January 6-31 - Pop Tab Drive to benefit the Ronald McDonald House (see flyer)

January 6-31 - American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge (see info below)

January 13 - MONDAY EARLY RELEASE (Last one for the school year!)

January 15 - Class Pictures (wear uniforms)

January 15 - Parent Resource Night - 5:30-6:30 p.m. (see flyer)

January 15 - PTA General Assembly Meeting - 6:30 p.m.

January 17- SLAM Showcase Projects Due

January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday - No School

January 27 - MONDAY - FULL DAY OF SCHOOL

January 28 - SLAM Showcase - 5:00-6:30 p.m.

January 27-31 - Celebrate Literacy Week (see flyer)

THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS UPDATED STUDENT CALENDAR IS ATTACHED BELOW (with changes due to school closures for Hurricanes Helene and Milton).

Dear Pride Families,

It has been a CHILLY first week back at school, but our hearts have been warmed by the excitement and enthusiasm of our students as they eagerly returned from the long winter break.

As we move forward in this exciting school year, we are reminded daily of the incredible energy, curiosity, and joy that your children bring to our classrooms and hallways. They are at the heart of everything we do, and witnessing their growth—academically, socially, and emotionally—continues to inspire us.

This month, we have several wonderful events and updates to share. These include opportunities for family involvement, philanthropy, and celebrating reading. I encourage you to mark your calendars and join us whenever possible. Your presence and support mean so much to our school community and enrich the experiences we provide.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and for entrusting us with your child’s education. Together, we are building a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.

Warmly,

Mrs. English, Principal

Mrs. Moncrief, Assistant Principal

As part of HCPS’ commitment to fostering a climate where all students and teachers can thrive, and all families feel supported and engaged, we are administering a districtwide survey program to understand the experiences of each stakeholder group. We are committed to hearing from as many students, staff and families as possible to
inform our work and to create schools that support excellent student outcomes.

All families have the opportunity to participate in a FAMILY SURVEY to share your feedback NOW through January 24.

Our school and district teams will use the feedback and data to strengthen discussions and action steps around what we do well and where there are opportunities to grow and improve. We need everyone’s feedback in order to make that happen!

A flyer with more information about the FAMILY SURVEY is attached.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Click here to begin the survey: Pride Elementary Family Survey

Classroom Group Pictures (in uniforms) will be taken on January 15th. You can order a copy of the photo for $12.00. Submit payment in the envelope sent home with students or online:

www.strawbridge.net

Click Order pictures and enter the following code: FM442469

• For the safety of students and families, please DO NOT use cell phones in the car line!
• When picking up in the carline, please have your QR pick-up code ready to be scanned and keep your numbered car tag hanging on your rear-view mirror until your child is in your car. Please stay in the center of the drop off/pick up lane near the cafeteria, far to the left of the yellow line and AWAY from the orange safety cones. DO NOT PULL AWAY FROM THE CURB UNTIL THE SAFETY PATROL HAS CLOSED THE DOOR AND STEPPED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE and do not pull around cars in the line that are still loading.
• Review safe walker/pedestrian and bike rider laws/rules/procedures with your children.
• Bike riders are required to wear helmets.
• Follow all traffic laws/rules and drive cautiously through school zones and in the neighborhood.
• Please do not drop students off in surrounding streets or park/drop students off in surrounding neighborhoods such as Stone Creek Townhomes.
• HOST students should not be picked up until 2:30 or later (after car line pickup is finished).
• You may reference our Quick Reference Guide for Parents (included in first day folders and on our website) for important information including detailed drop off and pick up procedures. Quick Reference Guide for Parents 2024.2025.pdf (hillsboroughschools.org)

The 100% Accountable Mindset teaches the importance of being responsible for our own happiness and success. Being 100% Accountable means deciding not to be victims of the past and recognizing that the future is not predetermined, so our lives are what we choose in the present moment and each moment moving forward. In these lessons, we help students focus on recognizing our fears and excuses. This mindset is about the importance of breaking down barriers and taking responsibility for our thoughts and actions. It also allows us to free our minds and focus our energy on taking the critical steps toward our goals. See the Parent Newsletter linked below for more information.

The SLAM Reading Showcase is coming soon! All SLAM projects (up to three per student) are due by Friday, January 17, to the media center. All the criteria for SLAM projects can be found on the second page of the SLAM flyer for your child's grade level (attached below). Happy reading and happy creating!

We have officially kicked off Kids Heart Challenge with the American Heart Association, and we need your help! Over the next few weeks students will be learning about heart health and raising awareness for the American Heart Association.

Our school's goal is for every student and family to know Hands-Only CPR and the warning signs of a stroke by signing up online and completing Finn’s Mission!

PARENTS – HERE’S HOW TO GET STARTED:

Step 1. Sign up online! Visit our school’s Kids Heart Challenge page:
http://www2.heart.org/site/TR?fr_id=11255&pg=company&company_id=484996
OR download the AHA Schools app for iPhone or Android to search for our school and sign up!

