The Dolphin Report

We hope you enjoy our newsletter! It provides information about important dates and events happening around school throughout the year. Updates will occur at the start of each month. The newsletter will be emailed out and available on our website and social media. If you have suggestions for things we can add, please feel free to email Mrs. Meyer at meyera@okaloosaschools.com .

To access staff contacts, handbooks and more, visit our website at https://www2.okaloosaschools.com/o/destines

DES Families and Community,

As we step into a new month at DES, I want to take a moment to reflect on the joy-filled November we shared together. It was a month packed with celebrations, learning, and community—everything that makes Destin Elementary such a special place!

Our Fall Festival kicked off the month with pure magic. From the games and raffles to the food and laughter, it was truly a night to remember. Thank you to everyone who volunteered or attended—you helped create a memorable experience for our kiddos and their families.

We then honored our heroes during our Veterans Day celebration, highlighted by a heartwarming musical performance from our 1st graders. Their patriotic songs and proud voices filled the room and reminded us all of the importance of gratitude and service.

November also brought one of our most beloved traditions—our Thanksgiving Family Lunches. The cafeteria was filled with smiles, conversations, and full plates as families gathered to enjoy this special meal together. And of course, our Destin Elementary Thanksgiving Day Balloon Parade brought pure delight! Watching our 1st grade teachers and students showcase their creative balloons was a perfect way to welcome the holiday season.

Our students continued to shine in academics and experiences beyond the classroom as well. We had many exciting field trips, each supporting hands-on learning and exploration. Our 3rd grade took part in Grasses in Classes where they planted sea oats that will be planted to help preserve our dunes and beaches. We also had a blast celebrating both the 67th day of school (6-7 Day!) and the 70th day of school, with fun dress-up themes that filled our hallways with spirit and color.

As we look ahead to December, we are excited for a month filled with learning and holiday cheer. We will be administering our 2nd Progress Monitoring Assessments, so please check with your child’s teacher for details. Students will also participate in Child Safety Matters presentations during the month.

Our 4th graders are gearing up for our 2nd Annual Gingerbread House Competition, and our P.E. team is preparing for the festive Jingle Jog where families are invited to dress in their holiday outfits to join classes on the track during P.E. Our Kindergarten students will take the stage for their Christmas musical performance, and of course, there will be many joyful class parties as we wrap up the first semester of school and 2025 together.

Thank you to all who continue to volunteer and support our school in so many ways. We truly have the best village, and we are grateful for each of you!

Fins Up!
Mrs. Meyer

We will be looking for students who go above and beyond to exemplify Perseverance this month for our Dolphins of the Month!

Parents,

Again, this year, we will be using the MBF Child Safety Matters® program from the

Monique Burr Foundation for Children. This will be facilitated by a

member from the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center. The goal of the program is to

help keep your child safe.

The program empowers children to spot and respond to bullying, cyberbullying, child abuse, and

digital dangers. Most importantly, it teaches that adults are responsible for their safety but there

are things they can do to help adults keep them safe. The program is based on the latest research

and has been reviewed and endorsed by national experts. More information is in the packet attached below. Parent letters will be sent home as well!

Students return to school on Jan. 7, 2026!

Ms. Fette does an amazing job making our library a place kids love to visit! We have more books checked out than any other school in our district- Ms. Fette needs help organizing and reshelving books! If you are able to volunteer to help, please reach out to her! Thank you!

If you need to check out your child during the day, please remember to bring your ID. We love visitors and volunteers! If you want to sign in to come on campus at any time, everyone must have a valid ID. We appreciate your cooperation as safety is our top concern!

We love our volunteers! If you would like to help in classrooms or chaperone on field trips, you must have an approved volunteer application on file through Okaloosa County Schools. These volunteer approvals are good for one calendar year. You will receive an email when your application is received and another email when it has been approved. If you have an approved application on file, you will receive an email alert 30 days before it will expire to let you know to reapply. If you have problems with your application, you may call Lori Scott in the front office of DES :).

