May 2024 Family and Community Newsletter

During Celebrate Literacy Week in January, students were encouraged to participate in a bookmark contest. Their challenge was to design a bookmark promoting books, reading, or their school Library Media Center. These winning designs were chosen from hundreds of wonderful submissions. Congratulations!

View ALL of the winning bookmarks from the contest

Elementary
Connerton Elementary
Mary Giella Elementary
Lake Myrtle Elementary
Pine View Elementary

Middle School
Seven Springs Middle School
Gulf Middle School
Centennial Middle School

High School
Wiregrass Ranch High School
Pasco High School

Each winning school also received 500 bookmarks featuring the student's design for
their Library Media Center!

Have you heard? The New Worlds Reading Initiative is the first-of-its-kind, statewide program that helps children who are not yet reading on grade level grow their personal libraries and encourage a love of reading through free books delivered every month. The program is open to any student in VPK who is not yet meeting age-appropriate standards according to FAST Star Early Literacy or any Kindergarten through 5th grade student who are not yet reading on grade level. It is not too late to enroll a child who’s end of the year data shows that they are not reading on grade level. Students get 9 books a year from the year they qualify until they exit 5th grade. This summer students will also get three bonus books to add to their personal libraries. Upon registration parents and students get to select books from a curated selection. Eligible students who enroll now, will still receive all 12 books for this year in the mail. Register your eligible students on the New Worlds Reading website. 

Back by popular demand! We are excited to announce that the Extreme Summer Challenge is back! 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. Find all of the details in this flyer.

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

What: THE Extreme Summer Challenge   

When: May 25 - July 9     

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.

By enrolling in a Career Academy, you can receive a great education and authentic experience to prepare you for the high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand jobs of tomorrow. 

What is a Career Academy? 

A Career Academy is a school within a high school that ties what you’re learning in class to the high-demand careers that interest you. Career Academies bring what you’re learning to life by infusing your academic studies with career-related lessons and hands-on projects, and by teaming you up with other students who share the same interests as you. 

Career Academies are for any high school student. They provide you with interesting, unique, and fun experiences whether you’re headed off to college after high school or if you plan to begin employment right away. 
 

Career Academies can help you by: 

• Making you more competitive for college and careers 
• Providing you with valuable mentoring and internship opportunities with partner businesses 
• Learning job-specific skills 
• Earning free college credits during high school 
   

Dual Enrollment 

Earn high school and college credit at the same time at no financial cost to you! Career Academies offer a variety of Dual Enrollment academic and career courses. Contact the Career Specialist at each high school to discuss which Dual Enrollment options are available.

If you need summer care and haven't yet registered for our STEAMsational Summer @ PLACE, please visit http://myasep.com/steamsational/ to make sure you have a spot. We are going to be having a fun-packed summer full of in and out-of-house field trips and hands-on activities that your kids won't want to miss!  

Looking for some FREE summer fun? We will be offering several 2-week summer camps throughout the district. The themes will include photography, 3D art, animation, robotics, coding, and the culinary arts. These camps are free, but on a first come first served basis and they fill up quickly. Registration is currently open. To find out more visit https://myasep.com/summer-specialty-camps/.   

If your child attends Centennial Middle or Elementary, Fox Hollow, Gulf Highlands, James Marlowe, Moon Lake, Quail Hollow, RB Cox, or RB Stewart, you can attend our summer programs for FREE. These 21st Century programs are grant-funded and designed to offer educational support for the students that attend these schools. To attend, your student must be enrolled in the school that houses the program. For more information or to register for these programs please visit https://myasep.com/star/ for elementary and https://myasep.com/delta/ for middle school.

FREE SUMMER SMILES!

For children starting Kindergarten this fall - SUMMER VPK

Investigation Studies: Insects and Pets

June 3 - July 25, 2024

Monday - Thursday* 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

*School is closed on Fridays and on July 4, 2024

Locations

Attention parents of current Pasco PK-12 students!  Good news – your child is automatically enrolled for the upcoming school year!  

