The Panther Print - Week of April 6, 2026

Posted Date: 04/05/26 (06:00 PM)

The Panther Print

A NEWSLETTER FOR THE PANTHER LAKE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Principal's Message

Dear Panther Lake Families,

Our school community is a beautiful tapestry of cultures, traditions, and stories. To celebrate the rich diversity that makes our students so special, I am thrilled to invite you to our annual Heritage Night on Thursday, April 9th! This is one of our favorite evenings of the year—a time to travel the world without leaving the campus. It is a night for our students to take pride in their roots and for all of us to learn from one another.

We would love for your family to be a part of the program! There are several ways to get involved:

Host a Culture Table: Share photos, artifacts, maps, or traditional clothing from your heritage.
Share a Dish: Bring a sample of a favorite family recipe or traditional snack to share.
Perform: Does your student play a traditional instrument, dance, or sing? We are looking for short performances (2–3 minutes) for our "Global Stage."
Attend & Enjoy: Just coming to explore and support our students is a wonderful way to participate!

Whether you are sharing a piece of your history or coming to learn about someone else’s, we can’t wait to see our community come together. Let’s make this a night to remember!

Warmly,

Dr. Christine Szymanski

Principal, Panther Lake Elementary

The Panther Lake Principal - A woman with brown hair smiles at the camera against a blue background.

April is National Arab American Heritage Month, celebrated with decorative geometric patterns.

The image announces 'April is Autism Acceptance Month' with a colorful infinity symbol and diverse hand outlines.

OCPS Celebrates Earth Day April 22 with hands holding the Earth.

A smiling school bus driver waves from the driver's seat, celebrating School Bus Driver Appreciation Day on April 28.

Visit Our Website

Paraprofessional Day

A group of eight adults stand together in a hallway with a sign that reads 'CAFETERIA' above them.

Last week we celebrated our Paraprofessional team as today is National Paraprofessional day! A special thank you for all that they do to help our students and staff!

(Left to Right)

Coach C, Mrs. Afonso, Ms. Nery, Mrs. Campos, Mrs. Mugavero, Mrs. Colon, Ms. Shaw, Mr. Schroll

Earth Day

A group of children and an adult stand together outdoors, holding trash bags.

In honor of Earth Day, 3rd grade students organized their own recess area clean up!

Battle of the Books

A group of six students and one adult pose for a photo in a library, all wearing matching t-shirts.

Check out our Battle of the Books team! We are proud of our team who competed last week and a special thanks to Ms. Penney for leading our group!

Let’s Read OCPS Beanstack Challenge 2026

Panther Lake Elementary is participating in the district-wide reading challenge, Let’s Read, OCPS! This challenge runs until April 30, 2026, and will encourage students to read for enjoyment and develop a lifelong love of reading by contributing to the district-wide goal of reading 50 million minutes! All reading is encouraged and celebrated! We believe that giving students the freedom to choose what they read is the key to igniting their passion for literacy. All reading counts!

How it Works:

Each student's goal is to log at least 500 minutes of reading or 10 minutes daily into Beanstack. Beanstack is a free and easy-to-use app that can be found in the Library Research Tools folder on LaunchPad. Beanstack allows students to log their reading minutes, set reading goals, and earn virtual badges and rewards.

How to Participate:

Log through Launchpad: Open Beanstack in the Library Research Tools folder on Launchpad to track reading daily and even set a timer while reading!

Download the mobile app: Visit the App Store or Google Play Store and download the Beanstack app to your mobile device. Search for “OCPS [School Name]” and find your school to join the challenge.

Username: Student ID Number

Password: student last name, lowercase

Start Reading and Logging: We encourage students (and staff!) to read books, magazines, or articles and log all reading time on Beanstack, daily.

Join in on the Conversation: Discuss what you are reading and who your favorite characters are. Explore new genres or authors together, and be a reading role model! Use the hashtag #OCPSReads on social media and post what you’re reading or how you’re participating!

Let's work together to make this reading challenge a success! More information about the reading challenge can be found at read.ocps.net.

Volleyball Club

Young athletes play volleyball on an outdoor court under a bright blue sky.

Pottery Club

Children proudly display their artwork and pottery creations for Panther Lake Artists.

OCPS Crystal Awards

Last week, Dr. Szymanski attended the OCPS Crystal Awards with our outstanding volunteer Whitney Stephens! We are so fortunate to have Whitney as a volunteer at PLE as she is such an integral part of our PTO! Check out the video about Whitney.

