Allapattah Flats K-8 School SLCSB
12051 Copper Creek Drive
Port St Lucie, FL 34987
Phone 772-468-5050 Fax 468-5013
Patricia Galloway - Principal
Casandra Flores - Assistant Principal
Ana Rodriguez – Assistant Principal
September 2014
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Principal’s Message
Dear APF Families,
As I begin my third school year as Principal of Allapattah Flats K-8, I
am energized and deeply committed to making a positive difference
in the lives of our children. On behalf of the faculty and staff, it is my
pleasure to welcome you and your student to a new school
year. My past experience has shown me that it takes a team to help
all students reach their maximum potential. I will work
collaboratively with you and the staff at Allapattah Flats to provide
an academic program where all students can be successful. We will
accomplish this by setting high academic expectations for all
children and providing supportive systems to assure they are met.
Allapattah Flats is proud to be a part of the growing number of
schools across the United States that have chosen to become a Kids
at Hope School. We believe that all children of Allapattah Flats K-8
are capable of success NO EXCEPTION! Our school is committed to
be a school where all students are surrounded by caring
adults. These adults have high academic and behavioral
expectations for our students and will provide them with
opportunities to be successful.
Our staff have committed to develop higher levels of thinking and
higher levels of engagement opportunities for children through our
STEAM initiative. Elementary level students will engage in an
extended activity that integrates science, technology, engineering,
art and math once a month. Middle school students will engage in
an extended activity on a quarterly basis that integrates all subjects
in one day of culminating STEAM activities. This problem based
learning is designed to provide students with experiences that will
prepare them to compete in an increasingly complex world in which
they will work and live.
It is my hope that you will take the time to become involved in our
school through participation in school events. For those parents
who are willing and able to “give a little extra” we invite you to
participate in our School Advisory Council (SAC) or our Parent
Teacher Volunteer Organization. SAC members commit eight (8)
hours per year to serve in an advisory capacity to the administrative
team; specifically with regard to helping to develop and progress
monitor the School Improvement Plan. The make-up of this council
is 51% parents and community members and 49% school staff. We
need your participation. We meet monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of
each month (except December) at 1:00 pm. Our meeting is one hour
and adjourns at student dismissal so you are conveniently able to
pick up your child(ren).
Your involvement, partnership and support are greatly appreciated
during the school year. Working together, we can ensure that the
students of Allapattah Flats have the supports that they need as
they climb to reach their goals and dreams each day.
I am confident that this will be an outstanding school year and look
forward to working with the staff and community to continue the
tradition of excellence that is Allapattah Flats.
Best regards,
Patricia Galloway
APF Principal
Positive Behavior Support
PBS School Rules/Expectations
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Responsible
Respectful
Safe
Students may earn Gator Bucks when they display
appropriate behaviors in school and class. They can use these
Gator Bucks to participate in monthly PBS events and to
purchase privileges in class.
*Further expectations and responsibilities are explained in the
parent-student handbook and the St. Lucie County Code of Conduct,
Please be sure to review both*.
Parent Portal
Register for the parent portal to receive up-to-date
information regarding your student’s academic performance,
attendance, and scheduling. Student progress reports will be
available on the portal every three weeks. Visit
www.stlucie.k12.fl.us and select Skyward Family Access. You
will need to bring in proof of identification to the school, to
initially activate your account.
School Hours
7:30 - 2:00 Student Hours
6:45 – 2:45 Front Office Hours
*Students may not be dropped off before 7:00 a.m. There will not be
adult supervision before 7:00 a.m.
Dress Code
It is important that Gators at Allapattah Flats arrive every day
ready to learn. Following dress code not only prepares
students for learning, but also helps others avoid distraction.
If it is not listed, don’t wear it.
*Make sure to review the Allapattah Flats School Dress Code in the
Parent-Student Handbook.*
Allapattah Flats K-8 School SLCSB
Patricia Galloway - Principal
Casandra Flores - Assistant Principal
Ana Rodriguez – Assistant Principal
12051 Copper Creek Drive
Port St Lucie, FL 34987
Phone 772-468-5050 Fax 468-5013
September 2014
Agendas
All students in grades K-8 will be issued a student planner,
free of charge. Students are expected to bring them to school
daily and use the planner as their hall pass to go to the
restroom, clinic, dean’s office etc.
