The Hornet Newsletter

Holland would like to invite you to our upcoming Celebrate America Program on Friday, November 7th at 8:30 am. Students, staff and community will come together in honor of Veterans Day. If you would like to join us for this amazing celebration, please RSVP at the QR code or link below.

Hello! My name is Mr. José Perez, and I’m honored to serve as the Gifted Resource teacher here at Holland Elementary. I’m thrilled to join this vibrant and welcoming community of learners, families, and educators.

I began my career in education over twenty years ago, teaching students with exceptionalities in Miami before spending more than a decade as an entrepreneur and coach. Most recently, I’ve worked as a mindfulness and performance coach, supporting teens, athletes, and adults in cultivating focus, resilience, and self-awareness. My teaching style blends structure with creativity—meeting each student where they are and helping them grow through curiosity, kindness, and challenge.

After several years away from the traditional classroom, I feel deeply grateful to return to full-time teaching. This role in the Gifted Resource Room brings together all that I love—education, creativity, and the joy of seeing students light up with discovery. My goal is to nurture both intellect and imagination, helping students strengthen not just what they know, but how they think and relate to the world around them.

I grew up in South Florida and have always felt at home near the ocean. Outside of school, you can usually find me surfing, practicing mindfulness, reading, or writing poetry. I believe that learning, like surfing, is about balance—sometimes we ride with ease, other times we fall, but every wave teaches us something new.

I look forward to partnering with you and your children this year as we build a classroom environment rooted in respect, curiosity, and joyful exploration. Please don’t hesitate to reach out—I’m excited to learn together and to be part of the Holland Hive!

Warmly,

Mr. Jose Perez

Come celebrate the season with us at Holland Holiday on Friday, December 5th at 5:30 PM! Enjoy sweet treats, fun holiday games, a visit with Santa, and plenty of festive fun with our wonderful Holland community. We’ll also have themed baskets you won’t want to miss!

Join us for a special showing of Zootopia 2 at Satellite Beach Cinemas!
📅 Saturday, December 6
🕤 9:30 AM

Tickets are $10.00 each and include popcorn and a drink. Bring your family and friends for a fun morning at the movies with our Holland community!

We can’t wait to see you there! 🎥✨

What can you purchase?
Holland Holiday Tickets for $5.00 each
Zootopia 2 Tickets for $10.00 each
*Package Deal* includes a Holland Holiday AND Zootopia 2 Ticket for $15.00!

Order forms will be going home tomorrow with your students so be on the lookout! The deadline to turn in your order is December 3rd.

We hope you can join us in bringing in the holidays with either or both events!

The PTO brings you yule tide and good cheer as we get closer to our beloved HOLLAND HOLIDAY, December 5th, Friday!

This message is not only a reminder that Holland Holiday is fast approaching but also as a call to action for our ready and willing volunteers. The teachers will need your help in preparation for the festivities with decorating and donations. The donations will be for your Classroom Baskets! Your teachers will soon reveal their chosen theme for the classroom baskets.

November 10th, Monday: SignUp Genius links will be sent out requesting time and donations from volunteers.

November 21st, Friday: This is the deadline for donations so that every classroom basket is prepared before Holland Holiday.

Thank you all in advance for the help you'll give to our wonderful teachers for our highly anticipated event! We'll see you soon!

Shandrea Jackson

Parent Liaison-PTO

We’re excited to announce that Morning Movers is now up and running! This fun and energizing club is open to all students in grades 1 through 6 and meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 to 7:50 AM.

Students will start their day with light physical activity including running, jogging, and walking. It’s a great way to boost energy, focus, and mood before the school day begins!

Meeting Location: Basketball Court

If you would like to volunteer, the link is: Mrs. Hosken: Morning Movement 2025/26. We hope to see your student there and moving with us in the mornings!

Our Hornet Stingers will compete against the Sea Park and Surfside Elementary Schools' soccer teams on Saturday, November 8th. Our players have been practicing and working hard, and we look forward to the competition coming up soon! Join us to cheer on Holland's team, the Hornet Stingers!

Many thanks to our awesome coaches, Officer Matt and Mr. Ryan!

