SEM Newsletter: Week 31

To ensure high levels of learning in a safe, respectful environment where all achieve personal and academic success. ALL means ALL.

This is the final week to submit your Seminole t-shirt order—don’t miss out!

Thank you for the amazing turnout at last week’s 1st and 2nd grade awards! It was wonderful to see so many families join us. We’re looking forward to celebrating our 3rd–5th grade students at Monday’s awards ceremony!

Mrs. VanderMolen, Principal

Mrs. Drazick, Assistant Principal

From April 21st to April 24th, students can purchase fun tattoos during Ms. Emily’s Specials class and choose which staff member will proudly wear it. Then, on April 25th, watch our staff show off their new ink with pride!

All proceeds will go toward making Teacher Appreciation Week extra special in May!

🎨 Tattoo Prices:

• $1 – Small Tattoo

• $3 – Medium Tattoo

• $3 – Face Tattoo

  
  

Let’s have some fun and show our Seminole staff how much we appreciate them! 🖤

This is the final week to order your Seminole t-shirt! Be sure to turn in your order form and payment before the week is over!

For parents of students who were enrolled in our after-school tutorial program, please note that last week marked the conclusion of the program for this school year. We appreciate your support and your child’s participation, and we hope the extra learning time was beneficial.

Grades 3-5 Glow Dance is coming soon! Tickets will be sold next week.

Seminole is excited to host our Spring Book Fair from April 28th to May 2nd! Students will have the opportunity to visit the book fair during their specials time. We’ll also be holding a special evening grand opening on April 28th—more details coming soon!

Our Lost & Found is Overflowing! Please stop by our office to see if your child's lost jacket is among our lost and found.

Do you have a child turning 5 before September 1st? If so, it’s time to register for Kindergarten! Check out the flyer below for more details and schedule your appointment for April 15th.

In an effort to increase the security and safety on campus, all visitors must have a photo ID to enter the front office.

Students in grades K-2 will take the STAR Assessment, while students in grades 3-5 will be taking the FAST Assessment. As a reminder, this state assessment plays a key role in determining your child’s progress for the 2024-2025 school year.

📅 Please check the schedule below for your child's testing dates. Attendance during the first few weeks of May is crucial! Let’s work together to set our students up for success! 💪🎓

Florida is leading a first-in-the-nation approach that empowers students to persevere and overcome life’s inevitable challenges. The Florida Department of Education developed state education standards and resources to equip students with skills that build resiliency.

These are the 11 resiliency characteristics to help your child overcome any challenge:

Perseverance, Responsibility,Self-Awareness & Self-Management, Grit, Responsible, Decision-Making, Mentorship, Gratitude, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Citizenship, Honesty, and Empathy

Explore the skills by going to buildresilency.org and clicking each word to learn its definition and access downloadable resources.

Attention 5th-grade parents! You’re invited to our 5th Grade Graduation Ceremony on May 20th. Be sure to mark your calendars! Due to limited space, we kindly ask each family to bring no more than three guests per student.

Kindergarten graduation is right around the corner, and parents are invited! Due to limited space, we kindly ask families to limit attendance to three guests per student.

Okeechobee County VPK Registration is now open! If you have a child that will be 4 years old before September 1st, check out the flyer below for more information.

Link Here to Register for VPK

The Zone Waiver application window for the 2025-2026 school year is open from May 1st to May 20th. Applications can be completed in person at Seminole. Please note that Seminole is currently at capacity, so all applications will be placed on a waiting list.

To learn more about Zone Waivers, check out the District's website by clicking on this link!

Parents, please use the roundabout towards the back of the school when dropping off or picking up your student. This helps us avoid congestion and issues with traffic back up. Do not use the driveway before the roundabout to turn around. This creates a very dangerous situation for cars that are driving to the roundabout or turning into the school.

Also, please do not exit your vehicle during drop off or pick up times. We have staff that will assist the students exit or enter the vehicles as necessary. This limits pedestrian traffic in the road and near our opened gates.

Thank you!

