April 20th, 2015
Student Hours
M-F 7:35 am -1:35 pm
Jess Hathaway, Principal
Kim Duffy, Assistant Principal
Walsingham Wildcats News
Walsingham Elementary School
http://www.walsingham-es.pinellas.k12.fl.us/
9099 Walsingham Road, Largo, FL 33773
Phone 727-588-3519
The Mission of Walsingham Elementary is to provide a safe learning environment conducive to various learning styles so that students achieve their highest
level, resulting in the realization of adequate yearly progress.
Principal’s Pride
Jess Hathaway, Principal
Dear Parents, Guardians, and all members of our Walsingham
Family,
Please join us in congratulating our Pride Award winners:
Emma Nichols for Math, Emily Peterson for Science, Adam
Ahmadzai for Social Studies and Amelia Colbourne for Writing.
PCS elementary and middle school students who have earned a
PRIDE award for academic achievement were recognized April 6th
at Ruth Eckerd Hall. The PRIDE (Program to Recognize Initiative
and Distinction in Education) awards recognize fifth-grade
students who excel in Math, Science, Social Studies and Writing.
DITEK and the Pinellas Education Foundation sponsored the
event.
We received positive feedback from our WES families
regarding our 3rd, 4th and 5th Grades Awards Ceremony and our
recognition of Perfect Attendance students in Kdg, 1 st and 2nd
Grades. Thank you to our PTA for all their support.
Our Wildcat Clothes Closet is very low right now. If you
have any uniform donations it would be greatly appreciated.
Things happen during the day and we often need a change of
clothes for students across all grade levels. Please bring any
donations to the front office or give them to Nurse Angela. Thank
you so much for your support.
We are looking to add five new oak trees along our fence
line for our future Wildcats. If you would like to donate towards
our tree project or donate a full tree for $125, please contact PTA
at your earliest convenience.
We have noticed and upswing in parents signing students
out early because they want to “beat our dismissal traffic”. Our car
line moves quickly in the afternoon so this is not a valid reason to
sign a student out early from school. Should you have any
questions, please feel free to check with Mr. Hathaway or Ms.
Nancy, our DMT.
Planning to move? According to the Code of Student
Conduct, if you have moved over the summer or will move during
the school year, parents are required to give the school their new
address within five days of their move. If the school discovers that
you have moved and you have not told them, your child could be
considered to be “found out of that school’s attendance area.”
Steps to change your child’s address during the school year:
Visit the district’s website, www.pcsb.org, click the Student
Reservation System button on the home page, and log in with
your User ID and Password. Click on Change of Residence
Address link and follow the steps.
Proof of Residence items include: utility bill for power,
water, cable, sewer or land-based telephone (not cellular); rental
agreement or lease; closing document; Pinellas County tax
statement with homestead exemption. The item must be recent and
contain the name of the parent/guardian and service address.
If you do not have one of these items in the name of the
parent or guardian, you must complete an Affidavit of Residency.
This document is available at schools and by visiting the district
website at www.pcsb.org. It must be completed, notarized on both
sides and submitted with one of the items listed in the name of the
person with whom you reside and who is listed on the affidavit.
When schools work together with families to support learning,
children are inclined to succeed not just in school, but throughout
life. The following are just a few suggestions of the many ways
you can be involved with your child's education:
 Contact your child's teacher and maintain communication
throughout the school year. Participate in parent/teacher
conferences.
 Talk with your child daily about homework, classroom
activities, and events.

Make efforts to stay informed of school and classroom
events.
 Encourage and nurture your child's creativity.
 Be positive when talking with your child about school
related activities.
As a reminder, we are always monitoring student
absences and tardies. For elementary students, it is the parent’s
responsibility to make sure their student attends school and is on
time. If your child has several absences and/or tardies, please
contact the school so we are able to determine if these unexcused
absences can be changed to excused. If there is a problem that is
making it difficult to get your child to school, please contact our
social worker or guidance counselor for additional help.
Assistant Principal’s Corner
Mrs. Duffy, Assistant Principal
Dear Parents, Guardians, and all members of our Wildcat
Family,
I can’t believe the 2014-2015 school year is almost
finished. Your children have gained so much knowledge this year.
Have you heard about the Summer Bridge Program? It is a great
opportunity for your child to continue where they have left off in
their classrooms.
