Skip to main content

Neil Armstrong Elementary

Home of the Positive Astros!

Summer

Posted Date: 06/01/26 (01:58 PM)
View Original Post


Logo for Neil Armstrong Elementary, featuring an astronaut giving a thumbs-up, an American flag, and a rocket.

Neil Armstrong Elementary School

Home of the Positive Astros

☀️ Beat the Summer Slide: Free & Low-Cost Activities in Port Charlotte!

Summer is officially here! While it’s a wonderful time for rest and relaxation, it’s also easy for students to experience the "summer slide"—losing valuable reading and math skills over the break.
To help keep your kids learning, active, and entertained without breaking the family budget, we have compiled a list of fantastic FREE and low-cost community activities right here in the Port Charlotte area.

🧠 Preventing the Summer Slide (Academic Enrichment)
  • Charlotte County Libraries (Local Branches): Encourage your kids to join the local summer reading challenges. Libraries offer free incentives, engaging STEAM activities, and special events that keep critical thinking sharp. https://charlottecountyfl.libcal.com/
  • Dog Tales Literacy (Punta Gorda Library): Held on the 1st Saturday of each month. Children can practice their reading skills in a comfortable, pressure-free environment by reading aloud to friendly, certified therapy dogs. https://charlottecountyfl.libcal.com/event/15054497
  • At-Home Learning Boost: Dedicating just 15–20 minutes a day can stop learning loss entirely!
  • 📓 Florida Nature Journal: Have kids draw and document local wildlife right in your backyard. Florida State Parks has a cool junior ranger program. Here is the link to the virtual junior ranger program. https://www.floridastateparks.org/Virtual-Junior-Ranger

💦 Beating the Heat (Water Fun)
  • McGuire Park Splash Pad (21125 McGuire Ave): Located right here in Port Charlotte! This clean, interactive splash pad is completely free and a perfect way to cool down.
  • Laishley Park Splash Pad (100 Nesbit St, Punta Gorda): Just a quick trip over the bridge. Features a fantastic interactive fountain and splash layout designed beautifully for younger children.
  • Englewood Beach Day (2100 N Beach Rd): Head just a bit west for a classic beach day. Shelling, swimming, and building sandcastles double as rich sensory activities that naturally build creativity and planning skills.

🏃‍♂️ Keeping Them Active & Entertained
  • REC2U Mobile Recreation (Local Neighborhood Parks): Splash Back to School - McGuire Park, Saturday, Aug. 1, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Discover water-themed fun, including splash pads, water games, and relay races. 
  • Lake Betty Park Adventure (2215 Conway Blvd): The ultimate local park setup to keep kids physically active. Features tall slides, extensive climbing structures, and an exciting ninja-style obstacle course built to burn energy and improve agility.
  • Take a Day Trip! Charlotte County Library cardholders can now receive FREE admission to the Golisano Children's Museum of Naples! Library Access Passes are available through the generosity of the museum's Access for All initiative.
💡 Family Tip for a Balanced Summer: Try mixing one academic activity (like reading or an educational app) with one physical or outdoor activity each day!
We wish all of our families a safe, happy, and active summer break!
 