A read-at-home plan is required to be provided to parents of any K – grade 3 student who has been identified with a substantial deficiency in reading. The Just Read, Florida! Office at the Florida Department of Education has compiled resources that each school district must incorporate into a read-at-home plan provided to the parent of a student who is identified as having a substantial

deficiency in reading. A read-at-home plan includes information and resources connected to the essential components of reading: oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. These resources are available in an electronic format that is accessible online, and a hardcopy of such resources must be provided by the school upon parent request. To access these resources digitally, click on each link provided.

Just Read, Florida!

We are delighted to inform you that our community has access to a wonderful program called Footsteps2Brilliance® that can help your child develop reading and writing skills in English and in Spanish. Footsteps2Brilliance® provides a comprehensive curriculum of over 1,000 English and Spanish books, songs, and games that are fun for children and easy for you to access on any smart device or computer. No internet access? No problem! The app works even without an internet connection. Once the device is connected to Wi-Fi again, all the data will automatically upload to the teacher. Best of all, the program is proven to help children learn to read!

Check out the flyers below to learn more!

Parents, take a look at our Parent Family Engagement Plan here! This plan provides an overview of the ways we aim to foster strong partnerships between families and our school.an overview of the ways we aim to foster strong partnerships between families and our school.

Parent Family Engagement Plan English

Parent Family Engagement Plan Spanish

Take a look at the flyers below for the upcoming Treasure Coast Food Bank dates.

AfterCare is being offered at Seminole!

Please use the QR codes to learn more information and register your child for AfterCare!

Below is a link to the District Policy on Bullying and Harassment. In order to be classified as bullying, the physical threat or emotion distress must be continuously inflicted towards the student. A one time occurrence of teasing would not fall under bullying.

SEM takes bullying seriously! If your child is being bullied, please have your child tell an adult at school or call the office to inform administration of the situation.

Link to District Bullying and Harassment Policy

At Seminole, we are committed to Read Aloud A Lot. Students spend time daily reading aloud in class. Students daily are required to read 20 minutes at home for homework. Students K-2 should be reading the fluency passages sent home by the teacher and grades 3-5 should be reading books at home.

Stay Informed About Meals at Seminole! 🥞🍎

Access the March Breakfast and Lunch Menus on our District Website by clicking here. These menus are packed with delicious and nutritious options to fuel our students for success!

Remember, breakfast and lunch are completely free for ALL Seminole students. Make sure your child takes advantage of these healthy meal offerings every day! 🥪✨

Parents, please check out this wonderful free resource! Even if your family is not eligible to receive books, there are still free resources available to help your child with reading!

Link to New Worlds Reading Website

The Florida Department of Education has recently updated their Just Read, Florida! initiative. Click here to learn more about the updates!

Parents, does your child need additional assistance?

Okeechobee County School District has partnered with Varsity Tutors for Schools! All students now have access to the Varsity Tutors learning resources like live classes, chat tutoring, and more. Some students may have been assigned tutoring by your school, ask your teacher or school office if this has been provided to you. All Okeechobee County School District families can sign up for paid supplemental private tutoring for their students at a discounted rate!

Click here to learn more information about what it is, how to login, and so much more!

April 7-11 National Assistant Principal Week

April 16th- Math Bowl

April 17th- Glow Dance Party 3-5pm Grades 3-5

April 18th- Good Friday No School

April 22nd- School Bus Driver's Day

April 23rd- Admin Professionals Appreciation Day (Office Staff)

April 23rd- Progress Reports

April 25th- Early Release Day

April 28-May 2- APTT

April 29th- Battle of the Books

May 1st- Principal Appreciation Day

May 2nd- School Lunch Hero Day

May 5th-9th- Teacher Appreciation Week

May 7th- National School Nurses Day

May 15th- SAC Meeting 5:30-6:30 pm

May 19-23- Quarter 4 Awards

May 20th- 5th Grade Graduation 9 am

May 21st- VPK Graduation 6-7 pm

May 22nd- Kindergarten Graduation 9 am

May 27th- 5th Grade SeaWorld Field Trip

May 28th- Seminole Field Day

May 29th- Early Release Day/End of Quarter 4/Last Day of School

May 30th- Teacher Work Day