Hello Otter Families!

We hope this message finds you safe and well in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. We are pleased to inform you that there will be no need to make up the days taken off due to the hurricane.

We are excited to start our All Pro Dad Chapter Breakfast here at Oakstead this Thursday, October 3rd! All Pro Dad is a monthly gathering where dads get to intentionally engage with their kids! This of course is not just limited to dads, but all children must be accompanied by an adult. There will be fun activities and a character-based curriculum that helps dads start meaningful conversations with their kids. Please please RSVP here! All Pro Dad Chapter Breakfast RSVP

Ms. Ennis, Ms. Leahy, and Mrs. Natal

We are pleased to inform you that your student has completed the first Progress Monitoring (PM1) of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST). This assessment is part of our ongoing efforts to track your student’s progress in learning the Benchmarks of Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards throughout the school year.

You can access your student’s FAST PM1 results through your Pasco Parent Portal account. Simply log in and click on the Florida Statewide Assessments icon. This will direct you to the DOE Family Portal, where the results are available without the need for an access code.

When you log into the account, you will see your child’s scores. Each progress monitoring assessment covers the full-year content expectations for a particular grade level and subject. Therefore, at the beginning of the school year (PM1) and at the middle of the school year (PM2), students may not yet be at grade level; however, this does not necessarily indicate that a student is not on track to succeed by the end of the school year (PM3). The results from PM1 and PM2 are for informational purposes only, providing teachers and families information to help guide instruction and support throughout the school year based on a student's strengths and weaknesses.

For more information, visit your child’s portal or click on the links below:

· DOE Family Portal (pictured above, access through Pasco Parent Portal) – Glossary, Guides, and Resources

· DOE Students & Families webpage – Includes sample test items

· Accessing and Interpreting Test Results - Includes Parent Quick Guides for Understanding Scores

· New Worlds Reading Initiative – If your student a Level 1 or Level 2, they are eligible to receive free books on a monthly basis through this initiative.

· New Worlds Scholarship – If your child scored a Level 1, they may be eligible for a $1,200 New Worlds Scholarship Account to be used for instructional materials, tutoring, or summer and after school educational programs.

If you have any questions related to your child’s scores, please contact your child’s teacher. For more information about the Florida Statewide Assessments program, please visit the portal at FLFAST.org.

Great American Teach In (GATI Volunteers Wanted

Do you have a career to share with our future leaders of the world? If so, we would LOVE for you to come join us at the Great American Teach-In on Friday, November 15th. Please fill out the following information to let us know what exciting information you will share with our Otters.

GATI Participation Link

Pasco County Schools provides FREE breakfast and lunch to all of its students! We would like to encourage all of our Otters, even those who eat breakfast at home or bring a lunchbox, to take advantage of this option. You may view the monthly lunch options available by clicking on the link below. Any a la carte items (i.e. ice cream, chips, cookies, etc.) will need to be purchased.

Oakstead Meal Calendar

NEW PROCEDURE: Parents will need to sign up, using the link below, prior to arriving on campus to have lunch with their students. Please see the attached flyer for each teacher's lunch schedule. We look forward to seeing you on campus again!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084CACAE2CA3FDC61-51410174-lunch

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK THE DATE AND TIME THAT YOU HAVE SELECTED TO ATTEND LUNCH WITH YOUR CHILD!

Parents must sign in, with an ID at the office to receive a visitor badge. Due to our enrollment growth and safety commitment for all students, we limit our lunchtime visits to outdoor seating only. Caffeinated beverages for students are not allowed.

1. You must leave the picnic area after your child's lunch time is over to give room to the next grade level parents to eat.

2. Please avoid checking out your child after lunch. Unless your child has an appointment or is ill, please plan to have your child finish their school day. They lose valuable learning time if they leave early.

3. If your child is purchasing lunch, they will meet you outside after their purchase. Please do not walk them through the lunch line.

Tips:

Please come to the front office prior to your child's lunch time, we recommend 10 minutes prior.

Parents must bring their own lunch, they may not go through the line to purchase a school lunch.

We are not permitted to bring food from outside restaurants and fast food places into the cafeteria. You are welcome to bring lunch from one of these places when you are eating in the Otter Pond with your student, though. Please do not drop off food in the front office to be delivered to your child for lunch or use any food delivery services to do the same. We will have to turn these away and would hate to waste food and money. Thank you for understanding and adhering to this district policy.

