CCE December 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,

We hope our Curlew families are doing well. We have many wonderful events planned for the weeks ahead. You won't want to miss our Holiday Chorus Concert / Holiday Family Night, and families always look forward to our annual Jingle Bell Jog!

We are incredibly thankful that you have chosen Curlew Creek Elementary to play a vital role in your child's education and future. Our dedicated staff is committed to ensuring the success of every child. Our teachers work collaboratively, participate in professional development, and, above all, prioritize our students each and every day.

As we approach the holiday season, please remember that we will also be conducting cycle 2 of state testing. See more information in the testing message below. Your support in keeping our scholars present all day and engaged in their learning is greatly appreciated. Our beginning of the year data from our first testing cycle showed that our students are ready to tackle grade-level benchmarks. Throughout December, we will be administering assessments, and the insights gained from these evaluations are crucial for helping your child thrive and meet grade-level expectations. In January, we will review this data to celebrate growth and plan our instructional strategies.

While we focus on academic success, we will also incorporate fun into our schedule. Be sure to participate in our holiday dress-up days and other festive events this month!

Keep an eye out for educational challenges during the break. When your children say, "I'm bored," encourage them to explore myON (where Curlew students often win prizes!) or use Clever for Dreambox, iStation, and other engaging apps.

We wish you a safe and healthy holiday season and a new year filled with joy!

With warmest regards,

Principal Brickley

Dear Curlew Families,

You are invited to participate in the Pinellas County Schools annual Stakeholder Survey. Your responses are anonymous, and data will be used to help PCS identify trends and plan for the future. Questions about our school include academic support, student support, family involvement, school leadership, and safety. The survey is open through December 19, 2025.

You can find the survey link at https://www.pcsb.org/survey . Select “Survey for Parents and Guardians.” Select your language, then your school, Curlew Creek Elementary. If you have children in multiple schools, please complete a separate survey for each school.

You can take the survey from anywhere (phone, home or at school). Our school appreciates you taking the time to tell us how we are doing.

Sincerely,

Principal Brickley

12/1 - 3:15 Safety Patrol Meeting

12/3-12/10 - PTA Holiday Candy Grams

12/5 - BUCS Raise the Flags Day

12/5 - $1 Lunch Fundraiser - bring $1 to eat on the cafe patio (funds support 5th grade end of year activities)

12/10 - BUCS Raise the Flags Day

12/15-12/16 - Indoor Planetarium (Fun Run School-wide Reward)

12/17 - Holiday Grams Delivered

12/17 - Holiday Chorus and Family Night

12/19 - End of quarter 2 report period

12/19 - Jingle Bell Jog - PE Field - Check in at the front Office (Please stay the entire hour.)

• 9-10 AM - Gr 4 & 5
• 10:15-11:15 - Gr K & 1
• 11:15-11:45 - PreK, VPK, ESE Access Points
• 1-2 PM - Gr 2 & 3

12/22-1/2/26 - Winter Break

1/5 - Welcome back!

1/9 - $1 Lunch Fundraiser

1/12 - Safety Patrol Meeting, 3:15

1/13 - Club Pictures

1/14 - Class Pictures

1/15 - Quarter 2 Report Cards Distributed

1/16 - Parent Lunch Bunch Grades K, 1, 5

1/19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - School Closed

1/26 - Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!

1/29 - 9:15 AM - Commitment to Character Awards Assembly - Cafeteria - Check in front office

1/30 - All Pro Dads, 7:30 AM

1/30 - Parent Lunch Bunch Grades 2, 3, 4

2/4 - Grade 5 to Enterprise Village field trip

2/5 - Ready, Set, Kindergarten, 6-7:30 PM

2/6 - $1 Lunch Fundraiser

2/6 - Quarter 3 midperiod reports

2/11 - Grade 4 Family Data Chats, 4-5 PM

2/11 - Kindergarten Fancy Nancy Program, 5:30-7 PM

2/13 - No school for students

2/16 - No school for students

2/20 - Quarter 3 School Advisory Meeting, 7:30 AM

2/20 - Parent Lunch Bunch Grades K, 1, 5

2/23 - Wendy's Spirit Night, 5-9 PM (US 19, Palm Harbor)

2/24 - Spring Pictures

2/27 - All Pro Dads, 7:30 AM

• Monday is Motivational Monday – Wear kind or inspiring words.
• Wednesday is Wellness Wednesday – Wear a workout/exercise outfit.
• Thursday is College Spirit Day – Wear your favorite college shirt or colors.
• Friday is School Spirit Day – Deck out in your favorite Coyote gear and get ready for our weekly contests sponsored by our Coyote Council! Two classes will win a Coyote Paw Trophy each week!