Visiting the Classrooms
We love having parents visit us, however, the safety and
security of the students and staff requires that any visitor to
the school must check in first at the front desk and receive a
visitor's pass. You may not visit any classes unless the
teacher has been given 24 hours of notice.
Curriculum
For information about content and curriculum please login to
the SLCSB website at
http://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/departments/curriculum/curricu
lum.aspx. Click on specific content areas or grade levels for a
list of standards and content limits taught each nine weeks.
Assessment
Students will be assessed to gather baseline data of their
skills and to monitor their progress throughout the year.
These assessments include district comprehensive
assessments, fluency tests, writing prompts, comprehension,
math drills and more. Ask the teacher how you can better
assist your child to increase proficiency.
Join APF PTO!!!
We invite you to volunteer at school events and become a
member of our Parent Teacher Organization!!! You may assist
regularly or periodically. We need volunteers in the media
center, cafeteria and the classroom. You may assist by
reading with students, placing books in shelves or assisting at
the Holiday Shop or Book Fair. Stay tuned for more
information in the Tuesday folder about APF’s PTO. Anyone
interested in volunteering at school or attending a field trip
must complete an application online (no paper applications).
Please log on to www.stlucie.k12.fl.us and click on Jobs.
Homework Tips for Families
Create a homework plan following these simple steps
(www.teachersandfamilies.com):
 Remove Distractions (playful siblings, TV, phone
calls, friendly pets, etc.)
 Establish a Routine (set a specific homework time
and place taking into consideration after school
sports, supper, etc.)
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Prioritize (first work on assignments that are due
tomorrow, use your planner to help you organize
tasks)
Check Understanding (be sure your child
understands the task, communicate with the teacher
if you need assistance)
Guide, but Don’t Correct (offer ideas that will help
sort out the problem, but don’t provide the answer)
Praise Your Child and Get Ready for Tomorrow!
Take the opportunity to read a book while your child studies.
It creates an atmosphere of learning. Show interest in the
homework and apply it to your child’s everyday life.
(www.school.familyeducation.com)
Attendance – Tardy and Early Pick-Up
Instructional time is a valuable commodity and is guarded at
APF. Students are encouraged to remain on campus from the
start of school through dismissal time each day. Poor
attendance or persistent tardiness/early pick-up will hinder
school progress. Students who arrive tardy or are picked up
early may not receive recognition for perfect attendance.
Partial attendance (arriving late or leaving early) will translate
to an absence according to SLC Student Progression policies
and Florida Compulsory School Attendance Statutes.
For efficient school operation and to ensure the safety of
children, we request that students have a routine that does
not need to be communicated on a daily basis. Changes to
routines are understandable when they occur occasionally. If
you must change the dismissal time or transport mode please
notify the school in writing no later than 1:30 pm. PLEASE
DO NOT REQUEST EARLY DISMISSALS within 30 minutes of a
dismissal time; this interferes with dismissal procedures and
compromises school safety and security.
School Advisory Council
If you are interested in joining our SAC please call Vicki
Walters at 468-5053.
Code of Conduct
You will find the SLCSB Code of Conduct on line. It includes
the SLC Bullying Policy and forms for reporting. If you’d like a
paper copy please call 468-5050.
100 Book Challenge
100 BOOK CHALLENGE is an independent reading program
designed to maximize the effectiveness of a school’s reading
curriculum. Its goal is to develop avid, lifelong readers,
students whose proficiency in and love of reading enable
Allapattah Flats K-8 School SLCSB
12051 Copper Creek Drive
Port St Lucie, FL 34987
Phone 772-468-5050 Fax 468-5013
Patricia Galloway - Principal
Casandra Flores - Assistant Principal
Ana Rodriguez – Assistant Principal
September 2014
them to flourish throughout their lives—in the classroom, on
standardized tests, at the college of their choice, and in a lifeenriching career—allowing all aspects of their experience to
be enhanced by the information and perspectives gained
from reading.
