The Calusa Connection
April 2026
Dear Amazing CPE Families,
As we move into April, we find ourselves in the final stretch of the school year. This is an important and exciting time, and I am incredibly proud of the focus and determination our students and staff continue to demonstrate each day. Together, we are staying committed to our goals and working hard to finish the year strong.
Our classrooms remain vibrant spaces of learning, growth, and perseverance. Students are rising to challenges, building confidence, and showing resilience as they prepare for end-of-year assessments and celebrations. We encourage all families to continue supporting strong routines at home—consistent attendance, reading each night, and positive encouragement go a long way in helping students succeed.
At the same time, we are making it a priority to celebrate student success in all its forms. From academic achievements to acts of kindness, creativity, and leadership, we are proud of the many ways our students shine. Be sure to ask your child about their accomplishments—we love hearing their stories of growth!
April also brings several exciting events and opportunities for our school community. We look forward to upcoming field trips, classroom activities, and special recognitions that highlight the hard work of our students and staff. More details will be shared soon, so please keep an eye on school communications.
As always, thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we can ensure that every student finishes the year feeling proud, accomplished, and ready for the next step in their journey.
Let’s keep the momentum going!
Sincerely,
Susie Summers
Principal of the Calusa Park Black Bears
State Testing Schedule & Reminders – April & May
As we head into the final stretch of the school year, our students will be participating in important state assessments. These assessments provide valuable insight into student progress and help guide our instruction as we continue to support every learner’s success.
Below are our upcoming testing dates:
April
- April 7: 4th & 5th Grade BEST Writing
- April 21: Kindergarten ELA PM3
- April 22: 1st Grade ELA PM3
- April 23: 2nd Grade ELA PM3
- April 28: Kindergarten Math PM3
- April 29: 1st Grade Math PM3
- April 30: 2nd Grade Math PM3
May
- May 5: 3rd Grade ELA PM3
- May 6: 4th Grade ELA PM3
- May 7: 5th Grade ELA PM3
- May 12: 3rd Grade Math PM3
- May 13: 4th Grade Math PM3
- May 14: 5th Grade Math PM3 & 3rd Grade iReady Diagnostic
- May 19: 5th Grade Science State Assessment
- May 20: 3rd Grade SAT-10 (select students)
We are striving for 100% attendance on testing days, and your support makes a big difference! Please help your child be successful by ensuring they:
- Arrive to school on time (no later than 8:20am)
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Eat a healthy breakfast
We are so proud of the hard work our students have put in all year long. Let’s continue to Catch the Wave and Pursue Excellence as we finish strong! 🌊
Thank you for your continued partnership and support.
Mrs. Finger
Assistant Principal
School Doors Open: 7:45am
FREE Breakfast: 7:45am-8:15am
Bell Rings to Enter Classrooms: 8:15am
School News Show Begins: 8:25am
Students are Marked Tardy: arriving 8:25am or later
Dismissal: 2:50pm
April 7th- 4th & 5th Grade Writing State Assessment & Musical 1st Grade at 5:45pm and 2nd Grade at 6:45pm
April 8th- PTO General Meeting at 7:45am in Media Center
April 13th- KG Round Up
Week of April 13th- PTO Wooden Roses Sales
April 17th- Quarter 3 Interim Period Ends & Chuck E Cheese Night hosted by 5th Grade
April 21st- SAC Meeting at 7:45am in Media Center & Kindergarten ELA PM3
April 22nd- Grades 1 and 2 ELA PM3
April 23rd- Quarter 4 Interims Published & PreK Violin Performance
April 24th- Habit Hero of the Month
April 24th- Middle School Visit 5th Grade
April 28th- Kindergarten Math PM3
April 29th- Grade 1 Math PM3
April 30th- Grade 2 Math PM3
May Events
- Week of May 4th- Staff Appreciation Week
- May 5th- Grade 3 ELA PM3
May 6th- Grade 4 ELA PM3
May 7th- Grade 5 ELA PM3
May 12th- Grade 3 Math PM3
May 13th- Grade 4 Math PM3
May 14th- Grade 5 Math PM3 & Grade 3 i-Ready Diagnostic 3
May 15th- SAC Meeting at 7:45am in Media Center & Habit Hero of the Month & Chuck E Cheese Night hosted by 4th Grade
May 19th- Grade 5 Science State Assessment
May 22nd- Early Release Day & KG End of Year Performance
May 25th- No School
May 26th- Grade 5 End of Year Bowling and BBQ
May 27th- PreK Promotion Ceremony
May 28th- Grade 5 Promotion Ceremony
May 29th- Last Day of School & Early Release Day
School Arrival and Dismissal Times
Please be reminded that student drop-off should take place during our designated arrival window of 7:45–8:15 a.m.