Walsingham is hosting Summer Bridge this year; the
dates are June 16 – July 23, Monday-Thursday, hours: 8 a.m. to 1
p.m. The program offers 6 weeks of engaging reading,
mathematics, and science activities as well as individualized
instruction. Students will be offered breakfast beginning at 7:30 am
and lunch will be served before the end of the day.
You may have already received a letter inviting your child
to attend for the summer. If you would like to attend please contact
Ms. Nancy, our DMT, to register your child. You can reach her at
588-3519. Please visit www.pcsb.org for more information.
There is before and after care available through R’Club.
Please contact R’Club for more details and to register
http://www.rclub.net/
Summer Bridge is a fun way for your children to learn
through interesting activities. There is no bus transportation
available, so if Walsingham is not a convenient location there are
other school sites to choose from. Let us know if we can assist you
with any Summer Bridge questions.
Community Column
Celia Vargas, Family and Community Liaison
Hello Walsingham Families! I would like to introduce
myself as Walsingham’s new Family and Community Liaison.
It’s been such a joy so far and I couldn’t be any happier than to be
a part of such a great team.
Although this school year is coming to an end it is never
too late to sign up to be a volunteer at our school. If you are
already registered to volunteer this year you’ll be good to go for
the upcoming 2015-2016 school year…Volunteers are always
welcomed by teachers to help in classrooms and various events at
the school which make a huge difference in our students’ lives.
Mentors are always needed and welcomed into the school. Mentors
act as role models and work one-on-one with a student or in a
small group. As a mentor it is important to be a good listener, and
motivate the student to stay focused during school and to set goals.
Volunteers can provide encouragement and friendship to a student
needing to build self-esteem. I know that all of our
volunteers/mentors are very anxious to start, but please be aware
that ALL mentors are required to attend a free, two-hour mentor
workshop and have a complete Level II background check done
before mentoring. Mentor training is provided by Pinellas County
Schools.
The School Board of Pinellas County, Florida, prohibits any and all forms of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion,
national origin, marital status, age, sexual orientation or disability in any of its programs, services or activities. www.pinellas.k12.fl.us
April 20th, 2015
I look forward to seeing all of our new volunteers!
For more information about volunteering, please do not hesitate to
contact me at vargasc@pcsb.org or 727-588-3519
Message from the Bookkeeper
Joanne Poole, Secretary/Bookkeeper
Thank you to parents, teachers and other supporters.
Walsingham Elementary has received a check, in the amount of
$250.99, from Target Take Charge of Education Program. Every
time anyone shops with their REDcard, Walsingham Elem. can be
designated as the receiver of the donation of 1% of purchases.
Media News
Mrs. Lynch, Media Specialist
First of all, thanks to Referendum funds, new books are
in the Media Center for students to check out. Check the inside
cover of your student’s books - there might be a black and white
sticker labeled “Provided by Referendum Funds for Pinellas
County Schools.”
Next month four 5th grade students will be representing
Walsingham at the Regional Battle of the Books. Winning team
members of our February School Battle of the Books are:
•
Captain, John Capps
•
Alexis Phouthavong
•
Michael Damel
•
Alternate, Carson DeJulio
They will be competing against students from 5 other elementary
schools at the Discovery Room near the Administration Building
on May 12 at 10:15 am.
Volunteers are needed in the Media Center to work with
Mrs. Lynch on shelving books, adding new labels to books, and
scanning books for our annual required inventory. Inventory
begins the middle of May and all books in the Media Center must
be scanned using a bar code scanner and laptop computer on a
rolling cart. I’m ready and willing to train anyone able and
interested. Even a few hours every week or so would be greatly
appreciated. Contact Mrs. Lynch at lynchs@pcsb.org or 727-5883519.
Creativity Corner
Mrs. Gabrici, Art TeacherK-5
Mark your calendars - the date for our annual Spring Art
Show is set for Wednesday, May 13th! This will be in conjunction
with Curriculum Night and the Chorus Concert. More information
will be sent home about this wonderful event as we get closer.
In class last month, students were very excited to see how
their ceramic artwork turned out, once it had been fired in our kiln
(ask your child about how the kiln works). They added several
coats of colored glaze and are awaiting the finished product after
another round of firing.
