FALCON FLYER
April 5 - 19, 2019
Report Cards Go Home
STAAR Testing - NO VISITORS
April 9th & 10th
Follow Us!
Upcoming Events
April 8
- Report Cards Go Home
April 9 & 10
- STAAR Testing - NO VISITORS
April 11
- Technology Fest @Berry Center 4:30-7 pm
April 13
- Spring Fling 3-7 pm
April 16
- Family Fitness Night 6-7 pm
April 17
- Pre-K / Kinder Pre-Registration 9-3 pm
April 19
- Student Holiday
April 22-30
- Bond Election Early Voting
April 25
- VIPS Appreciation Coffee & Cupcakes 10:30-11:30 am
- Choral Festival @Berry Center 4-8 pm
May 1
- CFISD VIPS Luncheon @Berry Center 11:30-1:00 pm
May 3
- Spirit Shop Open During Lunches
May 4
- Bond Election
May 13-15
- STAAR Testing - NO VISITORS
May 20
- Kinder Camp (incoming Kindergarteners) 9:30-10:30 am
May 24
- 4th Grade Texian Time Machine
May 27
- Student Holiday
May 29
- 5th Grade Graduation/Talent Show 9:30-12:30
May 30
- Last Day of School
- Report Cards Go Home
- 5th Grade Urban Air Field Trip 9:30-12:30 pm
- End of Year Parties (PPCD/AM Pre-K) 10-10:45 am
- End of Year Parties (PM Pre-K/K-5) 2-2:45pm
Farney is OPEN for campus transfers for the 2019-2020 school year!
On Thursday, March 7, the Board of Trustees voted on the campuses that will be designated as open for the 2019-2020 school year. Farney will be an open campus. Please see below for information about the Open Campus Transfer Process:
- Parents/guardians who are interested in reviewing the list of open campuses may visit the CFISD website, https://www.cfisd.net/en/parents-students/registration/transfer-schools/.
- Open Campus Transfer Requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis and the designated campuses each have a limited number of transfers.
- Applications will be accepted and reviewed for current CFISD students, who have not had a transfer revoked in the 2018-19 school year.
- Applications will be posted on this same site once the transfer period opens. However, the forms will not be posted and/or distributed before our opening date of Monday, April 1, 2019.
- Completed transfer requests with the requested proof of residency may be submitted to studenttransfers@cfisd.net or delivered to the student’s current campus registrar. Parent/guardians may also deliver the completed application and supporting documentation directly to the Office of Students Services/Admissions.
- Transfer requests will be accepted from April 1-June 3, 2019.
Bond Election May 4
Bond Election Information
The CFISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved calling a bond election for May 4, 2019, during its regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 11. The $1,762,000,000 bond package, as recommended by a community long-range planning committee, is anticipated to meet the following needs for CFISD through the year 2025: instructional and support facilities; safety and security; transportation; technology; and facilities renovations and additions.
Chaired by community member Julie Hinaman, the long-range planning committee featured broad-based geographic, ethnic and age representation by 50 members located throughout the Cypress-Fairbanks community. The committee met for seven weeks throughout November-January to develop a long-range plan recommendation that:
- considers the educational needs of students;
- provides a solution for the new facility and transportation needs precipitated by the district’s growth;
- provides a solution for facility renovations, security modifications, technology and technology infrastructure needs;
- ensures support for a quality education for all students;
- reflects community values and perceptions of needs; and
- is fiscally sound.
The long-range planning committee presented a bond package recommendation for the following district needs:
- Instructional and support facilities ($258,208,345), including:
- a new elementary school (No. 59) and a new middle school (No. 20);
- a center for visual and performing arts;
- a maintenance storage facility; and
- an instructional support center.
