Eagle News
January 2024
Words from Principal Stevens
Dear Cypress Woods Families,
I hope this message finds you well. Let me start by wishing you all a Happy New Year! It is my hope this new year is filled with many successes and continued progress as we SOAR through the school year. During winter break, I hope you had the chance to enjoy some rest and relaxation. We are off to a great start in 2024!! I am thankful for your partnership with our school. Cypress Woods is a community school and our strength lies in our strong relationships with our stakeholders.
Please continue to keep your student's education as an importance. We look forward to seeing you at our many winter and spring events. Thank you for your continued support, and have a great weekend!
Go Eagles!!
MARK YOUR CALENDERS
1/12: Volunteer Cafe
1/12-1/26: Camp SEM
1/15: DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY- NO SCHOOL
1/16: School Resumes
1/18: Report Cards Go Home
1/19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Street Team Visit
1/25: 5th Grade Concert - at ELHS 6pm
1/26: the 100th Day of School
2/1: Class (Group) Pictures
2/2: Family Lunch
2/5: Ready, Set... Kindergarten
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Street Team
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Street Team will be on campus on January 19th to work with our students during their PE time. They will be conducting a flag football clinic with our students. Please make sure you return your student's permission form by January 17th.
ATTENDANCE MATTERS
When a student is absent from school for any reason, parents are to send in a written note to the teacher explaining the absence or email the school at cypresswoodses.absence@pcsb.org and copy the teacher on the email. Absences will remain unexcused until such documentation is received by the school. Children with poor attendance patterns may be referred to the Pinellas County Truancy Intervention Program. Class work is required to be made up during or after an excused absence. Upon returning to school following an excused absence, a student has as many days to make up the work as days absent. A doctor’s note is required to excuse a student from PE for more than 3 days and documentation is required for absences exceeding 5 days.
Student Recognition
Rotary Club Student of the Month
Introducing our December Rotary Student of the Month, Elizabeth (Lizzy). Mrs. Hardgrove and Miss Nabor nominated her due to her consistent demonstration of character and work ethic.
She is always kind, courteous and helpful. Lizzy is a responsible student that takes pride in her work and her character towards others. Lizzy has been chosen as safety patrol for this year and works with the pre-k students. The Pre-K teachers rave about how patient and helpful she is with our preschoolers. Lizzy was also nominated as our class representative for student government. She takes on that leadership role with pride. Lizzy was also invited to our National Elementary Honors Society this year due to her classroom and state test performances. Congrats Lizzy!
Safety Patrol of the Month
Congratulations to Lazar! He was nominated and selected for December’s Safety Patrol of the Month, for his reliability, hard work and friendliness at the front car line. Way to go, Lazar!
Health screenings will be taking place January 24th
Vision: Kindergarten, 1st and 3rd grade.
Hearing: Kindergarten and 1st grade.
Height, Weight and BMI: 1st and 3rd grades.
ONLY STUDENTS WHO HAVE PARENTAL CONSENT GRANTED ON FOCUS WILL BE SCREENED.
These screenings are done free of charge. If your child’s vision, BMI or hearing screening results are outside normal limits, you will receive a letter with information and/or follow up instructions/resources. The screening and follow-up results will be noted in your child’s health records.
If you have any questions regarding the screenings or need help locating resources for follow-up, please reach out to Nurse Jennifer in the clinic.
Upcoming District Application
January 2024
- January 9th - District Application Programs Application Period Opens
- January 19th - District Application Programs Application Period Closes
- January 17th - PreK/VPK Acceptance Period Closes
February 2024
- February 12th - Late PreK/VPK Application Period Opens
- February 14th - District Application Programs Acceptance Period Opens
- February 23rd - District Application Programs Acceptance Period Closes
Ready Set Kindergarten
Please join us for Ready, Set... Kindergarten on February 8th at 5:30 PM.
At this event you will be able to:
- Meet kindergarten teachers
- Visit classrooms
- Find out about before/after care
- Learn how to get involved
Kindergarten registration begins February 5, 2024.
