The Mallard Navigator
Forts Pond Elementary School
May 2019
Important Dates for May
May
1 3rd grade field trip to Fireflies game
3 Super Hero Lunch Day - wear your super hero shirt
4 Fairy Tale Tea at 10:00 A.M. for girls in grades 5K- 2
17 4k Awards Day in the Cafeteria at 8:30 A.M.
20 Last Day for 4k Students
24 All Pro Dads and Mallard Moms Combined in cafeteria at 7:00 A.M.
4k Screening by Appointment Only
27 No School - Memorial Day
28 4k Screening by Appointment Only
29 4k Screening by Appointment Only
Grade 1 Awards Day at 9:00 A.M. with Class Celebration Following
Grade 2 Awards Day at 10:00 A.M. with Class Celebration Following
30 Grade 3 Awards Day at 8:00 A.M. with Class Celebration Following
Grade 4 Awards Day at 9:00 A.M. with Class Celebration Following
Congratulations!
Our 21st Century After School students created a bottle cap mural of our 7 Habits Tree to hang on our ' You Choose Your Own Weather" wall. It looks amazing!
Forts Pond cafeteria received 100% on DHEC inspection for the 12th time in a row since 2011. We are so fortunate to have these wonderful ladies. They work so hard!
Bottle Cap Tree Mural
Pelion 12U Softball Team
FPES Cafeteria Ladies
Leaders of the Month
4K Alysa Dunn and Caleb Freeman
5k Kyleigh Smoak, Furio Crespo, Grace Blackwell, Jamir Terry, Maliek Kollie, Estella Boone, Hailee Cobb, Gissell Crispin-Vazquez, Freya Gordon, Traysen Tedder, Caroline Kelly
Grade 1 Joanna Cevallos, Zane Gilbert, Dalton Schofield, Kianna Ryans, Jaiyden Terry, Kiylee Bennett-Favor, Chloe Ayers-Rish, Khiele Hart, Nevaeh Hartman, Olivia Watts
Grade 2 Matthew Snipes, Madison Taylor, Lia Sturkie, Jason Thornton, Madyson Rodriguez, Kalyanna Bertram, E'mahd White, Brooklynn Webber
Grade 3 Ashlynn Anderson, Rhys Johnson, Derekhi Hart, Myriah Phillips, Landon Baughman, Hunter Steading, Robert Jones, Banks Sasser, Tyler Brogdon, Abbi Kitchens, Hayden Spires , Kaleb Felder, Kaleb Boyd
Grade 4 Alissa Cook, Jesse Morris, Brice Leap, Faye Berry, Allyssa York, Aryana Adams,
Jessica Carmen, Ava Smith
Grade 5 Ryland Beasley, Cheyenne McCormick, Jakayla Young, Payton Anderson, James Bautista-Hernandez, Travis Wooten, Zach Besancon, Selina Kemp
Yearbooks
Grade 5 Graduation Celebration
Fifth grade Graduation Celebration will be held June 4th at 9:00 A.M. An invitation will be sent home later this month.
Blowfish Reading Program
If your child participated in the Blowfish Reading Program, a voucher for the two complimentary tickets to the June 10th game will be sent home on Friday, May 10th.
4k Screening
In order to register for screening, your child must turn 4 by September 1. You will need the following items to register for screening:
- Long Form Birth Certificate
- Immunization Record
- Driver's License
- Electric or Water Bill
Register now, so your child will not miss this great opportunity!
Recycle Markers and Crayons
What is Crayola ColorCycle?
Crayola is all about innovative solutions ~ in particular for kids and the environment. ColorCycle is our latest sustainability initiative designed to repurpose Crayola markers.
Can any markers be sent in or just Crayola brand markers?
Crayola ColorCycle will accept all brands of plastic markers, not just Crayola markers. That includes dry erase markers and highlighters! ColorCycle will eliminate placing hundreds of tons of markers into landfills.
Bottle Caps
Legos and Leaders
If you have not attended a Lego and Leaders, you should plan to attend one next year. The children enjoy it, and Mrs. Spence does an amazing job planning an exciting morning.
Run Hard
Cars need to enter via St Andrews Road. There will be NO access to the race via Broad River Road.
Forts Pond is designated to parking spot 41, where we will set up the tent, table, food, and drinks.
GOOD LUCK to all of our runners!!
Counselor Corner
Due to state testing, we will not have classroom guidance lessons in May. Small groups will continue through the end of May.
Tips for SCReady and SCPass:Grades 3, 4, and 5
During the weeks leading up to the TEST begin to talk with your child about the importance of giving their best effort during testing.
The following thoughts will help you in preparing your child for being ready to give the test his or her BEST. The night before:
Help your child get to bed on time. Research shows that being well-rested helps students do better.
Keep your routine as normal as possible. Upsetting natural routines may make children feel insecure and anxious.
Mention the test to show you’re interested, but don’t dwell on it.
Plan ahead to avoid conflicts on the morning of the test.
Cindy Hill grades 4k- 2nd 821-2510
Gina Mahoney 3rd-5th 821-2598
Daily Parent Engagement Tips
Check out FPES Daily Parent Engagement Tips on our school website. Below you can see examples of tips that were on our website this week.
For effective discipline, be curious, not furious
Is it hard for your child to sit still and stay focused? Is your child impulsive and difficult to direct? When your elementary schooler acts out, instead of getting angry, try to find out why. Then you can respond thoughtfully and address the causes. When you give instructions, break tasks down into steps and have your child repeat the steps back to you. And limit distractions like TV and computer games.
