Tradewinds Eagle Parent Newsletter

Debra Hixon, Chair

Sarah Leonardi, Vice Chair

Lori Alhadeff

Maura McCarthy Bulman

Brenda Fam, Esq.

Dr. Jeff Holness

Nora Rupert

Rebecca Thompson

Dr. Allen Zeman

Dr. Howard Hepburn

Superintendent of Schools

🍁 November Principal’s Message

Greetings, Tradewinds Families! 💚💛🦅

Happy November, Eagles! 🍂 As we enter this season of gratitude and giving, I want to take a moment to express how thankful I am for our incredible students, dedicated staff, supportive families, and wonderful Tradewinds community! It is hard to believe we are already in the second quarter of the 2026–2027 school year! Time is flying, and our Eagles continue to learn, grow, and SOAR to new heights!

Our schoolwide theme, “Learning Takes Us to Infinity and Beyond!” 🚀, reminds us that there are no limits to what our students can accomplish when we work together, set high expectations, and remain committed to excellence.

🎯 Our Mission Continues: 70+! 70+! 70+!

As we move through Quarter 2, our focus remains on achieving 70% or higher proficiency in Reading, Math, and Science! Our teachers are working diligently to provide rigorous instruction, meaningful learning experiences, targeted small-group support, and interventions that meet every student by NAME and NEED. We are committed to ensuring that every Eagle demonstrates academic growth and reaches their fullest potential.

Families, we need YOU on this journey! Encourage your child to read daily, practice math skills, complete assignments, and take pride in their learning. Ask your Eagle, “What did you learn today?” “What is your academic goal?” and “What can you do to improve?” Small conversations at home can make a BIG difference in the classroom!

⏰ Attendance Matters — Every Day Counts!

As we approach the holiday season, I want to remind our families of the importance of consistent attendance. Every school day provides valuable opportunities for learning, and missing even a few days can impact academic progress. Please help us ensure our Eagles are at school, on time, and ready to learn EVERY day! Let's make every instructional minute count!

🍁 A Season of Gratitude, Kindness, and Giving

November is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the importance of gratitude, kindness, and service to others. I encourage our Eagles to show appreciation to their teachers, classmates, families, and community members through simple acts of kindness. This month, we also look forward to honoring our veterans, celebrating the spirit of Thanksgiving, and supporting our wonderful PTA as they bring opportunities for our families to give back and make a difference. These moments remind us that being an Eagle is not just about academic excellence but also about character, compassion, and community!

🤝 Stronger Together — School + Home = Student Success!

As we continue through the second quarter, please stay connected with your child's teacher, review academic progress through the FOCUS Parent Portal, and remain actively involved in your child's education. Our partnership is one of the greatest factors in helping our students succeed.

As your principal, I remain committed to ensuring that Tradewinds Elementary is a place where EVERY child is known, valued, challenged, and supported. We will continue asking ourselves, “Are we an A+ for ALL?” because excellence is not just about a school grade; it is about making a lasting difference in the life of every child we serve.

💚💛 Thank You, Tradewinds Families!

During this season of Thanksgiving, I am especially grateful for the trust you place in us each day. Thank you for supporting our teachers, encouraging your children, and helping us build a school community where excellence thrives.

Let's make November a month filled with GRATITUDE, KINDNESS, STRONG ATTENDANCE, ACADEMIC GROWTH, and EXCELLENCE!

Together, there is no limit to how far our Eagles can SOAR!

Wishing you and your family a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving season! 🍁🦃

With Eagle Pride and Gratitude,

Dr. Priscille Elie
Principal, Tradewinds Elementary School

💚💛🦅 Learning Takes Us to Infinity and Beyond! 🚀

Together, we will continue to learn, grow, achieve, and SOAR to infinity and beyond! 🚀🌟

One Team. One School. One TWE Family. 💚💛🦅
#ExcellenceIsTheStandard

Please visit our website at www.browardschools.com/tradewinds for important updates and information.

Follow us on social media:

X (formerly Twitter): @TradewindsES
Instagram: @TradewindsBCPS

Also, be sure to register for the FOCUS Parent Portal at www.browardschools.com/focus to access important information about your child throughout the school year.

We are honored to serve as your administrative team and are grateful to partner with you in making Tradewinds Elementary an A+ school for ALL!

