Pelican Elementary: Pelican Press

Mission: Through the collaborative efforts of parents, staff, students, and the community, Pelican Elementary develops the emotional, social, academic, and physical potential of every student.

Vision: Pelican Elementary is a safe, secure, child-centered school which provides the foundation for career and college readiness for every child.

Dear Pelican Families,

It's the most wonderful time of the year! It is exciting to see the joy on the faces of Pelican students during the holiday season. Due to the busy nature of the season, sometimes schedules and added responsibilities can cause stress. Concerts, parties, family visits and so many other events seem to be packed into a limited amount of time. Scheduling becomes an issue, and we always seem to be looking for ways to complete our to-do list. Our upcoming Kindergarten Winter concerts offer the opportunity to slow down and enjoy a little holiday cheer. The students in Ms. Cash, Mrs. Randazzo and Ms. Rodecker's class will perform on Monday, December 15th. The students in Mrs. Gehring, Mrs. Crawford, Mrs. Collins and Mrs. Ciaschini's class will perform on Tuesday, December 16th. Both to be held in the Pelican Elementary cafeteria beginning at 6:00 PM Students and staff have been working really hard to showcase these special talents. Please come; everyone is welcome!

As the holiday season approaches, please give your child the gift of extra time. Put an I.O.U. for a special event or activity in his/her stocking. When students are asked to write about a memorable event in their lives, it isn't a special gift they usually choose to write about, but a particular experience they have had with someone special.

During this season of the year we would like to say thanks to:

* Parents and guardians who diligently check their child’s homework; who are seated beside them as they complete their homework; and spend quality time with their child.

* All the volunteers who give countless hours to make Pelican Elementary a better place for students and staff.

* Community members and parents who attend SAC meetings and support school fund raisers.

* All the people in our district who are committed to giving their best to your children every day. For example: custodians, food service staff, bus drivers, school nurses, instructional support paraprofessionals, secretaries, teachers, and members of the school board.

* All of you who are doing your very best to send your child ready to learn every day.

On behalf of the staff at Pelican Elementary, we hope you have a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

Ms. Stanford (Principal)

Ms. Milstein (Assistant Principal)

Thursday, December 10th, Southern SnoBalls will be at Pelican Elementary after lunches. Students may purchase a snowball for $2.00. (cash only)

Progress monitoring is used to assess students' academic performance, quantify their rates of improvement or progress toward goals, and determine how they are responding to benchmark based instruction. Progress monitoring will take place for K-2 in January.

3rd grade

-FAST Reading

• Tuesday, December 2nd from 9:00-12:00

-FAST Math

• Tuesday, December 9th from 9:00-12:00

4th grade

-FAST Reading

• Wednesday, December 3rd from 9:00-12:00

-FAST Math

• Wednesday, December 10th from 9:00-12:00

5th grade

-FAST Reading

• Thursday, December 4th from 9:00-12:00

-FAST Math

• Thursday, December 11th from 9:00-12:00

TIPS FOR PARENTS

Here are five simple tips to help your child do his/her best on test day!

1. Prepare for test day the night before (So your child doesn’t feel rushed in the morning)

2. Go to bed early to get a good night’s sleep (8 to 11 hours is recommended)

3. Eat a healthy breakfast (Choose fruits & whole grains over sugary foods)

4. Encouragement! KIDS LOVE IT & NEED IT! Surprise your child with a special note from you. Remind your child to Never give up and Do their best! Your enthusiasm and praise for doing his/her best can help reduce your child’s test anxiety and boost confidence!

5. Get your child to school ON TIME. Testing will start at 9:00 AM.

Parents, please review the following expectations with your student before testing:

▪ Electronic Devices—Students are not permitted to have any electronic devices, including, but not limited to, cell phones, smartphones, and smartwatches, at any time during testing or during breaks (e.g., restroom), even if the devices are turned off or students do not use them. If your student is found with an electronic device or is found using Bluetooth/wireless headphones/earbuds during testing, his or her test will be invalidated.

▪ Working Independently—Students are responsible for doing their own work during the test and for protecting their answers from being seen by others. If students are caught cheating during testing, their tests will be invalidated.

▪ Leaving Campus—If your student leaves campus before completing a test session (e.g., for lunch, an appointment), he or she will not be allowed to return to that test session. If your student does not feel well on the day of testing, it may be best for him or her to wait and be tested on a make-up day. Please remember not to schedule appointments on testing days.

