As we start the New Year and a new semester, I would like to extend a warm welcome back to all of our students, especially our returning LaunchED students that are back in the building for the first time this school year.

I hope that everyone enjoyed their winter break and had lots of opportunities to celebrate with family and friends. A new year ushers in a sense of renewal and commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. Our staff will be hard at work ensuring they deliver the best instruction possible. In order to receive this instruction, it is imperative that face-to-face students arrive on time and are ready to learn in their seats no later than 8:45 AM and LaunchED students are logged in a minute or two early and ready to start the day. Being even a few minutes late distracts children from learning. Excellent attendance is the first step in preparing our students for academic success.

We now turn our focus to the work we must accomplish for the second half of the school year. Your efforts in guiding our students through their educational journey is greatly appreciated.

Best wishes for a healthy and successful New Year!       

Proud Principal

Endeavor Elementary School

Pictured very top: "Where to Begin"

Jan. 18: Annual Parent Survey Open - Click Here (The survey has all NEW questions and is much shorter than it used to be. There are no open ended questions and you can easily take it on your phone.)

Jan. 20: OCPS Virtual Learning Opportunity #1 - "Benefits and Dangers of Social Media" - Sign Up Here - 5:30-6:30pm

Jan. 20: OCPS Virtual Learning Opportunity #2 - "Creating Healthy Social Emotional Environments at Home" - Sign Up Here - 5:30-6:30pm

Jan. 23: Virtual Parent Academy "Transitioning to Middle School, High School and Beyond"- Agenda - 9am-12pm - Sign Up Here

Jan. 27: Virtual OCPS Stellar Awards - Good Luck Mr. Knappins!

Feb. 9: SAC Meeting - 7:30am - This will be a blended meeting where members are invited to attend in person should they feel comfortable will other members attend via Microsoft Teams. Parents as Partners will meet immediately following the SAC meeting.  

Fifth grade students in Dr. Harrison’s class created interactive notebooks. The purpose of the interactive student notebook is to enable students to be a creative, independent thinkers and writers. Interactive notebooks can be used for class notes as well as for other activities in which students can express their own ideas and process information presented in class. The use of this resource will prepare students for greater independent learning in middle school.

This year Navi turns twenty. Endeavor Elementary first opened its doors for the 2000 – 2001 school year and we would like to thank Jon Miller for his artistry and Kriselys Tapia - Realtor, Little New Orleans Restaurant, Lil Chefs Academy and Yulimar Betancourt Realtor for their generous donations that enabled us to commemorate this event.

This survey is intended for stakeholders to voice input so that Endeavor can continue to be the best elementary in Orange County Public Schools. We would like everyone to participate before the end of February.

* The survey has all NEW questions and is much shorter than it used to be. There are no open ended questions and you can easily take it on your phone.

National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day fell on January 9th this year and it helped us come together to show gratitude for local law enforcement. Endeavor would like to thank Deputy Ray Torrellas for his continued commitment and dedication to the safety of all Navigators on the Endeavor campus.

Fourth grade students are reading the Jeanne DuPrau science fiction novel, The City of Embers. A combination of digital tools and a hard copy for annotations helps students understand the theme of each chapter.

Ms. Mann works with small groups of students in her fifth grade classroom. Each group is reading a different novel but the goal is the same for each group; to work on grade level standards.

Third grade students in Ms. Gassmann’s class participate in an interactive lesson on point of view. The skill helps in understanding a character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions which leads to increased comprehension of the story.

Ms. Chillar has come up with a creative room arrangement that allows for both student interaction and social distancing. Placing a desk between every student foursome allows for collaboration essential for learning.

Ms. Han engages her students in a review of content specific vocabulary with a game of Kahoot. This digital platform allows for instant feedback on student performance providing an opportunity for immediate review by the teacher.

Students in Ms. Blechinger's class complete 45 minutes a week of iReady math and 45 minutes of iReady reading lessons. This interactive on-line learning is designed to provide individualized instruction based on each child’s unique needs.

Students in Ms. Pabon’s class use white boards when answering questions presented to the entire group. This method ensures all students are engaged and participating in addition to facilitating the monitoring of student progress.

Congratulations to all our Navigators that accepted the Winter Break Reading Challenge and choose to curl up with a good book and have emerged victorious. Thank you to all the students that participated as reading is its own reward!

Shared leadership and community ownership are both crucial to developing and sustaining community schools, the School Advisory Council (SAC) is the infrastructure for those practices in a community school. This dedicated team represents various segments of our community for the purpose of guiding our school towards continuous improvement.

The next SAC meeting is scheduled for February 9, 2021 at 7:30 a.m. This will be a blended meeting where members are invited to attend in person should they feel comfortable while other members attend via Microsoft Teams. Parents as Partners will meet immediately following the SAC meeting.

Please join us!

The transition to middle school, high school and beyond is a huge step and a huge adjustment for both students and parents. Students need the support and guidance of their parents during these important transitional periods. Students will have new opportunities and new challenges when they move to that next educational phase. This is also a transition time for parents!

Attendees will have an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with experts and receive important tips and resources for themselves and their students. The virtual exhibit hall will feature colleges, universities and community organizations to help navigate your child’s educational journey.

* Please click here to view the agenda for Jan. 23

** Please click here to register.

*** For more information about the OCPS Parent Academy, please contact the Parent and Family Engagement office at 407.317.3300.

OCPS Curriculum and Digital Learning department will provide parents with the pros and cons of students using social media. Click here to register or visit http://www.parentacademy.ocps.net/

The OCPS Student Services department will inform parents how they can assist students from home and where to go for additional helpful resources. Click here to register or visit http://www.parentacademy.ocps.net/

Copyright Notice

Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Endeavor Elementary School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Endeavor Elementary School. Please contact Janet Rodriguez at 66855@ocps.net with any questions related to the program.

Endeavor Elementary | Mr. Knappins, Principal | 407.251.2560| EES Website