The Pirate Post
Shughart Elementary's Treasure Trove of News. In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find a message from the administration, updates from our PE teacher, School Counselor, Information Specialist, Art teacher, School Nurse, and Educational Technologist, as well as school news, upcoming events, lunch menus, and additional resources.
Dear Shughart Family,
As we step into the vibrant season of spring, we are filled with excitement for the upcoming spring break and the end-of-year events that will soon be upon us. This time of year, brings a sense of renewal and anticipation, and we are eager to share these moments with our students and their families.
April is a special month as we celebrate the Month of the Military Child. This is an opportunity for us to recognize and honor the unique challenges and sacrifices faced by children of military families. We are grateful for the resilience and strength these children demonstrate, and we are committed to supporting them in every way possible.
We have a variety of activities planned to celebrate and support our military children, and we kindly ask for your assistance in making these events successful. Your participation and support are invaluable, and together, we can create memorable experiences for our students.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our military sponsors. Your unwavering support and dedication to protecting our freedoms are deeply appreciated. As you engage in the mission of safeguarding our country, we are honored to assist in the mission of educating your children. Your contributions make a significant impact, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you.
Thank you for your continued support and involvement. We look forward to a wonderful spring season filled with joy, learning, and community.
Warm regards,
Shughart Administration Team
April is Month of the Military Child
Parents, have you sent in your child's Month of the Military Child letter?
The staff at Shughart Elementary School wishes to partner with parents and other family members to celebrate the incredibly terrific military children at the Pirates’ Cove. We would like to give the students a special surprise from moms, dads, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and any other family members. Our goal is to provide each child with letters of love, support, and appreciation from you…their awesome parents and family members!
In order for this activity to be 100% successful, we are asking that parents (and/or other family members) write personal letters for their child(ren) at Shughart Elementary.
- Write an encouraging letter or note to your child(ren) and email it to us, at sandra.ray@student.dodea.edu by the deadline, April 15, 2025.
- In the subject line of the email, please include the words MILITARY KID LETTER in all capital letters. To confirm that we have received the letter, we will respond with a thumbs up 👍.
- Place your child's full name and his/her teacher’s name at the very top of the letter.
Please feel free to email the letters as soon as possible and have them in before the deadline, April 15, 2025.
MoMC Spirit Week
In April, the focus will be on the components of Fitness and Fitnessgram.
National Walking Day, is observed on the first Wednesday of April. This day encourages Americans to prioritize physical activity and the health benefits of walking, this year's date being April 2nd. Our classes will be working on their Aerobic Capacity this week for everyone to have a chance to walk this week 😊
Fitnessgram is DoDEA’s fitness assessment tool. Students will take part in the components of Fitnessgram, with a focus on the Pacer Test and the 1-mile run/walk, which is required for 4th and 5th graders. The students will learn how to utilize pedometers to track distance and make fitness goals! Our goal is to make fitness fun while learning the proper techniques for success 😊
Let's Get Moving!
Ms. Brocious, PE Teacher beth.brocious@dodea.edu
Career Fair - We Need You!
Pirate Parents and Community Stakeholders,
We are seeking presenters for our Career Fair being held on Friday, May 23, 2025. Do you have a career or know someone who would be willing to share their knowledge, experiences, and expertise with Shughart ES students? If so… click here and complete the form.
Mrs. McIntyre, School Counselor vonne.mcintyre@dodea.edu
March was an excellent month for eBook reading at the Pirates' Cove! The three Linden Oaks schools engaged in a friendly competition to see which school could read the most MackinVIA eBooks. Instead of counting the number of eBooks read, the Information Specialists decided to count the number of words read. Shughart Elementary started the month with a total of 720,913 words read, aiming to reach 5,000,000 words by March 31.
By the end of the month, Shughart ES had read an impressive 4,994,587 words. Although we didn't quite reach our goal, we are incredibly proud of the students' tremendous effort. For the second year in a row, we secured third place, and we are determined to work even harder to achieve first place next March. Parents, please encourage your children to continue to read MackinVIA eBooks. We have over 14,000 titles available for the students to enjoy. Goooooooo Pirates!!!!
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Ray at 910-861-7205 or sandra.ray@dodea.edu.