PM2 Testing is upon us. These results tell us what skills, based on end of their current grade level expectations, that we need to intentionally focus on during the Spring semester for each child.

How they score on this round is where their final assessment will start for PM3. The STAR / FAST assessments are adaptive, meaning that as each child gets answers right, the next questions will become more challenging. Conversely, if they are not putting forth their best effort or are rushing and get them wrong, the test adapts down and produces easier questions and a lower score. This impacts their end of year test placement.

Please help us to motivate your child for the most accurate testing results!

STAR / FAST Achievement Levels are listed below. Minimum grade level expectation is a 3. Within the Level 1, there are three buckets - Low 1.1, Medium 1.2, and High 1.3. Within the Level 2 scores, there are two buckets - Low 2.1, and High 2.2.

Students should be improving from their PM1 score - log into Focus or ask your child how they did. If they or you are not sure - reach out to their teacher, Mrs. Brickley, or Ms. Ketchem. We would be happy to help explain it.

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!

THANK YOU to everyone who came to join us for our annual Veteran's Day Program! This program is cherished by our community, and we appreciate you helping us recognize our amazing heroes!

A SHOUT OUT to all the parents and community members who came to present at our Great American Teach-In on! Teachers & students were so excited to have you and to learn about so many careers! We APPRECIATE the time you took in your schedule to present to students at school!

Remember to log your volunteer hours. The district utilizes these numbers for data purposes, and we appreciate you taking the time to enter them. Questions - contact Joyce Brown, Family and Community Liaison.

We THANK our Curlew families for supporting our annual Book Fair! A fun time was had by all who attended our Book Fair Family Night with Camp-Read-A-lot! It was great to see parents and students interacting together with literacy activities.

Our SAVE Club thanks you for your incredible support of their Food Drive! They collected nearly 700 food items to donate to the Salvation Army. A BIG THANK YOU to our generous Curlew families Congratulations to the top two classes who made the most donations: Mrs. Wentworth's kindergarten class with 148 cans and Mrs. Unietis' 3rd grade class with 140 cans!

A HUGE THANK YOU to our amazing PTA for organizing a wonderful TABLE FULL OF THANKS for our Curlew staff! A big thank you to all parents who contributed to the feast and to all volunteers for setting up, serving, and cleaning up! We are blessed to have you part of our Curlew family!

CHARITY

Displaying compassion and support by making donations or volunteering to help others in need.

"Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out." ~Frank. A. Clark

As a Healthy School, we follow specific Wellness Guidelines. Here are our birthday policies:

• No Birthday Parties at School: We do not host birthday parties.
• No Party Favors or Bags: Please refrain from sending party favors or bags for classmates.
• Bringing Snacks:
  • Check with the teacher for approval.
  • Snacks must be from the healthy category, store-bought, and individually wrapped.

Please refer to our attached Wellness Guidelines for further details.

Parents,

Per new 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 you walk or ride a bike, 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 & 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. 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.

Become a part of the Curlew community by joining the PTA today through the PTA Givebacks portal! Individual membership dues are just $10, and joining does not require you to volunteer. Simply scan the QR code below and select membership in the dropdown menu. Thank you for your support!

By joining the PTA, you are supporting vital initiatives that benefit our staff and students. Your $10 membership helps us provide:

• Supplemental Reading Materials
• Exciting Family Events
• Booster-Thon Fundraiser
• Table Full of Thanks in November
• Teacher Grants for Classroom Materials
• Staff Appreciation Week in May
• AND MUCH MORE!

Don’t miss out on the chance to make a difference in our school community. Join the PTA today!

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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