Tavares Elementary

April is the Month of the Military Family in Florida! The Month of the Military Family provides communities with an opportunity to honor and share gratitude for the service of military children. This year, we invite you to “Purple Up!” on April 15, 2026, by wearing purple as a visible way to show support and thank military children. Purple was chosen because it is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military. It is a combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine Corps red, Space Force blue and Navy blue. Students and staff in schools across Florida are encouraged to participate in this celebration of the courage of military families and to honor their hard work.

Our Bullpups showed up and showed out at the Patriot Mile this weekend at Tavares Middle School! 🐾❤️ We are so proud of all of our students who participated and represented our school with determination, sportsmanship, and heart. A special shoutout to Kyson and Chloe for finishing in the Top 10 of their races—what an incredible accomplishment! This annual event is always a great experience for our runners. The Tavares Middle School cross country athletes did an amazing job leading warm-ups and cheering on our students throughout the race, creating such an encouraging and positive atmosphere. A big THANK YOU to Coach Baker and Coach Lindsay for preparing our Bullpups and supporting them every step of the way. Your dedication makes a difference! We also appreciate Coach VonMaxey, Coach April, and the Tavares Middle School Admin for continuing to host this event each year and giving our students such a memorable opportunity. Way to go, Bullpups! 🐾

Our students had such a fun and authentic experience participating in this year’s Sunshine State Young Readers Award Jr. Book voting! 📚🗳️ After reading and exploring the 2025–2026 SSYRA Jr. nominees, students headed to the library to cast their votes for their favorite book. We were incredibly lucky to have the Lake County Elections Office join us to make this experience even more special. They set up real voting polls, brought official voting machines, and helped our students submit and tally their ballots just like a real election! A huge THANK YOU to the Lake County Elections Office and our Media Specialist, Mrs. Hackler, for bringing learning to life and helping our students see the power of their voice and vote. ❤️🐾 We’re excited to share that our school selected The Quacken as our favorite! Now we wait as the state of Florida announces the official winner tomorrow, based on votes from students all across the state. No matter the outcome, we are so proud of our readers for participating, thinking critically, and making their voices heard! 📖

🎉 Our teachers are TOTALLY RAD! 🎉

Join us as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week with some fun, retro-themed dress-up days at Tavares Elementary! 🛼📼

From 80s & 90s shirts to neon colors and denim classics, each day is a chance for students and staff to show their school spirit and celebrate our amazing teachers 💖

🗓️ April 27 – May 1
Check out the flyer for each day’s theme and help us make this week extra special!

We can’t wait to see everyone’s rad outfits! 😎✨

Last night’s Spring Showcase was one to remember! 🌟 Our Bullpup performers truly shined on stage, and their hard work and dedication paid off in an incredible way. From start to finish, our students gave it their all, and it showed in every moment of the performance. It was so special to see our families and community come out to support and celebrate our students. The smiles, applause, and excitement in the audience made the night even more meaningful for our performers. We are so proud of each and every student who participated—you represented our school with heart, confidence, and pride. ❤️🐾 A special thank you to Mrs. Taylor for bringing together this opportunity for our students to shine—we are so grateful for your dedication and leadership! Thank you to our staff, families, and everyone who helped make the evening such a success!

🤠✨ Kindergarten Round-Up is Coming! ✨🤠 Calling all future Bullpups! 🐾 Tavares Elementary is excited to welcome our newest students and families for Kindergarten Round-Up! 📅 April 20, 2026 ⏰ 4:00–6:00 PM 📍 Media Center at Tavares Elementary If your child will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2026, it’s time to get them registered for kindergarten! Join us to: ⭐ Register your child for kindergarten ⭐ Meet our incredible kindergarten teachers ⭐ Learn about our school and what makes Tavares so special ⭐ Enjoy light refreshments while you explore 📌 To complete registration, please bring: ✔️ Three proofs of residency (with current Tavares address) ✔️ Driver’s license or voter registration ✔️ Current water or electric bill ✔️ Lease agreement, mortgage statement, or deed ✔️ Original birth certificate ✔️ Current immunization record (Florida Form DH680) ✔️ Current health/physical form (within the last year) We are so excited to meet our future Bullpups and partner with you for an amazing start to their school journey! ❤️🐾 📣 Help us spread the word—share this post with friends, family, and neighbors who have incoming kindergartners.

This week, we’re celebrating our amazing Assistant Principal, Ms. White, for Assistant Principal Appreciation Week! ❤️🐾 Ms. White, your love for our students and your passion for education are truly inspiring. You lead with kindness, care, and heart, always making sure every child feels supported and valued. You make our school a better place every single day, not just through your leadership, but through the genuine care you show for everyone here. Thank you, Ms. White, for everything you do for our students, staff, and school community. We are so lucky to have you! ❤️🐾

☀️🎉 SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION IS OPEN! 🎉☀️

Get ready for a summer full of fun, learning, and adventure! Our ELC Summer Camp runs June 2 – July 31, 2026 (Monday–Friday) and is open to elementary and K-8 students.

📅 Registration opens TODAY at 8:00 a.m.!
🚨 Spots are limited and fill up FAST—don’t wait!

✨ What to know:
✔️ Safe, engaging environment led by trained staff
✔️ Fun-filled days with learning opportunities built in
✔️ Multiple convenient school sites available

💲 Registration Fee: $30 per student
💲 Weekly Fee: $132 per student
💡 Discounts and financial assistance may be available!

