Ozona Elementary

Dear Ozona Elementary Families,

Welcome back to our returning Osprey families, and a special welcome to those joining us for the first time. We are thrilled to have you as part of the Ozona Elementary School family!

As we rev up for another exciting school year, our team is ready to hit the track with one shared destination: helping every student cross the finish line as a confident, successful learner. At Ozona, we believe every child deserves a safe, supportive, and engaging learning environment where high expectations, strong relationships, and meaningful learning fuel success.

Our theme this year is One Team. One Track. One Goal. It reminds us that when students, families, staff, and our community work together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. A special thank you to our amazing Ozona PTA, whose partnership helps make so many opportunities possible for our students and staff. I encourage every family to join the PTA and become an active member of this incredible team. Be sure to follow their Facebook and Instagram pages for membership information, school updates, volunteer opportunities, and community events.

We are proud to begin this school year as an “A” rated school, and we are equally proud that Ozona’s achievement contributed to Pinellas County Schools earning an “A” district rating for the third consecutive year. These accomplishments reflect the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the unwavering support of our families. Together, we have built a school culture where students feel safe, valued, challenged, and inspired to do their very best.

As every successful race begins with a strong start, we are committed to ensuring a smooth and safe opening to the school year. Please take a few moments to review the information and attachments in this newsletter, including important details about campus safety, arrival and dismissal procedures, and other back-to-school reminders. Staying informed helps keep our school running smoothly and allows us to focus on what matters most—our students.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. We are excited to partner with you for another incredible year of learning, growth, and celebration.

Let’s start our engines and make it a fantastic year!

Thank you and Go Ospreys!

Lisa Freeman

Principal

A reminder:

• Stay tuned to our school marquee, our school website, and our PTA Facebook page & PTA Instagram page to keep updated with school information throughout the year.

• Student hours for K-5th grade: 8:45 AM- 2:55 PM.
• PPK, Blended PPK and ASD PreK hours: 8:45 AM -2:45 PM
• VPK and Blended VPK hours: 8:30 AM -2:30 PM

Attendance matters. We do expect children to be in attendance for the entire learning day.

• K-5th grade parents will be able to walk their child(ren) to class on the first day of school. 1st-5th grade parents may not enter the hallway as the students will walk into the building independently where the teachers will be waiting for them at the classroom door. Staff will be on hand to assist. Once parents drop off their child, they should then leave campus.
  For safety purposes, after day one we will be securing our campus; then we will maintain a secure campus for the remainder of the school year. We will have staff on hand to help scholars find their classrooms.
• Please be sure your child knows how he/she will be getting home from school each day!! Start this way on Day #1 of school. If your child is a bus rider, have him/her ride the bus on day one. This prevents confusion later.
• Students need to be seated & ready to learn promptly at 8:45 AM. Students will be marked as tardy if they are not in their classroom by 8:45 AM.

Parents,

Per 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 & Safety Patrols are the only exceptions and will be greeted by their sponsor. We need YOU to adhere to this safety concern. Thank you!

·Bus circle & car circle procedures:

Kindergarten – 5th grade Arrival: In the morning, you may drop your children off no earlier than 8:15 AM using the Tampa Road entrance only. Students will be directed to the cafeteria for breakfast then to their classrooms. Those who eat at home will go directly to classrooms.

All students are to be dropped off in front of the main building. We have adult supervision in addition to our student Safety Patrols to unload cars along the entire sidewalk in front. There is no supervision of students by Building 6 for car line drop off, so for safety, 1st grade students are not to be dropped off there. In the past we have occasionally had a backup in the morning, right turns will help with the safe flow of traffic when exiting the campus.

Kindergarten – 5th grade Dismissal: Our main goal is to load as many children as safely and efficiently as possible by loading seven cars at a time.

Again, this year, because of the large number of car riders, we will have a second car line in the bus circle (entry off of Pennsylvania Avenue) for siblings of our Ozona PreK students, as well as 3rd, 4th & 5th graders without siblings. Kindergarten – 2nd grade and families with older siblings will be loaded in the front car circle (entry off of Tampa Road). For example, if you have a 3rd grader and a Kindergartener, they will be picked up together in the front car circle at 2:55 PM.

The procedures for afternoon pickup are as follows:

· Tampa Road Dismissal:

Kindergarten Fast Pass!

Kindergarten car riders only will enter driveway and pull into the left lane marked Kindergarten Only. The first car will stop at the stop sign in the parking lot just before the main building, pull up close to the car behind you. When directed you will transfer up to the front car circle to pick up your child from a numbered spot. Parents may “fast pass” from 2:40 until 2:55. At 2:55 PM, the regular car line is open and any remaining KG parents would use the main car line starting at 2:55 PM.

If your Kindergartner has a sibling, you can only use the regular car line.

