News from the Nest

Happy December!

We had a great month in November that was filled with fun and learning.

We would like to thank everyone that donated to our food drive this year! Your generosity is always appreciated. On November 20, we had our annual Great American Teach In. It was such an amazing experience for our students. Thank you to our staff and community members for making this event fun and informative. We had an amazing turnout for our rescheduled Tile Painting Night! We can't wait to see them displayed in our cafeteria. Our PTA hosted our 3rd annual Kindness Feast. A great time was had by all and the students loved eating lunch with their teachers.

We wish everyone a happy, restful, and fun-filled winter break! There will be no school for students December 23 - January 5. Students return to school on Monday, January 6.

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

It is Holiday Shoppe time again! Students will be able to purchase items December 4 - December 11. Teachers will let parents know what day and time they are signed up to go. We need some elves to assist our students in shopping for their loved ones. This is one of the most rewarding opportunities offered all year. It's so great seeing how thoughtful our Cranes can be. Please sign up to be a part of the magic!

Our PTA is asking for your support! We are collecting $5, $10, or $15 gift card donations for our Holiday Treasure Box, which will be used to support our amazing teachers & staff. 🍎 Staff will have the opportunity to select something special from the Treasure Box as a token of appreciation. 🎄

Please drop your donations off at the front office.

Thank you for helping make the holidays brighter for our educators! 💖

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2769781295?omn=81796140607

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.

Report Cards for the second quarter will be released in the Parent Portal on January 17. 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, 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!