Dear Bobcat Families:

This week we celebrate the start of Kindness week! Students will be “caught being KIND” as they work to fill the emotional bank accounts of their classmates. As we continue to grow our Bobcat leaders within the classroom and the community, it’s important to remember that kindness promotes the acceptance of others and will continue to strengthen our school community.

Don’t forget - interims will be coming home with all students today. Please take the time to review this important report with your child and contact their classroom teacher if you need to set up a conference.

As always, thank you for your continued support. Please reach out to me with any concerns, comments, or suggestions.

In partnership,

Mrs. Anderson, Principal

February 14-20: Kindness Week

February 19: No school for students and staff

February 20- SAC Meeting 7:30am in the Media Center

February 23: Student Leadership Clubs 8am

March 1: Spring Pictures

Hello Bobcat Families,

The month of February is all about KINDNESS! We have some exciting events going on at EPE to celebrate this trait. My favorite are the “I Caught You Being Kind” cards used in each classroom. Student will catch each other showing acts of kindness with each other. They will write down the action and post it to their classroom door. We want to celebrate each other’s kindnesses each day!

Here are some activities to practice kindness at home:

· Read a Kindness Story: Watch this story about kindness as a family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAo4-2UzgPo

· Create Kindness Rocks: paint rocks with kind sayings and share them with friends and family:

· Write a letter: Pick an adult and write a letter about all the ways you appreciate them.

· Play the Smile Game: Draw a smiley face on a ball or bean bag. Put on some upbeat music and get the kids to throw the smiley face at each other. Whoever is holding the smiley face when the music stops says something kind to someone playing the game.

· Grow a Plant: Help each other learn how to show kindness on a day-to-day basis to someone other than themselves.

· Say: “Kind,” in Sign Language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN2G2IaNvJs

A small act of kindness such as a hug or smile can make a tough day just a little bit better. It is often easier to respond in an unkind way. However, being kind can make such a difference in the happiness of both others and ourselves. Let’s become leaders of kindness at school, at home, at the grocery store, in our cars, and everywhere else we go!

Sincerely,

Kimberly Combes

School Counselor

FAST is administered three times per year to track your child’s progress in learning the Benchmarks of Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. Results from PM2 will provide you with information about your child’s progress at mid-year as compared to his/her baseline score from PM1 administered at the beginning of the year. These results are for informational purposes only and will help your child’s teacher plan instruction to meet individual learning needs.

To access FAST PM2 score reports:

• Visit the CCPS Portal at portal.collierschools.com (we recommend using Google Chrome)
  
  
• Enter your login credentials. For assistance accessing the CCPS Portal, email helpdesk@collierschools.com or call 239-377-0045
  
  
• Click on the FOCUS icon in the Parent/Guardian section
  
  
• Once in FOCUS, click on the REPORTS tab
  
  
• Available FAST reports will be listed – click on the green download icon to open the report

For directions accessing the FLDOE Family Portal, click HERE. For additional information regarding the new FAST score scale for assessments, click HERE.

Eden Park Elementary is a Leader in Me school. We learn and use the 7 Habits throughout the day and in our lives.

A paradigm is a set way of thinking. Others also have a point of view. If you shift your thinking a little, you will things in a brand new way.

Students, are there things you see differently than your teacher?

Parents, are there things you see differently than you boss?

Are there ways both sides can shift their thinking?

Try this: When someone is telling you their point of view, you can summarize what you heard before sharing your feelings.

For example, try some of these phrases:

"What I heard you say was _______?"

"Am I correct in saying that you feel ______?"

"It seems that you're feeling ______."

"I am confused, can you explain that again?"

It’s that time of year when our EPE teachers and staff need to replenish school supplies. Please consider donating supplies to our school community. Any supply donations are welcome and appreciated. Please drop off in the front office.

WHEN

TUESDAY, February 20, 2024

WHERE

3650 WESTCLOX STREET

IMMOKALEE, FL

MORE INFORMATION

Join us in the media center to help make important decisions for our school’s improvement and increased student achievement.

In collaboration with Benison Center, we are excited to enter all community members who attend our SAC meeting into a raffle drawing. We look forward to seeing who will walk out of the meeting with a prize.

The February 20th agenda can be found on our school website under About Us- School Advisory Council (SAC)

The student dress code has been updated to allow black as an optional color for uniform bottoms. You can find the updated information on page 9 of the Parent-Student Handbook. See updated verbiage below.

Here's the challenge:

• The school that signs the most people up will win – that includes teachers, staff, parents, students, and family/friends.
• The winning school will get a free spirit shirt with the school’s logo on it for every student at the school regardless of their participation.

How will we track this?

• Step 1: Register for Lipman 5K: https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/AveMaria/Lipman5KRunForBackpacks
• Step 2: While registering make sure that registrants select “yes” on the question below.

• Step 3: Select your school!

All students will be issued and are required to wear a school ID and lanyard while at school. This is part of our school dress code. Students will use badges to sign on to their bus, check out library books, and go through the lunch line. Lost badges may be replaced in the front office for $2.00 cash.

School Board Policies 2266, 3362, and 5517 – Prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and/or gender identity), disability, or age in the provision of educational opportunities or employment opportunities and benefits. The District School Board does not discriminate on the basis of sex or disability in the education programs and activities that it operates, pursuant to the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

For additional information or to report Title IX or any other discrimination/harassment concerns, contact Ms. Valerie Wenrich, Chief Human Resources Officer/ Title IX Coordinator, at (239) 377-0351, wenriv@collierschools.com or at 5775 Osceola Trail, Naples, Florida 34109.