Letter from Dr. Bianco

Dear Lower School Families,

Our Shorecrest parents have put so much time and hard work into making Electric Fall Festival a special night for our community. What makes it genuinely meaningful is seeing our children and their families coming together for some fun. Electric Fall Festival is this Saturday, November 14 from 5-8pm. This family-friendly, glow-themed gathering on campus features food trucks, games, raffles, and more! Ticket prices are $20 each. 

Conferences

Mark your calendars: there is no school on Wednesday due to Parent and Teacher Conferences. 

Parent Support Series, Session 2: Navigating Technology Together 

Next week please join Dr. Mauri Lung for her second session. Using “Goodnight Screen” as a springboard, this session tackles one of the most common sources of household tension: screens. You will get a grounded look at how screen time affects attention, sleep, and connection, along with practical language for setting limits without triggering power struggles. The guided activity gives you a chance to practice these conversations before trying them at home, and the take-home challenge invites the whole family to experiment with a tech-free ritual together. Save the date – November 18 at 8:15am in the Ohana Community Room on the 2nd floor of Charger Commons.  

Fourth Grade Show

Our fourth grade students are very excited to present their show, "Welcome to Florida!" This year's performance, taking place in the Janet Root Theatre, was inspired by the fourth grade inquiry-based study of immigration and the development of Florida. Ms. Rose has written an original script and chosen specific songs to bring the children’s learning to life. Mark your calendars for the performances, which start at 8:30am: Thursday, November 19 performance for the ES and LS students; Friday, November 20 performance for families. While Friday is the designated family performance, if you are unable to attend, you are welcome to join us on Thursday morning (we ask that you sit in the back). We look forward to sharing this special presentation with you! Remember, all food and drinks, including water, need to remain outside the theater.

Let Grow – Third Grade Adventure Day

Upcoming Field Experiences

First Grade: Old McMickeys Farm. November 17 and 18
Second Grade: Museum of Fine Arts, November 19 

Kind Mouse Food Drive

There are over four hundred ES and LS students. If we all brought in one item each week, we could make a difference. Let’s help our local community. Please have your children contribute to our food drive. We are collecting the following: 

Fourth grade -- Jars of baby food for the Mouse Babies distribution.
Third grade -- Vienna sausages, single-serving pasta, tuna pouches or Beanee Weenees.
Second grade -- Pudding cups, jello cups and single-serve peanut butter cups.
First grade -- Granola bars, protein bars, and cracker packs (such as Lance).
Kindergarten -- Fruit snacks and individual size cereal.

Thank you student council members for leading our Kind Mouse Food Drive.

Yearbook Photo Retakes

Tuesday, November 10

Families should have received a link to view photos directly from Mr. KamraMan, the yearbook photographer. Purchases may be made online. 

Every once in a while photographs from Picture Day do not come out well or students are absent on picture day. We will have picture retakes on Tuesday, November 10. A registration link for retakes was sent directly from Mr. KamraMan via email. You may also register for retakes here. 

• Don't worry about the time slot, teachers will know who to send and when, based on class schedules

• If your student was absent they will be registered to be photographed on retake day automatically

Read Schoology

Each 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. Schoology Learning

From the Handbook: 

Lunch Visits & Visitor Sign-Out: Parents and approved family members are welcome to join their children for lunch. To maintain campus safety and regular school routines, all visitors must sign in. After lunch they are required to leave and to verbally sign out following the student's designated lunch period.

Recess, Classroom, and Field Experience Access: To ensure a secure environment and foster student independence, unannounced drop-in visits to classrooms, recess, or field experiences are prohibited. Visitors are not permitted to remain on or around the playground during recess, observe students at play, or intervene in student interactions. They also are not allowed to take photographs or film students. Recess is a dedicated period for students to socialize under the sole supervision of school staff.

Parents may not drop in to classrooms, field experiences or outdoor activities. Any classroom visits, volunteer activities, or field experience participation must be scheduled in advance and approved by the administration and teaching staff. This is for the privacy and safety of all of the children.

Daily Snack Time Expectations: Daily snack time is structured as a quick 5-10 minute energy boost within the instructional schedule.

Winter Clubs - Last Day for Registration

The Winter Club Catalog is available. Browse the offerings and see what your child will enjoy after school!

• Monday, November 9 at 6pm: Club registration closes

• Week of November 16: Winter clubs begin

For club policies, dismissal procedures, frequently asked questions, and the full three-season registration calendar, please visit: 

• After School Clubs Policies & FAQs

• 2026–2027 Clubs Calendar

Final Thoughts

How do children learn civic engagement and generosity? We encourage our students to participate in community service so they can build empathy and recognize that they have the power to make a real difference. Of course these values start at home and are then nurtured across our schools and communities.

Donating to The Kind Mouse is a wonderful, hands-on way to teach our children about giving to others. This is our last full week of the food drive, with Monday, November 22 serving as our final collection day.

A heartfelt thank-you to all the families who have brought in food so far. Our Upper School student leaders running the drive were truly inspired by the overwhelming generosity of our Lower School families.

There is a lot to do before we part for Thanksgiving break. Our goal is to keep the children focused, engaged and learning until we break. 

With appreciation,

Lisa 

Dr. Lisa Bianco

Head of Lower School

lbianco@shorecrest.org  

727-456-7518

Mark Your Calendars - 

November 9:  Winter Clubs Registration Last Day 

November 10: Yearbook photo retake day (Grades A-11)

November 11: Conference Day, no classes

November 20: 4th grade performance for families

November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break, School Closed

Chargers Post-Season Play

On Thursday, November 12, the Chargers Cross Country boys team will compete in the Regional meet starting at 8:35am. The team will meet at 2402 Holloway Park Drive, Lakeland, FL 33803. Spectators should drive to 3050 Lakeland Highlands Road. Meet Information

Admission is $12. Parking is included in the ticket fee. Tickets may be purchased here. There will not be live streaming.

On Friday, November 13, the Chargers Swim team will compete in the State Championships starting at 9am at FAST - Florida Aquatics Swimming & Diving - 4635 SW 67th Ave, Ocala, FL 34474. Meet Information.

Admission is $14 for advance purchase and $17 on the day of the event. Tickets may be purchased at GoFan. Parking is included in the ticket fee. Gates open 60 min prior to each event.

Live streaming on NFHS

Community Committee on Inclusion

Please join us for a Community Committee on Inclusion meeting (formerly Community Committee on Diversity) on Wednesday, November 18 from 3:30-4:30pm in the Ohana Community Room, on the 2nd floor of Charger Commons. This group is open to all community members who are interested in learning more about and being a part of the diversity efforts at Shorecrest. It is also a forum for complex and engaging conversations around timely topics related to diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

Financial Aid for the 2027-2028 School Year

Applications open November 1, 2026 - January 31, 2027

The Financial Aid portal for the 2027-2028 school year opens November 1, 2026. 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 2027-2028 school year is January 31, 2027. 

All-School Calendar

Lower School Contacts