We’re so excited to celebrate Mrs. V-W’s class! Every student has officially completed their very own tile for our upcoming "I Am pART Of This Community" Tile Wall. 🎨✨
Their creativity, teamwork, and Mustang spirit truly shine through each design. We can’t wait to see these tiles become part of a beautiful, permanent display at our school!
Way to go, Mustangs! 💙🤍
Want to see these tiles put in place on our new tile wall? How about seeing over 125 student science projects from our 5th grade students? Art/Science Night is on Thursday, March 5, 2026 from 5 - 7 PM. Plan to be in attendance!
#CTEMustangs #CTERocks #MustangART #TileWallProject #CreativityInAction #ElementaryExcellence #IAmpARTOfThisCommunity #CTEMILab #CTE4thGrade
We’re so excited to celebrate Mrs. Carter’s class! Every student has officially completed their very own tile for our upcoming "I Am pART Of This Community" Tile Wall. 🎨✨
Their creativity, teamwork, and Mustang spirit truly shine through each design. We can’t wait to see these tiles become part of a beautiful, permanent display at our school!
Way to go, Mustangs! 💙🤍
Want to see these tiles put in place on our new tile wall? How about seeing over 125 student science projects from our 5th grade students? Art/Science Night is on Thursday, March 5, 2026 from 5 - 7 PM. Plan to be in attendance!
#CTEMustangs #CTERocks #MustangART #TileWallProject #CreativityInAction #ElementaryExcellence #IAmpARTOfThisCommunity #CTEMILab #CTE2ndGrade
🐎💙 Celebrating 30 Years of Service! 💙🐎
Last week, our very own Mrs. Sharon Riley was honored at the School Board meeting for 30 years of dedicated service to the district! What an incredible milestone!
Ms. Riley is a longtime Mustang who makes a difference each and every day at Cracker Trail Elementary. She was also selected by her peers as CTE’s Support Person of the Year for the 2020–2021 school year, a true reflection of the respect and appreciation she has earned from our staff.
Her commitment, kindness, and steady support help keep our school running smoothly and our students cared for. We are so proud to call her one of our Mustangs!
Mrs. Kristin Wolfhope, one of CTE’s 4th Grade teachers added this about Ms. Riley: “You can't help but smile when you think of Sharon Riley. She will do whatever it takes to make the students and the staff happy. I have known Sharon as a co-worker, and as a friend, since 2006. She works hard day in and day out. She puts her heart into everything that she does.”
Congratulations, Mrs. Riley, and thank you for 30 amazing years of service to our students and community! 💙✨
A heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Michelle Backus and Mrs. Elsa Kahn for generously donating this beautiful painting of the Florida Cracker Trail Riders during one of their historic journey across our state.
This stunning piece was hand painted by the late Mrs. Alice Hansen, and it perfectly captures the spirit and tradition of the ride from one side of Florida to the other.
Also included was a written description of the painting by the Honorable Raymond McIntyre, current Highlands County Property Appraiser, adding even more depth and local significance to this treasured artwork.
We are grateful to have this meaningful piece of history displayed at Cracker Trail Elementary for our students, staff, and community to enjoy for years to come. 💙🐎
🌟 Science Fair & Art Showcase 🌟
📅 Thursday, March 5th
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM
✨ Art Gallery in the Cafeteria
🧩 Grade-level sponsored science activities
🎭 “Living Portraits” 5:45–6:15 PM (Cafeteria)
🧱 Community tile wall installation
Come learn how we:
🔎 Use art and observation to foster curiosity
🤝 Build a strong school community through art
🧠 Promote inquiry and problem-solving through science
📚 Align and grow science learning at every grade level using state standards
We can’t wait to see our families there! 💚💛
We love seeing family connections shine in our Mustang community! 💛
Mrs. Menzie, one of our amazing 1st grade teachers, and her sister, Mrs. Prendergast — former CTE teacher and current Chief Executive Officer of Champion for Children’s Foundation of Highlands County — enjoyed painting their tiles together for our I Am pART of This Community Tile Wall.
What a special moment celebrating family, service, and community all in one place!
✨ Come see their beautiful tiles — and all of the incredible creations — during our 5th Grade Science Fair
📅 Thursday, March 5, 2026
We can’t wait to celebrate our students and the strong community that supports them!
#CTEMustangs #CTERocks #CTETileWall #IAmpArtOfThisCommunity
Today, we were honored to welcome the Cracker Trail Riders to Cracker Trail Elementary as they continued a treasured tradition that has spanned 30+ years on our campus.
Our Mustangs loved seeing the riders and horses and learning about this historic Florida journey. We are incredibly appreciative of the group taking time to stop by and keep this long-standing tradition alive for our students and community.
Thank you for sharing your time, history, and heart with CTE! 🐎💙
#CTEMustangs #CrackerTrailTradition
Mrs. Menzie’s 1st grade class has been learning all about the concept of community! Students designed posters and presented their information to one another, building confidence, communication skills, and understanding of how we work together.
There was lots of great work on display, and we are so proud of our Mustangs for their effort and creativity. Way to go! 💙📚
#CTEMustangs #CTERocks #CTECommunity #1stGradeRocks
After those chilly mornings two weeks ago, it’s great to see our older students enjoying the fresh air while continuing to build important skills through this fun and fast-paced activity. Cup stacking strengthens hand-eye coordination, reaction time, focus, and teamwork—all while keeping our Mustangs active and engaged.
