Manatee Moments

Today's Learners - Tomorrow's Leaders

November 2022

November Important Dates

  • November 1 = Virtual Learning Day @ home
  • November 4 = Baseball Theme Day (wear baseball themed clothes)
  • November 5 = A Homerun Celebration 11:00AM-2:00PM @ MES
  • November 6 = Half READMarathon ends
  • November 9 = Dental Screening 3rd Grade
  • November 10 = Picture Retakes
  • November 11 = Veteran's Day; Early Dismissal 11:50AM (Wear red, white, and blue)
  • November 18 = Turkey Trot/Blue Zone Celebration
  • November 21-25 = NO SCHOOL Happy Thanksgiving
  • November 29 = PTO/SAC Parent Lighthouse Meeting
  • December 1 = Virtual Learning Day
  • December 2 = Student Leadership Clubs; House Color Day
(Accountability = Red, Belief = Blue, Collaboration = Yellow)
Big picture

READMarathon Oct 11 - Nov 6

Manatee students are participating in the Half READMarathon. The goal of READMarathon is for participating students (READRunners) to build reading stamina while reading over the course of 26.2 days. READMarathon is designed to improve reading stamina by introducing students to reading persistence and debunking the stone age stereotype that reading is boring, in return giving kids the opportunity to enrich their lives with the benefits of reading.


Students can read at school, at home, or on the go, and can read as much or as little as they want on any given day with a goal of reading a minimum of 800 minutes in 26.2 days. Reading minutes may include books, magazine articles, read alouds, instructions, and even recipes!


ALL READING COUNTS!

Report Cards

Accessing Report Cards (October 25)

Navigate to https://focus.collierschools.com/focus/


Enter the username: student's number = lunch number

Enter the password: PreK-Grade 2 - enter the number 1; Grades 3-5 enter child's birth month and day as four digits. Ex. January 7, 2009 would be entered as 0107

Under your child's picture, click Reports Tab

The link can be viewed as a PDF or downloaded and saved

Dojo

Please join Class DOJO. Check your email as your child's teacher has sent an invite. We use this for communication. Our goal is to have 100% of parents connected. Also, parents can sign up for Class Dojo at classdojo.com. Click on Parent and enter the information requested and then click Sign Up. You will be asked to click on our school and then your child’s teacher, and then select your child’s name.

VOLUNTEERS AND VISITORS

Volunteers

Manatee Elementary appreciates volunteers and all that they do for our students, teachers, and school community. In order to volunteer, one must complete the CCPS online volunteer application (www.collierschools.com). All volunteers (new or returning) must have an up-to-date volunteer application. Once you have clicked the link you must select the "Apply to Volunteer" button or “Update your Application” button for returning volunteers. If you have any questions about the CCPS volunteer application process, please email volunteer@collierschools.com. Once you have submitted your application or if you have any questions about volunteering at MES or your volunteer status, please contact Lisa Mastromonaco at 377-7600.


Lunch with your Child

Some of our families enjoy coming to school to enjoy an occasional lunch with their child(ren). In planning ahead for having lunch with your child(ren) please review the MES check-in procedures:

  • Please check in the front office prior to your child’s lunch time (visitors are permitted for lunch only; not recess).
  • Anyone joining a child for lunch must be on the student contact list for that child.
  • To check-in as a visitor, you must present a U.S. Government issued I.D. Your I.D. will be scanned, and you will be issued a visitor sticker that should remain visible the entire time you are on our campus.
  • Due to the limited capacity in our cafeteria, lunchtime visitors are restricted to the picnic tables (with umbrellas) in the courtyard area just outside of the cafeteria. If it is a rainy day, please plan to reschedule your lunchtime visit.
  • When your child’s class exits the cafeteria, he/she should join them in line. At this time, please return to the front office, sign out, turn in your visitor sticker, and exit campus through the main entrance.
  • Adults needing to utilize the restroom while visiting for lunch will need to do so in the front office (not the student restrooms).


