Pelican Elementary: Pelican Press

Mission: Through the collaborative efforts of parents, staff, students, and the community, Pelican Elementary develops the emotional, social, academic, and physical potential of every student.

Vision: Pelican Elementary is a safe, secure, child-centered school which provides the foundation for career and college readiness for every child.

Dear Pelican Elementary Families,

As our 2025-2026 school year comes to an end, we would like to express how grateful we are for leading such an amazing community of students, parents & staff. It has been an amazing year! We are so proud of all of the achievements and accomplishments of our students here at Pelican Elementary. These would not be possible without your support and dedication.

Reflecting on the past school year, we have had so many great memories and exciting events to look back on. We continued many successful traditions such as our Storybook Parade, Reading and Math Night, STEM Night, book fairs, Pelican Pursuit, Pirate Night, and many more heart felt memories. Our students really enjoyed all of these activities.

Our school year will end with wonderful award ceremonies filled with pride and celebration of student accomplishments. We are very proud of all of our students and their successes. We hope to see you at the end of year awards ceremonies.

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A special thanks to you, the parents who have contributed in ways small, large and unimaginable! Thank you for the partnership between home and school, which is so important. We appreciate all that you do each and every day for our school and our children!

Together, we’ve learned much and shared experiences that will remain in our hearts for years to come. The passion and strength within our community makes our school truly a special place for our children and a place that we are not only extremely proud to lead, but also one that we can call HOME.

Have a safe and fun filled summer! See you in August!

Warm Wishes,

Ms. Stanford and Ms. Milstein

END OF YEAR AWARDS SCHEDULE:

PreK and Kindergarten, E. Stewart, Budlong -5:00-5:40 PM

1st grade, Petteys and 3rd grade - 5:40-6:20 PM

2nd and 4th grade-6:20-7:00 PM

The ability to wait calmly without complaining

"Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind."

How can you model patience daily?

-Wait my turn.

-Not complain when I don’t get my way.

-Accept what cannot be changed.

-Use my time wisely.

-Try and try again.

Popular quotes about patience:

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau

“Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.” Saadi

“Patience is not simply the ability to wait—it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.” Joyce Meyer

“Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” Napoleon Hill

“We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.” Helen Keller

“A man who is a master of patience is a master of everything else.” George Savile

“He that can have patience can have what he will.” Benjamin Franklin

Suggested Reading List

“The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg” by Aesop

“I Need A Snake” by Jonell

“My Grammy” by Kibbey

“The Carrot Seed” by Ruth Krauss

“Play With Me” by Marie Hall Ets

As we approach the end of the school year, please remember that a student is allotted 10 absences. All absences after the 10th absence will require a doctor’s note to be excused. Excuse notes can be directly uploaded in your FOCUS parent portal or sent to school with your student.

Florida’s statewide, standardized assessments in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics is aligned with the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.). The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST), which includes Kindergarten through 5th grade Reading and Mathematics assessments, will be administered as a progress monitoring assessment, students will participate in these assessments in May. The Statewide Science Assessment measures student achievement of the Florida's State Academic Standards in science. Students in grades 5 participate in the statewide science assessment. See schedule below:

Kindergarten

-STAR Early Lit-May 6, May 7, May 8- 11:15-12:15

-STAR Math-May 13, May 14, May 15- 11:15-12:15

1st grade

-STAR Reading-May 6, May 7, May 8- 10:00-11:00

-STAR Math-May 13, May 15- 10:00-11:00

2nd grade

-STAR Reading-May 6, May 7, May 8- 9:00-9:55

-STAR Math-May 13, May 14, May 15- 9:00-9:55

3rd grade

-FAST Reading-Tuesday, May 5

-FAST Math- Thursday, May 14

4th grade

-FAST Reading-Wednesday, May 6

-FAST Math-Wednesday, May 13

5th grade

-FAST Reading-Thursday, May 7

-FAST Math-Tuesday, May 12

- FAST Science- Tuesday, May 19

TIPS FOR PARENTS

Here are five simple tips to help your child do his/her best on test day!

1. Prepare for test day the night before (So your child doesn’t feel rushed in the morning)

2. Go to bed early to get a good night’s sleep (8 to 11 hours is recommended)

3. Eat a healthy breakfast (Choose fruits & whole grains over sugary foods)

4. Encouragement! KIDS LOVE IT & NEED IT! Surprise your child with a special note from you. Remind your child to Never give up and Do their best! Your enthusiasm and praise for doing his/her best can help reduce your child’s test anxiety and boost confidence!

