A MESSAGE FROM CAPTAIN GOODRICH

Hello PES families,

As we navigate to our favorite restaurants, shops, and attractions throughout St. Johns County, our city’s growth is apparent. So far this second semester, PES has enrolled 14 new students and 4 students have relocated elsewhere, bringing our school’s student population to 794.  The children have done a commendable job welcoming new classmates. As a school staff, it sure does make us proud when we watch moments of acceptance, care, and compassion displayed in our students’ interactions with new “pirates”. Asking your child about how they’ve supported new classmates (or classmate connections in general) is a nice topic of conversation while in the car or at dinner. It’s important that our children learn your family values, and routinely hear your guidance and expectations when it comes to getting along with others.

This Pirate Post newsletter is published and sent out electronically every two weeks. A special thank you to Silva Galli, one of our amazing clerks, who pulls together school happenings and formats this publication for our community. Yesterday, I met with a few parents who shared with me that their neighbors routinely say to them things like “I didn’t know ________ event was happening.” This newsletter is your information source! Please encourage others to read it. As a way to say THANK YOU to all reading this right now, the first 20 families to email me will have their child(ren) highlighted on our morning news show. Title your email “I read the Pirate Post”. 😊

Across our nation, teachers are faced with hardships. An article from Education Week states “But since the pandemic, teachers have signaled they’re more inclined to quit their jobs citing, high stress, low pay, and a lack of respect.” https://www.edweek.org/leadership/how-bad-is-the-teacher-shortage-what-two-new-studies-say/2022/09  What can you, as a parent, do to support your child’s teacher? Familiarize yourself with and honor the district’s attendance calendar and school policies. Participate in parent/teacher conferences.  Send in kind notes or emails of appreciation. Avoid emailing your teacher on the weekends or late at night. (Teachers are compassionate, over-achievers and they feel compelled to respond right away, thus taking away from their family time). Understanding these may be the only times parents have a free moment as you juggle multiple demands, one suggestion would be to type up your email in a Word document as your schedule allows, then send it in an email the next morning. Another would be to schedule your email to be delivered during the workday. Thank you for supporting our amazing teachers.

If you or someone you know is interested in employment with SJCSD, visit this link for additional information. https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/jobs/  Job fair and substitute teacher information are also located on the last page of this newsletter. We currently have a nice cohort of PES parents who we call on routinely to substitute when our teachers are out. These individuals are trusted and, clearly, have an invested interest in the school’s continued success, safety, and well-being. I would like to expand this group. Thank you for considering the possibility.

Together in Education,

Catherine Goodrich

Principal

Palencia Elementary School

(904) 547-4010