FES Newsletter 1.19.26

Posted Date: 01/16/26 (03:36 PM)

Week of January 19, 2026

Principal's Message from Dr. Edwards

The second semester is off and running, and there are A LOT of activities coming up in the next several weeks. Our active FES PTO is always in need of volunteers to help run events, including the Mother/Son Game Night (Nerf, etc.) next Saturday. Registration for that event ends today, and the links below are for signing up, volunteering, or ordering a special t-shirt for the occasion (or for Suits and Sequins). There are several other flyers to note in the PTO section of the newsletter this week, so take a minute to peruse the options and plan ahead.

Game/Nerf Night Sign-up
Volunteer Sign-up
T-shirt Orders

We also have a new after-school club opportunity this semester in partnership with the Vernon Township Public Library running this semester. Take note of the Build It Club flyer below in the MV flyer portion. There are 30 spots on a first come basis, and they typically fill very quickly.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day and 3-day weekend! And if you are an IU fan, I hope Monday is a very special day!

“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

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.

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

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (NO SCHOOL)
Monday, January 19

All Pro Dad Meeting
Friday, January 23 at 6:30a in FES Treehouse

FES PTO Mother/Son Game Night
Saturday, January 24
Registration Required by January 16

First Grade Family Literacy Event
Tuesday, February 3 at 4:00-5:30pm

Family Night at FES Library Book Fair
Wednesday, February 4 at 2:00-7:00pm

Cafeteria Menus and Information

FES Counseling Website

Happy Friday and 3-day Weekend!

Starting next week, I will begin the next round of classroom lessons. For the next two weeks, I will be in 3rd and 4th-grade classrooms doing a lesson on connecting goal setting with academics.

Below are reminders and information about various programs at FES.

Fortville Area Resource Mission (FARM) provides weekend food bags to families who are in financial need of getting more food. If you would like to sign up for this, please use this link.
- Please note that by signing up for this, you are agreeing that your student will bring these bags home weekly, in their backpacks.
Hancock County is looking for all community members 14 years and older to fill out their 2026 Hancock County Community Health Needs Assessment by April 30th. Please see the attached flyer to access the survey.
TBRI stands for Trust-Based Rational Intervention. We use this framework in our schools. If you are interested in attended TBRI Caregiver Training please fill out the interest survey!
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:

Q3 Classroom Lessons
- 4th: January 20th-30th
- 3rd: January 20th-30th
- 2nd: February 2nd-9th
- 1st: February 10th-19th
- KG: February 20-27th

House Points Update

Student ShoutOuts

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!

MV Reads: News from the Library

Mrs. Jennifer Leavell, FES Teacher Librarian

CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER AT THE BOOK FAIR

Our FES Scholastic Book Fair starts Monday, February 2nd during normal school hours. Students will be able to browse AND shop during their fixed library time that week. If you are interested in volunteering for the Book Fair, click this link: FES Book Fair Volunteers. Don't forget that sales tax will be collected at our fair. More information about our Book Fair will be coming home soon! If you have questions about the FES Book Fair, contact jennifer.leavell@mvcsc.k12.in.us.

"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 a resource teacher.

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/webinars