Principal: Mrs. Wendy Harrison

Happy New Year!

This is going to be a great year.! We have moved into our new school building, and student learning is our number one pri-ority as always. We are in the process of making sure that any student learning gaps caused by COVID-19 are being filled. It is extremely important that your children are attending school daily so that we can help them recover from any COVID-19 academic slide. At Tampa Heights Magnet, we have an “all hands on deck” approach to give our students the support they need.

Our school is very lucky to qualify for and receive Title I dol-lars, which we use to purchase extra resources for our stu-dents. These state-issued dollars are determined by parent incomes of our school population. Please consider complet-ing a Healthy Meals Express application to see if you can as-sist us with funding for our school.

I miss seeing my Tampa Heights Magnet parents and having

our after-school activities. Please consider attending our vir-

tual PTA and SAC meeting, which is scheduled for every third

Thursday in the month. I am looking forward to getting back

to normality and inviting our parents and community mem-

bers to see the new school.

As always, I wish you well!

Wendy Harrison Principal Tampa Heights Magnet Global Leadership Academy

2/1—2/5: Clubs Begin Again

SEE CLUB SCHEDULE—LAST PAGE OF NEWSLETTER

2/4: 100th Day of School

2/8—2/10: Purchase Hello Grams

2/11 Non-Student Day

2/15 Presidents’ Day—No School

2/16: Receive Hello Grams

2/18: Gazette Articles DUE

SAC/PTA Virtual 6:00pm

2/24: Black History Living Museum

2/26: International Bazaar

3/1—3/3: District STEM Fair

3/1—3/5: Celebrate Dr. Seuss (K)

3/2: Read Across America Day

3/4: Conference Night

3/8: Non-Student Day

3/12: Olympic Field Day

3/15—3/19: Spring Break—

No School

3/22—3/26: Happiness Week

Follow us on Twitter:

@tampaheights305

#MoreThanASchool

#ReachingGreatHeights

Upcoming Events School of Excellence and Distinction

305 E. Columbus Drive, Tampa, Florida 33602

School Board: Melissa Snively, Chair Steve Cona III, Vice Chair Lynn Gray Stacy A. Hahn, Ph.D. Karen Perez Tamara P. Shamburger Cindy Stuart

Superintendent of Schools: Addison Davis www.sdhc.k12.fl.us

From the desk of the Assistant Principal, Philip Cottone Hello Families, As we embark on the second half of the year, we are finally back at our true home Thanks to each one of you for seeing this transition through with us. Our school would not be what it is without you.

The spring semester has many more nonstudent days sprinkled in than we had in the fall. Our first days off will be Friday January 15 and January 18. Please refer to the school district web-site, www.sdhc.k12.fl.us, for additional information. Additionally, for a few Mondays in May we will not have early release. Our goal is to keep all our stakeholders informed with our decisions. As such, we would love your input on these decisions, so please consider joining our School Advisory Committee. We are always looking to support our students and make changes for the better. We are all in this together! Philip Cottone Assistant Principal

Tampa Heights Magnet School Rules

I will follow all CHAMPS procedures. I will be on time and prepared for learning. I will take care of school/personal belongings. I will keep my hands and feet to myself. I will use appropriate school language. I will use good manners with peers and adults. CHAMPs Procedures is a proactive approach to minimizing unwanted student behavior by having set procedures for every activity.

Expectations for Morning Mile

Place Backpacks in Correct Spot Keep moving! (walking or running ONLY) Hands to Self! Move in Correct Direction/Remain on Course! Listen to adults and follow CHAMPS! Have FUN with your friends! “)

First Grade Hola, como te va! Hello, how are you doing? Spanish is the official language of South America. Our studies began with holidays around the world. Students learned why we cele-brate national holidays as well as participate in local celebra-tions. They had the opportunity to present their learning to the class with oral reports of different holidays celebrated around the world.

Now, the learning will continue as they research rain forests of South America. When studying the rainforest, students will learn about topics like ecosystems, decomposition, natu-ral camouflage and the four layers of the rainforest.

