Tavares Elementary

Join Us for Our Final SAC/PTO Meeting of the Year – Monday, May 19! Tavares Elementary families, mark your calendars! Our final SAC and PTO meetings of the 2024–2025 school year are happening Monday, May 19 at 4:30/5:30 PM in the Media Center. SAC members – we need YOU there in person! We must have a quorum to vote on key end-of-year items, and your presence makes all the difference. Child care is provided, and we’ll even have a local gift card giveaway—don’t miss it! Let’s wrap up the school year strong—see you Monday! For more information, call 352-343-2861.

Lake County Schools is seeking input from educators, students, and families to better understand how our K-12 English Language Arts (ELA) materials have impacted classroom practices and literacy development. Please complete a 15-minute survey to provide your feedback. The survey is open May 14-28. You may take the survey here: http://bit.ly/3F1xOdL

Mark your calendar and prepare for a schedule change during the last week of school! Schools and district offices will be closed on Monday, May 26, for Memorial Day.. Then, students will follow the Wednesday early release schedule for Tuesday, May 27; Wednesday, May 28, and Thursday, May 29, which is the last day of classes!

Mark your calendar for a schedule change in the last week of school! Schools will be closed on Monday, May 26, for Memorial Day. Then, students will follow the Wednesday early release schedule for Tuesday, May 27, Wednesday, May 28, and Thursday, May 29, which is the last day of classes!

It’s almost time to celebrate our Bullpups! We are excited to invite families to join us for our upcoming End-of-Year Awards Ceremonies as we recognize the incredible accomplishments of our students. Please note: Some of the dates and times have changed, so be sure to check the updated schedule below! Save the date for your child’s grade level: • Kindergarten Awards – Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 9:00am in the MPR/Cafeteria • 1st Grade Awards – Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 10:30 am in the Classroom • 2nd Grade Awards – Tuesday, May 19, at 8:45 am in the MPR/Cafeteria • 3rd Grade Awards – Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 8:45 am in the MPR/Cafeteria • 4th Grade Awards – Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 8:45 am in the MPR/Cafeteria We are so proud of all our Bullpups and can’t wait to celebrate their hard work and growth with you! 🐾❤️🐾

We are feeling incredibly grateful after a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week! A huge thank you goes out to all the individuals, businesses, and groups who helped make our teachers feel truly appreciated: • Elite Financial Group for arranging relaxing massages for our teachers. • Struther’s Nursery for the beautiful plants gifted to our faculty and staff. • Eustis Sonic for generously donating gift certificates for our staff. • Scenthound for offering a free service to all of our hardworking teachers. • Tavares Elementary PTO and the Tavares Elementary Sunshine Committee for providing a delicious lunch on Friday and for the thoughtful gifts shared throughout the week. • And to all the amazing families who donated gift cards for our daily gift card drawings—thank you for your kindness and support! We’re lucky to be part of such a thoughtful and supportive school community. Thank you for helping us celebrate the incredible educators at Tavares Elementary!

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and our incredible PTO has been going above and beyond to celebrate the superstars who make our school shine! So far this week, our “out of this world” faculty & staff have enjoyed a cold brew coffee bar and received surprise visits from the cosmic snack cart, delivering treats right to their classrooms. The energy is high, and the gratitude is even higher! We still have two more days of stellar celebrations ahead, and we’re excited to keep showing our appreciation for the teachers who launch learning to new heights every day. Check out the photos below to see how we’re celebrating our amazing team!

Kona Ice is coming to TES! Join us on Thursday, May 16 for a cool treat between 10:00 AM–1:45 PM! Pay with cash or prepay online — and don’t forget to bring your Kona Ice cups for discounted refills! Pre-Pay link: https://customer.kona-ice.com/#/K1506342378 20% of all sales go back to support our school! Let’s chill out for a good cause!

It's National Nurses Week, and we focus specifically on school nurses on Wednesday, May 7, School Nurse Day! #Schoolnurses positively impact students, families, and schools by providing direct care, managing chronic conditions, promoting mental health and school attendance, connecting families to community resources, and coordinating care to break down barriers to healthcare access. #SND2025 www.schoolnurseday.org #StudentHealth

Happy School Lunch Hero Day! Today we celebrate the amazing people who keep our students fueled and ready to learn — our incredible cafeteria team! Every single day, they work hard to prepare and serve nutritious breakfasts and lunches with a smile. Their dedication, kindness, and care make a huge difference in our school community. They’re not just food service workers — they’re nourishers, encouragers, and true heroes in hairnets and aprons! Please join us in saying a big THANK YOU to these hardworking, compassionate, and cheerful champions of our cafeteria!