Let’s SOAR through October! 💚💛🦅🚀

Sincerely,

Dr. Priscille Elie
Principal

Ms. Kim Marinacci-Rohloff
Assistant Principal

Our Mission Statement & Vision Statement

Our Mission: A diverse community of learners and educators striving toward educational excellence for all.

Our Vision: Committed to developing a learning community of caring individuals and life-long learners. Self-worth is cultivated in a nurturing environment and decisions are based on what is best for students.

Beginning next school year, Students will no longer eat lunch at no cost. Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) families will need to apply to determine their eligibility for free and reduced-price lunches.

The Food and Nutrition Services Department will start accepting online Meal Benefits Applications for the 25-26 school year on Monday, July 14, 2025, at www.myschoolapps.com.

An online payment portal designed to allow parents and guardians quick and easy access to online payments for additional meals or à la carte items.

À la carte items include: Sparkling water, Ice-Cream, Pop-Tart, Rice Crispy Treats and more. All à la carte items are USDA Smart Snack approved.

A nominal fee of $2.49 is charged per credit/debit transaction.

Second meals will be charged at the adult price of $4.95. We encourage parents to register through My School Bucks payment portal for easy and convenient online payments.

The School Board of Broward County (SBBC), Florida maintains its commitment to honoring the rights of parents/legal guardians. Parent involvement in our District is a critical function in the education of students. This webpage contains important information relating to the rights of parents/guardians and the promotion of parental involvement in our schools.

Location: All General Meetings will be held at Tradewinds Elementary in the Media Center.

Dates and Times:

• August 31st 6:00pm Virtual

• January 25th at 6:00 PM

• May 11th at 6:00 PM

Tradewinds is a unified dress school and students are expected to follow the color patterns of hunter green, gold/yellow, khaki and/or white. As these colors may be a bit challenging to find during certain seasons, students are permitted to wear variations of greens and yellows.

At Tradewinds Elementary, we are fortunate to have a team of wonderful teachers dedicated to your child’s success. Please note that there is no need to submit specific teacher requests, as we cannot guarantee placement with a particular teacher and will not accommodate friend requests placements.

As it relates to addressing teacher concerns, If you have any concerns, you’re welcome to reach out to the administration, and we’re happy to assist. However, we will always ask: Have you communicated with the teacher? Is the teacher aware of your concerns? Have you scheduled a parent-teacher conference? Our staff is committed to addressing any issues that are brought to their attention, so please make every effort to speak with the teacher first.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. We’re all in this together, and I sincerely appreciate your partnership in supporting our students.

Parents this is for YOU! The District will implement a new Student Information System (SIS), Focus School Software, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. Student's schedules will be available for parents to view on FOCUS beginning August 6th.

Focus will replace Pinnacle, Virtual Counselor, PCG (EdPlan), BASIS, and TERMS. It centralizes all applications used by parents into one districtwide system, incorporating attendance, grade book, scheduling, report cards, transportation, and communication.

To sufficiently inform parents and guardians, the Parent and Community Involvement Task Force and District staff hosted Parent University: Get Focus(ed)! on April 8, 2024, to provide an introduction and overview of the system. The recorded webinar may be found at https://www.browardschools.com/parentuniversity.

For detailed information, Focus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and translated directions for parents and guardians to register for the Focus Parent Portal, visit https://www.browardschools.com/focus.

For Focus SIS project information, please check the Focus Resource Hub.

Should you have any questions, please reach out to Focus Communications at focuscommunications@browardschools.com.

Tradewinds Elementary DOES NOT, allow birthday celebrations or allow bringing in birthday celebration items such as cupcakes, treat bags, drinks, pizza, etc. There will be two classroom celebrations occurring during the school year (Winter break and End of Year celebrations). Your child’s teacher will advise you of the exact date of these celebrations.

A monthly “Birthday Table” sponsored by the PTA will celebrate the students’ birthdays in lieu of individual classroom activities. This also takes the place of sending balloons, cupcakes, flowers, surprise gift or “goody bags,” etc. to your child during the day. We are unable to accept these items. If they are sent to school, they will not be accepted and will have to go home with the parent. No exceptions.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

Visitors: Any visitors on campus, if they need to gain access onto the campus, must be issued an ID badge from the front office and processed through the Raptor System with a valid ID. Also note that parents or guardians picking up students early must have a valid ID in order to do so. Not having an ID will prevent your child to not be released until proper identification is presented to the front office staff.

