Week of January 27, 2025
Principal's Message from Dr. Edwards
Well, that was some extreme cold this past week! I am hopeful, based on forecasts, that we won't have that again for at least a couple of weeks. I am also very sorry to hear of several folks who ended up with burst pipes and related issues from that arctic blast, but I hope that the vast majority of you and your families were able to make it through without anything too significant. Also, while the weather this week was a severe hinderance to getting outside, we do try to get students outside for recess as long as it is reasonable to do so, so I want to ask for your help in making sure students come to school dressed appropriately for spending some time outdoors. Also, if we ever have families who can't provide a child with a winter coat for some reason, please reach out to Mrs. Crecelius, our wonderful school counselor, who can help to connect you with various community resources.
We had several students participate in the schoolwide spelling bee this morning. It takes some bravery to get up in front of others in that setting and participate, and they did a great job. We want to congratulate all of our classroom winners, and especially our school champion, Trayvon Mabura (5th Grade)! Trayvon will represent our school at the regional spelling bee this spring. Noah Benz (5th Grade) was our runner-up and will participate at the regional bee if Trayvon were unable to attend.

“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” — Malala Yousafzai |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our district requires additional information on the academic needs and performance of individual children in order to ensure that the school corporation is providing instruction at the appropriate level for each child. Depending on the information needed, your 4th or 5th grader may be administered a screener for the CogAT High Abilities Assessment. This screener is a short 30-minute test and will be given in the next few weeks.
Please refer to the video below for further explanation: Testing Overview
If you have questions regarding the testing, please contact: brittany.webber@mvcsc.k12.in.us
Thank you!
MVCSC High Ability Identification Team
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
PTO Nerf Night Saturday, January 25th 3-7p
FES Book Fair February 3-7 (see attached flyer)
First Grade Literacy Night Thursday, February 6th 4:30-6:00p
PTO Suits and Sequins Friday, February 7th
Presidents Day -- No School Monday, February 17th
Teacher Professional Development Day -- No School for Students Tuesday, February 18th
Spring Picture Day Tuesday, February 25th (see flyer below -- NOTE: only for new students or those who have paid in advance)
 
Happy Friday!
This week I finished classroom lessons for 5th grade. For the lesson, we are talking about boundaries within friendships. We discuss different kinds of boundaries and what it looks like to be on either side of the boundary line. At the end, we discussed how to handle a situation if a friend crosses a boundary. Mrs. Burkholder also pulled out specific chapter books and graphic novels that talk about friendship problems, which students are welcome to check out! Next week, I will be going into 4th grade classrooms to do a similar friendship boundaries lesson with them. Here is a link to a slide deck that reviews the different kinds of friendship boundaries that I am teaching/reviewing with student. You can view it and use the same language at home for more of a home-to-school connection!
Below are reminders from my office:
- Any student can request to talk/meet with me. All teachers have a "Let's Talk" form in their classrooms that students can fill out and put in the red mailbox outside my office. Once I get a paper, I meet with the student as soon as possible.
- As we move into the new year, I wanted to share some news that FES families may or may not know about, as well as our plan for the second semester. Some of you may know through your students but my husband and I are expecting our first child over Spring Break. If all goes well, the plan is for me to be on maternity leave from March 31st through the end of the school year.
Upcoming events:
- Q3: Classroom Lesson - Friendships
- 5th-Grade: 1/16-1/24
- 4th-Grade: 1/27-1/31
- 3rd-Grade: 2/3-2/7
- 2nd-Grade: 2/10-2/14
- 1st-Grade: 2/20-2/26
- KG: 2/24-2/28
- Q4: Mrs. Crecelius on Maternity Leave
FES Staff Favorite Vacation:- Mrs. McCoskey's (3rd-grade Teacher, Purple House) favorite vacation with her family is going to South Haven, Michigan!

These students were called down to the cafeteria 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
Our 2025 FES Scholastic Book Fair starts Monday, February 3rd during normal school hours. Students will be able to browse AND shop during their fixed library time. Don't forget that sales tax will be collected at our fair. Here are some quick links to help your family get prepared for the Book Fair:
CLICK HERE for our FES Book Fair Flyer
CLICK HERE to volunteer at the Book Fair
CLICK HERE to set up an eWallet for your student to shop at the Book Fair. An eWallet is the easiest way for a student to shop without bringing money to school. Once set up, share the link with friends and family members to contribute to your student’s eWallet.
CLICK HERE to visit our Book Fair website
For more information or 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 a Leave 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 the district. MVCSC Volunteer Background Check Form
Webinars on support and advocacy for parents of High ability students. https://nagc.org/page/webinarsParents want to help their children succeed and navigating the current educational landscape can be challenging when your child is a high achiever, creative thinker, or high ability/gifted learner. The Indiana Academy presents the Gifted Education Series for Parents; programs take place at 7:00 p.m. eastern.
Understanding My Gifted Child- watch archive
Helping My Gifted Child Succeed-Wednesday, December 4-Register Now
Perfectionism and My Gifted Child-Wednesday, January 22-Register Now
Supporting My Highly Intelligent Child-Wednesday, March 5-Register Now
Resources for Gifted Students: A Parent Guide-Wednesday, May 14-Register Now
From the Technology Department: We're excited to remind you about the valuable partnership between Mt. Vernon Schools and Qustodio! This collaboration provides you with insights into your child's online activities and allows you to manage certain aspects of their school-issued devices at home.
For more details, please check out this ParentSquare post from earlier this year.
|
|
|