The Mallard Compass
Forts Pond Elementary School
December 2019
InTENTional Leading and Learning
Traducción
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FPES Vision and Mission
Vision
Forts Pond Elementary students will become self-directed, collaborative, creative, and caring learners who flourish in the global, competitive 21st century.
Mission
Forts Pond Elementary will Fulfill the Potential of Every Student by:
Collaborating with families and the community
Providing a safe, nurturing environment
Promoting learning through academics and the arts
Inspiring students to find their own greatness
Engaging students in goal setting
Celebrating accomplishments
Developing LEADERS
Important Dates for December
5 Grades 2 and 3 Music Performance 6:30 P.M.
16-20 Santa Shop
16 Grinch Day - wear green
17 Reindeer Read-A-Thon
18 Snowman Day - wear white
19 Pajama Day
20 Tacky Sweater Day
Half Day for Students
End of 2nd Nine Weeks
December 23 - January 7 Winter Break
January 7 Students Return to School
Calendar Changes
February 17th will now be a regular school day not a weather make-up day. This day will be used to make up for missing September 5th for Hurricane Dorian.
Please make note on your school calendar.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to the following students! They all participated in Run Hard.
Elliot Blanton
Addison Forsyth
Bella Garnsey
Giovanni Hernandez
Haley Hall
Logan Hall
Lynsey King
Madison Kyzer
Madilyn Matthews
Tanner Mengedoht
Savanna Padgett
Logan Patterson
Ittay Rivera
Wyatt Sexton
Carter Stowe
Kypton Taylor
Lane Waters
Evan White
Colton Williams
Habit Leaders of November - BE PROACTIVE
Kindergarten Julian Ajqui-Ruiz Casey Phillips Elijah McLendon Nevaeh Townson Grade 1 Katherine Louvier Cody Martin Skye Berry Mia Mendez Emma Stutts Grade 2 Khiele Hart Hunter McElroy Jasmine Ruffner Makayla Autrey Grade 3 Jordan Hall Haley Cevallos Mekenzie Steading Jaiden Chavez Grade 4 Bentley Towery Joshua Sierra Daniel Ramirez Tanner Mengedoht Raelyn McElroy Grade 5 Jade Voyles Caydence Taylor Edilberto Roman-Villar Cheyenne Shumpert
Why School Attendance Matters
Checking Your Child's Grades
You may access your child’s grades at any time using PowerSchool.
If you would like your child’s PowerSchool login please, come to the school between 7:30 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. with your ID. You will receive the login information at that time.
How to Help Your Child in Math
Want to know how to help your child become a strong mathematician?
Turn an egg carton into a fun math game
Here's a fun game to help your child practice math facts. Get an empty egg carton. Inside each cup, write a number from 0 to 11. Now cut out several egg-shaped pieces of paper. On each, write a math problem with a solution from 0 to 11. Have your child solve the problem on each egg, and put it in the cup with the matching answer. For an older child, try writing fractions in the cups and equivalent fractions on the eggs.
Money management teaches valuable lessons
Learning to manage money teaches kids math skills. They also learn school success skills like responsibility, patience and how to set priorities. If your child gets an allowance, help him distinguish between his "needs" and his "wants." He should pay for any needs he's responsible for first. Then, he can save the rest of his money toward the cost of his wants. Give him a notebook to track his savings.
Math terms match up in a memory game
Product. Quotient. When children learn math, they also need to learn a whole new vocabulary. To make learning math words fun, play Math Concentration. Here's how: Write each term on an index card, and write its definition on another index card. Deal out five or six pairs of index cards face down, then have your child turn over two cards at a time. The goal is to make a match by turning over a term and its definition.
How to Help Your Child in Reading and Writing
Sneak some writing into your child's daily life
Being able to communicate well in writing will help your child succeed in school and in a career. So look for fun ways to help her practice. She may enjoy sending emails or texts to friends and family. You might also write her a letter about a book you've read together and ask her to write back. Challenge your child to rewrite the ending of a movie, and encourage her to express her thoughts and feelings in a journal.
