DeSoto's Data (As of Wednesday, 10/29/25) |
90% attendance as of 10/29/25 means 5 or less absences out of 57 possible days for the school year. |
Congratulations to 3rd and 5th grade for increasing the % of students not classified as chronically absent! Congratulations to 4th and 5th grade for rocking our attendance goal! |
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By the end of the 2025–2026 school year, DeSoto will increase student attendance so that at least 85% of students are not classified as chronically absent.
Criteria: Student must attend 90% or more of enrolled school days.
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Attendance - Every Day Matters! |
Congratulations to Ms. Alvarez's fourth grade homeroom for winning the attendance trophy for September with an average daily attendance rate of 97%! |
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Blaze the Bell Beater was at DeSoto in October! Each child who was present and on time that day received a prize and their names were entered into a drawing. Congratulations to Ezequiel B.'s family, who won the drawing and will receive a gift card!
Can't wait to see which DeSoto family wins our drawing in November when Blaze returns!
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Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) |
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DeSoto's Data (Quarter 2, as of 10/29/25) |
Congratulations to 5th grade for awarding the most points!
Did you know that you can help your child earn 2 PBIS points per day just for arriving to school on time?
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House Points (Quarter 2, as of 10/29/25) |
House of Talon (Blue): 4,000
House of Ryuu (Green): 3,975
House of Ember (Red): 4,619
House of Drago (Black): 3,687
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Which House will earn the most points at the end of Quarter 2 to participate in our next House Celebration? |
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Congratulations to House of Talon (Blue) who earned the Quarter 1 PBIS Celebration for having the most points! |
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House Board - We Are Connected |
Shout out to Ms. Bernal for creating a positive House Board demonstrating how we are connected!
Friendship is a quiet strength, a courageous spirit and the unshakable confidence that you are never alone.
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7 Mindsets - We Are Connected! |
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Congratulations to the Terrific Kids who embodied the Everything is Possible Mindset! We are so proud of our Dragons: Fernanda, Xzilus, Ja'Lena, Ra'miyah, Allison, Bryan, Liam, Carlotta, Athena, Axel, Elijah, Andrea, Diego, and Allison! |
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We are so proud of our DeSoto Dragon, Melina, for being the only student schoolwide to earn principal's honor roll for the first quarter! |
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Principal's Honor Roll: All A's or E's in Academics, no behavior indicators
Honor Roll: All A/B or E/S in Academics, no more than 1 behavior indicator
Citizenship: No N's in behavior indicators
Progress (Q2-Q4 only): Best effort/progress in any area (teacher discretion)
Outstanding Attendance: 1-2 absences and 5 or less tardies for the quarter
Perfect Attendance: No absences and 5 or less tardies for the quarter
Distinguished Dragon: Principal's Honor Roll OR Honor Roll, Citizenship, AND either Attendance award
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Quarter 1 Attendance Shout Outs |
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25% of our students earned Perfect Attendance (100% attendance rate)! |
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34% of our students earned Outstanding Attendance (95%-99% attendance rate)! |
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81% of our students were not classified as chronically absent (90% or greater attendance rate)! |
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DeSoto's Intermediate Spooky STEAM Night |
Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers hosted a family event allowing families of intermediate students to explore Math and Science content in a fun way. The three activities included spider parachutes, candy pumpkin catapult, and slime. Families also engaged in self-directed activities using the K-5 Bridge to Vocabulary terms previously reviewed. Special thank you to Mr. Gary Williams who graciously provided food for our families at this event. |
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School vs. School Contest |
Legends of Learning debuted a Legendary Lauch: School vs. School Contest! From October 6-31, elementary schools in Hillsborough County were competing to be the highest using school in our district. As of the halfway mark, DeSoto Elementary School placed within the Top 3 Schools in our district at third place. We can't wait to see where our Dragons end up in this competition! |
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Excellence in Action Awards |
Celebrating the difference one person can make |
Behind every student's success is someone who believes, supports, and goes the extra mile. Let's celebrate that special person by submitting an application.
The FDLRS Parent & Family Services team invites parents and students to submit nominations for the Excellence in Action Awards. This award recognizes teachers, staff, administrators, bus drivers, therapists, and community members who make a positive impact in the lives of students with special needs across Hillsborough County.
Nominations accepted until Monday, February 2, 2026
Excellence In Action Awards - FDLRS Hillsborough
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Family Engagement in Education Month |
Honoring OUR Families as Partners!! |
This November, we proudly celebrate Family Engagement in Education Month—a time to honor the vital role families play in student success. A parent is a child’s first teacher, and engaged families help build strong school communities. Research shows that authentic and ongoing family engagement is linked to:
Higher student achievement
A more positive school climate
Greater staff satisfaction, and
Stronger community connections
DeSoto thanks OUR families for all that they do to support learning and overall school improvement.
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Engagement happens in the small moments —
Reading together
Asking about the school day
Asking about one thing your child learned today
Showing up to support learning
Checking Thursday folders for communication
— It all matters!
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Friday, November 7th
Parents of the student chosen by each homeroom teacher for embodying our previous 7 mindset, passion first, will be invited to attend a morning celebration.
Personal invitations will be sent home to the elected student's family.
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Movie Night, hosted by PTA |
Friday, November 7th from 5:30-7:30 pm
More information to come.
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Tuesday, November 11th
No School
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Thursday, November 13th
Our team of fourth grade students will compete at the Math Bowl Competition.
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Thursday, November 13th
Fall retakes and absentee pictures.
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Monday, November 17th
PTA Donut Sale money due.
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Tuesday, November 18th
3rd grade field trip to Cracker Country.
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Wednesday, November 19th
4th grade field trip to Zoo Tampa. Kindergarten field trip to Glazer Children's Museum.
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Wednesday, November 19th
Meeting at 2:15 pm in the media center. Check in through the main office.
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Thursday, November 20th
If you have a career, business, or passion that you would like to present to our students, please contact us at (813) 276-5779.
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Friday, November 21st
Our November PBIS Event will be a Game Day. Students who have earned at least 100 PBIS points can spend those points to participate in this event.
Students may bring in a board game to play that day if they would like to do so.
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We Are Connected
Theme Day Name: Kindness Counts Day, Friday, November 21st
Dress-Up Idea: Wear matching colors by grade or class to show unity.
Pre-K: purple
Kindergarten: blue
1st grade: green
2nd grade: brown
3rd grade: wear as many colors of the rainbow as possible
4th grade: red
5th grade: black
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All Pro Parents Breakfast
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Friday, November 21st from 7:00-7:30 am.
Join us for breakfast with your student. Parents and kids will engage in meaningful conversations and activities that strengthens their relationship.
Please check in through the front office first.
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Monday, November 24th - Friday, November 28th
No School
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Holiday registration is open for any families needing assistance with food for Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as Christmas gifts. Go to: Get Help During The Holidays to register. Use the tab on the top right corner of the website to select language. |
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