December 2024 Newsletter

Apollo Families,

As we conclude the year 2024 and break for the winter holiday, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed to making Apollo an amazing place. In the spirit of the holiday season, I thank each of you for everything you do for our school. As we enjoy the upcoming holidays, I wish for all of you to receive and share the seasonal blessings and good tidings that make this time of year so special.

I am also reminded of my good fortune to serve as the proud principal of Apollo. I believe our children's smiles truly capture the essence of this holiday season. To the families of the Apollo community, I wish you a safe and joyful holiday season.

If you are not receiving our Sunday message, please contact the front office so we can verify your information in FOCUS. You can also like us on Facebook.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us.

Your Extremely Proud Admin Team,

Mrs. DiLago and Mrs. Landress

November 4th - February 6th,

Monday through Thursday 7:10 am - 7:45 am

We still have some seats available. If you are interested please reach out to your child's teacher.

• NO EARLY RELEASE DATES ON FRIDAYS: 12/06/24
• EARLY RELEASE DATES: Friday 12/13/24, Wednesday - Friday 12/18/24-12/20/24
• PTO Meeting: 12/09/24 at 5:30pm (Media Center)
• SAC Meeting: 12/09/24 at 6:00pm (Media Center)
  
• Christmas Shoppe: 12/16/24-12/20/24 (during school hours)
• Picture Retakes: 12/17/24
• Holiday Concert: 6:30-7:30 12/17/24
• Family Night: Evening of Bedtime Stories 12/19/24 5:30pm - 6:30pm
• Winter Break 12/23/24-01/03/24

On October 22, 2024, the Brevard County School Board approved Apollo’s Schoolwide Improvement Plan which also serves as our Title I plan. Please take a minute to review our school’s plan at ( https://www.brevardschools.org/o/apoes/page/school-improvement-plan ). Copies of this document will be made available upon request and if you would like the document translated, please contact our front office.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) is a progress monitoring system that is administered three times per year to track your student’s progress in learning the Benchmarks of Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards throughout this school year. The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your student will participate in the second administration (PM2) of the Grade 3, 4, 5, 6 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) ELA Reading and Mathematics assessments on 12/3/24 and 12/4/24. Your student’s results from PM2 are for informational purposes only, and you will be provided with information about how to access the results after testing is completed.

FAST assessments are computer-adaptive tests taken on a computer or tablet. The questions get easier or more difficult depending on how the student responds, and each student will see different questions from a common item bank. Each test attempt (PM1, PM2, and PM3) will present 35–40 items that will cover the entire test “blueprint,” meaning students will encounter items representative of the standards within the subject or grade level. For more information on the test design, please visit https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/best/. If you or your student would like to interact with the online testing platform or review FAST ELA Reading and Mathematics sample items at home, sample test materials are available at https://flfast.org/families.html.

Please review the following policies with your student before testing:

• Electronic Devices—Students are not permitted to access any electronic devices, including, but not limited to, cell phones, smartphones, and smartwatches, at any time during testing or during breaks (e.g., restroom). If your student is found with an electronic device or is found using Bluetooth/wireless headphones/earbuds during testing, his or her test may be invalidated.

• Calculator Policy—For Grades 7–8 FAST Mathematics, approved handheld scientific calculators may be used. For Grade 6 FAST Mathematics, a handheld four-function calculator may be used.

• Testing Rules Acknowledgment—All tests include a Testing Rules Acknowledgment that reads: “I understand the testing rules that were just read to me. If I do not follow these rules, my test score may be invalidated.” Prior to testing, test administrators read the rules to students, and students acknowledge that they understand the testing rules by clicking the box in the secure browser indicating they understand the testing rules.

• Discussing Test Content after Testing—The last portion of the testing rules read to students before they click the box to accept the Testing Rules Acknowledgment states that because the content of all statewide assessments is secure, students may not discuss or reveal details about the test content (including test items and passages) after the test. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as texting, emailing, or posting to social media sites. Please make sure your student understands this policy prior to testing and remind them that “discussing” test content includes any kind of electronic communication, such as texting, emailing, posting to social media, or sharing online. While students may not share information about secure test content after testing, this policy is not intended to prevent students from discussing their testing experiences with their parents/families.

• 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.

• 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 any testing accommodations that will be provided for your student.

If you have any questions related to this test administration, you may contact Jennifer Landress at 321-267-7890.

For more information about the FAST program, please visit the portal at FLFAST.org.

Thank you for supporting your student and encouraging him or her to do his or her best during this test administration.

Sincerely,

Aimee DiLago

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) is a progress monitoring system that is administered three times per year to track your student’s progress in learning the Benchmarks of Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards throughout this school year. The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your student will take the Kindergarten/Grade 1/Grade 2 Renaissance Star Early Literacy, Star Reading, and/or Star Math assessment(s) on administration dates 12/10/24, and 12/11/24. Your student’s results from PM2 are for informational purposes only, and you will be provided with information about how to access the results after testing is completed.

FAST assessments are computer-adaptive tests taken on a computer or tablet. The questions get easier or more difficult depending on how the student responds, and each student will see different questions. If you or your student would like to review Star Early Literacy, Star Reading, and/or Star Math sample items at home, visit https://flfast.org/families.html.

The Star Early Literacy assessment typically takes less than 15 minutes to complete. The Star Reading assessment is usually completed in less than 20 minutes, and the Star Math assessment typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions related to this test administration, you may contact Jennifer Landress at 321-267-7890.

