The Hornet Newsletter
September 2025
Upcoming Dates
Thank You for Joining Us for Our Annual Volunteer Orientation Breakfast!
π₯ Thank You for Joining Us at the Volunteer Orientation Breakfast! π
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents and guardians who joined us for our Volunteer Orientation Breakfast on September 12, 2025. It was a pleasure to see so many familiar and new faces come together in support of our school community.
At the event, we shared information about the many ways to get involved, what to expect as a volunteer, and how to get started. If you missed it and would still like to learn more, please donβt hesitate to reach outβweβd love to get you connected!
A very special thank you to our incredible Volunteer Coordinator and Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Alina Burns! Her leadership, dedication, and warmth made the event a huge successβweβre so grateful for everything she does for our school.
Thank you again for your time, enthusiasm, and continued support.
Apple Day in Kindergarten! π
Kindergarten students had a blast celebrating Apple Day this month! From math activities and apple-themed art projects to fun explorations across other subjects, it was an event full of learning and laughter. A big thank you to our amazing parent volunteers who helped make the day extra specialβfun was had by all!
School Advisory Council (SAC) Ballot
The following individuals are on our ballot as parental members of our School Advisory Council for the 2025-2026 school year. Please take a moment to submit your vote for parent members to serve on our SAC:
- Shandrea Jackson
- Aimee Molineaux
- Christie Riley
The council meets once per month at 2:45 pm in our Media Center. If you would like to join Holland's SAC, please contact the front office at 321-773-7591.
π Ms. Rice's Literacy Corner: Join "Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader"!
Hello, Holland Hornets!
I'm thrilled to announce that our "Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader" program is once again up and running! This initiative is designed to inspire all students to develop a love for reading, which is a key factor in academic success. Research shows that students who read regularly tend to perform better across all subject areas, as reading enhances vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills.
The more you read, the more you learnβand the more you lead! Let's embark on this journey together and make reading a fun and rewarding part of our daily lives.
Happy reading!
Ms. Rice
Literacy Coach
π’ Weather Dismissal Procedures
Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation during our recent weather-related dismissals early in the year. As we head further into storm season, we want to remind families of our procedures during inclement weather:
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Regular Dismissal: If there is light rain and no lightning, dismissal will proceed as normal.
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Rainy-Day Dismissal: If there is heavy rain, even without lightning, we will hold walkers and bikers indoors. Car loop dismissal will continue as usual.
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Lightning Dismissal: If there is lightning in the area, all students will remain indoors until it is safe to dismiss.
All Brevard Public Schools follow district emergency protocols in the event of severe weather. Brevard County is located in a region with a high risk of lightning strikes and related injuries. Because weather conditions can change rapidly, a lightning dismissal may not be announced until the last minute.
During severe weather, dismissal may be temporarily suspended. When our technology systems are functioning properly, updates are sent to families via FOCUS (email and text alert). If the radar indicates the potential for severe weather close to dismissal time, we will begin by sending a message to inform families that we are actively monitoring conditions. A follow-up message will only be sent if dismissal procedures change to a rainy-day or lightning dismissal. If no message is sent, we will conduct a regular dismissal.
We truly appreciate your patience during these delays, as safety remains our top priority. Students will be released only when conditions improve, and it is safe to do so.
Thank you again for your support as we work together to keep our students and staff safe!
πΆ Welcome, Dr. John Perrine, Our New Music Teacher!
Weβre excited to welcome Dr. John Perrine to our school community as our new music teacher! Dr. Perrine brings a wealth of experience, passion for music education, and enthusiasm for inspiring young musicians. Heβs looking forward to getting to know our students and sharing the joy of music throughout the year.
Please take a moment to read his introductory letter below to learn more about him and his plans for the music program!
Greetings from the Music Department at Holland Elementary! My name is Dr. John Perrine, and I have joined the wonderful team here at Holland. I am very excited to teach all your students as they move through this great school!
I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am a proud product of the Brevard County school system having graduated from Merritt Island High School. I hold a Bachelorβs Degree in Music Education from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, a Masterβs in Jazz Studies from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My main instrument is the Saxophone.
