The Hornet Newsletter

On Friday, December 5th at 5:30 PM, our Holland community came together to celebrate the season at Holland Holiday, and what a wonderful evening it was! Families enjoyed sweet treats, fun holiday games, a visit with Santa, and plenty of festive cheer.

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing PTO and all the volunteers who helped transform our school with beautiful decorations. Your hard work made the event truly magical! We also extend our gratitude to the parents who generously donated treats and contributed to the Classroom Themed Baskets—your support helped make this celebration a huge success.

It was a joy to see parents and students laughing, playing, and sharing in the holiday spirit. Events like these remind us how special our Holland community truly is. Thank you for making Holland Holiday unforgettable!

As we continue on our academic journey this school year, we want to encourage you to partner with us in helping your child reach their full potential. At school, we are working hard to help all students grow, but your support at home is crucial in fostering a positive and productive learning environment.

Here are some simple ways you can help your child reach their academic goals:

1. Set a consistent routine: A regular schedule for homework, reading, and bedtime helps children stay focused and ready to learn each day.
2. Encourage a growth mindset: Remind your child that learning is a journey. Celebrate their efforts, not just the outcomes, and encourage them to keep going even when things get challenging.
3. Communicate with teachers: Stay in touch with your child’s teachers to understand their progress and areas where they might need extra help. Working together ensures we provide the best support.
4. Create a positive learning space: Set up a quiet, distraction-free space for studying and reading. This shows your child that learning is a priority.
5. Celebrate achievements, big and small: Recognizing milestones and academic successes—whether big or small—motivates children to continue their hard work.

The attachment below will take you to our Parent Resources Flyer that contains links for several FREE academic support sites to include Varsity Tutors, BPS ELA and Math sites, and more! The following links will take you to the BPS reading and math family pages:

Reading At-Home Resources

Math At-Home Resources

When we all work together—teachers, parents, and students—we create an environment where everyone can succeed. Thank you for being such an important part of your child’s educational journey!

374 stackers from Spessard L. Holland Elementary helped set a NEW CUPSTACKING WORLD RECORD!

Your child participated in one of the largest World Record attempts EVER! They joined with 784,036 others around the world to set a NEW World Record for "Most People Sport Stacking at Multiple Locations" breaking the previous record of 752,632. Thank you and congratulations to Cindy Hosken for organizing stackers at Holland!

Dear Families,

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting reading at home! We hope you and your child have enjoyed the literacy tips shared throughout the year. Every moment spent reading, together or independently, helps build strong reading skills and a lifelong love of books.

We’d also like to celebrate our students who participated in the Winter Break Reading Challenges. Thank you to our families for supporting students by logging reading minutes in Beanstack or completing Winter Break Bingo (grades K-2), and encouraging independent reading as students worked toward their AR goals (grades 3–6). We are so proud of the reading progress our students are making and look forward to even more participation in our next challenge!

Happy reading,
Ms. Rice, Holland Literacy Coach

Join us as we celebrate literacy! We will have tons of activities through the week!

Book Blast!

Literati Book Fair, January 26-30

Family Literacy Night, Thursday, January 29

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 Thursday, January 22 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 at 6:00 pm on Thursday, January 24.

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

Holland Elementary School

Greetings to The Hive!

My name is Dr. Nathan A. St. Pierre, and I am honored to serve as the music teacher at Spessard L. Holland Elementary School this year. Our school already offers rich musical experiences for students, and I am thrilled to help your children grow as confident singers, thoughtful listeners, and creative young musicians.

In the music room, students can expect an energetic, supportive environment where everyone sings, moves, plays instruments, and learns to read and write music at developmentally appropriate levels. I believe every child has a musical voice, and my goal is for all students—whether they think of themselves as “musical” or not—to feel successful and proud of what they can do.

My Background in Music Education

I have over fifteen years of experience teaching K–12 music, including general music at the elementary level and choral ensembles at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Early in my career, I taught K–5 general music and directed Grade 3–5 chorus at Montclair Elementary School in Virginia, as well as K, 1, 3, 4, and 5 general music and 4th–5th grade choruses at Hopewell Elementary School in Connecticut.

In addition to my public school teaching, I have served as a choral director for multiple middle and high school choirs, giving me a clear understanding of how strong elementary foundations set students up for success in later ensembles. I am also an experienced adjudicator for honor choirs and festivals, which helps me prepare students for high-quality performances while keeping the focus on growth and joy.

Training and Teaching Approach

My teaching is grounded in a Kodály-inspired approach to music education, which emphasizes singing, developmental sequencing, and music literacy. I hold a Master of Education in Kodály Music Education from Loyola University Maryland and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education from The Hartt School, University of Hartford. At Hartt, I studied with John Feierabend and was certified in First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege.

