Pacetti Bay Middle School Wildcat Weekly

Issue 111

https://www-pbm.stjohns.k12.fl.us/

Good evening Wildcat families,

We hope you all had a great three-day weekend and had the opportunity to enjoy and reflect on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We have a wonderful week planned as we are now into the third week of the third quarter. We are analyzing FAST progress monitoring 2 data. We have seen great growth for each grade level.

Our first basketball games take place Tuesday afternoon. Please note that we clear the gym in between girls and boys games and you must have a ticket for each game to stay the entire time.

Parents of 8th grade students, please read through the Wildcat Weekly in its entirety as there are details regarding SJCSD academy processes, Gradventure and yearbooks. Don't miss out!

Due to Hurricane Nicole, the SJCSD has designated Monday, February 6 as a regular school day for all students and staff. This date was previously scheduled as an inservice day for staff and a holiday for students.

8th grade students and families, Gradventure information was sent out via school messenger a couple of weeks ago. Please make sure to read through all the information including how to reserve a spot and the expectations for students until the trip. This year we have contracted with Kelly Tours, reservation and payment will go directly through Kelly Tours.

Yearbook sales are now open and details are listed below.

We will continue to review expectations and consequences to all students. It is critical for the school to provide a safe and secure environment for students to learn and grow. We ask that you partner with us by encouraging your child to actively support the Wildcat Way! The 22-23 Expectations presentation can be seen at https://vimeo.com/740462750.

We currently have one teacher vacancy, Science/STEM. We have been aggressively looking to fill this position and are very thankful for the dedication of our science department as they have been working to keep the students learning by planning lessons and grading for our substitute teachers.

We encourage families to visit our website frequently, as there will be many updates as the school year begins. This can be viewed at https://www-pbm.stjohns.k12.fl.us/ and click on the grade level link on the left side navigation. These are general supplies and additional details may be given by your child's teacher during the first weeks of school.

Here are some important pieces of information for this coming school year:

·      Doors will open for students starting at 7:10am. We are NOT able to monitor students before 7:00am. Our office hours are 7:00am- 3:00pm.

·      Students MUST have possession of their ID at all times on campus. These are used for a number of purposes on campus.

·      School begins at 7:30am, students who arrive to class after 7:30am will be marked tardy to class.

·      Parent drop-off and pick-up are the second entrance on Meadowlark lane from Pacetti Road. Please do not use the parking lot as a drop-off location as it is unsafe. When pulling up, please pull up all the way to the oak tree at the entrance of the school.

·      Please remind your children that cell phones need to be put away and off once entering the building and can be be turned back on at the end of the school day.

·      Bottle refilling stations are located throughout the school for refillable water bottles.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM!

• January 16th - Martin Luther King Jr Day - No School
• January 18th - Report Cards Issued
• January 23rd-27th - Literacy Week
• February 2nd - Interims Issued
• February 6th - Regular School Day

State Assessment Results

To access your student’s assessment results,

• Log on to your Home Access Account, (HAC) account. https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/hac/
• Click on the tab that says Grades.
• Click on the tab that says Test Scores.
• Assessment results are listed in alphabetical order by date.

A resource was created to help families understand the information found on the FAST Grades 3-10 Individual Student Reports, which are posted to HAC within two weeks of the student completing the test.  

Understanding FAST Grades 3-10 ELA and Mathematics Reports: A Guide for Families

Any student who has been absent from school shall provide a note from a parent or guardian within forty‐eight (48) hours of returning to school stating the cause of the absence.  Failure to provide a note will result in an automatic unexcused absence.  However, the fact that the student provides a note does not require the school administration to excuse the absence.  The principal or designee will decide whether the absence meets the criteria for an excused absence, and that decision will be final.  The administration may request additional documentation  Student Code of Conduct Page 19), such as a doctor’s note.  The excuse must state specific dates of absence, and must be signed by the treating, licensed physician.  After fifteen (15) days of absence, whether excused or unexcused, a student must present verification from a licensed doctor for all subsequent absences due to illness.  

Legos & Literature Contest:

The Media Center is sponsoring their annual Legos & Literature contest in honor of Celebrate Literacy Week coming up later this month. Students can participate by creating an original Lego masterpiece to represent a middle school appropriate book. The entry form with guidelines has been posted to the grade level Schoology Media groups. Forms may also be picked up in the Media Center. Entries are to be turned in to the Media Center any time between now and January 20^th. The winner will be announced January 27^th and will receive books of their choice up to $20. 

Free Microsoft Office 365:

It’s that time of year when new electronics are often purchased. Please know that St. Johns County School District offers Office 365 Pro Plus FREE to all active students and teachers, so they have the latest full version of Microsoft Office at home. Go to http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/advantage/ for all the information about this valuable program.  

Battle of the Books Club:

If you have been reading the Sunshine State books and are interested in being a part of our Battle of the Books team, please:

1. Join the Battle of the Books Schoology group using this access code: MQR2-6W62-3R2Z7
2. Join our club meetings after school on Tuesdays 1:50-2:45 in the Media Center. You must have transportation home promptly at 2:45 to participate.  

Media Center Policy:

Our students are expected to check out books and read throughout the school year. Students are responsible for returning or renewing their library books and textbooks by the due dates given. Students with outstanding materials or fines need to clear their account before being allowed to continue checking out books. Students, and their parents, are responsible for the replacement costs of any lost or damaged materials. Please check before attempting to replace a book with your own copy as many of our books are library bound. Therefore, a copy you get at retail is not a suitable replacement. Students may be excluded from end-of-year activities with Media Center materials outstanding. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact our Media Specialist at Karin.gowens@stjohns.k12.fl.us .

