Week of November 24, 2025
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Principal's Message from Dr. Edwards
In a season when we focus more than any other time of year on the things we have in our lives for which to be thankful, our student life committee has led the idea of having students bring in loose change and small bills to drop in their house's bucket (i.e. Giving Wars). These funds go into an account that we can access to assist our families with fees for field trips, class shirts, etc. if they are in financial need. I wanted to share that through the kindness and generosity of so many of our students and their families, we had a record amount collected over 4 days this past week ($1,177.55) even though we are down a grade level from the past! Thank you to everyone who took part in this spirit of giving in even the smallest of ways!
After we get through a short 2 day week, I hope everyone is able to enjoy a fantastic 3 day break from school and time of Thanksgiving with family and friends!
“Be present in all things and thankful for all things." —Maya Angelou |
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Lost and Found: If your student is missing something since the start of the year, please take a look at THIS LINK where we have pictures of individual items and a form you can submit if you see an item that you recognize.
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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
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Important Dates
Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)
November 26-28
4th Grade Gingerbread Town and Music Showcase w/ Choir and Drama Club
Thursday, December 4 @ 6p (Showcase in Gym)
Gingerbread Town open house (in main atrium) immediately before and after the Showcase
Last Student Day of First Semester
Friday, December 19
Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)
December 22 - January 5
First Student Day of Second Semester
Tuesday, January 6
Happy Friday!
Below are reminders and information about various programs at FES.
- Rack Room Shoes supports FES students with a grant every year for tennis shoes for students whose families are financially unable to obtain tennis shoes. If your child does not have appropriate tennis shoes and you are unable to purchase them yourself, please fill out the following form by the end of the school day Tuesday, November 25th with your child(ren)'s shoe size. Student(s) must attend Fortville Elementary. Shoes will be distributed in December before we leave for break.
- Any student has the ability to request to come talk/meet with me. All the student has to do is to ask their teacher to come meet with me.
Upcoming events:
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2nd Quarter Classroom Lesson: Career Exploration
- 11/17-11/25: 1st Grade Career Exploration Lessons
- 11/25: Tennis Shoe Assistance Form Due
House Points Update
These students were called to the Success Slide 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!
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MV Reads: News from the Library
Mrs. Jennifer Leavell, FES Teacher Librarian
The 2026 Read Aloud Indiana lists are here! These titles were just announced at the Indiana Library Federation annual conference. If you need new books to share with your family (especially if you are reading aloud at bedtime!), these are great options. I’ve shared several books from the Ageless List with students recently and they’ve been a big hit.
The Read Aloud Indiana program fosters a love of reading and the sound of language. Each year, a committee of Indiana Library Federation (ILF) members develops five read-aloud lists: one each for primary school ages, upper elementary, middle grades, high school, and ageless. Past lists can be found here. These books make great additions to home libraries for families to read together!
"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 leave coverage teachers, a Permanent Building Substitute, and a Title I IA.
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 our building (this is separate from any other MV buildings). FES Volunteer Background Check Form
At MV, we have all of our instructional staff trained on TBRI, and we now have a Parent Resource Hub available to our families to access at any time.
Webinars on support and advocacy for parents of High ability students. https://nagc.org/page/webinarsDear Parents,
As a token of appreciation, Lifetouch is offering discounts on school photography!
- 50% off a purchase of $50+ with code 50THANKS
- 40% off a purchase of $40+ with code 40THANKS
- 30% off a purchase of $30+ with code 30THANKS
Valid through 12/01/25
To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account, find your student and order using your student's student ID number (if available at your school). Don’t forget to order your FREE Digital SmileSafe card!
More about the Smilesafe program here.
Thank you!
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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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