Tynes Tiger Families,

I want to start with a BIG thank you to everyone for a wonderful first week of school in Tiger Country.

I would like to offer a personal welcome to all of our new Tynes Tigers and their families. We are eager to meet you and have you as a part of our school community. If you are new to Tynes, this weekly newsletter will arrive in your inbox every Saturday morning, and it is filled with important messages from school administration and information on schoolwide events and policies. Grade and classroom specific information will be messaged predominantly from the classroom teachers, so if you have not already done so, sign up for your Apptegy account today. Details can be found below.

If you have already set up your Apptegy account and you need support,  families can visit this webpage for assistance with questions regarding Apptegy - OneClay App, Rooms, and Messages: oneclay.net/app

The safety of your children is a top priority for us, and it starts with getting your students to and from school safely. This is a reminder that if you wish to CHANGE how your student is going home, we need written correspondence from you. Email or Rooms message is fine!

If your child is absent from school due to illness or medical/dental appointments, please remember to send an email to the homeroom teacher so that the absence may be excused.

The cell phone/electronic device policy for Clay County District Schools aligns with state statute. The rule is from bell to bell electronic devices are powered off and put away out of sight.

If you need help or have additional questions, you may contact our front office at (904)336-3850. Monday-Friday 7:30 am-3:30 pm.

Thanks again for your ongoing support!

Sarah Brennan, Principal

Nakia Christopher, Assistant Principal

Raymond Schaefer, Assistant Principal

If you are new to Florida or new to Clay County, I want to share some information about beginning of the year assessments with you. Our VPK-6th graders take the FAST (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking) in reading and math three times each year, with the first assessment window as follows:

Kindergarten 9/16 & 9/18

1st Grade 9/3 - 9/4

2nd Grade 8/26 - 8/27

3rd Grade 9/16 & 9/18

4th Grade 9/3 - 9/4

5th Grade 8/26 - 8/27

6th Grade 9/9 - 9/10

You can find more information about the content and format of the FAST assessments at the Florida Department of Education website.

In addition to the FAST beginning of year assessment, the district also has some diagnostic tools for reading, math, and science that are specific to the various grades. Diagnostic student data is used by classroom teachers to make decisions about how to create small groups and how to prioritize instruction for your children.

Food Services

In order to receive free or reduced meals, parents will need to complete a new free and reduced application for the 2025-2026 school year. The reduced price for lunch is $.40 and breakfast is $.30. Elementary lunch prices are $2.75 and secondary meal prices are $3.00. Breakfast is $1.75 for all grade levels. Please visit your schools website for free and reduced applications and to see if your child's school will be participating in the Community Eligibility Provision. 

September 22nd is the last day to eat on last years free/reduced status! Unless your student is attending a CEP school, a new free and reduced application will need to be submitted. Access to online and paper applications can be found here. 

See updated information regarding 2025-2026 school meals by clicking on the FNS Back to School Newsletter here.

Money can be loaded through setting up an account on https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain?requestAction=home

There is also an option to have auto pay enabled, so you don't have to worry about putting money in every week!

On behalf of the school counseling department, please allow us to welcome all families to the 2025-2026 school year!  Mr. Wright, Mrs. Ceragioli, and Mrs. Payne are honored to serve your students.  As part of the new OneClay Culture initiative, which includes character education and resiliency supports, we'd like to share that the culture characteristic for August and September is Community.  This characteristic includes the topics citizenship, empathy/kindness, gratitude, and bullying prevention.  These topics will also serve as the focus of guidance lessons for these months school-wide in classrooms from starting with Kindergarten and rising in each grade level up through sixth grade.  Included below are links to parent resources that can be used to discuss these skills around the dinner table with your students.  There are countless ways that your family helps the neighborhood and community, so feel free to use these examples with your kids to share what you are already doing to help others!

OCC Aug-Sep Newsletter digital version

"You cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening your own."  - Ben Sweetland

Welcome back for the 2025/2026 school year, I hope everyone had a great summer and the kids were able to do a lot of cool things.

As we get started, I am sure you have seen how busy the Sheriff’s Office has been this week with numerous schools on a secure lockdown which resulted in very good conclusions. So, please speak with your students and remind them things they put on social media which could cause them serious consequences because once you hit the send button you can’t bring it back, this includes on campus or off campus.

The first day was crazy with traffic which we expect every year, and this one was no different. Everyone who works dismissal has been working hard to make it better from the first day to now, time has gone from almost an hour and a half to just over 20 minutes. This is a big win and we will continue to get better as the days go on so, a great big KUDOS to those teachers who work dismissal.

Please remember DO NOT drop your students off in the bus loop or from Tynes Blvd to walk to the walker gate for one, it is for their safety and there is no supervision at this location until 8:05 a.m...

When picking up your student(s) please have your color card with their name on it on the dash so the dismissal folks can see it and call out their names.

Be mindful of the school zone lights, they go from 7:35 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and in the afternoon 2:27 p.m. to 3:32 p.m. remember speeding tickets are doubled in an active school zone.

I look forward to a great and safe school year.

Deputy Curry

If your child needs medication administered during the school day, an adult must bring the medication to school, along with the necessary paperwork. If you need assistance with that, feel free to stop by the office and we will gladly help get that completed. Medication must be in the original bottle with the prescription label. Students cannot transport prescription medication to school. If your child's doctor wishes him or her to self carry (inhaler or epipen) there is still paperwork that must be completed and on file at the clinic. Nurse Katie welcomes all questions you may have about your child's medication or overall health.

Join Tynes Tigers Chorus!

If your child is a 4th-6th grader who loves to sing, they are invited to join the Tynes Tigers Chorus for Fall 2024! If they are interested, here are some things you need to know:

• Rehearsals are every Tuesday from 7:15-8:05am beginning September 3rd. Students must attend most rehearsals to be able to sing at our performances.

• There are currently three performance opportunities: November 8th (Veterans Day Celebration), December 11th  (Tynes Fine Arts Showcase), and December 13th (Cocoa and Carols, which is a Clay County community event at Moosehaven Retirement Community). The first two are required events, and the third is highly recommended so that your child can show off all their hard work!

• There is a $15 chorus fee that covers music and materials for performances, as well as a chorus t-shirt. This will be collected via MySchoolBucks, and the link will be sent after you register your child for chorus.

There is a 55 student cap on chorus students this year due to space and safety concerns, so make sure to sign your child up early! If you are interested, please fill out this Google form:https://forms.gle/eP1v6RYUANARVCqS8. These are due on Tuesday, August 27th. If you have any questions, please contact Megan Hines (TES Music Teacher) atmegan.hines@myoneclay.net!

Girls on the Run is NOW at Tynes Elementary!

Registration starts this MONDAY, and it's first come, first serve. We will have TWO awesome teams and SEVEN awesome teacher coaches! Team 1: 3rd-5th Grade Team 2: 6th Grade Registration is August 18th - September 5th Practice starts on September 15th Practice is Mondays + Tuesdays after school until 4:30 What do Girls on the Run participants take with them long after the season ends? Lifelong skills and unstoppable confidence! 🎉Girls participate in fun lessons to learn how to handle big feelings, solve problems, help others, and make confident choices. In fact, 97% of participants say they still use what they learned at GOTR! We want you to be a part of the fun, the friendships, and the growth. Fall registration opens August 18, 2025! 💖👟Go to www.gotrnefl.org to learn more.