Car Line Process: Cars will enter the driveway using the right lane and pull into the mini car loop in front of building 6 (first grade building). The first car will stop at the stop sign in the parking lot. Pull up close behind the car in front of you. When directed you will transfer up to the front car circle to pick up your child from a numbered spot. Students in 1st grade join all the other students in front of the main building for pickup – do not try to pick them up in front of the classroom (Building 6).

Please, do not arrive before 2:55 PM. [start of our line is very important – too early and we block traffic on Tampa Road]. Arriving prior to 2:55 interferes with our Kindergarten Fast Pass. We ask for your help in not blocking traffic.

Please consider making a right hand turn onto Tampa Road as you exit the parking lot. This will help keep the traffic moving to get all of our students home quickly and safely.

· Pennsylvania Avenue Dismissal: You will not be permitted to enter the campus until all vans and buses have been loaded and driven away. We suggest that you not arrive before 3:05 PM. Please note 15 mph school zone. In the event that you arrive, and our buses and vans are still present, you will need to wait in the church parking lot next to our school. Parking on the side of the road is not allowed. We will call you in when we open the driveway. All the siblings of our Ozona PreK students, 3rd, 4th & 5th graders (without younger siblings) are staged outside the Multipurpose room. Do not arrive prior to 3:05 PM.

• Car circle procedures:
• Use the Little Ospreys entrance off Pennsylvania Avenue. We have faculty/staff to unload cars along the entire sidewalk in front. Please stay in your car.
• Do not block Pennsylvania Avenue or the sidewalk while waiting in the carline. Once the line goes past the parking lot, cars should wait in the driveway in front of the original school building.
• For dismissal, make sure you have a car tag with child’s first and last name visible in the front windshield. These will be provided at the Meet & Greet. Again, please stay in your car.
• PPK and ASD VPK: You may drop your children off between: 8:35-8:45 AM.
• VPK Arrival: You may drop your children off between 8:20-8:30 AM.
• Anyone arriving after your designated arrival block time will need to park, walk your child up to the gate and call the front office at (727)724-1589. The office will then call into your classroom to send a teacher out to accept your child.
• PPK Dismissal and ASD PreK: Teachers will be dismissing their students starting at 2:35-2:45 PM. After 2:45, children will be taken to the front office on the main campus. If you arrive late to dismissal, you will have to check your child out from the front office. You will need to have a government issued picture ID available.
• VPK Dismissal: Teachers will be dismissing their students into their cars starting at 2:20-2:30 PM. After 2:30, children will be taken to the front office on the main campus. If you arrive late to dismissal, you will have to check your child out from the front office. You will need to have a government issued picture ID available.

Please be courteous of the times as there are two separate arrivals and dismissals, and your child’s teachers will only be at the carline during their designated times.

• There is a second car line in the bus circle (entry off of Pennsylvania Avenue) for siblings of PreK students.
• The procedures for Pennsylvania Avenue Dismissal: You will not be permitted to enter the campus until all vans and buses have been loaded and driven away. We suggest that you do not arrive prior to 3pm for the back carline. Please note 15 mph school zone. In the event that you arrive and our buses and vans are still present, you will need to wait in the church parking lot next to our school. Parking on the side of the road is not allowed. We will call you in when we open the driveway. All the siblings of our Ozona Little Ospreys, 3rd, 4th & 5th graders (without younger siblings) are staged outside the Multipurpose room.

Please consider making a right hand turn onto PA Ave as you exit the parking lot. This will help keep the traffic moving to get all of our students home quickly and safely.

Our Little Ospreys families (PPK, PreK, PreK ASD, VPK) will receive specific arrival and dismissal information from their PPK/PreK/VPK Back to School Night.

Bus Riders A few reminders for our bus riders

• Make sure your child is at the bus stop 10 minutes prior to the assigned pick-up time.
• Remind your child that there will be assigned seats and students are expected to sit in his/her assigned seat every day.
• If you have multiple children riding the bus, the driver may ask for siblings to sit together.
• Students are expected to adhere to bus rules at all times.

If you live more than 2 miles from the school and need to request a bus stop for your child, please contact to the front office. A request will be made for a bus stop, for your child through the transportation department. This could take up to a week, so plan accordingly.

Parents of bus riders are encouraged to sign up for bus bulletin. Bus bulletin is a system that Pinellas County Schools uses to communicate transportation issues with schools and families. If you sign up, you will receive information regarding any changes to your child's route. The information could include a late pickup, a substitute driver, a change in route, or a number of other things. This is a great way to stay connected to transportation without having to call.

Please visit: https://www.pcsb.org/BusBulletin

With our ongoing commitment to ensure the safety and security of our students, staff, and visitors, the Pinellas County School District will continue implementing enhanced security measures regarding access control on our school campuses for the upcoming academic year. This aligns to the state legislation regarding school safety and security.

