Pacetti Bay Middle School Wildcat Weekly
Volume 62

Good evening Wildcat Families,

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. This week is a return to normal for the next three and a half weeks, then we pause for winter break. This will also mark the end of the semester. Please encourage your child to consistently check on grades and remediation if necessary. We are all in this together for student success.

Please be reminded of the email that went out from SJCSD regarding school breakfasts and lunches. Please read the memo below under Cafeteria News. Changes will take effect December 1, 2021.

Here are some important pieces of information for this 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.
  • 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 make sure to review the student COVID questionnaire, COVID 19 Health Screening Form, each day with your child. If you can answer yes, please keep your child at home. Masks and other PPE are recommended but optional for students.
  • 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 water bottles. Water fountains are currently disabled.
Please review the COVID questionnaire each morning with your child. If he/she are showing signs or symptoms, please keep them at home. Furthermore, please encourage your child to practice social distancing when possible and use hand sanitizer. Our news show "The Daily Roar" has been offering segments on keeping everyone safe on campus. We are taking steps at the school to mitigate the risks, but it will take all of us to reduce numbers. The school district is now sending individualized emails for all students in the district who are exposed to a COVID positive child during school. Details will be in these letters in accordance to the Governor's executive order. If you have any COVID-related health questions or quarantine questions, please call the new district hotline at 904-819-1101.

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 evening, Go Wildcats!

Respectfully,

Ted Banton, Principal
Upcoming Events
Events for this Week and Beyond
  • November 15th-December 16th - NJHS Book Drive
  • November 29th - Band Pictures
  • November 30th & December 2nd - Basketball Open Gym
  • December 2nd - Chorus Performance 6:00PM
Student Spotlight
Congratulations to Pacetti Bay's 2021-22 School Spelling Bee Champion, Jacob Pfeiffenberger! Jacob will be representing the school at the District Spelling Bee on December 15th! Good luck Jacob and GO WILDCATS!
PBMS Sports
PBMS Basketball Open Gym & Tryouts

Basketball open gym and tryouts are coming up for all interested students. Permission forms must be returned to Ms. Duve or Mr. Felton prior to attending. Please see them for more information.
Open Gym Dates:
11/30, 12/2 from 2 – 3:30 pm

Tryout Dates:
Girls:
12/6, 12/7 from 2 – 4 pm

Boys:
12/9, 12/10 from 2-4
Testing Information
Winter is coming! Winter exams, that is, at PBMS and we need your help! We are looking for proctors to help monitor testing at The Bay. For EVERY time slot that you sign up for, your name will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card and a PBMS shirt. EACH time slot equals 1 entry. Please use the Signup Genius Link to sign up and help! If you have any questions please reach out to Mrs. Savannah Sims at (904) 547-8760. Thanks in advance your support!


Guidance Information
Attention Wildcat families
If you need assistance with your Thanksgiving meal, please contact your child’s grade level guidance counselor. We will have a limited amount of “Thanksgiving Baskets” available and we would be happy to connect them with families in need. The baskets include non-perishable food items to complete a full Thanksgiving meal. The donations will be available at PBMS during school hours on 11/22 and 11/23. Happy Thanksgiving!
Cafeteria News

SJCSD Families,
 
Please be reminded that beginning Wednesday, December 1, 2021 Meal Prices will be:

ELEMENTARY
Paid: Breakfast $1.25 Lunch $2.80
Reduced: Breakfast $0.30 Lunch $0.40

MIDDLE/HIGH
Paid: Breakfast $1.25 Lunch $2.95
Reduced: Breakfast $0.30 Lunch $0.40


Prepayments into student lunch accounts can be made by using PayPAMS. The link to this service is located at  https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/food/paypams/

Online and printable Free/Reduced lunch applications can be located at https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/food/free/
PTSO News
Fundraiser opportunity: 
We are closing in on the final countdown for our Shoe Fundraiser. Our goal is to donate 1,000 pair of gently used shoes, and we cannot do it without your help!! Our final drop off day will be November 30th. Gather up those gently used shoes that you have been thinking about donating and let’s finish this fundraiser STRONG TOGETHER!  
 
*You can drop off to the front office any time. Just be sure to label your package Attn: PTSO.
Veteran’s day:
A huge thank you to our Wildcat Families and our business partner Evolution Signs (who donated the banners). It was such an honor to be able to give thanks to each of the men and women who have served. Thanks to everyone coming together, we were able to make a donation to the Veteran’s Home here in St. Johns county for $500! 
 
Holiday Fun:
The holidays are quickly approaching and we want to honor our faculty and staff at the Bay! The PTSO along with the help of our Wildcat families are planning to spoil those who make each day happen for our Wildcats with some FUN & even a gift card to some of their favorite spots. We need YOUR help to make this happen. We are asking for our Wildcat families to make a donation of their choice (no amount is too small) towards the Holiday events we have planned for them. You can make any sized donation directly to our school’s Venmo account. When making the donation you can write in Holiday Fun so we know that your donation is going directly towards this event! 
 
We have set up a Venmo account to make things simple. You can find us  @PBMSPTSO(also listed as Pacetti Bay Middle School PTSO.) 
 
Thank you for all that you do! We cannot do it without your support!
2021-22 Volunteers
The PBMS PTSO is always looking for wonderful volunteers. If you are interested in joining us for the next academic year, please send us an email at pacettibayptso@gmail.com. We can’t do it without you!
 
Monthly Donations: 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 
@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 2021-22 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: It's BACK!!! 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 othersmall encouragements! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f48aeac2dabfe3-wildcats
 
To keep up with the latest information, please join our Pacetti Bay Middle School PTSO Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PacettiBayMiddlePTSO)!
 
