September 19, 2019
Hello Falcon Families,
We are thrilled with the ways our students have been settling into routines and making good behavioral and academic choices in school! Thank you to all of our parent volunteers who have come to help pack our Blessings in a Backpack for children. We welcome volunteers and will be offering a more formal training for those new to us soon.
Frederick Police have informed our school that there is very low use of the crossing guard near 12th Street and Motter Avenue. Please be advised that they will review counts of students within the next two weeks and may need to put this guard in a place that is more of a priority in the area.
We continue to revise our car rider pick up in the afternoon and have had more success moving cars off of Motter Avenue. We will continue to do so. Please be advised that it helps our staff if you are prepared with the car seat you are using in place to help children with easy buckling.
We are excited about our math morning event for parents next week. We often here from parents that they feel disconnected from the classroom when it relates to math. We are hoping our time with parents next week will help inform you about our math practices and you will be able to see some math time in your child's classroom. All parents welcome! Please remember your ID. We will be serving breakfast for our parents.
Have you checked our school's website lately? My tweets often highlight things that are going on in our classrooms! Take a peek to be informed! Feel free to reach out if you need us!
Donations accepted - If you would like to donate to enrich our recess activities even more, we would appreciate basketballs, sidewalk chalk, kickballs, and soccer balls. Please mark NFES on any donations to avoid any confusion over children's personal equipment. Thanks for considering!
Thanks for a wonderful start!
Mrs. Seiss
Looking Ahead
School lunch will not be served.
Evening Parent Teach Conferences - (School opens 4 hrs late - 12pm)School lunch will not be served.
*Dates and times are subject to change.
Keeping You Informed
Attendance
Good attendance leads to success and boosts graduation. Our school goal is 96%.
2018 - 95.13% 2019 - 94.95%
Help us work on getting our attendance percentage back up to 96% this year!
Notes from the Front Office:
- The front office is closed from 2:30-3pm every day to allow the front office to dismiss all children in a safe and timely fashion.
- Please remember to bring a government issued photo ID when visiting the school and/or signing students out of the school.
- We require all transportation changes, both daily and permanent to be provided in writing via a note or email for safety reasons. Emails can be sent to Jennifer.mathers@fcps.org
-We appreciate transportation changes to be submitted by 2pm if possible.
Thank you for being so understanding and helping NFES keep our students safe.
Did You Know...?
FCPS Free & Reduced Meals Program - Free and reduced-price meals are available to families with limited ability to pay. Eligibility is based on family size and income guidelines developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The 2019-20 Free and Reduced Meal Price Application Form is now available online or from any school office. Families who received free and reduced meal benefits last year, must re-apply for the new school year. A new application must be completed each year. Children within the same family but attending multiple FCPS schools can be included together on one form. The forms can be obtained and returned (completed) to any school office. FCPS Food and Nutrition Services will notify families whether they qualify. It may take up to 10 days to process your application, so please apply as early as possible. Please visit this link to : Apply Online .
Click here to print an application to bring to the school office: Print Application I If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school office at 240-236-2000.
Transportation - FCPS bus routes will be posted on August 23, 2019 at 6:00 pm on the FCPS transportation's website: https://www.fcps.org/transportation/bus-stop-information-online. Please check your bus stop location and pick-up/drop-off time as routes sometimes change year to year.
Lunch Accounts - If you would like to update your child's lunch account, please visit: http://www.myschoolbucks.com.
FCPS has a Transportation Delay Board that you can access easily when you wonder why your child's bus hasn't arrived yet.
Bus Delay will let you know!
This can also be found on the FCPS.org website under "Our Schools" tab. The Bus Delay link is on the right side under "Quick Links". It updates often, so keep checking. This is faster than calling your child's school!
Upcoming Event-
FCC Hosting Free Family Festival This Saturday
Frederick Community College will host the FCC Family Festival and Kids’ Fun Run on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Carl & Norma Miller Children's Center.
The festival will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The one-mile kids' fun run will be held at 9:30 a.m. The festival and fun run are free and open to the public.
For more information on the FCC Family Festival, including a full listing of events, click here. People of all ages can enjoy a variety of activities near The Carl & Norma Miller Children's Center, including:
Magician Roger Lindsay, Musical fun with Mr. Hyson, Trackless train ride, Games with FCC student athletes, Obstacle course, Face painters, Balloon artists, Hands-on games, Cotton candy and popcorn, Frederick County Public Libraries Bookmobile, Catoctin Creek Nature Center and Children’s Center tours.
Food including barbecue chicken and beef sliders, hot dogs, and homemade chips will be available while supplies last.