Dismissal and pick-up occurs between 2:50–3:00 p.m.
Sticking to these times greatly supports student learning and helps minimize interruptions to both your child’s school day and the overall classroom environment.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us protect instructional time.
Morning Drop-Off Procedures
- We have noticed an increase in students being dropped off and left unattended before 7:45 a.m. at the front of the school. Students have also been walking across the crosswalk unaccompanied. Please remember that remaining in the car line is our designated drop-off procedure. This ensures the overall flow and safety of our morning arrival.
- If walking your students into school for any reason, students must be walked across the crosswalk by a parent.
- Pre-K students are the only students whose parents should be parking and walking their children across.
Changes to Transportation
ALL changes to transportation MUST go through the following procedure by 2:00PM:
- Call to the front office (377-6400) with the transportation change.
- If notification is not received, the child will be sent home as they normally dismiss.
We appreciate your partnership in helping us maintain a safe, structured, and focused learning environment for all students.
🌸 Spring Into Literacy! 🌸
As spring blooms, so does literacy at CPE! Students are diving into engaging books, strengthening their writing, and building new skills. Every grade level is growing and learning in exciting ways!
🌼 Kindergarten Is Ready to Blossom! 🌼
Kindergarten students are excited for their upcoming Public Library field trip! They’ll enjoy Storytime, tour the library, and receive their very own library cards—sparking a love for reading.
🌱 1st Grade: Grow, Plants, Grow! 🌱
First graders are exploring a new ELA module about plants through poetry. They’re learning about stanzas and line breaks while connecting reading to science.
🌿 2nd Grade: Home Sweet Habitat! 🐾
Second graders are exploring animal habitats through informational texts. They’re building comprehension by studying text features, figurative language, and making connections.
🧺 3rd Grade: Poppin’ Into Poetry! 🌷
Third graders are preparing for a Poetry Picnic! They’re writing and revising poems while learning different poetry styles like haiku, limericks, and free verse.
✏️ 4th & 5th Grade: Ready to Shine! ✏️
Fourth and fifth graders are preparing for the State Writing Test. They’ve been strengthening their argumentative and expository writing and are ready to do their best!
Dear CPE Families,
On behalf of the PTO, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our incredible community and families for your generous support during our recent Walk-a-thon fundraising efforts. Thanks to your participation and dedication, we are proud to share that we raised over $18,000!
This achievement reflects the strength of our school community and your commitment to our students. The funds raised will go right back into our school to support students in many ways, including providing classroom supplies, funding field trips, supporting community presentations, student celebrations and much more!
We are also excited to celebrate our amazing CPE staff during Staff Appreciation Week, May 4th–8th! We invite you to join us at our next PTO meeting on April 8th at 7:45 AM in the media center to learn how you can help make this week extra special for our teachers.
Your time, energy, and generosity truly make a difference. Thank you for helping us continue to create meaningful experiences for our students and staff!
With appreciation,
CPE PTO
If you have any questions, please reach out to calusaparkpto@hotmail.com.
Plan ahead! It is important that students are at school, on time, every day! Every moment of learning is important to your child’s development and progress. Please see Attendance Newsletter from September for all things Attendance including family resources.
Attendance Newsletter Link: https://secure.smore.com/n/usw81-let-s-talk-about-attendance?ref=email
*Please note- If your child is absent for any reason, please call the front office at 377-6400 to let us know why your child is absent so we can properly notate that. In addition, all absences are unexcused unless a doctor’s note is provided. Per Florida Statute (1003.26(1)(b), students with 5 unexcused [or validated] absences within a calendar month, or 15 unexcused [or validated] within a 90 day period are considered truant and an attendance meeting may be scheduled with the school and district personnel.
Calusa Park Elementary
Location: 4600 Santa Barbara Blvd, Naples, FL 34104
Phone: 239-377-6400
Twitter: @blackbearsroar
Facebook: Calusa Park Elementary
