Sabal Palm Family Newsletter!

Dear Sabal Palm Families,

We made it… it’s May, and we are stepping right into the final stretch of the school year. And just like that, we’re kicking things off with state testing, so this is our moment to rally and lock in together.

Our students are truly ready. They have been putting in the work all year, growing, building stamina, and rising to expectations. Now it’s their time to show what they know, and we are approaching this season with confidence and a calm, focused mindset. We want every child walking into testing feeling prepared, supported, and proud!

Here’s how you can help us set them up for success:

• Ensure they are arriving to school on time, especially on testing days
• Prioritize sleep – I promise it makes a difference
• Make sure they eat a good breakfast to start their day strong
• Keep the conversations positive: remind them to take their time and just do their best

This month is all about how we finish. Yes, testing is important, but it’s not the only thing that defines your child. We will keep teaching, supporting, and celebrating growth all the way through the last day of school. And while we are working hard, we are also going to enjoy these final weeks. There are celebrations ahead, special events, and so many moments to recognize just how far our students have come this year.

Team Sabal has been All In, All Year… now it’s time to finish strong.

Upcoming Events:

• State Testing Window 3rd-5th Grade – Begins the week of May 4th
• Teacher Appreciation Week – May 4th – 8th
• Songbirds Spring Concert – May 12th at 6PM
• KG Roundup – May 13th at 5PM
• SAC/PTA Meeting – May 13th starting at 5PM
• 4th & 5th Grade Talent Show – May 15th at 6PM
• Awards Week – Begins the week of May 18th
• 5th Grade Day (clapout, Awards, Kickball, Picnic) – May 20th
• 5th Grade EOY Trip – May 22nd
• End-of-Year Celebrations and Class Parties
• Memorial Day / No School – May 25th
• Last Day of School – May 28th w/ dismissal starting at 11:40!

*More details will come from your child’s teacher, so keep an eye out.

Thank you for continuing to support your child and partner with us. It does not go unnoticed, and it makes all the difference. Let’s make this last month count and close out our schoolyear strong!

Warmly,
Dr. Amber Felts
Principal, Sabal Palm Elementary School

#TeamSPE #AllInAllYear #HWPO

Parents, for the safety of our students and staff, please ensure you have your photo I.D. in hand when visiting campus. All school personnel are trained to request identification before allowing anyone to enter the building.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and secure learning environment for everyone.

• MAY 25 - MEMORIAL DAY: SCHOOL CLOSED!
• MAY 28 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: DISMISSAL STARTS AT 11:40
• MAY 29 - WEATHER DAY: SCHOOL CLOSED!

As a reminder, students will not be released after 2:15 PM , per DCPS policy. In addition, please reserve early pick up for days when it is absolutely needed. We understand that appointments and emergencies come up at times but please ensure your child is in school the entire day when possible.

All students who will ride a bus to and/or from school this year need to be registered for bus transportation. This can be done following the steps on the link below through your parent FOCUS account. Bus routes will be created based on addresses of students riding so please sign up as early as possible and make sure your address is correct in FOCUS. Once available, you will also be able to view your child's bus stop information in your parent FOCUS account. Make sure to register each child that will be riding.

Hazel Health has partnered with Duval County Public Schools to expand student health services at no-cost to families this school year. When your student needs help, they can connect with Hazel for same-day care.

Duval County Public Schools will use ROOMS, as our primary communication platform, again this year. If you are not connected, please reach out to your child's teacher.

Beginning in August, all students will have an I.D. card with a lanyard for safety, lunch, and bus accountability. I.D. cards must be returned to students each day. Students will only receive one I.D. card. If a student loses/damages an I.D. card, the replacement cost is $5.00.

To maintain the longevity of I.D. cards, please discuss with your student the purpose of these cards and the importance of taking care of their I.D. card.

Arrival will begin at 8:00am daily; the car loop gate will close promptly at 8:25am and all remaining students will need to be dropped off at the Main Office. Tardies will be issued beginning at 8:30am.

Dismissal begins at 2:45pm daily; the car loop gate will close promptly at 3:10pm and all remaining students will need to be picked up at the Main Office. Please make sure you are in line before 3:10pm this to help us get all students dismissed on time.

Please view the map below to help navigate pick-up and drop-off locations.

Car Riders: All K-5 students will use the main car loop (Car Loop 1) on Ashley Melisse Blvd.

CSS/PI and Siblings Car Riders: Students will use the car loop (Car Loop 2) located on Kernan in front of the ESE wing.

Walkers: Please do not drop children off in the parking lot or park and walk them up to the building. Students who are walkers should cross with the crossing guard in front of the school. Walkers will be dismissed at 3:00 daily. Parents who are meeting their children should wait for them at panic gate in front of the school or the gate off of Ashley Melisse Blvd. A staff member will walk students out.

Bus Riders: Please make sure your child knows their bus number AND bus stop location. We recommend writing this down and putting in their bookbag in addition to communicating this information to their teacher. All kindergarten bus riders MUST have a KG Bus Form filled out and on file in the office. KG students will not be allowed to ride the bus without this completed form.