However, if you are New to Pasco County Schools, or your child is Returning to Pasco having been enrolled before, don't worry; we've got you covered.   

Start the registration process for the next academic term by visiting https://pasco.k12.fl.us/enrollment. Follow the tailored path that suits your needs to create or access your myStudent Parent account.  

Get started now to ensure that your child is well-prepared for a successful start to the new school year.

If you aren't sure where to start, or you need assistance with navigating the online enrollment process, we will offer our first in-person event!  On May 16, 2024 the enrollment team will be available (by appointment only) to assist you in person with all your enrollment needs. This includes support with Health Services (physicals and immunizations).  If you need help, please use this link to request an appointment.  Appointment Request Form

Our HREQ Recruitment Team is dedicated to recruiting new and experienced teachers for the 2024-2025 school year! Every day more educators come to Pasco to work. Check out some of these photos from our Spring Instructional Hiring Event at Gulf High School!

In addition to hosting local job fairs, the Recruitment Team has been traveling throughout Florida and out-of-state to attract dynamic educators for our schools to ensure that every student has a world-class teacher. Check out where they’ve been recently!  

• March 20th - Pittsburgh Education Recruitment Consortium  
• March 23rd - Chasco Fiesta  
• April 10th - Valdosta State University Spring Education Job Fair  
• April 12th - University of Tampa Education Fair  
• April 25th - MacDill Airforce Base Career Fair 

Are you interested in working with Pasco County Schools? Complete this form to receive information regarding our upcoming job fairs.  

Connect with us on social media @HRPascoSchools!

Early Childhood Programs is currently accepting employment applications for Summer VPK teachers. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 10, 2024. Teachers must complete all required VPK trainings and hold a valid teaching certificate prior to teaching in the Summer VPK program.

Complete the summer employment application at https://ryu.pasco.k12.fl.us/ecp-mform/view.php?id=33803

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Dr. Liz DeCamilla, Supervisor edecamil@pasco.k12.fl.us or Mikesha Hayes, Program Coordinator mlhayes@pasco.k12.fl.us in Early Childhood Programs.

With just 6 weeks left this school year, summer break is fast approaching. A break from school gives kids a chance to enjoy the Florida outdoors, travel or just relax and play with their friends. However, it's important to ensure that kids stay safe while having fun in the Florida sun.

Johns Hopkins All Children Hospital and Johns Hopkins Childrens Center offer recommendations for keeping kids safe and healthy during the summer months.

Continue to Practice Hand Hygiene

While COVID 19 has been declared to no longer be a public health emergency many viruses are still out there and spreading. This is why it’s important to wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and use hand sanitizers especially when traveling.

Keep Children Away from Burn Hazards

Many of us will gear up to celebrate occasions over the summer whether fireworks on July 4th or grilling and sitting around a bonfire. All these things can pose a danger to kids. There should be a minimum of a 5 ft child free zone around grills and bonfires. The discharge of fireworks should always be under supervision of an adult and deployed at a safe distance from kids.

Dressing Kids in Sun Protecting Clothes and Apply Sunscreen

Although feeling the Florida Sun on your skin can be pleasant, sunburn is not. During the summer months, ultraviolet rays are at their strongest. Kids under the age of 18 are at a high risk for skin damage. Sun protective clothing with a UPF of 50 is an excellent source of protection from harmful ultraviolet rays. In addition to wearing hats and sunglasses be sure to apply an SPF Sunscreen of at least 30 to all exposed skin reapplying every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating.

Stay Hydrated and Watch for signs of Heat Exhaustion

Florida summers are known for hot temperatures and plenty of outdoor play. When added together it could also lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. This is especially true for kids because their bodies don't cool down as fast as adults. Always make sure kids have a filled water bottle with them to stay hydrated. It is important that they replenish the water in the bottle throughout the day.

Stay Safe!

Safety and Security Department