Fruit Valley Elementary School
HOME OF THE PANTHERS
August 16, 2019
SCHOOL HOURS: 8:00 AM - 2:50 PM EVERY MONDAY SCHOOL GETS OUT @ 2:10
Principal: Matthew Fechter
Secretary: Ahn Vance
Clerk: Meagan Sallee
FCRC: Staci Boehlke
Office Phone: 360-313-1900
*Fax: 360-313-1901
*Attendance Line: 360-313-1412 or fruitvalley.attendance@vansd.org
Our mission is "We Are Learning For Life"
CONTACT US @
STAFF EMAIL ADDRESSES please click here!
Regulation R5119-Nondiscrimination
https://apps.vansd.org/POLREG?id=R5119
Regulation R5161-Sexual Harassment
Welcome Back Panthers!
I am thrilled to be starting my fourth year as the principal at Fruit Valley. Our school community is an amazing place and I feel blessed to be part your lives. As principal I value making school a safe, enriching and fun experience while creating a culture of universal success among our students and families. I look forward to meeting our new families and reconnecting with those who are returning after summer adventures.
Please join me in welcoming our new fifth grade teacher, Jennifer Dukes. Mrs. Dukes joins us with several years of teaching experience in Vancouver, and has worked within many of our classes over the past year.
Our Back to School BBQ is on Thursday, August 22nd from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. We will have class lists ready and look forward to your child getting to meet his/her teacher. Again this year, we’ve received a generous amount of school supply donations from our community. Backpacks and school supplies are available for all of our students and will be located in the classrooms. Thank you to everyone who donated supplies and/or volunteered to help us get the year started! In lieu of students needing to purchase school supplies, please consider bringing a box of tissue or fragrance-free hand sanitizer for the classroom to share.
The first day of school is Tuesday, August 27th. Our cafeteria opens at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast and classrooms open to students at 8:20 a.m. School begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. Please do not have your child arrive any earlier than 8:00 a.m.
See you soon,
-Mr. Fechter
BACK TO SCHOOL BBQ - Thursday August 22nd, 5:00-6:00 pm
- Come find out who your child's teacher will be! Visit your child's new classroom and visiting with other Fruit Valley families.
- The office will be open also during this time in case parents need extra help. The event will conclude at 6:00 pm.
classroom placement
Please note: Placements are subject to change based on enrollment.
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
Aug 22 - Back to School BBQ 5:00-6:00
Aug 27 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2019-2020
Sept 2 - Labor Day – NO SCHOOL
Sept 9 - EARLY RELEASE - school gets out @2:10 pm
Sept 16 - EARLY RELEASE - school gets out @2:10 pm
Sept 17 - Open House/Curriculum Night 5:30-7:00 pm
Sept 23 - EARLY RELEASE - school gets out @2:10 pm
Sept 30 - EARLY RELEASE - school gets out @2:10 pm
UPDATES VPS KEY DATES FOR 2019-2020
Please click here!
September 17th from 5:30-7:00 pm
We would like to invite our kindergarten parents to join us for our Boo-Hoo Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. the first day of school. At that time we will go over procedures for dropping off and picking up your children and answer any questions you might have about our kindergarten program. We’ll have plenty of tissues available for those of you shedding either tears of joy or tears of sadness as your child transitions to kindergarten!
You are always welcome to come into the building with your child in the morning, but do understand that for the safety of all children, we require any adult entering the building to sign in and present some form of picture identification. Supervision is not available until 8 a.m. Students are all asked to go to the cafeteria once they arrive in the building, where they can eat breakfast, visit with classmates, or request a pass to the media center until the bell rings at 8:20. At that time, all students will be released to go to their classrooms. Kindergarten parents may accompany their child to the classroom door. We ask all other parents to say goodbye to your child at the entrance to the hallway. Parents are asked not to go into classrooms with their children in the mornings. Teachers need to have 100% of their attention focused on greeting students and getting started with learning. If you need to get a message to a teacher in the morning, you may send a note or an e-mail, or stop in the office and we will forward the message.
Bus routes
2019-2020 Bus Route
RED: 246 - 7:35 AM
2 - Simpson Ave & W 22nd Street – Start time 7:35 AM
3 - Simpson Ave & W 24th Street
4 - 7310 NW 25th Ave
5 - 6610 NW Whitney Rd
6 - 5520 NW Fruit Valley Rd
KINDERGARTEN PARENTS!!!
