Greetings, Panthers!!

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Please join us this Tuesday, February 11th from 5:30pm-7:00pm for our Valentine's Family Night. There will be arts & crafts, prizes, and more! We hope to see you there!

Tuesday, February 11th, is our second Resiliency Day of the school year! Resiliency Day is when we celebrate students’ ability to overcome challenges by being good citizens and making responsible choices. This day is recognized across OCPS. More information will be provided.

Progress reports for the third nine weeks will be sent home on Thursday, February 13th. Please reach out to your scholar's teacher if you have any questions about their academic progress or if you would like to schedule a parent conference.

Each year during the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month. This week we begin our Black History Month Spirit Week:

Melanin Mondays- Wear shades of brown.

Black Out Tuesdays- Wear all Black everything.

Who Am I Wednesdays- Dress like a famous Black American (this week we will dress like famous Black entertainers).

Motherland Thursdays- Wear African/Afro-inspired attire.

College Fridays- Wear HBCU colors or paraphernalia (this week we will wear maroon & gold for Bethune-Cookman University- BCU).

We look forward to seeing all of your festive attire!

The challenge is on! Orange County Public Schools Let's Read OCPS Contest with Beanstack began on January 27th! Students can read and log their minutes in Beanstack for a chance to win prizes for themselves and their school! OCPS has a goal of reading 20 million minutes by April 30, 2025. Help us reach our school goal of 50,000 minutes, by logging your minutes each time you read in Beanstack. Each time you log your minutes you are automatically added to a drawing for monthly prizes. The class with the most minutes read is rewarded weekly! Parents, you can log your minutes as well! Let's Read, Phillis Wheatley!

As a reminder, yearbooks are for sale! As of January 31st, the price has increased to $25.00. Purchasing a yearbook is a wonderful way to preserve memories and celebrate the unique experiences of the school year! Be sure to get one before they're gone!

As always, thank you so much for your support and for all that you do for the scholars at Phillis Wheatley ES. We look forward to seeing our scholars bright and early tomorrow morning by 8:15 AM.

Have a good evening!

Sincerely,

Tabitha Brown

Principal

The Resiliency Trait for the Month of December:

Perseverance

Congratulations to the scholars identified by their teacher as a Student of the Month for the Month of December:

Jean Yvens Francois

Matthew James

• Ken'Aysia Braffith

  Khloe Rivera

  Rayven Ulysse

  Jade Vasquez-Lopez

  Yostin Tomas Perez

  Chevelle David

  Ramiro Sierra

  De'Yanstie Felix

  Santiago Hernadez-Molina

  Nery Barahona

  A'abella Gregory

  Victor Lopez

  Yostin Tomas Perez

  Dr. Parkinson

  Jose Ortega Bermudez

  Brandon Cartwright

  Kieran Monts De Oca

  Genesis Jackson

  Emanuel Ruiz Vasquez

  Kyndall Thomas

  Blake Singleton

  Terrianna Gullens

Our Student of the Month Celebration is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Apopka.

The Phillis Wheatley Team had a GREAT time at the 2025 Spirit Fun Run!! The Spirit Fun Run is a 5k all about FUN and SCHOOL SPIRIT! In our eyes, we came in 1st place!! We would love to have more staff, families and scholars participate next year!

2025 Team: Jamaal West (5th), Lauren Badia (PE) , Karen Redel (MTSS/ELA), Stacey Mahoney (Staffing), Gerna Dionesio (ESE), Tabitha Brown (Principal)

We enjoyed a week of building literacy and "Constructing the Foundation for Success"!

Our families had a great time setting goals for 2025!!

Please join us for our next Family Night on February 11th!

Phillis Wheatley Elementary is truly “Under Construction! Building Brighter Futures,” and this project is a shining example of what can be achieved when a community comes together with creativity, purpose, and heart. We are truly grateful for everyone who helped bring vibrant murals to our campus, especially Shaunte Jemison of Re-Imagine Communities, Melanie Jankun of The Creative Hub and Luis Rivera of Downtown Barbers of Apopka and Apopka Murals. The results exceeded every expectation! Phillis Wheatley's students now have a bright and inspiring environment that they can treasure for years to come!

Hello, Panthers!

Mental health starts with selfcare So in this first edition of Counselors corner I just wanted to provide a link. The link is to 99 self-care ideas feel free to look through here and find something that helps you release the stress of the day We are either working caring for students or caring for children. So in that same vein I am leaving you with this message. If you aren’t ok no one connected to you is going to be ok.

I know you have a lot to do. Just take 10 minutes to journal, take five minutes just to sit in silence and deep breath and meditate on a positive future. I wish you all prosperity health and peace this weekend and for those who celebrate it next week love So take a few minutes each day to love on your self and watch how you day week and life change.

Go! Panthers

Mr. Whitsett, School Counselor

christopher.whitsett@ocps.net

407-884-2250

99 self-care ideas link below

Grit

Definition: Working consistently towards my long-term goals

Quote: “If you put your mind to something, if you give 100 percent, if you sacrifice, and if you dedicate yourself, anything is truly possible.” - Apollo Ohno, Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday

Strategies:

• Create a dream board where you draw or glue pictures of your goals.
• Discuss with family and friends how they reached their goals.
• Research and share with someone the name and story of a person who showed grit by overcoming difficulties.

Reflection Questions:

• What is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and how did I succeed?
• How can I describe my best future self?
• How can I use technology responsibly to meet my goals? For example, can I use online calendars or reminders to build time management skills?

School Spirit Days are coming!! We invite you to purchase you Phillis Wheatley t-shirts for $10.00 using the links below:

Email: Wheatley_es@ocps.net
Website: https://wheatleyes.ocps.net/
Location: 1475 Marvin C. Zanders Avenue, Apopka, FL, USA
Phone: 407-884-2250
Twitter: @Wheatley_OCPS

Instagram: ocps_wheatleyes