📢Attention 6th Grade Families!🌟

You're invited to the SALT Showcase at DeLaura Middle School on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, from 5:30 - 7:00 PM! 🗓️

Is your student looking for an academically challenging and rewarding path that prepares them for AP courses at Satellite High School? The SALT Program is designed to do just that, and this showcase is your chance to learn all about it!

Join DeLaura's team for an evening filled with valuable insights about this competitive program, including student and teacher testimonials, plus a Q&A with the SALT Coordinator and Assistant Principal of Curriculum.

We hope to see you there to explore this amazing opportunity for your child’s future success! 🌟

As we approach the holiday season, we want to wish all our Holland families a joyful and restful Thanksgiving! Please remember that there will be no school from November 24th through 28th as we take time to celebrate and recharge. We hope this break brings you quality time with loved ones and plenty of reasons to be thankful. We look forward to welcoming everyone back, refreshed and ready for the rest of the school year!

As the holidays approach, November is the perfect time to slow down, spend time together, and share the joy of reading! Reading together helps your child grow as a reader and strengthens family connections. ❤️

Here are some fun, seasonal ways to make reading part of your day:

1. Cozy Reading Nights: Grab some blankets, hot cocoa, and a good story. Reading by candlelight or flashlight makes it feel extra special!

2. Thanksgiving-Themed Books: Check out books about gratitude, kindness, or family traditions, then talk about what your child is thankful for and how it connects to the story.

3. Write It, Read It, Share It: Encourage your child to write a few sentences or draw pictures about what makes them thankful. Share your “gratitude notes” as a family during Thanksgiving week.

4. On-the-Go Reading: Heading out of town? Bring along audiobooks or e-books from your local library’s app. This is perfect for car rides or quiet travel moments.

5. Keep Talking About Stories by asking open-ended questions:

• How did the character feel when that happened?

• What surprised you most about the story?

• If you were in the story, what would you have done differently?

• How did this story make you feel?
  
  

Happy reading!
Ms. Rice, Holland Literacy Coach

We are excited to announce that our 4-6 grade classes will be participating in the Holland Elementary Science Fair, which will take place on Wednesday, February 4 in the school commons area.

The Science Fair is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore scientific concepts, practice critical thinking, and showcase their creativity. Each student will be responsible for completing a science project that follows the scientific method and demonstrates a clear understanding of their chosen topic.

Expectations:

• Project Topic Selection: Students should choose a topic that interests them and is age appropriate. Topics must be approved by October 24, 2025.

• Scientific Method: Projects should include a question, hypothesis, experiment, results, and conclusion.

• Display Board: Students will create a tri-fold board to present their project, including visuals, data, and explanations.

• Due Date: All projects must be completed and brought to school by Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

• Judging & Awards: Projects will be judged based on creativity, scientific accuracy, and presentation. Awards will be given in various categories. Wednesday, February 4.

Parent Support:

We encourage you to support your child by helping them gather materials, stay on schedule, and talk through their ideas. However, the work should reflect the student’s own effort and understanding.

If you have any questions or need guidance, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher.

Thank you for your continued support in making science fun and meaningful for our students!

Warm regards,

Holland Science Teachers

Please see below to access at-home resources to assist your child with grade-level academic expectations!

Reading

Read-at-Home Resources:
BPS Read-at-Home

Florida Read-at-Home Resources:

FLDOE Read-at-Home

New World’s Reading Scholarship:

http://www.stepupforstudents.org/scholarships/reading/

Embracing Neurodiversity:

Embracing Neurodiversity

Math

Mathematics-At-Home

BPS Math at Home

Florida Math-at-Home Resources:

BEST Math-at-Home Plan_Final.pdf

Brevard Math at Home:

Math At-Home Resources

FL Math 4 All:

https://flmath4all.org/

Varsity Tutors:

On your child’s Launchpad with the Varsity Tutor’s icon or

https://www.varsitytutors.com/

Holland is proud to serve our military families!

We are a Purple Star School of Distinction based on our support of military students and families. Please visit our military website at https://www.brevardschools.org/o/hes/page/military for information on ways we can support our military-connected students and parents/guardians.

If you would like support for your child as you deploy or if you would like support from our MFLC at any time, please complete this form below and submit to hollandelementary@brevardschools.org or feel free to drop it by the front office.

