IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This month, Osceola 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will be showing

what they know on the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA).

The following Wednesdays: April 15, 22, and 29

are NOT Early Release Days

Osceola Smoke Signals

OSCEOLA ELEMENTARY

100 Osceola Avenue

Ormond Beach, FL 32176

386-258-4669

Dr. Mary Ellen Speidel

Principal

Mr. Douglas Swayze

Assistant Principal

________________________________

SCHOOL TIMES

7:45 First Bell

7:55 Tardy Bell

2:05 Dismissal

1:05 Early Dismissal ____________________________

TARDY PROCEDURE

If your child arrives after the tardy

bell has rung at 7:55, please

have them go straight

to the office to get

a pass. ___________________________

BREAKFAST/LUNCH PRICES 2014-2015

$1.00—Breakfast

$2.00—Lunch

REDUCED MEAL PRICES $.30 Breakfast

$.40 Lunch

Parents may pre-pay for their

child’s meals by visiting the

cafeteria manager or by credit/

debit card at mylunchmoney.com.

April 2015 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

Mission Statement Parents, teachers, and community,

working together, will challenge

students to fulfill their potential.

1—Report Card Distribution

1– Early Release

2-3 3rd & 4th Grade FSA Test—English/Language Arts

3—Kindergarten Egg Hunt

6—SAC Meeting

6-7 3rd & 4th Grade FSA Test—Math

8—Early Release

9– PTA Board Meeting

13-14 5th Grade FSA Test—English/Language Arts

15-16 5th Grade FSA Test—Math

20-21 5th Grade FSA Test—Science

28—Field Day K, 1st, 2nd

29-Field Day 3rd, 4th, 5th

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Hello Osceola Parents,

We hope you enjoyed a great spring break.

April marks the beginning of the fourth grading period. When you receive your child’s report card, we

invite you to contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns. April also begins the

testing weeks for students in grades three through five. Other than the FCAT science assessment

administered in grade 5, this year, students in grades three through five will be taking the Florida

Standards Assessments (FSA). Coming up this month, are the FSA reading and math assessments. The

paper-based writing assessment was completed by our fourth and fifth graders in March. You can view

sample test questions, online, at www.fsassessments.org. We are proud of all our students, K-5, who

have worked hard and accomplished so much. They are amazing! It’s inspiring and fun to celebrate with

students. During our second school-wide “pep” rally, all grade levels joined the Seabreeze High School

cheerleaders with signs, banners, music, and words of encouragement.

Way to go, Osceola Indians!

Thank you, parents, students, volunteers, teachers, and staff for all you do. You are making a positive

difference. Osceola Elementary is a great place to be!

Mary Ellen Speidel, Ed.D.

Principal

WHOSE CHILD IS THIS?

‘Whose child is this?’ I asked one day

See a little one out at play

‘Mine’. Said the parent with a tender smile

‘Mine to keep a little while

To bathe her hands and comb her hair

To tell her what she is to wear

To prepare her that she may always be good

And each day do the things she should’

‘Whose child is this?’ I asked again

As the door opened and someone came in

‘Mine’ said the teacher with the same tender smile

‘Mine, to keep just for a little while

To teach her how to be gentle and kind

To train and direct her dear little mind

To help her live by every rule

And get the best she can from school’

‘Whose child is this?’ I asked once more

Just as the little one entered the door

‘ours’ said the parent and the teacher as they

smiled

And each took the hand of the little child

‘Ours to love and train together

Ours this blessed task forever’

-Jessie Girl Rivera

PHYSICAL EDUCATION NEWS

The Fitness Festival was held on March 20th at Spruce Creek High

School. Fifteen Osceola students attended. We are proud of them

and their achievements in the fitness components required to

compete; muscular strength, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory

endurance.

April will be busy and include the annual Field Days on April 28th

and April 29th. Primary grades K, 1, and 2, will be on Tuesday,

April 28 and Intermediate grades, 3,4, and 5 will be on

Wednesday, April 29. We look forward to the special event!

This last nine weeks, the emphasis for the students’ PE grades

will assess Responsible Behaviors and Values. The standards

require students to exhibit personal and social behavior that re-

spects self and others in physical activity settings. Students

should value physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge,

and social interaction.

WORDS OF ART

For the last quarter, Osceola art students will be focusing on “Assess Art.” They will

compare, contrast and critique artwork by both master artists and their peers. We

continue to practice these skills in any extra moments using artwork hung in the room.

