The Paw Print
Keeping Wildcat Families Connected: October
Our Mission
Our students are leaders who are empowered to succeed through compassion, perseverance, and innovation.
Our Vision
To build a strong community of leaders.
Our Motto
¡Somos Wildcats! We Lead, We Learn!
🔔School Hours!🔔
Drop off begins at 8:15am
Tardy bell rings at 8:30am
Student Hours: 8:30am-2:40pm
Office Hours 7:30am-3:15pm
We are so excited to be launching our Pantry Opening on September 18th! See flyer for more details!
¡Estamos muy emocionados de inaugurar nuestra Despensa Escolar el 18 de septiembre! ¡Consulte el volante para obtener más detalles!
Thanksgiving Lunch, November 12th
A special extra day to have lunch with your K-5 student. See the menu for parent meal options.
Thank you for helping us celebrate the amazing staff members who make a difference each and every day. We encourage staff and families to share shout-outs recognizing those who go the extra mile to support our school community.
Referendum 2026- Sustaining Excellence
The renewal of Pasco County Schools' Salary Referendum is on the ballot in November. To learn how the Referendum has impacted our schools, please visit Pasco Schools' Referendum Renewal.
Principal Message
Dear Families,
As we welcome the month of October, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued partnership and support. Fall is a busy and exciting time at school, and our students are already showing tremendous growth in their learning, leadership, and character.
This month brings many opportunities for learning and community connection. Classrooms are engaged in meaningful instruction, students are setting goals and celebrating successes, and our staff remains committed to providing a safe, supportive, and engaging environment where every child can thrive.
We encourage families to stay connected by reading school communications, participating in school events, and reaching out whenever you have questions or need support. Together, we can ensure every student has an outstanding educational experience.
Thank you for entrusting us with your children each day. It is truly a privilege to serve as your principal. I look forward to a wonderful October filled with learning, growth, and memorable moments for our Wildcats!
With gratitude,
Jodi Legg
Rodney B. Cox Administration Team
Principal
Jodi Legg
Assistant Principal
Jill Carroll
🍎UPCOMING EVENTS🍎
October
October 12th: No School for Students
October 16th: Report cards released on PascoONE app
October 16th: SAC Meeting, 7:30am
October 17th: 11am-2pm Fall Festival sponsored by PTO
October 19th: Buddy-A-Thon Fundraiser Launch
October 26th-30th Red Ribbon Week
October 28th: Early Release Day- students are released at 12:40pm
October 30th: Book Character Parade- Pre-Register by 10/27: We look forward to seeing you at the RBCES Character Parade! – Fill out form
Buddy-A-Thon Fundraiser
PTO Sponsored Fall Festival
Red Ribbon Week
November
November 12th: Día de los Muertos or Día de Muertos- Hispanic Heritage Celebration, more info to come
November 13th: SAC Meeting 7:30am
November 18th: Great American Teach In (GATI)
November 20th: Progress Reports
November 23rd- 27th: No School- Thanksgiving Break
Academic Advisor's Corner
Hello Families!
Fall is officially in full swing on our campus and our students are working hard as we cross the midpoint of the first grading period.
This month, our school is focusing on a vital trait from Florida's resiliency calendar: Honesty. In an elementary setting, we teach kids that honesty isn't just about telling the truth when something goes wrong-it's also a superpower for learning! Academic honesty means having the courage to speak up and say, "I don't understand this math problem yet," or "I need help with this reading passage." When students are honest about what they know, our teachers can give them the exact support they need to grow.
Want to support this at home? Check out the Parent Resources | Resiliency Florida website for some awesome grade level book lists and conversation starters that make talking about honesty a little easier and more fun. Let's keep working together to build truthful, confident learners!
Taryn Hobbs
352-524-5100
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Other Important Information
Lunch with your child (Wednesday and Friday ONLY)
We’re excited to welcome parents and guardians to join their child for lunch beginning September 9th on Wednesday or Friday only
Please remember:
- Bring a photo ID and check in at the front office.
- You must be listed on the student’s contact list.
- Lunch visitors may sit with their child at the outdoor tables outside the cafeteria. For student safety, adults may not enter the cafeteria.
