FALCON FAMILY NEWS
North Frederick Elementary Newsletter 8.26.20
WELCOME TO THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR!
Our Board of Education approved the FCPS Reopening Plan. If you have not had the time to review it yet, I encourage you to do so. The FCPS REOPENING PLAN and website will be continually updated as new information becomes available. This is a total redesign of the educational system. It will be different from our traditional in-person program and this spring’s online model. It is extremely important to get this plan right, and I will work extremely hard to help facilitate an outstanding new model of school and learning for our students and community. Having school in this new redesigned manner impacts everything. It impacts every facet of our operations; registration, orientations, school supply lists, school schedules, daycare, and food services to name a few. My goal is to share important information to help prepare families for the 20.21 school year. Please know that North Frederick Elementary is working closely with the Central Office, and while many decisions and communications remain school-based, there is an increased need for centralized communication to ensure consistency during this time of change.
Communication is always key, both in a traditional setting and in this new redesigned online setting. At North Frederick, we do our best to consolidate communication in our biweekly newsletter, the Falcon Family News. Since you will receive emails from your child's teachers and potentially other schools and teachers, if you have older children, we want to be sure we do not inundate your email inbox day in and day out. Be sure to look for the Falcon Family News in your email inbox through Find Out First. It will be packed full of a lot of important information in one location. If you ever miss an issue of the Cougar Comments, we archive each issue on the main page of the NFES WEBSITE .
I hope you are able to enjoy the last week of summer, and I look forward to seeing you online to start the school year. Now more than ever, I encourage you to contact me personally with any questions, concerns, or needs that you may have as you prepare to support your children during this school year. As your principal, I am committed to help make a difference even from a distance! This year may be different than any other, but we can make it meaningful and wonderful for our children.
Mrs. Tracy Poquette, Principal
IMPORTANT DATES
- Wednesday, August 26th- Virtual Meet the Teacher for Students (Times below)
- Thursday, August 27th & Friday, August 28th- Beep -N- Greet (Grade level days/times below)
- Friday, August 28th at 4pm- Schoology Parent Orientation https://meet.google.com/gyz-oute-hhe
- Monday, August 31st- First Day of School
VIRTUAL MEET THE TEACHER
Teachers are excited to invite students and families to a virtual Meet the Teacher TODAY! We are offering four different sessions for each teacher. Please only choose one session for each of your children. Our hope is to have smaller sessions so our teachers can spend a little time connecting with each of their students. Please choose one of the following times on August 26th to “pop in” and meet your teacher:
2:30pm; 3:00pm; 6:00pm; 6:30pm
Here are the links for each teacher's Meet & Greets: Teacher Meet & Greet Links
If you need assistance, please call the front office at 240.236.3000.
BEEP -N- GREET
Please join us with a drive by at North Frederick Elementary School. You will not get out of your cars. Our teachers and staff want to see their students and we want to give you a "learning kit" to help you to be more successful with virtual learning. This will also be an opportunity for you to pickup a Chromebook if one is needed. Please plan to come on your assigned day and time. If this is a problem, please call the front office so we can plan another day/time for you to attend.
Grade level Schedule:
August 27th from 8:30-10:00 1st Grade
August 27th from 10:30-12:00 2nd Grade
August 27th from 1:00-2:30 3rd Grade
August 27th from 2:30-3:30 PK
August 27th from 5:00-6:00 *Any family who needs evening hours. Classroom teachers will not be present during this time slot.
August 28th from 8:30-10:00 4th Grade
August 28th from 10:30-12:00 5th Grade
August 28th from 1:00-2:30 Kindergarten
NFES BACK TO SCHOOL VIRTUAL ORIENTATION
We are so excited to "see" everyone at our Meet & Greet sessions today! Below you will find links to each grade level’s Back to School Hyperdoc. You will find important links and information on each document. Please be sure to take a look!
FREE AND REDUCED MEALS
A new school year requires our school to collect new Free and Reduced Meal forms. Even though Frederick County Public Schools has made a decision for virtual learning it will be important for your child to have the support of this benefit if/when they return to school this year in small groups (which could begin as early as September 14th) in order to avoid any charges for lunches. It will also help to support your Title 1 school as it can provided needed funds to buy additional materials, technology and staffing to continue to support students. Please contact North Frederick Elementary at 240.236.2000 for any support you may need to complete this electronic application or questions you may have. https://www.fcpsnutrition.com/
SCHOOLOGY HELP
Here is a video to support parents with setting up their accounts: https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cYjTYLmyBF
Ms. Laura Jones will be holding a parent session on Friday, August 28th at 4:00pm for NFES parents in grades PK-5. Use this meeting link for Friday's session
https://meet.google.com/gyz-oute-hhe
Click on the link below for a Schoology Orientation!
Virtual Learning TIPS
Below are some tips that you may find helpful or useful as you prepare your child for this year of learning. We recognize that all families are at a different place at this time in terms of school readiness, but for those of you who are curious as to ways you can support your child, we have compiled a beginning list for you.
- Provide a designated learning space for your child. This will help your child with understanding that school is important. If your child has their own area that is strictly for their schooling, they are less likely to be distracted and it will help your child get in the zone for learning. This can be a small table, a small tv tray, a corner table in a kitchen, etc. Please do whatever works best for you, however, we recommend that this area has a “permanent” spot in the house.
- Within the designated space, have organized items that your child will be able to find, put away and use. This will allow students to work in their area without needing to leave it to find needed materials.
- Box or bin for crayons, pencils, scissors, glue and markers.
- Headphones are helpful to avoid distractions to others AND they will block out distractions from the house. We will be giving out free headphones at our Beep -n- Greets.
- Small whiteboard and expo markers. Often teacher will ask your child to hold up their work and paper can be hard to see in an online format. We will be giving out free whiteboards, dry erase marker and eraser at our Beep -n- Greets.
MEALS AT NFES
Beginning on Monday, August 31st FCPS will provide breakfast and lunch to all students for every day of instruction. Grab N Go breakfast, and lunch will be provided Monday, Wednesday & Friday. No meals will be consumed on campus. All meals will be picked up between 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. Students do not need to be present to pick up meals. A parent or guardian may pick up the meals.
The cost of these meals to students will be based on your current eligibility. This means that students who qualify for free meals will get their meals for free. Students who qualify for reduced price meals will get their meals at the reduced price. Students who do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals will pay full price for their meals. (Pricing can be found at www.fcpsnutrition.com.)
Please complete the FARM application as soon as possible so your children can benefit from free or reduced meals. www.fcps.org/meals
STAY INFORMED
Communication is very important to your child’s success at school and we want to keep you informed of what is going on at North Frederick Elementary School. We do not want you to miss important information.
- Find Out First: register online at www.fcps.org/fof/nfes
- Twitter: @FCPS_Poquette
- PTA Facebook page: North Frederick Elementary School PTA
- North Frederick Elementary Website: https://education.fcps.org/nfes/
NORTH FREDERICK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Mrs. Kelly McConville-Assistant Principal
Mrs. Missy Myers- 12 month Secretary
Mrs. Jennifer Mathers- 10 month Secretary
Email: tracy.poquette@fcps.org
Website: education.fcps.org/nfes/home
Location: 1010 Fairview Avenue, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: (240) 236.2000
Twitter: @FCPS_Poquette