PKS NEWSLETTER

Monroe County School District

Mission: Working together to inspire and bring excellence to every student every day.

FKAA started a project that will have rolling closures. Please make sure you give yourself enough time in the morning to drop off your student (s) and in the afternoon to pick them up. You may drop them off as early as 7:20am to make sure they arrive on time. Also, there may be some bus stops that will temporarily be out of service while a section is being worked on. Below is the message from FKAA:

Update: FKAA work to resume 3/9 at Tavernier Creek Bridge. A new traffic control plan has been approved by the Florida Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Monroe County School District, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Details at https://bit.ly/PlantationKeyProject

May 26th - MEMORIAL DAY/NO SCHOOL

May 27th - END OF THE YEAR CARNIVAL

May 28th - 2nd Grade Field Trip to 7-11, 12:30pm

May 28th - 7th Grade Field Day (Soccer/baseball field), 8:00am

May 28th - 8th Grade Field Day

May 28th - 5th Grade Field Trip to Founders Park

May 29th - K and 1st Grade to Jacobs Aquatic Park

May 29th - 5th Grade Kickball - Baseball Field, 8:30am

May 29th - 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 8:30am

May 29th - 7th Grade Field Trip to Founders Park

May 30th - EARLY RELEASE AND LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Parents,

If you drop off any of these items, and your student is outside, it will be virtually impossible to get it to them. Also, we are unable to re-apply sunscreen, students must apply on their own. Please make sure you pack everything in the morning so they can have a fun and safe carnival day!

Here are our future Kindergarteners, Congratulations!!!

Today was awesome I think you can tell by the pictures. Thank you Muriel for coming up with the idea and thank you PKS PBIS Team for all of your help and support this year! Congratulations to all of our winners!

Another amazing PTA Howl at the Moon Staff Experience! Mrs. Court and Evie Arnold swam with dolphins at Theater o the Sea. They BOTH had a great time!!

Mrs. Harrelson enjoyed a unique experience with Reef Daigle and Bryce Vaeth at Pawsitive Beginnings Inc. fox sanctuary in Key Largo! They received a private tour where they learned about the sanctuary, the foxes, and fur farming industry. The one-on-one interaction with each fox was amazing! Thank-you PKS PTA for providing this auction item and to Pawsitive Beginnings Inc. for sponsoring this event!

This experience included cupcake decorations with Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Court and Samantha Santiago from BASTT Bakery.

Eileen Jacobson, Charlotte Ekblom, and Blake Naz got a special ride to school this week. Their classmates were waiting for them outside to see the grand entrance!

Aidan Abarca was our celebrity guest caller for the PBIS special bingo Grade K. Aidan was charismatic and humorous. He did an outstanding job delivering the BINGO numbers to his peers! Thank you to Jessica Abarca for being the highest bidder at the PKS Howl at the Moon Auction. Thank you so much for supporting our school. The Kindergarteners had a blast!

James W. was our celebrity guest caller for PBIS Bingo. He invited 7th and 8th grade PE to play. James' mom, Islande Dillon, was the highest bidder for this auction item at our fabulous Howl at the Moon PTA fundraiser. James hosted a lively and exciting experience promoting camaraderie and shared fun!

It is with great pleasure that we nominate Lincoln Schafer for Student of the Week. Lincoln consistently demonstrates a positive attitude toward learning and brings an enthusiastic spirit to the classroom every day. He is friendly, respectful to both peers and staff, and shows responsibility in all that he does.

Lincoln actively participates in class discussions and activities, always contributing thoughtfully and encouraging others with his positivity. He arrives on time each day, prepared and ready to learn, setting a strong example for his classmates. His smile brightens our school, and we truly enjoy having him as part of our learning community.

BRITANI HERNANDEZ RIVAS -

Britani is our 4th grade Student of the Week. She is a shining example of excellence. Britani prioritize safety by adhering to all school guidelines and encouraging her peers to do the same. Her responsible attitude is reflected in her preparedness every day for class. Britani shows respect to everyone, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. Empowered by her curiosity, she has been taking great initiative in her learning and encourages others. Britani always show up each day filled with enthusiasm and it is her goal to make sure everyone around her is happy.

