Lower School Town Crier

LOWER SCHOOL

2025-2026

Lower School Town Crier - January 5, 2026

Letter from Dr. Bianco

Dear Lower School Families,

Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope the holiday season provided a peaceful pause and plenty of joy for your family. We are all excited to be back with the children. We all have so much to look forward to.

Raising Financially Fit Kids - Friday, January 9

Shorecrest is pleased to welcome Joline Godfrey, a nationally recognized leader in family financial education, for a special parent education session. This RRI program is open to the Shorecrest adult community, with content most relevant for parents of children from infancy through sixth grade. Join us in the Ohana room after the LS Town Meeting, January 9 at 9am.

Raising Mentally Strong Kids Book Discussion - Thursday, January 15

Final Discussion Reminder: We will be wrapping up our book, “Raising Mentally Strong Kids,” this Thursday, January 15, at 8:10am. Please be prepared to discuss Chapters 7–9. We look forward to hearing your insights, questions, and any personal takeaways you’d like to share.

New Book, "The Amazing Generation"

Join Gayle King in conversation with Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price on their new book, “The Amazing Generation.” Click here to register for a virtual book talk on January 7 at 6pm.

Schoology

Remember to week read your child’s teachers’ pages on Schoology to learn about what’s happening in the classroom. Read the Specialists' pages as well: Art, Music, STEAM, PE, Spanish, SEL and Library.

Final Thoughts…

January often marks one of the best chapters of our school year.

There’s something very special about seeing the children return with renewed energy, grounded and ready to embrace the routines we’ve built together. We are eager to continue our journey with the children and take them to new levels of learning and provide meaningful educational hands-on learning experiences. Here’s to continued growth and enjoying the daily journey!

My prayer, goal, and commitment is always to lead with compassion and curiosity. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to meet in the near future.

Welcome to all of our new families to Shorecrest. We are so happy to have you join our Shorecrest community.

With great appreciation,

Lisa

Dr. Lisa Bianco

Head of Lower School

lbianco@shorecrest.org

727-456-7518

Mark Your Calendars -

Friday, January 9
Raising Financially Fit Kids: A Parent Education Morning with Joline Godfrey
Shorecrest Spirit Night

Thursday, January 15
Wrapping up our discussion of “Raising Mentally Strong Kids” at 8:10am

Friday, January 16
Charger Chat with Nancy Spencer

Monday, January 19
MLK Day of Service (NO SCHOOL)

Thursday, February 5
Third Grade Show for LS
Fourth Grade Campout Overnight
International Festival

Friday, February 6
Third Grade Show for Families
Shorecrest Movie Night

Friday, February 13
School Closed / Professional Development for Faculty

Monday, February 16
Presidents Day (NO SCHOOL)

Wednesday, February 18
Conference Day (NO SCHOOL Alpha-Grade 8)

ALL SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2026-2027 General Calendar Published

The general calendar for the 2026-2027 school year is now published:

2026-2027 General Calendar

RSVP Your Attendance

Raising Financially Fit Kids: A Parent Education Morning with Joline Godfrey

Presented by Hancock Whitney Bank

Friday, January 9

9am | Ohana Room

Shorecrest is pleased to welcome Joline Godfrey, a nationally recognized leader in family financial education, for a special parent education session on Friday, January 9, 2026, at 9am.

Joline Godfrey is the founder of Bounce10™, an innovation that makes financial parenting the secret sauce of financial education. Bounce10 gives families and industry leaders unique tools and support to make a meaningful transfer of values and legacy—not just financial assets.

Her launch of FISH™ tools - financial, intellectual, social and human capital - helps families shift from a mindset of scarcity prevention to abundance management. Her introduction of MoneyScore™ gives children a metric; a tool of their own which changes the way families discuss money within the family system. [View the MoneyScore Quick Check Worksheet]

This Ross Roeder Institute program is open to the entire Shorecrest parent community, with content most relevant for parents of children from infancy through sixth grade. Expectant parents, prospective families and alumni are also encouraged to attend.

Shorecrest Spirit Night!

Friday, January 9

Starting at 4:30pm | Athletic Center + Haskell Field

Join us for Shorecrest Spirit Night on Friday, January 9, 2026, with giveaways, food trucks, a bounce house, and photos with Sparky the Lightning Bolt. Kick off the new year as a community cheering on our Girls Varsity Chargers soccer and basketball teams!