Save the Date! Project Kid Connect: Backpack & School Supplies Giveaway Saturday, July 12, 2025 | 9AM–12PM South Lake District Office: 15855 SR 50, Clermont Get ready for a morning of free backpacks, school supplies, activities, FREE food & drinks, and even a chance to Dunk-A-Deputy! Children must be present to receive supplies, and the event is open to Lake County residents. Let’s kick off the new school year prepared and full of Bullpup spirit!

Today we celebrate Principal Appreciation Day, and there’s no better time to recognize the incredible leadership of Mrs. Werner! Mrs. Werner is the heart of our school—dedicated, compassionate, inspiring, and endlessly supportive. Her vision, tireless energy, and unwavering commitment to student success create a school culture where every Bullpup feels safe, seen, and ready to learn. Whether she’s leading with a smile, encouraging our staff, or building strong relationships with students and families, she makes a difference every single day. Thank you, Mrs. Werner, for being the steadfast, joyful, and empowering leader our school needs. We are so grateful for all you do!

Today’s Pep Rally Was a Blast! Our Bullpups brought the energy as we celebrated a year full of hard work, learning, and growth! Today’s pep rally was all about recognizing the amazing effort our students have put in—and getting pumped up to rock the test! We cheered, blasted confetti, and reminded each other that we are ready to shine! The message was loud and clear: You’ve got this! 🐾❤️🎉 As we head into state testing, don’t forget these important tips to help you do your very best: 1. Get a good night’s sleep — your brain needs rest to do its best! 🌙 2. Eat a healthy breakfast — fuel up with something nutritious each morning. 🍎🥣 3. Be on time — arriving on time means you start the day calm, confident, and ready to focus. ⏰ 4. Believe in yourself — you’ve worked hard and you’re ready! 💪✨ Let’s show what we know and make ourselves proud. Let’s ROCK THE TEST, BULLPUPS! 🐾🎈❤️

State testing is right around the corner! Let’s cheer on our Bullpups as they get ready to show what they know! Please help your student do their best by making sure they get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive on time. You got this, Bullpups!

Mrs. McDonald’s class took a special “on campus” field trip to visit Mrs. Vandergriff’s room… and guess what they found? Baby chicks! Her class just wrapped up their unit on Chickens and Eggs, so getting to meet these 5 fluffy little friends was the perfect way to bring their learning to life! Thank you, Mrs. Vandergriff, for letting Mrs. McDonald's Pre-K class have this hands-on (and heartwarming) experience! Peep, peep… it was an egg-cellent day! 🐣🐥❤️

Let’s Celebrate Our 5th Graders! 🎉🎓 We’re so excited to celebrate our amazing 5th graders at Tavares Elementary with fun end-of-year activities like a BBQ and treats! 🍔🎈 How you can help: 💵 Send a cash donation (any amount) in a sealed envelope labeled “5th Grade Celebration” to your child’s homeroom teacher. 🛒 Shop directly from our Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3IVUSK2ULD9AJ?ref_=wl_share Thank you for helping make this celebration extra special! ❤️

Our LAST popsicle Friday of the school year is quickly approaching! Send a $1 with your student to be able to purchase a popsicle on Friday, April 25th! We can't wait to announce how much funding our Popsicle Fridays have supplied to the efforts of our PTO that supports our school family!

Join Us for Spirit Night at Miller’s Ale House! Mark your calendars—Monday, April 28th from 5 PM to 8 PM—and head to Miller’s Ale House in Mount Dora to support Tavares Elementary! Enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends, and 20% of all food sales will be donated back to our school. Just show the flyer when you order! Let’s pack the house with Bullpup pride and make this a night to remember! We can’t wait to see you there!

Mrs. McDonald’s PreK Celebrates Earth Day! 🌎 ❤️🐾 Our young learners had an exciting day full of Earth Day fun and learning! With help from Ms. Kramer, we created our very own miniature light-up Earths—such a bright way to show love for our planet! We also had the incredible opportunity to video chat with Marine Biologist and Environmental Biologist Melinda McDonald, all the way from Orange Beach, Alabama. She taught us the importance of “leaving only footprints” and taking care of our beaches and oceans. Our PreK students asked thoughtful questions and showed so much curiosity—what a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day!🌎 ❤️🐾

Our Volunteers ROCK! 🎶🎸🎶 On Monday morning, we celebrated the incredible people who give their time, energy, and love to our school—our amazing volunteers! Whether it’s in the classroom, at events, or behind the scenes, their support makes a huge difference every day. We’re so grateful for each of you—you truly rock in every way! 🎶🎸🎶