The Bobcat Times

Brooker Creek had an amazing fun filled week that was capped off with many Valentines Day celebrations throughout the campus. Thanks to all of the parents in grades 2-5 who reviewed, signed and returned their child's midterm progress report. I would like to ask parents who have not already completed the stakeholder survey to please do so by February 21. www.pcsb.org/survey

I hope your children enjoyed this past week at school, and we want to express our sincere thanks to you, Bobcat parents. Thank you for your continued support, and as always, reach out with any questions or concerns you might have.

Have a great week weekend.

As the memory of Valentine's Day is still vivid, a day often filled with hearts and flowers, I wanted to take a moment to share something that truly fills my heart here at Brooker Creek. It's you, parents, and the incredible children you entrust to us each day. We are fortunate to witness your children's journey, from those first steps in primary grades to their blossoming in intermediate school. It's a privilege to watch them grow, not just academically, but as individuals. We see the effort they put into their studies, the triumphs they experience, and the positive relationships they cultivate with their peers, our dedicated teachers, and the entire Brooker Creek staff. And while we value all of that, there's one love that truly outweighs all others: the pure, unadulterated joy of seeing their smiling faces walk through our doors each morning. That's the real gift.
Thank you for sharing your children with us. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of their lives. They are the reason we do what we do, and we cherish the opportunity to guide them on their path.

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Parents, please take a moment to fill out the Pinellas County Schools stakeholder survey. The district is collecting feedback to see how we can improve as a district and as a school. The survey closes February 21. Visit pcsb.org/survey to get started!

Monday February 17, 2025

• 3:00 PSA Sports - Flag Football

Tuesday February 18, 2025

• 3:00 pm Mighty Mu Club / Media Center
• 3:00 PSA Sports - Basketball

Wednesday February 19, 2025

• 3:00 pm STEM Club / Media Center
• PSA Sports - Soccer

Thursday February 20, 2025

• 3:00 pm Battle of the Books / Media Center
• 3:15 pm Art Club / Art Room

Friday February 21, 2025

Mrs. Kloepfer, our Family and Community Liaison, is excited to launch the Lunch Pals Mentoring Program here at Brooker Creek!

The Lunch Pals program matches a mentor with a student for a 30-minute mentoring session once a week (Tuesdays or Thursdays), or once every other week, during the student’s lunch time. Mentors are required to be a registered volunteer and complete a 1-hour mentor workshop. Several of our volunteers have already taken the mentor training and will begin mentoring this week, but the school is still in need of additional mentors, especially male mentors.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please register for one of our workshops at http://www.pcsb.org/mentorworkshops. If you have questions about becoming a mentor or having your child being matched with a mentor, please email Rachel Kloepfer at Kloepferr@pcsb.org. Thank you

As we move closer to the end of the academic year, I want to make sure that you are helping to ensure that your student(s) meet their I-Station and DreamBox goals each week.

I-Station

Level 3, 4, and 5 - 30 minutes weekly

Level 1 & 2 - 45 minutes weekly

DreamBox

Primary students (K, 1, and 2) - 5 lessons weekly

Intermediate students (3, 4, and 5) - 10 lessons weekly

These are the guidelines the district has asked us to follow. I want to also caution you that too much of a good thing is too much. Please do not push your student beyond the lesson number goal or minutes listed above. Once the target is met, they are done for the week.

If you have any questions about your student's level in I-Station or their DreamBox progress, please do not hesitate to reach out to the classroom teacher.

The BCE Spring Book Fair will be held from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday, March 10th through Friday, March 14th. We are also excited to offer extended hours for our Books and PTA Bingo Night on Thursday, March 13th, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM! Bring your family and enjoy a fun evening of shopping and bingo!

We are looking forward to this event and would love to welcome volunteers to help make it a success. If you're interested in volunteering, please visit our school website and click on the Spring Scholastic Book Fair link located in the Latest News section of our homepage.

Brooker Creek's Family Lunch will be held on the dates listed below. All visitors must bring a picture ID and sign in through the main office. The Family lunch will be held in the courtyard of the campus and parents and guardians are encouraged to arrive about 10 minutes prior to the start of their child's scheduled lunch time.

