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9/28 Castle Connection

Posted Date: 09/25/26 (05:00 PM)
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Logo for Camelot Elementary School, part of Orange County Public Schools.
camschool
 

Castle Connection

Week of 9/28/2026

Vision-Mission-Motto

OCPS Vision
Every student graduates prepared and inspired for a thriving future.
OCPS Mission
Together with our families and the community, we empower students with a superior academic experience, essential life skills, and boundless opportunities.
Camelot Elementary Motto
ALL students will achieve at a high level.
 

Important Dates

9/28-10/2- Hispanic Heritage Week
9/29- Family Stakeholder Survey Opens
10/1- Fall Picture Day
10/6- 8:00 SAC Meeting
10/6- Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
10/7- Vision and Hearing Screening
10/9- Rock Your School Day
10/9- End of the First Marking Period
10/12-10/16- Parent/Teacher Conference Week
10/12- Teacher Workday/Student Holiday
10/13- Beginning of Second Marking Period

Let's Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Week!

A colorful Hispanic Heritage Spirit Week schedule flyer with daily event themes from Monday to Friday.
National Hispanic Heritage Month banner with colorful floral designs and text.
A promotional flyer for a Camelot Elementary event at Chick-fil-A Avalon Park on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
 
A portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a blue and white patterned polo shirt that reads CAMELOT.

A Message from Principal Gordon

Dear Camelot Families,
At Camelot Elementary, we know that every school day provides opportunities for learning, growth, friendships, and success. Strong attendance is one of the most important factors in helping students reach their full potential. Research shows that missing just 10% of the school year, about two days per month, can make it more difficult for children to develop foundational reading and math skills. Regular attendance also helps students feel connected, confident, and engaged in their school community. [Elementary...dout120525 | PDF]

Developing strong attendance habits begins early. When students arrive at school on time and attend consistently, they build routines that support academic achievement and positive social-emotional development. Even occasional tardiness can lead to missed instruction and contribute to attendance challenges over time. [Elementary...dout120525 | PDF]

We encourage families to establish consistent bedtime and morning routines, prepare for the school day the night before, and schedule appointments whenever possible outside of school hours. Together, we can ensure that every Brave Knight has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive each day. [Elementary...dout120525 | PDF]

Thank you for partnering with us to make attendance a priority. Every day matters, and every student matters!
A young student raises their hand in a classroom, participating in National Attendance Awareness Month.
A mother kneels to converse with her smiling son wearing a backpack, alongside text about the OCPS Stakeholder Survey with a QR code.
 

A Message from Ms. Castillo

Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are excited to announce a fun, new change in our school cafeteria designed to make lunchtime a safe, positive, and enjoyable experience for all students. Starting this week, we are launching our soccer-themed Cafeteria Behavior Management System!
🏟️ How the "Stadium" Works
Just like a soccer match, our lunch periods will now use a card system to give students instant visual feedback on their teamwork, sportsmanship, and behavior:
  • 🟩 Green Card ("Play On!"): Every table starts lunch on Green! This means students are using polite indoor voices, staying seated, and keeping their area clean. Finishing on Green earns their class 3 points for the weekly standings.
  • 🟨 Yellow Card ("Caution"): If a table gets too loud or messy, our cafeteria "referees" (monitors) will flip the card to Yellow. Teams get 3 minutes to work together, quiet down, or clean up to earn their way back to a Green Card. Finishing on Yellow earns 1 point.
  • 🟥 Red Card ("Penalty"): For serious rules broken—like throwing food, extreme screaming, or ignoring a yellow warning—a Red Card is given. This results in a temporary 5-minute silent lunch penalty for that table and 0 points for the day.


🏆 Classroom Rewards & Prizes
We want to celebrate our teams when they work together! Here is what the classes are playing for:
🥇 Weekly Prizes (Awarded to the top-scoring class in each grade)
  • The "Golden Spoon" Award: The winning class displays a giant, decorated golden spatula in their classroom for the entire week.
  • Extra Recess Match: The winning class earns 5 minutes of extra recess on Friday afternoon.

🤝 How You Can Help at Home
You can support this positive initiative by asking your child a few simple questions after school:
  • "Did your table keep your Green Card today?"
  • "How many points did your classroom team earn in the standings?"
  • "What did you do to help keep your stadium clean today?"
We look forward to seeing our students work together as a team to score goals for great behavior! Thank you for your continued partnership in making our school community the best it can be.
Go Team!

Castillo

Golden Spoon Award Winners

A smiling teacher and a diverse group of elementary students pose together in a brightly decorated classroom.
A teacher and a large group of diverse elementary students pose together, smiling and pointing in a brightly lit classroom.
A group of students and teachers smiling together in a brightly lit classroom.