Due to safety enhancements, absolutely no students on campus prior to 8:15 AM. If you arrive prior to 8:15 your child must wait with you in the car, at the trail or off campus.

At the front door, ALL visitors will ring the doorbell and must have a government issued photo ID to present prior to gaining access to the school. Even if we "know" you and see you all the time, or you have a “volunteer badge” you will still need to present your ID before entering our campus. In addition, we will need everyone to check out at the front office before leaving our campus. This is essential in having an accurate accounting of who is in our building. The safety and security of our school community is our number one priority, and we believe these measures are critical in maintaining a safe and secure learning environment. Thank you for your help and cooperation.

To support our students in using classroom technology effectively, we kindly ask that each student bring a pair of USB-A headphones with an attached microphone. These are important for activities such as online learning, testing, and interactive lessons.

Specifications:

• Headphones must have an attached/built-in microphone
• USB-A connection (not 3.5mm or Bluetooth)
• Durable and comfortable for regular use

Please label the headphones with your child’s first and last name.

Thank you for your support!

Meal plans: Breakfast is free. There is a $2.75 charge for lunch. Students in all Pinellas County Schools are able to apply for free and reduced lunch meal benefits online. Online application for free meal benefits is available at www.myschoolapps.com. Meal account information including the prepaid account http://www.myschoolbucks.com/ can be found on the district website.

If your child will need to have prescription or over the counter (OTC) medication during school hours, it is important for you to visit the front office prior to school starting. Both prescription and OTC medications require additional paperwork to be completed by the parent and/or doctor. ALL medication may ONLY be brought in by the parent and must be in the original prescription bottle.

A new way to stay connected to your child's PPK & PreK program.

Parent Portal or the PCS app are the best ways to check on attendance, grades, and communication.

If you need help - stop by our Front Office, we are here to help you!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We're in the final lap of summer! With the start of the 2026-2027 school year just days away, we are excited to welcome our students and families back. Before the school year begins, please review the important device information below.

Parents of students in grades 1-5 should have received an email notification indicating that a Pinellas County Schools (PCS) laptop has either been assigned to your child or that your child's assigned device has been renewed for the 2026-2027 school year. Whenever a PCS device is assigned or renewed, an email is automatically sent to the parent or guardian listed in Focus.

Devices for currently enrolled students have been assigned/renewed over the past few weeks. This process helps ensure that students receive their devices as quickly as possible to support learning from the start of the school year. Your child will receive their device during the first week of school from their classroom teacher.

Important Reminder for Incoming 4th and 5th Grade Students

Students who renewed their device with Mrs. Narkier in May 2026 and elected to keep it over the summer should bring both their laptop and power adapter to school on August 11, 2026. These devices will remain at school until take-home permissions for the 2026-2027 school year have been updated/verified.

If you have any questions, please contact me at narkierj@pcsb.org.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We can't wait to wave the green flag on a new school year filled with learning, discovery, and success.

Hey Osprey Family! 🦅💙

Welcome back to a brand-new school year! Your PTA is thrilled to welcome you, and we’re kicking things off with a big goal: 100% membership (650 members)! Help us crush our goal this year!

First PTA Meeting:

🗓️ Monday, August 17th @ 6:30 PM

📍 Media Center

Come connect with other parents, meet our Administrative team, and discover all the exciting things in store for our school this year.

A Few Quick Notes:

• Join/Renew: Make sure to renew your membership or join the PTA HERE so you don't miss a newsletter or update!
• Sponsorships: Calling all local business owners—check out our upgraded sponsor perks for this year! Click HERE!
• Spirit Store Closing Soon! Grab your Friday Spirit Day gear before the store closes on Monday, August 10th. 🧢👕 Click HERE to shop new merch!
• Get Social: Follow our Ozona PTA Instagram and Facebook pages to keep up with all the fun.

Visit us anytime at ozonapta.givebacks.com. We can’t wait to meet you!

Warmly,

Your PTA Board

Leslie, Juliana, Kari, Kelly, & Jessica

All volunteers must be Level 2 fingerprinted this year. Existing Level 1 volunteers, please follow the prompts on the county website if you would like to become a Level 2 volunteer.

https://www.pcsb.org/departments/district-services/strategic-partnerships/volunteer-information

Reach out to Jenny Moncrieff (moncrieffj@pcsb.org) for volunteer opportunities. New volunteers to the county will begin by completing this volunteer application to get started.

asd.pcsb.org/schoolwiresforms/volunteer/

FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.

Ozona Elementary Website https://www.pcsb.org/ozona-es

Ozona Elementary Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OEPTA?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Ozona PTA Instagram https://instagram.com/ozonapta?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=

Ozona PTA Website: https://ozonapta.givebacks.com/

Email: freemanl@pcsb.org
Website: https://www.pcsb.org/ozona-es
Location: 601 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor, FL, USA
Phone: 727-724-1589