-Soaring Falcons-
November 2021 Edition
Principal's Message
Dear Falmouth Falcon Families,
The season of Fall is upon us and the holiday season is quickly approaching. As Thanksgiving draws near it is important to take time to slow down from the back-to-school frenzy and express gratitude for the many gifts we have been given. FES can certainly be thankful for our wonderful school, our dedicated staff who believe each and every day in the achievement of students, and our supportive community. Our staff is thankful for our PTO, community members, and the students who bring laughter and a willingness to learn each and every day. I, personally, am thankful for the continued support you, as parents, provide on my journey as an administrator and the ongoing belief in both me and FES. FES is making amazing strides in increasing student achievement and establishing itself as an integral part of the community.
We are also excited to begin Boosterthon! These next two weeks you will hear your child share information regarding CURIOSITY, CONFIDENCE, HUMILITY, PRACTICE, and ENDURANCE. I encourage you to participate in Boosterthon as a family by reviewing the character lessons at night after your child has participated in the daily team huddle. Boosterthon will culminate in our annual FUN RUN to take place on Monday, November 15th. Funds contributed to Boosterthon will go towards an electronic marquee and to help subsidize student events.
As we move into the second 9-weeks, it is important to remember the vital role you play in your child(ren)’s education. Taking part in class/school activities, reviewing classwork/homework, and facilitating ongoing conversations which promote learning, are all important parts of ensuring the success of students.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Dr. Burch (Formerly Dr. Johnakin-Putnam)
Virtual Principal’s Coffee and Conversations
Each month, Falmouth Elementary School will hold a VIRTUAL principal's coffee for our family community. Our goal is to take a half-hour to facilitate connections and conversations that help us work together to support Falmouth students in their learning and growth. There will be a theme each month to combine our efforts to help our students thrive at home and at school.
The theme for November is Report Cards, Assessment, RtI, OH MY! SCPS uses a standards-based report card format which may not be understood by some families. Join Dr. Burch on Thursday, November 4th at 1:00 p.m. to learn more!
The Google Meet Code for this event is meet.google.com/suc-ozxg-mrv
Questions for our Artist-in-Residence
*** Important Dates ***
November 2 - Election Day/No school
November 4 - Salad Dressing Day - Dress like you are French, Italian, from an island or live on a ranch
November 11 - Veterans' Day/No school
November 12 - No School
November 18 - Falmouth Rocks! Day - Dress like a rock Star
November 24, 25, 26 - Thanksgiving Break/No school
December 2 - Super Hero Day - Dress like a super hero
December 20-31 - Winter Break/No school
January 3 - Professional Day/No school for students
January 17 - MLK Jr. Day/No school
February 18 - No School
February 21 - Presidents' Day/No school
March 11 - Professional Day/No school for Students
March 14-18 - Spring Break/No school
April 15 & 18 - Holiday/No school
May 25 - Early Release - All grades/Last day of school
Annual Holiday Food Basket Program
Our school will be collecting nonperishable donations from Tuesday, November 16 to Wednesday, December 15 and anything you could donate would be greatly appreciated.
PE News
Math Specialist
Counselors' Corner
It’s hard to believe it is already November! The changing leaves are here and the time to express thankfulness and gratitude is upon us.
FES is excited to celebrate two upcoming events that support the values we teach to our students! Firstly, we will do a school-wide event of making cards to give to the Fredericksburg Food Bank. These cards will be placed in boxes of food to be delivered to the elderly during holiday time.
Secondly, FES is partnering with the American Legion Stafford Post 290 by collecting for their Annual Holiday Food Basket Program. All collected food will be dispersed to SERVE, Social Services and Head Start. If you are a family in need of food, please contact Ami Brown (1,3,5) brownas@staffordschools.net or Jenny Crane (K,2,4) cranejl@staffordschools.net. Also, feel free to reach out via 540-373-7458.
Let’s remember to reinforce an Attitude of Gratitude with the 5 following steps:
1. Start by cultivating your own gratitude practice
2. Verbalize gratitude as part of an everyday conversation
3. Discover gratitude even for the small things
4. Encourage downtime for reflection
5. Acknowledge the reality of your child’s emotional experience
Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Crane, Counselors
Art Room News
In October, Kindergarten and First grade learned how to use texture and shapes in their art. We’ve made texture pumpkins and shape monsters and closed out by learning how to draw a cute bird ready for fall.
Second and Third graders were extra busy in October. We learned about mosaics and Egyptian art. They worked hard to create a mosaic Egyptian collar like the pharaohs wore using shapes, patterns and mosaic concepts. We took a break to close out the month with a fun learn-to-draw video.
Fourth and Fifth graders started using a new medium which was oil pastels. We learned about blending using crayons and making an origami dragon eye and how to do the same using the oil pastels. We are preparing to begin our oil pastel project for November. They also had a fun and silly break from their hard work and created a crazy Frankenstein drawing.
I hope that they are bringing home their projects for you to see and enjoy.
Mrs. Holliday
ITRT News
Hello FES Families,
We all know that internet safety is an important topic, particularly for students and families. Children spend more time than ever before online and need to know how to stay safe and keep their personal information private. For this month I have included a list of five tips for students and some additional resources for families:
Don’t give out personal information to others
Never send pictures to Strangers
Keep passwords private (except for parents)
Don’t download anything without permission
Tell an adult if you get a mean or strange message
Resources:
https://www.missingkids.org/NetSmartz
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/net-safety.html
Mr. Dupont, FES ITRT
Falmouth Elementary School
Email: beasleyks@staffordschools.net
Website: https://www.staffordschools.net/Domain/11
Location: 1000 Forbes St, Falmouth, VA 22045
Phone: (540) 373-7458
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FalmouthElementarySchool/
Twitter: @schoolfalmouth