Festivities begin at 4:30pm.
Girls Varsity Soccer starts at 5pm.
Girls Varsity Basketball starts at 6pm.
Halftime Competition during the basketball game sponsored by SPOCS Orthodontics starts around 6:45pm.

Don't miss the fun!

Shorecrest College Counseling Showcase

Tuesday, January 13

6pm | Virtual via Webex

All Shorecrest families are invited to the College Counseling Showcase on Tuesday, January 13 at 6pm.

During this virtual event you will hear from members of the College Counseling Office, college admissions representatives, and current Shorecrest students about the benefits of Shorecrest's comprehensive 4+ year college counseling program.

The presentation will highlight the current college admissions landscape and the process Shorecrest’s College Counseling Office utilizes to advise and guide students during the college search and admission process.

Join the Virtual Event

Charger Chat with Nancy Spencer

Friday, January 16

8:30am | Raymund Center

A monthly series of casual chats with Head of School Nancy Spencer. Held immediately following Lower School Town Meeting (roughly 8:30am) in the Raymund Center.

MLK Day of Service

Monday, January 19

No School for Students

The Shorecrest Black Student Union (BSU) asks you to save the date for the MLK Dream Big Parade on Monday, January 19.

More details to come.

Dads Night Out Upcoming Events

Thursday, January 29, 7:30pm at Whiskey Exchange, 540 Central Ave, St. Pete. This has become a favorite spot for the Dad's Night Out based on turnout. (They have more than just whiskey.)

Thursday, February 19, 7:30pm Dads Night Poker Tournament at Win! Derby Poker Room 10490 Gandy Blvd N., St. Pete. This is always a fun night and we raise money for the School while having a pretty good prize pool.

Cash only $80 buy-in at the cage - just tell them you are there for the Shorecrest Tournament
Rebuys until ~8:45pm to allow for more fun-raising
Derby Lane bar will be open before and after with tableside service
Please arrive a few minutes early so we can shuffle up and deal at 7:30

Inspire the Next Generation at Shorecrest Career Day!

We invite current Shorecrest families, alumni, and valued community friends to share their professional journey as a presenter at Shorecrest Career Day. This is a wonderful opportunity to provide in-person (and virtual) mentorship to our Upper School students by hosting a 45- minute breakout session on your career path, industry insights and universal skills (like work ethic and tenacity) that lead to success.

Career Day is on Monday, April 13, from 8:30 - 3:30pm at Shorecrest

If you are interested in inspiring students and sharing your experience, please express your interest by completing a Speaker Interest Form.

DEADLINES & REMINDERS

Financial Aid for the 2026-2027 School Year - DEADLINE APPROACHING

The Financial Aid portal for the 2026-2027 school year is now open. Past recipients who wish to continue receiving financial aid must reapply annually. All families interested in receiving financial aid must submit an application through FACTS, the external tool used by Shorecrest and many independent schools to determine need.

The application fee is $45 and supporting documentation is required including past year's W2s and tax returns. The application also includes a place to share your family's extenuating circumstances confidentially with the Financial Aid Committee. The deadline to apply for aid for the 2026-2027 school year is January 31, 2026.

Apply Now for 2026-2027 Financial Aid

New Student Applications to Shorecrest

Families who have students they wish to send to Shorecrest for the 2026-2027 school year who are not currently enrolled (e.g. younger siblings) now is the time to apply. The application deadline is February 1, in order to be considered for the first round of admissions decisions.

The re-enrollment process for students who are currently enrolled to commit to returning for the 2026-2027 school year is in February.

Apply Now

SCHOOL STORE HOURS

Shop the School Store for Shorecrest spiritwear, gifts, snacks, drinks and more!

Mon-Thurs 11:00am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm

Upcoming Special Event Hours -

January 9 - Spirit Night School Store Pop Up in the Athletic Center!
February 6 - Open for Movie Night
February 18 - Open 8:30am-4:30pm for Conference Day

Credit cards, checks, and Apple Pay accepted (sorry, no cash or SAGE accounts). Students under grade 9 must have parent/guardian present to purchase during the school day.