Some fun new pieces have been selected for display in the art room. Artists include

Marthena Cubero, Summer O’Brien, Samuel Kim, Makayla Garner, Naomi Attar, Jenny

Torres and Austin Vannatta.

FROM THE CLINIC

Flu season is upon us. Please remind your child to practice good hygiene and cover his/her

mouth when coughing or sneezing. Also, remind students to wash their hands regularly with soap and

water. The BEST thing you can do to help prevent the spread of the cold and flu viruses is to keep your

sick child home until they are feeling better.

DISMISSAL

If there is a change in how your child will be going home, you must call the office at 258-4669 by 1:30

p.m. (12:30 p.m. on Early Release Days). No changes may be accepted after these times.

SKYLER’S PLACE… WHAT’S UP IN MEDIA??

In March on Feature Island, our topic of focus has

changed to sea life and the oceans. Later this month

we will be reading some e-books about Oceans and

using the Educreation App on our iPADs to create

short videos on sea life. Also one of the great sites

we are accessing to learn more about our oceans is “enchanted learning oceans.”

Check it out.

The Hit the Books reading program has begun and bookmarks have been distributed. To round the

diamond on your bookmark and be eligible for baseball tickets at Jackie Robinson

Ballpark you need to read just 15 minutes a night for 20 nights. Once you have

completed all 20 boxes (5 hours of reading) parents should sign the bookmark.

Completed bookmarks may be submitted to your teacher at any time prior to the

program end date of May 20, 2015. So lets get reading!!

In late March the Osceola 5th Grade Science Fair was held in the media center with many great

experiments being performed and documented utilizing the

Scientific Method. First place was a tie between “Which

Metal Best Resists Salt Water Effects” by Kayleigh Whittley

and “Which Glue is the Strongest” by Olivia Bonjour. Second

Place went to Esther Kim and Madison Tiffany. Finally,

Honorable Mention Awards went to Elizabeth Beauvais, Levi

Keele, and Danielle Barak. Congratulations to all our stu-

dents who participated and entered a project into this voluntary extra curricular activity.

Do you have any shoes that you no longer wear??? Osceola Elementary is continuing its

shoe collection drive to raise funds for Sophie’s Circle and provide shoes

to the Funds2Orgs Organization. Funds2Orgs helps impoverished people

start, maintain, and grow businesses in countries such as Haiti,

Honduras, and other nations in Central America and Africa. Proceeds

from the shoe sales are used to feed, clothe, and house their families as well as help

Sophie’s Circle. So, if you have some extra shoes in your closet, please bring them in!

It’s a win-win for everyone!

We are going to be a part of historic change by taking part in an initiative to put a woman’s face on our

paper currency. We will be learning about 15 inspiring American women heroes. Check out the website

www.womenon20s.org for more information!

Remember, the sky’s the limit,

Skyler

COUNSELOR’S CORNER

“Out like a lion and in like a lamb.” It’s that time of year that should have handles attached because it’s

going so fast it’s hard to hold on!

Like it or not, it’s time for testing. The teachers and students have been working really hard toward great

results. Parents, you can help your third through fifth grade students by taking care of those “at home”

things like getting a good night’s sleep, eating a good breakfast and having a relaxed start to the day by

getting to school on time. Let’s help our students to SHOW WHAT THEY KNOW!

At the beginning of the school year, I sent permission slips for Child Safety Matters, a program that helps

children learn rules to keep them safe from those who might wish to harm them. The program was put

on hold for review by the School District at the time I was to begin the lessons. After review, the district

has approved continuation of the program. I will be presenting it to grades K through 5 after the Florida

State Assessments are completed. Rather than resending all the permission slips, I will contact families

through the phone messaging system with directions to follow in the event you do not want your child to

receive the safety lessons.

Let’s all enjoy the renewal that spring brings!

Kathleen Sullinger, School Counselor

FSA PEP RALLY

On Tuesday, March 31 the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students prepared for their upcoming FSA Testing with

a pep rally. Fun motivational music and videos were played, cheerleaders from Seabreeze High School

pumped up the crowd and their peers lined the halls with signs and high-fives to cheer them on. Every-

one agrees these students are ready to “Rock the Test!”

DR. SEUSS NIGHT

Dr. Seuss Night was a huge success at Osceola Elementary. The Reading Correlate and PTA sponsored

the evening event in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Bingo for Books provided a fun and exciting

game of Bingo for families. The prize for the students was a book and by the end of the Bingo event,

every child was able to select a book to take home. A photo booth area with props was very popular. One

hundred ninety five students and their family members attended the event. The PTA provided a birthday

cake and everyone had a piece to enjoy as the Cat in the Hat himself read his story to the audience. Dr.