Give reading an artistic dimension
Combining reading and creative activities develops your child's imagination and keeps the reading interesting. Give him some crayons and encourage him to draw pictures of characters or scenes from a favorite story. You can also ask your child to make up songs about stories and books. Ask, "What might the three little pigs sing when the wolf is coming? How would the music sound?"
Fill your home with words for your child to read
Reading with your child doesn't always have to involve books. You can help your beginning reader learn in lots of ways. For example, label furniture and household items with sticky notes (chair, table, toaster, etc.). Go around the house and read the labels with your child. Then collect the labels and ask her to replace each one on the matching item.
Counselors Corner
FPES Parent Advisory Council met on November 15. Each year Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Mahoney send home an assessment asking parents to identify areas in which their child may need assistance. These results were shared with the Parent Advisory Council and members recommended the results be shared with all parents.
The 2019- 2020 Counseling Needs Assessment Parent Results are listed below:
Kindergarten 43/79 forms returned
Parents: Top 3 needs- Decision making, Feelings, & Conflict Resolution
Outcome: Counselor will add decision making, feelings, and conflict resolution lessons for kindergarten as well as meet with kindergartners one on one and then add a feelings small group for 5K students.
1st grade 38/88 forms returned
Parents: Top 3 needs- Decision making, Conflict resolution, & Social skills
Outcome: Counselor will add decision making and conflict resolution lessons for 1st grade and a Friendship small group.
2nd grade 41/96 forms returned
Parents: Top 3 needs- Feelings, Decision making, & Conflict Resolution
Outcome: Counselor will add feelings, decision making, and conflict resolution lessons for 2nd grade and a Friendship small group.
3rd grade 38/78 forms returned
Parents: Top 3 needs- Feelings, Decision making, Respect
Outcome: Counselor will add feelings and decision making lessons for 3rd grade and Friendship, Happy Hearts, and Family Matters small groups.
4th grade 51/120 forms returned
Parents: Top 3 needs- Study skills, Feelings, Decision making
Outcome: Counselor will add feelings, coping skills, and study skills lessons in 4th grade and Friendship, Family matters, and Conflict resolution small groups as well as lunch bunch sessions on Study Skills.
5th grade 39/90 forms returned
Parents: Top 3 needs- Respect, Feelings, Study Skills
Outcome: Counselor will add feelings, and study skills lessons in 5th grade as well as lunch bunch for Study Skills and conflict resolution small group.
As always, if your child needs to see a counselor for any reason, please feel free to call one of the School Counselors.
Mrs. Hill at 821- 2510 Grades 5K- 2
Mrs. Mahoney at 821- 2598 Grades 3-5
Coca Cola Bottle Caps
Yearbooks
FPES School Yearbooks
FPES School Yearbooks go on sale December 3. Order forms will be sent home on Tuesday, December 3.
The cost is $20.00. If you would like to add the student's name on the cover, the cost is $25.00. You can pay by check or cash.
Please make checks payable to Forts Pond Elementary School.
If you would like to pay with a debit/credit card, you can order the school yearbook online. Order online at www.strawbridge.net and use Online Code YB108936.
Grades 2 and 3 Reading Challenge
The Fall Reading Challenge for Grades 2 and 3
The Fall Reading Challenge reading logs are due to Ms. Stewart no later than Friday, December 6.
Students in grade 2 must complete 15 challenges and students in grade 3 must complete 20 challenges to be eligible for prizes.
There will be one grand prize winner per grade. The grand prize will be 4 tickets (2 adult/2 children) to the Lights Before Christmas at the Riverbanks Zoo. Winners of the grand prize will be announced on Monday, December 9.
Daily Parent Engagement Tips
Concentrate on a short list of rules
Can you count your family's written-in-stone rules on one hand? If not, you may have too many. Although rules are essential, children (especially young ones) have a tough time remembering a long list of them. So keep things simple by regularly emphasizing a short list of the most important rules. As your children mature, you can adjust your rules without worrying that they'll forget the basics.