5. Get your child to school ON TIME. Testing starts at 8:00.

Parents, please review the following expectations with your student before testing:

▪ Electronic Devices—Students are not permitted to have any electronic devices, including, but not limited to, cell phones, smartphones, and smartwatches, at any time during testing or during breaks (e.g., restroom), even if the devices are turned off or students do not use them. If your student is found with an electronic device or is found using Bluetooth/wireless headphones/earbuds during testing, his or her test will be invalidated.

▪ Working Independently—Students are responsible for doing their own work during the test and for protecting their answers from being seen by others. If students are caught cheating during testing, their tests will be invalidated.

▪ Leaving Campus—If your student leaves campus before completing a test session (e.g., for lunch, an appointment), he or she will not be allowed to return to that test session. If your student does not feel well on the day of testing, it may be best for him or her to wait and be tested on a make-up day. Please remember not to schedule appointments on testing days.

▪ Testing Accommodations—If your student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), a Section 504 Plan, or is an English Language Learner (ELL) or a recently exited ELL, please contact the school to discuss the testing accommodations that will be provided for your student.

Every year we honor our schools hard working, dedicated teachers and our outstanding support staff with a lunch and door prizes. Pelican Elementary is very blessed to have such a wonderful group of teachers. Every teacher is an asset to our school and the parents and students are privileged to be a part of this. Will you join us in giving our teachers a big THANK YOU! We are asking area businesses to donate an item or gift cards that we can use as door prizes. If you are interested in donating, you may contact Principal, Michele Stanford.

This camp offers our grade 3 students currently not meeting state progression requirements a last opportunity to meet state requirements for grade 3 promotion. Students will receive rigorous and engaging ELA curriculum in a small group setting from 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. for 16 instructional days. Educators are highly effective and are Reading Endorsed or Reading Certified.

Invitation and eligibility is based on 3rd graders scoring Level 1 on Reading PM3 FAST and do not have a Good Cause for promotion.

Attendance is taken daily in FOCUS. Daily attendance is extremely important in order to meet all necessary state requirements.

Eligible students were sent an invitation via student letter from current school.

Registered students will receive additional information the last two weeks of May.

Why is mental health important to education?

Mental health is directly related to children’s learning and development. It encompasses or intersects with interpersonal relationships, social-emotional skills, behavior, learning, academic motivation, certain disabilities, mental illness, crisis prevention and response, school safety and substance abuse. Each of these issues affects not only the success and well-being of the individual student but also the school climate and outcomes for all students.

How to stay motivated for the rest of the school year!

How can you stay motivated? Here’s some tips on how to stay motivated so you can finish off the school year strong!

1.Encourage your child to participate in class. When your child engages in classroom discussions, it helps them stay focused and interested in learning the material. Participating in class will also help in forming better relationships with teachers and classmates! It also makes your learning experience that much better!!

2. Practice positive self-talk. When you think positively, it will result in positive actions and outcomes. Try to surround yourself with positive people who support you and make you happy. Practicing positive self-talk will help with reducing any stress and anxiety!

4. Limit technology. Setting daily or weekly screen time limits, enforcing those limits, and creating tech-free zones during certain times or in specific locations can help. Encouraging hobbies and activities that don't involve screens, such as reading, outdoor play, or creative pursuits, can promote a healthy balance.

3. Practice self-care by getting enough sleep at night, engaging in healthy eating habits, and drinking enough water! Try to include some physical activity in your everyday routine. Most importantly, take care of yourself and do things that make you happy!!

Pelican Elementary has been recently inspected and certain asbestos-containing materials or assumed asbestos-containing materials such as: fire doors or roofing materials that are tested prior to repairs or removal as needed, have been located in the school buildings. Please be aware that the School District of Lee County has an active management plan designed to ensure that the building is maintained safely for all occupants. These materials are being controlled in accordance with the Asbestos Management Program for the School and following the limitations and procedures of the policies and requirements of the Asbestos Operations and Maintenance Program of the School District of Lee County.

The report listing the location, quantities, and condition of all known materials and contains the details of the control procedures is available at the school office for your inspection during normal school hours. Copies of the whole or parts of the school’s asbestos file can be supplied to you at a cost of $0.15/page.

Armor Persons, District 5 (Chair)

Samuel Fisher, District 1