ALL kindergarten students must be met at the bus stop by a designated adult. Please be sure you have completed the bus information sheet you were given at time of registration. This information is given to the bus drivers. Students not met at the stop will be taken to the drivers next school and then can either transferred to another bus to return them to Fruit Valley or you may go pick them up.
All Kindergarten students must have bus tags on their backpacks.
school hours
2019-20 Bell Schedule:
8:00am Office Opens
8:00am Breakfast Begins
8:20am First Bell
8:30am Tardy Bell
2:50pm School Dismissed
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11:20 - 12:00 ----------Kindergarten Lunch and Recess
11:00 - 11:40 ----------Grade 1st Lunch and Recess
11:05 - 11:45 ----------Grade 2nd Lunch and Recess
11:15 - 11:35 ----------Dev. Skills Lunch and Recess (Per Plan)
11:30 - 12:10 ----------Grade 3rd Lunch and Recess
11:35 - 12:15 ----------IAC Lunch and Recess
11:25 - 12:05 ----------Grade 4th Recess and Lunch
11:30 - 12:10 ----------Grade 5th Recess and Lunch
Before and After School Pick-Up Procedure
DROP-OFF and PICK-UP of Students:
Students are to be dropped off and picked up at the front entrance of the building. Please DO NOT drop off your student before 8:00 a.m. unless they are attending a supervised before-school program. There is NO supervision for students prior to 8:00 a.m. Please DO NOT park in the school bus turrn-in at the south end of the school at anytime. This is for school buses ONLY!
Students WALKING to and from school:
Students MUST use marked crosswalks and OBEY the School Safety Patrol when going to and from school.
Students may NOT cross in the middle of the block or at unmarked intersections. This is for your child’s safety.
Students in grades 3-5 may ride their bicycles, skateboards, push scooters, skates or roller blades to school ONLY if they wear a helmet and with parent permission.
PARENTS! If you wish to have someone other than yourself pick up your child at school, that person MUST be listed as an emergency contact. A picture ID will be required for emergency contacts who will be picking up your child.
WE MUST HAVE CHANGES REGARDING PICK UP PLANS OR EMERGENCY CONTACTS IN WRITING. CHANGE REQUESTS BY PHONE WILL NOT BE HONORED.
Your student’s safety is the number one priority of our school.
2019-2020 Fruit Valley Boys & Girls Club Info
· Our fall program starts Monday, Sept. 9th. This is an Early Release Day, so we will be open from 2:10 - 6:00 pm.
· The Club Director’s name is Emily Crooks.
· General office hours are Monday-Friday, 2-6 pm, starting on Monday, Sept 9th.
· Kids who have already been members need to have new paperwork filled out by a parent or guardian and turned in to the front desk with the membership fee by Sept. 9th to start the first day of club.
· Membership fees are based on a sliding scale income. This includes snack and after school activities every day after school for the whole year, including drop-off on non-school days at the Clinton & Gloria John Clubhouse. If school is closed for any reason, Club at Fruit Valley is closed. For any further questions, please call the Boys & Girls club at 360-977-8575
SECURITY SYSTEM
Our doors are locked during school hours!
Please ring the doorbell to the right of the door and the office staff can unlock the door. If we don't recognize you we may ask what you need before opening the door. Doors are locked at 8:30 and remain locked all day until 2:40 pm. When the bright green light is on that means the door is unlocked and you may enter without ringing the bell.
We want to see your child every day that school is in session. At our school, learning begins as soon as the bell rings and continues throughout the entire day. That’s why it’s important for students to arrive on time.
We encourage you to make sure your child arrives at school a few minutes early, but no later than 8:20 a.m., so that he or she has enough time to store their belongings, settle in and start learning when school begins promptly at 8:30 a.m.
If your child arrives after the bell rings, please walk him or her into the main office so that we know they have arrived. This year, an arrival up to 30 minutes after the bell rings will be marked as a tardy. An arrival more than 30 minutes after the bell rings will be counted as an absence.
To encourage regular attendance, our office staff will attempt to contact you if your child is absent. If tardies or absent is a problem, school personnel will contact you. If your child is going to be absent, please call the Fruit Valley Absentee Line at (360) 313-1412 by 7:30 am or email fruitvalley.attendance@vansd.org
After 7:30 A.M., please call (360) 313-1900 if you need to speak with someone directly.
