Semmes
Elementary School
Military Family Resources
Military Point of Contact
Susan Sanders, Principal
Caroline Carithers, Assistant Principal
Enrollment Services
New to the area? Have questions about registering your child for school, or what documentation is needed for registration? Click here to visit our ECPS Enrollment Services department for this information, as well as the current Student Progression Plans.
Transition Planning
We make every effort to help families feel comfortable and supported when joining OJ Semmes. New students receive a backpack filled with school supplies and are personally welcomed by a member of our office team, who helps them find their classroom. Once there, students are introduced to their teacher and new classmates.
Members of our Kindness Club also play an important role in welcoming newcomers. Student ambassadors provide a small welcome gift, show students around the building, and share information to help them become familiar with their new school. In addition, our school counselor checks in with each new student to see how they are adjusting and to offer support as needed. Students can meet with the counselor at any time if they experience social or emotional challenges related to their transition.
Our goal is to create a warm, welcoming environment and make the adjustment to OJ Semmes as comfortable and positive as possible.
Academic Planning
Our front office and administrative staff are available to support families and their students with academic planning and the processing of student records. We are committed to addressing each student’s individual academic needs and making their success a priority.
To help parents and students navigate both grades and records, Escambia County Public Schools (ECPS) uses FOCUS Parent Portal. This program is a service that provides parents and guardians with access to specific student records. It allows parents to monitor assignments, view report cards, communicate easily with their child's teachers, and stay informed about district news. The FOCUS parent portal provides school information for all their enrolled children in one location. FOCUS may be accessed via the District website or a downloadable online application.
Please visit FOCUS Parent Resources for more information.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!
Exceptional Student Education
OJ Semmes provides a range of educational supports for students who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including both inclusive and resource learning options. Certified Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teachers and trained paraprofessionals work with students to provide instruction tailored to their individual needs, along with appropriate accommodations and instructional modifications.
Additional support services may be provided based on each student’s IEP and can include adaptive physical education, speech and language services, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. For students who require a more specialized learning environment, OJ Semmes also offers a self-contained classroom serving students with varying exceptionalities.
In addition to these services, our school provides educational opportunities and support for students who are identified as academically talented or gifted.
Click to visit the ECPS Exceptional Student Education department.
Sondra Hill, Program Director
shill@ecsdfl.us • 850-429-2977
Resources
The Joint Military Council for Education Excellence was established as a partnership between the Escambia County School District and Naval Air Station Pensacola in the Spring of 2020. Its mission is: Improving educational services and communication between the Escambia County School District and military families.
The Military Council convenes quarterly to address topics of mutual interest and to solicit input from community stakeholders, including military families.
NAS Pensacola Fleet &Family Support Center
Military One Source connects you to programs, services and products developed for military life. Turn to Military OneSource for tax services, spouse employment help, webinars and online training, relocation and deployment tools, and much more.
Military One Source also has a link to a tutoring service designed specifically for military students.
Military Child Education Coalition
The Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission has a specific section for parents with resources detailing the role of the School Liaison as well as helpful articles on helping military children change schools and cope with moving, among others. They also have a section on supporting military families with special medical or educational needs.
The ASVAB CEP offers students a chance to explore all paths to careers - college, certifications, apprenticeships, licensure programs, and the Military - in one place. Contact your school counselor to find out when the ASVAB CEP is coming to your school.
Student to Student Peer Group
At OJ Semmes, we value each student and want them to learn both in class but also from each other. Our Kindness Club helps students build valuable life skills while creating a welcoming and supportive school community. Through service projects, peer activities, and acts of kindness, students develop empathy, communication, leadership, teamwork, responsibility, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills. Members learn how small actions can make a meaningful difference and gain confidence in becoming positive role models and caring members of their school community.
Lunch Bunch is another way our students and our school counselor work together to encourage positive relationships and strengthen our school community. These small, informal lunch groups provide students with an opportunity to connect with peers in a welcoming and supportive environment while enjoying lunch together. With guidance from our school counselor, students can practice important social skills such as communication, active listening, cooperation, empathy, and conflict resolution. Lunch Bunch also gives students the opportunity to meet classmates they may not typically interact with, develop new friendships, and build confidence in social situations.These groups can be especially helpful for students who are new to the school, looking to expand their peer connections, or benefiting from additional opportunities to practice positive social interactions.
