FES Newsletter 9.14.26

Principal's Message from Dr. Edwards There are not many news events that are so significant that you remember exactly where you were when you heard about them.  The terrorist attacks of 9/11 stand out starkly in my memory.  On this anniversary, we pause to take time to remember and recognize the terrible acts of hate and violence, the heroism of Americans in response, and the many ways that our entire world has been changed in the 25 years that have followed.  For our students, 9/11 is now history rather than a memory they share with us.  That makes it even more important that we help them understand not only what happened, but also what we choose to carry forward from it.  We can remember without dwelling on fear.  We can acknowledge hatred without allowing it to define us. And we can honor the casualties of the event and its aftermath by choosing courage, compassion, service, and a willingness to stand together.  Perhaps one of the most important lessons of 9/11 is a simple one: what we do for one another matters. We are currently in the midst of our Walkathon fundraiser.  This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and it largely funds all the activities of our PTO (teacher mini-grants, student rewards, etc.).  We encourage you to participate as you are able and to reach out to family and friends as well.  I would love to see us get around $29,500...so I can avoid the level of porcine intimacy required by going over $30k. ;)  And if that is what is going to happen, let's really blow by that threshold to something like $35k or $40k! Finally,  as we have shared previously, the state is holding schools and parents more accountable for school attendance.  Overall, we are off to a good start.  Our attendance rates (by house and as a whole school) are listed below.  I also want to encourage you to be sure that we are limiting the number of tardies for our students.  The start of the school day is important in so many ways for our young learners.  We greatly appreciate the consistent efforts of so many of our families to prioritize on-time school attendance.

Viking Vegetation
This summer we began a project to add an outdoor botanical classroom to our campus – a garden space where students and teachers can enjoy interacting with and learning from nature. The area, which adjoins the playground, is a work in progress with a focus on native Indiana plants and perennials that will help teach us sustainability and best ecological practices. We want to keep this a practical project and learning experience beyond any aesthetic value. 

As autumn approaches, we are asking for help from our FES family. As you prepare your yards for fall and winter, we would appreciate the donation of any of the following materials you might be removing from your landscape: 

- raised-bed frames (solid wood or metal)

- bricks or stepping stones

- landscaping rocks (fist-sized or larger) 

- any other natural garden items (no plastic, please). 

Please do not purchase these items. While we have lots of ideas we plan to incorporate, one of the goals is to keep this project very low budget. We prefer the donated items to be surplus to your needs so that we can recycle them into our garden. If you have questions about the garden, want to arrange a drop-off time, or have items to donate not listed above, please contact Mrs. Goben (our amazing building sub) at jeanette.goben@mtvernonschools.org

MV Reads: News from the Library

Mrs. Jennifer Leavell, FES Teacher Librarian

Did you know that every MVCSC student has a library card through the Hancock County Public Library? To access a student’s library card, a parent/guardian can login to Skyward and then click Portfolio > Library Card Numbers. To use the library card in the Libby app (Libby is a free app that allows users to borrow digital content including ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines from their public library), use the pin 0000. If you have any questions about the HCPL library card, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

1. 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.
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).
3. 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.
    

The Fortville Elementary School Walk-a-thon is coming on Friday, September 25!

And we are so excited to make this year’s event one our students will remember!  During the Walk-a-Thon, students will spend time outside with their classmates walking laps, listening to music, enjoying a snack, and celebrating their hard work. It’s a fun day focused on exercise, friendship, school spirit, and raising money for our school!

The Walk-a-Thon is our primary PTO fundraiser, and the best part is that 100% of the donations go directly back to Fortville Elementary!  Funds help support teacher-initiated projects, student programs and activities, and school improvements.  Our school-wide goal is $30,000, and we truly believe our FES families can make it happen!   We are also purchasing TWO nice picnic tables with shade umbrellas for the playground area from the funds raised.

***NEW! Donate Online with Zeffy***

We know that asking friends and family to support your child is much easier when you can simply send them a link, so we are excited to offer an online donation option through Zeffy this year!

Friends and family can donate from anywhere and easily share their support for our FES Vikings.

FES Walk-a-Thon Online Donation Page⁠

Cash and check donations can still be turned in to your child’s teacher as usual with the envelope that came home with students. The online option is simply an additional, convenient way to participate that we hope will make donating even easier for everyone!

On the week of the actual event, we will be having a Walk-a-thon Spirit Week, too! There are some exciting individual prizes and classroom incentives this year (see the flyers below).

We also need volunteers!  See the opportunities linked below.

Snacks Donations

Silly String Donations

Help with Counting Money Donations

Updating thermometers

Thank you for supporting FES PTO and, most importantly, our students! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out!  Let’s get walking, FES!