Set your child up for test success
Many elementary schoolers face important tests in the spring. Three simple things you can do will help set your child up to do her best on testing days: First, help her get a good night's sleep before a test and get up a little early so she won't be rushed. Next, give her a nutritious breakfast. Finally, make sure that she gets to school on time.
Just like sticks and stones, names can hurt
Kids have called each other names for centuries. But it's wrong to think that there's nothing parents or schools can or should do about it. Persistent name-calling, and name-calling with an intent to hurt, are forms of bullying. Teach your child that this behavior is hurtful. Don't accept "I was just joking," as an excuse. Voice your disapproval to your child when you hear her or someone else putting another person down.
PTO NEWS
Where has the time gone! It's already May! What a amazing year this has been at the Pond!
This person would be responsible for taking notes during meetings, posting on our social media sites, creating fliers, and other duties.
We need a few more parents to join our at large committee as well. These parents will help in various jobs throughout PTO. If you are interested please contact Ashley Leaphart at fortspondpto@gmail.com or contact the front office.
Thank you all again for your support this year! Because of you we have been able to do so many things for our school!
FPES Leadership Clubs
Mallard Moms
May 24 at 7:00 A.M. - 7:35 A.M.
This meeting will be combined with All Pro Dads in May
Please join us with your child/children at our Mallard Moms meeting. We invite any mom, grandmother, aunt, or any other significant female in your child's life to come with your child/children for a light breakfast and a themed discussion and activity together. Although short in length, the time is special and will make your child's day start with pride.
For further information, please contact Judy Moore at 821-2552, or email jvmoore@lexington1.net.
All Pro Dads
This meeting will be combined with Mallard Moms
This is an open invitation to dads, grandfathers, uncles, or any other significant male who may be part of your child's life. Come enjoy a light breakfast and enjoy some "special moment" time as we strive to grow in the time we spend with our children.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. McDermet at 821-2500. You may also reach him by email at mmcdermet@lexington1.net.
Building Plan for FPES Through the Bond Referendum
The community can find the latest information about projects happening around the district as well as here at FPES. All of these are funded by the recently passed bond referendum for Lexington School District One.
FPES will be receiving the following:
- Secure Entrance Upgrades
- Additional Classrooms
- Replacement for Folding Partition in Between Cafeteria and PE Room
- Additional Exterior Lighting in the Front Parking Lot
- Storage and Equipment Building
- Future Ready Classroom Furniture and Equipment
How to Help Your Child Learn Math Facts
Play Math War Using A Deck of Cards
Using either a deck of playing cards or a deck you've made out of index cards, play "war" to practice facts. Split the cards between the two players. Turn over the top two cards – you can either add, subtract (keeping positive answers), or multiply the two cards to see who wins. The winner takes all 4 cards, and you play again just like the traditional card game of war. Whoever has the most cards at the end wins!
How to Help Your Child Read and Write
Encourage your child's participation when you read aloud
Research shows that children who read at home with their parents do better in school. To make sure your child is an active part of the process, let her choose reading materials that interest her. Take turns reading aloud, and stop from time to time to discuss the reading. Ask your child for her reactions to the plot and the characters. Where does she think the story is going? Would she do what the main character did?
Break writing tasks down into easy steps
Your child likes math. But ask him to write and he freezes up. Many students have trouble putting their thoughts on paper. When your child has a report to write, help him start early. Have him make a list of everything he knows about the topic. Ask him to tell you what he'd like to say. When he writes a draft, have him put it aside for a day, then reread it and think about what he can do to make it better.
Title I Parent Engagement
A big thank you to those who attended our last meeting of the school year on April 5.
We reviewed feedback provided on the Title I survey sent home to all parents. The committee brainstormed ideas to address ideas or concerns shared on the survey.
The group took a tour around the school to look at our school math and writing data. Bristol Leaphart, a 3rd grader in Mrs. Bain's class, presented their class data. It was great to hear how Mrs. Bain's class is meeting their goals!
We ended the meeting with Mr. Deal providing a presentation on how social media is affecting our children and strategies to handle it. Mr. Deal is employed by the South Carolina State Department of Education in the office of Student Intervention Services.
A Glance at Summer Dates
June
4 Half Day for Students
5th Grade Graduation Celebration at 9:00 A.M.
5 Half Day and Last Day for Students
July
4 Closed
August
5-9 Class Assignment and Registration 7:00-4:00
7 will be open until 6:00 P.M. for Class Assignment and Registration
20 First Day for Students in Grades 5k-5
* Beginning the week of June 10, we will be closed on Fridays.
We will be open 7:30 A.M. - 5:30 P.M. Monday through Thursday.
We will begin normal hours the week of August 5. Those hours are 7:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Box Tops
Here is how Box Tops work.
Buy the products + Clip the Box Tops + Send Box Tops to school = $$$$$
Lexington County School District One’s Nondiscrimination Statement
Revised 09-04-2018
Lexington County School District One is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all students, parents/legal guardians, staff, visitors, personnel and community members who participate or seek to participate in its programs or activities. Therefore, the district does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or any related medical conditions), color, disability, age, genetic information, national origin, or any other applicable status protected by local, state, or federal law.
The district will use the grievance procedures set forth in policy to process complaints based on alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act of 1963; the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008; and Titles I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The district designates specific individuals to handle inquiries or complaints. To find out who to contact and how to contact them, please go to our website at http://www.lexington1.net/contact-us.