The program’s high standards require a minimum of 30
minutes of independent reading a day in school and an
additional 30 minutes of reading at home. It provides each
student with a selection of hundreds of books matched to
their reading level (each reading level is designated by a
different color) and allows students to choose the books they
want to read. Students track the amount of reading they
complete on log sheets that are signed by parents and are
reviewed daily by their teacher.
Teachers regularly hold individual conferences with students
to be sure they are engaged with their books, to assess the
students’ understanding of the material they’ve read, and to
set goals for future reading.
(www.americanreadingcompany.com)
St. Lucie Public Schools App
As part of SLPS’s ongoing commitment to communicate with
stakeholders, SLPS has developed its very own app. Please
feel free to download the app today.
Download the app for your smartphone using these links or
search for our app by name – St. Lucie Public Schools – in the
Apple App Store and Google Play for Android:
iOS (Apple Phones): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/st.lucie-public-schools/id883373482?mt=8
Google play(Samsung/Droid phones):
https://play.google.com/storeapps/details?id=com.reliance
co.cma.stlucie
The app is designed to provide easy access to school and
district information including calendars, lunch menus, sports
schedules (and scores), notifications, social media and more.
This is just the beginning! Based on your feedback we
envision continuing to build out the SLPS app to meet future
needs
Kindergarten News
The Kindergarten teachers would like to thank all the parents
and students for a wonderful start to the school year. Your
children are learning about numbers zero to ten. Their
current learning goal is to count and be able to tell how many
in a set. They are also working on recognizing and writing
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their numbers too. We are thrilled to hear so many of your
students already know their letters and sounds. This is a very
important piece to help your child become a fluent reader by
the end of Kindergarten. We are currently working on
recognizing and identifying rhyming words. Please stay
involved in your child’s education as this can help produce a
significant increase in their academics. Be sure to attend our
Curriculum night on September 3. The Kindergarten teachers
have produced a PowerPoint presentation with valuable
information about Kindergarten expectations. You will also be
able to see some sample questions from the assessments that
will be given throughout the year. We look forward to seeing
each and every one of you! Kindergarteners Rock!
First Grade News
First graders are off to a fabulous start! First graders are
excited to get to know their new classmates, and share
memories with old friends. In Reading, first graders are
learning about main idea, and recalling details in a text. In
math, we are learning how to add and subtract to 20. In
Science we are learning about our senses. In Social Studies
we are learning about our community. We look forward to a
fantastic year of fun filled learning!
Second Grade News
The Wildlife Pod of 2nd Grade is off and learning. It has been
a fabulous beginning for the year. Our students are practicing
the targets for new goals and learning to rate themselves
based upon their understanding of these new goals. Our
students are deepening their understanding of place value
skills and concepts, As well as, learning to sequence the
important events in literature. These hard working students
are using Informational text to learn life cycles of various
animals and plants and respond to the text through writing.
During the coming weeks our integrated study of
interdependency will include family, community and basic
government structure. We will be writing well elaborated
personal narratives that tell details about the places we have
been and the many things we like to do. We are all very
enthusiastic about learning and cannot wait to encounter
new knowledge.
Third Grade News
Third graders are digging into gardening! They are
collaborating with first and fifth grade to join Gators Growing
a Love of Reading; a gardening and reading program at
Allapattah Flats designated to promote agriculture awareness
and reading comprehension. Students will start planting and
tending to a variety of vegetables such as collard greens,
Allapattah Flats K-8 School SLCSB
12051 Copper Creek Drive
Port St Lucie, FL 34987
Phone 772-468-5050 Fax 468-5013
Patricia Galloway - Principal
Casandra Flores - Assistant Principal
Ana Rodriguez – Assistant Principal
September 2014
Vol. 1
tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and cauliflower. Third graders are
looking forward to harvesting and eating these crops!
woven within the others in order to bring the entire piece
together into a comprehensive literary read.
Fourth Grade News
Join us in making learning move into long term memory by
quizzing your son or daughter each day and allowing them
the opportunity to teach you the very thing they learned in
school today. As a side note, the research states that we
remember about 95% of the things that we teach others. So
why not allow your children a few academic moments to put
on the teacher’s hat and give back to you what was given to
them while attending school. The payoff is worth it.
