Pacetti Bay Middle School Wildcat Weekly
Volume 37

Good evening Wildcat Nation,

Last week we ran our schedule for courses with district exams. We know it seemed a bit early, but with the shift in the school year and the state testing schedule, it was the best window for the district to set middle school exams. I am thankful that so many of our students took these exams seriously. They are one of the measures used in the course grade and gives teachers feedback on areas that students may need additional support. This week marks a small pause in testing, other than make-ups. Our teachers are working tirelessly with your children to ensure they have mastered the content and skills necessary to progress to the next course/ grade level. Please continue to review HAC for your child's grades.

Recently the Governor's office issued a new Executive Order to address the remainder of this school year. The School District's Accountability and Intervention Services Department has created a document to help parents understand what St Johns County will be doing for Executive Order 2021-EO-02 in regards to state testing and graduation requirements. Guidance for Executive Order-02

We are also gearing up for the FSA Reading and Mathematics assessments and state end of course exams which will begin shortly after the district exams.

Pacetti Bay needs proctors to help our testing run smooth. We would GREATLY appreciate any amount of time you could donate to help us. You can sign up here: http//www.signupgenius.com/go/4090845a4a92babf94-proctor


Recently, the SJCSD School board approved a calendar for next school year, please click the link to see next year's calendar. https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2021-22-District-Master-Calendar-rev-3-9-2021.pdf

We only have 125 yearbook order spots left. Don't miss out and see the information below to order your yearbook!

April is Autism Awareness Month. We at Pacetti Bay Middle School knows that awareness brings about understanding, compassion and kindness. Over the next month, we will be doing things around campus to heighten our awareness and understanding. If you are interested in learning more, please visit,

The faculty and administration wants to make sure that you have all of the information you need for your children to have great success and we believe this format will aid in the process. Please take a moment and register to receive the Wildcat Weekly at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/IWZG0wo

Have a great week, Go Wildcats!

Respectfully,

Ted Banton, Principal
Upcoming Events
Events for this Week and Beyond

  • April 26th - Brick & Mortar Student District EOC Make-ups
  • April 27th- Distance Learners Student District EOC Final Make-ups
  • April 26th- May 10th- Online Book Fair
  • May 3rd & 4th- 6th grade FSA ELA/Reading exams; Civics EOC (B&M Students)
  • May 5th- Civics EOC Exam for Distance Leaners
  • May 6th & 7th- Distance Learner FSA/ELA exams
School Reminders
PPE Expectations
Students are to have their face masks or face shields on when arriving to campus and leaving campus. Please remind students to be diligent in keeping masks on and over both the mouth and nose. We have seen an increase in students placing the mask below the nose.

COVID Safety Procedures
Parents, please remember to check your child’s temperature before they depart for school. Remember that a student with a temperature of 100.4 will need to be picked up at school. In addition, please remember to ensure you go over the checklist below with your child each day.



CDC updates regarding quarantine requirements after vaccination:
 
Individuals who have been fully vaccinated – that is, 2 weeks or more have passed since the second dose in a 2-dose vaccine or the first dose in a 1-dose vaccine series – will not be required to quarantine following exposure, provided he/she does not develop new symptoms of COVID-19.  

Students are to have their face masks or face shields on when arriving to campus and will be directed by their teacher after their temperature is checked at homeroom.

SJCSD Microsoft Office 365 Offer
Families and employees of SJCSD are eligible for free Microsoft 365 Pro Plus. Please click the link for details: https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/advantage/
Assessment Information
2021 Florida FSA, EOCs and District Assessments

Last wee we completed our rounds of FSA Writing testing. Students seemed very focused and were very respectful of others when they were not testing. We are very appreciative of our teachers, our students, our volunteer proctors and our parents. We are certain the kids will shine with their results.

Parents we are still in need of proctors for our exam dates. If you are interested in proctoring please contact Ms. Ponce at 547-8773 or Kimber.Ponce@stjohns.k12.fl.us to sign up! 

Thank you for all you do to help us keep our Wildcats on track and moving forward! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us directly at (904) 547-8760. 




A message from the St. Johns County School District:
Florida Department of Education does not allow districts to provide a virtual testing option for the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA), Florida Standards Alternative Assessment (FSAA), or EOC’s for the 2020-2021 school year. According to the state Department of Education, “We are not considering remote proctoring or at-home testing for any of Florida’s K-12 summative or postsecondary assessments in 2020-21”.
The Florida Department of Education has in the past stated that by statute, “Participation in the assessment program is mandatory for all school districts and all students attending public schools…”. 
St. Johns County School District does not have the statutory authority to exempt any student from required, state developed assessments, except as specified in Section 1008.212, F.S. which primarily addresses students with physical impairment or children who have a medical complexity as defined in Section 1008.22(9) F.S.
Attendance Information
Visit the PBMS webpage under attendance link or click on the button. You can complete and submit all in one easy form! Any questions, please contact our attendance office at 904-547-8780

Please remember a photo ID is required for student check-out. This is for the safety and security of all children and Pacetti Bay Middle School.
Rising 7th Graders
IMPORTANT IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION
 
All rising 7th grade students are required to have a tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) booster prior to entering 7th grade. If your student needs or has already gotten this immunization, please bring, fax or email the updated Florida DH680 form to Pacetti Bay at your earliest convenience. 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
Call for hours of operation for immunization services.
 
