Greenland Pines Parent Connection

Dear GPE Families,

We have had a wonderful first month back to school! Thank you for all your support in making this a smooth and successful transition for our students. Many of our children have already taken their first state assessment, and teachers will send home assessment scores within two weeks of testing. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns.

This month’s newsletter also includes important information about our visitor safety procedures. Please take time to review these updates carefully, as they are key to keeping our students and staff safe each day.

A reminder that the DCPS App is now our primary source of communication. Be sure you have downloaded the app (details are included below) so you don’t miss important classroom updates, school news, or emergency notifications. You can also use the app to message your child’s teacher directly. In addition, we encourage you to follow us on Facebook for celebrations and school highlights.

We are also excited to welcome families to our Open House on Thursday, September 11. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet teachers, see classrooms, and learn more about the exciting year ahead.

We are looking forward to an incredible year of learning together!

Your Principal,

Michelle Hinkley

Our Open House for all students PreK-5 will be Thursday, September 11th at 6:00pm. This will be an opportunity to meet your child's teacher and hear a presentation from them to learn more about their expectations and this school year. Hope to see you here!

The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. To help maintain a secure environment during the school day, Extended Day, and after-school activities, Duval County Public Schools is reinforcing visitor safety procedures.

What to expect when visiting our campus:

• Valid ID Required – All visitors must present a government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport).

• Screening Questions – Visitors will answer a few quick questions about the purpose of their visit.

• Individual Entry Only – Please do not hold the door for others; each visitor must check in separately at the front office.

• Visitor Badge – A badge pass sticker will be issued and must be worn visibly at all times while on campus.
  
  

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping Greenland Pines and all Duval schools safe and secure. For more information, please visit the Duval County Public Schools website.

If you plan to volunteer during the upcoming school year, please be aware that Duval County Public Schools has updated its volunteer background screening policy in our effort to strengthen student safety as be in alignment with state law.

The biggest change is that some volunteer roles now require a Level II background screening which includes a fee. This applies especially to volunteers who serve as chaperones for field trips and may not be in direct view of district employees. Both current and new volunteers will be impacted.

Please read more about the volunteer background screening policy on our website. Thank you for helping us maintain safe and supportive learning environments for all students.

Website: https://www.duvalschools.org/o/humanresources/page/volunteer-hr

For everyone’s safety and to keep dismissal moving smoothly, we ask parents in the main car loop to please remain in your vehicle. Our staff will help load your child into the car. If your child needs help buckling, you may pull forward to the area just before Greenland Road, park safely, and assist them there. Thank you for helping us keep our car loop safe and efficient!

Parents will need to download the NEW DCPS app and then access rooms to see their child's classroom and message the teacher. If you do not see your child's room in the app, check if you have a linked Parent Portal account. You must have a linked account to see the room. Join today!

If you do not have a LINKED parent account, please follow these directions to get one. A linked FOCUS account is how you will be able to see your child's grades, attendance etc.

All parents will need a linked parent portal. Click the button below and follow these steps to ensure your account is linked. Without a linked account you won't have access to school emails, classroom communication, student grades and report cards or attendance. Each parent that wants access will need a parent account.

School Cash online will be used for all payments this year including field trips. Please make sure you sign up for an account today!

Link: School Cash Online

If your child was absent on picture day or you would like a new photo taken, retakes will be held on Monday, October 7.

• September 1 Schools/Admin Offices Closed
• October 13-14 Teacher Planning/No School for Students

You can view the DCPS calendar here: https://www.duvalschools.org/page/calendar2526

Below is our 25-26 School calendar. Please note that all early release days have been removed for this school year.

We value strong communication between home and school! Please allow teachers 24–48 hours to respond to messages (though they often reply much faster). Families can expect a classroom update once per week through email or a Rooms message. While we would love to share daily updates, this is not possible outside of Pre-K, as it would take valuable time away from students and instruction. Thank you for your understanding and support in keeping communication meaningful and balanced.

