Sanders Memorial Stallion News

The holiday season is upon us, and it's time to swap schoolbooks for holiday cookbooks, and homework for some family fun! We hope you take this well-deserved break to relax, unwind, and maybe even catch up on some sleep (we know the kids will try to sleep in until noon or not, so be prepared!).

This is the perfect time to gather with family and friends, share some laughs, and create unforgettable memories. Whether you're building snowmen, enjoying a sunny beach day( not sure what the weather will be like), or just cozying up with a good movie, make the most of every moment.

Remember, the best gift you can give is your time and presence. So, put down those phones, computers, and other electronics (unless you're taking a family selfie, of course) and enjoy the holiday magic.

We can't wait to hear all about your adventures when we see you again on January 6th, 2025. Until then, have a fantastic holiday break filled with joy, laughter, and maybe a few too many cookies!

Enjoy this year's Grinch Visit to SMES https://fb.watch/wA3IQIAXfJ/

Happy Holidays!

Warm and festive wishes,

Mr. Petry and Mrs. Hedgspeth

We had an amazing STEAM DREAMS event this year. We loved inviting our community in to share with our students about careers and hobbies in STEAM and beyond. We had a county judge, firefighter, aviation litigation attorney, assistive technologies user, vet, piano instructor, pickleball coach, pilot, and so much more! Our students saw how a STEAM education enables us to find solutions to challenges in our community. Thank you to all our STEAM Dreams presenters this year. We are grateful for our community partnerships.

We had an awesome time celebrating our 3rd-5th Stallions that read 8 of the SSYRA books! There were almost 120 students. Keep reading, Stallions!

🫧Our 12 Book Party will be the Week February 17th. It will be a foam party! The deadline for this is February 7th🫧

Our Winter Reading Land Challenge has begun! Our current top 3 readers for this challenge per grade level are:

K: Jonah K, Izzy F, Brooke S.

1: Elliott L, Gabriella T., Grant K

2: Owen L, William B, and Arella S.

3: Lorenzo R., Cole H., Andrew R.

4: Fedor D., Von. W., Chloe Demott

5: Ethan S. Allie M. Thanmayee G.

Our top staff members reading are: Mrs. Gilligan, Mrs. Leung, and Mrs. Tidwell

Keep reading because the challenge goes until January 7, 2024

Kindergarten Parents, please RSVP by Friday, Dec. 13th for the Kindergarten Author's celebration on Friday, Dec. 20th. Our K Stallions have been working hard on their winter writing to showcase!

RSVP using the QR code below or this link

If you know SMES, you know we take the holidays seriously around here. You will find our Holiday Dress schedule for the week before Winter Break! We can't wait to see our festive Stallions!

The Pasco County School Choice Window opens January 8 at 8:00am. It is very important that if you have a sibling in our school that you state this on the application. You must apply for ALL students (including siblings) not currently attending Sanders.

We are so excited about starting our Lego Club in January! If you have any questions, please email earellan@pasco.k12.fl.us

We have surpassed our midyear goal of 500,000 minutes read at 532, 520 minutes!!

Our goal for the end of the year is 1,000,000! Let's blow it out of the water!

Our all time top readers for each grade level are:

K: Charlotte S.

1st: Elliott L.

2nd: William B.

3rd: Kanishkan N.

4th: Fedor D.

5th: Isabella W.

Our all time top grade level is 3rd grade!

Keep reading, Stallions! We will be introducing FLASH challenges for classes and grade levels in January!

📖Reading in the car? Log the minutes!

📖Reading in class? Log the minutes!

📖Reading with a sibling? Log those minutes!

Please remember to return your library books so all Stallions can enjoy our collection!

They can return the books when they are finished but they will go to the library at their assigned class time every other week. We want all Stallions to have a chance to check out our library books, so please make sure you return your books on time. For Sunshine State books, they need to be returned in one week.

🖐🏻We are in need of volunteers! 🖐🏻

We need 3 volunteers every Friday to help reshelve, check in return books, organize books, and any other things that might be needed for the library. Please sign up if you are available every Friday for the remainder of the year.

Sign Up to Volunteer for the Library

📱Wireless Communication Devices (WCDs) 📱

Policy Overview: Students in grades Pre-K through 5 are encouraged to leave their WCDs at home. If students do bring WCDs to school, they must ensure that the devices remain on silent mode and completely out of view for the entire school day. Classroom teachers may provide a designated cell phone storage area in their classrooms for students to use. This includes cellphones, watches and other communicative devices.

Why This Policy Matters at school:

1. Minimizing Distractions: Keeping WCDs out of sight helps minimize distractions, allowing students to focus better on their studies and classroom activities.
2. Promoting Social Interaction: Without the presence of WCDs, students are more likely to engage in face-to-face interactions, fostering better social skills and relationships.
3. Ensuring Safety and Security: By adhering to this policy, we can better ensure the safety and security of all students, as WCDs can sometimes be a source of disruption or misuse.

How You Can Help:

• Encourage Compliance: Please encourage your child to leave their WCDs at home or ensure they understand the importance of keeping them on silent and out of view during school hours.
• Discuss the Policy: Take a moment to discuss this policy with your child and explain why it is important for their learning and the overall school environment.
• Support Teachers: Reinforce the idea that teachers may provide a cell phone storage area in the classroom and that it is a safe place for their devices during the day.

