Pacetti Bay Middle School Wildcat Weekly
Volume 59

Good evening Wildcat Families,

We hope everyone got some rest and relaxation over this weekend. The weather wasn't the best, but today turned out to be a wonderful day. We all got a preview of the winter to come.

This past week we announced a number of special recognitions at our school. Our teachers nominated a number of students for Character Counts awards. These students exemplified the pillars of character. We are so proud of each of them. We also got to recognize a number of staff who were selected by the faculty and staff of PBMS. The awardees are as follows:

Teacher of the Year - Kate Houston
Ms. Houston is our Instructional Literacy Coach. All educators need support and there is no better support than Kate! Her warm smile, her positive bulletin boards, her resource offerings, Professional Development structure and more. She helps make teacher's jobs a bit easier. It is not only the staff she supports: she teaches classes, provides tutoring and works with children to always support their success. We are very proud of Ms. Houston and the impact she has across the PBMS campus.

Rookie Teacher of the Year - Rick Seifert
Rick is our 8th grade School Counselor. Rick's easy demeanor inspires calm and aids so many students. His keen ear for listening inspires trust, and his eagerness to help inspires encouragement. Mr. Seifert is a great asset to Pacetti Bay.

School- Related Employee of the Year - Michelle Leitao
Ms. Leitao is Mr. Banton's Administrative Assistant and the school bookkeeper. She goes above and beyond to help all of the teachers, staff and families at Pacetti Bay with any question or concern they might have. She has an awesome attitude, is always willing to lend a hand and is a giant asset to our school. She is approachable, dependable and will do anything to help solve any problem for you personally or around Pacetti Bay.

We are also excited to announce three new staff members joining us over the past week and this coming week. Mr. Guiterrez joined us this week in the Math department and will be teaching 7th grade math and intensive math. Ms. Roque has joined us to teach in the science department. She will be taking Ms. Sim's classes as Ms. Sims transitions to the role of testing coordinator for PBMS. Lastly, as some of you know, Friday was Ms. Gillis's last day as our front desk clerk. We are very thankful for the dedicated service she has provided to PBMS for so many years. Starting tomorrow, we welcome Ms. Wolfe. She is new to Pacetti Bay and will be a wonderful addition to the front office at PBMS.

Over the past two weeks we have seen some items we need help with from parents. These items aid us in providing a safe and productive learning environment. Please note we do not have staff available for drop off before 7:00am. The numbers of students continue to climb well before 7:00am. Please help us in keeping a safe environment before the school doors open. Secondly, students are not to be using their phones during the school day. There has been a significant increase in these incidents and some incidents have led to serious disciplinary action. Please take the time to discuss cell phone usage, especially social media, with your child. We will be providing announcements to the students about the dangers of social media posts and we ask that you reiterate these dangers.

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 9th & 10th - Pacetti Bay presents Charlotte's Web 6:00PM in the Auditorium
  • November 11th- Veterans Day - No school
  • November 13th - SJCSD Job Fair at Nease High School
  • November 15th - Picture Retakes
  • November 17th - Spelling Bee
  • November 18th - NJHS Meeting; Veterans Salute Performance 6:00PM-7:30PM
Lost and Found
Items in our "Lost and Found" are piling up. Please have your student check for any items that they may have misplaced. Lost and found is located in our cafeteria. Any items not picked up by Friday 11/12/21, will be donated to a local charity.
Character Counts
8thGrade Character Counts! Award nominees
Each year, the Character Counts! Steering Committee of St. Johns County School District honors and recognizes one 8th grade student from each K-8 and Middle School who exemplify the pillars of character. Congratulations to the following students who were nominated by staff members at PBMS!

Congratulations to the following students who were nominated by staff members at PBMS: Isabella Trimboli, Tristan Larson, Adriah Tongkhuya, Alexis Aquino, Abigail Nagel, Bevan Atkinson, Danielle Wei, Ellie Lale, Giovanna McHardy, William Smith, Sofia Lozano, Bradford Wiggs, Isamu Bangay, Cameron Collins, Valerie Martin, O’Malley Puyau, Madalyn De Haan, and Emily Aberdeen.

The overall winner was announced on Friday! Congratulations to Alex Aquino! He will be representing PBMS at the district ceremony.
Cafeteria News
Dear SJCSD Families,
As a result of COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing nationwide disruptions to manufacturing, supply and distribution channels and it is impacting our school meal program. In short, we’re having trouble getting foods, supplies and staff to support our program. Your student(s) may notice that we’re serving different items than we’ve served in the past or different items than were listed on the menu. This situation is something that school districts across the country are experiencing. We are doing our best every day to come up with solutions to these challenges.