As a reminder, we can not dismiss students after 2:15pm per DCPS policy. In addition, please reserve early pick up for days when it is absolutely needed. We understand that appointments and emergencies come up at times but please ensure your child is in school the entire day when possible.

This is a district policy and includes our PreK and CSS students leaving early. Please be mindful that once students are of compulsory school age (6), they are required to be in school daily. Therapies and appointments should be scheduled after school hours.

All students are required to have a student ID on their backpack and one kept at school for lunch and other daily needs. If a student loses their ID, a replacement will need to be purchased for $5. Thank you for helping us ensure every student has their ID ready each day!

Please plan to send a reusable water bottle with your child to school daily. Our students may drink from these in class throughout the day as well as take them to recess and PE. Thanks to PTA fundraising efforts, and your support, we have installed water bottle refill stations for our students to use as needed.

Families are encouraged to complete the Free & Reduced Lunch application for Duval County Public Schools. The process is quick, confidential, and helps ensure every child has access to healthy meals. Applications can be completed online at www.duvalschools.org/lunch. Even if you don’t think you qualify, filling out the form helps our school receive important funding and support.

Breakfast will remain free for all students and will be served from 8:00-8:30am daily. Students wishing to eat breakfast at GPE should arrive early enough to be ready for class at 8:30am.

We have teamed up with Varsity Tutors to offer DCPS students personalized learning support when they need it. Students across the district will receive unlimited live support from highly qualified tutors in all core subject areas. They can also attend interactive extracurricular classes and clubs ie. coding and financial literacy via enrichment classes. Additionally, they can receive essay review and writing support.

How do students access the platform?

· Students click on Blended Learning, then the Varsity Tutors icon, and log in with Clever.

Parents can visit https://www.varsitytutors.com/school-solutions/duval for support for their students. There are also a document attached below for parents to get more information about this opportunity.

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

By accessing FortifyFL, students can provide a description of the threat, share pics and videos and optionally submit their contact information.

• Anonymous or Non-Anonymous - You decide whether you want to include your name and contact information.

• Convenient - Submitting a tip is quick and easy using our mobile app or website.

• Include Photos and Video - You can also include photos or video with your tip report.

PTA is looking forward to another great school year!

Memberships are good for one year and help with funding the PTA programs and events. Single memberships are $11 and two person family memberships are $16.

If you are interested in joining the PTA board, we do have several open positions. Contact PTA President Amy Wilson at gpeptapresident@gmail.com.

Keep up with what is going on with PTA via our website (http://gpe.my-pta.org) or our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GreenlandPinesPTA}

What is SAC?

A School Advisory Council is an elected committee made up of parents, staff, administrators, businesses, community members and students (in secondary schools) who work together to help a school improve. By state law, school boards must establish an advisory council for each school.

Become a SAC member!

Get involved! Being a School Advisory Council member is a good way to be an important part of your child's education. Please contact Janine Santangelo at janine.santangelo@gmail.com or Michelle Hinkley at simrellm@duvalschools.org for more information.

Meeting Dates

3rd Wednesday of Each Month at 3:30pm

Meetings are held in the GPE Media Center

Next Meeting

September 17, 2025 at 3:30pm

Hazel Health has partnered with Duval County Public Schools to expand student health services at no-cost to families this school year. When your student needs help, they can connect with Hazel for same-day care.

Get more information and sign the parent consent form at https://my.hazel.co/duvalschools/info

Did you know that you can stay connected with GPE on social media? We will be posting events, reminders and information on the following sites:

GPE on Facebook: @GreenlandPines

GPE Website: https://dcps.duvalschools.org/greenlandpines

We need you! Interested in being a business partner here at GPE? Our business partners are invaluable here at GPE. If you own or manage a business and would like to learn more about the perks of being a GPE business partner, please reach out to Ms. O'Quinn, at (904)260-5450 or oquinnc@duvalschools.org.

Please support those who support GPE. Click on the business logos below to support these local businesses. If your business is interested in becoming a GPE sponsor, email our AP, Ms. O'Quinn at oquinnc@duvalschools.org for more information.