Speidel was so proud, in her words, she said, to the teachers: “We had the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1

and Thing 2. From beginning to end, it’s hats off to you!" A great time was had by all!

CHOCOLATE BARS FOR SALE

The Safety Patrols are selling chocolate bars to raise funds for their end of the year field trip.

SOCIAL STUDIES FAIR

On Saturday, March 7, seven spectacular students represented Osceola in the Social

Studies Fair at Mainland High School. We are so proud of: Ashlyn Anton, Peyton Fitz-

gerald, Taj Harrell, Marin Houck, Patricia Perez, Teagan Pytel, Scott Treur. Marin

Houck received a blue ribbon and plaque for superior excellence. All others received

a yellow ribbon for their participation.

MOVING THIS SUMMER?

If your child will not be returning to Osceola for the 2015-2016 school year,

please contact Ruth McArdle, Registrar 258-4669 ext. 51610.

JACK HARTMANN CONCERT

Kindergarten and 1st grade classes enjoyed singing and dancing along with Jack Hartmann’s educational

songs during his performance on Monday, March 16. Some of the teachers even got called on stage for

a song!

WRITING PEP RALLY

The 4th and 5th grade students joined with their teachers and adminis-

trators in the cafeteria for a writing pep rally two days before their FSA

Writing test. Through snacks and songs, they were reminded of the writ-

ing strategies they have learned and got pumped up and confident for

their test. Their peers in Kindergarten through third grade made signs

and lined the hallways outside to cheer them on as they left the building.

ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS

Osceola Elementary will honor you at a volunteer breakfast on

Tuesday, May 5th from 9:00 to 10:30am

in the Media Center

Please RSVP by returning the slip below:

PLEASE RETURN LOWER PORTION OF THE FLYER TO SCHOOL NO LATER THAN APRIL 28, 2015. —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Name of Volunteer: ________________________________________

Name of child/ren: _____________ _____________ _____________

Years volunteering: __________

Teacher(s) assisted in 2014-2015: ______________________________

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS TO OSCEOLA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!

NASCAR Houligan’s

International Speedway D.B. Pickles

Bank of America RIPTIDE

Energizer Personal Care/Hawaiian Tropic Outback Steak House

Hilton Daytona Beach Ocean Front Resort PEPPER’S

Daytona State College The Black Sheep Pub

Florida Memorial Medical Hospital Bone Fish Grill

Halifax Medical Center Charlie Horse Restaurant

Florida Health Care Plan Ocean Deck Restaurant & Beach Club

Chick-fil-A Michaels

Olive Garden Dustin Bar-B-Que

Red Lobster Hershey’s Ice Cream

Winn Dixie Purple Dragonfly

Publix Trails Shopping Center LuLu’s Oceanside Grill

CVS Joe’s Crab Shack

Walgreens Sam’s Club

Peach Valley Café The Daytona Plaza Resort & Spa

Subway Belair Plaza Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Lois Lupker Morgan Polans

Kangaroo Express/Valero

WHO EARNED CHIEFIE?

Congratulations to Mrs. Halter, Ms. Petersohn, Mr. Cain, and Mrs. Ellis’ classes. Thanks

to their excellent cafeteria behavior, they earned a week with our school’s mascot,

Chiefie!

Chiefie has been learning so much spending time in Osceola’s classrooms.

April 6th

– 8th

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 4:30-6:30PM

Register on Monday, April 6th @ 4:00PM

Mainland High School Main Gym

Located in the Vince Carter Athletic Center

Little Lady Bucs will:

Learn routines from the Lady Bucs

Receive a Lady Buc as a Big Sister

Learn proper stretching techniques

Receive an authentic Little Lady Buc shirt

Learn dance skills needed to become a Lady Buc –

8th graders this will assist you in preparing for our auditions!

*Little Lady Bucs will perform with the

Lady Bucs Dance and Drill Team at the

2015 Lady Buc Dance and Drill Team Review on

April 17th

at 7:00PM*

The cost of the Little Lady Buc Clinic is $35

*Grades Kindergarten-Eighth Grade* Please contact Ms. Mahaffey at smmahaff@volusia.k12.fl.us for more information

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

This newsletter is provided as a wellness resource by our School Way Café’s Evelyn Klironomos, RD, LD