FES Newsletter 9.9.24

Posted Date: 9/06/24 (3:14 PM)

Week of September 9, 2024

Principal's Message from Dr. Edwards

While it feels a bit incredible to say, we are basically halfway through the first quarter! Next week will be a full 5 day week again that we will wrap up with the FES PTO Pizza with Pals event on Friday evening (see the flyer for ticket purchase). I want to encourage everyone to sign up for conference times during our upcoming Parent/Teacher Connection Day on September 18. And I also want to highlight that we will be sending home information about our FES PTO Walkathon Fundraiser next week. This is the biggest single fundraiser for our school each year, and I hope that everyone will participate by donating and/or reaching out to friends and family to donate. Even small donations multiplied over our nearly 800 students can make a huge difference!

And congratulations to Dr. Parker on a well-deserved recognition! We are blessed by his great leadership in our school district, and we truly appreciate all that he does for our students, staff, and community.

“If I could offer but one helpful hint to young Hoosiers hoping to better their odds for success in life, I would simply note the importance of thoughtful reading." -- Richard Lugar

Reporting Absences

Please assist us by being sure to call our office at 317-485-3180 or email elizabeth.thomas@mvcsc.k12.in.us if your student is going to be absent. With state reporting, we have to assign specific codes for every absence, and it saves our office staff a lot of time each day if we don’t have to call to follow-up on students that are marked absent by their teachers. And please be sure to provide the documentation required for qualifying absences to be marked as excused in a timely manner.

MV Absence Policy Infographic

Important Dates

FES PTO Pizza with Pals (advanced ticket sales only)
Sept. 13th @ 5-6:00p on FES South Playground

Parent/Teacher Connection Day (No school)
Wednesday, Sept. 18
(see the PS message from homeroom teachers
sent at 10a on 8/31 to sign-up for a time slot)

Cafeteria Menus and Information

FES Counseling Website

Happy Weekend!

This week I finished up kindergarten bullying prevention lessons. I read the book "Llama Llama and the Bully Goat", talked with students about different names for different kinds of conflicts because not everything is bullying and then students had a Llama Llama coloring sheet. Next week, I will be in 1st grade classrooms for their bullying prevention lesson.

Below are reminder(s) from my office:

Any student can request to talk/meet with me. All teachers have a "Let's Talk" form in their classrooms that students can fill out and put in the red mailbox outside my office. Once I get a paper, I meet with the student as soon as possible.

Upcoming events:

1st Quarter Classroom Lesson: Bullying Prevention
- 9/9-9/13: 1st Grade Bullying Prevention Lesson

FES Staff Favorite Vacation:

Mrs. Rusk's (Kindergarten Teacher, Red House) favorite vacation place is Northern Wisconsin. Her parents have a cabin on the lake and she loves hearing the loons, seeing the sunsets, and enjoying family time on the lake!

Students of the Month

These students were chosen by their classroom teachers for the month of April for “sticking together” and setting a positive example. We celebrated this week with popsicles with our administrators. We are so proud of these great kids and the great choices they make each day!

Student ShoutOuts

These students were called down to the cafeteria on Friday to be recognized for something from the week (being a great helper, working hard, demonstrating growth in a skill, etc.) Thanks for being valuable contributors to our Viking community!

MV Reads: News from the Library

Mrs. Jennifer Leavell, FES Teacher Librarian

I have loved the specific questions students have been asking lately when choosing books in the library! Helping students connect with books that interest them and they are confident in reading is the best part of my job. Ask your student(s) what book(s) they have enjoyed reading lately! You can always reach out to me if you find your student(s) might need a suggestion on what to read next.

NOTICE OF LIBRARY POLICY CHANGE: Effective Monday, September 16, 2024, FES students with a library fine for a lost/damaged book will be limited to checking out one book from the library at a time until the fine is paid and/or books are returned. Students with fines will receive a notice sent home in the next couple of school days. Information on how to pay fines will be on those notices. Thank you for your support in returning overdue/lost books and paying library fines.

"Be a Substitute Teacher" and MV Employment
Fortville Elementary is a great place to work, and we would love to have you join our team. You can apply on the MV Employment website. We are currently looking for a High Intensity Instructional Assistant and Maternity Leave Teachers.

And we always need substitute teachers! Subs apply through Kelly Education Services (information below).

To learn more or apply for substitute teacher positions at Mt. Vernon, please contact Kelly Education by completing this Inquiry Form and a recruiter will follow up with you. For questions, please call 800-991-5157, option 2.
Kelly Services will guide the applicant how to obtain a substitute permit issued by the Indiana Department of Education (~$17) and a background check (~$28).
Kelly Services will then share a short orientation video that will show you how to choose the jobs of your choice at Mt. Vernon and how to see the incentive offers.

Help Support FES Year-round
Help our school get a share of the money that many of America’s best companies are giving to K-12 education. SchoolStore.com is an online shopping mall where over 400 merchants have agreed to give a percentage of every sale to schools. This includes companies like Walmart, Best Buy, Old Navy, Kohl’s, etc. Just go to the website and then to the merchant websites you normally order from and help us earn rewards. The SchoolStore fundraiser is 100% online so there is NO face-to-face selling, handling money, or delivering products.

Go to https://www.schoolstore.net/sid.t?0000177219 to sign up. If you have questions about how to participate, reach out to our office. Once you are registered, invite family, friends and co-workers to support your child and our school.

Parent Resources
To be a chaperone on a field trip or to volunteer in the classroom regularly, you must have a clear background check from the current school year on file with the district. MVCSC Volunteer Background Check Form

Webinars on support and advocacy for parents of High ability students. https://nagc.org/page/webinars

From the Technology Department: We're excited to remind you about the valuable partnership between Mt. Vernon Schools and Qustodio! This collaboration provides you with insights into your child's online activities and allows you to manage certain aspects of their school-issued devices at home.

For more details, please check out the recent ParentSquare post from this week.

Don't Forget to Order This Year's School Pictures

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CODE: F202410OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2025

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Walkathon info coming home Monday, September 9th!

Pizza with Pals Ticket Deadline extended to Tuesday, September 10

The FES PTO spirit wear store is always open to help with your FES and MV apparel desires.
LINK for Fortville Elementary Designs LINK for MV Designs

Mt. Vernon Flyers

Community Flyers