I have met all of the approximately 430 of your children and I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to teach them. Some of the things that are coming up are sign-ups for orchestra and chorus and the permission forms that go with that. I have already passed out the general permission forms to your child and in most cases have already gotten them back. For orchestra, you will see that it follows the schedule from last year. 5th grade orchestra class (called beginning orchestra) will meet on Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:20 and on Fridays during the school day at 8:10. The 6th grade orchestra (called intermediate orchestra) meets Mondays at 2:30 to 3:30 and Fridays at 8:50. Chorus meets Tuesdays at 2:30 to 3:20pm. We will begin meeting the week of Labor Day for the after-school sessions. We will go ahead and meet for the in-school Friday sessions for the orchestras starting this week. There will be rental agreements that need to be filled out and there may be a new system for payment this year, so I will update as I can on that.
Again, I am looking forward to all the music making that will take place this year at Holland andβ¦Go Hornets!!!!
Best,
John Perrine DMA
Perrine.John@brevardschools.org
THANK YOU Satellite Beach Fire Department, π A Special First-Day Welcome!
We were excited to have members of our local Satellite Beach Fire Department join us on the first day of school, welcoming students with smiles and high-fives during morning arrival in the car loop.
We truly appreciate their support and thank them for helping us kick off the school year in such a special way!
Have a Business? We'd Love to Partner With You!
This is an invitation to partner with Holland Elementary School as a corporate sponsor. As a cornerstone of our community, Holland Elementary is dedicated to providing a nurturing and enriching educational environment for our students, helping them grow into responsible, and successful citizens.
At Holland Elementary, we believe that education extends beyond the classroom. We are committed to offering a wide range of programs and initiatives that support academic excellence, foster creativity, and encourage community engagement. To make these vital programs possible, we rely on the generous support of local businesses and community leaders like you.
We are seeking sponsorships for a variety of upcoming projects and ongoing needs.
By becoming a sponsor, your business will not only be supporting the education of local children but also gaining valuable recognition within our vibrant school community. We offer a few sponsorship levels with a range of benefits, which can be tailored to meet your company's marketing and philanthropic goals. These may include shout-outs and recognition in our school newsletters and social media channels, and/or other manners of recognition.
We believe a partnership with Holland Elementary would be a perfect fit, aligning your company's commitment to community with our mission to empower the next generation. We would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss how we can create a mutually beneficial partnership.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.
Please reach out to Melanie Thompson at: thompson.melanie@brevardschools.org or Kerri Villa at: villa.kerri@brevardschools.org if you have any questions.
Melanie Thompson & Kerri Villa
PIE Coordinators
Calling All 6th Graders: Join Holland Safety Patrol!
Are you ready to be a leader, serve your school, and make a difference every day? Weβre now accepting applications for the Holland Safety Patrol, open exclusively to our awesome 6th graders!
What Safety Patrol Members Do:
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Help keep students safe during arrival and dismissal
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Assist younger students to and from arrival locations
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Model excellent behavior: kindness, responsibility, punctuality, and respect
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Attend brief training so you know the expectations and how to carry out your duties with confidence
Why You Should Join:
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Youβll build leadership, responsibility, and citizenship
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Youβll be a role model for younger students
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It looks great for future opportunities, colleges and employers like seeing service and dedication
Interested in stepping up? Fill out the application at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iPOhleocDvt5hnoW3qumIhfz7AW4-Y-O/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105502334903369276752&rtpof=true&sd=true or pick one up from the front office (or see Mr. Culbreth) by October 3, 2025. Letβs keep our school safe, together!
Online Payments Are Now Available in FOCUS! π³π²
Weβre excited to let you know that you can now make payments online using the FOCUS Parent Portal. This is for field trips, purchasing science fair boards, or any other school payments. To get started, follow these steps:
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Log in to your parent portal. Under the Student Information tab, select Purchase & Pay on the left side of the screen.