Reading Buddies happen across our campus throughout the year. Teachers have students work with their peers on finding books to read to younger students. The peer groups visit the younger classrooms and read to the younger students as well as help them learn how to take Accelerated Reader quizzes. Then the younger students will read to the older peer team. This wonderful partnership creates an opportunity for our students to learn from each other across grade levels and builds a strong sense of community across our campus.
Military Recognition Events
- Veterans Day Wall of Honor: Students are given the opportunity to decorate a star to recognize a special veteran. Stars are displayed on campus throughout the month of November along with pictures of family members who are currently serving or who served in the past.
- Valentines for Vets: Students are given the opportunity to create a Valentine card to send to our veterans. Cards are created in January and then delivered to veterans for February 14th.
- Purple Up Day, April 15th: Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to wear purple in honor of our military students and families. Students lead the news show this week and share things about being part of a military family. Military parents are invited to have lunch during this special day at school!
Additional Resources for Educational Opportunities
- STEM Showdown: students work as teams to compete using their skills in both Science and Math.
- After School Tutoring: tutoring is offered throughout the year in both Reading and Math.
- Healthy Schools and Tee's House offer opportunities for students to learn about the plant cycle and the sustainability of growing food in gardens.
- University of Florida offers "Kids in the Kitchen" with our PE coach in helping students learn to make healthy choices in their own kitchens day.
- Family Nights in October, April and May to promote the love of learning in Math, Reading and Science.
- Schoolwide PBIS incentives throughout the school year!
School-Based Mental Health Resources
- Guidance Counseling
- Referral to school-based Lakeview Overlay Counseling
- Navigator Social Work services (assistance with needs such as clothing, counseling, dental, food, medical, transportation, shelter, utilities)
Military Family Life Counselor Contact
The MFLC Locator on the Military One Source website is the best way for families to identify a MFLC if they do not have one at their school. The Locator will show available MFLCs attached to the installations and various commands as well as the CDCs and Youth Centers on the base.
About the Military & Family Life Counseling (MFLC) Program
Semmes Elementary School is honored to offer non-medical counseling to our military-connected students. MFLCs support military families through the unique challenges of military life, including cycles of deployment and reintegration, by providing non-medical, short-term counseling. Through a partnership between the school district, the installation and the office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, counselors will be assigned to various schools during the school year.
What is the counselor’s role in the school?
MFLCs provide consultation, training, and educational presentations/workshops to program faculty, staff, parents, and children. MFLC support augments services already in place at each school. Counselors take part in everyday school activities and events. They are available to support in areas related to deployment and reintegration; family dynamics; positive coping mechanisms; staff support and education; parent education and stress reduction. Counselors are also available to facilitate groups and trainings to build leadership skills; manage anger; build self-esteem and confidence and strengthen communication.
How are counselors selected?
Counselors are selected for their demonstrated expertise and training and are under the management of the office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy. Counselors hold a master’s or doctoral degree, are independently licensed and have experience working with children and youth. Counselors go through rigorous background checks before being placed in schools.
Why are the counselors in certain schools and not others?
Schools were selected by the Service Branch to receive MFLCs based on the number of military connected students attending each school. Military families who have students in schools without counselors can typically receive the same support through the installation’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department, Fleet and Family Services or the A&FRC.
Do counselors keep records about students and families?
No. Services provided by counselors are private and confidential with the exception of mandatory federal and military reporting requirements (i.e., child abuse, domestic violence and other life-threatening situations). No counseling records are maintained.
The Dandelion
The official flower of the military child is the dandelion. Why?
The plant puts down roots almost anywhere, and it's almost impossible to destroy. It's an unpretentious plant, yet good looking. It's a survivor in a broad range of climates.
Military children bloom everywhere the winds carry them. They are hardy and upright. Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the military, planted swiftly and surely. They're ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new adventures, new lands, and new friends.
Experts say military children are well-rounded, culturally aware, tolerant, and extremely resilient. Military children have learned from an early age that home is where their hearts are, that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world, and that education doesn't only come from school. They live history. They learn that to survive means to adapt, that the door that closes one chapter of their life opens up to a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and new experiences.
(Military Child Education Coalition, 2017).