- Safety and security enhancements ($207,656,706) including:
- security for open-concept floor plans in elementary schools;
- impact-resistant glass on doors and high-traffic areas;
- fencing around portable buildings and playgrounds;
- metal detectors;
- upgraded intrusion detection panels and door prop alarms; and
- new police vehicles and radios;
- Transportation ($88,162,655) including:
- a 12-year bus replacement schedule;
- buses to accommodate student growth;
- a new northwest transportation center; and
- replacement of existing GPS hardware;
- Technology ($238,980,763) including:
- replacement cycle of classroom technology;
- classroom technology and technology infrastructure to accommodate student growth;
- wireless devices for classroom technology;
- elementary large-group sound systems; and
- special education technology; and
- Facilities renovations and additions ($968,991,531) including:
- additions to the CFISD Exhibit Center and Westgreen Ag-Science Center;
- relocation of the Maybelline Carpenter Center;
- repurpose of the old Windfern campus and addition to the new Windfern campus;
- career and technical education (CTE) additions including new welding, HVAC and culinary arts classrooms;
- fine arts enhancements including expansion of art and music rooms, black box theater additions and renovations, orchestra rehearsal space and storage and band director towers;
- athletics enhancements including renovation of baseball and softball fields and additional tennis courts; and
- Cy-Fair High School multi-campus site drainage and traffic remediation.
The projected impact on the Interest and Sinking (I&S), or debt service tax rate (currently 40 cents per $100 of property valuation), would result in an incremental change of up to $0.03 over a seven-year period. Using a home valued at $200,000 as an example, this would equate to a maximum annual I&S tax increase of $40.50 by the year 2025. There would be no tax increase for individuals who are 65 years of age or older or who are disabled and who qualify for an over-65 homestead exemption according to Texas Property Tax Code Section 11.26.
A detailed presentation of the long-range planning committee’s recommendation to the Board of Trustees can be found on the district website.
Counselor's Corner
April Character Education Theme
The theme for April is HOPE. Hope is believing that something good can come out of something bad. Desmond Tutu once said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” When you need support, your friends and family are there for you.
Credit By Exam
Students in grades K-5 will have four opportunities during the school year to use “credit-by-exam” to accelerate to another grade level. Students will only have one opportunity to test for each grade level considered. To apply to take the test to skip kindergarten, a student must be 5 by September 1, and registered in a CFISD school. To apply to take the test to skip grade 1, a student must be 6 by September 1, and enrolled in a CFISD school. Students who earn scores of 80% or better on each component of the credit-by-exam will qualify to advance one grade. Only one grade level may be “skipped” each year. No retests will be given.
If you are interested in getting more information about credit-by-exam, please contact the school counselor. Parent information and application are attached in the newsletter.
5th - 6th Grade Transition
This month K-Level (Upper level class) letters will be coming home with 5th grade students who have an 85 or above average in a subject. The students who qualify will automatically be placed in the K-Level course unless you send back the signed opt out letter. Please contact shannon.zepeda@cfisd.net if you have any questions.
WATCH D.O.G.S.
WATCH DOG Program
Our Watch Dog program consists of Dads or Father Figures of Great Students who volunteer one day at their child’s school. They will perform a variety of tasks including assisting with the car line in the morning, eating lunch with their child, helping in the library and in the classroom.
If you registered prior to September 19th, you should have received an email with the calendar link to pick your date to volunteer and to sign up for the Volunteer Portal.
If you are interested and haven’t already registered, please complete the registration link below to add your name and email to our list. We will send you an email with all of the information and a link to the calendar.
Please contact Isabella.scocozza@cfisd.net or 281-373-2873 if you have any questions. We look forward to your participation and hope to see many dads at Farney Elementary!
School Communication
School Communication
We communicate in a variety of ways. The Falcon Flyer is the easiest way to stay “in the know.” You will receive it via School Messenger every two weeks. School Messenger is the district's mass notification system. If you are not enrolled, please click http://www.cfisd.net/en/parents-students/contacts-communications/schoolmessenger/ to sign up. We also post it to Twitter @CFISDFarney and post to the Farney Facebook page. Our mascot, Francine the Falcon, also has her own Instagram page. Simply follow francinethefalcon on Instagram.
Each teacher has their own website which is updated every two weeks. Updates might include, weekly classroom news, homework links etc. You can access their website through our campus site or by clicking the following link https://app.cfisd.net/urlcap/campus_list_135.html.
