Monday 12/02: Welcome Back!

Tuesday 12/03: PM2 FAST 5th grade ELA, Girls on the Run, Sandpiper Singers, Garden Club

Wednesday 12/04: PM2 FAST 5th grade Math

Thursday 12/05: PM2 FAST 4th grade ELA, Musical Theatre Auditions, Girls on the run, Robotics

Friday 12/06: PM2 FAST 4th grade Math

UPCOMING:

12/09: Musical Theatre Auditions

12/10: PM2 FAST 3rd grade ELA

12/11: PM2 FAST 3rd grade Math

12/14: Winter Wonderland hosted by Sandpiper Boosters

12/18: 3rd Grade Awards

12/19: 4th & 5th Grade Awards

Parents! This week students will begin to take the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) PM2 test in reading and math. FAST assessments are administered three times during each school year: once at the beginning of the year (PM1), once in the middle of the year (PM2), and once at the end of the year (PM3). This mid year assessment will allow you to see your student's progress and growth on grade-level standards from their baseline score on the PM1 administration in August. FAST assessments are computer adaptive. Each item a student receives will be selected to meet blueprint requirements and will adjust item difficulty levels based on how the student responds. As always, please encourage your student to do their best and take these tests seriously. The school will use this data to continue to adjust instruction to best meet the learning needs of each student. Results will be available to parents in the on Focus and the FLDOE parent portal soon after the administration. Thank you!

$35 -See the flyer and link below! Use code 21432

Our 2nd grade team would like to thank you for a successful holiday food drive! Items were delivered to Food for Thought before Thanksgiving!

December is a short month! Help your student to learn the most by being at school every day!

Congratulations to the 253 students who were present every day for the month of November with no tardies! They will earn a complimentary kids meal from Pizza by the Sea! Thank you to our friends at Pizza by the Sea for sponsoring our attendance incentive for the month of November! We appreciate your support!

As we enter flu season, we would like to take a moment to remind our Sandpiper family of the Walton County School District policy regarding fevers and when your child may return to school. If your child has a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, they must be fever-free without medication for 24 hours before returning to school. This allows us to decrease the spread of illness throughout the school. Parents/guardians of any students found with fever at school will be contacted and requested to pick their student up from school.

Handwashing is effective in decreasing the spread of everyday illnesses and one of the best ways to keep your family healthy year-round. Please take a moment to speak with your student about the importance of washing and sanitizing their hands.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our clinic at (850)-622-5012 option 3 or ext 2719. Thank you for your support.

Does your student know the AVID word of the week? Join us in promoting a robust vocabulary at home by using it with your student!

AR Update: Our goal is to pass 22,000 tests and raise over $5,500 for Food for Thought. Keep reading and testing!

1. Go to https://launchpad.classlink.com/walton
2. Click Renaissance Place
3. Log in and Test!

For additional questions please contact Ms. Carroll mailto:rachel.gonzalez@walton.k12.fl.us

Parents visiting on Monday and Friday are allowed to visit at the designated lunch time for their student. If you have more than one student, you are welcome to have lunch with them at their designated time. Students will not be pulled to eat with their siblings. Parents are to wait for their child's class to enter the "A" hallway, and may proceed to the cafeteria only. Visiting other classrooms is prohibited. Lunch visitors are to eat in the patio, and check out at the front office when leaving. PLEASE DO NOT EXIT FROM THE PATIO.

For your convenience, sign up for EZ school pay https://www.ezschoolpay.com/Login.aspx

Encourage your student to explore the a la carte menus options in the Sandpiper Cafe! See the menu below. Cash only.

Great things are cooking this month in the Sandpiper Cafe!

Please take the time to put your child's name on their backpacks, water bottles, coats, etc. Items will be collected and displayed outside cafeteria.

Medication at school:

The front desk cannot intake medications. Please call ahead to meet with the nurse who can assist with this.

Fever Reminders:

A fever is a temperature of 100 degrees or more. Students must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications before they can return to school.

