CCE January 2026 Parent Connection

100% Student Success!

Curlew Creek Elementary will achieve this by being responsive to the academic, emotional, social, and individual needs of each child. Our goal is to develop critical thinkers and problem solvers who are prepared to be responsible, confident, and productive members of a diverse society.

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Dear Coyote Families,

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2026!

We hope your families had a safe, enjoyable, and memorable holiday season. We want to express our gratitude to our families for making the last month of school in 2025 so festive by participating in our various activities and events!

As we look forward to the month ahead, please take note of some important dates in the calendar below to ensure you don’t miss out.

This holiday season, the greatest gift you can give your child is a good education, and the best place for that is in school. While it may be tempting to extend your vacation by a few days, please remember that those days count as absences. A few missed days, even if excused, can accumulate and result in significant lost learning time. Therefore, it is essential to ensure your child is present at school every day.

As we begin the second semester, we encourage you to collaborate with your child's teacher to help your child establish academic goals. This is an excellent opportunity to reflect on their progress from the first half of the school year, assess where they stand in meeting grade-level expectations, and strategize on how they can successfully complete the year. By supporting your student in creating specific and achievable goals, you can inspire them to stay motivated and focused in the months ahead. Together, let’s make the most of the second half of the school year and finish strong!

Our Curlew family eagerly anticipates welcoming our scholars back to school on Monday, January 5, 2026!

With warmest regards,

Principal Brickley

Beginning in January, all new volunteers will be required to be Level 2 and fingerprinted through the Clearinghouse. A plan is in place to transition all existing volunteers to Level 2 by July 1, 2026. Questions, contact our Volunteer Coordinator Joyce Brown.

1/5 - Welcome back!

1/9 - $1 Lunch Fundraiser

1/12 - Safety Patrol Meeting, 3:15

1/13 - Club Pictures

1/14 - Class Pictures

1/15 - Quarter 2 Report Cards Distributed

1/16 - Parent Lunch Bunch Grades K, 1, 5

1/19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Observance - School Closed

1/26 - Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!

1/29 - 9:15 AM - Commitment to Character Awards Assembly - Cafeteria - (Parents will receive an invite if your child is being recognized. Check in front office with ID.)

1/30 - All Pro Dads, 7:30 AM

1/30 - Parent Lunch Bunch Grades 2, 3, 4

2/4 - Grade 5 to Enterprise Village field trip

2/5 - Ready, Set, Kindergarten, 6-7:30 PM

2/6 - $1 Lunch Fundraiser

2/6 - Quarter 3 midperiod reports

2/11 - Grade 4 Family Data Chats, 4-5 PM

2/11 - Kindergarten Fancy Nancy Program, 5:30-7 PM

2/13 - No school for students

2/16 - No school for students

2/20 - Quarter 3 School Advisory Meeting, 7:30 AM (Math/Science updates, PBIS, Midyear Data)

2/20 - Parent Lunch Bunch Grades K, 1, 5

2/23 - Wendy's Spirit Night, 5-9 PM (US 19, Palm Harbor)

2/24 - Spring Pictures

2/27 - All Pro Dads, 7:30 AM

• Monday is Motivational Monday – Wear kind or inspiring words.
• Wednesday is Wellness Wednesday – Wear a workout/exercise outfit.
• Thursday is College Spirit Day – Wear your favorite college shirt or colors.
• Friday is School Spirit Day – Deck out in your favorite Coyote gear and get ready for our weekly contests sponsored by our Coyote Council! Two classes will win a Coyote Paw Trophy each week!

As the holiday season brings joy and gifts to our children, we kindly ask you to ensure that any toys, especially toy guns and other potentially hazardous items, remain at home. Our goal is to maintain a safe and focused learning environment for all students.

Thank you for your cooperation and support!

To ensure a successful start to the school day, it is crucial that all students arrive before 8:45 AM. This ensures they are seated in their classroom and ready for instruction, which begins promptly at 8:45 AM.

Arriving after 8:45 AM disrupts the teaching and learning already in progress.

If your child is late, you must walk them in and sign them in at the front office. Please do not drop them off and leave, as our front doors are locked and entry is managed through the security doorbell system.

We strongly urge your cooperation in this matter to maintain a productive learning environment for all students. Thank you for your understanding and support!

Is your child starting Kindergarten in the fall? Don't miss our engaging Open House on Thursday, February 5, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Media Center!

What to Expect:

• Meet our friendly Kindergarten teachers.
• Discover our exciting Kindergarten program and learn about state standards.
• Get invaluable tips on preparing your child for Kindergarten.
• Explore classrooms and enjoy interactive, hands-on experiences.

Bonus:

• Families can register to secure a spot for Fall 2026.

Spread the word to friends and neighbors with incoming kindergarteners. This is an event not to be missed!

THANK YOU to parents who have sent staff recognitions by clicking the button or the link at the top of the monthly newsletter! Our staff appreciate those recognitions more than you know!

CONGRATULATIONS to Bilingual Assistant Heather Pope who just completed and earned her Elementary Education degree and accepted a teaching position at San Jose Elementary! We with her the best!

A BIG THANK YOU to School Counselor Jen Flory and Social Worker Taylor Lyons for coordinating our Holiday Help program with Calvary Church this year! Thanks to our PTA for providing all the gift wrap! A SHOUT OUT to Curlew staff and families for donating the many requested gifts to make the holidays special for our needy families!

