Welcome to the 2024-25 School Year

Welcome back to a new school year!

We hope you had a rejuvenating summer, creating memories with family and friends that will last a lifetime. Our dedicated administrative team and front office staff have been enjoying their well-deserved break, all the while preparing diligently for an exciting and productive 2024-2025 school year. As we gear up for the first day of school, we're thrilled to share some essential information with you about home/school communication, student schedules, and our procedures for arrival and dismissal. We look forward to welcoming all families during our upcoming Open House (August 8, 2024 from 3:30 - 5:30).

What is PRIDE?

PRIDE is our acronym standing for Preparation, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Effort.

Embracing the five pillars of PRIDE reflects a commitment to core values that foster personal and collective growth.

Preparation sets the stage for success, ensuring readiness for any challenge.

Respect is fundamental, promoting a culture of mutual appreciation and understanding.

Integrity anchors actions in honesty and ethical principles.

Dedication is the sustained effort that drives progress and achievement.

Effort is the fuel that powers the journey towards excellence.

Together, these pillars support a robust foundation for achieving goals and building a thriving community.

This guide is designed to help you get acquainted with our school's environment and routines. Remember, our front office is the starting point for any visits to the school, and we require all visitors to present an ID for campus access or student pick-up.

Keeping our records up to date is crucial, so please inform the office promptly of any changes in your contact details. If there are any changes in your child's enrollment status or if you need to return school property, such as laptops, please let us know at your earliest convenience.

Here's to a fantastic school year ahead, filled with learning, growth, and community spirit! If you have any questions or need further assistance, our office is just a call away at (407) 566-2300. Let's make this year remarkable together!

Celebration K8 has a large student population, and this can make arrival and dismissal times very busy. Our students' safety is always our top priority, and, to that end, we strongly encourage you to follow our procedures designed to keep everyone safe and to move traffic as efficiently as possible. We know your time is valuable and we will make every effort to honor that. The safety of our children, however, will always come first.

During Arrival and Dismissal Parents must obey the traffic laws. The Osceola County Sheriff Office will issue traffic violations.

9:00 am - CK8S Gates Open

Campus does not open until 9 am. Campus includes all property inside of the perimeter of our sidewalks.

9:30 am - CK8S Gates Close

Please plan ahead for drop off and pick up

All students are expected to be in class at 9:30. Gates close at 9:30. Students outside the gates or dropped off at or after 9:30 am are considered tardy and will be asked to check in at the front office.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Celebration Café strives to provide students with nutritious and delicious meals needed to learn. To make this big job run smoother, all students are to use their student ID card provided by the school. Upon arrival for breakfast/ lunch the students scan their barcoded ID card. The cashier will ring the student meal matching the student ID card with the student.

The cost for student lunches is $2.40. You may qualify for Free or Reduced lunch. This application can be accessed on the Osceola County School District website - www.osceolaschools.net under School Nutrition Services. You can also call School Nutrition at 407-870-4678 for questions or Celebration School at 407-566-2300.

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All Osceola County School Breakfasts are No Charge! Every student should start the day with a balanced breakfast. Your child can have this meal every day at no charge. Breakfast is from 9:00-9:20.

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We understand that keeping track of your student’s lunch accounts can be a challenge. To set up, add funds and view your child's meal account Please go to www.myschoolbucks.com. Funds will typically be available within 24 hours. You are also able to send cash in a labeled & sealed envelope with your child's name and purpose. Once the student gives the envelope to the cashier it will be deposited immediately.

We know things are busy and lunches are forgotten or dropped, Non-Cep Schools can charge up to two meals. When a meal account reaches a negative balance a parent/guardian will be notified. When a students account reaches -$4.80 the parent will receive notice through the cafe and the principal will be notified of the debt. Students will be given an alternative meal. Alternative meals will consist of cheese sandwich, fruit, vegetables, and milk.

Access our menu with allergen information at: www.schools.mealviewer.com/school/CelebrationK8

We sell snacks that exceed the Smart Snack Federal Requirements. They range from $0.25 to $1.50. The cost for an extra lunch item ranges from $1.75-3.00. Extra meal entrée items, a la carte items, milk, water, or ice cream do not qualify for the Free & Reduced meal program. Students' meal accounts will be charged. Student account must have a positive balance to purchase a la carte items. The online system, www.Myschoolbucks.com can be set up to receive low balance notifications.

