Lion's Roar

May 5-9 - Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week

May 6 - Last Day to check out books from Media Center

May 7 - National Bike/Walk to School Day

May 8 - Spring Music Concert at Wharton HS at 6:00 p.m.

May 9 - All books due back to Media Center

May 9 - Chuck E Cheese PTA Family Night - 3-8 p.m.

May 21- Yearbook Signing/Ice Cream Social - 5:00 p.m.

May 21 - PTA General Assembly - 6:00 p.m.

May 23 - Pride Elementary Student Enrollment Updates Forms Due

May 26 - Memorial Day - No School

May 30 - Last Day of School - 5th Grade Clap Out begins at 11:00/Student Dismissal begins at 11:25

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

Dear Pride Lion Families,

Next week is National Teacher Appreciation Week! I wanted to take a moment to encourage you to join us in celebrating the incredible dedication and hard work of our teachers and staff. This week provides a special opportunity for us to express our gratitude for the tireless efforts they invest in shaping the futures of our children. A simple note of thanks, a small token of appreciation, or a heartfelt gesture can go a long way in acknowledging the impact our teachers have on our children's lives.

Please take a moment to look at the flyer below for fun and thoughtful ways your child can participate in "Our Teachers & Staff are Wicked Oz-Some Week", happening May 5th–9th. Let’s come together to show our appreciation and make this week memorable for our amazing staff!

Warm regards,

Mrs. English, Principal

Mrs. Moncrief, Assistant Principal

Congratulations to the incredible Hillsborough County Public Schools District Media Specialist of the Year, our very own Mrs. Suzy Tkacik! Her dedication to fostering a love for reading, supporting teachers, and empowering students with access to knowledge and technology is truly inspiring. Her passion and hard work make a lasting impact every day, and we are proud to see her excellence recognized! Superintendent Ayres and School Board Member Vaughn congratulated and celebrated Mrs. Tkacik at an awards banquet on April 14th at Tampa Palms Country Club.

A well-deserved honor — thank you, Mrs. Tkacik, for all that you do!

The School Advisory Council (SAC) is an integral part of Pride Elementary School. Members are informed of curriculum updates and pertinent school information and are invited to provide input and suggestions for improvement. Members of the SAC Team include the principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, education support employees, parents, and business and community citizens who are representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school. Please see the attachment below for more information including a form to return if you are interested in being a part of this council. Please submit the form below to Shelby.Perron@hcps.net by May 5th.

We are making plans for the 2025-2026 school year. Please review the attached letter and complete the bottom portion of the letter:

· IF your child WILL NOT be returning to Pride Elementary next year

· IF you have had any changes in your current address (during this school year) or phone number

· IF you submitted a Shared Housing Affidavit (address is not in parent’s name) for the current year (affidavits must be renewed yearly, or the student registration will be dropped)

Please return this form to the school office by Friday, May 23rd. If you move or your plans change during the summer break, please notify the school of your new address.

NO NEED TO RETURN THIS FORM IF YOUR RESIDENCY AND CONTACT INFORMATION HAVE NOT CHANGED AND YOU PLAN FOR YOUR CHILD TO RETURN TO PRIDE.

This form may be emailed to Deborah.Palmer@hcps.net.

Thank you for your assistance. If you have any questions, please call Deborah Palmer at 813-558-5400.

Fourth graders created “Lion’s Den Donuts” in Mrs Doogan’s art class in the style of the American artist, Wayne Thiebaud. Students acquired skills in sculpting with air-dry clay, using acrylic paint, Mod Podge, and plastic sprinkles to create a realistic appearance.

Congratulations to Mrs. Camerino's graders for having the highest average daily attendance in the school 97%

These classes had the highest average daily attendance for their grade level and received a HUGE TROPHY to display in their classroom for the month!

Kindergarten - Toliver - 94.64%

First Grade -Brennen - 95.95%

Second Grade - Collins - 96.10%

Third Grade - Cannella 96.41%

Fourth Grade - Camerino 97%

Fifth Grade - Graham 96.45%

THE GRADE LEVEL WITH THE HIGHEST AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL WAS FIFTH GRADE WITH 95.31%.

Kindergarten - 92.08%

First Grade - 94.70%

Second Grade - 93.95%

Third Grade - 95.18%

Fourth Grade - 95.10%

Fifth Grade - 95.31%

OUR SCHOOL-WIDE AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL WAS 94.46% AND OUR AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR THE YEAR IS 94.35%. (OUR GOAL IS 96%).

Please check out the document attached below for information about our kindergarten program and registering your child for kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year. This information was shared at our Ready, Set, Kindergarten meeting in February.

• REGISTRATION OPENS ON MARCH 27th
• Completed forms and supporting documentation should be submitted to the main office on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 9:00-11:00.
• If you are unable to submit forms and supporting documentation on the designated days above, call (813) 558-5400 to schedule an appointment.

• 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.
• Student supervision is not provided at Cross Creek Park. Students should be met at the park by an adult or should walk/ride bikes directly home while crossing guards are present.
• 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)

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

Place your order for your 2024-2025 PRIDE ELEMENTARY YEARBOOK! Yearbooks are hardcover with 144 color pages! Reserve this special keepsake for your child NOW!

Visit our PTA Member Hub linked below to place your order.

Givebacks (memberhub.com)

Congratulations to Trisha Patel for winning 1st place and Swarali Cherkuri for winning 2nd place in the John Hopkins Hospital Bike Safety Poster Contest for Hillsborough County!

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