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FES Newsletter 12.20.24

Posted Date: 12/20/24 (3:22 PM)
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Winter Break 2024
Principal's Message from Dr. Edwards
I want to thank everyone for a great first semester and wish everyone a wonderful holiday season!  I hope we all come back refreshed and ready for an even better second semester.


“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."  -- Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien


Chromebook Protection Plan
Just a reminder that the window to purchase a Chromebook protection plan is now open through January 3rd.  For $25 you can be sure that your child's Chromebook is protected from any accidental damage for the rest of the 2024-2025 school year.  For more information, please refer to the ParentSquare post that the Technology department sent out.  

Not sure if you purchased this at the beginning of the year?  You can visit the Skyward Family Access and go to Fee Management to see if you paid in August.  

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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  

Winter Break (No school)
December 23 - January 3

Beginning of 2nd Semester
Monday, January 6

PTO Nerf Night
Saturday, January 25th  3-7pm

PTO Suits and Sequins
Friday, February 7th  6-8pm


 

Happy Friday and Winter Break! 

Over the course of the last three weeks, I was able to meet with 792 students at FES through minute meetings! While only missing a few students due to illness and trips. I thoroughly enjoy being able to connect with all of the students at FES through these minute meetings.

As we move into the new year, I wanted to share some news that FES families may or may not know about, as well as our plan for the second semester. Some of you may know through your students but my husband and I are expecting our first child over Spring Break. If all goes well, the plan is for me to be on maternity leave from March 31st through the end of the school year. A temporary counseling job was just posted to MVCSC's website in the hopes of getting a school counselor to step into my role for quarter 4. 

Below are reminders 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:
  • Q3: Classroom Lesson - topic to be determined 
  • Q4: Mrs. Crecelius on Maternity Leave
FES Staff Favorite Vacation:
  • Mrs. Mace's (3rd-grade Teacher, Red House) favorite vacation is St. Simon's Island in Georgia!

Students of the Month

These students were chosen by their classroom teachers for this past month for “sticking together” and setting a positive example. We called them down to the cafeteria and gave each of them one of the gold tokens for our book vending machine they were able to use to choose a book to keep. 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

It’s been a pleasure to have your students in the library this semester! Sharing books with them and helping them find books in the library brings me joy every day. I’m looking forward to January as we will discuss award-winning books in the library and start talking about our Book Fair! Look for a volunteer sign-up for the Book Fair after winter break. Happy holidays!

SAVE THE DATE! Our FES Book Fair will be February 3-7, 2025.

 
 
"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 couple of Leave Teachers and a High Intensity Instructional Assistant.

And we always need substitute teachers! Subs apply through Kelly Education Services (information below).
  1. 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.
  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).
  3. 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

Parents want to help their children succeed and navigating the current educational landscape can be challenging when your child is a high achiever, creative thinker, or high ability/gifted learner.  The Indiana Academy presents the Gifted Education Series for Parents; programs take place at 7:00 p.m. eastern.

  • Understanding My Gifted Child- watch archive

  • Helping My Gifted Child Succeed-Wednesday, December 4-Register Now

  • Perfectionism and My Gifted Child-Wednesday, January 22-Register Now

  • Supporting My Highly Intelligent Child-Wednesday, March 5-Register Now

  • Resources for Gifted Students: A Parent Guide-Wednesday, May 14-Register Now

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 this ParentSquare post from earlier this year.

 

Please take a few moments to fill out the PTO Parent Survey (LINK HERE) between now and the end of the semester to help us better understand what events our families value and what you would like to see in the future.



 
 
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
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