The future Scientists of 4th grade are delving into the
Scientific Method and Place Value. They are also exploring
various writing styles such as Persuasive, Expository, and
Narrative.
Fifth Grade News
5th graders are off to a great start at Allapattah
Flats! Students worked diligently putting together their
interactive notebooks during the first week of school so that
they are ready to display their work and track their progress
throughout the year. In Science, students have been
reviewing the process of the scientific method and learning to
think and behave like scientists do. Students are tackling
place value strategies in Math and working on Context Clues
and Comprehension skills in Reading. In September, students
can look forward to studying Ancient Cultures, Matter,
Multiplication and Division, as well as starting the “Say No to
Drugs” programs in their classrooms.
MS Math News
Students started out the year preparing their interactive
notebooks and learning the ins and outs of how to record and
represent new knowledge. Both 7th and 8th grade classes have
been working with rational and irrational numbers. We’re
excited to begin the implementation of Think through Math
online. Students may access the program from home and
receive assistance from a live online teacher when needed.
MS Language Arts News
The Middle School Language Arts students have
jumped right into writing. Students have been writing about
themselves and learning the editing marks as they go back
and proofread. We have also been working on grammar and
using the right homophones in our writing. In the weeks to
come we will be reading texts and working on citing
information.
MS Reading
In middle school reading we are busy establishing routines,
working diligently in our student interactive notebooks and
making every effort to prepare all students to become
successful readers. As we embark upon the study of fiction
versus nonfiction, our general focus is currently on the story
elements of fiction. Story elements include plot, setting,
conflict, characters and theme. Each component is cleverly
And finally, we are about to kick off 100 Book Challenge and
we really need support at home. Each middle school student
is expected to read inside and outside of school for extended
periods of time. Please help support this effort by monitoring
times and books that are a part of this fabulous
program. Remember that readers are leaders!
Media News
Calling all volunteers! The fall Scholastic Book Fair needs you
to help set up, man cash registers, help little ones make their
wish lists and much more. You are needed the weeks of
October 6th – 17th. Please send a note to Mrs. Cutchens with
your name, phone number and days/times you are available
to help. Remember you must complete the volunteer online
registration prior to volunteering at school.
MS Science
Allapattah Flats science students in grades 6-8 have been
working on setting up their interactive notebooks to prepare
for a successful year. Students have begun their first unit on
the Nature of Science where they will learn about the various
aspects of the scientific method. Students will apply these
concepts throughout the first semester while completing
their science fair topics, and in class labs.
7th grade science students have been chosen by our local 4H
to participate in an Indian River Lagoon restoration project by
learning about and creating an oyster bed. Students will be
given the opportunity to learn about the anatomical filtration
properties of oysters through dissection. Students will also
be able to observe how one oyster can clean the water in a
20 gallon fish tank within one hour's time. Students will be
attending two field trips to help create an oyster bed in the
lagoon to help filter the runoff water from Lake
Okeechobee. Students will also study the effects of the
runoff water from Lake Okeechobee and develop awareness
campaigns.
Allapattah Flats K-8 School SLCSB
12051 Copper Creek Drive
Port St Lucie, FL 34987
Phone 772-468-5050 Fax 468-5013
Patricia Galloway - Principal
Casandra Flores - Assistant Principal
Ana Rodriguez – Assistant Principal
September 2014
MS Social Studies
In 6th grade World History we are learning about world
geography, along with the elements and vocabulary
associated with geography. In 7th grade Civics, we are
describing what make a citizen in America, what are the
duties, responsibilities and obligations of citizenship in our
country. In 8th grade U.S. History, we are learning about early
exploration and Native Americans during the 15th and 16th
centuries, along with the colonial development of North
America.
child to participate he/she must have an updated sports
physical exam. There is a $20 fee for participation.
