Parkside Post
November 2025
Save The Dates
November 14 ~ Turkey Trot Walk-a-Thon during Related Arts
November 19 ~ SAC @ 7:45 and Parent Lighthouse Meeting to follow in Media Center
November 24-28 ~ Thanksgiving Break/No School
December 1 ~ Students and Staff Return to School
December 8-11 ~ Holiday Shop
Our Parent Lighthouse Team is looking for volunteers to help support our students and staff! If you are interested in helping, please register as a volunteer and join us at our next meeting! Date will be announced soon!
One of the ways our PLT is recognizing students is by providing a small birthday gift bag to each student during the month of their birthday! They are also facilitating our Crocs & Socks Fundraiser which takes place on the last school day Friday of each month.
MORNING DROP OFF REMINDER
Drop off begins at 7:30. Student should not be exiting vehicles prior to that time. Please pull all the way forward when dropping off your child in the morning. This helps us get more students unloaded in a timely manner. Students should not be dropped off until you pull up and are parked at a pole. The curve at the back of the line near the bushes is NOT a drop off location. Please follow these expectations for the safety of all students and staff!
CAR SIGNS
Please make sure you have a car sign in your vehicle every day. It significantly slows down our dismissal when we have to check IDs and verify approved pick ups. If you do not have a car sign, please come to the front office and we will provide one. You can also request multiple signs if you have different people picking up your child.
Walker Procedures for Kindergarten and First Graders
The safety of our students is a top priority. All kindergarten and 1st grade students who walk home, need to be met at the walker gate by an adult who has the walker tag. Students will not be released without the proper walker tag being presented. If you forget your tag, our staff will call the front office to verify approved pick ups. The person picking up the child must have a photo ID to verify identity, if they don't have the walker tag. Students who walk home with older students, with parent permission, are permitted to leave.
Thank you for partnering with us to make Parkside a safe place for all!
Literacy & Learning
November is a great time to cozy up with a book and build strong reading habits at home. Here are a few simple strategies you can use to support your child’s literacy growth:
📖 5 Easy Ways to Boost Reading at Home
- Set a Reading Routine
Choose a consistent time each day—like before bed or after dinner—for 15–20 minutes of reading. - Talk About Books
Ask questions like: “What was your favorite part?” or “Why do you think the character did that?” Talking builds comprehension! - Read Aloud Together
Whether it’s a picture book or a chapter book, reading aloud helps build vocabulary and listening skills. - Use Real-Life Reading
Let your child help read recipes, signs, shopping lists, or instructions. It shows reading is useful everywhere! - Visit the Library
Explore new genres and let your child choose books that interest them. Choice encourages motivation.
🦃 Thanksgiving Idea
Start a “Thankful Book” where your child writes or draws something they’re grateful for each day. It’s a great way to blend writing and reflection.
Thank you for all you do to support literacy at home. Your involvement makes a big difference!
Math This Month
This month, students are strengthening their math skills through hands on practice, problem solving, and explaining their reasoning.
Primary Grades (K–2):
- Adding and subtracting within 10 or 20 using objects, number lines, or drawings.
- Solving simple story problems and explaining their thinking with words or pictures.
Intermediate Grades (3–5):
- Multiplication and division strategies using arrays, equal groups, and area models.
- Explaining math reasoning using equations, models, or written explanations.
🏡 How Families Can Help at Home
Primary (K-2) Ideas:
- Count household items together or make small addition/subtraction problems with snacks or toys.
- Play board games or card games that involve counting or number recognition.
- Ask your child, “How did you figure that out?” to boost math reasoning.
Intermediate (3-5) Ideas:
- Practice multiplication facts through games, flash cards, or apps.
- Cook or bake together to measure ingredients and talk about fractions.
- Have your child estimate totals while shopping or calculate change.
- Encourage your child to explain how they solved a problem, not just give an answer.
Thank you for supporting your child’s math learning at home. Together, we’re helping students become confident problem solvers!
Science News
With the first quarter in the rearview mirror, students and teachers are progressing through their science standards and having fun doing it. Each grade level has some fun and exciting units scheduled for the second quarter. Be sure to ask your student what they are learning about in science.
Science doesn’t just take place in a classroom; it happens outside. With the cooler weather that is here (at least in the mornings and evenings), this presents a great opportunity to take a walk with your child outside. A wooded park is best, but a stroll around your neighborhood is good too. Practice asking questions with your child. If they observe the leaves on a tree, you could ask, “Do the leaves on this tree ever change?” Or if they observe a bird, you could ask, “How many different types of birds are in our neighborhood?” The goal is to get children thinking about the world around them.
Counselor's Corner
This month, we are learning about how Kindness and how gratitude work hand-in-hand to create a positive school community. Students are practicing ways to show kindness through their words and actions; like including others, offering help, and speaking with respect.
Families can support this at home by taking a moment each day to share something you’re grateful for, and by pointing out acts of kindness when they happen. A quick “I saw how you…” can encourage children to keep those positive habits going!
Together, let’s make November a month filled with caring actions and thankful hearts.
Parkside Media Center
Pumpkin Jack Returns to the Media Center!
It’s that time of year again! For the third year in a row, we’re exploring the fascinating life cycle of a pumpkin through the story Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell. I’ve shared this book with our Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade students, and it’s also available for checkout for older grades. In the story, a boy watches his pumpkin slowly decompose in the garden and eventually grow into something new.
Just like in the book, we have our very own “Pumpkin Jack” in the Media Center that we’ll be observing over the next few months. We can’t wait to see how this year’s experiment compares to the last two! Be sure to ask your child from time to time how the pumpkin is doing — there’s always something interesting happening!
Student Leaders
We will continue to recognize students for exemplifying our PSE Expectations...Prepared to Learn, Show Respect to Ourselves and Others, Be Responsible...We will also be recognizing our students for modeling the 7 Habits, as part of the Leader in Me Framework. For November, we are focusing on Habit #3: First Things First, Habit #4: Think Win-Win & Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, Then To Be Understood
2025-2026 Parkside Dress Code
Mrs. Johnessee
Principal
Mrs. Moore
Assistant Principal
FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.
FortifyFL was created and funded by the 2018 Florida Legislature as part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The application was named by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Office of Attorney General, Department of Education and Florida Department of Law Enforcement coordinated its development and roll-out.
Website: collierschools.com/pse
Location: 5322 Texas Avenue, Naples, FL 34113, USA
Phone: 239-377-8900
Facebook: facebook.com/parksideproud
X: @parksideproud