Spirit Wear: Thank you to all who ordered your Wildcat gear. We had an overwhelming amount of sales. Orders are currently being filled and will be sent home. If you missed out, we do have a few additional items up for grabs. Please click on the spirit wear link to purchase! 
 
Required Instruction & Character Chats
St. Johns County School District is required by statute to provide instruction for mental and emotional health education, substance abuse prevention, child trafficking prevention, and healthy relationships/dating violence prevention. Beginning in September, each school will show all students a 45-minute Character Chats lesson. These lessons will focus on the related Pillar of Character and one or more components of the state required instruction. Each lesson was developed by a team of district and school staff. The lessons have been designed to be interactive and include a teacher facilitation guide.  A monthly overview, lesson, and guide will be posted in Schoology. Character Chats were designed to be delivered monthly through April.
Yearbook
NJHS
2nd Annual Book Drive for the Holidays!
Along with the help of Student Council, NJHS is once again sponsoring a book drive during this holiday season. From Nov 15 – Dec 16, we ask for your donations of new or gently used children’s books. Books can range in age from those for young toddlers up to early middle school. Students can drop books off to their 1st period classrooms, the front office or the media center. All donations will be used within our local community, as they are going to Ink!’s Five Learning Years program. Thank you for your support of this great cause!!
 
Student Council
PBMS Clubs
 
The Art Club's next meeting has been changed to November 16th from 2-3:00 pm. This change has been made due to a scheduling conflict. If you are unable to attend, please let Ms. Denton know in advance.
Craft club registration is now open!
Weekly meetings Tuesday 2:00 – 2:50
In Room 520 with Mrs. Craig

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:
  • Join the Battle of the Books Schoology group using this access code: WBBW-H9S5-J57WD
  • Attend our meetings after school on Tuesdays 1:50-2:45 in the Media Center. You must have transportation home at 2:45 to attend.  
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. There is no student check out after 1:30pm.
Deans' Office Updates
  • 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
  • No drugs, alcohol, vape, tobacco references on your clothing
  • No inappropriate or profane text or images on clothing
  • Be safe, make sure your shoes have a back to them

If your son / daughter has misplaced their lunchbox or water container, please have them check the lost and found cart in the Café. The cart is located at the front of the main café room by the whiteboard, clearly sign posted.

Bike Riding / Skate Boarding / Scootering to School
 
Parents please remind your students that once they enter school property they must not ride their bicycles / skate boards / scooters, for safety reasons. 
COVID Information
COVID Information Webpage

The COVID information web page for SJCSD families is live at

This site includes the COVID Dashboard, Quarantine Help Guides, directions to access online textbooks and Schoology, and Health & Safety resources.

***REMINDER: Review the Health Questionnaire daily with your student. Students MUST stay home from school when they are ill, awaiting COVID-19 test results, or if anyone in the household is COVID-19 positive. Thank you for partnering with us to help protect the safety of all students and staff.
 
***PARENTS: To report a positive case of COVID-19, please first call the Department of Health at (904) 506-6081 for guidance on next steps. To report that your student will be absent due to COVID- related issues, 904.819.1101

Score Reports
We are happy to report that Spring 2021 Score Reports are now available in the following areas: WIDA, FSAA, ELA Retakes, ELA, Math, EOCs and the Statewide Science Assessment.

Students and families can see the score reports in Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, Click on the “Grades” tab on the top. Then, click on the “Test Scores” tab that is on the top left. Scroll down until you see the test name and current grade level for the student you are looking for.

If you would like to have a hard copy made of the report, please email Assistant Principal Holli Winter holli.winter@stjohns.k12.fl.us. Once copied, you will be able to either pick up the copy from school or have it sent home with your student.
District Reminders
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/

Daily Silent Reflection

State law now requires a one minute moment of silent reflection to take place at the beginning of each school day. During this minute, students may not interfere with other students’ participation and teachers may not make suggestions as to the nature of any student’s reflection. Parents are encouraged to discuss this moment of silence with their children and to make suggestions as to the best use of this time.

Dress Code
We will be following the SJCSD dress code policy that can be found here: https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/schoolservices/conduct/
Transportation Department Info
The St. Johns County School District Provisional Transportation Waiver Program (PTWP) extends transportation services to students assigned to district schools based on operational capacity, space availability, and established criteria. The program is secondary to the Transportation Department’s primary mission of providing transportation services for school arrival and dismissal operations. 
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.
 
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
Textbook Adoption
Every five years the district reviews and considers textbooks for adoption in a specific subject area (reading, math, health, etc.) as well as reviews curriculum that has been accepted by the State as meeting the benchmark requirements. Math adoption is taking place this year. This review takes into consideration both current and future needs for textbooks and curriculum.
 
Interested parents are encouraged to apply to serve on the committee, which generally meets once a month during the year after school.
For more information about textbook adoption, or to volunteer to serve on the committee, contact Evelyn Harding at evelyn.harding@stjohns.k12.fl.us
Media Center
Overdue Books
We are experiencing a high number of overdue books. There are books still owed from past school years, either to PBMS or your student’s previous school. Please return, or pay for those books if lost/damaged, to the Media Center as soon as possible. If you owe books and fines to other SJCSD schools, you 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 your account. Overdue notices are emailed home weekly on Mondays and show the title and cost of outstanding materials. Your student can also log into their Destiny account at home to show you what they have out. 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!  
Scholastic Books:
Even though our Book Fair has ended, you can continue to shop the Scholastic Store online using this link and our school will earn 2% of every purchase all year long. This is a great way to shop for books for all ages while also supporting our school. If your student has leftover money in their eWallet account, you can apply that money towards your order at any time.  
 
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.
  • Parents are able 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.
Visit the PBMS Schoology Information webpage and the SJCSD Schoology for Parents webpage for additional information and resources. 
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
SJCSD Family App