Summer Camp Opportunities

Horizon Summer Music Camp 2026

The 2026 Horizon High School Summer Music Camp by the Horizon High School Band "The Sound of Horizon" runs for two weeks, June 1-4 and 8-11, from 9:00am-1:00pm each day. All students perform in the Camp Concert on June 11 at 6:00pm!
Camp options include:
Elementary Music Camp (grades 1-3)
Beginning Band Camp (grades 4-6, or no prior experience)
Intermediate/Advanced Band Camp (grades 7-8, or prior experience)
Elementary Music Camp students run on their own schedule and are separated from the rest of the students including at lunchtime.
Students attending Band Camp (Beginning or Intermediate/Advanced) will attend four different "class periods" and have lunch between their third and fourth class. Instructional time includes small and large group sectionals, full band rehearsals, jazz band (intermediate/advanced only), and woodwind/brass choir electives.
Instruments are provided for Beginning Band students! Beginning Band students will receive an instrument to borrow for the duration of Summer Music Camp with the option to complete a rental through our local music store partner, Music and Arts, after the Camp Concert.
Students who have prior experience on a band instrument are required to provide their own instrument, please contact your Band Director for help arranging this during the summer!
Camp instructors are:
Current OCPS Music Teachers
Local Professional Musicians/OCPS Independent Contractors employed by Horizon High School Band
Everyone is also assisted by Horizon High School band student volunteers.
Summer Music Camp costs $250 per child.
Are you sending siblings to Summer Music Camp?
Or, are you an OCPS Employee sending students to Summer Music Camp?
Please email Ms. Cannon charlene.cannon@ocps.net for more information about our OCPS/Sibling Discount.
After-Care is available for an additional cost.
After-Care is available from 1:00 PM-4:00 PM each day and costs $100 per week.
After-Care includes movies, games, coloring, and rest in a safe environment with camp instructors for students needing to stay a little longer than the Summer Music Camp normal end time.
All students enrolled in After-Care must be picked up by a parent in person no later than 4:00 PM daily.
Questions?
Please contact Ms. Charlene Cannon, Band Director at Horizon High School, for more information. charlene.cannon@ocps.net
We look forward to starting your child's summer with music at Horizon High School!
Visit https://www.horizonhsband.net/ and click Summer Music Camp 2026 to register!

Roper YMCA

Heritage Night

Poster announcing 'Nuestra Tercera Noche de Herencia' on April 9, 2026, featuring diverse children in traditional attire and flags from around the world.

A vibrant poster announces 'Nossa Terceira Herança Noite' (Our Third Heritage Night) with diverse children in traditional attire holding the Earth.

Families, please fill out this form to indicate your interest in participating in our 3rd Annual Heritage Night on Thursday, April 9, 2026 from 6:00 PM-7:30 PM. Please RSVP by Thursday, April 2.

Interest Form Link Here

Panda Express Spirit Night

Flyer for a Panda Express fundraiser benefiting Panther Lake Elementary on April 10, 2026.

Spring FAST Schedule

Panther Lake Elementary FAST Testing Schedule with dates for various grades and subjects in 2026.

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten Registration for the upcoming 2026/2027 school year has started! Click below for the OCPS registration packet to register now.

OCPS Registration Packet Link

Panther Lake Elementary School announces Kindergarten registration with information about yard signs and contact details.

Invitation to Incoming Kindergarten Parent Night at Panther Lake Elementary on Monday, April 20th at 6 PM in the cafeteria.

Poster for Panther Lake Incoming Kindergarten Night 2026 with a cartoon panther illustration.

Save the date for Panther Lake Elementary Kindergarten Orientation on July 29, 2026, at 10 AM.

PTO

Mission-The PTO at Panther Lake Elementary is the connecting point between parents, school, staff, students and the surrounding communities. Our goal is to provide opportunities for students, families, and school staff to build long-lasting relationships and shared experiences outside the classroom, while supporting work inside the classroom through volunteer opportunities and fundraising activities!

PTO Website

Family Sponsorships

A graphic thanks 2025-2026 Family Sponsors of Panther Lake Elementary PTO, listing sponsor names.

Support the PTO as a Family Sponsor for the 2025-2026 school year! Family Sponsors receive a free Panther Lake t-shirt (multiple options to choose from) and many additional benefits. Visit our sponsorship page for more details. We appreciate your support!

Become a Sponsor

Corporate Sponsorships

Want to get your business out in front of local families, while also supporting our school community? Consider sponsoring the Panther Lake PTO! We have a variety of benefits and marketing opportunities designed to fit your unique needs and budget. Plus, we're a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your sponsorship donation is tax-deductible! Visit the link below to learn more.

Become a Sponsor

Thank You to Our 2025-2026 PTO Family Sponsors

Panther Lake Spring Festival

Poster for a Spring Festival featuring carnival tents, the text 'SPRING FESTIVAL', and event details.

Wristbands are now on sale for the Panther Lake Spring Festival! Join us for a fun-filled event featuring inflatables, carnival games, pony rides, face painting, dunk tank, raffles, food trucks, a DJ, photo booth and more. Wristbands are on sale for $12 until April 14 and are $15 at the door. Learn more and purchase wristbands, pony rides and raffle tickets here:

Learn More & Purchase Here

Volunteer at the Spring Festival

Help make the Spring Festival a success! Volunteers receive free entry to the event (or you can choose to purchase a ticket to further support the PTO).

Thank You to Our Diamond and Platinum Sponsors - We appreciate your support!

A graphic thanks Diamond and Platinum sponsors of Panther Lake Elementary PTO, featuring logos for Huey Magoo's and The Orlando Real.

Upcoming PTO Meetings

Save the Date for Panther Lake Elementary PTO Meetings in 2025-2026.

Mark your calendar for our 2025-2026 PTO General Meetings. We'd love to see you there!

SAC Schedule

An informational graphic for the Panther Lake Elementary School Advisory Council.

10151 Summerlake Groves St | Winter Garden, FL 34787-4169