• March 3 - Family Lunch PreK3, Kindergarten & 2nd Grade Lunches
• March 5 - Family Lunch VPK, 1st & 3rd Grade Lunches
• March 7 - Family Lunch 4th & 5th Grade Lunches

As a reminder, students are considered tardy when they are not in his or her assigned seat when the bell rings at 8:45 am. Please help us by having your child arrive to school early enough that they are able to eat breakfast is desired and still able to be in their seats when the bell rings at 8:45 am.

Per district policy, a tardy is excused only if the student is late for one of the reasons described in section V of the student code of conduct, all other tardies will be recorded as unexcused. Students who accumulate excessive unexcused tardies will be contacted by the school's Child Study Team.

Thank you for your understanding and assistance in optimizing learning here at Brooker Creek.

Please make sure to mark your calendar for the following upcoming events at Brooker Creek

• March 3 - Family Lunch PreK3, Kindergarten & 2nd Grade
• March 5 - Family Lunch VPK, 1st & 3rd Grade
• March 7 - Family Lunch 4th & 5th Grade
• March 13 - PTA Game Night / Evening Book Fair
• March 14 - End of the 3rd Marking Period
• March 17 - Spring Break
• March 28 - PTA Family Dance
• April 18 - No School for Students
• April 21 - No School for Students
• April 23 - Midterm Progress Reports Sent Home (grades 1-5)
• May 1 - Bobcat Student Achievement Showcase
• May 26 - Memorial Day - School Closed
• May 28 - Last Day of School for Students

A special thanks to members of our All-Pro Dads team who helped welcome students and parents in the car line on Friday. The additional supervision and support made the morning a huge success.

Just a reminder that breakfast is FREE to all students each school day from 8:15 am to 8:40 am in the school cafeteria.

Brooker Creek Elementary is committed to supporting the District's Commitment to Character Campaign. February's Commitment to Character area is Cooperation - Getting along with others and working together to accomplish a goal.

Congratulations to Talula Giddens as Brooker Creek’s East Lake Rotary’s February Student of the Month. Talula was recommended by Ms. Smith for her exceptional commitment to character both in and out of the classroom. Talula consistently demonstrates our core values of Respect, Ownership, staying Always Determined, Responsible, and Safe. Above all, she demonstrates a high level of kindness, care, and hard work.

APPLY FOR A SEAT:

Make sure you have a Parent Portal Account. You can create one by visiting focus.pcsb.org. To apply, visit focus.pcsb.org and access the “Student Reservation System” link on the left side of the navigation pane

APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY:

Visit the Early Learning Coalition and complete the online application for a Certificate of Eligibility (voucher). For information, please call the Early Learning Coalition at (727) 400-4411.

ENROLL AT ASSIGNED SCHOOL:

To enroll, bring the following documents to your assigned school:

• Certificate of Eligibility (voucher)
• Birth certificate/proof of child's age
• Florida Certificate of Immunization (DH Form 680)
• Physical examination certificate signed by a licensed examiner
• Proof of Florida residency (two forms of documentation required)

To enroll please follow the three simple steps below

1. Get a Pinellas County Schools User ID and Password (Focus Parent Portal Account)

Parents can create a Focus Parent Portal Account at focus.pcsb.org

2. Reserve a Seat

Log onto focus.pcsb.org and access the Student Reservation System using your PCS user ID and password.

3. Complete Enrollment at Your Child's School

Visit your child's assigned school and deliver the required documents.

Required Documents:

• Certified birth certificate or other proof of date of birth
• Physical examination signed by a licensed examiner (within 12 months prior to enrollment in kindergarten)
• Florida Certificate of Immunization (including specific dates - month, date and year given)
• All new students entering school in Florida for the first time must have a completed Florida Certificate of
  Immunization (DOH 680) with appropriate immunizations for kindergarten
• Proof of residency (2 forms of documentation required)
• Utility bill for power, water, cable, sewer or land-based telephone (not cellular)
• Rental agreement or lease
• Closing document
• Pinellas County tax statement with homestead exemption
• Affidavit of residency completed and notarized with two of the items listed above in the name of the person with whom you reside and who is listed on the affidavit
• Social Security card (required to request, but not mandatory)

If you have not yet had a teacher parent conference with your child's teacher this year and would like to, please email them directly at their PCSB email address. All staff emails can be found on our school website: https://www.pcsb.org/domain/1742