Safety Harbor Elementary
May 2015
NEWSLETTER
Created by the
SHES PTA
Principal: Cecilia Palmer
Phone: 727-724-1462
Assistant Principal: Amy Stewart
Website: www.planetshes.com
YEAR-END UPDATES
Dear Safety Harbor Families:
It is hard to believe that this year is coming to an end and that we have only one full month of school left! Even
though summer is approaching fast, there is still so much to do and so much to celebrate! Please check our
website calendar and monitor agenda books for upcoming events and activities, we wouldn’t want you to miss out
on anything! Next week we are honoring our wonderful teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week – May 4-8.
Please help me in thanking all of our Safety Harbor Elementary teachers and staff for the countless hours and
dedicated service they provide to our students and families each and every day!
We are saying good-bye this month to one of SHES dedicated teachers, Robin Little, with 37 years of service to this
profession. Mrs. Little will leave us as of May 1st to begin the next exciting chapter of her life – retirement! We
hope she enjoys every well-earned moment and we all wish her the best!!
During this time of year, much planning takes place for the new school year. We gather and utilize a variety of data
and information as we begin the process of creating next year’s class lists. If you would like to provide input into
your child’s classroom setting/learning style, please write a letter, to my attention, no later than Wednesday, May
13th. While we do not take specific teacher requests, we understand that your prior experiences, successful (or
not), would provide additional information in determining the best setting for student success. Tentative teacher
names will not be placed in the end of year report. Class lists will be posted on the front office window prior to
open house. As many of you are aware, and were impacted this past year, a multitude of changes, which are out of
our control, can occur over the course of the summer and into the 10th day of school. These changes can impact
previously developed class lists and classroom teachers, therefore class lists remain tentative until after the 10 day
count. Additionally, if your child will not be attending SHES next year, please inform the front office with the
school they will be attending. As always if you would like to speak to me directly, feel free to contact me via e-mail
or phone.
Finally parents, Summer Bridge, our district’s summer school program, is currently open for registration. Letters
were sent out to families based on data and school judgment for students who we feel would benefit from the
additional instruction. If you feel your child would benefit from this program and did not receive a letter please
contact your classroom teacher for more information. If you received a letter, we encourage you to register your
student to ensure that learning continues throughout the summer and the best opportunity possible is provided
for student success in the coming school year. Feel free to contact or stop into the front office for assistance with
registration. We will be happy to help! See you tonight at Spring Fling for our Country Fair!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Sincerely,
SEPTEMBER 3RD Family
Night
Ms. Palmer
*details on back Principal
MAY CHARACTER TRAIT
OF THE MONTH
CARING
Being kind, friendly, considerate,
and willing to listen, give, and share.
PTA NEWS
Thank you parents and volunteers for an amazing
year. The PTA held numerous activities at the school
from the fall festival, two book fairs, walk to school
day, the Veteran’s day breakfast, bingo for books
night, teacher luncheons, the jog-a-thon, Yankee
Candle fundraiser, a Mad Science assembly, family
nights, spring fling and our annual school auction.
This year we also kicked off some exciting new
programs including the “million minute reading
challenge,” donated hundreds of books to our
classrooms and students as well as gave our teachers
thousand of spirit sticks. We helped our teachers get
their classrooms prepared with start up funds and
provided a generous donation to support the HOPS
program. The PTA also supported our art, music,
commitment to character and physical education
programs and school beautification projects. The
SHES PTA also has funding set aside to help our
school with technology improvement and
acquisitions. Along with all of this, our team also
worked hard creating our school yearbook and
monthly newsletters. A huge “thank you” to our
volunteers who have spent countless hours working
to make our school the best around!
On May 14th we will hold our final general PTA
membership meeting where we will elect the new
PTA board for the next school year, vote on our
updated by-laws and review our annual budget. We
hope to see all of you there. Thank you for a great
year!
IT’S BOOK FAIR TIME!
