Cape Elementary: Seahawk Sentinel
May 4, 2020
Cape's Mission & Vision
Vision: We believe that the most promising strategy for achieving the mission of Cape Elementary is to develop our capacity to function as a professional learning community.
Dear Cape Parents,
First, let me say I hope you and your family are safe and healthy as you read this newsletter. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding as we have been adjusting, like you, to the drastic changes in life during the last few weeks. We are extremely appreciative of our students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators for their positivity, flexibility and resilience during these trying times. A huge debt of gratitude also goes to all of our doctors, nurses, hospital employees, first responders, and our state leaders for all they are doing to keep us safe and healthy.
As you know, distance learning for Cape Elementary is in full motion. Our goal is to provide continuous educational opportunities and practice for students while schools are closed but also to eliminate as much stress as feasibly possible for students, parents, and teachers. While it is our responsibility to continue to educate our children, we also want to compassionately take into consideration the variety of difficulties that our families and employees are enduring during this time. Thanks for working directly with your teacher and for having a strong partnership with them. Our curriculum specialist, Dianne Johnson, our school counselor, Shelly Boeck and our administrative team are also here to support you and our Cape kids.
In closing, one of our main focus points for our educators and students during the 2019-2020 school year has been having a “growth mindset.” A growth mindset unlocks our ability to learn and grow especially during challenging times. Little did we know how important this growth mindset would be for all of us this year! Because of this experience and our growth mindset, we believe we all will be stronger when we come out on the other side of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Please contact your teachers or administrators if you or your students need support.
Stay strong! Stay healthy!
Sincerely,
Ms. Osterholm and Mrs. Sund
Yearbooks, Last Call
Yearbooks will be sold online until May 9th for $20!
New yearbook link:
5th Grade Update
5th Grade Busch Garden trip is cancelled and PTO will send refunds within the next four to six weeks.
We are hoping to have a Summer Send Off at Cape Elementary for our 5th graders in June or July. More details to come in the next month.
FOCUS Information
Grades are available 24/7 in FOCUS. Please check your child’s grades frequently to ensure they are completing all assigned work. You can access FOCUS through your child’s Launchpad on their Chromebook or you can visit our Cape website for directions to create a parent account and the option to download the parent FOCUS app.
Things to Celebrate!
- iReady and AR (week of April 20th)
- Reading- 1,095 lessons passed
- Math- 1,051 lessons passed
- 76 iReady certificates sent to students
- 609 AR tests taken and passed
- Attendance
- 99.5% attendance (only 3 students absent)
- 474 Chromebooks checked out & assigned to Cape students
- Over 130 postcards sent from admin
May Counseling Corner
Tips for Parents for Navigating “Safer at Home”
As we continue distance learning for the remainder of the school year, here are some general strategies all children and family members can use:
1. Organize your time
- Wake up and go to bed at the same time each day
- Make a schedule of all of the things you want to accomplish each day
- Be careful about doing things that steal or waste your time
2. Treat your family well – be kind and use manners
3. Share house chores
4. Take short breaks when you lose your patience with people and activities
5. Use calming strategies when anxiety or worry sneaks up on you
When you talk to your child, it’s important to use words, phrases, and examples that are developmentally appropriate. Here are tips for helping kindergarten-age kids and older school-age kids:
Kindergarten-age Children (Ages 4-6):
Younger children are more in tune to and affected by parental emotions than older children. For them, especially, be sure to stay calm around them. In addition:
- Turn off the TV, computers, smart speakers when they are around. They will hear things or see images that are potentially scary.
- Be careful in talking about the situation with other adults or older siblings around them.
- Younger children may need a bit more TLC and cuddles than older kids. If you’re concerned about transmitting illness, then sitting close, or perhaps sleeping in the same room is comforting.
- Make preventive measures such as washing hands or wiping surfaces a playful game.
School-age Children (Ages 7-12):
Children in first to sixth grade can understand more about a contagious disease. Remind them that these illnesses can spread easily, but that they can also be prevented, which is why we need to wash our hands, use tissues, and use disinfecting wipes.
Remember, kids this age thrive on routine. Try to keep to daily schedules as much as possible, even if you are quarantined at home. Explain that the reason you stocked up on a month’s supply of food and are not going to school or work is to help your community by not spreading the disease to others.
- Younger school-age kids cope with their fears through play. They may play doctor or use a Lego set to create a hospital helping people. This is a normal way for them to manage their anxieties including repeating their games over and over.
- Some school-age kids will become more clingy and demanding. Such “regression” is a way of expressing fear. This is not the time to simply tell them to “grow up,” even if the behavior is frustrating. They may need more time with you – reading to them, watching a TV show together, drawing, or playing.
- Turn off the TV other digital media as much as possible. School-age kids may not understand everything they hear and see on the screen. For example, if there are reports of outbreaks or deaths on the other side of the country, they may not know how far this is or that germs cannot spread to their house from distant places.