Mrs. Houston is thrilled to announce our newly selected Safety Patrol team for the 2025–2026 school year! This is a fantastic group of students, and we’re looking forward to a great year of leadership, responsibility, and service. We know you’ll represent our school with pride—congratulations!

1. Evan Carter

1. Angelina Fernandez

1. Grace Helms

1. Alex Khioni

1. Phoebe Miller

1. Kylie Ortiz

1. Leah Sandoval

1. Harper Schatzberg

1. Ellie Sogegian

1. Layla Aguila

1. Maya Banaszkiewicz

1. Kinsey Eysenbach

1. Levi McNew

1. Tinsley Hammon

1. Emma Ramirez

1. Amaya Rodriguez

1. Ines Van

1. Madison Whitehead

Last week, our Safety Patrol took their much-anticipated annual trip to Washington, D.C., bringing classroom learning to life in the heart of our nation's capital. Led by sponsor Mrs. Houston and chaperone sidekick Ms. Smith, 22 dedicated student patrols and 17 enthusiastic parent chaperones explored iconic landmarks and deepened their understanding of American history and government.

One of the most memorable moments of the trip was a special visit with Senator Rick Scott. The senator graciously took time to meet with our students and share his experiences serving as both Florida’s governor and a United States senator. It was an inspiring opportunity for our young leaders to hear firsthand about public service and the importance of civic engagement.

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the halls of Congress, the group experienced firsthand many of the 5th-grade social studies standards they’ve been studying all year. The trip was not only educational but also unforgettable - filled with fun, teamwork, and a strong sense of civic pride.

A huge thank you to Mrs. Houston, Ms. Smith, and all our amazing parent volunteers who made this incredible learning adventure possible!

Much improvement this last week of swimming! These Kindergarteners are serious about learning how to swim!

Edwin Carballo-Duarte is the middle school student of the week! Edwin is a student who always displays a positive attitude and follows the IBelieve expectations. Edwin follows directions, works hard, and is a respectful and kind student. Congratulations Edwin!

🎶 Exciting week for our middle school band! Students got hands-on with creativity by crafting their own conducting batons from clay and composing unique 12-measure pieces. The fun didn't stop there—they taught their compositions to a fellow student and conducted their piece with their handmade batons for the class. We are so proud of their teamwork and musical innovation! 🎵👏

7th grade life science was busy dissecting their Kind Frog. The Kind Frog is designed to introduce the differences between frogs and the human anatomy. Students dissected and compared the anatomy without worrying about harmful chemicals, and it's eco-friendly too! This lab was a BIG end of year hit! www.kindfrog.org

7th grade life science competed in a STEM challenge. Students had to build the tallest free standing spaghetti tower using limited resources. Students received 20 pieces of dry spaghetti, 5 small marshmallows, 1 large marshmallow, and 1 yard of string. The winners built a 25-inch-tall tower. Great job!

The 7th and 8th grade NJHS had a fun end of year field trip to Pinfish. Students had a blast challenging each other in duckpin bowling and arcade games. We look forward to next year's group of new NJHS memebers! Happy Summer!

Hello Families,

As we are nearing the end of this school year, it is time for me to ask that all library books and Chromebooks be returned. I have been asking the students and making announcements for the past two weeks. Many books have been brought in, but many still out! I will send overdue notices to students on Tuesday, May 26, but maybe this weekend, you can look around your house and help your child return them. 7th and 8th graders have already been notified several times if they owe money for Chromebooks and related materials. Most importantly 8th grade students, you will not matriculate if you overdue materials and/or monies owed.

Readers are Leaders wish you a happy and healthy summer! I hope you can go to a state park over the summer. These are student-designed T-shirts honoring the eagles at Big Bear State Park in California!

Remember to visit Monroe County’s libraries over the summer, too! There is one in Key Largo, MM 102 and in Islamorada near the Fire Station. Happy Reading😊