Come one, come all to the SHES Spring Book Fair
May 11th – 15th in the Media Center. Student
shopping hours are 8:05 a.m. till noon and 2:35 3:15 (after school students must be accompanied
by an adult.) Early birds can visit our May 13th
Bagels and Books event from 7:30 a.m. - 8:05 a.m.
The Book Fair will also be open Thursday, May 14th
from 2:35 till 8:30 pm during Gifted parent
conferences and the Spring Concert. Finally, our
All 4 Books loose chance drive will run May 4th-14th
Collection containers will be in each classroom.
Funds benefit book purchases for children who
might not otherwise be able to visit the Book Fair.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
MAY 1st: SPRING FLING
MAY 4th-14th: All 4 BOOKS FUND DRIVE
MAY 8th: COLD STONE CREAMERY DAY
MAY 9th: RAYS GAME – PCSB SPIRIT NIGHT
MAY 11th-15th: BOOK FAIR
MAY 13th: BOOKS AND BAGELS
MAY 14th: PTA GENERAL MEETING AND 3rd
and 4th GR. CHORUS - SPRING CONCERT
th
MAY 15 : FIELD DAY FOR ALL GRADES
MAY 15th: SPRING SPIRIT STICK SALE
MAY 20th: TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCH
MAY 21st: CRISPERS NIGHT
MAY 22nd: C2C CELEBRATION
MAY 25th: SCHOOL CLOSED – MEMORIAL DAY
MAY 27th: VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION BRUNCH
SKATING PARTY / CRAZY HAIR DAY
JUNE 1st: 5th GRADE CELEBRATION
JUNE 2nd: 5th GRADE MOVE UP CEREMONY
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL/REPORT CARDS
EARLY DISMISSAL – 12:35pm
A NOTE FROM THE KIWANIS CLUB
FROM THE PE STAFF:
Kiwanis is gearing up for the start of KFIELD DAY IS May 15th
Kids, which will hold its first meeting
SHES COMMITMENT TO
SEPTEMBER
CHARACTER TRAIT OF
CHARACTER AWARD WINNERS FOR
THE MONTH:
SELF-CONTROL
APRIL 2015
The times are as follows:
Friday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 a.m. in the art
K/1st Grade is from 9:00 am - 10:20 am
Evan O’Connor
room. K-Kids is a leadership and service
Cordelia Jenks
2nd Gr./3rd Gr. is from 10:45 am - 12:05 pm
Nicholas McNealy
Bryan McGinnis
club open to all students from
Gabby Gutierrez
4th Gr./5th Gr. is from 1:00 pm - 2:20 pm
Makayla Adams
kindergarten to fifth grade. The club, run
Smith
Any parents wishing to attend are welcome and
Iona Matichuk is doingMarley
Responsibility
the
right
this
by student officers and board members,
Amanda Vehorn
Dulce Ramirez-Jaguey
encouraged to do so. Please be sure you arrive early
undertakes numerous service projects
David
Cervantes
whether
or not someone
tells
you to.
Elsa Cubaj
enough to sign in at the front office. Parents wishing
during the year, from planning and
Malia
Connelly
Amerie Velazquez
to volunteer to assist the classroom or the Physical
Ryan Stewart
sponsoring a holiday party for the
Adam Green
Education Department with Field Day must have anResponsibility involves being
Valentin
Krajelg
a dependable
Sinorra Adams
children at the Haven House, the county’s
Sonheim
approved Volunteer Form already on file. Please
Sophia Karikas
spouse abuse shelter, to planting and
and reliable
person who Stuart
is committed
to
Dayna
Rodgers
come to watch and support your child!
Beckett
Tibbetts
maintaining gardens on the school
following
through
on his orJazmyn
her McCree
obligations.
Keyonna
Hamilton
campus to raising money so students who
William Roberts
Jayden Allen
cannot afford to buy books at the school
Charlise Alverio
Jesus Cervantes
Elizabeth Shea
book fair can LEGISLATIVE
do so. These are justUPDATE
a few
Brayden Temperton
Sylwia Kwasny
of the many service projects K-Kids are
David Kent
In response to parent concerns regarding the new
Joey Paul
Carlos Martinez
involve in. They raise money to support
Florida Standard Assessment (FSA) test and theIt’s only September
Isidoro
and
the PTA has beenLael
busy
supporting
Melanie
Trout
their endeavors by operating the school
amount of testing our students currently face, state
Safety HarborLillian
Elementary!