I completed a Ph.D. in Music Education at George Mason University, where my research focused on fair, standards-based grading and how assessment can motivate students without taking away their love of music. In practice, this means students will know what they are learning, have many chances to show what they can do, and receive clear, encouraging feedback that celebrates effort and improvement.

What to Expect

At Holland, students will experience a balanced program that includes singing games, folk songs, playing classroom instruments, reading and writing rhythms and melodies, and listening to music from a wide variety of cultures and traditions. As students grow, they will have opportunities to sing in chorus, where they can develop part-singing skills, healthy vocal technique, and the teamwork that comes from performing together on stage.

Performances are an important part of our program, giving students the chance to share their hard work with families and the community while building confidence and pride. Whether a child sings in chorus, plays in the string ensembles, or simply loves to move and listen to music, there will be a place for them in our music room.

Partnership with Families

Family support makes a tremendous difference in students’ musical growth, and I look forward to partnering with you throughout the year. You can help by asking your child to sing for you, talk about what they are learning in music, and encourage them before performances so they feel brave and excited to share.

Thank you for welcoming me to Holland Elementary and for sharing your children with our music program. I look forward to meeting you at school events, concerts, and around campus as we make this a joyful, musical year for every Holland Hornet.

As required by the Florida Department of Education, we are notifying you that Jose Perez is currently teaching Gifted outside of his field of certification. He is fully certified by the State of Florida and is currently working to become certified in this out-of-field assignment area. This notification is a Department of Education requirement for the State of Florida. Be assured that the Brevard County Public School District is dedicated to serving every student with excellence as the standard.

Several of Holland students’ artwork will be featured the Melbourne Square Mall Art Show beginning Sunday, January 11th through Saturday, January 24th.

Take a moment to stop by to view the work of our talented Hornet artists under the leadership of our awesome Art Teacher, Mrs. Griffin!

Parents, we’d love to see you at our next PTO meeting on Wednesday, February 4th at 8:30 AM in the school cafeteria. This is a great opportunity to stay informed, share ideas, and help make a positive impact on our school community. Your voice matters—come be part of the conversation!

The following students were recognized for demonstrating the greatest amount of our December Character Trait, Generosity! Students were nominated by each teacher for being a role model for generosity in their classrooms.

Kindergarten

Arthur Turner - Bonomo

Eloise Reddington- Terry

Colbi Glover - Weatherspoon

First Grade

Amara Henderson - Breder

Arden Johnson - Knox

Shaynne Gill - McDonald

Second Grade

Christian Salierno - Culbreth

Seven Chupka - Grover

Elliette Pen - Hering

Grace Tennyson - Keegan

Third Grade

Ezra Oge - Brohel

Malana Martingano - Hodge

Jason Daily - Williams

Fourth Grade

Aliani Lopez Suarez - Demarco

Sophie Morgan - Jones

Leo Slater - Larson

Abigail Westfall- Wirta

Fifth Grade

Harper Weldon - Christensen

Peyton Swader - Flores

Parker Wise - Lane

Sixth Grade

Peyton Painter - Corrado

Adriana Witmer - Cirino

Kaylynn Snyder - Wiebusch

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.

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

Stop by and visit our lost and found, just in time for the cold weather.

As we reflect on the spirit of giving this holiday season, we would like to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to our incredible business partners who generously donated gift cards, food, and other items to support our school family. Their kindness and generosity have made such a meaningful difference! Thanks to the contributions of local businesses such as:

• National League of Junior Cotillions South Brevard Chapter
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe
• Beachside Smiles Pediatric Dentistry
• Shari Tabat (Remax)
• Latraverse Family
• Texas Roadhouse
• Panera Bread
• Domino's Satellite Beach
• Pizza Hut Satellite Beach
• Route 7
• Clark Construction
• Pizzavola
• Beachside Bagels
• Starbuck
• Beachside Speech Therapy

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

Thank you for joining us for our Hornet Hive Lunch Date. Please have your IDs ready. You are welcome to bring lunch or purchase lunch from our cafeteria (adult prices: $3.90). Please see time lunch time slots. (Teacher times vary.) signupgenius.com

We love when parents join their children for lunch—it’s a special time! If you plan to eat with your child, please remember to bring cash to pay for your meal. Unfortunately, we’re unable to charge your child’s lunch account for additional meals, including yours. Also, only legal guardians are permitted to join their children for lunch.

Thank you for understanding and helping us keep our lunch procedures running smoothly!