Summer 2024 Family and Community Newsletter

Back by popular demand! Pasco County Schools invites current PK-Grade 11 students to participate in the Extreme Summer Challenge to increase literacy and mathematics skills.   

The goal is for students to increase their math and reading proficiency by practicing the skills tailored to each student with learning and practice exercises that fully engage the learners with Beanstack, Zearn, and Lexia will be utilized providing differentiated learning pathways to engage students in building knowledge and skills for math and literacy. Students may engage in one or all challenges for prizes.

Beanstack: Top 2 students with the most minutes in each grade Current PK - 11th grade.
Reading Growth with Lexia: Top 2 students currently in K - 10th grade - 2 students per grade with the most units completed.
Math Growth with Zearn: Top 3 students currently in K - 5th grade - 3 students per grade with the most lessons completed.

Please encourage your child to work independently on each program, so they can show what they know. If you have questions, contact your student's school.

Who: All Pasco County students in current PK- 11^th Grade   

What: THE Extreme Summer Challenge   

When: May 25^th – July 9^th     

Where: Take the challenge by launching into the programs on your myPascoConnect dashboard in Beanstack, Lexia, and Zearn.    

Why: This challenge grows your brain AND you have the chance to win prizes! Some of the prizes include tech giveaways.    

All volunteers will be required to complete a Level 2 background screening every 5 years. This background screening will review records in the state of Florida as well as the national FBI database. The cost for this screening is $41.25 and volunteers will be responsible for paying this cost. The District will pay the yearly monitoring fee for each volunteer. You can access the 2024-2025 Volunteer Programs Application on July 1st, 2024. This application will be posted on the Volunteer Programs page of our website at the following link: https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/hreq/page/volunteer.

We encourage you to complete your volunteer application and background screening early as the average review time is 30 days. Questions regarding the volunteer application and background screening process can be directed to volunteers@pasco.k12.fl.us.

Quarter 4 report cards have been released! To view your student's report card, log into your parent portal. Once logged in, scroll down to your child's profile and select the "Reports" tab.  You will then be able to select  the most recent report card for Q4.

As a reminder, is it important for parents to have their own portal and log into it to see your student's progress.

For assistance with creating a Parent Portal, access this link for step by step instructions.

You can also access your Parent Portal on your electronic device by downloading the app. Download the apps from the App Store or Google Play.

The Board is aware that WCDs are used by students and parents to communicate with each other, however the use of WCDs on school grounds must be appropriately regulated to protect students, staff, and the learning environment.  To help promote the in-person academic and social engagement of our students while at school and at school-related activities, the District has revised expectations regarding the use of WCDs by students for the upcoming school year as follows: 

Grades Pre-K through 8:  Students who bring WCDs to school must ensure that they remain on silent mode and completely out of view for the entire school day except for when expressly authorized by the classroom teacher for a specific instructional activity. Classroom teachers may also provide, and students may utilize, a cell phone storage area in their classroom. These expectations also apply to extracurricular and co-curricular activities that occur before or after the school day.  

Grades 9 through 12:  Students who bring WCDs to school must ensure that they remain on silent mode and completely out of view for the entire school day except for the student’s lunch period, or as expressly authorized by the classroom teacher for a specific instructional activity. Classroom teachers may also provide, and students may utilize, a cell phone storage area in their classroom. These expectations also apply to extra-curricular and co-curricular activities that occur before or after the school day.  

*With the approval of their respective Assistant Superintendent and based on the specific facts and circumstances at their school, a school principal may impose more restrictive conditions at their school. 

F.S. 1006.07 (f) 

Full details of the Rules for Dress and Appearance and the Wireless Communication Device (WCD) policy can be found in those specific sections of the 2024-2025 Student Code of Conduct available now on the Pasco County Schools website and by clicking on the link provided.

Parents and students are encouraged to review the most up to date expectations for student conduct in the  2024 – 2025 Student Code of Conduct on the Pasco County Schools website. The Student of Code of Conduct is reviewed and revised annually and is now available for the convenience of families in preparation for a successful kick-off to the new school year.  

As noted in his letter to families in the Student Code of Conduct, Superintendent Browning impresses upon our community the important role parents play in the success of our students, "We are excited to partner with you to ensure that students are ready to learn. Parents play a crucial role in promoting safety and the PBIS model on our school campuses by supporting the district’s SCOC. By reviewing the SCOC with your child, you can help us reinforce the guidelines and rules students are expected to follow."

Date: July 23, 2024 

Time: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Location: Enrollment Services - Central - portable 31- located at the district office complex  

7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. Land O’Lakes Florida 34638 

Members of the enrollment and health services team will be available to assist you in person with your enrollment and school entry health needs.  This includes support with health services (physicals and immunizations). A health care provider will be available to provide FREE school entry physicals. THIS IS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!  For Immunizations, you will need to contact your primary physician or contact the local health department. 

If you need help, please use this link to request an appointment.  Appointment Request Form

We are excited to announce that Pasco County students will have the chance to take state assessments during the upcoming summer testing window from July 15th to July 18th. This opportunity is open to all first-time test takers or students seeking to retake an exam. Students may prepare for the exams by taking practice tests on the Florida Department of Education portal. 

Available Tests: 

• BEST Algebra End of Course exam 
• BEST Geometry End of Course exam 
• Biology 1 End of Course exam 
• Civics End of Course exam 
• U.S. History End of Course exam 
• FAST Grade 10 ELA Reading Retake 

Contact Information: For more information on specific test dates and times during the testing window, please reach out to your child's school. 

Good luck to all students!