Pacetti Bay Middle School Wildcat Weekly

Issue 124

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

Good evening Wildcat Families,

We are entering the final stretch of this school year and 4th quarter interims will be available in HAC this week. Please remind your child that we still have school until the end of May and that every day counts. We are committed to assisting each child to finish the year at his/her best! Please make sure to also check out the upcoming events section as we have a number of activities coming up for the students.

Please keep a close eye on your child's performance in all classes via HAC, and Schoology.This quarter is filled with a number of activities, state-wide assessments and the final opportunities for our kids to show what they have learned and are able to do from this school year. Our teachers have built opportunities for remediation and retest for all summative assessments. Furthermore, each grade level offers Lunch and Learn sessions where students can receive additional support and remediation if necessary. We are focused on students knowing the content and being able to apply the skills.

8th grade parents and guardians, please make sure to read through the entire Wildcat Weekly as there are opportunities and information listed throughout including Take Stock in Children, PTSO, etc.

We reviewed expectations and consequences to all students at the beginning of the second semester. We are happy to report that the vast majority of students are meeting or exceeding these expectations. 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://www-pbm.stjohns.k12.fl.us/deans-office/  or https://vimeo.com/740462750.

From the District Office:

The St. Johns County School District has begun the review process for the Social Studies Instructional Materials Adoption. Once available for review, the digital resources will be posted here (https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/media/textbooks/adoption/). The core resources that have been submitted for evaluation were selected from the state adoption consideration lists when available. Additional resources for advanced programs may be reviewed from materials listed as appropriate for the program indicated.

Some print materials may be available for review. If you would like access to the available printed materials or require assistance reviewing the online resources, please call the Instructional Resources and Media Services office at 904.547.3947. Materials are available for review from 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM when district offices are open.

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!

• April 25th- Interims Issued on HAC
• April 27th - Beginning Band Concert
• April 28th - "Outsiders Day"; Last day to order 8th grade lawn signs
• May 1st - 5th - Teacher Appreciation Week
• May 5th - 8th Grade GradVenture
• May 19th - Chorus Concert @ Tocoi
• May 20th - 8th Grade Dance
• May 23rd - 8th grade Day (Awards Ceremony, Yearbook Signing, Faculty/Student VB game)
• May 24th - 6th & 7th Grade Field Day
• May 25th - Last Day for Students

Congratulations to our PBMS students,  Paryssa Pradhan, Allana Fauble, Aaliya Amar, Chloe Green, and Alana Mantello, for being accepted into this summer’s AAUW Tech Trek program! This exciting weeklong residential summer camp focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for girls going into eighth grade in 2023. During the week, girls attend a daily technology or science core class, perform hands-on activities throughout the day, attend a field trip to a STEM learning environment and are exposed to female STEM role models. Since 1998, AAUW has helped change girls’ lives through Tech Trek. For many girls, the weeklong camp provides the spark that ignites their curiosity in STEM and places them on a path toward success. 

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

"Outsiders Day" is NOW on April 28th. Students and staff dress up like greasers or soc’s (pronounced So-sh) to celebrate reading the book Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.

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.  

Media Center Materials:

The end of the school year is quickly approaching. All library books are to be returned, or paid for, by May 10. As stated in our Media Center policy below, students, and their parents, are responsible to pay the replacement cost of any lost or damaged materials. Please check with the Media Center before attempting to purchase your own replacement copy as many of our books are special library bound editions. 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. Overdue notices are emailed home every Monday and show the title and cost of outstanding materials. Your student can also log into their Destiny account at home to see this information. Your students can pay for their lost/damaged books in the Media Center with cash (exact change) or check made payable to PBMS (or the school the book belongs to). You may now also pay for lost/damaged PBMS materials via School Pay using this link: https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/Pacetti-Bay-Media-Fines/SVqbYl .

Scholastic Book Store:

We are not planning another in-school book fair this year. However, you can continue to shop the online Scholastic Store using this link. If you select PBMS while shopping, 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 had money left over in their eWallet, you should have received an email from Scholastic with your gift card information. You can use the gift card at the online store.   

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

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.

8^th Grade Dance Information

May 20^th from 6pm-9pm

Tickets go on sale DURING 8^th grade lunch

May 11^th, 12^th, and 15^th. Cost $25

Students will receive a meal, bottled water, and a party favor.

Students can only buy a ticket if:

• They have not had a full day of ISS or OSS in the 4^th Quarter
• No cafeteria debt
• No Media Center debt.
• Once the debts are paid/returned, students can buy their ticket (May 11^th-15^th)

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

Teacher Appreciation Week is quickly approaching and we need your help to show our PBMS Teachers how much they ROCK! https://pbmsptso.memberhub.com/store/items/846775

FRIDAY APRIL 28TH IS THE LAST DAY TO ORDER 8TH GRADE SIGNS--- THERE WILL BE NO ABILITY TO ORDER AFTER THIS DATE

Get yours here: https://pbmsptso.memberhub.com/store/items/842367

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

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

Volleyball Summer Camp 2023

@ Pacetti Bay Gym June 5^th-June 8^th

Scan QR Code for camp registration (mandatory)

Schoolpay https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/PBMS-Volleyball-Camp-June-5thJune-8th-/Sb9pSro 

Registration form

Florida Prepaid Spanish

Florida Prepaid Haitian/Creole

Take Stock in Children (TSIC) Scholarship for 8^th Graders:

Eligible rising 9^th grade students who are awarded the Take Stock in Children scholarship program may earn a scholarship to attend post-secondary college, university, or trade/technical education after high school graduation as well as receive an academic mentorship throughout high school.

The Take Stock in Children (TSIC) program is a statewide initiative for students who meet the academic, attendance, and behavioral standards and who commit to working with a TSIC mentor through high school to earn a 2-year Florida pre-paid college scholarship. TSIC is income limited, aligned with the Federal free and reduced lunch income levels. More about the TSIC children program is included online at www.takestockinchildren.org.

Invest in Kids (INK!) oversees the program in St. Johns County. We have launched a new online application portal at https://apply.ink-stjohns.org/ to streamline the application process for students and families.

Minimum standards for middle school students to be considered for acceptance include:

·        Middle School GPA of 2.5 with no “F” semester grades

·        Attendance in last 3 semesters with a total of not more than 15 unexcused absences

·        No in-school or out-of-school suspensions for the last 3 semesters

Contest Application

Drop off Locations