We are here to assist and will be glad to answer any question. For additional information call the café at 407-566-2300, email Kimberley.abaloz@osceolaschools.net Or go to School Nutrition Services at: www.osceolaschools.net

Go Pride,

Kimberley Abaloz

Setting up a Parent Portal account is a proactive step towards staying informed about your child's academic progress. Through this portal, you can access your child's schedule, track their grades, and state standardized tests. It's an efficient way to keep up with important information, eliminating the need for paper-based communication.

Additionally, the school utilizes the Remind text messaging system for instant notifications, including weather alerts and school event reminders, ensuring that you're always in the loop with the latest school news.

Instructions for joining the Remind system are typically straightforward, making it easy for parents to stay connected and engaged with their child's educational journey.

Principal: Gary Weeden

Assistant Principals:

Mrs. Joyce Ramirez-Rubio (joyce.ramirezrubio@osceolaschools.net), PK- 3

Dr. Rose Pollzzie, 4th, 5th and Middle School

Ms. Joan Connolly, Middle School

Deans:

Mr. Leroy Smith, Elementary Dean

Mrs. Frances DiCesare, (frances.dicesare@osceolaschools.net), Middle School Dean

Parent Liaison: Mrs. Andrezza Hynes (English, Portuguese and Spanish)

School Colors: Hunter Green and Gold

School motto: "Imagine the Possibilities"

School mascot: Lion

School Information: Website - http://osceolaschools.net/CK8s

Facebook: CelebrationK8

District Website: http://osceolaschools.net

Celebration K-8 School

510 Campus Street, Celebration, FL 34747

(407) 566-2300

Students' school hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 am to 4:25 pm

Wednesday from 9:30 am to 3:25 pm (Early Release Day)

9:00 am - CK8S Gates Open

Campus does not open until 9 am. Campus includes all property inside of the perimeter of our sidewalks.

9:30 am - CK8S Gates Close

Please plan ahead for drop off and pick up

All students are expected to be in class at 9:30. Gates close at 9:30. Students outside the gates or dropped off at or after 9:30 am are considered tardy and will be asked to check in at the front office.

Breakfast starts at 9:00 in the cafeteria.

Picking up early: Our students are engaged in learning until school hours are over. Please try to limit your child's early withdrawal from school. If an appointment is impossible to schedule outside of school hours, give your child time to organize his/her backpack and travel to the office. We do not call the students to the office until you arrive to minimize loss of instructional time. Knowing your child's teacher and/or schedule will make the exit process much quicker. No students will be released 30 minutes before the end of school hours.

School Agendas: Agendas are required for all students. PTA will provide one for each student who will be delivered on the first day of class. If lost, the replacement is $5.

We are excited to share that the School District of Osceola County uses Remind schoolwide! If you're not already familiar with Remind, it's a classroom communication tool that makes it easy to stay involved with your child's learning. Remind is free to use, and you'll be able to receive and send messages on any device—even a simple text from your phone!

Teacher accounts will automatically be created once school begins. In the meantime, you can opt into our schoolwide Remind notification system by texting @ sdocck8s to 81010. You'll immediately receive a text confirming you've joined the school or class. If you don't already have the Remind app, click the texted link to download it. If you already have the app on your phone, open it to see the school or class you just joined.

Osceola School District provides a common school supply list for all of its schools. You may find the Pre-K through Grade 5 list at the link below. **Please note we do not require a 3" binder for students in grades 3 - 5.** Please purchase a 1.5 or 2" binder instead as these are smaller and lighter. Our middle school supply list can also be found at the link below.

All absences will be reported to CK8Sattendence@osceolaschool.net. Deborah Wilson serves as our attendance clerk. Please report absences by email.

Dress and Grooming shall contribute to the safety of all individuals and promote a positive educational environment.

Students exhibiting consecutive violations after warnings of dress code violations may be subject to lunch detention, after school detention, or in school suspension.

Dress Code information can be found in the SDOC Code of Student Conduct.

In addition to SDOC district shirt colors (navy, blue or white), CK8 students may wear Hunter Green or Gold shirts.

In compliance with SDOC policy:

Students are permitted to wear a Celebration K-8 sponsored spirit shirt on Fridays and College or Military shirts on Mondays as part of our AVID school program.

