We are already in the final weeks of the 2024-2025 school year! This year has been full of opportunities for learning, leadership, and fun! Our staff and students have gone Above & Beyond in working to reach their goals!

The 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony is on May 28 at 8:30am in our cafeteria! We hope all our students' parents can attend to help us celebrate the end of elementary school and the beginning of their next school adventure! If parents wish to take their child home after the ceremony, please plan to check them out in the front office, and as always, to check your child out early, you will need your photo ID.

We have had more families than ever come to school events, which strengthens the home and school connection and partnership! Our goal was to have 100% of our families attend at least one event this year and we got so close! We had 88% of our families join us this year and we are thankful for all of you!

Looking ahead, our annual Meet the Teacher event is tentatively scheduled for August 7! The final date and time will be shared on our website, social media pages, and direct message to parents during the summer. We will also post next year's school supply list on our website so you have plenty of time to shop sale items!

There is important information for parents to know in the newsletter, so please take a few moments to look through the information. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher or call the front office. We are here to help!

Mrs. Johnessee

Principal

johnessa@collierschools.com

May 23 ~ Early Release at 12:05pm

May 26 ~ Memorial Day/No School

May 28 ~ 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony at 8:30am

May 30 ~ Last Day of School/Early Release at 12:05pm

August 8 ~ Meet the Teacher 9:00-10:30

August 11 ~ First Day of School!

Our school is implementing a whole-school transformational process called the Leader in Me, which teaches 21st-century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader.

Our school will be conducting surveys to learn more about key areas of strength and areas of needed growth in our school. In order for us to have a holistic picture of what is going on in our school, we are asking all full-time staff members, parents/guardians, and students in Grade 4 and up to participate.

If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete a survey (without sharing your name or other identifying information) that will be available through the weblink below. The survey is completely voluntary, but we do hope to get feedback from one member of every household.

The parent/guardian survey takes about 12 minutes to complete and will ask questions about your child and about his or her experience in our school. If you have more than one child attending the school, you will be asked to think about the oldest child's experiences as you answer questions related to his or her growth.

Please take this survey: https://www.leaderinme.com/s/parkside-elementary/families

Please complete the survey by: June 5, 2025

Dismissal is at 3:05!

Please be here to pick up your child ON TIME.

The office closes at 3:30 and school staff are not able to watch your child after that time.

Please be respectful to our staff by being on time!

Be sure to have your child READ, READ, READ over the summer break! The best way to keep reading skills sharp is to read! One way to get fresh books into your child's hands is to visit our Collier County Public Libraries! A great idea, especially for our older students, is to read the same book as your child so you can talk about it together! Keep in mind that your child is never too old for bedtime stories! The books might get more complex, but the result is the same! Stronger readers and quality time spent together!

As we wrap up a fantastic school year, we want to encourage families to keep the math momentum going over the summer! Just a few minutes of fun math practice each day can help students retain what they’ve learned and build confidence for the year ahead.

Here are a few easy ways to practice:

• Play math games (card games, board games, or apps)
• Involve kids in real-life math (cooking, shopping, measuring, budgeting)
• Practice math facts with flashcards or printable worksheets

Most importantly—make it fun and part of everyday life! We hope you all have a safe, relaxing, and math-filled summer!

April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring state testing and science is no different. Students in 2nd through 4th grade will take a district end-of-year science test covering all of the topics they learned this year. Our fifth graders will take the Statewide Science Assessment that covers everything they have learned since kindergarten! Don’t worry, our students are prepared. They, along with their teachers, have worked tirelessly for years to get them ready for the test. While we always want students to do well on their tests, we also want them to love science. That is why teachers at Parkside bring science to life and make it fun! One example is our 8th Annual Parkside Egg Drop event which will be held on Thursday, May 22nd. Participating classes will have the opportunity to build a device to protect their eggstronaut from 75 ft. fall! This event is always a highlight of the year and a great way to wrap up a year of hard work in science class!

Our Parkside Girls on the Run participants finished up this semester with a service project! They chose to paint and distribute Kindness Rocks around our Parkside campus! Has your child seen any yet? Thank you to Mrs. Echevarria and Ms. Johnson for leading the girls!

We will continue to recognize students for exemplifying our PSE Expectations...Prepared to Learn, Show Respect to Ourselves and Others, Be Responsible...We will also be recognizing our students for modeling the 7 Habits, as part of the Leader in Me Framework. Your child has learned the 7 Habits and will continue to use them at school and at home!

If you'd like to support the 7 Habits with your child at home, a great way would be to have a copy of the book, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids! Click the link below to purchase the book!

As we wrap up another wonderful school year, the PSE Media Center would like to thank all our students, families, and staff for making this year such a success! From our exciting Book Fair and story time adventures to SSYRA books and our new Accelerated Reading program, our library has been buzzing with curiosity and a love for learning. We’ve seen tremendous growth in our young readers, and we’re so proud of the enthusiasm they bring to every book they open. Over the summer, we encourage everyone to keep reading, exploring, and imagining. We can’t wait to welcome you back in the fall for even more literary fun!

As we wrap up another school year, I want to take a moment to recognize the resilience, growth, and achievements of all our students. It has been a privilege to support them through their academic, social, and emotional journeys this year. Whether learning a new skill, building friendships, or growing confidence; our students have shown incredible hard work.

Thank you for your continued partnership and trust. Your support is an important part of our school community.

Drop off starts at 7:30am. Please do not drop your child off prior to 7:30 as there is no supervision. School starts at 8:05. Please have your child to school on time! Students being in their classrooms at 8:05 helps them start their daily routine without feeling rushed. Think about how running late for work impacts your own mindset as an adult! We want our students to feel confident and prepared to start each day!

Students must follow the dress code each day. Fridays are Jeans Days and students can also wear any Parkside Spirit T-Shirt on Fridays. https://www.collierschools.com/site/Default.aspx?PageID=10454

Please see the attachment that includes two FREE Online Language Learning Programs:

Mango and Duolingo. These programs are fun for the entire family. Click on attachment

and start your language journey!

Please make sure you have a car sign in your vehicle every day. It significantly slows down our dismissal when we have to check IDs and verify approved pick ups. If you do not have a car sign, please come to the front office and we will provide one. You can also request multiple signs if you have different people picking up your child.

The safety of our students is a top priority. All preK, kindergarten and 1st grade students who walk home, need to be met at the walker gate by an adult who has the walker tag. Students will not be released without the proper walker tag being presented. If you forget your tag, our staff will call the front office to verify approved pick ups. The person picking up the child must have a photo ID to verify identity, if they don't have the walker tag. Students who walk home with older students, with parent permission, are permitted to leave.

Thank you for partnering with us to make Parkside a safe place for all!

For the 2024-2025 school year, students are provided with Breakfast & Lunch at no cost everyday!

Contact our Nutrition Services Manager, Josefina Hinojosa, at 239-377-8912 if you have questions.

FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.

FortifyFL was created and funded by the 2018 Florida Legislature as part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The application was named by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Office of Attorney General, Department of Education and Florida Department of Law Enforcement coordinated its development and roll-out.

https://getfortifyfl.com/

Parents may review their children’s instructional materials at the school site. Parents may also schedule an appointment to review currently adopted instructional materials at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Administrative Center. Please contact Julia Lorenzo, Instructional Materials Manager at LorenzJu@collierschools.com or 377-0103.

Website: collierschools.com/pse
Location: 5322 Texas Avenue, Naples, FL 34113, USA
Phone: 239-377-8900
Facebook: facebook.com/parksideproud
X/Twitter: @parksideproud