Ferguson PTO Weekly Newsletter

Friday, September 15, 2023

Firefly Families,

We had a successful week at Alyssa Ferguson Elementary. There were a handful of firsts this week that we would love to highlight;

• we were able to proudly fly our flags beginning on September 11
• Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
• we had our first assembly kicking off our first major PTO fundraiser Boosterthon
• we TURNED it GOLD this week in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness
• we began hosting parents for parent/teacher conferences
• ... and so much more!

Next week we ask that you send your Firefly to school on Monday in blue/yellow and Firefly gear! We will have an all out spirit day once a month to show our Firefly pride.

We would like to share that we are combining the school newsletter and the PTO newsletter to ensure that all our families are receiving the same information.

I appreciate your ongoing support and partnership.

Together, we make Alyssa Ferguson Shine Bright.

Filled with Firefly Pride,
Carla

• Dismissal Changes
• Whole Child Health Success Webinars
• 4th & 5th Grade Yearbook Cover Contest
• Boosterston Spirit Week and Volunteer Opportunities
• Watch Friday's Glow Dance Live!
• VIPS of the Month
• Outclass Room Reps Needed

Fall registration for GT services is NOW OPEN! If you are new to FBISD or your child is not already identified but you would like to refer them for testing, you may refer them using the link below.

Referral window closes on September 30th, no exceptions!

If your child is already identified as GT in one subject area (Math/Science or ELA/SS) and you would like to have them tested in another subject area, you will have to wait until the Spring referral window.

All GT information, including dates for the year is located on the FBISD website.

Dyslexia Parent Night will be hosted at the Reece Center on October 19th from 5:30-7:00. This informative and supportive event provides parents with valuable insights, resources, and strategies to better understand and support their students with dyslexia and literacy needs. The evening will include presentations from dyslexia teachers, interactive activities, and opportunities for parents to connect with each other and share their experiences. This event aims to empower parents with knowledge and tools to help their students thrive academically and emotionally.

If your child’s regular plan of dismissal should change, please notify the front office via email.

Any change in dismissal requires an email to Amber.Whitley@fortbendisd.com from an email listed on Skyward no later than 2:00 pm. Changes should not be made after 2:00 pm, with the exception of unforeseen emergencies.

If you are not receiving our emails, please go to the following link for more information on our notification system and how to set up your notifications: Click Here.

Click on the following link to see the step by step instructions on How To Verify Existing Information in Blackboard: Parent - How To Verify Existing Information in BlackBoard - Add Alternate Contact Info

https://www.fortbendisd.com/BlackboardConnect

As a part of the Whole Child Health Initiative, Fort Bend ISD is excited to present our first parent success webinar of the new school year: “Mental Health is for Everyone”. This session will focus on identifying, recognizing, understanding, and embracing cultural differences in mental health and how it is manifested. As we work to normalize and identify emotional challenges across cultures, the District is focusing on support through campus-based services to address those needs and challenges. The parent webinar will be held on Wednesday, September 13th at 6 p.m. Whole Child Health, focuses on Whole Child Health, is aligned with FBISD's Profile of a Graduate, and is committed to supporting and developing the mental, behavioral, social, emotional, and physical health of all students in FBISD.

We welcome our families to come enjoy lunch with their Firefly!

• Guests will sit at the designated guest tables with the student they are visiting.
• Guests will only be allowed to eat with their Firefly when visiting for lunch.
• Guests will only be able to eat with their Firefly on designated days beginning September 5th, 2023.
• Guests may be invited to exit the cafeteria during the start of the 5-minute quiet SEL moment.

We have officially kicked off our Light Up The World fundraiser! All classes that are 100% registered by TODAY, 9/15, will earn a popsicle party!

Once you’re registered, you will have access to all of the fun sharing & donation features to help us raise funds including:

• The Student Star Video featuring YouTube Trickshot Stars, Dude Perfect!
• Easy Email and Texting
• Automatic payment features like Apple Pay

Don’t wait! Head to mybooster.com today.

No amount is too small - classes with 100% participation (a donation of any amount) will have the chance to with a pizza party!

Thanks for your support! Let's LIGHT UP THE WOLRD!

It's time to shine!