• All visitors must report to the front office.
• All visitors must go through our Raptor Visitor System.
• All visitors must have an I.D. in order to gain access to the school.
• All parents must have a Dismissal car tag to pick-up their child. A picture of the sign on your mobile device is acceptable as well.
• Students will wear their I.D.s while on campus
  
• Parents must update their contact information with the front office.
• All students should be in uniforms. Our uniform policy is listed in this newsletter and our website.
• Consistency with dismissal is critical. Please alert the teacher and office ASAP of any changes.
• Early student sign-outs will cease at 1:30 p.m.

School Climate & Discipline / Code of Conduct (browardschools.com)

The Code Book For Student Conduct (browardschools.com) (K-2) UPDATED 26-27 COMING SOON

The Code Book For Student Conduct (browardschools.com) (3-5) UPDATED 26-27 COMING SOON

The Code Book For Student Conduct (browardschools.com) (ENGLISH) UPDATED 26-27 COMING SOON

Libro del Código de Conducta del Estudiante (browardschools.com) (SPANISH) UPDATED 26-27 COMING SOON

Cêdigo de Conduta do Estudante (browardschools.com) (PORTUGUESE) UPDATED 26-27 COMING SOON

Final Code SY 2021-2022 11_4_21v4b_ht.pdf (browardschools.com) (HAITIAN CREOLE) UPDATED 26-27 COMING SOON

RATIONALE: Under new Fla. Stat. § 1014.06, licensed health care providers and practitioners as defined in Fla. Stat. § 456.001 may not provide, solicit, or arrange to provide health care services to children without first receiving written parental consent. Schools should note that § 1014.06 provides that violators will be subject to disciplinary action under licensing statutes, administrative fines, and potential criminal action.

The Parents’ Bill of Rights allows parents to do the following:

• Access and review all medical records (unless the parent is the subject of a criminal investigation for harm to a child).

• Opt out of HIV/Aids education for their child.

• Opt out of any portion of the school district’s comprehensive health and sex education.

• Reject medical treatment for a child unless the state can prove the child’s own welfare would be best served by such treatment.

• Exempt a student from required immunizations.

• Create a list of people, by priority, who may consent to the medical care or treatment of a minor when a parent or legal guardian can’t be reached.

Scholastics First (2nd grade)

• Log into https://sso.browardschools.com
• Click Log in with Active Directory
• Log in username and password
• Click on Scholastics F.I.R.S.T

NewsELA:

• Log into https://sso.browardschools.com
• Click Log in with Active Directory
• Log in username and password
• Click on NewsELA

• Log into https://sso.browardschools.com
• Click Log In with Active Directory
• Log in username and password
• Click on BrainPop or BrainPop Jr.

Khan Academy

• https://www.khanacademy.org/
  

Readworks:

• Log into https://www.readworks.org/

• Log into https://www.spellingcity.com/

STEMScopes:

• Log into https://sso.browardschools.com
• Click Log in with Active Directory
• Log in username and password
• Click on STEMscopes

• Reading Sites
  
• i-READY www.i-ready.com
  
  Weekly Reader -The same great magazine used in classrooms around the country has a great website devoted to extending reading activities at home.
  http://www.weeklyreader.com
  
  Scholastic's Book Central - https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/home/
  
  Scholastic Activities for families to participate together.
  https://www.scholastic.com/parents/kids-activities-and-printables.htm
  
  
• Kids-Reads A great resource to find out about books, authors, and illustrators.
  
  http://kidsreads.com
  
  Star Fall - http://www.starfall.com
  
  Time For Kids - http://timeforkids.com/tfk/
  
  "Ultimate Guide to Reading Comprehension"
  http://www.supersummary.com/reading-comprehension-guide/
  

The School Board of Broward County, Florida, prohibits any policy or procedure which results in discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. The School Board also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Individuals who wish to file a discrimination and/or harassment complaint may call the Director, Equal Educational Opportunities/ADA Compliance Department & District’s Equity Coordinator/Title IX Coordinator at 754-321- 2150 or Teletype Machine (TTY) 754-321-2158.

Individuals with disabilities requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, (ADAAA) may call Equal Educational Opportunities/ADA Compliance Department at 754-321-2150 or Teletype Machine (TTY) 754-321-2158.

Email: priscille.elie@browardschools.com
Website: https://www.browardschools.com/tradewinds

BCPS Website: http://www.browardschools.com
Location: 5400 Johnson Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073
Phone: 754-322-8700
Instagram: @tradewindsBCPS
Twitter: @tradewindsES