- Lunch visits will not be available during rainy days or extreme weather, as seating is outdoors.
myStudent App will Launch as PascoOne
No applications or services have been removed. Existing resources have simply been reorganized, simplified, and redesigned for easier navigation and streamlined access.
All parent and guardian services will now be accessible through one platform, reducing the need to search across multiple websites, emails, and applications.
This will be a SSO platform for families, as they previously had to navigate and log into each app separately.
School payments, including lunch account deposits, will now be processed through Rycor via the "ONE Wallet" link within the Pasco ONE app. This change helps streamline where families manage student-related payments and fees.
Additional quick-access links have been added, including district and school communication channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and other commonly used resources, making it easier for families to stay informed and connected.
The goal is to provide families with one convenient location for the tools, resources, information, and updates they rely on throughout the school year.
Dismissal Changes and Early Check Out
To help ensure a safe and smooth dismissal process for all students, please notify the front office of any dismissal changes by 1:45 p.m. We kindly ask that dismissal plans remain consistent whenever possible and that changes be made only when absolutely necessary. While a dismissal change may seem minor, it can impact student safety during one of the busiest times of the school day. Our staff works hard to ensure every child gets to the correct location, and limiting last-minute changes helps us do so as efficiently and safely as possible. Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and support.
If your child needs to leave early for an appointment, they must be checked out by 2:00 p.m. After 2:00 p.m., students will remain in class and be dismissed at the regular dismissal time of 2:40 p.m..
Thank you for helping us keep all students safe and accounted for each day.
School Wide Expectations
P – Perseverance
- Work hard and never give up.
R – Respect
- Treat others how you want to be treated.
I – Integrity
- Do what is right even when no one is looking.
D – Display Self-Control
- Express and cope with emotions in appropriate ways.
E – Empathy
- Understand how other people are feeling.
School Lunches
Pasco County Schools Food & Nutrition Services will be implementing a program called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). All enrolled students in select Pasco County Schools (including RBCES) are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to their household. No further action is required. Students will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a meal application. A la carte items will still be available for purchase including additional meals and/or components of the meals. Families can reach out to Food & Nutrition Services directly through Let’s Talk, call FNS at 813.794.2480, or email FNS_Finance@pasco.k12.fl.us if they have any questions regarding this new program.
Parents are highly encouraged to make advance payment for a la carte items by utilizing www.MySchoolBucks.com. Any check made to Rodney B. Cox Elementary that is returned for insufficient fund will be assessed a $25.00 fee.
Cell Phone Policy
For all Pasco County Schools
Grades Pre-K through 5: Students in grades Pre-K through 5 who bring WCDs (wireless communication devices) to school must ensure that they remain on silent mode and completely out of view for the entire school day. Classroom teachers may also provide, and student may utilize, a cell phone storage area in their classroom. Students will need to put their cell phones on silent and their smart watches and put them in the bookbags once arriving on campus each day. Please have a conversation with your child prior to the first day of school so they know that they MUST silence their devices and put them away during the ENTIRE school day- no exceptions. Refer to pg. 32 of the Student Code of Conduct for more details and corrective actions/confiscation of device procedures.
Excused Absence Reporting
Consistent, on-time attendance is essential to your child’s academic success. Every moment of the school day is valuable, and we ask for your partnership in ensuring students are present and ready to learn each day.
Please make every effort to avoid scheduling vacations or out-of-town trips during the school year, as these can significantly disrupt your child’s learning. Be sure to consult the school calendar when planning any time away. If no reason is provided for an absence, it will automatically be marked as unexcused.
It is very important that students attend school regularly and BE ON TIME.
All students who are absent will be marked “unexcused” (U) until the parent/guardian notifies the school via link above or on our school website.
- Failure to do so within three (3) school days will cause the absence to be recorded as “unexcused”.
- In the case of excessive or extended absences, which are claimed to be due to illness, upon request of the principal or designee, a parent must provide documentation (doctor’s statement) of a student’s illness.
- Excessive or extended absences are considered five (5) in one calendar month or ten (10) in one semester, or a history of excessive absences per period as defined below under Student Consequences for Unexcused Absences.
- Absences that meet this threshold as defined above will require a doctor’s note. If doctor’s notes are not provided, absences will be marked as unexcused (Source: Portion from District School Board of Pasco County Student Code of Conduct).