1. Volunteer/Chaperone Selection
   At this time, we prefer everyone to select only “School/Classroom Volunteer” and “Chaperone” when completing their application.
   There are only a few individuals who should be marking “Overnight Chaperone,” “Coach,” or “Mentor.” As the year progresses, if it is determined that a volunteer will be going on an overnight trip, mentoring, or helping to coach, we will provide guidance on how to obtain fingerprints and update their volunteer profile accordingly.
2. Device Use
   Raptor is not mobile-friendly. Many parents use their phone, which often causes issues when they reach Section 4. This can result in them mistakenly selecting a function that requires fingerprinting. When this happens, the application must be denied/deleted, and the parent will need to reapply.
   If possible, please allow parents to use a desktop or laptop at your campus to complete the application. This will save everyone a lot of time.
3. Fingerprinting for Field Trips
   We will now be fingerprinting individuals for certain field trips that have not required this in the past. More information will be shared at the next principals’ meeting.
4. Processing Time for Fingerprints
   The process for receiving and reviewing fingerprints has recently changed, resulting in a longer turnaround time. If a volunteer requires fingerprinting, please allow a minimum of five to seven days for completion. Due to the new procedures, there is very little flexibility in this timeline, so we will all need to plan accordingly.

If you are able, please consider being a PTO sponsor to support Destin Elementary School this year! Thank you to all of our local business partners that help us every year by providing funds to enhance our school and the educational experience for all of our kids!

Please support the businesses in our community that help make us the BEST Elementary School in Florida!!!

Parents and caregivers! Reading at home with your kids is the best way to ensure they become proficient readers. Please use the link below to access some resources and strategies to help!

Visit Squad Locker for your DES apparel! All items can be individually ordered and shipped right to your house! We hope you like it!

December

3- SAC meeting 3:30

8- Safety Matters

8 - 1st Grade Science Center Field Trip (Mills, Ross, Smith, Reed)

9-Safety Matters

9 - 1st Grade Science Center Field Trip (Henkel, Call, Black, Slater)

9- Gingerbread Competition

Presentation @1:30

10- 80th Day of School - 1st grade dress in 80s

10-Safety Matters

10- 4th Grade ECSC Field Trip (Church, McVay, Urbanus)

11-Safety Matters

11-PTO-7:45

11- 4th Grade ECSC Field Trip (Cox, Patterson, Wells)

12-Christmas Door Decorating Contest-

12- Safety Matters

12- KG Christmas Concert @1:30

12- 4th Grade ECSC Field Trip (Brown, Cordell, Ray)

12- Rice/Anderson Winter Party 10-11

15- Burns Party 11:30-12:30 Classroom

16 - Jingle Jog

17- Pisarchuk Party 11:30-12:30 Classroom

17-Schillinger Party 12:00 Classroom

17- Howell Party 12:00 Classroom

17 - Black/Slater party 12-1 in courtyard in front of Black’s room

18- Edmonsond/Robertson party 10:10-11:40

18- Rivas/Worthington party 10:10-12:00

18 - Call/Henkel party 12-1:30

18 - Reed/Smith Party 1-2 in courtyard in front of Black's room

18 - Mills/Ross party 1-2

18-Donatelli/Taylor Party 9:30-11:00 (in classroom/parents are invited)

18-Hurst/Olson Party 9:30 (picnic area near 3rd grade/PreK building; parents invited)

19- Huffman Party 8:30-10:20 Classroom

19- Bitler/Williams Party 9:30-11:30 (in classroom/parents are invited)

19- End of the Quarter

22-31 Holiday Break

January

1-2 Christmas Holiday

5- Teacher workday

7-Class Pictures

8-Class Pictures

9 - 90th Day of School, 4th grade 90s dress up

13- 4th Grade Biophilia Field Trip (Church, McVay, Urbanus, Cox, Patterson, Wells)

14 - 4th Grade Biophilia Field Trip (Brown, Cordell, Ray)

