CCE April 2026 Parent Connection

100% Student Success!

Curlew Creek Elementary will achieve this by being responsive to the academic, emotional, social, and individual needs of each child. Our goal is to develop critical thinkers and problem solvers who are prepared to be responsible, confident, and productive members of a diverse society.

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Dear Coyote Families,

It was wonderful to welcome our Coyotes back from Spring Break! They quickly settled back into their routines, and I am incredibly proud of their enthusiasm and dedication.

As we move into April, our end-of-year assessments are just around the corner. These assessments are essential for measuring your child's understanding of grade-level content and will play a crucial role in discussions about promotion and retention. Therefore, it is vital that your child attends school for all lessons and reviews leading up to these assessments.

Attendance matters because our students matter! We are now in the final quarter of the school year, with less than 40 days remaining. Each day counts and missing just a day or two each month can make it difficult for your student to catch up. Our teachers and staff are committed to supporting our scholars and want your child to succeed and be prepared to learn alongside their peers in the next grade. If you or your student are facing challenges that might lead to frequent absences or tardiness, please reach out to School Counselor Jennifer Flory or Social Worker Taylor Lyons at 727-724-1423. Let’s finish this school year Coyote Strong!

Legacy Requests are due on April 10th. This is a hard deadline. The request must be on the form provided and submitted to the school office. As of now, we do not have our final unit allocations for the 2026/2027 school year, and therefore, teacher assignments are not available at this time. Please note that we will not be able to extend requests or accommodate request changes later.

As you may know, student enrollment in PCS has been declining for various reasons, including lower birth rates, families relocating closer to relatives, rising housing costs, and other school options. This trend is also evident at Curlew Creek. To address this, we are working diligently to enhance our presence. Let’s spread the word that we are a GREAT school!

With warmest regards,

Principal Brickley

4/2 - Grade 2 Field Trip - James Museum

4/2 - Quarter 3 Report Cards Distributed

4/3 - School Closed

4/6 - Safety Patrol Meeting, 3:15-4:15 PM

4/9 - Grade 2 Student Led Conferences (rescheduled from March)

4/10 - 2026/2027 Class Legacy Requests Due to school office

4/10 - $1 Lunch Fundraiser

4/10 - United Ballers make-up day (from 3/27)

4/13 - Science Showcase for families, 3:15-5:15 - Media Center

4/14 - Curlew Creek Special Olympics

4/17 - SAC quarter 4 meeting (last meeting), 7:30-8:30 AM - Media Center

4/17 - Last Parent Lunch Bunch for Grades 2, 3, 4

4/17 - United Ballers spring session 2 (4/17-5/22, see flyer below)

4/20 - National Youth Violence Prevention Week

4/20 & 21 - Grade 5 Field Trip - Holocaust Museum

4/21- 2026/27 Safety Patrol Parent Meeting, 3:15-4;15 PM - Media Center

4/23 - Quarter 4 Commitment to Character Awards Assembly (Cooperation & Responsibility), 9:15 AM, Cafeteria

4/24 - Quarter 4 Mid Period Reports

4/24 - All Pro Dads, 7:30 AM, Media Center

4/24 - Parent Lunch Bunch, Grades K, 1, 5

4/24 - PTA Family Dance

4/27 - No School for Students

4/27 - STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK

4/30: 8-9 a.m. Volunteer/Mentor Appreciation - Media Center

5/5 - Kindergarten Field Trip - Zoo Tampa

5/6 - National School Nurse Day

5/9 - PCS Engineering & Science Showcase, 10am-2pm- SPC Clearwater

5/25- Memorial Day - School Closed

5/27 - 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony, 9am - Countryside High School

5/28 - Last Day for Students (dismissal 2 hours early) / Report Cards Distributed

6/1-25 - Summer Bridge (M-TH)

6/2-25 - ESY (M-TH)

5/13 (Wednesday):

9:00-11:00 - K

12:30-2:30 – Gr 3

5/15 (Friday):

9:00-11:00– Gr 4

12:30-2:30 – Gr 5

5/18 (Monday):

9:00-11:00- Gr 1

12:3-2:30 – Gr 2

Curlew Creek students will be attending Safety Harbor Elementary School. Invited students can attend Summer Bridge at any location, but those attending Safety Harbor Elementary will be eligible for transportation.

This program is by invitation only. Students were invited based on their Cycle 2 Data. Letters were sent home on March 23, and registration opened on March 25th. Please enroll your child if you received a letter. If you need help registering, call Mrs. Wheeldon in the school office, 727-724-1423.

If you have questions, contact Ms. Ketchem, Assistant Principal.

If you are interested in being a part of our 2026-2027 PTA board or School Advisory Council (SAC), please contact Principal Brickley.

We are seeking School Advisory Council Members for 2026-2027. See the attached membership interest form below.