How to Report an Absence
From a Web Browser
- Log in to Pasco One
- Go to Forms from your menu on the left or top.
- Select Absence Reporting
From the Pasco One app
- Tap Open Focus in the District Announcement message or Absence Reporting from your links page to log in through your browser.
- Android: Tap the three dots in the top-right, then select Open in Chrome.
- iOS: Tap the share icon at the bottom, then select Open in Chrome or Safari.
- Once in your browser, follow the web browser steps above.
Completing the Absence Report
- Choose your child from the dropdown — this auto-fills their school, your parent account, and your email.
- Enter a valid phone number if one is not listed
- Select the start date of the absence, and end date if it spans multiple days.
- Pick the appropriate reason for the absence. If “Other,” explain in the text box.
- (Optional) Add details in the Brief Description field.
- Check the acknowledgment box.
- Upload any supporting documents if needed.
- Click Submit Request after reviewing for accuracy.
For more details, visit: https://pasco.k12.fl.us/attendance
Parent Bill of Rights
School Advisory Committee (SAC)
The SAC is a means for community/parent involvement in and support of the schools. It is composed of the principal, teachers, educational support employees, parents, business and community partners, and students. It is representative of the ethnic and economic makeup of the community it serves, and it participates in identifying school needs and developing plans for meeting those needs. Additionally, the SAC assists in the evaluation of the school's Success Plan.
The SAC typically meets about six times a year where it then provides recommendations on the goals of the school and proposes strategies to accomplish them. It also prepares and distributes school information to the greater community. A large part of the SAC's responsibility involves voting on how to spend allocated funding to accomplish various student-centered goals and projects. This is why attendance for SAC members is so crucial to its success.
Teachers, educational support personnel, and parents are elected members of the SAC. Members typically serve for two years. Business and community representatives are encouraged to be a part as well.
If you are interested in joining SAC for the upcoming school year, please contact Mrs. Legg at jlegg@pasco.k12.fl.us
Scheduled dates are:
Sept 25th 1:30 Oct 16th 7:30 Nov 13th 7:30 Jan 22nd 7:30 Feb 19th 7:30 April 23rd 7:30
Early Childhood Programs
Arrival: The PreK Car Loop gate will be open from 8:15-8:30
Dismissal: The PreK Car Loop gate will be open from 2:40-2:55
For safety purposes, please refrain from playing loud music, talking on your cell phone or texting while dropping off and picking up your child.
Late Arrival/Early Pickup: EHS/HS parents and guardians are responsible for bringing their child(ren) directly to the classroom if they arrive tardy, and they are also responsible for walking to the classroom to pick up their child if checking out early. Parents/guardians must bring a picture ID to sign in and will recieve a visitor tag to walk directly to and from the office.
Per ECP regulations, Early Head Start (EHS) children must be accompanied by an adult escort. School-aged students are not permitted to serve as escorts.
Volunteer Information
Our volunteers are an invaluable part of our school community. By giving their time and talents, they help build strong partnerships among schools, families, community members, and local businesses while enhancing learning opportunities for students. We are truly grateful for the positive impact our volunteers make each day. All volunteers must be approved through the District School Board of Pasco County. Volunteer applications must be submitted annually on or after July 1 for each school year. Fingerprint clearances are valid for five years, as long as volunteers continue to complete the required annual application and submit it before October 1, 2026. https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/hreq/page/volunteer
If you are interested in volunteering on our campus, please contact our parent involvement coordinator, Moneice Griffin, who can assist with volunteer opportunities. Phone: 352-524-5100 Email: amgriffin@pasco.k12.fl.us
PTO
Join the PTO! Our mission is to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. Follow the Rodney B Cox PTO facebook page and look for them at the Back To School Bash or Meet the Teacher to find out more information!
Stay Connected
Stay Connected with Us!
We have many avenues of communication to stay connected with families. Keep an eye out!
The Paw Print - Parent Edition Newsletter
PascoONE
Rodney B. Cox Facebook Page: www.facebokk.com/RBCESwildcats
Website: https://rbces.pasco.k12.fl.us/
Location: 37615 Martin Luther King Blvd. Dade City, Florida
Phone: 352-524-5100