Parkside Post

We are nearing the end of the 3rd quarter already! This year is flying by and we want to be sure students are staying focused on their learning in the next couple of months. State assessments begin in April, with 4th and 5th grade Writing, and K-2 Reading and Math. 3rd-5th ELA, Math, and Science assessments are in May. Please view the assessment schedule below so you know when your child(ren) will be testing. Please do not schedule vacations, medical appointments, or other time off on the days your child is scheduled for testing.

Starry Night was another success! We hope you enjoyed an evening under the stars and got to spend some time exploring the stations in the cafeteria as well. This event is one of our favorites!

Have you ordered your child's yearbook yet? A flyer and an order form were sent home in recent weeks, and there is also a link below to order online. 5th grade students do NOT need to order a yearbook. They will be gifted one.

As a reminder, morning drop off and arrival for students starts at 7:30. Students should not be dropped off or arriving at school before that time. We do not have staff to supervise them and we want them to be safe.

There are many helpful links and important details in our monthly newsletter, so please take a few minutes to look through the information each month. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher or call the front office. We are here to help!

Mrs. Johnessee

Principal

johnessa@collierschools.com

March 6 ~ No School

March 9-13 ~ Spring Break/No School

March 16 ~ Students Return to School

March 25 ~ Early Release Day @ 12:05

March 27 ~ Crocs & Socks for $1

April 3 ~ No School

Click the link below to order and use the Yearbook ID!

5th graders do NOT need to order a yearbook. Every 5th grader will be gifted a yearbook!

ybpay.com

Yearbook ID: 14664426

Cost is $25

LAST School-Day Friday of Every Month

March 27 is our next Crocs & Socks Day!

$1 donation

Sponsored by Parent Lighthouse Team

to benefit PSE Students, Families & Staff!

March is a wonderful time to celebrate reading! We encourage families to make reading part of their daily routine.

Even 15–20 minutes of reading each day can help build strong literacy skills.

Keep Reading Over Spring Break!
Spring Break is a great time for students to relax and enjoy a good book. Encourage your child to bring a book on a trip, read before bed, or visit your local library. Keeping up with reading during the break helps students stay on track and continue building their skills.

At Home Reading Tip:
After reading with your child, ask simple questions like: Who was your favorite character? What problem did the character face? What might happen next?

Talking about books helps children better understand what they read.

New Worlds Reading Program

We are proud to support New Worlds Reading, Florida’s free home literacy program for eligible VPK–5th grade students.

Enrolled children receive:

• 9 free books each school year that they choose
• Reading activities and resources to support families at home

Students may be eligible if they are not yet meeting grade-level reading expectations in Florida VPK programs, public schools, or charter schools. There is no income requirement to participate.

The program is administered by the UF Lastinger Center for Learning in partnership with Scholastic, with book selections developed alongside the Florida Department of Education.

Learn more and register at newworldsreading.com.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s reading journey! 📖✨

This month, during math instruction students are developing strong number sense, accuracy, and problem-solving skills while learning to explain and justify their thinking.

Across grade levels, students are working on:

• Building fluency with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
• Representing problems using models such as number lines, area models, arrays, and equations
• Solving real-world word problems and explaining how they know their answers are correct
• Deepening understanding of fractions and place value

These skills directly support success on the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) and, more importantly, build lasting mathematical understanding.

How families can help at home:

• Ask your child, “How do you know?” or “Can you show me another way?”
• Practice math facts for 5–10 minutes a day to build fluency
• Encourage real-world math during cooking, shopping, budgeting, or telling time
• Play strategy-based math games that require thinking and reasoning

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s mathematical growth!

Spring has sprung, and it’s the perfect time to get outside and observe nature. Many of our local plants are blooming, migratory birds are heading back north, and our cold-blooded friends are becoming more active. There is so much for students to see outside! Daylight savings is coming back soon, a perfect opportunity for family walks around the neighborhood after dinner. With spring break around the corner, consider taking a trip to one of our many local outdoor attractions. My family’s favorites include The Naples Botanical Gardens, Naples Zoo, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, and The Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs. If you are looking for a free place to walk around, consider going to one of our many local parks. Baker Park near downtown is a great place to spend the day observing nature. Bring a notebook and some crayons so students can record their observations.

Our 4th Annual Parkside Everglades Week was a huge success! Students in all grade levels enjoy learning about the Everglades and the plants and animals within. Our 5th grade students led an effort to raise money for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) to help their turtle tracking program. Our students were able to raise $335! Check out their turtle tracking portal here - https://sccf.hammerhead360.com/ Toggle off the "Active Tags" to see the turtles' journeys!

This month, students are learning about the character traits of responsibility and respect. Through discussions and activities, we are exploring what these traits look like at school and how students can apply them in their daily choices, actions, and relationships.

In 5th grade, we have also incorporated a career exploration lesson to help students begin thinking about their interests, strengths, and future goals as they prepare for middle school. Our goal is to help students feel confident, responsible, and ready for their next step.

Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences

At this time of the year teachers are inviting parents to talk about their child’s progress. It gives you an opportunity to talk one-to-one with your child’s teacher about their progress and share any concerns you might have. This article will give you helpful tips to make this a successful conference.

https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/tips-parents-parent-teacher-conferences

March is a wonderful time to refresh reading routines and explore new books in the Media Center! Students in PreK through 5th grade continue to build strong library habits, discover new favorite authors, and grow as readers each week.

As we head into spring, we encourage families to ask their children about what they’re reading and set aside time for daily reading at home. Even 15–20 minutes a day makes a big difference!

We will continue to recognize students for exemplifying our PSE Expectations...Prepared to Learn, Show Respect to Ourselves and Others, Be Responsible...We also recognize Leaders of the Week for modeling the 7 Habits, as part of the Leader in Me Framework.

For the 2025-2026 school year, Parkside students are provided with Breakfast & Lunch at no cost.

Contact our Nutrition Services Manager, Josefina Hinojosa, at 239-377-8912 if you have questions.

Students must follow the dress code each day. Fridays are Jeans Days and students can also wear any Parkside Spirit T-Shirt on Fridays. https://www.collierschools.com/site/Default.aspx?PageID=10454

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

FortifyFL was created and funded by the 2018 Florida Legislature as part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The application was named by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Office of Attorney General, Department of Education and Florida Department of Law Enforcement coordinated its development and roll-out.

https://getfortifyfl.com/

Parents may review their children’s instructional materials at the school site. Parents may also schedule an appointment to review currently adopted instructional materials at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Administrative Center. Please contact Julia Lorenzo, Instructional Materials Manager at LorenzJu@collierschools.com or 377-0103.

Website: collierschools.com/pse
Location: 5322 Texas Avenue, Naples, FL 34113, USA
Phone: 239-377-8900
Facebook: facebook.com/parksideproud
X: @parksideproud