Our amazing PTA organization is looking forward to another great school year!

Memberships are good for one year and help with funding the PTA programs and events. Single memberships are $5.

If you are interested in joining the PTA board, we do have several open positions. Contact PTA President Jena Iselin and team at fantasticflamingopta@gmail.com

✨ FANTASTIC FLAMINGO FAMILIES — WE NEED YOU! ✨

As we begin planning for next school year, we are looking to build a strong, supportive PTA Board for Sabal Palm Elementary 💖

Our PTA has been able to do so many amazing things for our students and staff this year—but we cannot continue without your help.

OPEN BOARD POSITIONS:

👑 President
💡 VP of Ways & Means (Fundraising)
🎉 VP of Event Coordination
🤝 VP of Volunteer Coordination
💰 Treasurer
📝 Secretary

🚨 IMPORTANT:
The roles of President, Treasurer, and Secretary are REQUIRED positions. Without these roles filled before next school year, our PTA cannot operate meaning we would not be able to:

❌ Host events
❌ Support teachers and staff
❌ Fund student programs and celebrations

💖 But here’s the good news… you will NOT be doing this alone. We are building a team focused on:

✔️ Shared responsibilities
✔️ Better communication
✔️ Realistic expectations
✔️ Supporting each other

✨ No experience needed—just a willingness to help and be part of something special! Even if you’re unsure, have questions, or just want to learn more—we would LOVE to talk with you 💕

📧 fantasticflamingopta@gmail.com
📩 Message us here or comment below

🦩 Let’s come together to keep our PTA strong and continue supporting our amazing students and staff! 🦩

💖 Many hands make light work—and our flamingo family is stronger together! 💖

Get involved! Being a School Advisory Council member is a good way to be an important part of your child's education. Please contact Amber Felts at feltsa@duvalschools.org for more information.

Location: SPE Multipurpose Room

Next Meeting:

Wednesday, May 13th at 5:00pm

The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority. To help ensure this, adult supervision is provided in designated drop-off and pick-up areas. We ask for your support in keeping all students safe by using only these areas for arrival and dismissal each day.

Please remember that student supervision begins at 8:00 AM. Any students on campus before this time must be enrolled in our Extended Day Morning Care Program. If you would like more information about enrolling your child in morning care, please let us know, we are happy to help.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students safe and supported.

Keeping our students safe is always a top priority and goes hand in hand with providing a high-quality education. To strengthen our commitment to safety and comply with state law, the School Board approved updates to Board Policy 9.63 on March 4, which outlines the background screening process for volunteers.

These updates, which will take effect this school year, will require more rigorous background checks for volunteers who work directly with groups of students and may be out of the direct sight of district staff.

Volunteers who may have unsupervised contact with students will now need to complete a background check that includes fingerprinting, the same level of screening required for employees.

This requirement will apply to all current and future volunteers.

Volunteers will be categorized into two levels:

Level I Volunteers:
These volunteers are always within the direct line of sight of district employees and are never alone with students. Level I volunteers will continue to follow the standard screening process, which includes a check against the Dru Sjodin National Sexual Offender Public Website.

Level II Volunteers:
This group generally includes chaperones for field trips or other activities where they may be responsible for a group of students without direct supervision. Level II volunteers will now be required to complete a fingerprint background check, which screens for felonies and other criminal violations in addition to the sexual offender registry.

All screenings will be managed through our Background Screening Office in Human Resources. Details about implementation and any associated costs are still being finalized. As with current policy, principals will have the final authority to approve volunteers for their schools once background screening is complete.

Please note: These new requirements do not apply to visitors such as guest speakers for events like career days or guest readers. Student volunteers who are minors are also exempt, as they are always under staff supervision.

These changes ensure that our chaperones and other Level II volunteers meet the same safety standards as employees and, as always, volunteers should never be alone with a student except in rare and unavoidable situations.

In addition, all volunteers must schedule in advance with the teacher. Volunteers will be able to assist for up to an hour per day in the classroom as needed. Volunteers cannot bring younger siblings.

Classroom volunteers may return to our classrooms on an as needed basis. If the teacher needs a volunteer, he/she will reach out to families. If you would like to be a volunteer in our school when needed, please make sure you have filled out the volunteer information at Volunteer | Duval County Public Schools or click the icon below.

Please plan to send a reusable water bottle with your child to school daily. Our students may drink from these in class throughout the day as well as take them to recess and PE. Thanks to PTA fundraising efforts last year, and your support, we will be installing additional water bottle refill stations for our students to use as needed.

We need you! Interested in being a business partner here at SPE? Our business partners are invaluable here at SPE. If you own or manage a business and would like to learn more about the perks of being a SPE business partner, please reach out to Principal Felts at (904) 221-7169 or feltsa@duvalschools.org.

Please support those who support SPE. Click on the business logos below to support these local businesses. If your business is interested in becoming a SPE sponsor, email Principal Felts at feltsa@duvalschools.org for more information.

If you are in need of assistance, please review and reach out to the organizations listed below.