Teachers send home weekly folders which include student work and a communication card each Friday. Please sign the card and return the folder to school each Monday.
Z-Pass
Did you know you can receive information about when your child enters and exits the bus? Go to zpassplus.com to access the parent portal and sign up for notifications. The RFID number is located on the left side of their "backpack badge" next to the barcode.
CFISD App
There is a great app for our district. Simply download it and follow the schools your children attend. With a click of a button you can see grades through the Home Access Center, check out the lunch menu, or contact your child's teacher.
Reserved Parking
The reserved parking spaces at the front of the school are reserved for Farney staff members who frequently leave from and/or return to the building during the school day. Please do not park in these spaces before school, after school, or during the day. For your convenience, we ask all other staff members to use the back parking lot so that there are dozens of visitor spots available to you in the front of the school. We appreciate your cooperation.ARRIVAL TIME
Morning Drop Off Safety
Lunch Visitors
Birthday Celebrations
WANT TO KNOW HOW TO HELP???
VOLUNTEER
We have SO many opportunities for you to volunteer at Farney! We encourage you to get involved in any way you can. If you cannot come in to the school during the day, we have brown bag projects that can be sent home. A strong home/school partnership means success for our children. For more information go to www.farneypto.com.
Amazon Smile
Do you shop on Amazon? Simply go to smile.amazon.com and type Farney Elementary PTO in the search box. Once you select Farney a portion of your purchase will be donated to Farney every time you shop! You only have to designate Farney the first time, after that, you will go to smile.amazon.com each time to start your order.
KROGER CARD
To earn money for our school each time you shop, simply register your Kroger card (cards have to be registered EACH year) online: www.krogercommunityrewards.com
BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION
Collecting Box Tops is an easy way to earn money for Farney. The Box Top form is included in this newsletter. Attach your Box Tops to the form and send them in. Each month, the homeroom that turns in the most will win a special treat!
SHOPAROO
Download the free app and scan your receipts. It's that easy! Shoparoo accepts receipts from grocery, clothing, home improvement, sporting good, clothing stores, restaurants and many more!
Child Find Services
The Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District Special Education Department provides educational services to an estimated 8,000 students with special needs.
Teachers, instructional aides, speech pathologists and related service personnel provide instruction and related services to students who have a disability. Students are eligible for special education services from the age of 3 through 21. Students who have hearing and vision disabilities may receive services from birth.
To be eligible for special education services, students must meet eligibility requirements as a student with an orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, auditory impairment, visual impairment, diagnosis of deaf/blind, intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, learning disability, speech impairment, multiple disabilities, autism, non-categorical early childhood, or traumatic brain injury.
Cypress Fairbanks ISD instructional arrangements for elementary school-aged students include in-class support, resource classes and speech/language therapy. Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities (PPCD), adaptive behavior, and LIFE Skills classes are offered as cluster services at the elementary level.
In-class support, resource classes, LIFE Skills, adaptive behavior and speech/language services are available at all secondary level campuses.
Related services may include psychological services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, orientation and mobility training, school health services, adaptive equipment and special transportation.
Other special education service options include the Dorothy Carlton Center, the Adaptive Behavior Center, homebound, adaptive physical education, itinerant and on-site services to the visually impaired.
As part of the Northwest Harris County Cooperative for the Hearing Impaired, services for students who have auditory impairments are offered at Birkes Elementary, Hancock Elementary, Spillane Middle School and Cy-Ridge High School. In addition to receiving instruction at the on-site campuses, students may be served by itinerant teachers, speech pathologists, and/or an audiologist at their home campus.
Are you the parent of a pre-school (3-5 years) or school aged child and have concerns regarding your child’s physical, speech, and/or emotional development? Is your child experiencing academic problems which could interfere significantly with educational success? If so, contact the Special Education Department at 281-897-6400 to discuss your concerns and learn more about the referral process.
Farney Elementary School
Email: farney@cfisd.net
Website: www.farney.cfisd.net
Location: 14425 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress, TX, United States
Phone: 281-373-2850
Twitter: @CFISDFarney