We appreciate your cooperation and support in helping us maintain a focused and safe learning environment for all students. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

MyStudent Emergency Contact Information

Please make sure to log into MyStudent and update and acknowledge your contact information. This is essential so that we can get a hold of families and ensure you are receiving our communications weekly.

Signing Students out Early

We are requesting that students who need to be signed out early for the day, be signed out by 2:45 p.m. at the latest. after that point, they will not be called up to the office until they have arrived in their designated dismissal room. Unfortunately, we are not able to call students down to the office before parents arrive, as safety is our priority and ID's are required.

Carline Reminders

NO CELL PHONES IN THE CAR LINE!! Please put vehicles in "PARK" while children are loading and unloading. All children must remain in their seats while their vehicles are in motion for loading and unloading. For the purpose of safety, children cannot hang out of windows and sunroofs while cars are in motion.

Transportation Dismissal Changes: VERY IMPORTANT

Any changes in mode of transportation home must be entered in to the Transportation Change Request form on our SMES website by 2:45 p.m. EACH DAY to ensure a safe and smooth dismissal for all students.

Attendance Calls Reminder

Starting from the first day of school, we are enhancing our communication regarding your child's attendance. Keeping parents informed about their child’s attendance is vital for the safety and security of all students.

• Elementary School: If your child is absent, you will receive a notification (phone call and email) one hour after the start of school. Since school starts at 9:20, you will receive a call by 10:20.

Parking for events, arrival and dismissal:

We want to remind everyone about the importance of parking in designated areas only. Recently, there have been instances of vehicles being parked on the grass, over sidewalks and in non-marked parking spots along School Road and Lake Thomas Road.

Please be aware that these actions are ticketable offenses if a sheriff’s office deputy comes by. Additionally, parking in these areas is not conducive to being good neighbors to the residents along these roads and reflects poorly on our school community.

Parent Bill of Rights:

Parents, please ensure that you have completed all the Parent Bill of Rights information in your myStudent parent portal. These forms must be completed yearly.

Volunteer updates:

Volunteers (NEW REQUIREMENT): Sanders welcomes volunteers! Effective August 1, 2024, and every five years after, volunteers will need to pay a fee, currently $41.25 for a Level 2 Fingerprinting and Background Screening that will be monitored. Please visit the district volunteer website at https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/hreq/page/volunteer to apply to be a volunteer. Volunteering includes any time an individual is around students other than their own.

Field Trip Reminders:

it is important to remember our field trip guidelines and to follow them. These guidelines are in place to ensure the safety and educational value of our field trips, which are an extension of the classroom.

Violation of Field Trip Guidelines

Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in either a reduction of field trip opportunities for all students in the next grade level or a limitation on opportunities for parents to serve as chaperones.

Importance of Compliance

It is crucial that these guidelines are followed to maintain a safe and productive environment for all students. Field trips are designed to enhance the learning experience, and your cooperation is essential in achieving this goal.

Tutoring Interest:

If you are looking for possible tutor services, please reach out to:

👩Caitlin Gryte

📧 cgryte@pasco.k12.fl.us

If you haven't already, please join our amazing PTA! Our PTA is always looking for new ideas to serve our school community.

To join click Join the PTA

If you are interested becoming a PTA business partner please fill out

Become a SMES PTA Business Partner

12/20 K Author's Tea

12/23 Winter Break Begins

1/6 First Day Back from Winter Break

1/13 Teacher Planning Day- No School for Students

1/17 Stallion of the Quarter

1/20 Martin Luther King Jr. Day- No School for Students/Teachers

2/10 2nd Grade Field Trip to MOSI

2/11 Someone Special Dance 4pm

2/14 No School for Teachers and Students

2/17 No School for Teachers and Students

2/19 **tentative 12 Book Party**

2/20 Spring Pictures

2/26 3rd Grade Field Trip to ZooTampa

ll students will be able to receive breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria free of charge. To help expedite the breakfast and lunch lines, as well as, to ensure your student wants the lunch of the day, please view the Sanders Meal Calendar for breakfast and lunch options.

Lunch with your child: Parents are welcome to have lunch with their child by making a reservation at 813-794-1500 ahead of time to check for availability. Lunch reservations are only for the current month and are only available Tuesday-Friday.

Parents must sign in, with an ID at the office to receive a visitor badge. To ensure the safety and supervision of all children, parents may only have lunch with their child(ren). We ask that you limit your visit to once a month. Lunchtime is one of the few times of the day where children can socialize with their classmates.

Sanders Meal Calendar

Pasco County Schools Calendar

Pasco County Student Code of Conduct

Student Quick Pay

School Spirit Shirts, School Fees, Field Trips, ID Badges, Car Tags

Houses:

🔴House of Friendship – Red Wolf

🔵House of Dreamers – Bobcat

🟢House of Courage – Alligator

⚫House of Givers – Rattlesnake

This Houses system will encourage “House” building and bonding between students in all grade levels. It will continue SMES’s path of positive culture and relationships with students and staff.

House Points: Throughout the year the houses will compete against each other in competitions and events to accumulate House points. Individual students can also continue to accumulate points for their House by demonstrating Stallion expectations and beyond.

Spin Tickets: Students can earn spin tickets from house leaders, and other random staff members. If a student earns a spin ticket, they will get to spin the wheel on Spinning Days.

House Champion: At the end of the year, the House with the most points wins the House Championship and all of the honor and glory that comes with it!