No one knows at this point how serious the impact of COVID-19 will be. Living with uncertainty is not easy. However, we can help each other become more resilient, emotionally stable, and as physically protected as possible through a carefully planned means of engaging with our kids in this time of crisis.
Resources Available for Families:
SalusCare: “You’re Not Alone! Weekly Parent Support Groups” Meeting Mondays at 2:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. You do not need to be a client to access this FREE support group!
FGCU: Free Individual Support Meetings Via Video with FGCU Masters Counseling Students
If you are interested in accessing either of these opportunities, please contact Shelly Boeck, School counselor at shellyab@leeschools.net or through Google Voice at (941) 500-2584.
From Our School Nurse
Get Facts about Kids and Sun---Spring & Summer Break
You should always protect your child from the sun when they’re outside. Because children spend a lot of time outdoors playing, they get most of their lifetime sun exposure in their first 18 years.
- It’s safest to keep babies younger than 6 months out of the sun.
- Teach children the ABCs of how to protect their skin from getting sunburned.
B-Block. Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor(SPF) of 30 or higher to protect babies’ and children’s very sensitive skin.
C-Cover up. Wear clothing that covers the skin, hats with wide brims, and sunglasses with UV protection. Even children 1 year old should wear Sunglasses with UV protection.
S-Speak out. Teach others to protect their skin from sun damage.
- Children’s eyes are more sensitive than adults to UV rays. Sun exposure can actually cause cataracts and macular degeneration.
- Even just one blistering childhood sunburn can double a child’s risk of developing skin cancer.
- While freckles are cute, and our culture encourages us to think of tans as “healthy,” Both are sign’s that the skin has been damaged.
- Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer.
- Other ways to protect you family from the sun include wearing protective clothing, such as:
- Hats with wide 4 in brims that cover, the neck, ears, eyes, and scalp.
- Sunglasses with UV ray protection, to prevent eye damage.
- Loose-fitting, tightly woven clothing that covers arms and legs.
- Clothing made with sun protective fabric.
- They have a special label that tells you how effective they are in protecting your skin from ultraviolet rays.
Stay SAFE during the hot summer days in the Sunshine State.
MEDICATION PICK-UP
If you haven't already picked up your child's medication, please call the school at (239) 542-3551 to schedule a pick-up time. Remember ALL medications must be picked up by the last day of school, Wednesday, June 3rd.
Grades for Special Areas (Art, Music & PE)
As we are all learning in new ways this quarter, your Specials teachers miss you and have been putting together interesting lessons that we do not want you to miss! Please make sure that you check these classes weekly to work on these assignments. We know your time is precious and we do not want to overwhelm you so we have kept them short but informative. We would like to end this school year with nothing but ‘Satisfactory’ grades for all students, so if you are having any trouble make sure you reach out to us so we can help.
Stay safe and healthy! – Ms. Wills, Mrs. Eberly and Coach Theisen
Attendance Matters! Did You Know....
Hello, Cape Elementary Parents!
I know our Cape Elementary students are working hard in their distance learning classrooms. I would like to provide some community resources to our families. Please call me if you have any specific needs. My contact number is (239) 281-3815.
Thank you, Erin Dalla Costa Cape Elementary School Social Worker
Mobile Food Units/Resources:
Harry Chapin Mobile Food Pantry-Bring photo ID
- Church of the Nazarene-Every Wednesday 1pm-3pm
6781 Bayshore Road, NFM 33971
- Caloosa Middle School-Every Friday, 10am-12pm
610 Del Prado Blvd S, Cape Coral 33990
We Care Outreach/White Cross Church
Free Meals-Thursday & Friday @ 6pm, Saturday & Sunday @ 9am
247 Pine Island Road, NFM
All Souls Episcopal Church Food Pantry
Wednesday from 9am-10:30am (drive thru)
14640 N Cleveland Ave, NFM 33903 (239) 997-7685
We LOVE our Business Partners
C21 Gulf Coast Realty
Jim Fischer
Quality Pest Control
Cape Coral First United Methodist Church
Vineyards Community Church (Cape Coral)
Horace Mann Insurance
Walmart (FM Beach Store)
Culver's
Papa John's Pizza
Wendy's
Publix
Rib City
Cici's Pizza
Applebee's
Dominoes Pizza
Stuff-A-Bagel
Cape Elementary
Email: nicoledo@leeschools.net
Website: cap.leeschools.net
Location: 4519 Vincennes Blvd, Cape Coral, FL 33904
Phone: 2395423551
Facebook: facebook.com/CapeElem
Twitter: @CapeElem
Lee County School Board
Board Members of the LCSD:
Mary Fischer, District 1 (Chair)
Debbie Jordan, District 4 (Vice Chair)
Melisa W. Giovannelli, District 2
Chris N. Patricca, District 3
Gwynetta S. Gittens, District 5
Betsy Vaughn, District 6
Cathleen O'Daniel Morgan, District 7
Gregory K. Adkins, Ed.D.
Superintendent