Ortega Elementary

Hello Team Duval Families! Bus registration for the 2025-26 school year is now open! Registration is required for any student riding the bus in the 2025-26 school year – that includes students in self-contained ESE programs. The earlier you register, the better. Registration forms are in Focus, but you can head to www.duvalschools.org/busregistration first to find simple registration directions. Best, Duval County Public Schools

Ortega Elementary School Families, Quack, Quack! The Heart Heroes are coming back! Our school is participating in Kids Heart Challenge, and it’s time for you to sign up your student to become an official Heart Hero. Download the AHA Schools app and search for our school or visit our school's page to sign up your student: http://www2.heart.org/site/TR?fr_id=11255&pg=company&company_id=486729 Then you can make your first donation and ask your family and friends to help make donations, too!

We know that many of our students and their families face challenges that can impact their well-being and success. With funds courtesy of Henry Clay Brown, Full Service Schools is here to help! We can now offer support to assist families during hardship, ensuring they have access to the financial resources they need. To make it as easy as possible for families to connect with us, we provide multiple ways to apply for assistance: Digital Application - Available with immersive reader and multilingual tools https://tinyurl.com/FSSERFund Paper Application - Attached for those who prefer a printed form. If families choose to complete the paper application, please have them read the policy and email the application to me at DesiraeG@uwnefl.org.

Two pieces of information to share: Picture day is on Friday, March 7! Only those who prepay will be photographed! You can place your order at www.leonards.com/photoprepay and the access code is C661004. Students will only have their individual photo taken if they pay online before 7:00 am or bring in a payment on photo day. We strongly encourage paying online. If you are sending in payment, it is your child's responsibility to remember to give that payment to their teacher that morning so the photographer can be notified. Also, our next Ocelot Shop is scheduled for Friday, March 14. We need a few volunteers to help with the shop and we need donations. If you are an approved volunteer and can help for any amount of time on the 14th, please let me know (tibbitsm@duvalschoolsorg). If you would like to donate we could use individually wrapped chips, candies, snacks, etc or any small reward items (toys, stickers, etc). If you need ideas, we have an Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3LHSGFKMEXWMS?ref=cm_sw_em_r_un_un_cGSjyIZIEdWo6 Thanks so much!

Good afternoon, Girls on the run is cancelled today. Students will need to go home their normal routes. Thank you!

Our next All Pro Dad meeting will be this Friday, February 28 at 7:45 AM in the media center. Dads (and other male role models) are invited to bring their child for a light breakfast and some bonding activities. We must have a headcount today so if you are coming and have not yet RSVP'd, please do so TODAY! The link to RSVP is: https://allprodadchapters.com/chapters/11211

Just a reminder that today is Early Dismissal. Ortega Elementary will dismiss at 1:15.

Picture day is on Friday, March 7! Don’t forget to order your Spring photos . Only those who prepay will be photographed! You can place your order at www.leonards.com/photoprepay and the access code is C661004. Students will only have their individual photo taken if they pay online before 7:00 am or bring in a payment on photo day. We strongly encourage paying online. If you are sending in payment, it is your child's responsibility to remember to give that payment to their teacher that morning so the photographer can be notified.

Dear Robotics Club Students & Parents, I sincerely apologize for the last-minute cancellation of our Robotics Club meeting on Monday. Unfortunately, I had an unexpected health issue that prevented me from attending. I truly appreciate your understanding and patience. To make up for it, we will hold our final Robotics Club meeting this Thursday at the usual time and place. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there for one last session to celebrate all your hard work this season! Thank you for your support, and again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Best, Ms. Faciane

We cannot accept any more permission slips or money for the dance. If your child has already turned in their permission slip and money then please remember that the dance will end at 5:15 tomorrow. Extended Day students will return to Extended Day and then will need to be checked out in the normal manner. All other students will need to be picked up in our car line. Please make sure to bring your ID when picking up your child. Thank you!

Our next All Pro Dad meeting will be Friday, February 28 at 7:45 AM in the media center. Dads (and other male role models) are invited to bring their child for a light breakfast and some bonding activities. If you are attending please RSVP online by Monday, February 24. The link to RSVP is: https://allprodadchapters.com/chapters/11211

FDOT has pushed the closure back to February 27th. Work still expected to take one week.  

Don't forget that our Safety Patrol sponsored Valentine's Dance is this Friday from 3:15 to 5:15. All money and permission slips are due tomorrow by 3:15 p.m....None will be taken after that!