Closed Campus

On state assessment days, MES will observe a closed campus. This means no volunteers or visitors will be allowed on campus during the school day.


Manatee Elementary 2022-2023 Grade Level Lunch Times:

Kindergarten 11:35-11:55

1st Grade 11:10-11:30

2nd Grade 12:00-12:20

3rd Grade 12:25-12:45

4th Grade 12:50-1:10

5th Grade 10:45-11:05

Leader in Me

Lights -Camera - Leadership

Manatee Elementary is a Leader in Me School, which means our school models and teaches Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. We invite you to assure good character development in your child by joining us in adopting, teaching, modeling, and celebrating these 7 habits:



  1. Habit 1: Be Proactive “I’m in charge of me.”
  2. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind “Have a plan!”
  3. Habit 3: Put First Things First “Work, then play.”
  4. Habit 4: Think Win-Win! “I win, you win, we win.”
  5. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand then to be Understood “Listen before you speak.”
  6. Habit 6: Synergize “Together is better.”
  7. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw “Balance feels best.”


What is a habit? How can we connect the habits to movies we watch?


https://www.leaderinme.com/resources/the-power-of-habit

Parent Lighthouse (PTO)

2021-2022 Yearbooks

Keep last year's memories alive!

A few yearbooks are left for a discounted price.

$15 Cash or Check made out to Manatee Elementary

Parent Lighthouse (PTO)

2022-2023 Meeting Dates:

November 29, December 13, January 31, February 28, March 28, April 25, May 23


All meetings are held in 3-100 at 5:00 P.M.

School Advisory Council

School Advisory Council 2022-2023 Meeting Dates:

November 29, December 13, January 31, February 28, March 28, April 25, May 23


All SAC Meeting are held in 3-100 at 5:00PM

Important Reminders

Emergency Information Forms

Parents can complete the annual Emergency Information Form online. Simply visit the CCPS Portal and login as a parent (do not login using your student's information), then click on the FOCUS icon and follow the on-screen prompts to complete all sections of the form, including Student Information, Contact Information, and Health Information.


Click here to visit the CCPS Portal.


Click here for Directions on Completing the Electronic Emergency Form.

CCPS Mobile APP

Review grades through FOCUS, track weather alerts from campuses, see lunch menus and much more all from the palm of your hand. You can even "follow" specific schools to receive news and notifications sent straight to your phone. Search "collier schools" in the Apple App store or Google Play store for the free download.

WEDNESDAY COMMUNICATION FOLDERS

Each Wednesday, Manatee Elementary students will bring home their Wednesday Home/School Communication folders with their completed work and important notes and other information from the teacher, office, or PTOy. Reviewing the contents of the envelope with your child each Wednesday will keep you informed and let your child know that school is important. Students are expected to return their folders with any required parent signatures the next day.

Birthday

Birthdays


Birthdays are special for all students, and each classroom teacher may acknowledge a student’s birthday in a variety of ways. Birthday celebrations/parties, however, may not take place at school. Food items sent or brought in by parents/guardians will not be allowed and will be returned home with the student. Distributing party invitations at school will only be permitted if there is an invitation for all students in the classroom (or all girls or all boys). We cannot share students’ phone numbers or addresses with other parents.

Car Line Reminders

  • For the safety of everyone, please stay in your car when dropping off or picking up your children in the car line.
  • The car line loops through our parking lot and students will be helped in/out of the car when you get to the flags on our front sidewalk.
  • NO cell phone use while in car line.
  • Have car sign hung on rearview mirror when picking up child(ren).
  • Parents are not permitted on campus unless there is a scheduled appointment, and you check in through the front office.

Bus Riders

Check out the "Where's the Bus" app. https://www.collierschools.com/Page/12820


Need help finding your bus route?

http://bus.collierschools.com/default.aspx?load=studentIDStops

Laptops

Just a reminder - laptops are still CCPS property and need to be cared for responsibly.