Clay Update: Our clay must dry for a week or two. Next, we fire it in our kiln. Then, we can paint glaze on our relief sculptures. Finally, we will fire it again to finish.
All grade levels are learning about portraits in the meantime.
Kindergarten and first grade are concentrating on including all the facial features. We will look to see if there are details that make our portraits expressive and more accurate.
Second and third grade will take portraits a step further by working on improving our proportions and learning the basics of mapping out a portrait. We will look for details that make our facial expressions more accurate. We will focus on making portraits at our skill level and not getting frustrated because it doesn’t look exactly like what we see.
Fourth and fifth grade will take portraits a step further by working on improving our proportions and trying to add some basic shading. We will look for details that make our facial expressions more accurate. We will focus on making portraits at our skill level and not getting frustrated because it doesn’t look exactly like what we see.
Learning to see things and the details that make up a portrait is a challenge. I’m encouraging students to push themselves and have fun with it.
Mr. Reeves, Art Teacher daniel.reeves@dodea.edu
Spring is here, and while it's a beautiful time of year, it also brings seasonal allergies for many of our students. Seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis, occur when the immune system overreacts to pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds. Here are some tips to help manage these allergies and keep our students comfortable:
Allergy Symptoms:
• Sneezing
• Itchy eyes, nose and/ or throat
• Nasal congestion
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Postnasal drip
• Sore throat
If your child experiences allergies, it is important to know what causes them and how best to manage them.
Managing Symptoms:
• Consider over-the-counter medications and give them consistently.
• Keep windows and doors closed
• Monitor pollen levels. National Allergy Map | Pollen.com
• Schedule an appointment with your physician if no improvement from OTC medications.
Nurse Lori, School Nurse lori.medeiros@dodea.edu
Shughart Tech Spotlight: Exploring Our Community with Mrs. Buckland's Kindergarten Class
Mrs. Buckland's kindergarten class has been busy learning about their community in a fun and interactive way! As part of their unit, students explored their neighborhood using Google Maps. This virtual journey allowed them to see familiar places and discover new ones right from their classroom.
To bring their observations to life, students used Wixie to draw pictures of their houses. They made sure to include important details like trees, cars, and even the local fire station. Along with their drawings, students wrote about their neighborhoods, sharing what makes their community special to them.
This hands-on project not only helped the students learn about their surroundings but also encouraged them to appreciate the unique aspects of their neighborhood.
Click here to view student examples.
Mrs. Smith-Sease, Educational Technologist danielle.smith-sease@dodea.edu
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School Procedures
DoDEA School Dress Code
Students MUST wear:
- Tops with sleeves (sleeveless tops/dresses are permitted for school sponsored formal events such as prom)
- Solid clothing (not transparent or translucent) that fully covers the top and bottom from armpit to mid-thigh
- Shoes (shoes must be safe for the school environment)
- Bedroom slippers shall not be worn, except for school activities approved by the principal
- Open toe shoes with a strap across the heel are allowed
Students CANNOT wear clothing with:
- Language or images promoting violence
- Language or images that depict, promote, or advocate the illegal use or sale of drugs, alcohol or tobacco products; violent conduct; curse words; pornography; that contain threats or expressions which are violent, discriminatory, lewd or obscene; or that advocate or promote any other illegal item or activity or the use of same
- Derogatory speech/imagery targeting groups based on race/color, ethnicity/national origin, sex, disability, religion, or any other characteristic protected by law
- Headgear that obscures the face (except as a religious observance or health purpose); clothing items with hoods attached can be worn but must not cover the head
* Teachers/courses can require certain attire as part of the curriculum (for example: physical education, culinary) that may include specific dress
* DoDEA issued athletic uniforms and athletic practice attire outside of the DoDEA school dress code is permitted when worn by participants during athletic practices and sports events
Related regulations
School Administrators
Contacts
| School Hours | Regular Hours | Wednesday Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Office Hours | 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
| PK - 5 | 8:20 a.m. - 2:50 p.m. | 8:20 a.m. - 1:55 p.m. |
| Early Checkout Ends | 2:00 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
Wednesdays are Early Release days
| Cafeteria Hours | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 7:45 a.m. | 8:15 a.m. |
| Lunch | 10:30 a.m. | 12:30 p.m. |
