Pirate Press
Vol. 2, Edition 23
Halfway through January already!
Pirate Families,
The semester is in full swing, and we will soon be gearing up for planning for next school year (believe it or not)! Plans are coming together to soon welcome future 6th graders to our campus for tours, and 8th graders will start deciding what classes they are interested in for high school in the coming weeks! Please be on the lookout for information about these events!
As a reminder, our state and our community are experiencing a surge of COVID-19 cases. The District School Board of Pasco County is no different. There has been a significant increase in the number of cases based on those that are being tested. District staff has been working over the past weeks on revised protocols and precautions in an effort to keep our students and employees as safe and healthy as possible. Please refer to the updated information further down in the Pirate Press, which is also available on our school and district websites.
There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 17th in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We will see everyone on Tuesday!
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Ms. Gilbert
Pirate P.R.I.D.E. Schoolwide Expectations
Learning From Home, Now What?
While your student is away from school and continuing their learning from home, they will access assignments and instruction using the myPascoConnect dashboard. On this dashboard students will find learning apps (myLearning, Ed, Lexia, etc.) that contain important assignments and instruction to keep up with their work while they are away.
8th Grade End Of Year Activities and Expectations To Participate
2021-2022 8th Grade Activities and Promotion Ceremony
8th graders will be eligible to attend three events this school year: a trip to Universal Studios, a formal dance, and promotion ceremony. Students must exhibit P.R.I.D.E. expectations and meet the eligibility requirements below to attend each of the events. The following criteria have been decided upon for participation in the 8th-grade end-of-year events. We feel that these activities are rewards for well-behaved, academic-minded students. Therefore, they need to demonstrate these abilities in order to participate. It is our hope that these activities will be incentives for all students to be successful. Students have been made aware of this policy as well. No refunds will be provided if a student fails to meet the requirements for participation. Please see the attached letter below to see what your child will be bringing home for you to sign. More details will follow with costs and how to pay for the Universal Trip.
Calendar
Monday, January 17th:
MLK - No School
Tuesday, January 18th:
"E" rotation day - 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (lunch is based on the 3rd- period teacher)
1:30 - Extended School Day
1:35 - Boys Basketball Practice
1:35 - Girls Soccer Practice
Wednesday, January 19th:
"P" rotation day - 1,2, 3,4 5,6 (lunch is based on the 4th period teacher)
1:30 - Extended School Day
1:35 - Boys Basketball Practice
1:35 - Girls Soccer Practice
Thursday, January 20th:
"I" rotation day - 2, 3,4 5, 6, 1 (lunch is based on your 5th period teacher)
1: 30 - Extended School Day
1:35 - Boys Basketball Practice
1:35 - Girls Soccer Practice
1:30 - NJHS Meeting/Media
Friday, January 21st:
"R" rotation day - 3, 4,5 6, 1, 2 (lunch is based on the 6th- period teacher)
7 on 7 Flag Football/ All grades/North Field
1:35 - Boys Basketball Practice
1:35 - Girls Soccer Practice
Parent Access with the PBIS Rewards Parent App
Imagine being able to extend positive behavior reinforcement beyond school grounds! With the PBIS Rewards Parent App, you can do just that. As part of the PBIS Rewards suite of apps, the free Parent App allows parents to view student point totals, the number of referrals (aka consequences), items purchased with points, and upcoming events for which points can be used. Through the app, you can communicate directly with your child's teachers and they can communicate with you too!
Student Health Updates
Parent/Guardian should review the COVID19 Student Screener daily. Students who have symptoms listed on this document as possible COVID19 symptoms should stay home from school.
Parent/Guardian should complete the absence MACH form to inform the school of the absence, including the explanation. If a 10-day exclusion letter has been given, the student may return based on district criteria only. COVID19 testing results must be sent to the school RN (352.462-3044) and acknowledged before the student returns to school.
Parent/Guardian who has been called to pick up a student are expected to be at the school within 20 minutes to get a child who is sick or injured.
Clinic staff evaluate students who become ill or injured at school and respond according to district clinic guidelines. Clinic staff frequently consult with the school's registered nurse, Mrs. Browning. The health services team works together to keep students healthy and in the classroom -- ready to learn!
