Week of March 2, 2026
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Principal's Message from Dr. Edwards
We’ve made it through the longest short month of the school year, and—hard as it is to believe—we are now just two weeks away from spring break. These next couple of weeks will be full ones at Fortville, including IREAD testing for our 2nd graders and for any 3rd graders who have not yet passed. We encourage families to help students maintain a regular routine, get plenty of rest, and arrive each day feeling ready to do their best.
Next week we will also celebrate Read Across America Week, originally established in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. While the week is certainly fun, it also highlights something much deeper: reading is a gateway. Strong reading skills open doors to understanding the world, accessing new opportunities, and building independence and confidence. When students learn to read well, they are not just enjoying stories—they are gaining the ability to learn about any topic that sparks their interest, to think critically, and to pursue future pathways with greater freedom. We look forward to having some fun celebrating literacy together and continuing our shared commitment to helping every student become a capable, confident reader.
“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” ~ Rene Descartes |
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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
IREAD Testing
2nd Grade: Week of March 2
3rd Grade: Week of March 9
MVIS Parent and Student Preview Night
Thursday, March 12th 6:00-7:00pm
MVIS Gym
Last Day of Quarter 3
Friday, March 13
Spring Break (No School)
March 16-27
Happy Friday!
This week, I went into all kindergarten classrooms for individualized lessons. The lesson topics include using kind words, trying before shutting down, and raising your hand. These lessons were tailored to the needs of specific classes.
All Parents - SAVE THE DATE - MVCSC is hosting a Cyber Safety: Connect & Protect, Digital Safety Event for Adults on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:30pm at Mt. Vernon High School Auditorium. Please see the flyer below for additional information. (*This is an adult-only event)
Below are reminders and information from previous newsletters:
- 4th-grade parents: Information has been sent to you via ParentSquare about a parent and student preview and information night for MVIS. If you have not seen this information, please let me know, and I can send you the flyer
- While 3rd and 4th-grade transition lunches were going to start this week, they were pushed back and will now start next week. During lunch, we will talk about things that they can continue and start doing this year to help them transition to their next grade level. These are 1-time lunches and do not repeat weekly.
- 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:
- Cyber Safety: Connect & Protect, Digital Safety Event for Adults: March 11th 6:30pm Mt. Vernon High School Auditorium
- MVIS Parent and Student Preview Night: March 12th 6:00-7:00pm MVIS Gymnasium
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
Read Across America Week is next week! Since 1998, the National Education Association’s Read Across America week is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. You can read more about Read Across America here and see FAQs about the program as well. We will celebrate Read Across America Week in the library by discussing the books and characters that have inspired our lives as readers as part of Random House Children’s Books Made Me A Reader program.
"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 do not currently have any openings.
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
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