Give your child a chance to make the right choice
When your child has to make a big decision, it may be tempting to make it for him. But there are a few things you should do first: Listen to your child as he looks for a solution. Rephrase what you hear him say. Ask thought-provoking questions: "If you don't go to the game, how would your teammates feel?" Then be patient. Your child may come to the right conclusion, and he'll gain useful problem-solving skills.
The start of a new school year is exciting, but it often means families must make a few adjustments. This year, decide on some basics for your school-year routine. Set a regular homework time. Create a chart of your child's daily tasks that he can use as a reminder until they become habits. Post a calendar and have everyone write down their activities. Then review it each week with your child and plan ahead.
Check out FPES Daily Parent Engagement Tips on our school website. Below you can see two examples of tips that were on our website this week.
Volunteers
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Ashley Leaphart at Fortspondpto@gmail.com.
Mallard Mingle
Mallard Mingle will not meet in December. The next Mallard Mingle will be held on January 17.
All Pro Dads
All Pro Dads will not meet in December. The next All Pro Dads will be held on January 31.
Title I Parent Engagement
If you are unable to attend, but have suggestions, please email or call Michelle Smith.
(803)821-2500
News From Food Services
Would you like to make online payments to your child's meal account? Go to www.k12paymentcenter.com.
Charges:
Students cannot charge more than $10.
Students with outstanding balances cannot purchase special sale items.
If students have a negative $10 meal balance, an alternate meal will be served.
Costs
Breakfast: Free to all FPES students
Lunch: $3.00
A Glance at January Dates
13 Reports Cards
16 PTO BINGO Night 6:30 P.M.
17 Mallard Mingle 7:00 A.M.
20 No School - Martin Luther King's Day
21 Lexington One Board Meeting 7:00 A.M.
24 LIM Parent Lighthouse/Title I/SIC Meeting 8:30 A.M.
31 All Pro Dads 7:00 A.M.
PTO Mother/Son Event 6:30 P.M.
PTO NEWS
PTO Notes for December Newsletter
A big “Thank You” to all of the families that participated in our very first Daddy & Daughter movie night. We had a huge turnout & a great time was had by all. We hope you were able to enjoy that time together.
Congratulations to all of our Clemson fans for their team win of the Carolina/Clemson Football Helmet sales. We appreciate everyone’s participation in the fun!!
The PTO Santa Shop will run from 12/16-12/19. It will run from 8am – 1:30PM on each of these days. Items will range from $0.25 to $10.00. More information will be sent home with children. We are still looking for volunteers to assist students with shopping and to help with wrapping. Please let us know if you are available or interested in helping on any of these days!!!
Our next family Bingo night will be held on Thursday January 16th at 6:30PM. We look forward to another great night of family fun.
Our very first Mother & Son dinner & karate night will be held on Friday January 31st at 6:30. More information & permission slips will be sent home in January.
Follow FPES PTO on Facebook Forts Pond Elementary PTO
You may contact the PTO by email. fortspondpto@gmail.com
Box Tops
Once you download the app, you will have to register.
You may also continue to send in the old box tops.
Building Plan for FPES Through the Bond Referendum
The community can find the latest information about projects happening around the district as well as here at FPES. All of these are funded by the recently passed bond referendum for Lexington School District One.
FPES will be receiving the following:
- Secure Entrance Upgrades
- Additional Classrooms
- Replacement for Folding Partition in Between Cafeteria and PE Room
- Additional Exterior Lighting in the Front Parking Lot
- Storage and Equipment Building
- Future Ready Classroom Furniture and Equipment
Lexington County School District One’s Nondiscrimination Statement
Revised 09-04-2018
Lexington County School District One is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all students, parents/legal guardians, staff, visitors, personnel and community members who participate or seek to participate in its programs or activities. Therefore, the district does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or any related medical conditions), color, disability, age, genetic information, national origin, or any other applicable status protected by local, state, or federal law.
The district will use the grievance procedures set forth in policy to process complaints based on alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act of 1963; the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008; and Titles I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The district designates specific individuals to handle inquiries or complaints. To find out who to contact and how to contact them, please go to our website at http://www.lexington1.net/contact-us.