The Florida Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, a new law recently prohibiting school districts from requiring vaccines to attend school. Additionally, the district is prohibited from requiring face masks to attend school. With that said, masks remain optional for students. We are strongly encouraging all district employees to wear face masks until the infection rate decreases to below five percent. The infection rate reportedly is above 20 percent.
At this time, some protocols remain unchanged, while some have been revised. It is our goal to find the right balance between safeguarding the health of our students and employees while making the school and work experience as close to normal as possible. District staff will continue to monitor this situation and provide further guidance as appropriate. In the meantime, please continue to wear a mask, use hand sanitizer, wash hands regularly and socially distance, where and when possible.
In summary, if a student has symptoms, they should not go to school. If they do not have symptoms, they should be in school.
*Circumstances regarding COVID-19 and the variants are rapidly changing, and our school district protocols, and guidance may be updated as circumstances change.
Health and Wellness
· Masks are optional in Pasco County Schools, but strongly encouraged for employees. The CDC continues to recommend the use of masks. Since CDC guidance is subject to change, we recommend visiting the CDC website for the latest guidance. If you need a mask, please ask your school nurse or clinic assistant so one can be provided.
· All district employees, students, visitors, and volunteers will conduct a health self-screener prior to reporting to work or school each day. The screeners are posted at the top of each school website.
· Employees and students will be encouraged to practice social distancing when and where possible.
· Teachers are encouraged to arrange the classroom environment to allow for adequate space between students to the extent possible.
Positive Test – Students
· Students who test positive must report their status to the school administrator and/or school nurse.
· The student may return to school when one of the following conditions are met:
o Upon receiving a negative diagnostic COVID-19 test and is asymptomatic;
o 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms or the positive test result, the student has had no fever for 24 hours and the student’s other symptoms are improving;
o The student has received written permission to return to school from a medical doctor or an advanced registered nurse.
Exposed – Student, vaccinated or unvaccinated
· Students should continue to use self-screener.
· Highly recommend wearing a mask for 10 calendar days after exposure.
· If a student develops symptoms, the student should stay home and if possible, get tested. Student must stay home while awaiting test results.
Communication
· The COVID-19 Daily Report will be updated on the district website each school day. It will report the number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases among students and staff. Parents are encouraged to review the Daily Report to stay up to date regarding COVID-19 cases at their student’s school.
· At the elementary school level, parents will be notified of a possible exposure when someone in their child’s class tests positive.
Curriculum and Instruction
· The Learning from Home Resource site is still available to support students and families in continuing learning while they may be away from school.
Testing
· Nomie Health Testing Site @ Land O Lakes District Complex parking lot, 7227 Land O Lakes Blvd. Land O’Lakes, Fl 34637. Hours 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
o Pre-registration is recommended but not required at this link. Enter zip code 34638 and select SCHOOL BOARD OF PASCO COUNTY.
o Results are typically provided within 30 minutes.
o Additional testing sites can be found at this link. Please be aware that not all testing sites offer 30-minute results.
Please submit any additional COVID questions at this link. Updated COVID-19 Protocols can be found at this link. Thank you all, we know this is not what we wanted for the new year 2022, but with everyone working together to mitigate COVID-19 we will reduce the spread.
Student Screener
Report an Absence
You can now report an absence online. The link is below and is also on our school website.
2021 - 2022 PE Waiver
Florida state legislation requires students in grades 6-8 to take at least one semester of physical education - PE each year. The legislation allows parents to waive the requirement if the student meets at least one of the following:
- The student is enrolled or required to enroll in a remedial course (waiver not required).
- The parent requests that the student enrolls in another elective course offered by the school at that grade level.
- The student is participating in equivalent physical activities outside of the school day.
***A student may still be assigned to PE unless there are documented health conditions & the waiver is completed.
Free and Reduced Meal Application
Currently, all 2021-2022 students will receive free breakfast and lunch regardless of eligibility. However, we strongly encourage you to complete the new free and reduced meal application, as schools receive a portion of their funding based on the percentage of students who qualify.
To review the eligibility guidelines and complete an application, please visit www.pascoschoolmeals.com.