Week of August 17, 2026
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Principal's Message from Dr. Edwards
We had a great first full week of school, and while I celebrate that, I am also saddened for the many families that are struggling right now in central Indiana after being hit so hard by the crazy storms from this week. It has been an annoyance for us in Fortville, but it has been so much worse for other communities. If you are a family that has dealt with flooding issues where you live and we can do anything to help at school, please reach out and let us know.
I am thankful to all of our staff (and our parents) who did a marvelous job of rolling with the weather punches in our car rider line. On the couple of days when the rain and wind were intense and we had a lot of lightning in the immediate vicinity at dismissal, we made the call to hold for a time and then to dismiss only in the spots that were closest to the building for safety reasons. We know that meant things ran much more slowly than normal, but we felt that was the best call to make. We are also continuing to run over 200 vehicles in our morning line every day, and next week we plan to do all we can to get to wrapping up the line on time. Remember, it is a big help if you will drive safely but with purpose through the unloading area, stop close to the vehicle in front of you, have your students ready to jump right out with their things, and get moving again with purpose. After 7:32a, a bell rings and our staff head into the building to get ready to start the day--which we do right at 7:35a. Students who are not in the building by that time need to be signed in by a parent at the office and are marked tardy. Thank you for helping us make sure we can keep our day starting on schedule and maximizing the instructional time we have with our students.
I also want to share a little about a school fundraiser that we run throughout the year and that kicks off next week. The SchoolStore information is going home with each child on Monday, and we want to encourage any families that do any online shopping at the participating vendors to sign up and use the SchoolStore portal. Our school gets a percentage kickback on the total of purchases made through those vendors. There are also opportunities for parents, grandparents, etc. to donate to classrooms or the school through gift cards. We are always appreciative of the generosity of so many of our families, but I would encourage you to target more of your giving to our upcoming FES PTO Walkathon fundraiser instead. The funds we get through the SchoolStore kickbacks help us fund our House System and other student activities throughout the school year, so I encourage you to use the portal and recruit others to do the same whenever it is convenient for you.
We have a lot of info in the PTO section below. Be sure to check out all the upcoming events and plan ahead. And as a reminder, immunizations must be up to date and turned in by 9/9/26 to avoid exclusion. Please contact Shanda Jouppi in our office if you have any questions.
“Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy." -- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
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Lost and Found: If your student is missing something, 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. Any unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the school year.
Every Viking Matters. Every Day Counts!
Regular school attendance is an important part of student success. When students are at school each day, they have more opportunities to learn, build relationships, participate in classroom activities, and be an important part of our school community.
Beginning this year, we are working together to meet the new state accountability expectation and school goal of at least 95% attendance rate for every student. Reaching this goal takes all of us—students, families, teachers, and staff—working together.
This year, we’re setting sail on our Viking Voyage!
Our school is one crew, and every student has an important place in our boat. When our Vikings are here and ready to learn, we are stronger together. Let’s encourage one another, celebrate good attendance, and keep rowing toward success!
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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.
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Important Dates
School Picture Day
Tuesday, August 18
All Pro Dad Kick-off
Tuesday, August 25 5:00-5:45p in Treehouse
Pizza with Pals
Friday, August 28 from 5:30-6:30p
East side of FES and playground
Labor Day -- No School
Monday, September 7
Parent/Teacher Connection Day (No School for Students)
Wednesday, September 23
Related Arts Rotation Days
Happy Friday!
This week I was able to pop into every classroom and introduce/reintroduce myself to all students. I shared some fun facts about myself, explained what my job is/what I do at FES, where my office is, and how every student can ask to talk to me at any point and what the procedure is for doing that.
- On Thursday, a ParentSquare message was sent out about this school year's Body Safety program/presenation. Please review the information in the post. There will be two reminder posts.
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Fortville Area Resource Mission (FARM) provides weekend food/snack 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.
- If you are in need of connecting with any financial assistance - including how to apply for Free and Reduced Lunches - please reach out and I can see what resources FES can share.
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Cartwheel periodically provides webinars for parents and caregivers. If you can't attend in real time but want to go back and listen, register and you should get a copy of the recording.
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When School Feels Hard: Understanding Anxiety and Avoidance in Kids
- Wednesday, August 19 | 7–8pm ET
Chinwé Williams, Ph.D.
Register Here
- The start of a new school year brings excitement for some kids and teens and dread for others. In this webinar, we’ll explore what’s driving school anxiety and avoidance in kids, when it may signal a need for additional support, and practical strategies to help children feel more confident, connected, and ready to learn.
- As always, the webinar is free, and you'll have a chance to ask questions live.
- Any student has the ability to request to come talk/meet with me. Next week I will be going into every classroom to (re)introduce myself and explain the process for asking to meet with me.
Upcoming events:
- August 17th-20th: Individual grade-level new student lunches with Mrs. C
- 1st Quarter Classroom Lesson: Bullying Prevention
- August 31st and September 1st: Body Safety Presentations
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
We are talking about library book care in the library as students check out books for the first time this school year! I reminded students that water and food should be kept away from their library books, especially in their backpacks. We also talked about keeping library books in the same spot at home so they don’t get lost. With our new SHINE rotation in related arts this year, it’s even a great idea for students to keep library books in their backpacks since their library day won’t always be on the same day of the week throughout the school year.
OVERDUE/LOST BOOKS FROM LAST SCHOOL YEAR: All books still overdue from last school year have been marked as lost and assessed their replacement fee. Weekly emails are sent to parents on Mondays at 10:00 a.m. until the book is returned or paid for. It’s not too late to return books from last year! Parents can pay for lost library books via MVCSC’s eFunds link. Click on PAY for Optional Fees, then choose Lost/Damaged Library Books. Exact change and/or a check made out to FES are also still accepted.
"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 not currently looking for any positions.
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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Upcoming Events:
Pizza with Pals 8/28 5:30-6:30P
Please join us for our annual Pizza with Pals event on 8/28 from 5:30-6:30P. Flyers should be coming home this weekend. Orders due by 8/26. Online ticket link below:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/pizza-with-pals
We are also looking for parent volunteers to help that evening, if interested please sign up using the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B44A4A622A2F49-65175506-pizza#/
 
Updated All Pro Dad Kickoff Meeting Details (change from flyer below):
When: Tuesday, August 25, 2026 Arrival: 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM Meeting Time: 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM Location: The Treehouse Room (Enter through Door 2 / North Parking Lot) Topic: Leadership
To help us get an accurate headcount, please take a second to RSVP:
Our monthly 45-minute meetings give you dedicated time to focus on your child and connect with other local fathers. Plus, we’ll share details on our upcoming hands-on SERVE events!
No prep needed and it's completely free, just bring your kids and join us!
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