Lice reminders:

Students showing visible signs and symptoms will be sent to nurse and parents will be notified. Any affected student must provide front office with signed proof indicating treatment. Additional information is available on the WCSD Health Services at https://www.walton.k12.fl.us/page/school-health-services

Welcome Sandpipers! My name is Mrs. Rudd and I am thrilled to welcome you and your child to the new school year! As the school counselor, my role is to support your child's social, emotional, and academic development. I am committed to creating a safe and supportive environment that fosters growth, resilience, and success. If your child is facing challenges at home or in the classroom, please know that my door is always open. I am here to listen, offer guidance, and connect you with resources to support your child's well-being. Let's work together to make this year an amazing one for our students!

NEW THIS WEEK

Welcome back, Dune Lakes families! We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break filled with rest, family, and gratitude. As we transition from Thanksgiving into the busy Christmas season, it’s the perfect time to focus on this month’s word: responsibility.

The holidays can be an exciting but hectic time for kids, with schedules changing and lots of activities happening. Teaching responsibility during this season can help children stay on track and develop important life skills. Whether it’s remembering to finish their homework before heading to holiday events, helping with family chores, or being thoughtful about how their actions affect others, responsibility is key to navigating this time of year.

Reflection for Parents:
Talk to your child about ways they can show responsibility during the holidays. Maybe they can help set the table, take care of a younger sibling, or even pick up after themselves without being reminded. These small actions not only build responsibility but also foster a spirit of giving and teamwork during the holiday season.

Purpose of Lunch Bunch

Lunch Bunch aims to support students in developing healthy coping skills and self-regulation strategies to manage various challenges, such as:

· Anxiety, stress, or feeling overwhelmed

· Difficulty with self-control or impulsivity

· Struggles with friendships or social relationships

· Coping with change, loss, or adversity

· Building resilience and confidence

How to Join

Every student will receive a Lunch Bunch permission form. Be looking for these to be sent home later this week. If you think your child would benefit from this program, please fill out and return the form, sharing specific details on why your child would benefit and any relevant information about their current challenges or concerns. This will help me understand your child's needs and prioritize those students. While I'd love to be able to have every student in LB, that just isn't feasible. It is very important to me, however, that students that could truly use the extra support are able to receive it.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.

• Volunteers, please be sure to check out by 1:15.
• When turning in a doctor's note for your child's absence, we ask that you please send us the original note from the physician's office. Notes should include student name, date they were seen and what days they are excused for. Doctor notes are excused absences. Altered notes will not be accepted. Notes need to be submitted within 3 days of the absence. For your convenience, notes may be emailed to mailto:dleinfo@walton.k12.fl.us
• If you would like notification that your child has checked out a library book, please log into FOCUS and make this change. This must be done each year.
• All transportation changes must be received by 1:30 p.m. through Pikmykid.
  
• 🚩 NO EARLY CHECK-OUTS ARE ALLOWED AFTER 1:45 P.M., please arrive prior to this for any appointments. You will be asked to go to the car line and wait for your student after this time.
• Walkers: All walkers must have a walker waiver on file at the front office. Parents picking up their walkers are required to have the walker pass issued by the front office. We will not release any student to parents at the walker exit without this pass. Please call the office for specific walker guidelines 850-622-5012.

Did you know the over 20% of Dune Lakes students missed GREATER than 10 days of school last year?

We are learning every day! Help make sure your student stays on track by encouraging consistent attendance!

UPDATE If your child is not an every day bus rider, but may ride home with a friend or use bus to reach another approved destination, WE MUST have a parent note documenting this request on file. Please send an email to dleinfo@walton.k12.fl.us. We can also add this transportation change option for you in Pikmykid, but you must first contact our office.

Students have received bus tags for the back packs which support staff in quickly identifying the correct bus and parent. Please help us keep these securely fastened to your child's backpack.

