Caloosa Elementary School

Mission:

To ensure that each student achieves his or her greatest potential

Vision:

To be a School of Excellence

Dear Caloosa Families,

It is hard to believe November is already here! As we enter this season of gratitude, we are reminded of the many things we have to be thankful for, and our Caloosa families are certainly at the top of our list! Each day, we feel fortunate to work with such wonderful students and dedicated staff. We know that student success is a team effort, and we are grateful for the partnership between our families, teachers, staff, and community. Together, we are making a difference for our Caloosa Cougars!

October was a wonderful month of family involvement! Our Parent-Teacher Conference Month was a great success, and we want to thank all the families who took the time to meet with their child's teacher. Open communication and strong partnerships between home and school are essential to student success. These conversations provide valuable opportunities to celebrate student growth, discuss goals, and work together to support each child's learning. Remember, communication doesn't end with conferences! We encourage you to stay connected with your child's teacher throughout the school year.

Our Trunk or Treat event was another HUGE success! We welcomed over 800 attendees, had 28 creatively decorated trunks, and received donations of more than 12,000 pieces of candy! What an incredible evening for our Caloosa community! Thank you to our families, staff, volunteers, and community partners who helped make this event so special for our students. We couldn't have done it without you!

As Thanksgiving and Winter Break approach, we want to remind families of the importance of consistent school attendance. Every instructional day matters, even those right before and after a holiday break! Our teachers continue providing meaningful instruction each day, and missing school can mean missing important learning opportunities. We encourage families to schedule vacations and appointments during school breaks whenever possible. Arriving on time each morning, by 8:38 a.m. or 8:32 if your child needs breakfast, and remaining at school for the full instructional day also makes a difference. Every minute of learning counts!

As we reflect on all we are thankful for this November, please know how much we appreciate your trust, support, and involvement in your child's education. We are proud of our Caloosa students and look forward to another wonderful month of learning and growing together.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with happiness and gratitude!

Sincerely,

Nicole Osterholm and Kristin Alton

A HUGE thank you to everyone who voted, supported and cheered on us 💖 For the families who couldn't visit him, Vincent Van Crow will be at Caloosa from November 2nd through Fall Break! Stop by Caloosa to see all of your wonderful students' art 🎨🖌️

Dear Caloosa Families,

We are excited to announce our Yearbook Cover Art Contest with this year’s theme, Movie Magic!

All students in Kindergarten - 5th grade are invited to show off their creativity and design this years memorable yearbook cover featuring our Caloosa Elementary Cougar mascot.

Artwork must be created on plain 8½ x 11-inch paper and include the following design elements:

• School name: Caloosa Elementary School
• Year: 2026–2027
• Be with the year theme of MOVIE MAGIC
• Have our school mascot: The Cougar

All submissions must be turned in to our art teacher, Mrs. Gregware, our art teacher by November 16, 2026 for judging.

The winning design will be announced in December!

We can’t wait to see our Cougars’ creativity shine on the big screen! 🌟

Lights, camera, CREATE!

Our Artist of the Month is Eyvind Earle, a talented painter, illustrator, and Disney background artist known for his magical landscapes, layered trees, and beautiful use of color! Our students are putting their creativity to work as they design original holiday cards for our School District Holiday Card Contest, with a focus on BIG LINES and BIG COLOR! Kindergarten is exploring folk trees, 1st grade is creating gingerbread men, 2nd grade is drawing cardinals in pine trees, 3rd grade is designing winter wonderlands, and 4th grade is bringing detailed nutcrackers to life through balance and perspective. Meanwhile, 5th grade is wrapping up Kids Tag Art by designing their own creative license plates—we can’t wait to see our Caloosa artists shine! Lots of opportunities for our students to show their creative BESTS coming up!

Caloosa’s clinic is running low on spare clothing items! We would greatly appreciate donations for the following items:

• Boy's shorts or pants (Sizes 6, 7, 8, 10)

• Girl's shirts (Sizes 6, 8)

• Boy's underwear — New/Unopened (Sizes 6, 8)

Please drop any donations off in the front office. Thank you for your generosity!

We love our volunteer community! Whether you have a few hours a week or can help for special events, your time and talents make a huge difference for our students and staff. If you’d like to join us as a volunteer this school year, please click the link below to sign up!

Caloosa.Volunteers

The Cape Coral Police Athletic League will be putting on a basketball camp for both boys and girls in grades 2nd - 8th at Hector Cafferata Jr. during the Monday-Wednesday of Thanksgiving week (11/23 - 11/25). Basketball skills, drills, and scrimmage games will be taught by local basketball coaches, members of the PAL Coyotes basketball teams and Cape Coral Police Officers. Please see below for registration and payment.

cpalmer@capecoral.gov

4th - Wednesday, December 9th

5th - Thursday, December 10th

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our October School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting. Our session focused on two critical topics impacting our students' well-being and learning environment: bullying and harassment prevention and social media awareness. Please take a few minutes to review the following resources to support your family's discussions at home:

https://www.leeschools.net/parent_portal/code_of_conduct https://www.leeschools.net/parent_portal/prevention/bullying_prevention https://www.leeschools.net/parent_portal/prevention/bullying_prevention

https://www.leeschools.net/parent_portal/prevention/social_media_awareness https://www.leeschools.net/parent_portal/prevention/social_media_awareness https://www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/media-literacy-fun-skill-building-activities-for-children-and-families.aspx https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/kids-and-screen-time-how-to-use-the-5-cs-of-media-guidance.aspx

We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these important safety conversations with your child at home!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Our Lost & Found is currently overflowing with a large number of water bottles, jackets, and lunchboxes!

Please have your child check the Lost & Found area or stop by the front office to claim any missing items. All unclaimed items remaining after Friday, November 6th will be donated to Goodwill.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Caloosa Elementary Business Banner Project: Show your community pride while promoting your business! Partner with Caloosa Elementary by purchasing a business banner that will be proudly displayed along our inside car line fence.

Getting started is easy!

1. Visit https://forms.gle/m6KFM1PJwf7w9utT9 for banner specifications and complete details.
2. Create your 5' x 7' business banner.
3. Bring your banner along with your $300 payment (cash or check) to Caloosa Elementary.
4. We will proudly display your banner for one year.
5. As a thank-you, your business will also be recognized on the Caloosa Elementary website and in our monthly school newsletter.

Thank you for investing in our students while showcasing your business in the heart of our community. Your support helps provide meaningful opportunities for Caloosa Cougars, and together we are building a stronger community—one student at a time!

Partner with Caloosa Elementary!

Caloosa Elementary is looking for community partners to collaborate with our school! Interested in joining our growing network of partners and making a difference? Please reach out to the Caloosa Elementary main office to explore how we can team up this school year!

The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We encourage all families to download FortifyFL, a reporting app that allows you to relay information about suspicious activity quickly and anonymously to law enforcement and school administrators.