Pine Jog October Newsletter
Learn Together, Grow Forever!
Pine Jog Mission Statement:
Dear Pine Jog Elementary School Families and Community,
Happy October, Pine Jog! As we begin a new month, we want to thank our students, families, faculty, and staff for helping us start the school year strong. Every day is another opportunity for our students to learn, grow, and achieve, and we are excited about the great things happening throughout our school community. As we continue working together toward our goal of academic excellence, remember our theme for this year: Together We Can Achieve More!
Our Attendance Challenge has officially begun! We are looking for students who demonstrate perfect attendance by coming to school every day and arriving on time. Consistent attendance is one of the most important factors in student success. When students miss school or arrive late, they can miss valuable instruction, classroom routines, and opportunities to participate in learning. Families, please help us by establishing strong morning routines and making every effort to have students at school and ready to learn on time each day. We cannot wait to recognize and celebrate our students who demonstrate outstanding attendance!
As we move further into the school year, we also ask all students to continue following our OWLS Rules and Expectations throughout the school day. Whether students are in the classroom, cafeteria, hallways, playground, gardens, or any other area of campus, they should remember what it means to be a Pine Jog OWL:
O – On Task: Stay focused, prepared, and engaged in learning.
W – Will Be an AVID Learner: Be organized, ask questions, think critically, and take responsibility for your learning.
L – Learn Respectfully and Responsibly: Show respect for yourself, your classmates, adults, our school, and our environment while making responsible choices.
S – Be Safe: Make choices that keep yourself and others safe at all times.
Parents and guardians, we appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home. Please continue communicating with your child's teacher through ClassDojo and encourage your child to come to school each day prepared to learn and ready to give their very best. Together, we can build positive habits that support academic achievement, good character, and responsible citizenship.
October promises to be another exciting month at Pine Jog Elementary. Let's continue supporting one another, celebrating our students' accomplishments, and working together to make every school day count. Remember, attendance matters, being on time matters, and every minute of learning matters!
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together, we will continue to help our OWLS soar!
Together We Can Achieve More!
Warmly,
Principal Thomas
Pine Jog Elementary School
No Child Left Inside!
Dear Pine Jog Families,
Happy Fall! 🍁
We are excited to share that our testing is officially complete, and we are ready to shift our full focus back to what we love most—teaching, learning, and growing together!
With testing behind us, our classrooms are buzzing with meaningful instruction and engaging learning experiences. Our teachers are using the information gathered from testing and classroom data to identify student strengths, address areas for growth, and provide instruction that meets the needs of every learner.
📚 Back to the Business of Learning!
As we move into this next phase of the school year, we encourage families to continue supporting learning at home by:
📖 Reading together every day
✏️ Reviewing classwork and homework
💬 Asking your child about what they learned at school
🧠 Practicing skills and reviewing challenging concepts
⭐ Celebrating effort, progress, and perseverance
🏫 Staying connected with your child’s teacher and school
🦉 Growing, Learning & Soaring!
At Pine Jog Elementary, we believe that every day is an opportunity to learn something new. Our students are working hard, our teachers are inspiring growth, and our staff is committed to helping every child reach their full potential.
As we enter the fall season, let's continue to work together to make this a year filled with learning, growth, and success!
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We are so proud of our Pine Jog Owls and can't wait to see them continue to SOAR! 🦉💚🤎
With Owl Pride,
Ms. Villalobos, Assistant Principal
Pine Jog Elementary School
October
1st- Leidys Carral
12th- Kristin Burstein
18th- Yoke Chia
23rd- Kimberly Heikkinen
30th- Liam McCabe
Paraprofessional II
Where I grew up: Ocklawaha, FL (Ocala)
College Education: Palm Beach State 2026 - Early Childhood Education!
Fun Fact: I was a scare actor for Fright Nights!
Hobbies and Interests: I do nails and makeup. I love to go camping and fishing.
