Ocelot Review October 1, 2024
Ortega Elementary – 4010 Baltic St, Jacksonville, FL 32210 381-7460; www.duvalschools.org/ortega Principal – Shannon Rose-Hamann; Assistant Principal – Kenneth Fraley Fortify Florida to report suspicious behavior
Calendar
Oct 4 - All Pro Dad
Oct 4 - Flag Raising
Oct 9 – Pictures
Oct 14 - Planning Day
Oct 25 - Coffee Chat and SAC
Oct 30 - One School One Book Kickoff and Trunk or Treat
Oct 31 - Vocabulary/Book Character Parade
Nov 1 - Weather Day
Nov 8 - Flag Raising
Nov 11 - No School
Nov 25 - Career Day
Nov 26 - Turkey Trot
Nov 27-29 - No School
Principal’s Message
Dear Families,
I cannot believe it is already October, one of my favorite months! We have settled into school and home routines, students are working hard and learning each day, and a wonderful school event begins... One School, One Book! This is such a fun activity as we join together as a school community and participate in a giant book club! We hope you will join us for our Trunk or Treat on October 30 to receive your family's copy of the book. Teachers recently participated in Reflex and UFLI professional development to ensure your students are receiving the best instruction possible. Please reach out with questions about either program, and encourage your child to use Reflex at home as often as possible as it truly helps out with math fluency. I cannot emphasize the importance of daily reading enough. Please encourage your child to read each day. All students have the opportunity to check out books from our school library tomorrow, and they can check out books from their classrooms on a daily basis. Please make sure your child has a book in his/her backpack each day. As always, we truly appreciate your partnership. Please feel free to reach out at any point with questions or concerns. Thanks, Shannon Rose-Hamann One School One Book Kick-Off and Trunk or Treat Mark your calendars for October 30. This will be a huge night as we have our One School One Book Kick-Off and our Trunk or Treat event. One School One Book is a program where each family receives a free book and our school will all read that same book as a nightly family activity. The Kick-Off event will give you tools and strategies to help you get the most out of this educational experience. Then, following the One School One Book Kick Off, we will have Trunk or Treat. Students can visit different cars to receive candy. Feel free to dress in costume. The event will begin at 6 PM.
All Pro Dads
Our first All Pro Dad meeting for this school year will be Friday, October 4 at 7:45 AM in the media center. This is a chance for dads (and other male role models) to take some time to bond with their child(ren) before the school day. Dads and kids will participate in some fun activities and get to enjoy a light breakfast together. If you plan on attending and have not yet returned the RSVP sheet, please email Mrs. Tibbits (tibbitsm@duvalschools.org) by the end of the day on Tuesday, October 1 so we can have an accurate headcount for food.
Thank You, Business Partners
Thank you to Panda Express and to BJ’s Brewhouse. Both restaurants donated certificates to be used as rewards for our Students of the Month! We greatly appreciate these generous donations.
Yearbook Pictures
All students will have their pictures taken on October 9. Look for order forms in Tuesday folders or visit www.leanorads.com/photoprepay to order pictures. Our access code is: C661015.
Teacher of the Year
We had 3 wonderful teachers who were finalists for the Ortega Elementary 2024-2025 teacher of the year - Ms. Kanji, Ms. Miller, and Ms. Mullen. Congratulations to Ms. Mullen, who was chosen as the winner. Ms. Mullen will go on to represent Ortega in the county competition. This recognition was so well deserved as Ms. Mullen gives so much to her students and our school. Congratulations Ms. Mullen!!
Book Character/ Vocabulary Parade
On October 31 we will have our annual Book Character/Vocabulary Parade. Students may dress as a character from a favorite book or as a favorite vocabulary word. Costumes must adhere to the dress code.
PTA
PTA will have a membership drive during the month of October. Please consider joining if you have not done so already. Dues are only $6 and help fund student programs, campus beautification, teacher appreciation, and so much more. Look for a membership flyer in Tuesday folders or scan the QR code to join online. The class with the highest percentage of memberships at the end of October will win pizza for the class, second place will win popcorn for the class, and third will win popsicles for the class