In
August,
we
purchased
the agenda
Spaethe
store. Students interested in improving
legislators have recently passed legislation thatbooks
takes for all of our students and 47 copies of the SHES book of
their school and their community while
a first step toward easing those concerns. First,the
theyear “Scaredy Squirrel.” We welcomed the teachers back to
developing leadership skills should check
salutes
our
Carwise
Minority
breakfast
and also
hosted
the “Boo
Hoo” breakfast
new law requires outside experts to review thisschool with a SHES
out K-Kids, where kids have fun while
Daisy) for ourAward
new SHES
families.Lael
year’s FSA before the results can be used to (thanks Kate and
Achievement
winners
making the world a better place.
determine school grades or teacher evaluations.
It all of the exciting educational, student recognition, teacher
With
Isidoro Huizache and Keita Wolfe Guy,
also limits testing to no more than 5% of the school
*****
appreciation and classroom
enhancement programs we will be
both 5th graders. Hip, hip, hooray!
year and reduces the portion of teacher evaluations
sponsoring this year, we need your support!
based on student performance from 50% to 33%.
We will kick off our annual Yankee Candle Fundraiser on
Congratulations to Jessica
SEPTEMBER
3RD:recently
BINGOissued
FOR BOOKS
The Florida PTA
a statement
September 12th. Be on the lookout for those catalogs and don’t
commending the state’s efforts, though it feelsforget that out of town
Contreras
Lindsay
families and
and friends
can Neufarth,
order online and
SEPTEMBER 10TH: VOLUNTEER
elected officials did not go far enough in holding
have
the
product
shipped
to
them.
cover design winners for this year’s
ORIENTATION
students harmless from the new test results, nor did
SHES
Beautiful
job!
monthly
Box yearbook.
Tops collections
this year
on the
it change online
requirements.
SEPTEMBER
12thtesting
: YANKEE
CANDLE For moreWe will hold
We will hold monthly Box Tops collections this year
of every month. The classroom that collects the
FUNDRAISER
KICKOFF
information about
new and pending education second week
on the second week of every month. The classroom
most Box Tops each
month will receive a special
and
legislation, as well as how you can be an advocate
CONGRATULATIONS
TOprize
THE
that collects
the most Box Tops each month
will
SEPTEMBER 16TH: STUDENT PICTURES
hold the monthly
trophy.
The
winning
teacher
will
receive
a
receive
a special prizeKIWANIS
and hold theSTUDENT
monthly trophy.
for your child, please visit the Florida PTA’s
FOLLOWING
OF
$50 gift card
purchase
bookswill
forreceive
the classroom!
sure
Thetowinning
teacher
a $50 giftBe
card
to to
Legislation page
SEPTEMBER
26that
: C2C
THE
MONTH
keep turning
in those
Box for
Tops!
purchase
books
the classroom! Be sure to keep
http://www.floridapta.org/advocacy/legislation.
celebration
turning
in
those
Box
There you can also sign up to receive email alerts
Finally, we encourage all of ourTops!
SHES parents to become a
RESPONSIBILITY
PTA NEWS
Mark Your Calendars
COMING
SOON: SPIRIT STICKS –
the PTA
volunteer.
Show
your support
for all
and information on how to contact your state member ofFinally,
weand
encourage
all of
our SHES
parents to
Aldo
Perez-Cruz
Are
you
ready
to
go
bananas?
representatives and senators regarding your of the great things the PTA does at SHES!
Your voice matters!
ALLconcerns.
MONTH:
PTA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
become a member of the PTA and volunteer. Show
your support for all of the great things the PTA does
Erica VanRossum, PTA President
at SHES!
Erica VanRossum, PTA President