We also finished great lessons on multicultural art from
around the world. The 2nd graders studied African art and made
symmetrical masks. The 3rd graders are finishing two paper
artworks, a Notan design and a radial symmetry paper sculpture,
based on Asian art. Our 4th graders learned about Mexican art and
created tin suns by embossing metal. Talk to your child about how
they used materials in new and exciting ways to create their art.
Kindergarten and 1st graders are learning all about color!
We are learning about mixing primary and secondary colors , the
color wheel, rainbows, and how to use a variety of colors in their
artwork. You can see how they used all of their colors when you
see their Rainbow Gardens (Kdg) and Seascapes (1st) at the art
show.
5th graders really enjoyed their field trip to the Salvador Dali
museum where we saw amazing and giant pieces of artwork by
Dali and Picasso. The students expanded upon our trip by creating
Surreal Eyes with hidden images and illusions.
Lastly, big congratulations to student artists whose artwork
was accepted into county art exhibitions! JayJay Keene (3rd) and
Isabella Jordan (5th) had art on display at the Mainsail Art Show,
April 18th and 19th at Vinoy Park. Paige Marshall (4th) and Jocelyn
Ocampo (5th) had their ceramic work in the 3+Dimensions show at
Gibbs High School.
Physical Education
Coach Burrows and Coach Sinibaldi, PE
Our PE Department would like to thank all of our
Walsingham families who turned in donations for the Jump Rope
For Heart program. We collected a total of $3,061.20 this year for
the American Heart Association. By holding this event each year,
we raise awareness about hear healthy living. We also help fund
research and education efforts.
Our top fundraiser was Remy Huyghues-Despointes
from Mrs. Benjamin's Kindergarten class with a total of $265.00.
Way to go Remy!
The thank you gifts for students who turned in
donations will go home next week.
Music Notes
Mrs. Kaminsky, Music Teacher
We will be rockin’ and rollin’ through the end of the school
year in music class! Kindergarteners are preparing their
graduation songs; plus first and second graders are honing rhythm
and singing skills. Third graders are learning to play recorders,
and fourth graders have been drumming, and playing guitar and
recorders. Fifth grade is getting ready for our annual Florida
Orchestra field trip, where we will learn about orchestral music
and be audience participants! Chorus will be performing on May
13, and Steve Turner (aka The Drum Guy) is making his annual
visit to Walsingham for an exciting day of school-wide drumming
on May 21.
PTA Connection
Walsingham students walked over 4,000 laps during this
year’s Walk-a-Thon! Thank you families, volunteers, teachers,
and staff for another exciting event and fundraiser. PTA is still
receiving donation envelopes and will announce a final total soon.
Congratulations to Mrs. Enlow’s fifth grade class for
bringing in the most donations. PTA hosted a pizza party in their
classroom to celebrate. Our top three individual fundraisers, and
winners of Toys R Us gift cards, are: First Place: Ryan C. in Mrs.
Vehmeier’s class, Mia D. in Mrs. Costello’s class, and Julia S. in
Mrs. Enlow’s class. All walkers received Spirit Sticks for their
participation.
Over 350 people attended last month’s Donuts with
Dudes. Our companion event, Goodies with Gals, had over 360
people in attendance! Thank you to all of our volunteers for
making these programs possible. All students are welcome to
invite a special lady in their lives for a morning of “goodies” in the
Media Center. RSVP forms are due back to PTA by April 21st.
We are looking for some “dude” volunteers to help serve our
guests. Please contact PTA or let your child’s teacher know if you
can lend a hand.
PTA members voted to fund several additional picnic tables
to complete the school’s outdoor classroom called “Under the
Oaks.” Our members are also providing funds to purchase more
oak trees for the PE field so that our students are shaded all day.
Last month’s Team Walsingham MVP Award winners
were: Arkiria F. in Ms. Hill’s class, Victoria in Ms. Dance’s class,
and Gwen C. in Mrs. Enlow’s class.
Congratulations to next year's newly elected PTA board:
Tiffany Hausdorf, President
Mandy Courtney, VP of Programs
Toni Cauldwell, VP of Membership
Renee Pagan, Treasurer
Sheri Bammert, Secretary
Find important information and updates on our Facebook page:
“Like” Walsingham PTA today!
The School Board of Pinellas County, Florida, prohibits any and all forms of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion,
national origin, marital status, age, sexual orientation or disability in any of its programs, services or activities. www.pinellas.k12.fl.us