Due to overcrowding, the Pinellas County School Board has amended the district assignment policy. The result is that many elementary students in the district are being rezoned to new schools. Here are some fast facts on the rezoning:

Of the district’s 63 elementary schools that have zones, 26 are being recommended for zone changes.   Of the district’s approximately 45,000 elementary students, about 2,100 will be impacted by zone changes; fewer than 2,900 will be impacted by policy changes.    Zoning changes will not affect current fourth-graders. They will be eligible to stay at their school for fifth grade whether or not it’s their zoned school, as long as they complete an “Intent to Remain” via the Student Reservation System between Jan. 23-31, 2012. They are not eligible for transportation to their non-zoned school.    Zoning changes will not affect third-graders who are attending a school outside their zone as long as they complete an “Intent to Remain” process...

Cyber-bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group that is intended to harm others. A 2003 Florida Legislation amended the states “stalking Statute” to include “cyber-stalking,” which equates to electronic bullying in cyberspace. Penalties for acts under this statute range from a first degree misdemeanor to a third degree felony.

After the cut, 8 safety tips that parents may want to consider in the use of computers and cell phones...

Attention Parents of 3rd and 4th Graders:

Please join us tonight in the cafeteria for a special Parents Workshop to help you learn tips to get your child ready for the writing portions of the FCAT! The workshop is being presented by Mrs. Mary Osborne, Writing Project Coordinator for Pinellas County schools and overall writing guru!

The workshop will be held Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 6:00 to 6:45pm in the McMullen Booth Elementary School Cafeteria. Hope to see you there!

The Parent Information and Resource Center (PIRC) is a resource for families to provide resources for family involvement and legislation such as No Child Left Behind and the FCAT. the Florida PIRC website is hosted by the University of South Florida.

Each month, PIRC releases a Family Engagement Calendar as a free download. These are wonderful calendars that give an activity you can do with your child every day to engage and participate in your child's growth and development.

The February calendar is now available as a free download in English or Spanish:

February 2012
Febrero de 2012

It's been proven that increased parental involvement in a student's education results in increased student achievement. If your child is getting ready for the FCAT this year, this slide show can help you understand what the tests will involve, what your child needs to know, and how you can help them achieve success.

This and many other resources to help get ready for the FCAT are available on our All About the FCAT page.

FCAT 2.0 Info for Parents & Families View more presentations from MBES_FL



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Happy New Year! I hope you and yours made many happy memories during the holiday break. As we begin another year, please plan to join us for some of the fun activities that will be coming up. We need all of our parents to become engaged in our school community. Without your help these events will not be possible.Please look for the volunteer signups for these upcoming events. They are located at the Volunteer counter in the front office. Give me a call if you have any questions about how you can help!

“Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida” – to promote the connection between reading and health we are asking volunteers to visit Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade classrooms and read Healthy Florida Farms to students during the week of Jan. 23 – 27th. If you can give us some time, please let us know.   Recreational Reading Book Swap – Jan. 26th (Pre K, K, 1st, 2nd & ESE classes) and Jan. 27th (3rd, 4th & 5th grades) during student lunch hours. Help is needed for setup and to assist the students in...

It's back to the business of learning as our students and teachers return from winter break and start the second half of the 2011-2012 school year!

Already, a round of learning assessments is underway, and Science Fair projects are in the works. We have a few other events in the works that we'd love to have you at, such as our first ever MBES Multi-cultural Fair!

We also give you instructions on applying for Magnet, Fundamental or Career Academy schools for next school year.

Read all about these and more in the January 6, 2012 Manatee Messenger

Happy New Year!

The Parent Information and Resource Center (PIRC) is a resource for families to provide resources for family involvement and legislation such as No Child Left Behind and the FCAT. the Florida PIRC website is hosted by the University of South Florida.

Each month, PIRC releases a Family Engagement Calendar as a free download. These are wonderful calendars that give an activity you can do with your child every day to engage and participate in your child's growth and development.

The January calendar is now available as a free download in English or Spanish:

January 2012
Enero de 2012

We want to wish you and your family a wonderful winter break filled with family fun and happy memories. We look forward to the new year and our continued collaborative efforts to make a difference in the lives of our students!

~ Sherry Aemisegger, Principal

*These beautiful winter artworks were created by a selection of our very own MBES 5th graders. To view your child's art, please visit Mrs. Crawley's Art Gallery.