ESOL Family Newsletter

Get ready for an unforgettable summer with expanded camp opportunities in June and July!

The district is offering more than 50 summer camp opportunities, ranging from STEM to the arts to career exploration. Camps will have a cost of $75 per session or a rate of $25 per session for students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Space is limited.

**Applications for these Summer Enrichment Camps close on March 9**

Apply for Summer Camps

Log into Focus and access the “Student Reservation System” link on the left navigation pane.

These summer camps are for currently enrolled Pinellas County Schools students.

For more details about each program, and how to apply, please go to:

https://www.pcsb.org/summercamps

Pinellas County Schools’ next Listen & Learn session will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, at The Dali Museum. The March Listen & Learn session will focus on the arts. The session will be recorded but not live-streamed.

For more information about the Listen and Learn Session

, please go to: https://www.pcsb.org/listenlearn

The district's Afterschool Driver Education Program is offering two camp sessions this summer!

Students must be at least 15 years old and must have a learner’s permit or operator’s license when the session begins.

**Registration for this program is limited to first come-first serve**

Session Information:

• Camp 1: June 2, 2025 – June 13, 2025 (Monday – Friday)

• Camp 2: June 16, 2025 – June 27, 2025 (Monday – Friday)

Session Times for Both Camps:

• 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM

• 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

• 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM

For more details about the camps, other requirements, fee, locations, and how to apply, please go to: https://www.pcsb.org/Page/43586

Kindergarten:

• Serves children who are 5 years of age by September 1 of the school year in which they are enrolling
• Follows the regular school year calendar
• Full day program
• Located at all elementary schools
• Learn more about Kindergarten

Steps to register:

1. Get a Pinellas County Schools User ID and Password (Focus Parent Portal Account)

Parents can create a Focus Parent Portal Account at focus.pcsb.org

2. Reserve a Seat

Log onto focus.pcsb.org and access the Student Reservation System using your PCS user ID and password.

3. Complete Enrollment at Your Child's School

Required documents

Please click on the following link to view the list of required documents for enrollment. You will also find helpful information on getting ready for kindergarten and what children will be learning: https://www.pcsb.org/Page/3981

For questions or assistance with registration, please contact the Student Assignment Office at StudentAssignment@pcsb.org or (727) 588-6210.

Pinellas County Schools offers Prekindergarten for 3-year-olds (PreK3) and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) for 4-year-olds at school sites across the county!

Prekindergarten for 3-year-olds (PreK 3)

• Learn about PreK 3
• Serves children who are 3 years of age on or before September 1 of the school year.
• Follows the regular school calendar
• Full-day program
• Located at many elementary schools

Voluntary Prekindergarten for 4-year-olds (VPK)

• Learn about VPK
• Serves children who are 4 years of age on or before September 1 of the school year.
• Follows the regular school year calendar
• Summer programs also available
• Full- and half-day programs available
• Located at many elementary schools

For more information about PreK3 or VPK Programs, how to apply for, and required documents, please go to: https://www.pcsb.org/Page/11922

For any questions or assistance about VPK, please call: 727-588-6513

For assistance in Spanish, please call the Parent Helpline at: 727.588.6415

Summer Bridge programs focus on helping students address academic challenges and continue to address achievement gaps.

Summer Bridge eligibility:

• Elementary Summer Bridge is only for students who have shown a demonstrated need for extra support in reading based on state reading criteria. Schools will be communicating to families over the next few weeks if their students are eligible for this year’s Summer Bridge program.
• Middle school programs are focused on credit recovery.
• High school programs concentrate on helping students meet graduation requirements.
• Rising Kindergarten programs is for students who are registered for kindergarten for the 2025-2026 School Year.

Summer Bridge Dates (Elementary and Middle): June 2–26, 2025, 8 a.m. to noon

Questions about Summer Bridge eligibility? Please contact your child's school.

Transportation Questions: Contact the Transportation Department at 727-587-2020.

For additional information, please go to: https://www.pcsb.org/summerbridge

Questions or assistance with registration, please contact the Student Assignment Office at StudentAssignment@pcsb.org or (727) 588-6210.

The district programs are designed to engage students, develop their talents, and provide alternatives to their zoned schools.

Parents who did not apply for these programs in January have the opportunity to apply during the late application period. Placement in these programs is based on seat availability.

For more details about the District Application Programs, how to apply, and more, please go

to: https://www.pcsb.org/dap

2025-26 DAP Guide-English

2025-26 DAP Guide-Spanish

For additional support or questions, please contact Student Assignment from 8 am to 4:30 pm Mondays through Fridays at 727.588.6210 or DAP@pcsb.org or StudentAssignment@pcsb.org.

Pinellas Technical College cordially invites 12th-grade students to save the date for the 8th Annual National Signing Day CTE Event! 🗓️ Date: April 10, 2025

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to explore new educational and professional opportunities!

First term of tuition is cost free!

For more details about this great opportunity and register, please contact:

Clearwater Campus:

Michael Gandolfo: 727.538.7167 Ext. 2087

Address: 6100 154th Ave N, Clearwater, FL 33760

https://www.pcsb.org/ptc-clearwater

St. Petersburg Campus:

Chris Blackwell: 727.893.2500 Ext. 2332

Address: 901 34th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711

https://www.pcsb.org/ptc-stpetersburg

The College and Career Centers support students and families to access resources, explore opportunities and work collaboratively on:

• Career pathway and major exploration
• College exploration and match
• Application development and submission
• SAT/ACT preparation resources
• College Fair and admission events
• Financial and scholarship planning
• Essay preparation and review

For more details about the College and Career Centers, including your College and Career Readiness Coordinator, please go to: https://www.pcsb.org/Page/31226

The adult English for Speakers of Other Languages program, often referred to as ESOL, is designed to help individuals improve their English literacy skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Classes operate countywide during day and evening hours.