COYOTE WOOSHES to our Student Council for bringing holiday cheer to the residents of Palm Gardens! They brought many smiles to the seniors they visited! Nice job Mrs. Torres-Bell and Mrs. Wheeldon teaching our kids about giving back to our community!

CONGRATULATIONS to Art Teacher Natalie Potacco and her Team Taco who placed 1st at the annual Chalk Competition at Experience Pinellas! Good job, team!

THANKS to all families who participated in our annual holiday events, including the Winter Chorus Concert, Family Holidays Night, and the Jingle Bell Jog. Your presence made these celebrations truly special and memorable! Thank you for being a vital part of our community.

A HUGE SHOUT OUT to all the parent volunteers who helped during all December events and activities! They could not have happened without you! Remember to log your volunteer hours. The district utilizes these numbers for data purposes, and we appreciate you taking the time to enter them. Questions - contact Joyce Brown, Family and Community Liaison.

THANKS to our PTA for bringing an AMAZING indoor Planetarium from Great Explorations to our scholars! It was out of this world!

THANK YOU to parents who completed our Annual Stakeholder Survey! We look forward to receiving and acting on your feedback once it has been compiled and provided to us.

Parents, your positive words can make a huge difference! If you’d like to recognize the hard work and dedication of a Curlew Creek staff member, please take a moment to submit a shout-out. Your compliments mean the world to them! Don’t forget to fill out a separate form for each staff member you’d like to honor.

Share Your Compliment Now

PBIS helps students build strong habits by teaching behavior the same way schools teach academic skills—through clear expectations, practice, and positive reinforcement. When students consistently hear, see, and practice what being responsible, respectful, or safe looks like in different situations, those actions become familiar routines rather than one-time reminders.

PBIS also reinforces good choices with praise or recognition, which strengthens the likelihood that students will repeat those behaviors. Over time, this consistent cycle of teaching, practicing, and reinforcing helps students develop habits such as following directions, managing emotions, working well with others, and making safe decisions. For students who need extra help, PBIS provides additional support to guide them in building these skills.

Altogether, PBIS creates an environment where positive behaviors are noticed, encouraged, and repeated—turning them into long-lasting habits that support students’ academic and social success.

Being kind, friendly, considerate, and willing to listen, give and share.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, and an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

~Leo Buscaglia

As a Healthy School, we follow specific Wellness Guidelines. Here are our birthday policies:

• No Birthday Parties at School: We do not host birthday parties.
• No Party Favors or Bags: Please refrain from sending party favors or bags for classmates.
• Bringing Snacks:
  • Check with the teacher for approval.
  • Snacks must be from the healthy category, store-bought, and individually wrapped.

Please refer to our attached Wellness Guidelines for further details.

Parents,

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

EVENT DAY PROTOCOL (During the School Day)

1. On Parent Lunch Days, siblings may accompany a parent or grandparent only if they are in a stroller. For safety reasons, siblings must remain in the stroller and may not run around.
2. Siblings from another classroom will not be pulled from class to see their brother or sister receive an award.
3. For outdoor events you must stay for the entire event, as the gates will remain closed until the event concludes.

On special event days, early dismissal for students is not permitted. Our small office staff is unable to manage mass grade level dismissals before the regular dismissal period. We understand that many families have multiple children they may wish to check out early, however, calling into classrooms for students disrupts instruction. Additionally, this process does not provide our office staff with sufficient time to prepare for the regular dismissal routines for car riders, bus riders, and van riders, nor to communicate any changes to the personnel supervising dismissal. Thank you for understanding and cooperation.

Please see the one-page summary of our School Improvement Plan (click to enlarge). Teachers and staff will use this to guide their instructional and professional goals and work throughout the school year. Feel free to leave feedback on our school webpage where you may also view our full School Improvement Plan.

Click to enlarge.

See Something, Say Something:

https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/say-something-tips/

Fortify Florida reporting site:

https://getfortifyfl.com/Tip.html#

Become a part of the Curlew community by joining the PTA today through the PTA Givebacks portal! Individual membership dues are just $10, and joining does not require you to volunteer. Simply scan the QR code below and select membership in the dropdown menu. Thank you for your support!

By joining the PTA, you are supporting vital initiatives that benefit our staff and students. Your $10 membership helps us provide:

• OUR NEW COYOTE COURTYARD!
• Supplemental Reading Materials
• Exciting Family Events
• Booster-Thon Fundraiser
• Table Full of Thanks in November
• Teacher Grants for Classroom Materials
• Staff Appreciation Week in May
• AND MUCH MORE!

Don’t miss out on the chance to make a difference in our school community. Join the PTA today!

Did you know our school is registered with Box Tops for Education?!

This is an EASY way to help our school earn extra money. It’s as easy as scanning your grocery receipts. The app identifies the items that qualify and our Coyotes get a cut.

Download the app, select Curlew Creek Elem and start scanning your grocery/shopping receipts! You select which grade you want to give credit to.

Which grade will come out on top at the end of the year?

Here is a link to register & start earning free money for our school:

https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=MYY11JLM

Email: brickleyk@pcsb.org

Website: https://www.pcsb.org/curlew-es
Location: 3030 Curlew Road, Palm Harbor, FL, 34684
Phone: 727-724-1423
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