15- PTO 7:45 in the media center

19-No School

26- 100th Day of School

26-Book Fair

27-Book Fair

28-Book Fair

29-Book Fair

29 - Junior Okaloosa Honor Choir: ALL Day field trip for a select number of chorus kids

30- Book Fair

February

4- KG Field Trip ECSC–Schillinger, Howell, Burns

5- KG Field Trip ECSC–Deslauriers, Pisarchuk

6- KG Field Trip ECSC–Huffman, Luallen

10 - 1st Grade Track Field Trip (Mills, Ross, Smith, Reed)

12-PTO 7:45 in the media center

12 - 1st Grade Track Field Trip (Henkel, Call, Black, Slater)

16- Holiday No School

17- 2nd Grade to Mattie Kelly- Click Clack Moo 11-1

17- Mardi Gras

17-25 Boosterthon Fundraiser

20-Mid Day Mingle- 3rd

23- Child Safety Matters Session 2

24- Child Safety Matters Session 2

25- Child Safety Matters Session 2

25- Fun Run

26- Child Safety Matters Session 2

27- Child Safety Matters Session 2

March

5- Kindergarten Field Day

6- 1st grade Field Day

9- 2nd grade Field Day

10- 3rd grade Field Day

11- 4th grade Field Day

11- 3rd Grade Field Trip to Sinfonia’s Link Up - Music/Hayes

12 - End of the third quarter

12- PTO 7:45 in the media center

13-20 Spring Break

23- Teacher Workday

April

3- 2nd Grade Field Trip to Crestview Zoo (9-1)

7- 1st grade field trip to the strawberry patch (9-1) Mills/Ross and Reed/Smith

8-Spring Pictures (2 photographers)

9 - 1st grade field trip to the strawberry patch (9-1) Black/partner and Henkel/Call

9- PTO 7:45 in the media center

15- Purple Up Day (Not sure of District Date)

20-3rd Grade Field Trip Pirate Cruise (Donatelli/Taylor, Hurst/Olson)

21-3rd Grade Field Trip Pirate Cruise (Henry/Corona/Bitler)

22-3rd Grade Field Trip Pirate Cruise (Higgs/Ketler/Williams)

23- 4th Grade Biophilia Field Trip (Church, McVay, Urbanus, Cox, Patterson, Wells)

24- KG Fairy Tale Ball

28- 4th Grade Biophilia Field Trip (Brown, Cordell, Ray)

May

14- PTO 7:45 in the media center

25- Memorial Day: No School

28 -Last Day of school

We are thrilled to showcase our school expansion! This will be the new front office which will be located on Beach Dr! To the left of the front office, you can see the new multipurpose building with the classroom additions behind that!

Below is the view of the new, 2-story, 30 classroom addition that will house our 3rd-5th grade classes! There will be more parking and an additional car line for pick up to help with traffic on the main roads!

School gates opens at 8:00, classrooms open at 8:15.

Students may purchase breakfast in the cafeteria before class if they choose.

School starts at 8:25. All students should be in their classroom and ready to learn no later than this or they will be marked tardy.

Please make every effort to be on time. Instruction starts at 8:25 and it is uncomfortable for students to enter late and try to catch up on what they missed :). It also disrupts the learning of the other students.

No visitors will be allowed on campus unless they sign in through the front office.

Drop off- Students may ride the bus, come by car or walk/ride bikes to school. Walkers and bike riders have 3 ways they may enter. One is on Beach Drive at our multipurpose room (we call this the Beach Drive entrance), one to the left of the front office (we call this the kindergarten gate) and one to the right of the front of the school by the kindergarten playground (we call this the black gate).

Car riders will come through the car line on Kelly St. Please have your students ready to exit the car when you pull up to the drop off point so we can keep things flowing smoothly!

Although we try to open all car doors for students, you do not have to wait on staff to get kids out of the car. Students that are capable, may exit the car on their own.

DO NOT drop off students across the street and have them cross traffic or walk in front of the car line to come to school. Any student crossing a street should use the crosswalks! I understand the car line can get long, however, this causes a very dangerous situation and we want our kids to be safe- thank you.

