September 12, 2026

Greetings, Pepin Families,

This week's newsletter is packed full of information.

First, I would like to thank everyone for the patience and flexibility you have shown as we adjusted our afternoon carline procedures. Students are now safely waiting inside their classrooms, protected from the weather, and are still leaving campus within the same timeframe as before.

Next, please be mindful of where you park when waiting for the gate to open in the afternoon. Do not block fire hydrants, driveways, or access to other roads - we don't want to hinder any families or emergency vehicles from accessing their destination.

A few dismissal reminders to help ensure the safety of our students and staff:

• Early pickup ends at 2:30 p.m. Anyone picking up a student must come into the office, be listed on the student's emergency contacts in myStudent (FOCUS), and present a valid photo ID that matches the information on file.

• Once carline begins at 3:15 p.m., please refrain from using your cell phone or any other electronic device. Your full attention should be focused on moving safely through the parking lot and remaining aware of the students and staff around you.

• As you pull into the 12 loading spaces, please move as far forward as possible. When vehicles do not pull forward completely, two issues occur: it blocks the student crosswalk and reduces our capacity from six vehicles to five in that section, slowing the dismissal process.

• Display your car tag and use hazards. Once your student has been loaded, turn on your hazard lights so staff know you are ready to depart.

When hazardous weather occurs during dismissal, student and staff safety will always be our top priority. Unfortunately, this may result in a delay. If a weather-related delay occurs, you will be notified through the Pasco County Schools' Parent Portal and the PASCO ONE app. Please make sure email notifications are enabled in the Parent Portal and that push notifications are turned on in the app to receive real-time updates. We will also allow students to call their parent or guardian if a delay exceeds 10 minutes.

For safety reasons, students who walk, ride bicycles or scooters, or drive their own vehicles cannot be released until we are certain the severe weather has passed. Car riders and staff will remain in classrooms until it is safe to be outside. If lightning is still in the area, staff members are prohibited from escorting students to vehicles.

Parents and guardians using carline may choose to park and wait for the storm to pass. There is no expectation that anyone leave their vehicle during severe weather. When it is safe to do so, as a courtesy, we have permitted parents to pull up to the curb, bring their car tag to a staff member stationed in the breezeway near the office, and request their child for dismissal. The student is then released directly to the parent or guardian and is considered dismissed at that time.

Lightning is a serious and potentially deadly hazard, especially here in Florida. Just two days ago, a teacher was hospitalized after lightning struck nearby during student dismissal. I have included a link to FOX 13's coverage of the incident for your reference.

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to keeping our students safe.

Sincerely,

Kathy

Parent-Teacher Conferences are this Tuesday, September 15 starting at 2 pm. Use the QR code to the left to sign up. You will need to use this code and complete the form for each conference you want to schedule.

Don't forget that Tuesday is an early release day. Dismissal begins at 12:15 pm

What has Pepin Academies meant to your family? Whether it's a milestone achievement, a supportive teacher, a lasting friendship, or a moment that made a difference, we'd love to hear your story.

Your experiences help us highlight the impact of Pepin Academies and inspire future students, families, supporters, and community partners.

As a thank you, everyone who shares a story during September will be entered into our Monthly Coffee Break Giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Starbucks gift card.

Share your story here: Tell the Pepin Story Form

Thank you for helping us celebrate the people and moments that make Pepin Academies special!

Our annual Falcon Fright Golf Tournament is coming up on October 24th, and we're looking for your help! Proceeds from the tournament fund our Classroom & Campus Innovation Grants, supporting creative projects and programs for students across Pepin Academies.

You can support the event by:

• Donating raffle items
• Registering to play in the tournament
• Sharing sponsorship opportunities with your employer, business, or professional contacts (Sponsorship Flyer Below)

Register to play or secure a sponsorship using the button below.

Questions? contact communications@pepinacademies.us.

We will also have volunteer opportunities available on tournament day, and additional details will be shared in the coming weeks.

Thank you for helping make a difference for Pepin students!

The middle school volleyball team did an amazing job on Wednesday. Even though they didn't win; we are incredibly proud of them!

Set #1 10-25

Set #2 19-25

Coach Delaney reported these wonderful highlights:

Nikki S- 7 aces

Adilyn- 5 aces

Grace- 2 aces

Jocelyn- return for point

Charlotte- return for point

Kyleigh- return for point

(An ace in volleyball is when a ball is served and the other team can't return it or it hits the ground. ♠️)

We hope to see you at one of our upcoming Home Games : This Friday 9/11 and then Sep. 16, 17, 18. Games start at 4:30 pm.

If you know of a family whose child has an IEP, please share that we have a few seats available for the current school year. They can go to our website and complete an application, or you can share the link from the Click Here button above. Since the lottery is over, accepted students will be added to their grade-level waitlists in the order they applied. Open seats will be filled from these lists.

You can access the menus digitally through the SLA/Nutrislice website by clicking on the pizza icon to the right. Once on their site and viewing the Pepin Academies menus, you’ll have the option to see detailed nutritional and allergen information for each item.

We are currently accepting cash or check payments. Please include your student’s number on all payments.

**Additionally, please make sure to complete the Free/Reduced Lunch Application on the Pasco County Schools website. This not only helps with school funding but may also qualify your family for meal benefits.**

Click the Button below to reach Pepin FIRST Pasco's Facebook page

• 09/15/26 - Early Release @ 12:15pm
• 09/15/26 - Parent-Teacher Conferences begin at 2 pm
• 09/16, 09/17. 09/18/26 - Girls Volleyball HOME games. They begin at 4:30 pm
• 09/21 - 09/25/26 - Fall Break
• 10/09/26 - Early Release @ 12:15 pm
• 10/13/26 - Student and Staff Picture Retake Day
• 10/14/26 - Board Meeting @ 5:30 pm
• 10/24/26 - Pepin Golf Tournament
• 10/30/26 - Early Release @ 12:15 pm
• 10/30/26 - Trunk-or-Treat @ 5:30-7:30 pm

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Jane Bjorbekk - Data Processing JBjorbekk@pepinacademies.us

Beth Stubler- Administrative Assistant EStubler@pepinacademies.us

Sarah Lupescu - Front Desk Receptionist Slupescu@pepinacademies.us

Christina Riley - ESE Secretary Criley@pepinacademies.us

Kimberly Evans KEvans@pepinacademies.us

Pam Devine PDevine@pepinacademies.us

Susan Siebert SSeibert@pepinacademies.us

Kelly Goeden KGoeden@pepinacademies.us

Jill Niski JNiski@pepinacademies.us

Heather Perez HPerez@pepinacademies.us

Theresa Gooldrup TGooldrup@pepinacademies.us

Amy Greene AGreene@pepinacademies.us

Gail Eshelman GEshelman@pepinacademies.us

Dr. David Valdez - Behavior Specialist DValdez@pepinacademies.us

Angel Elderedge - Behavior Assistant AElderedge@pepinacademies.us

Erica McDowell EMcDowell@pepinacademies.us

Dianne Acosta DAcosta@pepinacademies.us

Dean Quinlan NPR.Officer@pepinacademies.us

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Click on the #FortifyFL icon to report suspicious activity.

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