We hope to see you there!
Specialists' Newsletter
Kindergarten Songs of Love Concert
The kindergarten students will perform a concert of love songs on Thursday, February 8th in the cafeteria at 7:00 pm. If your child is in kindergarten, please plan to drop them off in their child’s classroom at 6:45 pm. Please have your child wear something red, pink, or white. If they have a Valentine’s Day outfit that would be perfect!
Updates from Mrs. Shipley!!
Happy New Year Volunteers!
I want to thank all the volunteers who took the time to enter your volunteer hours so far. We are so thankful for all you do and thrilled to be able to share this information with the District and FL Department of Education. If you missed the 1st semester deadline, not to worry…you can and should still enter your hours so they will be included in our end of year report and show the strong community involvement we have at Cypress Woods. Every hour counts: Classroom Assistance, Lunch Pals, Field Trips, PTA, SAC, Volunteer Café, Great American Teach In, helping from home, meetings, etc. The hours are the most important, so don’t worry about the dates, just chunk the hours together and enter them by task. Instructions for entering hours is attached, please let me know if you have any trouble navigating the system. If you are entering hours from last semester, please enter them under the current date, do NOT backdate. Backdating into last semester may cause a system error/glitch.
Partnership Donations (formerly known as Adopt-A-Class)
Looking for a tax break and an opportunity to enhance every Cypress Woods student’s learning experience? Please consider participating in our Partnerships program. With each tax-deductible donation, we are able to supplement classroom materials and more. A full adoption is $100, however any amount is appreciated. Please see the list below of teachers and programs that have not yet been fully adopted, then simply return the attached form with your donation:
- Pre-K: Ciccotelli, Letz, Trahan, Maguire ($80 away), & Humes
- Kindergarten: Jakubowski ($80 away) & MacGregor ($80 away)
- 1st Grade: Edleman, Ferry ($90 away)
- 2nd Grade: Corvey ($50 away)
- 3rd Grade: Roseney ($60 away)
- 4th Grade: Colon ($50 away), & Hodges ($76 away)
- 5th Grade: Leto
- Access: Koufogazos
- Music: Richter ($25 away)
- Media Center/Library/Technology: Reyes
- Exceptional Education (VE): Tsetsekas & Cordero
- Guidance: Trudell ($50 away)
- Psychologist: Ecker
- Social Worker: Hassenplug
- PT: Esker
- School Admin (S.O.A.R. Feather Prizes, Staff Appreciation, and other needs): Stevens
- Cafeteria: McKittrick-Tucker ($75 away)
Upcoming Dates and Volunteer Opportunities:
- Friday, January 12th Volunteer Café – Please join us anytime between 9:00 and 11:30 AM to work on various projects for our teachers and staff. Refreshments and coffee will be provided. It’s a great time to meet other parent volunteers while also helping our teachers who appreciate the gift of your time! RSVP is much appreciated, but not required.
- Monday, January 15th - Dr. MLK Jr. Day – No School
- Thursday, February 1st – Class Group Photos – We need a couple volunteers to assist with keeping the students organized and looking nice. Please reply to this email if you’re available to help.
- Friday, February 2nd – First Friday Family Lunch Day – Level 2 Volunteers are needed for this program to continue. Please sign up here during a time when you are NOT having lunch with your student: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F48ABA62BA31-44548048-first If you are participating in Family Lunch Day with your student, please remember the following:
- Plan to arrive NO EARLIER than 10 minutes prior to your student’s lunchtime. It is helpful to let your child know if you are coming so they can look for you.
- Bring your Driver’s license to check in at the front office,
- You may ONLY have lunch with YOUR student, friends without parents present are not allowed to join you..
- Students must remain seated with you at ALL times.
- ONLY Level 2 Volunteers may enter the cafeteria to pull a student for lunch or get any needed supplies.
- February 22 – March 1st, Spring Book Fair. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F49A8AE2AA46-47113415-spring or email Ms. Reyes directly at reyesja@pcsb.org
Thanks to all your support…We will SOAR in 2024!