Dear Cape Elementary Families,

What a terrific start to the school year! We welcomed 125 new Kindergarten families and over 65 new students across other grade levels this school year. Our parent-teacher group, PTO, and our volunteer coordinator are ready to recruit new members for our many fun and exciting events that are scheduled this year. Please consider giving your time to help! This is a great way to meet other parents and to be part of the school’s support system.

On behalf of our teachers and staff, we look forward to partnering with you to help your child have a very successful school year. It is important that children set academic goals for each school year, and we encourage you to help promote these goals and inspire a growth mindset. Our children need our help to stay focused on their education, to keep going when it gets difficult and to believe in themselves. To assist us in these goals, please:

• Make sure your child attends daily and arrives on time

• Completes assignments and homework

• Reads daily

• Shares school experiences with you

• Shares their academic goals with you

• Be your child’s cheerleader and celebrate successes with them

Interims and report cards will be accessible online ONLY using the FOCUS Parent Portal. Parents will have access to report cards and other important information like grades, attendance, discipline referrals, and state progress monitoring results. Please use the link for directions on creating a FOCUS Parent Portal: FOCUS Parent Portal Directions.

We continue to work on safety procedures with our staff, teachers and students.

• Please remember to keep your phone number and email updated during the year in the FOCUS Portal.

• Each time you come to the school you will need to provide your physical photo identification. Photo ID on phones is not permitted.

• If you are dropping off your child in the morning or picking up your child, you must remain in your car and go through the parent drop off ramp.

• Parent Drop Off ends at 7:55. If you arrive, after this time, you must park and walk your child into the office to get a tardy pass.

• Parent Pick Up is finishing each day by 2:50 (weather permitting). We are working on a new calling system to help with calling cars even quicker. Thanks for being focused and attentive in our parent pick up line. We can load students quickly if cars are pulled up close to each other and also if cars pull off the ramp in a timely manner.

We are honored and privileged to be part of the Cape family. We appreciate the phone calls, emails, offers to help and expressions of gratitude each day. We look forward to working together to make sure your student has a memorable and enjoyable experience at Cape Elementary.

Sincerely,

Ms. Osterholm and Mrs. Sund

Dear Parent and/or Guardian:

My name is Coach Harley, and I will be your son or daughter’s physical education teacher this year. There are many exciting things that will be happening this year at P.E. and I’m very excited to get started!

Your child will have the opportunity to experience many types of activities during their P.E. classes. They will learn various games and skills that will increase their understanding of game play and sport related content. Your child will gain vast knowledge in heart healthy activities, movement skills and exercises that will teach them how to be healthy. Sportsmanship and teamwork will be our focus in all activities.

We have scheduled several programs this year that will enhance your child’s awareness of safety outside of school. There will be a walk safety, water safety and bicycle safety course conducted during P.E. We will also participate in Jump Rope For Heart!

In order for your child to be able to experience all of these activities, they must be properly attired. Tennis shoes must be worn for safe play. Also, ladies who wear a dress or skirt must have shorts on underneath. These two rules will help in keeping your child safe and ready for all activities.

Grades at P.E. are based on participation. Your child is expected to be dressed appropriately, participate in all activities, be respectful of themselves and others, and follow all rules. Failure to do so on a continued basis will result in a lower grade being earned. Also, if your child is unable to participate due to an injury or illness, you’ll need to send a note. If your child will miss more than three consecutive P.E. days, you’ll have to provide a doctor’s note.

I am looking forward to my first year at Cape Elementary, and I hope we can work together to give your son or daughter a great experience! Any questions or concerns you have this year, please call me at 239-542-3551. Thank you!

Coach Harley

P.E. Department

Cape Elementary

Welcome back!! Time is flying by and we're already 4 weeks into the 2022-2023 school year. PTO dollars were hard at work over the summer paying for large concrete areas to be painted with activities for recess. Students now have 3 Four Square courts, a half basketball court, hopscotch,tic tac toe, bullseye tosd and an activity track. Thanks to our amazing Cape families we raised over $70,000 to help fund student programs last year. In the works is the installation of a sunshade to cover the picnic tables where you can have lunch with your kids. We will continue to fund classroom enrichment needs, SOAR celebrations, field trip buses, student assemblies and more.

Thanks to those who attended our Boo Hoo Woo Hoo Breakfast. Whether you were happy that your Cape kid(s) were returning to school or sad that your little one was starting Kindergarten, we hope that you enjoyed getting to meet other Cape parents & members of the PTO. Thank you to Perk & Brew for donating the coffee and Stuff a Bagel for donating the bagels!

Our Otis Spunkmeyer/Nancy Daniels Fall Fundraiser began on 8/23 and ends on 9/12. This is PTO's only catalog fundraiser of the year, and we appreciate your support. Sell TWO items to drench our principals with a water blaster! Every additional $30 in sales earns another water blaster. Sell 6 items to attend the Gatorland Reptile Show. The top seller in the school will win a Nintendo Switch! This is in addition to the Teamwork prizes & Coop Brigade Collectibles. Earn your first Coop Brigade Collectible simply by registering online & sending out invitations to friends and family! Earn more Coops by selling more items. Order pick up will be scheduled for mid October. We'll know the exact pickup date closer to the delivery time. Don't want to buy anything but want to support the PTO? You can make a straight donation and your child will still be eligible to blast the principals & attend the Gatorland Reptile Show (depending on donation amount). Email us for more information at CapeElementaryPTO@gmail.com.

Our first PTO/SAC Meeting of the year will be on 09/13 at 6:00pm in the library. More details will be sent out closer to the meeting. We would love to see you!

We have a lot in store for the 2023-2024 school year! We have added Candy Bar Bingo this year! Join us on September 29th from 6:30-8:30 at Midpoint Bingo. Also look forward to the Pumpkin Carving Contest, Pancakes with Santa, Holiday Shoppe, Spring Fling Carnival, 6th Annual Fun Run, Grade level field trips, and school assemblies!

Follow us on Facebook by liking our page Cape Elementary PTO.

For all of the latest PTO News, events, sales, & volunteer opportunities join our web site https://capeelementarypto.ptboard.com. Join using School Code SXEABG.

With your support, the 2023-2024 school year will be a huge success!

With Gratitude,

Amy Gabel, President