Mark your calendars! Our last quarterly School Advisory CouncilMeeting is scheduled for

Friday, April 17th, from 7:30 to 8:30 AM in the school library.

Agenda:

• Elections / Approve Slate of Officers
• Debrief the 2025-2026 school year
• Provide input for our 2026-2027 School Improvement Plan

Stay informed and engaged with our school community!

We look forward to seeing you there! Your participation makes a difference!

Each year, the Florida Department of Education surveys parents of children receiving special education services to determine how well their children’s schools are partnering with them. The survey is for students in grades PreK-12 who have an IEP. Feedback helps the school district improve special education services and collaboration with families. Families can learn more and access the survey at www.pcsb.org/ese.

Class Legacy Request forms for the 2026-2027 school year are due in writing by Friday, April 10th.

• A parent may request to have a child placed with a teacher who previously had a sibling in their class.
• A parent may request to have a child placed with a teacher whom the child previously had in another grade.

Please submit a hard copy request (no emails or faxes) to the school office addressed to Mrs. Brickley. Only the form available in the school office (and attached below) will be accepted. Note that only Legacy requests will be considered, however they are not guaranteed.

To ensure a successful start to the school day, it is crucial that all students arrive before 8:45 AM. This ensures they are seated in their classroom and ready for instruction, which begins promptly at 8:45 AM. Arriving after 8:45 AM disrupts the teaching and learning already in progress.

If your child is late, you must walk them in and sign them in at the front office. Please do not drop them off and leave, as our front doors are locked and entry is managed through the security doorbell system.

We strongly urge your cooperation in this matter to maintain a productive learning environment for ALL students. Thank you for your understanding and support!

CONGRATULATIONS to 5th grade teacher Rosalie Knudson, now Mrs. Lau! She was married on March 8th.

COYOTE WHOOSHES to our PTA for coordinating our Coyote favorite event of the year - THECOYOTE CARNIVAL! And to all staff and volunteers who helped to make this event the most successful ever! And BIG THANK YOU to all our families who attended!!! We love to see you at our events!

THANK YOU to parents who have sent staff recognitions by clicking the button or the link at the top of the monthly newsletter! Our staff appreciate those recognitions more than you know!

A HUGE SHOUT OUT to our wonderful MENTORS for taking the time to see our kiddos every week! You are greatly appreciated!

Parents, your positive words can make a huge difference! If you’d like to recognize the hard work and dedication of a Curlew Creek staff member, please take a moment to submit a shout-out. Your compliments mean the world to them! Don’t forget to fill out a separate form for each staff member you’d like to honor.

Share Your Compliment Now

PBIS handles misbehavior by using consistent, predictable responses that focus on teaching better choices rather than simply punishing students. When a student doesn’t meet expectations, staff first try to understand what the student needs and why the behavior occurred. They use strategies such as redirection, reteaching the expected behavior, offering choices, or helping the student problem-solve. Consequences may still be given when appropriate, but they are paired with support, so the student learns what to do differently next time. PBIS also uses data to identify patterns—such as times of day or specific settings where misbehavior occurs—so the school can make proactive changes to prevent issues. The goal is to help students build skills, feel supported, and stay engaged in learning, rather than removing them from the classroom whenever difficulties arise.

“No legacy is as rich as honesty.” ~Shakespeare

Per safety legislation. there are to be no students on campus prior to 8:15 AM. This is non-negotiable.

If you arrive prior to 8:15 in car line, the student is to stay in the car with you. If your students walks or rides a bike to school, please adjust your schedule so that your child arrives between 8:15-8:45 AM. The school does not provide supervision for students prior to 8:15 AM.

Club students & Safety Patrols are the only exceptions and will be greeted by their sponsor. We need YOU to adhere to this safety concern. Thank you!

Please see the one-page summary of our School Improvement Plan (click to enlarge). Teachers and staff will use this to guide their instructional and professional goals and work throughout the school year. Feel free to leave feedback on our school webpage where you may also view our full School Improvement Plan.

Click to enlarge.

See Something, Say Something:

https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/say-something-tips/

Fortify Florida reporting site:

https://getfortifyfl.com/Tip.html#

Did you know our school is registered with Box Tops for Education?!

This is an EASY way to help our school earn extra money. It’s as easy as scanning your grocery receipts. The app identifies the items that qualify and our Coyotes get a cut.

Download the app, select Curlew Creek Elem and start scanning your grocery/shopping receipts! You select which grade you want to give credit to.

Which grade will come out on top at the end of the year?

Here is a link to register & start earning free money for our school:

https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=MYY11JLM

Email: brickleyk@pcsb.org

Website: https://www.pcsb.org/curlew-es
Location: 3030 Curlew Road, Palm Harbor, FL, 34684
Phone: 727-724-1423
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