Favorite part of about teaching: I enjoy helping students learn, grow, build confidence, and feel supported throughout their school day. I'm looking forward to a wonderful school year filled with learning, growth, and lots of fun! :)
4th Grade ELA Teacher
I have been teaching for over 27 years, mostly 1st grade in NJ where I retired. I recently moved to Florida with my husband and decided to return to teaching. I am very excited to be part of the Pine Jog family! My favorite part of teaching is watching students learn and grow, both academically and intellectually. I love having students ask questions and show eagerness to learn.
I attended Rutgers University and Rider University, both in NJ, majoring in Elementary Education and Political Science. I am an avid runner, long distances being my favorite, and have run 27 1/2 marathons, 1 full marathon and over 150 short distance races all over the US. I love to travel with my family- my husband and our two sons, Gavin (26) and Garrett (23), both of whom live in NJ. I LOVE pizza and seafood, but my true love is candy!!
3rd Grade Math & Science Teacher
Where I grew up: Palm Beach County, Florida
College Education: Bachelor of General Studies from Florida Atlantic University
Fun Fact: I’ve broken five bones throughout my life!
Hobbies and Interests: I enjoy going to the beach, visiting museums, reading, spending time with friends and family, and exploring new places.
Favorite part about teaching: My favorite part about teaching is building relationships with my students and watching their confidence and skills grow throughout the year. I love being able to create a classroom where students feel supported, encouraged, and excited to learn.
Attendance Clerk
Where I grew up: Belle Glade, Fl
College Education: Palm Beach State , Currently attending FAU
Fun Fact: I am artist and painter when not at work . I also have a puppy , a poodle mix. I am the youngest .
Hobbies and Interests: I enjoy any activity that appreciates the different and intricate in life. I enjoy running with my sister and dog and I love books, writing and painting.
Favorite part about my job is the kids . Being their sense of normalcy sometimes .
🎉 Celebrating Attendance Month! 🦉
September was Attendance Month at Pine Jog Elementary, and we had so much fun celebrating our students for being present and on time!
Throughout the month, we held random Attendance Days. On these special days, students who were present and on time received an OWL Ticket and were entered into a special drawing.
Our lucky winners enjoyed some fun rewards, including:
- 🎟️ Sitting on the cafeteria stage during lunch
- 🍿 Receiving a special snack
- 📿 Receiving a fun bracelet
These students were also recognized with a Certificate of Attendance, personalized with their name and signed by Principal Thomas.
We are so proud of our students for making being present and on time a priority! Thank you to our families for helping our Owls arrive at school ready to learn each day. Every day counts! 🦉💚
Pine Jog Elementary is a uniform school, and we appreciate your partnership in helping our students look their best and be ready to learn each day!
👕Students should wear:
- White or Green Polo Shirt with Khaki or Blue Bottoms. No Jean!
🎓 Friday is AVID Day!
Students may wear:
- College Gear, Pine Jog AVID Shirts, or any Pine Jog Gear! No Jeans!
🦉 Need a Pine Jog Polo?
Polo shirts are available for $13 and can be purchased with cash or check in the school’s Main Office.
Thank you for helping us maintain our schoolwide expectations and for showing your Pine Jog pride! 💚💛
Apply for Florida's New Worlds Reading Program today
Florida offers families a free program called New Worlds Reading that helps eligible VPK–5th graders who need extra reading support build their skills.Enrolled students get:
- 9 books that families choose each school year in English, Spanish,Haitian Creole, or braille.
- Reading guides and activities that help kids develop their literacy skills.
Available books include popular series like Clifford the Big Red Dog and The Magic School Bus.There is no income requirement to participate! The program was created and funded by our state legislature, so it really is free for eligible families.
Apply today at newworldsreading.com.
AVID at Pine Jog: Building Strong, Capable Learners!
We also celebrated National AVID Day on September 18th, honoring our school wide commitment to college and career readiness. Ask your child at home what AVID strategy they used this week and how they are applying a growth mindset to their daily learning!