In Math, students learn about different strategies for adding

and subtracting word problems. In Reading, students learn

reading strategies to know words on sight or to decode unfa-

miliar words. First grade students know that they are suc-

cessfully learning the academic standards via effectively us-

ing the learning targets and success criteria for the objec-

tives. Finally, first grade students are all excited to begin the

new year in our new school and class! We’re

off to a great start for our second quarter

and will finish strong at the end of the year!

Thank you, parents, for being a part of this

great learning team and journey. We are so

much better because of you! Sinceramente,

Jarvis Smith, Bethany Hamer, and Dorothy

McCoy

Kindergarten Kindergarten has been very busy! Our Kindergarten travelers completed the unit on the city of Tampa. We learned tons of fascinating information about our hometown, Tampa. Students have also explored North American customs, holi-

day traditions and festivals including Dia de Los Muertos, The First Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas and Christmas. We will begin to explore the state of Florida this month and we are getting ready for our Florida research projects! Remember to check our Kindergarten newsletter for weekly updates. Ralynda Austin, Marci Schiele, Letecia Nathan, & Ronae Baker

Second Grade

Hello, Sheilas and Blokes! Greet-ings from our beautiful new school! It has been such an excit-ing quarter of delving deeper into Australia’s animals and inventions. We had a great time with various versions of “The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg.” We compared the classic version to a poem and an Australian version with an emu. In November, we researched Australian inven-tions such as the electric drill and the black box flight recorder. Students dove deep into the infor-mation about the inventor, its purpose, and how it has impacted the world! In December, we stud-ied holiday celebrations in Australia and compared them to other countries in the world. It was so in-teresting to see the similarities and differences be-tween various cultures. We’re currently researching hurricanes, and will be writing letters to state rep-resentatives regarding our opinions on hurricane research. Thank you for your continued parental support. We couldn’t do it without you! Abby Stamler, Cassie Ham and Angella Hamala

Third Grade

Third grade has been learning a lot! In December, we learned all about Kwanza, a Swahili word that means “first” and signifies the first fruits of the harvest. The seven principles of Kwanza are all Swahili words: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). Ask your children to talk about what they learned! We have also been learning about South Africa. The people of South Africa love a BBQ, which is called a “braai” and almost every house has a fireplace which is called a “braai-place.” In February we will be discussing Black History and the accomplishments of people of Afri-can and African-American descent. There are too many to name here, but stay tuned as your student will have much to teach you. Deanna Jackson, Roxanne Williams, and Marvilyn Lyons

Fourth Grade

Kon’nichiwa! Hello! Greetings to all our wonderful fourth grade families. We have ended our second quarter and have brought in a new year. Despite the rough start in our country, due to some civil unrest, 2021 promises to be a great year. Our biggest news to date, has been our return to our previous location. After about three long years in portables, behind Lockhart Elementary, we have finally been able to come home. On our first day back after winter break, our entire school celebrated to much fan fair. We were joined by the media and members of the school board for our celebration. The students walked down a red carpet and were serenaded by Orange Grove Middle School’s band as they walked into their new classrooms.

In fourth grade, we are continuing our journey through Asia. In the second quarter, we studied the country of Japan. The students have read articles about Japanese school life. We learned that students begin school in the first grade and that high school is optional. We learned they study English using hand-held gaming systems! We also learned how the holi-days are celebrated in Japan. Did you know that KFC chicken is considered a special treat in Japan? Many Japanese families eat KFC when celebrating Christ-mas.

We are continuing to learn simple words and phrases in Japanese and Chinese. We have learned “yes, no, please and thank you, and goodbye”. It has been an exciting second quarter and we’re looking forward to our continued cultural explora-tion and learning! Sayonara! Rasheedah Chatman, Marion White, and Yolonda Cox