▪ Testing Accommodations—If your student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), a Section 504 Plan, or is an English Language Learner (ELL) or a recently exited ELL, please contact the school to discuss the testing accommodations that will be provided for your student.

Monday, Dec 15- Pictures with Santa & Grinch- Wear your holiday gear

Tuesday, Dec 16- Winter Colors Day- Red, green, silver, gold or blue

Wednesday, Dec 17- Ugly Sweater Day

Thursday, Dec 18- Reindeer Run- Dress in reindeer of elf accessories/outfit

Friday, Dec 19- PJ's and Crocs

We appreciate everyone’s efforts to avoid taking extra time off during the winter break. As long as your child is healthy, please encourage your child to show up to school on time. Every day of school is an important opportunity for students to learn as well as to connect to their peers and teachers.

We thank:

● Our students and their families who do their best to show up daily even when it isn’t easy.

● Our teachers who go above and beyond to make school a welcoming and safe place for all students to learn.

● Our many, many healers and helpers - the support staff and community volunteers who provide the extra hands and attention our children need.

We appreciate each one of you. May these days off be restful and healing. Winter break is from December 23- January 3rd. We look forward to seeing you again when school resumes on Monday, January 6th. Thank you for partnering with us!

Pre-registration (K-12) will be available starting October 27, 2025.

Pre-register if you have a child:

• entering Kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year.
• moving from a private, charter or home school to a Lee County Public School for the 2026-2027 school year.
• relocating to Lee County from another county or state and will be attending a Lee County Public School for the 2026-2027 school year.

Benefits of pre-registration (K-12):

• Parents will enter registration documents using the Focus Parent Portal.
• Parents will be able to rank schools using the Focus Parent Portal during Student Open Enrollment. (January 20-February 27th)

Are you interested in working together with Pelican Elementary to enhance the student learning experience and promote school improvement? Contact Michele Stanford for details.

Sweaters/Jackets: Please make sure your child's first and last name is inside their sweaters and jackets. (and on lunch boxes/water bottles)

Classroom Celebrations- We love to be able to have celebrations in the classroom for all different reasons. If you are sending a snack for the classroom, please remember that they must be in the original packaging from the store. This allows us to keep those with severe allergies safe. Out of an extra abundance of caution, items cannot be removed from their original store packaging and repackaged, or they will be returned to you. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding of this policy as we strive to keep our students safe.

Pick up and drop off- For safety and security purposes, we ask that students not be dropped off on campus before 8:20 a.m. or left on campus after 3:40 p.m., unless they are attending PECP. Due to there not being staff available to watch students outside the hours of 8:20-3:40; if your student is on campus too early, or picked up late there, is a $10 fine, per student, for the first occurrence and a $20 fine, per student, each time thereafter.

January 1-2- Winter Break- NO SCHOOL for teachers, students, and staff

January 5- NO SCHOOL for students-Professional Duty Day for teachers

January 7- FAST STAR Reading for 2nd grade, FAST STAR for 1st grade, FAST Early Literacy for Kindergarten

January 8- FAST STAR Reading for 2nd grade, FAST STAR for 1st grade, FAST Early Literacy for Kindergarten

January 9- FAST STAR Reading for Kindergarten and 1st grade students

January 13- FAST STAR Math for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade

January 14- FAST STAR Math for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade

January 15- FAST STAR Math for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade

January 15- Southern SnoBalls (after lunch)

January 16- Q2 AR party

January 19- Martin Luther King Jr Day-NO SCHOOL for students, teachers, and staff

January 26-30- Celebrate Literacy Week & Read-a-thon

January 31- Pelican Elementary Night with the Florida Everblades

https://www.leeschools.net/calendars/instructional_calendar

Pelican Elementary has been recently inspected and certain asbestos-containing materials or assumed asbestos-containing materials such as: fire doors or roofing materials that are tested prior to repairs or removal as needed, have been located in the school buildings. Please be aware that the School District of Lee County has an active management plan designed to ensure that the building is maintained safely for all occupants. These materials are being controlled in accordance with the Asbestos Management Program for the School and following the limitations and procedures of the policies and requirements of the Asbestos Operations and Maintenance Program of the School District of Lee County.

The report listing the location, quantities, and condition of all known materials and contains the details of the control procedures is available at the school office for your inspection during normal school hours. Copies of the whole or parts of the school’s asbestos file can be supplied to you at a cost of $0.15/page.

Samuel Fisher, District 1