Parental Choice Library Book Restriction Form:

If you would like to change your student’s level of access to library books at school, please complete the Parental Choice Library Book Restriction form found on the Media Center website (or click here) and submit it to the Media Center.    

Schoology Information:

·        Schoology is our online learning management system. Teachers will be posting announcements, calendar events, assignments, and materials in Schoology.

·        Students should check their account regularly, at least once a week. It is strongly recommended that students check Schoology daily when absent.

·        All of our students have completed Schoology training and received the “Getting Started with Schoology” guide. 

·        If your student is having trouble signing in at home, please make sure they are following the specific steps in the guide provided above. Also, clearing the Chrome browser history completely and restarting your computer often solves login issues. 

·        Parents are encouraged to set up their own Schoology accounts. Parents will need their child’s parent access code to set up a new account or add a child to an existing account. Parent access codes are available in HAC. Click on the Registration tab and look under Additional Information. If you don’t see your parent access code listed, please keep checking back, it could take up to a week to populate for new students.

·        Visit the PBMS Schoology Information webpage and the SJCSD Schoology for Parents webpage for additional information and resources. 

Student Expectations

https://vimeo.com/740462750

Please be advised that as per the Student Code of Conduct , students are not permitted to wear pajamas to school.

• In accordance with statutory requirement F.S. 1006.07 (students are prohibited from wearing clothing that exposes underwear or that exposes body parts in an indecent or vulgar manner) enforcement will focus on positive guidance without embarrassment to the student and should not disrupt the educational process.
• Clothing must cover the area from armpit to armpit, and down to mid-thigh
• Tops must have shoulder straps and be long enough not to expose your midriff
• See through clothing or rips in jeans must not expose your underwear or your body between the mid-thigh to your arm pit area

ONLY 60 YEARBOOKS LEFT!

GET YOUR 8TH GRADE AD IN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

Our lost and found is located in the cafeteria. Please check there if you have any missing items. Items are donated at the end of each month.

IMPORTANT IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION

All rising 7^th grade students are required to have a tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) booster prior to entering 7^th grade. If your student needs or has already received this immunization, please bring, fax or email the updated Florida DH680 form to Pacetti Bay as soon as possible. The Health Department or your physician can update your DH680 form.

Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County

200 San Sebastian View

St. Augustine, FL 32084

(904) 506-6081

Contact Us | Florida Department of Health in St Johns (floridahealth.gov)

Call for hours of operation for immunization services.

If you have any questions, please call our Guidance Department at (904) 547-8760.

PBMS Fax: 904-547-8775

Email: kimber.ponce@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Attention 8^th grade parents and guardians

Get your calendars set ahead of time by checking out the CTE Department’s schedule for everything related to the High School Academies and Programs of Choice.

For the timeline of events, please follow this link https://cte.stjohns.k12.fl.us/timeline/

ACADEMY APPLICATION DIRECTIONS



Teacher Recommendation for IB/AICE

Tocoi Creek High School will be hosting their Academy Night Open House on Wednesday January 18^th from 6:00pm- 7:30pm. A registration FAQ presentation for rising 9^th graders will start at 5:30 in the auditorium. At 6pm, all academy instructors are ready to invite you into their classrooms to learn more about their programs. A registration area and Q&A table will be available to assist families with the application process. Further information can be found here: https://www-tchs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Map-for-Academy-Night-22-23.pdf

The following programs are available at First Coast Technical College for rising 9^th graders:

Dual Enrollment

Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Heating Technology (HVAC)

Landscape & Turf Management

Nursery Management

Automotive Service Technology

Culinary Arts

Diesel Systems Technician

Welding Technology

Secondary Enrollment

Horticulture Science and Service

Culinary Arts

Cosmetology

Facials Specialty

Nails Specialty

Early Childhood Education

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f48aeac2dabfe3-health#/

We need YOUR HELP for health screenings taking place on January 26th! Please sign up using the link above and know how appreciated you are!! 

Make sure you get your Spirit Wear for the year- prices have been SLASHED and stock is limited! 

https://pbmsptso.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

We appreciate our Business Partners! If you know of a business that may be interested in partnering with PBMS, please direct them to: 

https://pbmsptso.memberhub.com/w/Support

Did you know when you reserve the Pacetti Bay marquee you get an entire WEEK of your message being displayed!?

That's right, your message will be displayed Monday - Friday the week of your choosing!

The deadline for submitting your request for the week is the Wednesday prior to the week you would like your message displayed.

Head over to: https://pbmsptso.memberhub.com/w/Marquee for more information and you make your reservation!

To keep up with the latest information, please join our Pacetti Bay Middle School PTSO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PacettiBayMiddlePTSO

The last Art Club meeting for this year is February 7th! In Ms. Denton's room (#400), from 2:00 - 3:00 pm. Students who cannot make the meeting need to stop by before or afterschool to collect their ceramic projects.

Battle of the Books Club:

If you have been reading the Sunshine State books and are interested in being a part of our Battle of the Books team, please:

1. Join the Battle of the Books Schoology group using this access code: MQR2-6W62-3R2Z7
2. Join our club meetings after school on Tuesdays 1:50-2:45 in the Media Center. You must have transportation home promptly at 2:45 to participate.  

Parents can complete the online Free and Reduced lunch application by using this link https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/food/free/ We encourage you to fill out the online application-English or Spanish, but you can also print a form on the same website and return it to school. Parent should not delay applying to prevent a gap in their student’s meal eligibility.A new application must be completed every school year.

If you have any questions please contact the Café Manager, Jeanie Gray.

Jeanie.gray@stjohns.k12.fl.us

904-547-8776

Contest Application

Drop off Locations