News you can use from Student Welfare and Attendance
Vancouver School District’s goal is to ensure that students attend 90% or more of the school year. With that, we hope to reduce the rates of chronic absenteeism to a minimum. What is chronic absenteeism? Chronic absenteeism is defined as instances where a student is absent for more than 10% of instruction time in a school year or missing about 2 days per month.
What you can do to help reduce chronic absences?
Establish a consistent bedtime and morning routine.
Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
Limit the amount of sick days per year, with exceptions to emergencies.
Identify possible anxiety issues with your child and talk to teachers, counselors, or other parents to make your child feel comfortable about going to school and feel excited about learning.
Develop back up plans in instances where you as the parent cannot transport your child on certain days (i.e. contacting another family member, trust friend or neighbor, or another parent).
Plan medical/dental appointments and family vacations during winter, spring, or summer breaks or before, after school and the weekends.
Communicate any transportation difficulties or other barriers to school staff.
Why is addressing chronic absenteeism important?
Establishing good attendance habits early in a child’s education is a good indicator of future school performance. Chronically absent students are less likely to read at grade level by the 3rd grade. By the 6th grade, chronic absenteeism is an early warning dropout indicator.
Building good attendance habits early during a child’s school career can ensure a child’s success in the future.
Consejos que usted puede usar de parte de el Departamento de Bienestar y Asistencia
Un objetivo primario de el distrito escolar de Vancouver es que todos los estudiantes esten en asistencia en la escuela 90% de el tiempo de instrucción o más. En decir eso, queremos reducir ausencias crónicas en nuestros estudiantes. ¿Que significa ausencias crónicas? Ausencias crónicas significa situaciones donde el estudiante a faltado de la escuela más de 10% de instrucción escolar o faltando más de 2 días al mes.
¿Como puede ayudar usted en reducir ausencias crónicas?
Aseguren que su hijo(a) tenga una rutina consistente en la noche y en la mañana.
Prepararando la ropa y las mochilas de su hijo/hija la nóche anterior.
Limitar días que su hijo(a) falte de la escuela por que esta infermo/a. Faltando de la escuela por emergencias médicas será una excepción.
Identificar sentimientos de ansiedad con su hijo/hija y hablar sobre los sentimientos con los profesores, consejeros, o otros padres para asegurar que su hijo/hija esten seguros en asister en la escuela.
Tener planes de emergencia en situaciones donde usted no puede transportar a su hijo(a) a la escuela (por ejemplo, preguntando a otro miembro de la familia o un vecino).
Haciendo citas médicas en tiempos donde su hijo(a) esta de vacación de la escuela.
Comunicar dificultades con los directores de la escuela para tener un plan para asegurar que su hijo(a) no falte de la escuela.
¿Por que es importante hablar sobre la asistencia crónica?
Tener hábitos buenos en no faltando la escuela en la educación primaria asegura que su hijo(a) sea exitoso en el futuro. Estudiantes con ausencias crónicas no tienen la capacidad de leer al mismo nivel en el tercer grado en comparación a otros estudiantes que tienen buen asistencia. Ausencias crónicas en el sexto grado es un signo que los estudiantes son más probable a abandonar los estudios.
Tener hábitos buenos en no faltando la escuela en la educación primaria asegura que su estudiante sea éxitoso en el futuro.
Teacher Qualification Notice
In an effort to keep parents informed of the qualifications of teacher, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allows parents to inquire at school whether their child(ren)’s teacher(s) have met state qualifications and certification requirements for the grade level and subject taught. Parents may inquire whether a teacher is under emergency or conditional certificate through which state qualifications were waived, and they may request information about undergraduate or graduate degrees the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration. Parents can also ask about paraprofessionals working with your child in reading, writing, and/or mathematics. We can tell you whether your child receives help from a paraprofessional and whether he/she meets state qualifications and/or licensing requirements.
Vancouver Public Schools annually conducts an audit of teacher assignments to assure that no teachers are assigned to areas for which they do not meet Washington State certification and/or endorsement requirements. Only on rare occasion does the District seek a waiver to certification. When this does occur, it is typically for a teacher who is within a few credits of completing the endorsement and is actively working on such completion. There are currently no teachers in our Title I schools providing student instruction under a State waiver in Vancouver.
medications
If you anticipate the need for medication at school this year for your student, please pick up a Medication Authorization Form from school office, and have your doctor complete it before school starts. You can fax the completed form to 313-1901 from your doctor's office or bring the completed form to the school office.