K - 8 Ninja News

🍁 November Family Update 🍁

Hello Ninja Families,

November is packed with exciting events and opportunities to connect, and we are so grateful to have such an amazing school community! As we embrace this cozy season of gratitude, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in submitting Grateful Grams to our staff members. Your thoughtful messages mean so much, and our team will be receiving your kind words throughout the month.

We kicked off November with several exciting experiences, including the annual 4th Grade Energy Marine Center (EMC) Field Trip, the Elementary Farm Field Trip, and Middle School Ninja Café. Additionally, both our Elementary and Middle School Live Lesson Days will include visits from the school photographer. We encourage all students to attend live lesson days this month so they can have their picture taken and be included in the 2026-2027 yearbook. Our Journalism students are working hard to create an amazing yearbook, and they want every Ninja represented in its pages!

Be sure to read on for information about the Pasco Pathways Event, Veterans Day celebrations, the Virtual Great American Teach-In, Friendsgiving activities, and many more opportunities to connect with our school community.

We can't wait to see ALL of our Ninjas at these fun and memorable events throughout the month!

With gratitude,

The Pasco eSchool K-8 Team 🥷🍂🍁

Administrative Team:

Dr. Lori Wiggins - Principal

lwiggins@pasco.k12.fl.us

Erin Senior - Assistant Principal K-8

esenior@pasco.k12.fl.us

Support Staff:

Maria Cuevas - School Counselor K-5, Social Worker K-12

mcuevas@pasco.k12.fl.us

Rena Sadler - School Counselor 6-8

rsadler@pasco.k12.fl.us

November 2 - 4th Grade Field Trip to EMC

November 4 - Elementary Harvest Moon Farm Fieldtrip

November 6 - Middle School Picture Day

November 6 - Middle School Ninja Cafe

November 9th & 10th - Pasco Pathways

November 11 - Veterans Day

November 10th - PTO Meeting 6:00 PM (Virtual)

November 13 - Elementary and High School Picture Day

November 13 - Elementary Live Lesson Day

November 18 - Virtual Great American Teach-In

November 19 - Friendsgiving Ninja Night (Two different locations) Panera Bread Odessa and Zephyrhills

November 23 - 27 - Thanksgiving Break

While students are participating in on-campus activities, families are invited to join Dr. Wiggins for Coffee with the Principal. Space is limited to 20 participants. Please RSVP using the link provided in the flyer or here: Ninja Coffee Talk with Dr. Wiggins Sign Up – Fill out form

Join us on November 19 from 4:00-8:00 PM at either Panera Odessa or Panera Zephyrhills. Choose the location that works best for your family and connect with fellow Ninjas while supporting Pasco eSchool!🥪 Dine in or order online and use code FUND4U at checkout. Can't stay? Order online anytime that day from either location and enter FUND4U before paying to support our fundraiser. ❤️ Two tables. One Ninja Nation. Come join the Friendsgiving fun!

All K-12 students and families are invited to join us on December 17 for an evening of community, connection, and seasonal fun. Winter Fest is a wonderful opportunity to meet other Ninja families, celebrate together, and make lasting memories.

We hope to see you at both events as we continue building our incredible Ninja community!

Thank you to our PTO for their support of this event!

Beanstack can be found on your ninja's MyPasco Connect dashboard. Logging reading minutes is very easy. Students should be reading independently for 20-30 minutes a day. Teachers and parents may log their reading minutes as well. Reading magazines, articles online, books, and audio texts all count!

Minutes by grade-level

• 6th Grade, 14,703 minutes

• 7th Grade, 13,208 Minutes

• 8th Grade, 3,920 Minutes

Introducing the New Pasco ONE App! Pasco County Schools has launched the new Pasco ONE App, providing families with a convenient way to access important district and school information, student resources, forms, and communications all in one place. To learn more about the app and its features, please visit: https://eschool.pasco.k12.fl.us/pasco-one-one-app-every-connection/

If you are receiving this newsletter, it is because your student is already enrolled in Pasco eSchool for the 2026-2027 school year. We are aware that the new Pasco ONE App may prompt some families to complete forms again, including the Pasco eSchool Intent Form, even if those forms have already been submitted. Please know, you do not need to complete the Pasco eSchool Intent Form again.