As a reminder, 7th grade students will not be given their schedule for the 2021-2022 school year until all immunization requirements have been met and proper documentation is submitted to PBMS. 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
Yearbook
Club Updates
Catan Club
When: Monday afternoons 2:00-3:30
Where: Room 495/6th grade pod
Sponsor: Mr. Cofield (Room 495)
 
All students are invited to come check out Catan Club. Settlers of Catan is a popular board that involves strategy, persuasion, skill, and quite a bit of luck. Don’t worry if you’ve never played, we will be happy to teach you! Come learn a new game while having fun with your classmates. Students can contact Mr. Cofield using Schoology; parents can reach him at brent.cofield@stjohns.k12.fl.us
Minecraft Club
Minecraft club is a drop-in after-school club that meets every Friday from 1:50-2:30 in computer lab 311 in the 8th grade house. Students play Minecraft education cooperatively or on creative mode.
Needle Craft Club
All Wildcats are welcome to join our Craft Club!
We will meet on Tuesdays in the Cafe Bump Out room from 2:00 to 3:00.

The cost of $20 includes all materials. https://qrgo.page.link/ZYnDP
Media Center
Overdue Books:
We are experiencing a high number of overdue books. With the school year quickly coming to an end, it’s important that students return or pay for lost/damaged materials as soon as possible. Some students still owe books and fines to other SJCSD schools. Students can bring those books or payment (made out to the school the book belongs to) to the Media Center and we will be happy to mail it to the appropriate school to clear their account. Our policy, as stated below, is that students need to take care of overdue books/fines before they can continue checking out new books. If your student has overdue materials, please help them locate those items and put them in their backpack so they are prepared to return them. Thank you!  
Spring Online Book Fair:

  • Use the following link to explore our online book fair and help your child discover their new favorite book: https://efairs.follettbookfairs.com/guest/home?classCode=RKP51
  • You can preview the eFair and create a sharable wish list NOW
  • The eFair is open to make purchases April 26th – May 10th
  • Middle school books are featured, but you can purchase books for all ages by using the “Search” field, then using the “Filter” feature to narrow your search by age/price range.
  • When asked for your student’s teacher, please select their homeroom teacher
  • Orders will be shipped free of charge to school when the eFair ends
  • Orders will be delivered to your student in homeroom unless you email me at karin.gowens@stjohns.k12.fl.us to tell me you are a Distance Learner or wish to pick up your order instead of having it delivered to your student at school. We will announce the pick-up date/time once orders have been received.
  • This is a great way to stock up on new books for summer reading!
  • Thank you for encouraging a love for reading which is critical to student success!
 

 
Distance Learners transitioning to Brick & Mortar:
We are excited to have you on campus! Please bring the following items to school with you:
  • Textbooks- You will need to return your black, hardcover Language Arts “Collections” textbook. You will hold onto your other textbooks to use in class or as directed by your teachers.
  • Library books- Any outstanding library books need to be turned in to the Media Center. If you have lost or damaged books, please bring payment for those items. Checks must have two phone numbers written on them. If you owe books or payments to another SJCSD school, you may turn them in to us and we will forward them to the appropriate school for you. Please be sure to make checks out to the school owed.
  • Technology- Borrowed laptops (including power cord) and hot spots are to be turned in when coming on campus.          
 
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 will only be permitted to check out books if they do not already have an overdue book. Students, and their parents, are responsible for the replacement costs of any lost or damaged materials. If ordered, a yearbook will not be delivered to the student and the cost of the yearbook will be put towards the replacement cost of any lost or damaged materials. 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 .
 
eBooks:
Did you know we have eBooks? We have 1000’s of eBooks, including all of this year’s Sunshine State titles. You can access our eBooks by going to the Media Center website and clicking on the eBooks section or using this link: https://www-pbm.stjohns.k12.fl.us/media/ebooks/ . On the eBook’s webpage, you will find all the information you need to access and navigate our eBook platforms as well as information about eBooks/eResources available on the St Johns County Public Library website. This information has also been posted in each grade’s Schoology Media group under Resources. There is so much there to discover. Enjoy exploring and reading these digital resources!