Fifth Grade Fifth grade traveled to Germany for the second nine-weeks! Every-thing from our reading texts to our writing prompts centered around Germany and tied in other European coun-tries. We started the quarter off by analyzing tradi-tional German fairy tales (and two of Ms. Abu-khaled’s childhood favorites): Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel. Students compared Greek and German holiday traditions, allowing them to see the similar-ities and differences with our own traditions as well. We read a detailed excerpt from British author Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and wrote about whether Scrooge should be redeemed. Stu-dents then examined the setting of a famous origi-nally-Germany story called “The Nutcracker” and “The Mouse King”. Finally, fifth grade brought our learning full circle by revisiting our Berlin Wall ac-tivity from the very first week of school. We wrote about whether graffiti is harmful or helpful. We closed out Quarter 2 by using our knowledge of text structure to help us understand various ac-counts of the Holocaust. The fifth-grade team is so thankful to have such kind, involved, and caring students and families. We appreciate all your patience and communica-tion throughout the move to our brand-new build-ing and are beyond thrilled to be able to see so many students in person! Fifth grade will continue to be WUNDERBAR (wonderful) as we hit our next stop: Italy! Samantha Levine, Nadine Abukhaled and Lindsay

Anders

Did you know?

As parents of children in a Title I school, it’s important to understand how Tampa

Heights being a Title I school affects our children. If you have any specific questions,

contact Cathy Messina, our Title I Lead.

Also, we often send out invitations to you through email that you as a parent can attend to edu-

cate yourself on a variety of topics. These District-sponsored events are always full of interest-

ing and relevant information. Please be sure to check our parent group email or the district web-

site (www.sdhc.k12.fl.us) for more information. Make plans to attend!

At the present time, we cannot accept regular on-site volunteering because of COVID-19. Howev-

er, in the near future, we hope that will change and when it does, we’ll be looking for many vol-

unteers to read with our children, to help at Morning Mile, and for a plethora of other needs. We

love our parents at Tampa Heights Magnet because YOU are a critical piece of the learning puz-

zle. Until then, please contact your child’s teacher for needs specific to the classroom.

Coaches Curricular Corner

Reading & Writing (Carrie McGriskin and Barbara Bowman) Tampa Heights Navigators are continuing to learn about their grade level’s continent

through reading and writing instruction! Please ask your student to tell you about

what they read about and wrote about while at school. Students can continue to grow their independent

skills by using i-Ready and at home. They can also work on their writing skills by journaling their person-

al experiences. Don’t forget to get hooked with a good book.

Writing Wizards is off to a great start!! Fourth and Fifth grade students are applying their skills to text-

based writing in the media center daily. They are also collaborating with one another to learn from each

other to write opinion pieces on lunches purchased at school vs lunches packed from home. Remember

to give your child opportunities to write as often as possible. They can write letters to loved ones or jour-

nal entries to recount their days. Writing is a wonderful outlet and truly an artform.

Mathematics (Nicole Horn) Our Tampa Heights mathematicians and teachers in third through fifth grades have begun exploring frac-

tions, and in fifth grade, they are connecting fractions to decimals. Our primary students are continuing

to build number sense understanding and starting geometry. Students can continue to work on inde-

pendence of these skills by passing two i-Ready math lessons a week (75% or above is passing)!

From the desk of Cathy Messina, Magnet Lead

Saying good-bye to an old friend is always difficult, but when that friend has been an integral member of your school famiLEE for 17 years (30 years in our district) and this person has become such a support for so many of

us—then it’s a big hit. In December, our one-of-a-kind, hilarious, loving and beautiful ESE Specialist, Patricia Vaughan, retired without much fanfare be-cause of the times we’re living in. We miss her and applaud all the wonderful relationships she fostered with children and with our faculty. God bless you, Mrs. Vaughan, with all things good and great!

Each year, every school in our district honors three individuals at their school for the following coveted awards: Teacher of the Year, Support Personnel of the Year, and the Ida S. Baker award. This year, the faculty and staff of Tampa Heights Magnet honored Jarvis Smith for Teacher of the Year, Niurka Fernandez for Support Personnel of the Year, and Cathy Messina for the Ida S. Baker award. Congratulations to these three educators and supportive individuals for our stu-dents. Teacher of the Year Support Personnel of the Year Ida S. Baker Award Winner

Golden Compass Nominations & Awards Staff nominates Georgia Craver, Data Processor, as its Golden Compass Award Winner of the year. Staff mem-bers nominate each other for helping us learn some-thing new, keeping us positive, making us laugh, or in some way, brightening our day a bit. We share all nomi-nations through our Internal mail platform and also send electronically to our parents and friends. Thanks, Mrs. Craver, for “the delicious ex-presso on days when expresso is a really good thing! “)

Woohoo for YOU!