September 1
September 2
September 3
September 3
September 9
Elementary Physical Education
September 9
The Physical Education program (Grades K-5) includes
physical, mental, social, and emotional growth experiences. It
provides instruction that will enable the pursuit of physical
fitness and a lifetime of physical activity. The students will
learn about the basics of each sport, teamwork,
sportsmanship, health and fitness as well as cooperating with
others and setting goals. I look forward to having a fun and
great school year! Coach Owens
September 10
MS Physical Education
September 24
September 24
September 25
September 27
Coach Shivers and Coach Boltersdorf would like to welcome
you and your child to Allapattah Flats K- 8 physical education
program. We are looking forward to a great year and would
like to provide you with some information about the
program. The Middle school program will mainly consist of
team sports and skills for those sports. The students will be
required to participate willingly every day. They will be asked
to dress out in there PE uniforms and wear the appropriate
sneakers or tennis shoes. We have gone over the rules and
regulations for the students and sent them home with a
copy. You should have signed a confirmation sheet which
provided us with contact information. If you have any
questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call or send
Coach Shivers or Coach Boltersdorf an email .
Site and Student Safety
The Site Safety Committee has planned several drills to
prepare students for the possibility of a lockdown or an
evacuation. Teachers have discussed procedures with
students. We will conduct a fire drill monthly. We will
practice safe procedures in the event of a tornado watch or
warning. Finally, we will practice lockdown procedures in case
there’s an intruder on campus.
Intramural Sports
Boys Basketball will be starting in October along with Girls
Volleyball and all Soccer for boys and girls. In order for your
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September 12
September 17
September 18
September 20
September 15
September 29
September 30
Labor Day Holiday
100 Book Challenge Count Begins
Fundraiser Kick Off
Title I Curriculum Night and
Volunteer Orientation
Goodies with Grandparents at
8 am
School Advisory Council at
1 pm
Coupons for Education Fundraiser
Begins
Back to School Family Dance at
5:30 pm
STAR Gator Assembly at 1 pm
PTO Meeting at 1 pm
Bowl for Kid’s Sake at Superplay
3rd – 8th Grade Comprehensive
Assessment 1 Begins
Early Release/STEAM Day K – 5
6th Grade Health Screenings
Fall Holiday
Indian River Lagoon Science
Festival
Food Drive for Grace Packs
Last Day for Coupon Fundraiser
Coupons for Education
Coupons for Education are packed with $1500 worth of
savings from local merchants you know. For every book sold,
our school is guaranteed $8 to improve instruction and
provide incentives for students and staff. Please help us by
selling as many books as you can to friends, family and coworkers. We will provide a letter and a book request form in
the Tuesday Folder for every student.
APF “College Bound”
Middle school students in 7th and 8th grade are learning about
different universities in the state of Florida. Each 7/8 team
has chosen a university like University of Florida, Florida State
University and University of Miami to learn about their
programs of study and pre requisites. We would like students
to see higher education as a Future Destination choice in
Career and Education. The idea is to get students motivated
to search for a career that matches their talents and
strengths and start planning for that future journey today.
Allapattah Flats K-8 School SLCSB
12051 Copper Creek Drive
Port St Lucie, FL 34987
Phone 772-468-5050 Fax 468-5013
Patricia Galloway - Principal
Casandra Flores - Assistant Principal
Ana Rodriguez – Assistant Principal
September 2014
Gator Grace Packs
We are happy to announce that we are working to provide
our students, who are in need, with a weekend food program
known as Gator Grace Packs. This is a confidential program
that offers nutritious food items while the student is away
from school. The program is offered to students whose
families are in a hardship, temporarily or long term. If you
feel this program is one you would like to donate to or need
to enroll in, please call our Ms. Dellacroce at 468-5050.
We’re asking Gator Families to donate food items to our
Gator Grace Packs for food insecure families. We started this
charitable work last year and supplied food for more than 75
families. Grace packs contain food items such as small boxes
of cereal, milk or juice in a box, macaroni and cheese, fruit
snacks in a bag, etc. Each student receives two full meals for
the weekend. Please help us by donating items to our bank!
PTO Fall Fundraiser
Look for upcoming information about APF’s fall fundraiser.
Students who sell items earn a chance for a prize. The catalog
will include cookie dough items and other gift items.
Fundraiser products will be delivered before the holidays.
Students will take packets home on Wednesday, September
3rd, 2014.
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