A huge thank you to Coach Clogston & Coach Perez keeping our Mustangs stacking and smiling! 💙💛
Our annual visit from the Cracker Trail Riders is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18 at around 10:00 AM!
This is a special tradition we look forward to each year, and our Mustangs love seeing the riders and horses on campus!
👢 Students are welcome to wear their best Western attire to celebrate the day! 🤠
Parents who plan to attend:
• Please arrive early
• Bring a valid photo ID for check-in
We can’t wait to welcome this historic Florida tradition back to Cracker Trail Elementary! 🐎💙
As we shared last month, we are extermely thankful for the new flooring for our Gaga Ball pit - our students love it!
We’d like to give a special shoutout to some Sebring High School NHS members for volunteering their time to come out and lay the rubber mats and put the Gaga Ball pit back together. It was a long, hot Sunday afternoon and these kids worked hard. Students present were: Abner D., Keegan L., Jamareah W. (CTE Alumni), Hopelynn C. (CTE Alumni), and Javony A. (CTE Alumni).
We are so grateful for our school community and all the ways you support our students. 💙🐎
#CTEMustangs #CTERocks #GagaForCTE #ThankYou #SnowconesForEquipment
❤️🐎 Happy Valentine's Day from Your Cracker Trail Mustangs! 🐎❤️
Our Student Leadership Team was excited to sponsor our annual “Spread the Love” initiative again this year!
During ❤️ Spread the Love 2026 ❤️ students wrote a kind message of appreciation to a CTE teacher or staff member.
Students taped their hearts on the staff member's door.
Our campus was filled with kindness and appreciation! 💕
Thank you, Mustang Leadership Team!
❤️ Happy Valentine’s Day!
#CTEMustangs #CTERocks #CTELovesOurStaff
Students stayed warm indoors while working on following directions and building hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and bilateral proficiency through this fun and fast-paced activity.
A huge thank you to Coach Clogston, Coach Perez, and Action Jackson for keeping our Mustangs active, engaged, and smiling—even on cold mornings! 💙💛
National School Resource Officer (SRO) Appreciation Day is officially celebrated on February 15, but today we’re taking time to celebrate Deputy Acuna!
We are incredibly thankful for his daily presence, guidance, and unwavering support of our students and staff. Cracker Trail Elementary is a safer, stronger place because of him. Thank you, Deputy Acuna, for all you do for our Mustangs! 💙
🐎💙 Special Thanks from Cracker Trail Elementary! 💙🐎
A special thank you to Mr. Andrew Dean, husband of CTE's school nurse Mrs. Candace Dean, for building new cabinets to help store clothing for our Clothes Closet.
Your time, talent, and generosity will make a big difference for our Mustangs. We truly appreciate your support and community spirit!
#CTEMustangs #CTERocks #CTEHelpers #CTECareCloset
❄️🐎 Thank You, Cracker Trail Team! 🐎❄️
A huge thank you to our Safety Patrols and staff members who braved the cold mornings to help get our Mustangs safely unloaded and into school. Our patrols were even given the option to go inside several times a day—but they chose to tough it out and continue serving others.
We also appreciate Deputy Acuna for braving the cold alongside our team. Your dedication, teamwork, and care for our students do not go unnoticed. Thank you for keeping our Mustangs safe! 💙
Our amazing bus team of Ms. Lori F. & Ms. Jan recently shared their contributions to the I Am pART of This Community Tile Wall, and we couldn’t love it more!
We truly appreciate all of our bus drivers and attendants for everything they do to safely transport our Mustangs each and every day. 💙🚌
✨ Come see the tile wall and join us for our 5th Grade Science Fair on
📅 Thursday, March 5, 2026
We can’t wait to celebrate our community and our students!
#CTEMustangs #CTERocks #CTETileWalls #IAmpArtOfThisCommunity
Today, Captain America made a heroic visit to Cracker Trail Elementary to honor our Mustangs for reaching—and surpassing—our Literacy Week goal! Our students didn’t just aim high… they read 2,117 books, blowing past our goal of 2,100 AR tests passed! 📚⭐
This All-American effort shows true grit, determination, and teamwork. We are incredibly proud of our Mustangs for standing strong, staying committed, and answering the call to read.
Well done, Mustangs! You make us proud to be red, white, blue—and Mustang strong! 🇺🇸💪📖
#CTEMustangs #CTERocks #CTEReads #CTELiteracyWeek
Progress reports came home! 📄😊
A Love Line is a special yearbook dedication where you can write a short message to your child
• Up to 250 characters (including signature)
• Available to ALL grade levels
• Cost: $10
⭐ 5th Grade Mustangs ONLY ⭐
Add a photo to your Love Line for an additional $5 📸
Space is limited — please send payment and photo ASAP!
Total with photo: $15 (5th graders only)
📝 Deadline: Submit the form and payment by 3/6/26
⚠️ Space is not guaranteed after 3/16/26
📲 Scan the QR code on the image, or click on the link below to get started!
Let’s fill the yearbook with love, Mustangs! 🐎💛🖤
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCBZQNKfx8lCni8OEadEd67vTjF1qNgvJeaB5uFS4qid92pA/viewform
