The Otter Observer
October 2026
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A Note from the Principal
Happy October HCE Families!
Quarter 1 is officially complete! On Monday, October 19th, report cards will be sent home with each student. Please be sure to check your child’s book bag that evening and take some time as a family to review their report card and teacher comments.
Your child’s report card is more than a grade—it provides a snapshot of their learning, growth, and progress. Take a few minutes to review it together, celebrate your child’s successes, talk about areas for growth, and set goals for the next quarter. Your involvement and support make a difference!
Thank You, HCE Families!
A huge thank you to all of our families who donated to our Walk-a-thon this year! We are incredibly grateful for your generosity and support. All donations go directly back to our students and staff through special events, activities, and opportunities throughout the school year.
We are excited to celebrate our students who earned the Walk-a-thon celebration with our Walk-a-thon Recess and Party on Thursday, October 29th!
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to HCE the week of October 19th–23rd! We are excited to give our students the opportunity to choose and purchase books to enjoy at home.
The Book Fair will be open on Tuesday, October 20th, from 3:00–7:00 p.m. for families who would like to come shop together. It will also remain open after the Grades 3–5 Music Performance that evening.
We hope to see you there and help our students discover some great new books!
IL Primo Night
HCE will also be hosting our first IL Primo Night on Friday, October 16th, from 4:00–7:00 p.m.
When you purchase food to enjoy at the restaurant or take home, a portion of the proceeds will benefit HCE! If you're looking for dinner that night, grab some pizza and wings, enjoy a delicious meal, and support our school at the same time!
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of HCE. We are so grateful for our amazing Otter Family!
IL Primo Night!
Team Player Pictures
This year we want to highlight our HCE students who are Team Players both inside and outside of school. If your student participates in a team or activity (like a sports team, scouting, theatre, cheer, dance) please upload a picture of the participating in the activity or wearing their team uniform, at the link so that we can highlight them on a special bulletin board.
Please email your photo to Mrs. Denny at dennyca@collierschools.com
HCE's Family Book Morning Grades K, 1, & 2
A Note from the Assistant Principal
Dear HCE Families,
I want to thank you for your continued support during our PM1 testing! Our students did a great job, and we appreciate your help in making sure they came to school ready to do their best. Family support makes a big difference!
I also ask for your continued partnership in supporting positive behavior at school. Please take a few moments to talk with your children about being kind to themselves and others, making good choices, and taking responsibility for their actions. We want our students to understand that mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow, and that treating others with kindness and respect is always important. When school and home work together, we can help our students build these important life skills.
There is also lots of growth happening outside of the classroom! Our school garden is coming along beautifully! We have cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and so much more growing. It is wonderful to see our students learning firsthand about gardening, caring for living things, and watching their hard work pay off. We look forward to sharing more of the garden's progress with you!
Thank you for being such an important part of our HCE family.
Media Center News with Mrs. Pike and Ms. Kaci
We are SO excited to celebrate our incredible HCE readers who reached their Quarter 1 Accelerated Reader goal! We had an amazing 153 students meet their Q1 goal—a huge accomplishment, especially this early in the school year! We are so proud of their hard work and dedication to reading, and we cannot wait to watch that number continue to grow during Quarter 2.
For Quarter 2, each grade level has slightly increased its AR goal as we continue to encourage our students to grow as readers. Students who meet their individual Q2 AR goal by Friday, December 18 at 2:30 p.m. will be invited to our next special celebration, “Books to the Big Screen!” The celebration will be held on Thursday, January 7, 2027, and we are already looking forward to celebrating even more of our Otters!
We have also been having so much fun together during our Media Center lessons! This quarter, students have enjoyed reading and listening to some wonderful books, including Overdue: The Misadventure of Bob the Book by Gloria Koster, Capybara Disco Dreams by Frances Stickley, The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz, and Bob Ross: A Little Golden Book Biography by Maria Correa. We love sharing stories that make our students laugh, think, wonder, and—most importantly—get excited about reading!
And there is even more excitement coming to the Media Center! Our HCE Fall Book Fair will be held October 15–23. On Tuesday, October 20, the Book Fair will remain open until 6:00 p.m., giving families a special opportunity to shop together while also enjoying our school musical. We hope you will stop by and help your child find a new book to love!
Parents and families, one of the greatest gifts you can give your child is time spent reading together. Whether your child reads to you, you read to them, or you take turns sharing a story, those few minutes together help build vocabulary, comprehension, confidence, and a lifelong love of books. Thank you for helping us grow a community of happy, confident HCE readers!
Counselor Corner with Mrs. Denny
Kindness Is Our Superpower!
October is Bully Prevention Awareness Month, at HCE we think that the best way to prevent bullying is to promote kindness, so the theme for this month is ‘Kindness Is Our Superpower!’ We kicked off the month by wearing orange for Unity Day, and reminding our students that everyone belongs and that our school is stronger when we stand together. Throughout the month, students will be encouraged to use their own kindness superpowers by including others, helping friends, using encouraging words, standing up for others, and showing H.E.A.R.T. each day.
We will wrap up our month with Red Ribbon Week, October 26–30, with a special focus on making healthy and positive choices. Students will discover that being a superhero isn't just about having special powers-it is about making choices that help us learn, grow, stay healthy, and care for ourselves and others.
Together, let's remind our students that kindness, courage, and healthy choices are superpowers we can all use!
Reading Resources with Mrs. Fisher
As the seasons begin to change, October is the perfect time to cozy up with a good book! Whether you're reading a favorite story, exploring a nonfiction text, or sharing a bedtime book, every minute spent reading helps build strong literacy skills.
Family Reading Tip: Build Vocabulary
Building vocabulary is one of the best ways to support reading comprehension and overall literacy growth. When your child comes across an unfamiliar word, take a moment to talk about its meaning and how it is used in the story. Try creating a family "Word of the Day" and posting it on the refrigerator. It's a fun way to reinforce learning and make new vocabulary a part of everyday life!
A few minutes spent reading and talking together each day can make a lasting impact.
26-27 HCE Student Handbook
Meet Our Teams
First Grade
From left to right:
Ms. Megan Allen and Mrs. Kat Johnson
Second Grade
From left to right:
Mrs. Erin Allen, Mrs. Melanie Ferreira, Mrs. Kirsten Gorga
Third Grade
From left to right:
Ms. Jessica Bautista, Ms. Kateri Brooks, Ms. Victoria Cannizzaro
School Advisory Council (SAC) dates
October Parent Calendar
HCE's H.E.A.R.T. Expectations
HCE Vision and Mission
26-27 CCPS Calendar
CCPS Statewide Assessment Calendar
Below is CCPS's statewide assessment calendar. We will be sending out testing dates in our monthly calendars, but if you are looking for the testing windows for the remainder of the year please look at pages 6, 7, & 9.
School Board Policies 2266, 3362, and 5517 – Prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and/or gender identity), disability, or age in the provision of educational opportunities or employment opportunities and benefits. The District School Board does not discriminate on the basis of sex or disability in the education programs and activities that it operates, pursuant to the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
For additional information or to report Title IX or any other discrimination/harassment concerns, contact Ms. Valerie Wenrich, Chief Human Resources Officer/ Title IX Coordinator, at (239) 377-0351, wenriv@collierschools.com or at 5775 Osceola Trail, Naples, Florida 34109.