Mondays- College/Military Shirts or SDOC Dress Code

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - SDOC Dress Code

Friday- Celebration K8 School Spirit or Celebration K8 Athletic Shirt or SDOC Dress Code

Celebration School sells school hoodies and spirit shirts that can be ordered through our PTA

Only school sponsored hoodies are permitted on campus.

The following is an excerpt from our 2023-2024 Student Code of Conduct regarding dress code.

Bottoms shall consist of navy blue, black, or khaki (tan) pair of long pants, skirt, walking shorts, slacks, skorts, jumper, or similar clothing and must be denim, corduroy, or twill fabric.

Pants, shorts, and skirts shall be worn so that the waistband is worn at the waist and not below the waist. Shorts, skirts, dresses, and skorts shall extend to mid-thigh. Bottoms shall not be excessively distressed or altered in a manner that shows skin or undergarments. Athletic shorts, including spandex-style “bicycle” shorts, cut-off jeans or pants, cut-off sweatpants, short shorts, running shorts, and jogger athletic pants are not permitted. Sweatpants, yoga pants, and see-through boxer-type shorts are not permitted. Undergarments must not be visible.

Unacceptable Attire:

Students are not allowed to wear indecent, offensive, suggestive, or disruptive messages on clothing. Indecent, offensive, suggested or disruptive messages are also not allowed through jewelry (including body piercing jewelry and “grills”), buttons, haircuts, tattoos, makeup, or other attire or markings.

The following attire is also prohibited on campus before, during and after school events:

1. Clothing associated with gangs.

2. Clothing that encourages the use of drugs, alcohol, or violence.

3. Clothing associated with discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, race, religion, or sex.

4. Clothing exposing the torso or upper thighs such as see-through garments, mini-skirts or minidresses, halters, backless dresses, tube tops or tank tops without over shirts, spaghetti strap garments without over shirts, bare midriff outfits, or shirts or blouses tied at the midriff.

5. Clothing not properly fastened or with tears above the knee.

6. Clothing or outer garments traditionally designed as undergarments such as boxer shorts, bloomers, tights, hosiery, or sleepwear.

7. Clothing or footwear that is construed by the principal or designee as hazardous or dangerous to the health of the student or others.

8. Hats, headgear, or any head covering, except when approved by the principal.

Student schedules will go live on Focus (our student information system) on July 22th. If you are a returning parent, you can log into Focus to see your child's schedule. If you are a new parent, you will need to create a Focus account. You can access directions for creating a parent portal account on our school web site.

Please note that schedules are being released well in advance of the first day of school.

Middle school schedules are still being finalized.

Some final points regarding schedules:

• There may be changes made as we continue to balance class sizes.
• For middle school - if your child is missing a core academic class (math, science, reading, social studies) or is listed in the wrong grade, please use the QR code or link below to notify us of error and we will make the change immediately.
• Schedule changes will not be made unless there is a gross error warranting a change.
• Middle school elective issues or questions will be addressed during school lunches with guidance counselors and the assistant principals after the first week of school.

Scheduling students in a school this size is a massive undertaking, especially while continuing to register new students. Thank you for your patience as we continue this process!

To request a schedule change, please fill out the provided form. Schedule changes will be evaluated and prioritized according to academic necessity. Requests based on teacher preferences will not be prioritized. Availability for elective changes will depend on existing class sizes and may be limited. It's important to submit your request as soon as possible to facilitate timely adjustments.

Please note that students must have proof of all state-required school immunizations prior to being allowed to attend school this year. Immunizations can be dropped off at the front office. There is no longer a waiver in place. Please check this document carefully for all required immunizations.

AUGUST

Thursday 8/8- Open House, 3:30p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Monday, 8/12 - First Day of School

SEPTEMBER

9/2 - Labor Day, No School

9/27 - Professional Development Day/Student Holiday

OCTOBER

10/14 - Teacher Work Day, No School for Students

10/15 - Last Day of First Grading Period

NOVEMBER

11/11 -Veterans Day (No School)

11/25-11/27- Teacher/Student Holiday

11/28 - Thanksgiving

DECEMBER

12/20- Last Day of 2nd Grading Period

12/23- 1/3 - Last Day of Winter Break

JANUARY 2025

1/6 Teacher Workday/Student Holiday

1/7/2025 - Classes Resume

Website: osceolaschools.net/ck8s
Location: 510 Campus Street, Celebration, FL, USA
Phone: 407-566-2300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CelebrationK8