👉 Secure your child’s spot now: https://forms.gle/fzYCks3NLntE9qjo7

Let’s make this a summer to remember! 🌈☀️ #SummerCamp #ELC #LakeCountySchools

🐾 The April Edition of the Bullpup Bark is here! 🐾

Take a few minutes to check out all the exciting things happening at our school! From classroom updates and celebrations to important reminders and upcoming events, this issue is packed with great information for our Bullpup families.

Be sure to read about how our students are working hard as we head into testing season, along with all the fun activities happening across campus this month!

📖 Click the link below to read the April Bullpup Bark:
https://canva.link/cn0k3eubzev310w

Thank you for staying connected and supporting our Bullpup community! ❤️🖤

Florida Prepaid's annual Open Enrollment period is underway, offering families an opportunity to lock in future college costs at today's plan prices. The earlier you begin saving, the greater the long-term benefit. Take advantage of these improvements and secure your child's future today with a Florida Prepaid 529 Plan. Enroll now at https://bit.ly/4q2cpCD .

Florida Prepaid's annual Open Enrollment period is underway, offering families an opportunity to lock in future college costs at today's plan prices. The earlier you begin saving, the greater the long-term benefit. Take advantage of these improvements and secure your child's future today with a Florida Prepaid 529 Plan. Enroll now at https://bit.ly/4q2cpCD .

April is the Month of the Military Family in Florida! The Month of the Military Family provides communities with an opportunity to honor and share gratitude for the service of military children. This year, we invite you to “Purple Up!” on April 15, 2026, by wearing purple as a visible way to show support and thank military children. Purple was chosen because it is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military. It is a combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine Corps red, Space Force blue and Navy blue. Students and staff in schools across Florida are encouraged to participate in this celebration of the courage of military families and to honor their hard work.

📣 Help Us Spread the Word Nationwide!

The Tavares High School Best Buddies/Unified Special Olympics club is hosting a fundraiser with Panda Express, and we need YOUR help to make it a success!

💛 This fundraiser supports events that honor and celebrate our athletes, unified partners, buddies, and peer buddies—and every order makes a difference!

🗓 Tuesday, March 24 – ALL DAY
💻 Online/App Orders Only
📲 Use code 9013671 in the fundraiser box at checkout
🌎 Works at ANY Panda Express nationwide!

🎉 We will receive 28% of all sales when the code is used!

📢 Here’s how you can help:
✔️ Save this post/photo
✔️ Text it to family & friends
✔️ Share it on your page

The more people who use the code, the bigger the impact—no matter where they live in the USA!

Thank you for supporting our THS Best Buddies/Unified Special Olympics club and and helping us celebrate inclusion and friendship! 💙

Mark your calendars! On March 25, all students will have the exciting opportunity to vote for their favorite Sunshine State Young Readers Award Jr. book for the state of Florida during the school day!

Thanks to our local elections office, students will experience a real voting environment with 40 official voting booths and 2 ballot counting machines—just like a real election. We’re proud to give our students a chance to make their voices heard while bringing reading and civics to life! 🗳️📚

We’re so grateful to all the families who supported our Spring Book Fair! Your purchases help fund exciting author visits and new books for our students—thank you for helping us inspire a love of reading in our school community. 📚✨

We had a blast celebrating our 3rd Quarter PBIS Party today! 🎉 Our Bullpups enjoyed playing Kids Bop Bingo and celebrating all the positive choices they make each day at school. We are so proud of the students who consistently demonstrate our Bullpup values—being Positive, Accepting, Well-Mannered, and Successful. Their hard work and great behavior help make our school a wonderful place to learn and grow! Take a look at a few highlights from our celebration below. 📸 Keep up the great work, Bullpups!

🍎 Help Us Celebrate Our Incredible Teachers!

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up, and we would love your help blessing our amazing teachers who pour so much into our students every single day. 💙

If you or your business would like to contribute, donations of any kind are greatly appreciated and will help us make this week extra special for them.

For convenience, we’ve created an Amazon Wish List, but truly anything is welcome and appreciated!

🎁 View the wish list here:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19K075MUJYVU?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwY2xjawQX5KJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFVR1ZYakRSVndNVmpDekVyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhxWmrB3gcj8jVx-L58YhJQ4BPXR8iZCpi3jyVt4y6P7kEBJhWvvSZw1TTsa_aem_zFn6AZLL72NIYENsOovIIA

Thank you for helping us show our teachers how valued and appreciated they truly are! ✨

🎲 What a Night at TES Family Game Night!

Thank you to all of the families who joined us for our first ever TES Family Game Night! It was so much fun seeing families unplug from technology, sit down together, and enjoy a night full of laughter, conversation, and friendly competition.

A special shout-out to LifePointe Church for generously providing dinner and drinks for our families. Because of their support, families were able to simply relax and focus on what mattered most—spending time together and making memories.

From classic board games that brought parents right back to their childhood, to a few surprising moments where parents actually beat their kiddos (much to the kids’ shock 😄), the night was filled with smiles and great memories.

If you missed it… we definitely missed you! We can’t wait to do it again. 💙

📣 Calling All 3rd & 5th Grade Families!

Join us for an important Parent Information Night to learn what’s ahead for your child this year!

📅 Thursday, March 12, 2026
⏰ 5:30 PM
📍 School Cafeteria

🍝 Dinner provided by Luigi's Italian Restaurant!

3rd Grade: FAST testing, promotion & retention, and how to support your child.
5th Grade: FAST testing, graduation, fundraising, end-of-year activities & more.

📄 Flyers were sent home this week. Please RSVP by Monday, March 9 so we can plan accordingly.

✅ Get the information you need
✅ Ask questions
✅ Stay connected

We hope to see all 3rd & 5th grade families there!