For more information about the Florida Statewide Assessments program, please visit the portal at FLFAST.org.

Thank you for supporting your student and encouraging him or her to do his or her best during this test administration.

Sincerely,

Aimee DiLago

Hello Families!

Click on the link for some free apps to keep up with basic math/reading skills over the holiday break.

Calling All Apollo Families!

Apollo's School Advisory Council's next meeting is December 9th at 6:00 p.m. in the Media Center.

The meetings are rarely longer than 30 minutes and only once a month. Please consider attending and being a member of the School Advisory Council. We are in need of diverse family voices. This means your voice is needed.

If we had 10 people on the committee, then we would need at least:

Caucasian: 4 members

African American: 4 members

Hispanic: 2 members

Multi-Racial: 1 member

Currently, we do not have enough representation of our African American, Hispanic, or Multi-Racial families.

If you have any questions, please contact Phyllis Thibideau at (321) 267-7890 ext. 41625 or by email thibideau.phyllis@brevardschools.org

Who needs actual cash when you've got Apollo Bucks? Our PBIS store is where students trade in their good behavior for awesome rewards! Here is our Amazon Wishlist for our PBIS store. If you have other items that you would like to donate to our store, we would greatly appreciate it. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3FO0PV5UVXT7G?ref_=wl_share

As part of our commitment to everyone's safety, we kindly ask all visitors to stop at the entrance for a quick screening. Please be ready to let us know who you are and the purpose of your visit. We would also like your cooperation in maintaining our school's safety. While holding the door open for someone is a kind gesture, we must prioritize safety. So, please don't let anyone in the office door as you leave, and avoid opening the door for anyone while you're waiting in the office.

Thank you for your cooperation – we appreciate your understanding!

School begins at 8:00am and ends at 2:30 pm. Gates open at 7:30am. Do not drop your child off prior to 7:30am as there will not be supervision.

7:30am - Breakfast is served

7:45am - Classroom doors open

7:50am - Morning Announcements begin

8:00am - Instruction begins

2:30pm - Dismissal

Reminder: No checkouts after 2:00 pm Monday-Thursday and no checkouts after 12:45 pm on Friday.

Every Friday is 1:15 dismissal for grades K-6.

Please have a plan for inclement weather dismissal. In case of emergency weather, we will hold biker's and walkers until it is safe to send them home. A shelter-in-place occurs when lightning is detected within 2 miles of the school. You can choose to pick your student up in the car loop during inclement weather dismissal. You will need your car tag and photo ID. Teachers will have a form available during Meet and Greet. You can let us know your plan during inclement weather.

Come join our Apollo PTO!

Becoming a member you can help when needed on school events (during and after school hours), support teachers and staff with their needs, volunteer for field trips. All you have to do is be a registered volunteer, by applying online at Brevard Public School. Click on the button below to link you to the application page.

As required by Florida Department of Education, we are notifying parents the the following teachers are currently teaching out of field in the subjects listed below. We want to ensure you that the teachers are fully certified by the State of Florida and are currently working to become certified in these out of field assignment areas.

Mrs. Sharon Irlbeck is teaching out of field in English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Mrs. Diana Streetman is teaching out of field in Reading Endorsement and English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Mrs. Colleen Romano is teaching out of field in English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Mrs. Kristen McCall is teaching out of field in English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Mrs. Tara Brust is teaching out of field in English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Mrs. Barbara Young is teaching out of field in English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Mrs. Amanda Cheshire is teaching out of field in English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Ms. Candace Jaquith is teaching out of field in English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Apollo will be partnering with the local Domino's in Titusville to have monthly spirit nights. These will occur on the second Tuesday of EVERY month. This is a great way for Apollo to earn money towards school initiatives while providing your family an easy dinner plan. We will send remembers the night before to all families through FOCUS messaging and students will be sent home with their sticker reminders.

1850 Knox McRae and their phone number is 321-268-8008

Just a friendly reminder or two. Since we are on the Community Eligibility Program here at Apollo (CEP for short), all our students eat at no cost for breakfast and lunch and snack if they attend Aftercare. If you are adding money into your student’s account @www.mealpayplus.com please remember to put it in the general fund so they may purchase ala carte items. Don’t forget the meet and greet on August 8,2024 I will be here for any questions or concerns. If I can assist you in any way please feel free to call me. We are looking forward to a wonderful year!

Jennie Cheesman

Cafeteria Manager

321-267-7890 ext. 41611

The SpeakOut Hotline (800) 423-TIPS is designed to help you anonymously report any threatening behavior or situation that endangers you, your friends, family, community, or your school campus. Reporting isn't "snitching,” reporting is when you need to keep yourself or someone you know safe from threats, harmful behaviors, or dangerous situations.

By guaranteeing a caller's anonymity, SpeakOut allows the caller to give information without the fear of retribution.

If you want to check your students grades, attendance and communicate with your child's teacher. Just download the app from your app store on your phone and stop by the office to pick up your parent portal pin.

FOCUS is generating attendance letters for students with 5 or more unexcused absences. If you have any questions, please contact the front office.

Principal

Jennifer Landress

Assistant Principal

Email: ApolloElementary@brevardschools.org
Website: https://apollo.brevardschools.org/o/apes

Location: 3085 Knox McRae Drive, Titusville, FL, USA
Phone: 321-267-7890
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057704497888