SIGSBEE SCOOP

Respect, Responsibility, Resilience

July 2018

CONGRATULATIONS SAILFISH

Sigsbee Charter School has been named a "School of Excellence" by the Florida Department of Education.  There are only 2 schools in Monroe County with this distinction:  Sigsbee Charter and Treasure Village Charter Montessori in Islamorada.

SCS has also been named an A rated school for the 7th consecutive year.  Congratulations to our hardworking students and staff.

IMPORTANT DATES

Thursday, August 9th 
Kindergarten Round Up and Parent Orientation (1:00-3:00 PM)- media center
Kindergarten Parent Orientation (1:00-3:00) - media center

Friday, August 10th
Kindergarten Round Up-drop off (9:00-11:00 AM)- media center

Monday, August 13th 

Class lists & schedules available in Focus

Tuesday, August 14th 
K-8 Meet the Teacher (8:30-10:00 AM)-classrooms
New family orientation for grades 1-8 (10:15 AM-11:00 AM)- cafeteria

Wednesday, August 15th 
Students First Day of School 

     K-5 8:00 AM- 12:00 NOON

     6-8  8:00 AM- 2:00 PM

     K-5 enrichment (optional): 12:00 PM-2:00 PM
Lunch: Kennedy Cafe grilled cheese, Cheez-Its and fruit

Thursday, August 16th
Full day of school 8:00-3:00 PM
Lunch: China Garden sweet-n-sour chicken, white rice, fortune cookie and fruit

Friday, August 17th
Lunch: Pizza Hut cheese or pepperoni pizza, cucumbers with ranch and fruit

Check our school calendar for additional dates.

SUMMER LEARNING

Be sure to check out your child's grade level website for summer learning expectations.  If you only have time for one thing each day, read!  Twenty minutes/day will make a world of difference.

WELCOME NEW FAMILIES

Our lottery was held on June 26th and we welcomed 181 new students.  This brings our total enrollment to 538, with still more students on our waiting list.  We will be hosting a New Family Orientation at 10:15 AM on August 14th, after Meet The Teacher.  If you are new to Sigsbee, please plan to attend.  We will review all the procedures and routines you need to know to make your transition seamless.  

*Kindergarten parents who attended orientation need not attend the New Family Orientation.

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE

Our staff participated in a technology upgrade professional development workshop that resulted in new and improved websites geared toward communicating with our stakeholders.  We're excited to share our new look with you.  Check it out at: www.sigsbee.org . It will take a few moments for you to be redirected to the new site so be patient.

To access a teacher's website or see a grade level site, click HERE

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

We take pride in providing all initial school supplies for students at no cost to parents.  We know how stressful it can be to find just the right folder or brand of glue stick on a small island.  There are a few items that students typically bring from home.  Those are listed on our grade level websites.  You can click on any teacher in the grade level to see the items . Most grade levels require:

• a backpack (must fill in cubby or locker)
• a filled reusable water bottle
• a lunch box (if bringing in lunch or snack)
• earbuds or headphones
• water shoes
• combination lock (middle school)
• uniform shirts (middle school)

Please make sure all items are labeled with the child's first and last name.

In addition, the websites contain lists of items that parents may donate.  We appreciate your generosity.

Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday August 3 - 5, 2018

The 2018 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday begins Friday, August 3, 2018, and runs through Sunday, August 5, 2018.

During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items will be exempt from tax including:

• Certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; and
• Clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item.

For more information and a list of qualifying items, please review the Department of Revenue's Tax Information Publication (TIP) on the 2018 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, as well as the Frequently Asked Questions document.

Digital downloads and social media posts are provided for individuals and businesses interested in sharing information about the sales tax holiday. To access, CLICK HERE.

CLASS LISTS

Class lists will be made public on Monday, August 13th.  You will be able to access your child's schedule and list of teachers through Focus.  If you do not have a Focus account, look for a welcome email from your child's teacher.  

Class lists are not finalized until this time due to many transitions over the summer.  

STAY CONNECTED

To stay current and informed on all things Sigsbee, please be sure you have done the following:

1.  Bookmark the Scoop blog for weekly updates: http://sigsbeescoop.blogspot.com/

2.  Make sure you have a FOCUS account to access calendars and grade books

3.  Join our Remind text messaging group for emergency texts  (On your phones, enter 81010 and text this message: @c6b86e)

4.  Follow us on Twitter @ElisaJannes

5.  Like our PTO Facebook page @SigsbeeCharterPTO

6.  Once school starts, be sure you are able to get into your child's Google Classroom accounts.

WEDNESDAY ENRICHMENT

Registration for classes will be available in next week's Scoop (weekend of August 11th).

Please register early since spaces are not guaranteed and some classes fill up quickly.  Enrollment is not established until all fees are paid.  We are looking forward to providing some great classes this year.

VOLUNTEER HOURS

As part of our commitment to each other, there is a 10 hour/year volunteer requirement for each family at Sigsbee Charter School.  Volunteer opportunities will be posted in the weekly blog and communicated via email through each child's teacher.  Most of your hours can be completed just by attending/completing the following requirements:

1. Complete the online registration for each child before 3rd (1 hour/family)

2. Attend Meet-The-Teacher (1 hour/family)

3. Attend Back To School Night (1 hour/family)
4. Fill out your Impact Aid form in October (1hour/family)

5. Attend 2 parent conferences (fall and spring) in grades K-5 (2 hours/student)

Other frequently accessed volunteer opportunities include the following:

1. Providing class or FSA snack

2. Chaperoning a field trip or school event

3. Volunteering with and/or attending a school event to support your child

4. Joining a PTO committee and giving time to school events and fundraisers

5. Attending SCS Board Meetings

6. Attending SCS PTO Meetings

7. Organizing a fundraising activity (must be approved through PTO)

8. Assisting teachers and staff when requested

9. Supervising/assisting at lunch and recess

Volunteerism is very important as Sigsbee as we participate in many events and activities that go beyond a typical day at school.  These experiences are not possible for students without the help and commitment of our families.

Special Note:  Due to changes in Florida legislation, monetary donations may not be used to replace volunteer hours.  However, we hope you will continue to support our classrooms when teachers have specific items they would like donated.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Sigsbee Charter School, along with all schools in Monroe County, will employ a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO) this year.  The SRO is an active duty Monroe County Police Department officer assigned to our school and present whenever children are on campus.  

To help keep safety a priority, please make sure that you are signing in at the office and that you receive a visitors badge.  

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Please don't forget to stock up on your SCS Middle School uniform shirts.  These can be purchased at Ramona's (in the Searstown Shopping Center).  Remember, only 8th graders are permitted to wear black (a right of passage).  The uniform policy can be found  by clicking here:  MS Uniform Policy and on our website.