To reduce the demand on our supply chain and accommodate current staffing levels, the St. Johns County School District will return to normal food service operations on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. Students who qualify for free or reduced meals based on direct certification or a family income application will continue to receive meals at no or reduced costs. Students who are not eligible based on income will return to a PAID status.

Beginning today, October 25 through Tuesday, November 30, families are encouraged to complete the family lunch application if they feel they qualify for free or reduced cost meals. Applications are located on the SJCSD Website at https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/food/free/, your student’s school or the Food and Nutrition Services Office located at 3015 Lewis Speedway, Building 7, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Eligibility status is protected by very strict disclosure regulations. Students use a PIN or Student ID in the serving line. The student’s eligibility is private throughout the transaction.

If your student(s) attend(s) a Community Eligibility Program School, there is no need to complete an application. All students will continue to receive no cost meals through the end of the school year. These schools are as follows: Webster Elementary, Crookshank Elementary, Osceola Elementary, South Woods Elementary, Mason Elementary, The Transitions School, Gamble Rogers Middle School, Murray Middle School, Sebastian Middle School and St. Johns Technical High School.

Beginning Wednesday, December 1, 2021 Meal Prices will be:
Full Prices
$1.25- Breakfast
$2.95- Lunch

Reduced Prices
$0.30- Breakfast
$0.40- Lunch

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/.
We will continue serving our students a variety of nutritious foods. While there may be some menu changes, please know that we will strive to meet nutrition guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). We will also continue to accommodate students with special diets and allergies. We appreciate your patience and understanding. If you have questions, please contact the Student Nutrition Services Department at 904-547-8931.
PTSO News
Spirit Night
Mark your calendars NOW for our upcoming Spirit Night @ Whit's on 11/15/21. Stop by any time from 6PM-9PM and a portion of the proceeds will be donated back to our Wildcats!
Fundraiser opportunity: 
We are excited to announce our first fundraiser of the new school year! We are partnering with funds2orgs.com and giving back to others. 
 
How does this work? 
 
You will want to start collecting your gently used shoes NOW. Drop off is on Friday’s from 6:45 am- 7:45 am at the parent drop off line. Our goal is to gift 1K shoes from the Bay. We cannot do this without your help! 
 
Who can donate?  
Anyone! You can post this on your social media accounts (idea of what to post: Anyone have any gently used shoes they are wanting to part with?!? Our school is partnering with an organization to give back gently used shoes to those across the world and I would love your help! Comment below and I can reach out to you to collect them.) Neighborhood pages. Word of mouth. As long as they are willing to part with the shoes anyone can participate. 
 
Who do the shoes go to? 
Developing countries across the world! Haiti, Honduras, Cambodia, Ghana, and others worldwide. 
 
How does it benefit our Wildcats? 
When partnering with this organization, based on the amount that we donate they give back to our students. Starting out at $1,000! 
 
We are excited to partner with this great organization in giving back to others, while giving back to our local students.

Shoes must be gently used. No rips, tears, holes, stains, etc. 
 
Let’s make a difference together, one shoe at a time!
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
NJHS News
  •  Congratulations to this year’s NJHS officers who were installed at the October general meeting: President Tate Smith, Vice-President Gabby Sartori, Secretary Lucy Murr, Treasurer Caleb Hicks, and Parliamentarian Austin Fields. Additionally, Ellie Lale has accepted the post of Chapter Historian. She will be installed at our general meeting this month.
 
  • Officers will meet in Mrs. Houston’s office (Room 134) on Tuesday of this week (11/9) from 2-3. 
 
  • All NJHS members will meet on Thursday, 11/18 in the MPR from 2-3. $10 dues should be paid by this date to Mrs. Houston via cash, check, or SchoolPay (see our chapter’s Schoology group for more information).
 
  • NJHS has partnered with Student Council to hold a Holiday Book Drive for children in Ink!’s Five Learning Years Program (F.L.Y). The drive begins the week before Thanksgiving and will continue right up to Winter Break. Please start thinking of the new or gently used children’s books you can send in to our drive. Books for preschool to early middle school readers are open for donation.
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
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
Camps
Thanksgiving Meals
SJCSD Family App