The one-mile fun run is open to children 12 and under and will take place on the paved walking trail at the rear of the main campus. Participants should arrive by 9:15 to check in and submit a signed waiver. Each finisher will receive a medal and water bottle.
Learn more about our After School Club news and sign up information below in our PTA section!
Media Center News
Media Center
2019-2020 Weekly schedules:
Monday – O’Hara, Sgouveakos, Porter, Stefkovich, Roland, Saunders
Tuesday – Mee, Winfield, Pruett, Riedesel, Maher, Lindsey
Wednesday – Hooper, Wenner, Moses/Hudson, Pallansch, Clas, Spevak
Thursday – Anderson, Roark, Prouty, Inkrote, York, Brown
Friday – Wagner, Jones, Bridges, Walton, Warrenfeltz
Media Specialist: Sherri Thomas
Visit Our Online Resources
Health Room News -
School Nurse: Bridgid Knott, RN BKnott@FrederickCountyMD.gov Health Room Technician: Nikki Riffle NRiffle@FrederickCountyMD.gov
Learn More
Social Worker's Suite -
• Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
• Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read.
• Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks.
• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
• Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit in preschool so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and at work.
WHAT YOU CAN DO?
• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
• Introduce your child to her teachers and classmates before school starts to help her transition.
• Don’t let your child stay home unless she is truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, school social worker, or other parents for advice on how to make her feel comfortable and excited about learning.
• Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
• Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.
When Do Absences Become a Problem?
CHRONIC ABSENCE 10 or more days
WARNING SIGNS 5 to 7 days
SATISFACTORY 5 or fewer absences
For information please contact me: School Social Worker,
Ayana White, LCSW-C at 240-236-2006 or email ayana.white@fcps.org
Counselor's News-
Our staff is excited to get to know you and your child to make this school year a successful and memorable one. Your child’s well being is important to every staff member, and we insist on a zero tolerance policy for bullying. NFES maintains a comprehensive anti-bullying program; teachers, administrators, and the school counselor educate students about the steps to take if someone is unkind to them or others. The FCPS website (www.fcps.org) defines Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation (see below), and provides an online form to report bullying. You may also get a paper copy of the form from the school. If you suspect your child is the target of bullying please contact your child’s teacher and/or Laura Vogtman, School Counselor at 240 236-2020. We want to work with you to make sure every student learns in a safe and comfortable environment.
Bullying, harassment, or intimidation means intentional conduct, including verbal, physical, or written conduct, or an intentional electronic communication, that: (I) creates a hostile educational environment by substantially interfering with a student’s educational benefits, opportunities, or performance, or with a student’s physical or psychological well-being and is: 1. motivated by an actual or a perceived personal characteristic including race, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ancestry, physical attribute, socioeconomic status, familial status, or physical or mental ability or disability; or 2. threatening or seriously intimidating; and (II) 1. occurs on school property, at a school activity or event, or on a school bus; or 2. substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a school. Electronic communication means a communication transmitted by means of an electronic device, including a telephone, cellular phone, computer, or pager.
School Counselor: Laura Vogtman Laura.Vogtman@fcps.org
PTA News-
Upcoming PTA Events: September - 26th - PTA General mtg. & Club Info night, 27th - Spiritwear orders are due. October - 4th - Movie Night, 10th&23rd - Playground Meet up, 11th - Roy Rogers and Backyard inflatables night, 17th-25th - Book Fair, 25th - Box Top Collection due. November - 19th&21 - Auditions for school play, 22nd - Movie Night December - Play rehearsals begin
CLUB FAIR! THURSDAY 9/26 5-6pm @ NFES Cafeteria Meet instructors, learn about programs and have first sign up opportunity*
*Check out our revised list of clubs being offered * Club flier
Online Sign Ups open Friday, 9/27 using this link: After School Clubs
Please “like” our PTA Facebook Page to keep up to date on all events!!
Click the link below or search,
“North Frederick Elementary School PTA”
NFES PTA Facebook Page
PTA Board of Directors 2019-2020
President: Jasmine Sneed
Vice President: Alicia Graves
2nd Vice President: Amanda McNally
Treasurer: Sandra Camacho
Secretary: Dawn Hopkins
Email: northfrederickpta@gmail.com
PRINCIPAL Kimberly Seiss NORTH FREDERICK ES 1010 Fairview Avenue Frederick, MD 21701 240-236-2000 Phone 240-236-2001 Fax
Follow Principal Seiss on Twitter See Our School Website
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Nicole Bell
School Cash Online
Menus & Meals www.fcps.org