August 2024 Family and Community Newsletter

The 9th annual Two Good Soles Shoes and Socks Drive is underway! You can donate new shoes and socks in collection boxes at Pasco County Government locations and the Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller, Property Appraiser and Tax Collector offices through October 23, 2024.

More than 3,000 pairs of shoes and nearly 6,000 pairs of socks were collected in 2023. Since 2016, the event has collected 18,340 pairs of shoes and 45,685 pairs of socks. Social workers distribute the items to Pasco students.

Types of shoes and socks to consider donating include:

• Children's shoes sizes 9 and up
• Adult shoes in all sizes
• Socks in all sizes in neutral colors
• Closed-toe shoes (no flip flops please)

All new shoes and socks will be donated to Pasco County Schools students at the end of October.

It's a New School Year and it's time to make sure you're prepared! The best way to stay informed with your child's progress and communicate with teachers is to have a parent portal. Having a parent portal allows you to see your child's progress reports, report cards, attendance, and schedules. It also allows you to have direct communication with one or all teachers. The information below will guide you with the process.

To stay informed about your student's progress, it's crucial for parents to have their own portal and log in regularly.

I don't have a parent portal, but need to create one: 

Use this link for step by step instructions.

I have a portal, but need to be linked to my student:

Use this link for step by step instructions.

I need to communicate with my student's teachers:

Communication for Parents Video

Communication for Parents step by step instructions

You can also access your Parent Portal on your electronic device by downloading the myStudent app. When using the app, ensure you allow push notifications. Download the apps from the App Store or Google Play.

We are excited to announce the opening of a dedicated enrollment office to support Pasco families with navigating the online enrollment process.    

Parents, guardians and caregivers are now able to schedule in-person or virtual appointments with an enrollment technician.  

The Enrollment Services Central office is in portable 31 at the district office complex at 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, Florida, 34638  

Use the link below to schedule your appointment:  

https://outlook.office365.com/book/EnrollmentServicesCentral@live.pasco.k12.fl.us/ 

Or call (813) 320-6680 to leave a message and a technician from enrollment services will assist you with scheduling an appointment.  

Parent Portal Access - As we prepare for the upcoming school year, it’s essential to ensure you have access to the Parent Portal. If you already have an account, please make sure you can log in. If you don’t have an account yet, now is the perfect time to create one! You can create a Parent Portal here. 

Why the Parent Portal is Important: 

• Attendance: Keep track of your child's attendance records. 
• Academic Progress: Monitor grades and academic achievements. (Secondary parents will receive a weekly notification when any course grade falls below 70%) 
• Communication: Easily communicate with teachers. 
• Report Cards and Progress Reports: Access online. 
• Unofficial Transcripts: High School Only. 
• Emergency Cards: Update emergency contact information. 
• Parent Bill of Rights Consent Forms: Complete necessary consent forms. 

Keeping your emergency card updated is crucial for school staff to assist your child in case of illness, specific health needs, school crisis, or designating emergency contacts. Completing the Parent Bill of Rights consent form ensures your child has access to, or opts out of, certain school events, curriculum, student surveys, college testing, military recruiting, and more. You can review the Parent Bill of Rights information here before completing the form in the Parent Portal. 

For any questions regarding the Parent Portal, emergency cards, or the Parent Bill of Rights consent form, please visit the Pasco County Schools webpage and check out the parent resources section. 

Attendance Calls 

Starting from the first day of school, we are enhancing our communication regarding your child's attendance. Keeping parents informed about their child’s attendance is vital for the safety and security of all students. 

Elementary School: If your child is absent, you will receive a notification (phone call and email) one hour after the start of school. For example, if school starts at 9:40, you will receive a message at 10:40 if your child is absent. 

Secondary School: You will receive a notification the first time your child is marked absent during the day. For example, if your child is marked present in first period but absent in the second period, you will receive a message then. Secondary students are marked present or absent in each period, so you will only receive one notification per day. 

To ensure you receive these important notifications, please do not block calls or emails within your Parent Portal. Missing these notifications means you could miss critical information. For timely messages, we encourage you to have a Parent Portal and download the myStudent app. You can find the app on the App Store or Google Play. Let’s work together to make the 2024-2025 school year a success! 

More than half of Florida students surveyed say they rely most on friends and family members for career advice. Here are some tips to help them assess, explore, and plan for a career. 

View the Career Pathways here. There are incredible advancement opportunities when students enter a career and technical education program. These top-notch programs are rigorous, short, affordable and available in communities across Florida. They are focused on high-skill sectors that do not require a four-year degree — fields like artificial intelligence, engineering technology, healthcare, IT, robotics and more.  

View the student Career Quiz here. Engage in a journey of self-discovery with this dynamic career readiness exploration and assessment quiz. This quiz delves into your unique strengths, passions, and aptitudes to provide tailored insights that empower you to make informed decisions about your professional path. Uncover hidden potentials, align your aspirations with market demands, learn more about careers of the future and find a program near you. 

Pasco County Schools is excited to launch the 2nd annual R.A.C.E. to Read Pasco! district-wide, Pre-K-12 reading challenge for the 2024-2025 school year. All students and staff are invited to participate. We collectively read over 30 million minutes last school year! The new challenge is to collectively read 35 million minutes from August 12, 2024 – May 16, 2025. Minutes will be logged via Beanstack, and celebrations will be school based.  

