBE ELC program is to provide a safe and affordable before and after school care program, which offers developmentally appropriate activities under the supervision of responsible staff members who are trustworthy, caring and competent to understand and meet the needs of children. Follow the link below for more information regarding the ELC program and registration.

ELC Fall registration will open at 8:00 AM on Monday, July 22, 2024.

Lisa Owens-Sawgrass Bay Elementary Sr. Site Coordinator

Email: OwensL@lake.k12.fl.us

Phone: 352-394-8547

All of our volunteers must have at least a level 1 background clearance.

• Level 1 - parent must always be in the visual presence of a school district employee
• Level 2 - parent may be assigned outside of the immediate presence of a school district employee

Volunteers must have a Level 2 clearance to chaperone field trips.

Please visit the website below for more information on how to become a volunteer:

If you have any questions, please contact our volunteer coordinator:

Barbara Eldredge

eldredgeb@lake.k12.fl.us

A School Advisory Council (SAC) is a peer elected, collaborative team that works to improve student achievement, effective teaching in the classroom , and parent and community engagement in the educational process.

If you are interested in being on the ballot for the Sawgrass Bay Elementary SAC, please complete the information below. We will close this form on August 15th so that we can begin the voting process if needed. (Parents vote for parent members and staff members vote for staff members)

Follow us on Facebook for the most current information, updates, and great things occurring on our campus!

Email: locusong1@lake.k12.fl.us

Website: https://sbe.lake.k12.fl.us/
Location: 16325 Superior Boulevard, Clermont, FL, USA

Phone: 352-243-1845
Facebook: facebook.com/sawgrassbay