For more details about the classes and locations, go to: https://www.pcsb.org/Page/2591

Get notifications from Pinellas County Schools!

Pinellas County Schools uses text messages as an additional tool to communicate important information with families. To get alerts, text “Y” or “Yes” to 67587.

https://www.pcsb.org/textmessages

Pinellas County Schools App helps parents and students stay connected to their school information.

The app, developed by Focus, helps families access student information on their cellphones and mobile devices. Parents and students can still use the Focus website on desktop computers, but the app is designed to work better with mobile devices.

The smartphone app provides easy access to:

• Current Student Grades
• Current Student Attendance
• Recent Student Assignments
• Upcoming Student Assignments
• Relevant Web Links
• Recent Facebook Feeds
• Recent Portal Messages

The app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

For more information about PCS App, please go to: https://www.pcsb.org/Page/28468

Parent access to PCS App and child's information:

• Parents need to use their FOCUS account ID and password to log into the app.
• To access their child's information, parents need to have their child's FOCUS account linked to their parent account.

For more details about FOCUS and resources for parents, please go to:

PCS Student Information System (Focus) https://www.pcsb.org/focusinfo

Please contact your school for any additional assistance.

Connect with PCS schools’ current information, ESOL, and resources to support students’ success.

Learn about the school system, the services and resources available to help you and your child in your transition. Ask questions!

Date: Monday, March 3 | 1:00-2:00 p.m. and 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual via Microsoft TeamsPlease click on the following link to join to the virtual meeting: https://teams.microsoft.com/

Some topics: PCS updates, Meeting School Academic Expectations, High School Graduation Requirements, Spring Tests and Test Resources, FOCUS, Clever at Home, Finacial Aid, and more.

For more upcoming Let’s Talk! About Pinellas County live virtual sessions, please see:

flyer in English and Spanish

At these workshops, families will learn about:

• Spring Tests
• State, district, and schools test resources
• Financial Aid Information
• Available resources for students and much

WORKSHOPS DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION:

• Wednesday, Mar 12th| 4:30-6:00 P.M.

Clearwater East Public Library located at SPC Clearwater Campus :2465 Drew St, Clearwater, FL 33765

Room: East Community

• Tuesday, March 25| 5:30-7:00 P.M.

Largo Public Library: 120 Central Park Dr, Largo, FL 33771

Room: Jenkins Wing Room Jenkins C

For more upcoming ESOL workshops, please click here:

https://www.pcsb.org/Page/3400

Be a voice for your child and other English Learner families!
Together, we can help our students achieve their potential, graduate from high school, prepare for postsecondary careers and other educational opportunities, and, most of all, be successful!

Meeting date information:

• Wednesday, April 30, 9:15-9:45 a.m. Skycrest Elementary School: 10 N Corona Ave, Clearwater, FL 33765

For more details about the ESOL Parent Leadership Council, please go to: https://www.pcsb.org/Page/42615

For any questions about the ESOL Parent Leadership Council, ESOL Family events, and more, please contact: Ericka Reckenwald, ESOL Family Outreach Coordinator at:reckenwalde@pcsb.org | 727.588.6415 (Parents Helpline in Spanish)

No registration is needed.
The tutoring sessions are conducted via Microsoft Teams
Each grade-level tutoring session will include a mini-lesson followed by time for homework help.
To join a session, click the appropriate grade level /content area link listed below

K-5 English Newcomers ELs

October – May 22

4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Wednesdays and Thursdays

Link to join to the tutoring: Join meeting

6-12 Newcomers English Tutoring

September 17-June 26

5:15-6:00 pm

Tuesday & Thursday

Link to join to the tutoring: Join meeting

9-12 English and Algebra test prep

September 30- June 26

5:30-6:30 pm

Link to join to the tutoring: Join meeting

o Monday and Wednesday – English

o Tuesday and Thursday – Algebra

For more information about the EL tutoring, please click the link: Virtual Tutoring for English Learner Students

PCS Families Website:

https://www.pcsb.org/Domain/142

PCS Students Website:

https://www.pcsb.org/Domain/143

Elementary School Education

https://www.pcsb.org/elementary

High School Education

https://www.pcsb.org/Page/39287

Middle School Education

https://www.pcsb.org/domain/161

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

https://www.pcsb.org/esol

Student Services

https://www.pcsb.org/Domain/202

Volunteer Information

https://www.pcsb.org/Page/459

PCS Family E-Learning Coaching

https://www.pcsb.org/FamilyEcoaching

Financial Aid & Scholarships

https://www.pcsb.org/Page/376

Learn about the ESOL Office!

Connect with the information, resources, and events that the ESOL Office provides to support Pinellas County Schools English Learner and Spanish-speaking students and families, all in one place:

• Parent Helpline
• PCS Facebook page in Spanish
• Free, Live Virtual Tutoring for English Learner students (ELs)
• ESOL Community Resource Fair
• Community Resources
• ESOL Family Resources (upcoming events, newsletter ...)
• ESOL Parent Leadership Council (PLC)

ESOL Website link: https://www.pcsb.org/esol

Help us spread the word! Connect with us on social media through the Pinellas County Schools en Español Facebook page— https:// www.facebook.com/PCSBespanol

The page connects Hispanic families with news and information about the school district and ESOL events in Spanish! Please follow us, like, and share the page!

Spanish-speaking parents have the opportunity to call the helpline for information related to the school district:

Ericka (Macías) Reckenwald

ESOL Family Outreach Coordinator

Ph# 727-588-6415 (Parent Helpline in Spanish)

email: reckenwalde@pcsb.org