Pursuant to Rule 27 of the District’s Code of Student Conduct, students are responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of District property in their possession such as a laptop or other electronic device. The rule provides the following:


RULE 27. SCHOOL PROPERTY – MATERIALS/BOOKS/INTERNET/NETWORK/AND OTHER

DISTRICT DEVICES

Students are expected to take good care of school property. Students must assume full

responsibility for the care of school property available to them. This includes, but is not limited to textbooks, uniforms, equipment, electronic devices, or library books. These items are issued by school personnel and must be returned to the same person upon completion of the school year or withdrawal from school. Responsibility for the property rests with the student to whom the property is issued. Loss of items due to theft or other circumstances will not be accepted as an excuse for nonpayment or for not doing class assignments. Failure on the part of any student to pay for lost or damaged items shall deprive the student of further use of free items outside the school. If an item is lost and before another one is issued, the student will be required to pay full price for items less than one year old. For older items, replacement cost will depend on the original price and the age and condition of the items when issued. If the item is found and returned, a refund will be made to the student. If the item is damaged, the student is required to pay a damage charge depending upon the degree of damage and the condition of the item when it was issued.


The District’s internet/network system has not been established as a public access service nor established to create a limited public forum. The District has the right to place restrictions on its use to assure that use of the District’s internet system is in accord with its limited educational purpose. Student use of the District’s computers, network and internet services ("network") will be governed by Board Policy 7540.03 and the related administrative guidelines, and the Code. Misuse of the network will result in disciplinary action. The due process rights of all users will be respected in the event there is a suspicion of inappropriate use of the network. Users have a limited privacy expectation in the content of their personal files, electronic files, and records of their online activity while on the network.

Authority: F.S. 1006.28, 1006.28(3)(b), 1001.43(1), 1001.51(4)

Incident codes: CD, CE



The cost to repair or replace laptops for irresponsible damage is as follows:

  • Power adapter $48.00
  • Keyboard $95.00
  • Touch Screen Laptop Screen $231.00
  • Non Touch Screen Laptop Screen $117.00
  • Laptop Total Replacement $586.00


Technology support is available to students and parents by visiting www.collierschools.com/CollierConnect.

Textbooks

Textbooks and library books are essential to the learning process and will be checked out to your child. These books are furnished by CCPS and become the responsibility of the student. Students/parents are responsible for paying for any lost or damaged books. Please stress to your child the importance of responsibility and respect for school materials and property.

Parents may review their children’s instructional materials at the school site. Parents may also schedule an appointment to review currently adopted instructional materials at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Administrative Center. Please contact Julia Lorenzo, Instructional Materials Manager at LorenzJu@collierschools.com or 377-0103.

2022-2023 School Calendars

Head Start and VPK

Did you know?

Participating in quality early learning programs paves the way for learning at school and throughout life. What children learn in their first few years of life—and how they learn it—can have long-lasting effects on their success and health as children, teens, and adults. According to the National Institutes of Health, studies show that supporting children’s early learning can lead to:

  • Higher test scores from preschool to age 21
  • Better grades in reading and math
  • A better chance of staying in school and going to college
  • Fewer teen pregnancies
  • Improved mental health
  • Lower risk of heart disease in adulthood
  • A longer lifespan


CCPS has Head Start and VPK parent pay openings in classrooms at our school and a variety of other locations across the district now and for the upcoming school year. Please visit http://collierschools.com/prek or call 239-377-0590 for more information. For information on other early learning centers in the area, please visit http://elcofswfl.org . Additionally, parents who have concerns about their child’s development (age birth-5) and would like to explore the possibility of early intervention services can contact Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource Systems (FDLRS) at https://tinyurl.com/IslandCoastChildFind for a free developmental screening.

2022-2023 NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION

COMPLETELY ONLINE

Registration for all Kindergarten through 12th grade students NEW to the district will be online.

https://www.collierschools.com/registration