Ortega Elementary

Parents, Families, and Community Members, Please join us online tomorrow, November 12 at 6:00pm for the annual DCPS Title One Meeting. See attached flyer for more information. Thank you

Good morning! We hope all of our families are enjoying reading The Wild Robot. Tonight all of our families should be reading pages 30-39. Don't forget that our PTA is sponsoring a read-a-thon right now as well. See the flyers sent home in Tuesday folders for information about how to create a reader page and record your minutes. Right now Leonardo (from Ms. Faciane's class) and Valeria (from Ms. Killgore's class) are in the lead for minutes read with 80 each. Let's see if we can get some other students to start recording their minutes. And, please encourage family and friends to donate to our PTA through the read-a-thon. Our PTA is working on a few projects to better our school and could use the funds.

Our annual Thanksgiving luncheon will be Tuesday, November 19. We are inviting families to join their students during their regular lunch times. Due to limited seating in the cafeteria, families will be asked to eat at the picnic tables outside. Ortega students eat for free and guest lunches are $4.50. Please do not send money in ahead of time. Bring it with you on the day of the luncheon. Please bring cash only and have exact change. All adults must be approved DCPS volunteers. This process can take up to two weeks so if you plan on attending and are not an approved volunteer you must complete the application ASAP. Visit www.duvalschools.org/volunteer to apply. Adults will only be allowed to eat with their child(ren). If you are attending, you must RSVP using the link below by November 14. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=TR3rjaTQBE2JrvcHbLqp-wyOpKmTK_9IgrLGF4KsaW1URUVIQ0Y5V0FEOFNNTEZWRVJFUU8xSkpMUy4u

Good morning, Please take the time to complete this the DCPS Federal Impact Survey. This funding supports our schools by helping to pay teachers and staff, purchase instructional materials, and cover other school expenses. The survey can be accessed through your parent FOCUS account. Thank you!

Today is the big day!! We will all begin reading our book, The Wild Robot. If you came to Trunk or Treat your family received a copy that night. If you did not come, your child will be bringing the book home today. As a family, please sit down tonight and read together. We are reading pages 1-9 tonight. We really want all of our families to participate. Reading together is a great way to bond and build literacy. It is a wonderful book and we feel our families are truly going to enjoy it.

We are excited to extend an invitation to the talented students of Ortega to participate in the prestigious International School Olympiads, an intellectually stimulating platform that celebrates academic excellence and fosters a spirit of healthy competition among students from around the world. The International School Olympiads, a global academic competition, offers a unique opportunity for students in grades 1-8 to showcase their knowledge and skills in various subjects. These subjects include Mathematics, English, Science, General Knowledge, Spelling, Reasoning, and Computer studies. The Olympiads are designed to encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and a passion for learning in a fun and challenging manner. Key Details: - Olympiad Subjects: Mathematics, English, Spelling, Science, General Knowledge, Reasoning, Computer Studies - Eligible Grades: 1 to 8 - Registration Deadline: January 25, 2025 - Single Level Exam - International, National & School topper awards will be provided to winners. - Participate here: https://taplink.cc/schoololympiads2024 - Fee: US$ 10 per student per Olympiad (students have the option to choose 1 or more Olympiads) To participate, interested students can visit the official School Olympiad website for comprehensive information, including registration details, syllabus, sample questions, and more. Participation in the International School Olympiads is not only a chance for students to demonstrate their academic prowess but also an opportunity to broaden their horizons, gain valuable experience, and compete on a global scale. The Olympiads aim to nurture a sense of curiosity, exploration, and a deep appreciation for learning. We firmly believe that the students of Ortega possess the intellect and the drive to excel in the International School Olympiads, and we would be thrilled to see their active participation in this global event.

Ortega Parents and families, Please see the attached flyer to learn more about Friends of Ortega Elementary a group founded by Ortega family member and residents to support Ortega school, families, faculty, and the surrounding community. Thank you for your continued support of our school!

Good morning, Ortega, Families! Today (and for the next few Fridays) our Safety Patrols will be selling Smelly Gel Crayons and Smelly stickers for $1.00 each at dismissal. This fundraiser will help them pay for their end of the year trip. Our patrols work hard all year monitoring our school, monitoring at car riders and busses, and raising the flag. We want to make sure they are able to fund their trip! Students can buy the gel crayons and stickers afterschool as well! Just make sure they bring their dollars on Fridays! Look for us at the pickup line this afternoon! Thank you!

Good morning, Thank you for all of our trunk or treat volunteers, those who donated candy, MOCA, Jacksonville Public Library, Ortega Safety Patrols, teachers, Ortega PTA, and food trucks we had a great event last night. Thank you all of the families that came out to participate as well!