Cafeteria Volunteers Needed

If you would like to volunteer during lunch duty, please sign-up for a day and time listed below.  Must be an Additions approved volunteer for the 2026-2027 school year. Please click this link to sign up for a date/time: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0F44AEAF2CAAF85-65981454-lunch


Please click this link to become Additions approved: https://ocps.samaritan.com/custom/503/opp_details/116623

MTTHF Lunch Schedule:

11:00-11:30-3rd grade

11:15-11:45- 4th grade

11:45-12:15 5th grade

12:00-12:30- 2nd grade

12:30-1:00- 1st grade

12:45-1:15 Kindergarten

Wednesday Lunch Schedule:

10:30-10:55 4th grade

11:15-11:40- 3rd grade

11:20-11:45- 5th grade

11:50-12:15 2nd grade

12:30-12:55- Kindergarten

1:05-1:30-1st grade

A Message from Ms. Parris

Rock Your School is coming on October 9th! We are encouraging all students to wear basketball jerseys, or space gear. It will be a great day of engaging activities so we are encouraging all students to participate. Be on the lookout for more information from your child's teacher! 
A cartoon knight mascot holds a glowing basketball in outer space with planets and the text 'ROCK YOUR SCHOOL ROCKING THE MULTIVERSE'.
A promotional advertisement for Camelot Elementary School fall portraits, featuring sample student photos and a comfortable armchair.
A yellow and white poster announcing a School Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 6 at 8:00 AM in the media center.

A Message from PTA

Truck or Treat is coming! See the attached flyer for candy donation collection!
 

🏆🌎 Big news, Camelot!

Our school received the Judge’s Choice Award for Curriculum Integration in recognition of the ways we connect student learning with sustainability! From habitat protection lessons and our animal-themed Rock Your School day to birding with Orange Audubon, exploring 4Roots Farm, and bringing ocean ecosystems to life through Finding Nemo, our Knights are learning how to care for the world around them! Thank you to our incredible teachers, students, and community partners for making these experiences possible. We are proud to celebrate your creativity, curiosity, and commitment to our planet! 💚⚔️
Three women proudly hold a Green Schools Recognition banner, a giant check for Camelot Elementary, and a certificate in a school hallway.
 

Green School Curriculum Integration

How do we integrate Green Sustainability in our curriculum?

Grade 4 students are currently learning about motion, position, direction, and speed in science. So, they are building and coding Arctic Ride Snowmobiles out of Legos. The snowmobile takes a Lego character to the Arctic to see a polar bear. They discuss why seeking out a polar bear in the wild is not a good idea. The lesson is a "green" lesson because it utilizes reusable materials that can be shared and used again and again.
Students gather around tables in a classroom to build with colorful plastic bricks and electronics.
Three students gather around a table in a classroom to build with colorful plastic bricks.
Students collaborate around tables in a classroom, building with colorful blocks and using laptops.
A diverse group of elementary students gather around a table to build with Lego bricks and laptops in a bright classroom.
 

Working hard with Ms. Schmid this week

A teacher assists students seated around a round table in a brightly lit classroom.

4th Graders collaborate in math centers on estimation and how to multiply big numbers

Five children sit in a circle on a blue classroom carpet, engaged in a learning activity.
Five children sit in a circle on a classroom floor, working on math worksheets and blue flashcards.

Caught Being BRAVE

A diverse group of elementary students and a teacher smile while holding pink award certificates on school stairs.
A colorful poster featuring a cartoon knight surrounded by five house shields with the text "EVERY THURSDAY IS HOUSE DAY!".
Logo for 'The Stand Taekwondo' featuring a silhouette of a martial artist kicking against a sunburst background.

PIE Spotlight

Thank you to The Stand CTU for joining our PE lessons this week and teaching students about resiliency and self-control through martial arts.
A logo for Championship Martial Arts featuring bold red swooshes and dark lettering on a black background.

PIE Spotlight

Thank you to Championship Martial Arts for joining our PE lessons this week and teaching students about resiliency and self-control through martial arts.
A purple and white flyer for Timber Creek High School's Homecoming Festival on October 1, 2026.
A promotional flyer for a free trial session of a Coding and Robotics STEM After School Class for Grades 1-5.

Happening around the Castle

recycle
A poster titled 'Know What's Up' explains 5 MBF Safety Rules to identify red flags that cause worry.
Safer
Students enjoy healthy meals in a school cafeteria, with text overlaying the image: 'ALL STUDENTS ALL MEALS NO CHARGE'.
A smiling young boy with a backpack stands in front of a yellow school bus, with text "FIND MY BUS" and "FINDABUS.OCPS.NET".
Collage of images showing students, the exterior of Camelot Elementary School, and the school district logo.
A weekly club calendar titled '26-27 Camelot Club Calendar' detailing AM and PM activities from Monday to Friday.
A document listing vendor-sponsored activities for the Camelot Club calendar, featuring links for Core Sports, Dramatic Education, and other programs.

Before and After School Clubs

We’re excited to offer a wide variety of before and after-school clubs for the 26–27 school year! These programs give students opportunities to explore interests, build skills, and connect with friends — all while having fun. 

Our school‑sponsored clubs are free and led by Camelot staff. Options include:
  • Art Club
  • Chess Club (Beginner & Intermediate/Advanced)
  • Drama Club
  • K‑Kids
  • Math Club
  • Rising Music Makers
  • Royal Music Makers
  • Robotics Club
  • Run Club
These clubs may require applications or permission forms — check your child’s teacher for details.

🎉 Vendor‑Sponsored Clubs (Paid Programs)
We also partner with several community organizations to offer additional enrichment opportunities. These programs require a fee and are run directly by the vendor:
 
Families can find registration links on the club calendar or vendor websites.

✨ Please review the calendar to learn more about the opportunities being provided at Camelot. We love seeing students explore new passions and shine in their areas of interest. Thank you for supporting these clubs — we can’t wait for an amazing year of learning and creativity.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, with an orange and yellow ribbon symbol.
September is PTA Membership Month, with volunteers serving food to children.
Fortify