SEM Newsletter

To ensure high levels of learning in a safe, respectful environment where all achieve personal and academic success. ALL means ALL.

We are thrilled to kick off the second semester with our amazing students! As we hit the ground running, we’re starting strong with Attendance Awareness Month. Be sure to check out the details below to learn more about how we’re promoting the importance of being present every day.

To make this month even more exciting, we’ll be celebrating with two Spirit Weeks—one for Attendance Awareness and another for Literacy Week. Both weeks will be packed with fun activities and themed days designed to engage our students and build enthusiasm for learning and attendance.

Let’s work together to make this semester a success! Thank you for your continued support, and we can’t wait to see all the great things our students will accomplish in the months ahead.

Mrs. VanderMolen, Principal

Mrs. Drazick, Assistant Principal

In an effort to increase the security and safety on campus, all visitors must have a photo ID to enter the front office.

At Seminole Elementary, we are committed to increasing student attendance because we know that being present at school is a key ingredient for learning and success. Every day counts!

This month, we are excited to recognize and reward students with perfect attendance, as well as the grade levels with the highest attendance percentages. These incentives are a fun way to celebrate the importance of showing up, staying on track, and making the most of every learning opportunity.

To make things even more exciting, we’ll be hosting an Attendance Spirit Week during the week of January 13th! Be sure to check out the flyer below for all the details and join in the fun as we celebrate the importance of attendance in style.

We need your support to make this initiative a success! Please ensure your child is at school each day, arrives on time, and avoids early checkouts. Together, we can help all of our students reach their full potential by emphasizing the importance of consistent attendance.

Let’s make January a month of great attendance and even greater achievements! Thank you for your partnership in your child’s education.

🏆 Quarter 2 Awards are coming soon! 🏆

Please be on the lookout for information from your child's teacher to learn if your child will be receiving an award.

Below are the dates and times for the different grade levels.

3rd Grade

1/21 @ 8:45 AM

4th Grade

1/21 @ 1:45 PM

1st Grade

1/23 @ 8:45 AM

2nd Grade

1/23 @ 9:30 AM

5th Grade

1/23 @ 1:45 PM

Florida is leading a first-in-the-nation approach that empowers students to persevere and overcome life’s inevitable challenges. The Florida Department of Education developed state education standards and resources to equip students with skills that build resiliency.

These are the 11 resiliency characteristics to help your child overcome any challenge:

Perseverance, Responsibility,Self-Awareness & Self-Management, Grit, Responsible, Decision-Making, Mentorship, Gratitude, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Citizenship, Honesty, and Empathy

Explore the skills by going to buildresilency.org and clicking each word to learn its definition and access downloadable resources.

Join us as we celebrate Literacy Week with an exciting theme: Building Literacy: Constructing the Foundation for Success. Throughout the week, we’ll engage in fun activities and events that highlight the importance of literacy as the cornerstone of learning and achievement.

Be sure to check out the flyer below for all the details about each day’s festivities! From themed dress-up days to special reading events, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Let’s come together to make Literacy Week a memorable and inspiring experience for our students!

Thank you for your support in fostering a love of reading and learning at Seminole. We can’t wait to see the creativity and enthusiasm this week will bring!

We are excited to invite you to our next School Advisory Council (SAC) Meeting on Thursday, January 23rd, at 5:30 PM in the Media Center. All parents and guardians are encouraged to attend, as these meetings play a vital role in shaping the direction and success of Seminole Elementary.

At this meeting, we will review the data from our second State Progress Monitoring Assessment and discuss important topics, including the allocation of school funds. This is a great opportunity to stay informed, share your input, and collaborate with other families and staff to support our students' success.

Your voice matters, and we look forward to seeing you there. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on our school community!

Parents, take a look at our Parent Family Engagement Plan here! This plan provides an overview of the ways we aim to foster strong partnerships between families and our school.an overview of the ways we aim to foster strong partnerships between families and our school.

Parent Family Engagement Plan English

Parent Family Engagement Plan Spanish

AfterCare is being offered at Seminole!

Please use the QR codes to learn more information and register your child for AfterCare!

Below is a link to the District Policy on Bullying and Harassment. In order to be classified as bullying, the physical threat or emotion distress must be continuously inflicted towards the student. A one time occurrence of teasing would not fall under bullying.

SEM takes bullying seriously! If your child is being bullied, please have your child tell an adult at school or call the office to inform administration of the situation.

Link to District Bullying and Harassment Policy

Parents, please use the roundabout towards the back of the school when dropping off or picking up your student. This helps us avoid congestion and issues with traffic back up. Do not use the driveway before the roundabout to turn around. This creates a very dangerous situation for cars that are driving to the roundabout or turning into the school.

Also, please do not exit your vehicle during drop off or pick up times. We have staff that will assist the students exit or enter the vehicles as necessary. This limits pedestrian traffic in the road and near our opened gates.

Thank you!

At Seminole, we are committed to Read Aloud A Lot. Students spend time daily reading aloud in class. Students daily are required to read 20 minutes at home for homework. Students K-2 should be reading the fluency passages sent home by the teacher and grades 3-5 should be reading books at home.

Stay Informed About Meals at Seminole! 🥞🍎

Access the January Breakfast and Lunch Menus on our District Website by clicking here. These menus are packed with delicious and nutritious options to fuel our students for success!

Remember, breakfast and lunch are completely free for ALL Seminole students. Make sure your child takes advantage of these healthy meal offerings every day! 🥪✨

Parents, please check out this wonderful free resource! Even if your family is not eligible to receive books, there are still free resources available to help your child with reading!

Link to New Worlds Reading Website

The Florida Department of Education has recently updated their Just Read, Florida! initiative. Click here to learn more about the updates!

Parents, does your child need additional assistance?

Okeechobee County School District has partnered with Varsity Tutors for Schools! All students now have access to the Varsity Tutors learning resources like live classes, chat tutoring, and more. Some students may have been assigned tutoring by your school, ask your teacher or school office if this has been provided to you. All Okeechobee County School District families can sign up for paid supplemental private tutoring for their students at a discounted rate!

Click here to learn more information about what it is, how to login, and so much more!