The Pasco County School District is participating in a full-scale K-12 adoption of Science instructional materials aligned to the Florida’s State Academic Standards for Science. We would like to invite you to be part of the narrowing team, which serves to review and narrow the materials submitted by publishers during the adoption process. To submit your interest for an opportunity to serve on the narrowing team, please complete this form. There is an 8-10 evening commitment for this work. A detailed list of courses to be reviewed, dates, and times of narrowing team commitments are available on the instructional materials adoption website. The deadline to submit your interest is September 20, 2024. Parents/guardians selected through the randomized screening process will be notified by October 7 via email. We appreciate your partnership in this very important work.

Join Us for a Community Event!

We are excited to invite all parents, students, and community members to the Skybrooke K-8 Rezoning Information Night. This event will be held at Rushe Middle School on October 3rd from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

This is an opportunity to learn about the upcoming rezoning plans for Skybrooke K-8. Attendees will have the chance to:

• Hear from School Officials: Get information about the rezoning process and its impact on our community.
• Ask Questions: Engage in a Q&A session to address any concerns or queries you may have.
• Provide Feedback: Share your thoughts and suggestions to help shape the future of our school district.

We encourage everyone to attend and participate in this important discussion. Your input is valuable, and together, we can ensure a smooth transition for all students and families.

Mark your calendars and join us on October 3rd!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Students are now able to check out books from our Media Center. Please check with your students and their teachers for their class Media schedules!!

PE reminders:

Proper attire is crucial for safety and performance during PE activities. Here are a few important reminders:

1. Clothing: Students should wear comfortable, breathable clothing that allows for a full range of motion. Athletic shorts, t-shirts, and sweatpants are ideal choices.

2. Footwear: Proper athletic shoes are a must. These should have good support, non-slip soles, and be securely fastened. Crocs and similar footwear are highly discouraged as they do not provide the necessary support and can be unsafe during physical activities.

3. Accessories: Please ensure that any jewelry is removed before PE classes to prevent injuries.

By following these guidelines, we can help ensure that all students have a safe and enjoyable experience in their PE classes. Thank you for your cooperation and support!

Signing Students out Early

Students who need to be signed out early for the day should be signed out by 3:15 p.m. at the latest. After that point, they will not be called up to the office until they have arrived in their designated dismissal room. We are unable to call students down to the office before parents arrive, as safety is our priority and ID's are required.

Transportation Dismissal Changes: VERY IMPORTANT

Any changes in mode of transportation home must be entered in to the Otter Runner form on our OES website by 3:00 p.m. EACH DAY to ensure a safe and smooth dismissal for all students.

Carline Reminders

NO CELL PHONES IN THE CAR LINE!! Please put vehicles in "PARK" while children are loading and unloading.

Safety Patrol / Morning Arrival

Safety Patrols being dropped off in the morning must be supervised by a parent until 9:15. Unless your student is a member of Safety Patrol, they cannot be dropped off at the flag pole or left unsupervised until 9:20. Parents who's students are not listed as bus or biker/walker for transportation, must go through the carline for drop-off and pick-up.

Volunteers:

Please visit the district volunteer website at https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/hreq/page/volunteer to apply to be a volunteer.

Please use the below form to submit shout outs that our staff will receive in our weekly newsletter.

Community Recognition Submissions

Oakstead Meal Calendar

Birthday Celebrations

Birthday snacks for your child's class may ordered through the Oakstead Elementary School website or using the form below. Due to allergies, outside snacks are not permitted for birthday celebrations and must be purchased through the Cafeteria. Please place order 10 days prior to the day of the celebration.

Classroom Celebration Order Form

Pasco County Schools Calendar

Pasco County Student Code of Conduct

Oakstead Parent School Information

Student Quick Pay

Den Shirts, School Fees, Field Trips, ID Badges, Car Tags

10/3 All Pro Dad Meeting @ 8:45 am

10/8 Picture Day

10/8 Culver's Spirit Night @ 5:00 pm

10/10 Buddy-A-Thon Ends

10/11 End of Quarter

10/21 PTA Meeting @ 9:00 am

10/21-10/25 Red Ribbon Week

10/23 Report Cards

10/25 Character Parade

10/28-11/6 Book Fair

10/31 Buddy-A-Thon Stuffing event

https://www.getfortifyfl.com/

Email: oes_administration@pasco.k12.fl.us
Website: https://oes.pasco.k12.fl.us/
Location: 19925 Lake Patience Road, Land O' Lakes, FL, USA
Phone: 813-346-1500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OaksteadElementarySchool/