Week of August 24, 2026
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Principal's Message from Dr. Edwards
Things are definitely starting to feel more routine as we have 12 days in the books. In that regard, I hope you have been able to start getting some good routines and schedules in place at home as well. Academic expectations will continue picking up, and we appreciate all the support we can get from home with keeping your students accountable, helping them stay organized, encouraging them to do their best, and in spending time on core academic skills such as reading decoding and math computation at home in addition to any other regular homework. This is especially true if your child's teacher shares that they are not yet proficient to the grade level expectation in those areas.
I also want to encourage our new families in particular to get up to speed on the various technology systems used at Mt. Vernon. A few big ones are listed below:
ParentSquare (the phone app is recommended) is our primary line of communication. Skyward is where all of the student information, including grades, are kept. Canvas is the learning management system used much more extensively in upper grades but is the primary means for teachers to share instructional materials and/or assignments digitally.
And as a reminder, immunizations must be up to date and turned in by 9/9/26 to avoid exclusion from school. Please contact Shanda Jouppi in our office if you have any questions.
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent Van Gogh |
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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
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 had lunch with new students at FES in grades 1st through 4th. We had a good time getting to know each other and answering questions about their new school.
- A ParentSquare message and reminder message were sent out about this school year's Body Safety program/presentation. Please review the information in the post. There will be one more reminder post.
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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.
- 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:
- 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
The library continues to be a busy place! If you have a reader who needs books more frequently than once a week, remind your student(s) that the FES Library is open each weekday morning from 7:15-7:35 to check in/out books. This is also a great time for students who were absent on their scheduled library day or who forgot their library books on their scheduled library day to visit me!
"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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We’re looking forward to an awesome year ahead. If you’d like to stay involved with the PTO, please complete the form below.
https://forms.gle/PxxvZ4tTRET2yuBT8
***Interested in joining the PTO Board?***
We currently have three open board positions:
- Social Media/Volunteer Coordinator – 1 position available
- General Board Member – 2 positions available
If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved, this is a great opportunity! No experience is needed—just enthusiastic parents who want to help make our school an even more fun and supportive place. If you’re interested, please complete the board application below, application window will close Sunday evening!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjnfldWBAal1bGRNzbcXXWQgdxY4wYkNNVcBPJdPzucyG1gA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114693512600561789680
 
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:
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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