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On the Purchase & Pay page, look for an alert at the top notifying you that invoices are available. Click View Now.
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Your available invoice(s) will appear.
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Select the checkbox next to the invoice number you wish to pay, then click the green Continue button. This takes you to the Pay by Credit Card section.
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Enter your credit card information: first name on card, last name on card, card number, expiration date, and CVC. Click Continue.
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Once checkout is complete, a Checkout Complete confirmation will display, with an option to view the receipt. Click View Receipt to open a printable and savable version of your receipt for your records.
Itβs that easy!
Should you have any questions, please contact the front office at 321-773-7591.
Friendly Reminder: Please Keep Dismissal Tag Visibleππ¦
Parents/Guardians, please remember to leave your dismissal tag visible in your front windshield until your child is safely loaded into your car in the car loop. Having the tag clearly displayed helps our staff load students efficiently and safely.
Thanks for helping make dismissal smoother and more secure!
Holland Hive Parent Lunches π₯ͺπ±ππ
Wednesdays are a special time at Holland. Parents and guardians are invited to enjoy lunch with their children! You may bring your own lunch, or purchase one from our cafeteria. The adult lunch price is $3.60.
Please note:
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This invitation is strictly for parents/guardians and their own children. Other students or guests are not permitted.
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When you arrive, please have your photo ID ready at checkβin.
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We ask that you sign up in advance using the link below so we know to expect you:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45A8AA2FA3FDC07-hornet#/
If you have any questions, please call us at 321β773β7591. We look forward to sharing lunch with you!
π Celebrating Respect!
We recently proudly recognized students who best demonstrated our August Character Trait: Respect! Each student was nominated by their teacher for consistently showing respect and serving as a positive role model in the classroom.
π Congratulations to these outstanding students for setting a great example for others!
Kindergarten
Adella Westerman - Bonomo
Raegan James - Terry
Jack Russo - Weatherspoon
First Grade
Jeremiah Jackson - Breder
Sadie Miller - Knox
Hailey Flinchbaugh - McDonald
Second Grade
Meredith Govea - Culbreth
Jonah Bray - Grover
Kate Price - Hering
Lincoln Hofstede - Keegan
Third Grade
Louis Nguyen - Brohel
Liam Macfayden - Hodge
Ellie Sharp - Williams
Fourth Grade
Aliani Lopez Suarez - Demarco
Joseph Dimaggio - Jones
John Paul Juetten - Larson
Aa'Kario Simmons - Wirta
Fifth Grade
Lily Mejia - Christensen
CJ Lau - Flores
Ronin Loppez - Lane
Sixth Grade
Riley Therrian - Cirino
Claire Aune - Corrado
Amelia Charest - Wiebusch
Wednesday, October 9
Meet us at the Schechter Center at 7:15 am and we will walk and roll to school together!
Hope to see you there!
Picture Day is Coming Soon! Tuesday, October 14 π·π
Happy Birthday Messages! π π π
If you would like us to display a birthday wish for your child's birthday on our marquee, please submit your request and payment through FOCUS pay. For $10.00, the birthday wish will be displayed from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm on the student's birthday. We must receive your request at least (3) days prior to the birthday date.
Step 1: Provide Information
https://forms.office.com/r/yRTy03Qrye
Step 2: FOCUS Pay
Please call 321-773-7591 for assistance. All proceeds will benefit our school! Thank you for supporting your Hornets!
Out-of-Field Assignments
As required by the Florida Department of Education, we are notifying you that Claire Knox and Krissy Corrado are currently teaching English, Language Arts or Reading as a Second Language (ESOL) strategies outside of her field of certification. Both teachers are fully certified by the State of Florida and are currently working to become certified in this out-of-field assignment area.
Please be advised that Jessica Flores is teaching out of field in the certification area elementary education for the school year 2025-2026. Mrs. Flores meets all the State requirements to teach in the public schools and is currently working toward certification in elementary education. This notification is a Department of Education requirement for the State of Florida. Be assured that the Brevard County Public School District is dedicated to serving every student with excellence as the standard.