The Rocket Review
September 6-10
Important Updates and Reminders for our Third Week of School!
Thank you to all of our parents and school staff for making these first two weeks of school as smooth as possible. We continue to experience a bumpy, yet progressive ride as we navigate learning while tending to health/safety and arrival/dismissal. I will address all of these areas below and need your help! Read below for specific information in both areas.
Please remember that we have a holiday on Monday and a teacher workday on Tuesday of next week. We will be ready for students on Wednesday, September 8th!
Health/Safety
- Please keep your child at home if they are sick. We can't say this enough, please help!
- Please notify the front office if your child is out sick as you will need guidance for when they can come back to school. In most cases (99%), a negative PCR test or alternate diagnosis from a DR/ Healthcare Provider is required to return. Parent notes alone are not accepted.
- The following symptoms require you to keep your child at home (or to go home from school immediately) and notify the school: Fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion/ runny nose, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea.
- Even if you think your child has allergies, we must have a current diagnosis from a medical provider stating this. We are not allowed to accept parent diagnosis.
- Please know that we are unable to make exceptions and we are simply the messengers to help keep our school as healthy and safe as possible.
- Please make sure the school has your most up to date contact information. We need to be able to call in an emergency and expect you to return our call. We know it is hard to be interrupted during your work day; however, we only call when it is urgent or when we need to notify you of something important.
Arrival/Dismissal
- When checking in or out students, please be prepared to use your cell phone camera. Please open the camera and hover over a QR code. Open the link as directed and you will complete a Google form to complete the check out / check in process. After completing the form, then ring our bell for help. If you are checking out, also remember your ID. The front office will call for and accompany your child to you out front.
- No student check outs after 3:15 PM.
- Please limit all calls and visits during dismissal and reserve them for an emergency or urgent matter only.
- Do not cut in front of people in carpool. Wait your turn.
- Make a right turn only into and out of carpool.
- This was the last week to call students by name in carpool. Please make sure you have and use your carpool number. We will ask you to park or pull up to the white cone waiting area for an ID check.
- If someone else picks up your child, please make sure they have a FVES issued carpool tag. Please do not make a homemade tag as the tags we give you are a more secure way to keep kids safe. If you need additional tags, please email adial@wcpss.net.
- Please remember that our front loop is for buses and daycare vans only. If you drive on campus to get your child, you will need to follow carpool procedures.
- We do not have walk zone. All students should use carpool, bus, or daycare vans for school transportation.
We super appreciate your help. We couldn't do it all without you! Please see our "Who to Contact" list below to call specific people instead of calling the main line and waiting. We have experienced a significant increase in phone calls and would love to help get you what you need quickly!
Wishing you Well,
Heather Johnson
Principal
Air Purifiers
Many parents have inquired about the donation of Air Purifiers to classrooms within our school. Donations are always accepted, however, not in money form! If you are interested in purchasing/ donating, one parent will need to take the lead for this project to collect and purchase. Teachers are asking families if they would like to add their name and email address to a class roster list that can be shared with other parents. Families that opt to be on the email list can be asked if they would like to donate by the lead parent. The school or PTA cannot set up funding or crowdsourcing. The donated Air Purifier will need to be the same brand that is approved for use in our special education classrooms and is listed below.
https://alen.com/products/alen-t500-tower-hepa-air-purifier?variant=12172985827395
https://alen.com/products/alen-t500-tower-hepa-air-purifier
Military Resources for Families
As events rapidly unfold in Afghanistan, the news may be distressing to many people including service members, Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. You are not alone.
Parents as teachers offers some wonderful tips to help guide family discussions on difficult topics. They also offer a newsletter you can sign up for continual supportive suggestions.
Here Comes The Bus!
WCPSS Transportation provides families of students who ride a yellow bus to school with a free bus tracking system called Here Comes the Bus. Click here to get started with Here Comes the Bus at . You will need the district code and your student’s ID number to sign up:
The WCPSS school code for Yellow Bus is 67500.
The WCPSS school code for Vendor Transportation Services is 67501.
Learn more about Here Comes the Bus for Vendor Transportation Services.
Once activated, you can customize or edit features, including how the app will communicate with you and the size of the notification radius. Please understand that we sometimes make bus substitutions when preventative maintenance is due and in response to the management of bus drivers. When a bus substitution is made, some features of the Here Comes The Bus app may not work.
Join Our FVES PTA!
Click here to join online!
Social Studies Curriculum Overview
Overview of Elementary School Social Studies for Families
This document was created to support families in their understanding of the K-5 newly adopted Social Studies standards. The document will answer the following questions;
What will my elementary student be doing in class?
What will my elementary student be doing at home?
What can I do to support my elementary students with Social Studies?
Who should I contact if I have questions?
Box Tops for Education
Help us earn some extra funds for our school by keeping your Box Tops for Education labels! Just download the app, take a picture of your shopping receipt and it will automatically uploads any points to our school for you! So simple and so helpful!
Visit this website to learn more! https://www.boxtops4education.com/
Technology Provided By WCPSS
FVES Before and After School Program
Again, this year, FVES will offer an on-site “Before and After School Care Program” for those families who need a structured childcare setting between the hours of 7:00 AM- 8:45 AM (before school) and between 4:00 PM-6:00 PM (after school). Program staff are listed below and can be reached via email for questions about this program and they will be on hand during all “Meet the Teacher” events.
Before School Care
Registration: $15.00
Monthly Fee: $94.65
Director: Pam Morman
After School Care
Registration: $15.00
Monthly Fee: $108.17
Director: Donna Myers
Payments can be made online OR by contacting the director for more information on additional payment options. Visit our FVES website --> Parent Info --> Before & After School Care.
Medication
School Meals
- For the 21-22 school year, all meals for breakfast and lunch are free.
- Breakfast: please have your carpool student at school by 8:55 for them to have enough time to eat breakfast.
- Lunch: for students bringing their lunch to school, please try your best to provide some healthy choices that can be opened independently.
Volunteering
Fuquay-Varina Elementary School Resources
Front Office Number: (919) 557-2566
School Fax Number: (919) 670-4210
School Website: https://www.wcpss.net/fuquayvarinaes
Kindergarten Website: https://sites.google.com/wcpss.net/fveskindergartenPrincipal: Heather Johnson, hmjohnson@wcpss.net
Assistant Principal: Kelly Bradshaw, kbradshaw@wcpss.net
School Secretary/Bookkeeper: Missy James, mjames6@wcpss.net
Front Office Receptionist: Amanda Dial, adial@wcpss.net
Data Manager/ Attendance: Lisa McNeill, mmcneill2@wcpss.net
Cafeteria Manager: Stefanie Morales, cns420@wcpss.net
Special Education Lead Teacher: soquendo@wcpss.net
School Counselors: Kristen Bush: kbush@wcpss.net & Michelle Brick, mbrick@wcpss.netKelly Bradshaw, Assistant Principal
Our School
Heather Johnson, Principal
Previous Newsletters
Should you need to refer back to previous newsletters, click the links below or visit our FVES website --> Our School --> Principal's Message!