For everyone attending tonight, we cant wait to see everyone! Enter through the front and get your book and information then head back to the basketball courts for trunk or treat. Our Safety Patrols will be selling smelly stickers and pencils for one dollar to benefit our Patrol program, so please stop by her table! PTA and the library will also have tables so be sure to visit them as well! Also don't forget to visit our food trucks to purchase some yummy food!

The side gate(at carriders area) for car entry is now open for our trunk sponcers. If you are hosting a trunk you are welcome to come set up now. Just park at a cone. Thanks!!

We look forward to seeing everyone tonight at our event! Please arrive at 6:00pm and enter through the FRONT GATE. Complete activities at the front and then continue to the back for Trunk or Treat!

2024-2025 SY Federal Impact Aid (FIA)   Survey Announcement   Dear Parents/Guardians, The federal presence in our community and the significant tax exemptions available to federally connected personnel, businesses, and agencies identifies Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) as an eligible applicant for the Federal Impact Aid grants. Federal Impact Aid programs and grants are designed to provide local school districts with funding to replace lost property tax revenue. The amount of funding received by the district is dependent on the number of federally connected students enrolled within the district. To qualify for this funding, the district is required to have parents verify the student’s federally connected status via an annual survey.   The Federal Impact Aid Survey is used by the district to identify our federally connected students and support our request for Impact Aid resources.  On October 28th, the survey will be released through the parent portal in FOCUS for all Duval families. We are requesting that parents/guardians complete the online survey for each school-aged child in their household. We are requesting that you log into your parent portal account and complete the survey form(s) by December 13th.   To access the survey, log in to the parent portal, the survey will be available by clicking the green box labeled “Not yet started – Click to begin in English”. A screenshot of the button is below for your reference. For any questions regarding the online Student-Parent Survey, please contact Eugene Hays, Director, Office of School Choice via email at hayse@duvalschools.org. Thank for your continued support!

Good morning, Ortega parents and families, We are still in need of candy donations for this year's trunk or treat event. Those sponsoring a trunk will bring candy, but with all of our visitors, it goes pretty quickly! Any donations of candy, chips, other snacks (peanut free), or Halloween treats are greatly appreciated! If any businesses would like to donate candy or treats, we will gladly thank them in our monthly newsletter. Thank you all so much for your help!

We have a new date for picture day. That new date is November 18. If you already paid online or sent in payment, those orders will be carried over to November 18. We will send out more information about ordering as we get closer to November 18. Also, just a reminder that we have a Coffee Chat and SAC meeting tomorrow morning at 9. If you are attending and have not sent in your RSVP, please email Mrs. Tibbits (tibbitsm@duvalschools.org) so we have an accurate headcount. Don't forget that we are accepting candy donations for Trunk or Treat. If you'd like to donate a bag of candy, please send it to the main office. Thank you!!

Good morning, Ortega Parents, Next week, October 28th- November 1st, kicks off our Red Ribbon week. We look forward to seeing all of our students dress up and participate. Please see the attached flyer for the schedule.

Good morning, Ortega Parents! We are still in need of parents to host trunks for our One School, One Book and Trunk or Treat event on October 30th from 6:00pm until 8:00pm. If you would like to volunteer to host a trunk, please email me at Taylort10@duvalschools.org. If you are unable to host a trunk, we are also accepting candy donations to help supply our volunteers with candy to pass out to students. Anything helps! Thank you so much for your support!

Beginning in November, every Tuesday, Technology Services will be available to distribute free ECF laptops to any student enrolled in a traditional DCPS school. This includes students who have already been assigned a laptop from school. This will be a secondary device the students can keep at home for school use. See the details below! WHAT: Free laptop for all DCPS students! No registration necessary!* *Wait times may be shorter if ECF survey is completed in advance, but not necessary. WHEN: Every Tuesday beginning November 5th* *The week of December 16th will be on a Thursday- December 19th 8:00 am – 4:00 pm WHERE: 4075 Boulevard Center Drive Jacksonville, FL 32207 For additional support families may call the Technology Service Desk at 904-348-5200. Pickup dates: November 5th, 12th, 19th, & 26th December 3rd, 10th, & 19th

Ortega Families, No cost school and sports physicals will be available on October 23, 2024, at the Westside Family Resource Center on Wheat Road from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Some immunizations are available. Please bring shot records. Appointments are preferred. See attached flyer for more information. Thank you!

Ortega Families, There will be a Health Fair downtown on October 25th, from 10:00am until 2:00pm. See flyer for more details! Thank you!!