Get ready to Read Across the County Everyday!

Now enrolling for the 2024-25 school year! Mittye P. Locke Early Learning Academy offers a free, 3-hour Voluntary Prekindergarten program (VPK), Monday through Friday, for children who are 4-years-old on or before September 1, 2024.

Before parents can apply for enrollment at Mittye P. Locke Early Learning Academy, a valid VPK Certificate of Eligibility must be obtained from the Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando counties.

Please visit our Early Childhood Programs page to complete an enrollment application or to obtain more information about the VPK program with Pasco County Schools.

Here we GROW again! There are awesome changes coming to our after school enrichment programs this year. We are excited to be opening two new PLACE programs at Deer Park Elementary and Kirkland Ranch K-8. In addition, Wiregrass Elementary is moving from a 10-month site to a 12-month site, and Hudson Primary STAR is becoming a 10-month PLACE program. If you would like to register your child for these, or any of our other amazing programs, please visit our website at myasep.com. We look forward to seeing you soon!  

Pasco County Schools would like to thank the following community sponsors for supporting our Summer Learning Events. You generous contributions went a long way in carrying our mission and vision for these important events.  

Diamond Level:  

• Grand Canyon University 
• CLASS Pasco 

Platinum Level: 

• K12 Insight 
• ClassLink 
• Suncoast Credit Union 
• ScreenBeam 
• University of South Florida 
• University of Tampa 
• Corebridge Financial 
• Equitable 

Gold Level:  

• Florida Educator Insurance 
• Lexia Learning 
• Florida Southern College 
• Turnitin 
• Instructure 

Silver Level:  

• Lennar Homes 
• Pizza Pie 
• Bronze Level: 
• McGraw Hill Education 

Learn more about how you can get involved in Pasco County Schools for the 2024-2025 school year by watching this video or visiting https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/get_involved.

Are you interested in starting your career with Pasco County Schools? Our District has opportunities for everyone across various industries including teaching, transportation, food and nutrition, and more!

Follow this link to explore more opportunities: https://pasco.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

Have a bachelor's degree? You too can become a teacher! Connect with a Recruiter at work@pasco.k12.fl.us to learn how to start your teaching career today!

The following services are offered on the Mobile Dental Van: 

• Cleanings 
• Fluoride treatments 
• Sealants 

Dental health services are provided to K - 5th grade students. If you would like your student to be seen, please complete the Premier Dental Mach Form. Upon completion of the form, Premier will send you a consent form for dental services which will enable your student to be seen on the dental bus. Complete the form and the electronic consent as soon as possible so your student can be scheduled for this important health service. Students must have a completed consent form to be seen on the Premier Dental Van. Paper consent will be available in your student's school clinic if needed. The mobile dental van schedule is located here.  

All students may be seen regardless of insurance status and in accordance with their insurance plans. For more information call Mobile Manager at 352-518-2000 ext. 9753.

The Pasco School District is excited about the new school year, but with it the traffic around our schools drastically increases leading to near misses and accidents that could be avoided. As our students make their way back to school this year let’s all do our part and drive responsibly. As part of our commitment to overall school safety, we would like to help you with your preparations by offering these simple safety tips.

Pedestrians:

There will be many kids and their parents walking and running on the sidewalks and even in the street. The best thing to do as a driver is to anticipate sudden behavior. Kids can be unpredictable, and they are not always aware of their surroundings. Below are some other safe driving tips for pedestrians:

• Don’t block a crosswalk or intersection when waiting for a red light or making a left-hand turn.
• In a school zone where the caution lights are flashing, you are to obey the speed limit and yield to pedestrians and bicyclists in the crosswalks.
• Don’t pass a vehicle that is stopped for pedestrians
• You must always stop for a crossing guard who is directing traffic
• Always use caution and be on the look-out for children

Bicyclists:

Kids and bikes together can be a driver’s nightmare. Here are some additional safe driving tips to help you navigate around young cyclists:

• Be careful and watchful for bicyclists near schools, parks, and residential areas.
• When making a left-hand turn, yield to a bicyclist coming from the opposite direction before making your turn. This situation is where the most bike and vehicle incidents and collisions occur.
• When making a right-hand turn, check your mirrors for bicyclists.
• Check your side mirrors before opening your car door and always use your turn signals.

School Buses:

It is also inevitable that you’ll also run into a few school buses along the way. Buses are slow and nobody wants to be stuck behind them. It is important to note, however, that according to the National Safety Council states that kids are more likely to die in school bus-related incidents at drop-off and pick-up sites than anywhere else.

• When coming to a stop behind a stopped school bus, stay at least 10 feet away so children exiting the bus can do so safely.
• It is illegal in every state to pass a school bus while its yellow or red lights are flashing, and the stop arm is extended.
• Even after the bus turns off its lights and its stop arm is no longer extended, you should not pass it as there will be kids around and some may want to cross the road.

Let this school year be safe for everyone. It starts with your defensive driving, anticipation, and patience.

Office of Safety and Security

Resource: https://goswerve.com/back-school-driving/