Book Holds:
We encourage our students to place a hold in Destiny (our online library management system) on a book they want to check out when it is not immediately available for them to check out while they are in the Media Center. Students place a hold by logging into Destiny using their student number and district password. Directions on how to do this have been placed in each grade’s Schoology Media group under Resources. When the book becomes available, we send the student a message on Schoology. They have 3 school days to come pick it up in the Media Center, before we check it back in from them and make it available to the next student. 
Distance Learners are welcome to utilize this hold system to check out books from our school library as well. Once they get the Schoology message that their book is available for them to pick up, they will have 3 school days to come pick it up in the front office between the hours of 8:00 am – 12:00 pm. Books are due 3 weeks from their checkout date. The due date is stamped in the back of the book. Distance Learners are still responsible for returning their books on time to the return bin outside the front office Monday-Friday 7:30-2:30 pm.    
 
Schoology for Students:
  • Click here for the “2020-21 Student Getting Started with Schoology Guide”. This shows students how to login, join their grade Media and Counselor groups, navigate the platform, and access the Schoology app if desired.
  • Students can find a pink “Student Schoology Help Videos” folder in each of their Schoology courses under Materials to reference for additional support.
  • Go to the PBMS Schoology Information webpage for more Schoology information and support resources, including Zoom troubleshooting guides.
 
Schoology for Parents:
  • Parents may set up their own Schoology account if they choose. Parent letters, including your parent access code needed to set up and link your account to your student, went home the second week of school. Students who register mid-year will receive their Schoology parent letter when they come to pick up their textbooks in the Media Center. If you already have a Schoology parent account for another student, you can use this access code to add this student to your existing account.
  • Visit the PBMS Schoology Information webpage for additional information and resources.
  • Visit the SJCSD Schoology for Parents webpage for additional information and resources. 
PTSO News
To keep up with the latest information, please join our Pacetti Bay Middle School PTSO Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PacettiBayMiddlePTSO)!
 
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK IS COMING MAY 3 - MAY 7 - We have a wide variety of food, drinks, and other fun activities planned to show our gratitude for our AWESOME teachers and staff at Pacetti Bay. 
 
We NEED your help! We are seeking donations to fill themed gift baskets that will be raffled off to the teachers and staff. Descriptions of the various baskets and items needed are listed here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f48aeac2dabfe3-teacher1
 
**Please drop off all items to the front office no later than April 28th.
If you prefer to donate money instead of items, please use the Pacetti Bay PTSO Venmo: @PBMSPTSO 

 
8TH GRADE GRAD SIGNS: The PBMS PTSO is offering personalized Grad Signs to celebrate our 8th Graders! Each 18x24” sign is $20 and is customized with your student’s name. Place your order online here no later than MAY 5 (no late orders will be accepted): https://pacettibayspiritwear.company.site. Signs will be displayed at Pacetti Bay Middle School until May 26, and may then be picked up to take home. 
Monthly Donations: The PTSO has begun monthly donation drives that will coincide with event specific expenses. Over the course of the school year we receive requests from the school to provide snacks, prizes, or other goods. We also want to make sure our teachers and staff feel appreciated and want to do an extra little something each month for them. By opening up these donation opportunities, it will enable you and your family to play a part in helping to meet these needs. You can donate anytime throughout the year!
 
We have set up a Venmo account to make things simple. You can find us at
PBMSPTSO (also listed as Pacetti Bay Middle School PTSO.) 
 
Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if you would like additional information. As always, we are grateful for your support. 
 
PTSO Business Partners: More than ever, we are relying on the support and assistance of our local business partners and community to navigate the uncharted waters of the year ahead and help make it amazing for our school. Please visit our website for information regarding our 2020-21 Business Partners Program , and please feel free to reach out with any questions. We hope to have you join our Wildcats Family and help support our teachers, staff, and students through this school year and the challenges ahead. https://www.pacettibayptso.org/become-a-business-partner.html
 
 
Wildcats Announcement Marquee: This year, we are thrilled to share that the Wildcats Announcement Marquee is open for reservations! We hope you will join in the fun!
 
Your $25 donation provides a personal message on the Wildcats Announcement
Marquee outside The Bay. This is perfect for Happy Birthdays, Congratulations, or other
High School Information
Links to the High Schools
Below are the links to the high schools that Pacetti Bay students typically attend. Please visit each of these school websites for more information.
PROGRAM OF CHOICE LATE APPLICATIONS
Deadline to submit is May 1st

SJCSD Family App
Updates from SJCSD
Early Registration
The St. Johns County School District (SJCSD) will begin early registration for the 2021-22 school year March 1. This registration is only for children new to the school district, including those entering kindergarten.
 
Early registration can be completed online at http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/student/enrollment/ or by visiting the student’s assigned school website. To find the assigned school, enter your street address on the Attendance Zone Locator at www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/zoning/.
 
To be eligible for public kindergarten in the SJCSD, children must be 5 years old on or before September 1 and must reside in St. Johns County.
 Other requirements for registration:
•          Birth certificate/Guardianship Documents
•          Documentation of a health examination performed within one year of enrollment
•          Proof of completed required immunizations on Form DH680
•          Proof of residence per the Residency and Guardianship Policy located at www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/student/residency/
 
For additional information on registration, contact the Student Services Department at 547-7598 or the assigned school.

Summer Basketball Camp
Nocatee Chess Club