📱 Free Tech Apps to Support Summer Learning

Here is a compiled list of top-tier, highly-rated educational websites and apps for elementary students. Every single option listed below is completely free (or features a robust, unrestricted free tier) to keep learning accessible all summer long.
🔢 Math Mastery & Logic
Khan Academy & Khan Academy Kids
  • Best For: Ages 2–8 (Khan Kids App) and Grades 3–5+ (Khan Academy Website)
  • What it does: An entirely free, non-profit powerhouse with zero ads or subscriptions. Younger kids learn math basics through playful animated games, while older elementary students get structured, step-by-step videos and practice modules mapped to school standards.
  • Links: Khan Academy Kids App | Khan Academy Website
Zearn
  • Best For: Grades K–5
  • What it does: A phenomenal, top-rated nonprofit math platform used by schools nationwide. It provides structured, interactive video lessons combined with digital math manipulatives that make complex math concepts easy to visualize.
  • Link: Zearn Math
Prodigy Math
  • Best For: Grades 1–5
  • What it does: Ideal for reluctant learners! Prodigy turns math practice into a fantasy role-playing video game. Students create characters and cast "spells" by correctly answering curriculum-aligned math problems. Note: The core educational gameplay is entirely free; paid upgrades are strictly cosmetic.
  • Link: Prodigy Math Game
Bedtime Math
  • Best For: Kindergarten through 3rd Grade
  • What it does: Designed to change how families think about math. Instead of endless drills, it provides a daily, fun real-world story followed by a few quick math questions tailored to three different age levels ("Wee Ones," "Little Kids," and "Big Kids").
  • Link: Bedtime Math
📚 Reading, Phonics & Literacy
Starfall
  • Best For: Grades PreK–2
  • What it does: A classic, low-stimulation, and highly effective phonics website. It uses simple interactive games, animated songs, and guided read-alouds to teach letter sounds, blend words, and build early reading confidence.
  • Link: Starfall Education
Teach Your Monster to Read
  • Best For: Grades PreK–1 (Early Readers)
  • What it does: Funded by the Usborne Foundation, this award-winning game lets children design a custom monster and take it on a magical reading journey. It covers everything from matching letters and sounds to reading full sentences.
  • Link: Teach Your Monster
Storyline Online
  • Best For: Grades K–4
  • What it does: Run by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, this site features celebrated actors (like Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, and Kristen Bell) reading beloved children's books aloud alongside beautiful, streaming animations. It is fantastic for building vocabulary and comprehension skills.
  • Link: Storyline Online
ReadTheory
  • Best For: Grades 3–5 (Advanced or older elementary)
  • What it does: For kids who already know how to read but need to work on comprehension. The site provides short, interesting reading passages followed by a few quiz questions. It automatically adjusts the difficulty level up or down based on how the child performs.
  • Link: ReadTheo
💡 Quick Parent Tip for the Summer:
To avoid screen-time burnout, try picking just one math resource and one reading resource from this list. Setting a routine of just 15 minutes of math and 15 minutes of reading four days a week will easily protect your child from the summer slide!
 

Summer Food Programs

Neil Armstrong's Pantry
The pantry will be open during the month of June on Thursdays from 12-4 pm. The pantry will not be open in July.

Lunch Walk-In and C.O.W. Locations- FREE MEALS
To Children 18 and under!
Starting June 8th
Walk-ins are welcomed at the following locations:
Champ’s on Wheels Mobile Feeding Bus Stops
Port Charlotte Library:
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM (no Mondays)
Mid-County Library: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Hampton Point Apartments: 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM (Lunch only)
No Fridays in June

Neil Armstrong Elementary
Breakfast: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Lunch: 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
No Fridays in June

Charlotte High
Breakfast: 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Lunch: 10:30 AM- 12:00 PM
No Fridays in June

Myakka River Elementary
Breakfast: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Lunch: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
No Fridays in June

Port Charlotte High
Breakfast: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Lunch: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
No Fridays in June

Meadow Park  *Service Starts June 3rd
Breakfast: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Lunch: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Open Fridays in June

Baker Center  *Service Starts June 1ST
Breakfast: 8:15 AM – 9:30 AM
Lunch: 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Open Fridays in June

Alfred & Jones Loop Rd *Rural Non-Congregate
Service Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
(7 Days of Breakfast & Lunch provided)
Mondays Only

Charlotte Fair Grounds *Rural Non-Congregate
Service Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
(7 Days of Breakfast & Lunch provided)
Tuesdays Only
 
*No service Friday, July 3rd

 

🏫 When Summer Ends, We Will Be Here to Welcome Back All Our Little Friends!

Dear Astro Families,
We know summer break just kicked off, and you are likely busy soaking up the sun, splashing at the parks, and enjoying some well-deserved family downtime! While we want you to focus entirely on having fun and relaxing right now, we also love being proactive so you don't have to stress about scheduling later.
Go ahead and bookmark this post or save these important dates in your calendar now so you're completely set for the fall. Here is a quick look ahead at our return for Neil Armstrong Elementary:
  • 📅 Open House / Meet the Teacher: Wednesday, August 5th. Come explore the classrooms, drop off school supplies, and find out who your child's teacher will be! Exact times will be sent out as we get closer to August.
  • 🎒 First Day of School: Monday, August 10th. Get those backpacks ready! Staff will be waiting at the doors to guide all our little Astros safely to their new classrooms. School doors open at 8 am for breakfast; warning bell is at 8:35; class starts promptly at 8:40 am.
For now, your only job is to enjoy the start of a fantastic summer! Keep this info in your back pocket, stay safe, and know that when the break is over, we will be right here waiting to welcome all our little friends back with open arms. 🚀🌟