Xello (found in your MyPascoConnect) is a comprehensive online platform designed to empower students in career exploration, academic planning, and life skills development. The platform engages students through interactive tools and immersive career profiles with real-world interviews and visuals, enabling them to discover career paths and set achievable goals.

Key features of Xello include:

• Self-Discovery: Interactive assessments help students understand their unique interests, skills, and preferences, which can guide them toward future career choices.

• Career Exploration: Students can explore a wide range of career and educational pathways, watch interviews with professionals, and access labor market data, giving them an authentic glimpse of potential futures.

• Personalized Planning: Students can build custom profiles, set short- and long-term goals, and create a roadmap for academic success, including course selection, college applications, and career aspirations.

• Preparation for the Workforce: Xello also prepares students for work by helping them build professional resumes, create shareable portfolios, and explore local work-based learning opportunities.

• Inclusive and Accessible: The platform is translated into Spanish and supports additional languages, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for students from various backgrounds.

Thank You, Ninja Nation!

A special thank you to our students in the Journalism Class for helping deliver the donations collected by our school to the local veterans home on November 11. We are grateful to everyone in the Ninja Nation who contributed items and supported this effort.

Your generosity and kindness helped make a meaningful difference in honoring and supporting our veterans. Thank you for coming together as a school community to show our appreciation for those who have served our country!

Thank you for supporting our Veterans!

A huge shoutout to our amazing 6th-12th grade students who participated in Red Ribbon Week and Anti-Bullying Spirit Week! Thank you for helping promote kindness, respect, positive choices, and a safe school community.



🎉 Congratulations to our randomly selected winner: Jessica I.! 🎉

Thank you to all students who participated and showed your support for creating a positive, bully-free school environment. We are proud of each of you for helping us continue.

🌟 A huge thank-you to our Gold Community Partner, DigitalMyst Photography ! 🌟

☕ SAVE THE DATES: Coffee with Dr. Wiggins!

Your principal and PTO are hosting two on-campus gatherings while your Ninjas are working with their teachers:

❤️ Friday, November 6: Middle school learning guides
❤️ Friday, November 13: Elementary and high school learning guides

Join Dr. Wiggins and the PTO for coffee, breakfast snacks, and a chance to connect. After coffee, you’re welcome to stay at the Ninja Hub to visit with other learning guides or get some work done until dismissal.

Be on the lookout for the sign-up sheets! Space is limited to the first 20 learning guides who sign up for each event. Times and sign-up details are coming soon.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We’re pleased to announce the launch of a new absence reporting system for our school district. Starting now, all student absences should be reported through the myStudent Parent Portal.

To submit an absence:

1. Log in to your myStudent Parent Portal.
2. Navigate to the Forms section.
3. Complete and submit the Absence Reporting Form for approval.

For step-by-step instructions and helpful resources, please visit:
👉 www.pasco.k12.fl.us/attendance/absence

Please note that this website is a Pasco County School District form and not specific to Pasco eSchool. A parent or guardian must be able to log into their Parent Portal in order to report an absence.

If you experience any issues accessing or logging into your Parent Portal, please submit a support ticket using the link below:
https://www.k12insight.com/Lets-Talk/embed.aspx?L=PF9Z7XN3B2LT

At Pasco eSchool, we believe in supporting the whole child! If you have a full-time student with Pasco eSchool and your family needs assistance with educational needs, please feel free to complete our ABC Application form. We’re here to assist, believe, and care for our students! 💖 For more information about the eSchool ABC Committee Program, don't hesitate to get in touch with eSchool Social Worker, Mrs. Maria Cuevas. Here’s the link to the ABC Application Form: https://forms.office.com/r/972d9iihHy

Pasco eSchool Holiday Assistance 2026 – Full‑Time Students Only

Pasco eSchool is accepting requests for the Ninja Tree Holiday Assistance Program, available only to full‑time Pasco eSchool students.

Please submit one form per household and include only full‑time Pasco eSchool students. Forms are due October 30, 2026. All information is confidential, and assistance is not guaranteed as it depends on available donations.