You can track your student using the Here Comes the Bus Application. The Here Comes the Bus application provides the real-time location of your child’s bus on a map and gives scheduled and actual arrival times at home and school for bus routes. It also provides push and email notifications when the bus is near. Sign up using the flyers below.

Please refer to your new student packet for instructions for Pikmykid app. We will process ALL transportation changes through Pikmykid. Parents may call the office for a change in an emergency or for help with the Pikmykid platform. Please see the resources and video tutorials below. Pikmykid is also available by phone to support users and parents.

FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.

.https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fortifyfl-tip-reporting/id1435824190

The Walton County School District is now offering parents access to their children’s information. Your connection to students’ education/academic information is now available online. You will be able to view your children’s data in these areas: student grades, daily attendance, teacher email account for each class, school messages and upcoming events, and more. Use the QR code or follow the instructions below.

Step 1

• To register or reset your password for the Parent Portal please visit the following link:
  https://walton.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/auth/

Step 2

• The following information is required to setup a Focus Parent Portal Account.

  1. Child’s student identifier (10 digit number beginning with 66 assigned by the district).
  2. Student’s date of birth.
  3. Parent Portal Registration PIN. If your child has a portal account, they can provide you with the PIN by viewing the General tab under My Information. Or you can obtain your PIN from the school office.

  Once your account has been created you will have access to the Parent Portal at the following site: https://walton.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/

Winter Wonderland Silent Auction Baskets – These are due back by this Friday, December 6th. Room Parents – Look out for email reminders this week!

Jingle + Mingle – Join us at 7:00am in your most festive holiday attire or costume and wave to the students at Dune Lakes as they arrive at school! You will wave in the carline you drop your student(s) off at! We will then meet at Fonville Press from 8:00am - 10:00am for lite bites, drinks and a raffle! Tickets are $40 and are limited. This is for current Dune Lakes parents only. No ticket sales the day of. Tickets Here :: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-jingle-mingle-tickets-1067556954589

Winter Wonderland - 2024 Winter Wonderland tickets are now on sale! Join us for this family-friendly event on Saturday, December 14th from 5-7pm! The cost is $10/person. We will have pictures with Santa, our Silent Auction, Food Trucks, hot cocoa bar, face painting and more! There will be no ticket sales the day of. Tickets Here :: eventbrite.com/e/2024-winter-wonderland-tickets-1075605588269?aff=oddtdtcreator

Teacher Luncheons – Is your family or business interested in sponsoring one of our Teacher and Staff Luncheons? If so, the available dates and sponsorship opportunities are located here : Sponsorships — Sandpiper Boosters

Spirit Shop – You can shop Sandpiper Merch year-round! Shop Here : Spirit Shop — Sandpiper Boosters

24-25 Boosters Board of Directors - Jamie Lynn, President | Ashley Templeton, Vice President | Liz Branch, Treasurer | Jessica Standley, Secretary |Amber Archer, Director | Amity Hoch, Director | Randi Doris, Director | Brittany Golden, Director | Emily Madden, Director | Ortal Shaya-Montoya, Director | Lindsey Rogers, Director | Kristen Sandoe, Director

For all things Boosters – Make sure to visit our website here : Sandpiper Boosters

If you have questions, concerns or comments, you can contact us through Let's Talk. Simply click here and reach out to us.

Stay connected with Remind! We've created a new school Remind account for the 24-25 school year. All previous school accounts have been closed. Please rejoin our DLE Remind by texting our school code @dle2425 to 81010.

Mission Statement: By living our character pledge, we will educate with passion, inspire pride of self and cultivate meaningful relationships with our students and families, staff and community.

Vision Statement: To inspire personal responsibility, civic duty and a passion for lifelong learning

Email: DLEinfo@walton.k12.fl.us
Website: https://dle.walton.k12.fl.us/
Location: 6565 U.S. 98 E, Santa Rosa Beach, FL, USA
Phone: 850-622-5012
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DuneLakesSandpipers