Step 2. Complete Finn’s Mission!

Why we support the American Heart Association: When cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital, bystanders only respond 40% of the time. 75% of cardiac arrests occur in the home. Providing Hands-Only CPR immediately can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

Thank you for joining us and helping our community become lifesavers!

We are excited to invite you to our Parent Resource Night on Wednesday, January 15, from 5:30-6:30 PM in our school cafeteria. This event is a wonderful opportunity to gather valuable tools and insights to support your child’s learning and development.

• Our media specialist, Mrs. Tkacik, will share engaging reading resources to inspire young readers.
• Dr. Lauren L. Evanovich, Assistant Professor at the USF College of Education, will discuss the benefits of positive parenting, strategies to support your child’s success at school, and practical ways to promote learning and development at home.

To make it easier for you to attend, our PTA and staff members will provide childcare in the music room during the presentation. Following the event, we invite you to stay for our PTA General Assembly meeting starting at 6:30 PM. We hope you can join us for this informative and supportive evening. Your involvement makes a significant difference in your child’s education!

Congratulations to Mrs. Fassel's 5th graders for having the highest average daily attendance in the school 99.16%

Kindergarten - Toliver 96.66%

First Grade -McKernan 96.6%

Second Grade - Collins 97.19%

Third Grade - Cannella 97.40%

Fourth Grade - Lorenzo 97.87%

Fifth Grade - Fassel 99.16%

Each of these classes received a HUGE TROPHY to display in their classroom for the month!

Kindergarten - 93.59%

First Grade - 92.36%

Second Grade - 93.10%

Third Grade - 93.05%

Fourth Grade - 95.17%

Fifth Grade - 94.70%

THE GRADE LEVEL WITH THE HIGHEST AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER WAS FOURTH GRADE WITH 95.17%.

OUR SCHOOL-WIDE AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER WAS 93.75%% AND OUR AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR THE YEAR IS 94.95%. (SO CLOSE! OUR GOAL IS 96%).

From Jan. 1 to Jan. 31, Hillsborough County Public Schools is participating in “Be a Reading Machine,” a Winter Reading Challenge sponsored by Beanstack and Baker & Taylor. We challenge the HCPS community (students and educators) together to read at least 200,000 minutes during the month and keep track of their reading on our Beanstack site within HCPS Hub: https://launchpad.classlink.com/hcpshub

Thousands of other libraries and schools across the nation are joining in too, for a chance at winning cash prizes for their community. Happy reading, HCPS!

Enroll today….Spots fill up fast!

TENNIS CLASS DATES: Thursdays, January 30th - April 10th

SOCCER CLASS DATES: Wednesdays, January 29th - April 9th

BASKETBALL CLASS DATES: Mondays, January 27th - April 14th

CLASS AGES: K-5 CLASS TIMES: 2:00-3:00pm (at the school)

CLASS COST: $285 (discount for multiple club enrollment)

Program Details:

• 10 week session- Option of one or two - 2 hour classes per week

• Wednesdays and/or Fridays

• Open TO K-5 students

• Boards, pieces and other chess materials provided

• Class Tournament with prizes awarded at the end of the session

• Cost is $250 for a weekly session or $450 for twice a week sessions

• Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHMENT BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Please visit Givebacks to order spirit shirts, purchase yearbooks, purchase birthday marquee messages, make donations, and join our PTA.

We need volunteers to help in the cafeteria during lunch on a daily basis between 10:00 and 1:30. Ideally, we would like to have recurring volunteers, but any time you can help would be greatly appreciated! The role involves monitoring student behavior, assisting students with opening food items, escorting students to the bathroom or health clinic, helping with spills, etc.. Parents must have an approved volunteer application on file in order to volunteer. Please click on the link below to sign up!

Pride Elementary: Lunchroom Support Volunteers (signupgenius.com)

Every day matters when it comes to attendance! There is a strong link between regular attendance and academic success. Research indicates that missing 10% of the school year, which is 2 days a month, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. Compared to students who are chronically absent, students who attend school regularly have greater success in all grade levels. Elementary school students who regularly attend class are 1.7 times more likely to achieve grade-level scores in English Language Arts and 2 times more likely to achieve grade-level scores in Math. Chronic absenteeism (10% or more of school days) leads to students struggling to read proficiently. Please note that absences for vacations and family visits are considered unexcused absences. Whenever possible, please try to schedule these activities for when school is not in session. Teachers are happy to provide students with suggestions for making up missed assignments but cannot replicate all of the learning that takes place in the classroom.

Email: Pride.Elementary@hcps.net
Website: hillsboroughschools.org/pride
Location: 10310 Lion's Den Drive, Tampa, FL, USA
Phone: 813-558-5400
Facebook: facebook.com/PrideElem