The FE PTO has partnered with Booster to help us reach our fundraising goal of $28,500 and we are well on our way reaching that goal! We have chosen the Support Service package, which means we will NOT have a Booster representative on campus. That's where you come it! We are in need of volunteers for the following:

Emcees - Looking for volunteers that are enthusiastic and full of energy to be our master of ceremonies. We need someone to energize and engage the students! The PTO will be in touch to give you more details about the program.

Inflatable Costume Wearer - Chicken, penguin, or sumo wrestler… take your pic! Bring attention to our event! Meet in the visitor parking lot or outside of the front entrance to get into your costume.

Pep Squad Sign Holder - Smile and wave to our families during arrival & dismissal. Meet outside the front entrance to pick your sign.

Prize Crew - Meet in J201. If it's locked, please ask the front office to have Mr. Garcia open it for you. The Prize Distribution List will be printed and ready for you. You will need to sort, bag, and label prize bags for each student on the list and distribute to classrooms. Thus far, we have been putting student names directly on the keychain packages with Sharpie. If they have more than one prize, we label a shopping bag instead . The time for this is flexible. Morning is preferable, as grades 1-5 are still in their homerooms at that time.

Dance Monitors - Ensure that students are dancing, having fun, and staying safe! All classes will dance during their outclass times.

Decorating Committee - Assist with the setup of decorations for the pep rally and event day.

Please Note:

• For the safety and protection of our students, volunteers MUST have their 2023-2024 FBISD background check completed in order to join the event.
• No younger siblings will be permitted to join this event.
• Event day volunteers will check in at the front entrance and exit through the gym doors after their session is over.
• Check your Volunteer application status here and “view/edit submission” to ensure that you have selected ALYSSA FERGUSON ELEMENTARY.
• Volunteers who do not select a campus location will not appear on the principal’s list of volunteers for their campus and may not be admitted on campus.
• Applications may take up to a week to be approved, so complete yours now! Click here to complete the 2023-2024 application

All dances will be live streamed via Google Meet. Click on a grade level below to watch live on Friday, September 22.

Firefly Wishes are birthday messages displayed on the school marquee and mentioned in the weekly Fireflyer newsletter.

**Please submit your request at least one week prior to your desired publishing date. We will not be able to enter late submissions into the system. Firefly wishes are $10 plus a $.59 processing fee. Availability is based on a first come, first serve basis. Firefly wishes can be purchased through Konstella under the "sales" link. When you are on the home feed, click "more", and "sales".

Join the thriving community of sponsors who are making a significant impact on the success of our students and teachers at Alyssa Ferguson Elementary School during the 2023-2024 school year. Your partnership with us means that 100% of your generous contribution will directly benefit the students, teachers, staff, and campus of FE. The best part? Your donation is completely tax-deductible, making it a win-win for both your business and our school! Click on the button below to learn more.

**Room Representatives must have a current FBISD Background Check completed and approved. 2023-2024 Volunteer Application. See below for the link to the application.

We welcome all volunteers at Ferguson Elementary and our PTO offers many ways to get involved! If you would like to volunteer at Ferguson, you must first have a current background check through Fort Bend ISD. Click below to complete the application. Be sure to attend our Veg Out with VIPS event mentioned above!

Click on the logos below to check us out on our websites and social media.

Keep up with grade-level info via Facebook. Click on the grades below to see what's happening in your child's grade.

President: Stephanie Titas

Vice President: April Royston

Secretary: Whitney Johnson

Treasurer: Kiran Agarwal

Parliamentarian: Megan Allshouse

The PTO Board meets monthly at the dates and times listed below. Meetings at 12 pm will be held in person in the Extended Day Room. Meetings held at 7 pm will be on Google Meet.

Everyone is welcome and invited to join us. It is a great opportunity to hear what the PTO is doing and share ideas with us; however, only PTO Voting Members and Board Members can vote on motions that are on the agenda. The PTO Board will convene on the following dates:

• NEXT MEETING: September 11, 2023 - 7pm (Virtual)
• October 16, 2023 - 12 pm
• November 13, 2023 - 7pm (Virtual)
• December 11, 2023 - 12 pm
• January 8, 2024 - 7pm (Virtual)
• February 5, 2024 - 12 pm
• March 4, 2024 - 7pm (Virtual)
• April 8, 2024 - 12 pm
• May 6, 2024 - 7pm (Virtual)

• A one-stop place for school-wide, room-wide, and committee-wide activities and events
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