You may park at the Catholic Church on Beach Drive and walk your student to the multipurpose room entrance if you don't want to wait in the car line. Please do not park in the yards/driveways of people who live around the school. We want to be respectful of their property.

Breakfast and lunch are able to be purchased each day. The menu can be viewed by clicking the following link. Keep in mind that there are times the menu changes without notice.

https://okaloosaschools.nutrislice.com/menus-eula

You may access the application for free and reduced lunches with the link below. We encourage everyone to fill out the form whether you think you will qualify or not. :) It helps our school by having more people fill out the form!

https://www2.myschoolapps.com/

Breakfast and Lunch Prices are listed below.

You can add money to your child's account online by creating an account at https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain?requestAction=home

We welcome parents to come eat lunch with your kids any day of the week! Due to limited seating in the cafeteria, we ask that you eat outdoors only at any of our picnic tables or benches around campus. You may bring lunch in to eat with your child or buy lunch in the cafeteria. We do not accept deliveries for lunch such as fast food drop offs or Door Dash orders. Calling classrooms for students to pick up their lunch disrupts instruction and causes much confusion and traffic in the front office. When you come to eat with your child, you may only take your child with you. Please do not invite friends to join you. This is for everyone's safety. Sign in through the front office when visiting, please :)

*Side note about lunch- Students are allowed to purchase ice cream, chips and other treats at lunch as long as there is money in their account, unless you contact the cafeteria and tell them otherwise. When students buy these extra treats, most of the time that is all they eat. The rest of the lunch goes in the trash. We want parents to be aware. If you would like to limit what your child buys, please write a note to the cafeteria or call to talk to them. :)

Early Checkouts: If you need to check your child out early for any reason, please come to the front office to sign them out. We ask that you come no later than 2:15 for early checkouts. Dismissal time gets very hectic in the front office and we need that time to handle transportation changes and make sure kids get to their correct locations to get home.

If your child is needing to change the way they go home, you MUST write a note that includes your child's full name, teacher's name, the date and the way you want them to go home. Please sign the note and send it to school with your child. Their teacher will get it to the office for you. Any transportation change that differs from their regular way home, requires a written note.

Dismissal - Dismissal begins at 2:55 and students are released in waves.

ALL students will be given a tag that is placed on their backpacks. They will be assigned a tag number.

Any parents picking up in car line must have a matching car tag to their students backpack tag. You will be sent to the front office to get your child if you do not have your car tag at pickup.

Kindergartener walkers will be picked up at the kindergarten gate to the left of the front office. Parents of kindergarten walkers only will be required to show their matching tag. Older students may go home as walkers/bike riders without a parent meeting them.

Kindergarteners are walked to their appropriate places for dismissal.

***If you plan to volunteer at school this year, including attending field trips with your student, you must have a current volunteer application on file. You can access this application at the following link: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/OTYyOmVuLVVT

When filling out the application, if you choose Coach, Overnight Chaperone, or Mentor options, they require fingerprinting and it's a longer process. You do not need to be fingerprinted to volunteer in the school setting only. If you do not hear back about your application within a week, contact us to check on it for you :)

Destin Elementary School is proud to participate in a campaign to help the Ronald McDonald House. They use the funds from recycling pop tops of aluminum cans to help pay their electricity bills! It is an easy, free way that we can help this very special organization! Our very own Coley Schillinger was blessed to be helped by the Ronald McDonald house when her precious baby girl, Madi, was born at just 25 weeks, weighing 1 1/2 pounds. They provided her and her husband a place to stay, 3 meals a day and emotional support all for free so they could focus on their miracle baby! We are excited to report that momma and baby are doing great!

Please collect these tops throughout the year and send them into school with your child or bring them to the lobby of the front office and place them in the container.

Thank you for helping us support a very special organization that helps families every day!

If you complete your application to substitute, you can provide tutoring to students before, during or after school hours and get paid for your time! You can make your own hours and choose your preferred grade level/subject. $15/hour. Contact the front office for more information!