Partner Spotlight: The Tampa Diamond Diva’Z

The Tampa Diamond Diva’Z are a local ladies’ social club that

does so much for our local community. They feed the homeless,

visit the elderly at nursing homes to deliver treats, sponsor high

school seniors for homecoming and prom, and so much more!

This Thanksgiving, these awesome ladies chose to adopt our

school and delivered over 50 bags FULL of groceries needed for a

Thanksgiving feast. These were delivered to 50 of our most needy families. What a

wonderful mission! One of our own, third grade teacher, Roxanne Williams, is a

member of this terrific group of ladies. We are so grateful to begin such a wonder-

ful partnership with The Tampa Diamond Diva’Z!

Do You Know Tampa Heights Elementary Magnet’s Vision, Mission and Diversity Statements?

Our vision is that we will be an “A” school.

Our mission is to develop a diverse culture where every child will succeed.

Our diversity statement is Tampa Heights Elementary Magnet: Global Leadership Academy em-braces all students and their diverse backgrounds, providing opportunities for every student to reach their full potential while exploring cultural differences.

From the desk of Krystal Greenberg, Media Specialist

The winter season is a great time to cozy up with a good book. In Hillsborough County there are many ways for your child to find a “Just Right” read. Myon, Axis360, and Haul pass are a few great digi-tal tools to that give students access to thousands of great engaging titles. It is vital that students are independently reading a variety of “just right” fiction and non-fiction texts daily for a minimum of 20-30 minutes.

Did you know Hillsborough County School District offers a variety of wonderful digital free resources? Check out the list below for more details.

Axis 360 allows you to borrow eBooks and Audio books for free. Students have access to thou-sands of popular books and series such as “Harry Potter Series”, “Geronimo Stilton”, “Captain Underpants”, “A Through Z Mysteries”, “Magic School House”, “Judy Moody” and many more. Your child may sign in by using their lunch number.

Myon.com has more than 10,000 enhanced, digital books that your child can interact with every day utilizing a computer, tablet, phone and many other devices. Every month students in K-2 and 3-5 are being assigned booklists to help them engage in reading on Myon.com. Your child may sign in by using the school name, student lunch number, and the password is capital letter of their first name plus lunch number (G123456).

Please have your child look for the following Months booklist:

January- *Presidents - Books celebrating our past and present presidents and United States of America. *Martin Luther King Jr- Books Honoring the great man who help lead the civil rights movement. February- *Black History Month – Books Celebrating Black History and African American Culture. March- *Irish-American Heritage Month and Women’s History Month- Books Celebrating Irish-Americans and important women leaders throughout History.

Volunteer of the Month

We want to celebrate all of our volunteers, who work so hard to create an

environment at Tampa Heights making learning and teaching fun! One indi-

vidual each month will be selected from a nomination box and this winners

will enjoy a special recognition on our office Wall of Fame! Winners will be celebrated during the

year in our quarterly newsletters.

August: LaShandra Robinson September: Krystal Hunter October: Taryn Sabia November: Adam Fritz December: Sara Rivera January: Tonia Nathan

From the desk of Melissa Jones, School Counselor Happy New Year! As the school counselor, I am excited about the beginning of a new year and looking forward to another great semester at Tampa Heights Magnet, home of the Navigators!

In December, the school counseling program continued to explore emotions and coping skills, i.e. self-care, breathing, positive self-talk, and positive thoughts/attitude. In this new semester, I'm look-ing forward to seeing our new girls' mentoring club, Y-LUV (Young Ladies with Unique Values) lead a service project opportunity. I’m also inviting students to participate in HERO SQUAD, a fundraising opportunity to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This month, the school counseling program will continue to provide classroom lessons and hold in-dividual meetings with students. The Great Kindness Challenge Week is at the end of the month be-ginning, Monday, January 25th. I can’t wait to see what our students will do in both of these areas! Finally, I am happy to announce that I will be returning to campus beginning Monday, February 8th. I have been working remotely from home, and being able to finally return to see our students in per-son brings me great joy. I'm so excited! Until next time, I wish you well! Melissa Jones

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