Good afternoon! We hope everyone is having a wonderful Valentine's Day. Thank you to everyone who joined us for Pastries with Parents and SAC this morning. Reminder, there is no school on Monday in observance of President's Day. In addition, we received word that the Ortega River Drawbridge will be closed next week for repairs. Please plan accordingly. Thank you!

Good morning! Just a reminder that tomorrow (Friday, February 14, 2025) we will be having Pastries with Parents at 8:00 followed by our SAC Mid-Year Stakeholder Meeting at 9:00. Please remember to check-in at the front office with your ID. All adults MUST have an ID with them. After checking in, please head over to the cafeteria. We will have a light breakfast and you will receive some tips and tricks to help your child succeed. Before leaving please be sure to fill out an evaluation form. We must submit these forms to continue receiving funding for our family engagement activities. Thanks so much!

The 2025 Florida Missing Children’s Day Poster and Essay Contest! Attention: All 5th Grade Students In recognition of child safety issues, the Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse will hold Florida Missing Children’s Day on September 8, 2025. To help create awareness amongst children in Florida, a poster contest and an essay contest are held each year. The winner of these contests will be invited to Florida Missing Children’s Day and receive an award and prize package at the ceremony. Please see below for the following contest information. All applicants must submit a completed contest packet with a signed parental release form. Additional information can also be found in the documents attached to this email. Thank you so much for your consideration in having your 5th graders participate. POSTER CONTEST: DUE BY FEBRUARY 14, 2025 The slogan “Bringing Our Missing Children Home” MUST appear on the poster. The poster MUST be 8 ½ by 14 inches. The posters MUST be created by hand. Crayons, pencils, markers, spray paint, pastels, acrylics, and watercolors are accepted. A completed submission form and parental release form MUST be sent for each poster submitted. All 5th graders may participate and will receive a certificate of excellence from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their participation. Certificates will be sent to the teacher and school before school’s end. While only 5th graders may win the contest, we encourage schools that have interested students in alternative grade levels and non-graded levels that may have intellectual disabilities or cognitive challenges to participate as well. Those students will receive a certificate of excellence as well. Please mail original posters to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), MEPIC, Attn. M. Peoples, Post Office Box 1489, Tallahassee, FL 32302. ESSAY CONTEST: DUE BY MARCH 19, 2025 The essay’s topic should be “How I Stay Safe All Day”, with a focus on things children can do to keep themselves safe from abductions and predators. Essays should be no longer than one typewritten page (Times New Roman, size 12 or 14 font) or two handwritten pages (which must be legible). A completed submission form and parental release form MUST be sent for the essay submitted. Please only submit 1 essay per school. Please email essays to fmcd@fdle.state.fl.us You may find additional information about Florida Missing Children’s Day and the contest by visiting Contests & Links | FMCDF.org or MEPIC :: Crimes Against Children (state.fl.us). A Spanish version of the poster contest packets can be found on the websites. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Please don't forget that Friday, February 14 will be an important day at Ortega Elementary. Pastries with Parents will be at 8 AM and our SAC Mid-year Stakeholder Meeting will be at 9 AM. We hope all parents/guardians can join us for these events. If you plan on attending Pastries with Parents, please return the RSVP form by tomorrow. If you have misplaced the form you can email Mrs. Tibbits (tibbitsm@duvalschools.org) to let her know how many will be attending. We need an accurate headcount ASAP so we can plan for food.

JEA cordially invites students to participate in our 2025 "Drop Savers" poster contest. Students in grades K-12 are encouraged to create a poster depicting a water conservation idea, in slogan form, drawing form, or both. The contest teaches elementary aged school children and reminds middle and high school aged teens about the importance of water conservation. We feel that our best opportunity to conserve water is through a long-range education and awareness program, and what better way than to begin with our young people. Posters will be designated under one of the following categories: Division 1: Kindergarten and First Grade Division 2: Second and Third Grade Division 3: Fourth and Fifth Grade Division 4: Middle School; Grades Six, Seven and Eight Division 5: High School; Grades Nine, Ten, Eleven and Twelve Please see attached flyer for more information. Thank you!

Attention 5th grade parents - Remember that school choice applications are due tomorrow (1/31/25). Visit https://dcps.duvalschools.org/page/magnetspecial-transfer-option-sto-application-process if you have any last minute questions or need any guidance.

Good morning Ortega Parents and Families, Please see attached photo regusrding Literacy Week which is taking place next week. We hope all students will participate. Thank you!