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Now Enrolling New Students in Grades
K through 5
Military Family Resources
Military Point of Contact
Rachel Watts, Principal
Enrollment Services
Please see NEW FAMILIES page for information
Junior Optimist International
Our JOI Club members consist of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. Our JOI Club students may do the following for our new students:
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Provide students with a tour
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Eat lunch with new students
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Provide encouragement and assistance
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Help new students feel welcomed and involved
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Explain school procedures
New students are also partnered with another student in his/her classroom to help with the transition process.
Military Recognition Events
Pensacola Beach Elementary students participate in the annual Pensacola Beach Elks Club Veterans Day parade. Our students hold a banner and walk alongside veterans on the parade route. We recognize active-duty and military veterans during Veterans Day week in November. Students sing patriotic songs, make patriotic art projects, and write the names of their military loved ones on stars to be displayed. We wear red, white, and blue on Patriots Day and during Veterans Week to show our appreciation.
Transition Planning
Pensacola Beach Elementary School is committed to making school transitions as smooth and welcoming as possible for military-connected students and families. Ms. Magee is our office manager, and she is our primary enrollment and registration contact. She begins with a school tour, then provides information and online enrollment forms. When a military family transfers, our school office manager assists with student records and withdrawal procedures to ensure a smooth transition. We work together as a team to support the academic and social-emotional well-being of the families. We have an open line of communication through phone and/or email to meet the needs of our families.
Academic Planning
PBES works closely with military-connected families to support academic continuity during transitions. Our school assists families in requesting and reviewing student records to ensure appropriate grade-level placement, special education needs, 504 accommodation needs, and/or anything needed to help the student excel academically. If our new military families have middle or high school needs, we share this information with them as well.
Exceptional Student Education
We are a public charter school under the direction of Escambia County Public Schools. All of our classrooms are inclusion classrooms where the students receive instruction from the general education teachers as well as our ESE support teacher. Since we are a very small charter school on Pensacola Beach, we lean on the ECPS ESE department for resources when needed.
Additional Resources for Educational Opportunities
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After-school child care provided until 6 pm (Sandpiper Stay and Play, LLC)
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Junior Optimist International Club for grades 3, 4, and 5
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After-school Art Club for students in Kindergarten through fifth grade
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After-school FIT Club for grades 2, 3, 4, and 5
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Yearbook Committee
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Student leadership opportunities: flag crew, new student orientation, popsicle sales, morning announcements, Kindergarten buddies
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STEM nights
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Music programs
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Art night
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Educational extracurricular activities and field trips throughout the school year
About the Military and Family Life Counseling (MFLC) Program
MFLC's are available to support military families through the unique challenges of military life, including cycles of deployment and reintegration, by providing non-medical, short-term counseling. Counselors are available through the office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy.
What is the counselor's role in the school?
MFLCs provide consultation, training, and educational presentations/workshops to program faculty, staff, parents, and children. 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 training to build leadership skills; manage anger; build self-esteem and confidence; and strengthen communication.
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.
Military Family Life
Counselor Contact Information
(850) 274-3986
Why are the counselors in certain schools and not in 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 except for 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.