The military and federally connected parents make a difference. The Federal Impact Aid Survey will open on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in FOCUS. Please complete the survey for each student on the account before November 22, 2025. For questions, please contact Melanie Thompson at 321-773-7591 or thompson.melanie@brevardschools.org.

We are excited to announce Brevard Public School's Partnership with Varsity Tutors! Varsity Tutors is an online learning platform with tutoring resources, to provide our students with powerful supplemental learning tools. Whether studying core subjects, learning new topics, or working to improve grades, Varsity Tutors provides the extra support our students need, when they need it through 24/7 on-demand chat tutoring, on-demand essay review, and live tutoring resources to help students with homework or test prep. Elevate your child’s learning experience with the Varsity Tutors Platform! All students need to do is log-in through the Launchpad Link and click on the Varsity Tutors app. The How-To Guide for students to log-in is attached. Parents, see the attached documents which provide answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Varsity Tutors Platform and a Getting Started Guide for the various Learning Resources available with Varsity Tutors.

Resources:

Getting Started: https://aptg.co/3dNt65

Student: https://aptg.co/jlc7SN

Parents: https://aptg.co/mL9Xhy

Yearbooks are on sale now for pre-order for $21.00! Help your student preserve their memories in a cherished book!

Go to Buytheyearbook.com and search for our school or use the code: 1168288. Prices will go up on December 1st!

6th Grade Families! Limited quantities of Recognition Ads available. Ads must be purchased and designed online by March 1st.

1/8 Page - $5

1/4 Page - $10

Exciting news for Florida families! The New Worlds Scholarship Accounts Program has expanded to include VPK students and K–5 students who need extra support in reading or math. If your child has a substantial deficiency, shows characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia, or scored below Level 3 on state assessments, they may qualify for $1,200 in scholarship funds!

Families can use these funds for instructional materials, curriculum, tutoring services, or specialized after-school and summer programs.

In addition, all eligible K–5 students can participate in the New Worlds Reading Book Program, which delivers free, high-quality books to your home each month. These books are carefully selected to build literacy skills and a love of reading, making it easy to add reading to your daily routine.

Apply for scholarships or sign up for the book program through Step Up For Students at www.stepupforstudents.org.

The following students were recognized for demonstrating the greatest amount of our October Character Trait, CITIZENSHIP! Students were nominated by each teacher for being outstanding CITIZENS of their classrooms.

Kindergarten

Kamryn Sjoblom - Bonomo

Madelyn Housman - Terry

Teague Bayne - Weatherspoon

First Grade

Gemma Nobili - Breder

Jaxon Watson - Knox

Marley Rowley-Snyder - McDonald

Second Grade

Alex Grover - Culbreth

Keegan Steininger - Grover

Landon Roark - Hering

Jackson Richey - Keegan

Third Grade

Amari Burns - Brohel

AJ Bradley - Hodge

Arya Khang - Williams

Fourth Grade

Elliana Lopez - Demarco

Rose Doane - Jones

Graham Simons - Lason

Elizabeth Brown - Wirta

Fifth Grade

Ivy Nguyen - Christensen

Ellie Turner - Flores

Victoria Nguyen - Lane

Sixth Grade

Terry Stepan - Corrado

Fritz Schillinger - Cirino

Liam Kissak - Wiebusch

Thank you to our amazing Character Trait Sponsor, GRILLS!

If you would like us to display a birthday wish for your child's birthday on our marquee, please submit your request and payment through FOCUS pay. For $10.00, the birthday wish will be displayed from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm on the student's birthday. We must receive your request at least (3) days prior to the birthday date.

Step 1: Provide Information

https://forms.office.com/r/yRTy03Qrye

Step 2: FOCUS Pay

https://brevardk12.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/auth/index.php?action=login&locale=en_US&online_app=N&return_to_login_page=1&type=

Please call 321-773-7591 for assistance. All proceeds will benefit our school!

Thank you for supporting your Hornets!

Don't forget our wonderful cafeteria team can help with treats!

See link for options: 24-25 Classroom Party Flyer & Order Form.pdf

Have questions? Email our Cafeteria Manager at Decormier.Teresa@Brevardschools.org