Sand Pine Spotlight

Welcome to Volume 1 of the Sand Pine Spotlight for the 2021-22 school year. Please continue to look for more newsletters like these to keep you updated with the latest and greatest information this year.

In this newsletter, we will focus on everything you need to know for the beginning of the school year. We can't wait to get this school year started because....

WE ARE BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE!

#cranesallin

This year, our school hours are 8:40 am - 2:50 pm. Arrival starts at 8:20 am for both car riders and walker/bikers. Please do not drop off students before this time, as there will be no supervision available. Students will be sent straight to their classrooms, or to the cafeteria if they choose to have breakfast. Dismissal will begin at 2:50 pm. Please be patient the first few weeks of school since dismissal may take a bit longer until we develop a rhythm and routine.

If you arrive after 8:40 am, please park and escort your child into the office to be signed in properly. If you need to check your child out early or change their mode of transportation, the latest you may do so is 2:15 pm.

Due to federal funding, all breakfast and lunch will be free to students this year.

If you would like your child to have money in their meal account for "extras" like cookies and chips, school meal accounts can be funded through the MySchoolBucks meal payment service at this time. Just visit MySchoolBucks.com. You can also view meal history and set spending limits through this service. You also have the option of paying directly in the cafeteria with cash, check, credit or debit. Contactless pay will be available at registers where credit cards are accepted. Students can use contactless cards, or Google Wallet, Android Pay and Apple Pay from their phones.

The free and reduced-price meal application for the upcoming school year is now available at www.PascoSchoolMeals.com. Only one application is needed per household. If already received a Direct Certification letter, you do not need to complete an application. We encourage all of our SPES families to fill out this application if you think you may qualify.

Please contact Food and Nutrition Services with any questions by emailing fns_finance@pasco.k12.fl.us or calling 813-794-2522.

The district is currently revising the screeners for students. The screener will be posted on the SPES website as soon as it becomes available. We are counting on parents to screen their children at home daily to ensure the health and safety of our school community. Please, if your child is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed in the screener, keep them at home until they subside. Let's work together to make our school as safe as possible!

Per district policy, masks are optional. However, we will still be encouraging social distancing, maintaining seating charts in all areas, and engaging in increased cleaning protocols. Frequent hand washing will be encouraged throughout the day.

We also have been asked by the district to limit large gatherings. At this time, in accordance with district policy, we are unable to have lunch visitors. The district is monitoring and revisiting policies on a monthly basis, and we will notify families if anything changes.

Students exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will be brought to the office and separated from others to limit possible exposure. Parents will be contacted.

Breakfast - Upon arrival at campus, students choosing to have breakfast will go to the cafeteria, where they will pick up breakfast "grab and go" style. They will not be eating in the cafeteria for breakfast, but will take their breakfast bag to the classroom for consumption at their desk.

Lunch - Lunch times for each grade have been staggered to allow to distancing and cleaning. Lunch tables will be spaced out and facing all the same direction so that students will not be facing each other while eating. Student seating will also be physically distanced on the benches to the greatest extent possible. Students will scan bar codes at the register instead of typing their student number on the keypad.

The custodial crew is required to sanitize areas of our campus on a much more frequent basis than normal. Some examples of this enhanced cleaning are:

• The playground equipment will be cleaned daily.
• Areas that are touched often such as light switches, door handles, etc. will be sanitized multiple times throughout the day.
• Desks, tables, walls, doors, and cabinets will be cleaned daily.
• Drinking fountains will be disinfected and polished during the day.
• In addition to fully mopping, classroom floors will be deep scrubbed weekly.

August 5 - Meet the Teacher Day

August 10 - First Day of School

Please contact us at any time. We love hearing from our families!

Mrs. Christina Twardosz, Principal

Mrs. Lisa Grimsley, Assistant Principal

Email: lgrimsle@pasco.k12.fl.us
Website: https://spes.pasco.k12.fl.us/
Location: 29040 County Line Road, Wesley Chapel, FL, USA
Phone: (813) 794-1900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandPineElementarySchool/