Ortega Elementary

Don't forget that tonight is Spirit Night at The Loop. Swing by between 4 PM and 9 PM for some yummy food. Mention Ortega Elementary and a portion of your purchase will come directly back to our school.

The City of Jacksonville proudly announces the 2026 Tomorrow’s Leaders competition presented by VyStar Credit Union. The Tomorrow’s Leaders competition is an annual highlight of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast, recognizing and awarding youth in our community who exemplify the philosophies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through leadership, community involvement, volunteerism, and civic responsibility. The Tomorrow’s Leaders competition winners will be recognized at The City of Jacksonville’s 39th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on January 16, 2026, at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

In 2025, the Tomorrow’s Leaders competition introduced new artistic components alongside traditional essay submissions. The competition expanded its submissions to include essays, visual art, and poetry to showcase further the talented youth across our city who are inspired by MLK, Jr. This exciting addition allowed elementary, middle, and high school students to express their understanding of Dr. King’s legacy through both written and visual mediums.

We invite students to explore this unique opportunity to showcase their talents and share their visions for social change. Detailed submission guidelines and criteria can be found on our website: https://events.jacksonville.gov/special-events/martin-luther-king-jr-breakfast#open . Join us in inspiring the next generation of leaders as we honor Dr. King’s legacy and empower young voices in our community. The application is also attached. Please send submissions to TomorrowsLeaders@coj.net.

K-5: Essay Contest

6-8: Visual Arts

9-12: Poetry Contest

We are still looking for a few volunteers to help with the Hearing and Vision screening on Thursday. If you are an approved volunteer and can assist, please let me know (tibbitsm@duvalschools.org). We need help from 8:30 until about 11:00. Thanks!

PTA has extended the deadline to order Spirit Gear! They will sending in the orders tomorrow (September 28) so be sure to order your shirt or hoodie today! Place your order at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ortega-elementary-spirit-gear-2025--2026

Good afternoon Ortega Parents and Families,

Just a quick message to remind parents to update your child's Emergency Contact Information (Blue Card) in Focus ASAP.

Please see attached image with directions on how to change Emergency Contact Information.

Thank you, have a wonderful weekend.

This is the final week to order Spirit Gear. All orders are due Friday, September 26. Use this link to place your order: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ortega-elementary-spirit-gear-2025--2026

Don't forget that our first All Pro Dad meeting of the year will be October 3 at 7:45 AM in the Ortega Elementary media center. This will be a time for Dads (or other male role models) to come have a quick breakfast with their child(ren) while participating in some fun bonding activities. Please RSVP using the following link so we can plan the refreshments: https://allprodadchapters.com/chapters/11211

Congratulations to Mr. Young! He was selected as our Teacher of the Year! Mr. Young is one of our amazing 3rd grade teachers and he works so hard to help our students. This recognition is well-deserved.

Here are some important messages from our PTA:
* The PTA board is in need of a secretary.  This is a great way to get involved and it is not much work at all.  If you are interested, reach out to Mrs. Tibbits (tibbitsm@duvalschools.org)  and she will pass your name along to our PTA board. 
* We have a few volunteer opportunities coming up, including Hearing/Vision screening (October 2), Fall pictures (October 8), and Trunk or Treat (October 30).  If you are an approved volunteer and can help, please sign up using the following link:  https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/WHY9CA8LN0s05x2VsGfgtGRZpu?domain=m.signupgenius.com
* PTA will be sponsoring a spirit night at The Loop (4591 Lakeside Drive) on Tuesday, September 30 from 4 PM to 9 PM.  Mention Ortega Elementary and 20% of proceeds will be donated to our school.  See the attached flyer for more information.

Reminder - PTA is having a meeting this Thursday, September 18 at 6 PM in our media center. It is a potluck so use the link below to sign up to bring a dish. See the attached flyer for more important PTA information.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0548AAAE22A0FA7-58314215-ortega#/

The Ortega Elementary flu clinic will be held on September 18. If you would like your child to participate, consent forms MUST be returned by September 17.

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming School Advisory Council (SAC) Meeting and Open House on Thursday, September 11!
🕔 SAC Meeting: 5:00 PM
🏫 Open House: 5:30–7:00 PM
Come see the amazing work our students have accomplished and connect with our learning community!
📌 Reminder: Student progress reports will be available in Focus on Friday, September 12.

We look forward to seeing you there thank you for your continued support!

Good morning Ortega Families,

Please see attached message from Varsity Tutors!

Thank you!

Good Morning Ortega Families,

Just a quick note to remind car rider parents to please follow the flow of traffic from McGirts to Princeton during both morning and afternoon arrival and dismissal. Avoid going down Harvard as cars block bus arrival and dismissal. Please do not make U-turns on Princeton to reach car-rider area as they can cause traffic accidents. When you reach the car rider area, please proceed to the next available cone before letting students exit the car to go to the gate to enter the school.

Thank you for helping keep Ortega Safe!

Good afternoon Ortega Families!

Please be sure to follow us on our Facebook page for important updates! https://www.facebook.com/OrtegaDCPS

Have a great day!

Dear Ortega Families, Students can not be dropped off prior to 8:00am unless they are enrolled in the before school program. Thank you!

Please plan to attend our PTA meeting on Monday in the Media Center. Thank you!

Ortega Elementary will be having its first School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting this Friday, August 15, at 9 AM in our media center. Please come out to learn a little more about our school and give your input. All parents, guardians, and community members are invited.

Please see attached for information about this year's Art Club!