SEM Newsletter: Week 37

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

State Testing is officially complete—aside from a few make-ups! We’re heading into an exciting and busy week filled with celebrations, including Kindergarten and VPK Graduations, 5th Grade Graduation, and Awards Ceremonies for Grades 1–4. Summer break is definitely in the air!

Mrs. VanderMolen, Principal

Mrs. Drazick, Assistant Principal

If you pre-ordered a yearbook, they will be distributed and sent home on **Monday, May 19th**. Yearbooks are a great way for students to look back on all the fun memories made this school year—so get ready to flip through those pages and relive the moments!

Attention parents of our current 5th graders! 🎓
If your child will be attending Yearling Middle School (YMS), please take a moment to complete the attached Google Form. Your input will help determine which vocational classes your child would like to participate in once they start at YMS! 🛠️🎨

Link to YMS Google Form or scan the QR code!

Our final awards ceremony is just around the corner—mark your calendars! 🎉 Teachers will be contacting families this week to let them know if their child will be receiving an award.

Our first grade team warmly invites all dads and father figures to a special event—Books with Dad—on May 27th! 📚💙 Mark your calendars and plan to join us at Seminole Elementary at 9:15 a.m. for a memorable morning of reading and connection.

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

Parents, take a look at the Summer Activity Guide to discover fun and enriching opportunities for your child over the summer!

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

This week, we will continue make-up testing for any students who were absent during the past two weeks. Additionally, select students who scored a Level 1 on the 3rd Grade FAST Reading Assessment will complete further testing. Mrs. VanderMolen will be in direct contact with those families to provide updates on their child’s progress.

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

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!