Families will list wants or needs valued up to $50 per child to guide donor selections, including clothing sizes and categories when applicable.

Please click this link to complete the form: Pasco eSchool Holiday Assistance Request for FULL-TIME Pasco eSchool Students Only - 2026 – Fill out form

If you are a family wanting to provide assistance, be on the lookout for an email in November with donation requests.

PARENT/GUARDIANS,

Please ensure you have access to your Parent Portal. Starting this year most communication will be sent via the portal.

For ease to access the portal, please download the myStudent Pasco APP available on Google and Apple devices.

If you are having difficulties access your portal please submit a ticket at Pasco County School's Let's Talk here: https://pasco.k12.fl.us/contact_us

New Volunteer Information

The 2025-2026 Volunteer Application will be available on July 1, 2025. Get ready to volunteer and attend events with your Ninja.

If you are renewing your volunteer status from last year, you will only need to update in the Raptor system. All volunteers new to the system will need to complete the following procedures.

All new volunteers must complete a Level 2 background screening. Each volunteer will be responsible for the cost associated with the background screening. The cost is $41.25 and would only be required every 5 years. The District will pay a yearly maintenance fee for each approved volunteer. To keep their prints current, the volunteer must complete the Raptor application yearly. If the volunteer does not reapply by the deadline provided, they will be responsible for the cost associated with a new background screening.

The current/past practice includes:

· A background check through Florida's Comprehensive Case Information System (CCIS) at the time of annual application. This check does not review any offenses that may have occurred outside the state of Florida.

· Our current background screening review is conducted once per year. Should a volunteer commit a new offense in the state of Florida, the District would be unaware until the volunteer applies for the next school year.

· Schools are required to enter all volunteers in Raptor daily. Raptor will check the National Sex Offenders Registry.

The new practice of completing Level 2 background screenings for all volunteers:

· The initial background screening is the same screening used for employees. This screening will review any offenses committed within the US.

· After the initial background screening, the District will pay a yearly monitoring fee for each volunteer’s fingerprints. Should the volunteer be arrested, the District will receive notifications, similar to our current practice for employees.

Thank you in advance for your support as we continue to implement procedures to keep our students safe while on our campuses. For more information and answers to some questions, please visit: https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/hreq/page/volunteer

Dear Pasco eSchool Families,

Due to the Parents' Bill of Rights and Florida state statute, we are required to now use your child's official name as it appears in MyStudent. No abbreviations or alterations may be used unless the parent/guardian gives their permission. If you would like us to use a nickname or other preferred name, you can make the change in the MyStudent Parent Portal.

To make an update, please follow the steps below:

1. Log into the Pasco County Parent Portal

Pasco County Schools (focusschoolsoftware.com)

If having issues logging in to Parent Portal, please use:

v MyStudent Parent Portal Assistance: 813-320-881

v Or submit your question to Let’s Talk

2. If you have not yet completed the consent and acknowledgments, we encourage you to do so at your earliest convenance

.

3. From the home page, click on More Info then Student Info

4. Click to expand the selections and click Primary Info

5. You can then type in Preferred Name/Nickname and click Save

(Families may submit more than one name in the preferred name section. For example, if your student's name is Abigail and you would like them to go by "Gail" or "Abby", you may add both names.)

Pasco eSchool will run the report frequently to check for updates, but feel free to also email your student's teachers if you make changes.

If resources or supports are needed, feel free to contact our School Social Worker

Elementary and Middle School Social Worker: Maria Cuevas, Mcuevas@pasco.k12.fl.us

15144 Shady Hills Rd,

Spring Hill, FL

34610

The District School Board of Pasco County does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, or age in its programs, services, and educational activities or in its hiring and employment practices. To report violations of this policy, contact: District School Board of Pasco County Equity Manager/Title IX Coordinator: Office for Employee Relations, (813) 794-2322, sblue@pasco.k12.fl.us.

Attendance

Please report reasons for absences on the link below. Approved excused absences will be updated in MyStudent

Student Absence Form

Website: https://eschool.pasco.k12.fl.us/
Location: 15144 Shady Hills Rd. Spring Hill FL. 34610
Phone: 813-346-1900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pascoeschool/
Twitter: @Pasco_eSchool