Admiral's Log Oct 5, 2020
Admiral Strong - Honor, Courage, and Steadfastness
Thank you, Nurse Kizer!
We are so blessed to have Nurse Kizer with us every day to help take care of our students and staff. She has been at FIS since 2004. She has always been a busy lady taking care of our many health needs but this year a lot has been added to her plate with COVID-19. We appreciate all you do for us, Nurse Kizer!
Fall Break Oct. 12 - 16
Pink Out Day - Friday, Oct. 9
Community Flu Shot Schedule
See the attached Free Flu Shot schedule.
National Bully Prevention Month
October is National Bully Prevention Month. At Farragut Intermediate School, we strive to create an environment that promotes the safety, well-being, and success of all students. Over the next 5 weeks, students will be talking with their class about what they can do to help put an end to bullying. To help facilitate this conversation, our School Counselors will be sharing Captain Compassion resources from Committee for Children. Here is an article for parents on the topic...
A Message from Bob Thomas
This week, an announcement was made that Knox County Schools will continue to offer two learning options in the semester that begins on Jan. 5. Students can choose in-person, on-campus instruction with additional safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, or they can enroll in our virtual learning program.
If families are happy with their current choice, they do not need to take any action. However, families that want to switch from virtual to in-person instruction, or from in-person to virtual must do so between Oct. 26 and Nov. 6. Families will be able to change their learning model using an online form, and we will share more details about that process very soon.
We have taken significant steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health and safety of our students and staff. I would like to emphasize that the most effective teaching and learning happen in person when teachers are in the classroom with their students. I do hope families keep this in mind over the next few weeks, as they think about what option will work best for their needs.
It remains extremely important for the KCS community to continue following the five core actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19: observe physical distancing, wear a mask in public, practice proper handwashing, clean and sanitize surfaces, and stay home when sick. By working together, we can help keep our school communities safe and healthy.
Finally, as our 1:1 initiative has provided Chromebooks for every K-12 student, the district is committed to protecting their safety while using technology. We encourage parents and guardians to monitor student use of the internet at home and have conversations with students about appropriate behavior. In addition, information about online safety is available on our Internet Safety website.
Chromebooks provided by the district use internet filtering tools that are grade level-specific, both at school and at home. If you believe inappropriate content is accessible, please submit a ticket using this link, or by calling (865) 594-1830.
Attendance Matters
We never want to encourage you to send you child to school sick. However, it is very important students attend school every day when they are not sick. If children do not show up for school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Students who are absent 10 percent of the school year, which is an average of two or more days a month, are considered chronically absent.
What can you do to help?
1. Build regular routines for bedtime and the morning.
2. Don’t permit missing school unless your child is truly sick. Use a thermometer to check for a fever. Remember that stomach aches and headaches may be signs of anxiety.
3. Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.
4. Allowing your child to miss school when he/she is not sick promotes habits that may continue throughout their education and career.
It's School Coupon Book Time in Tennessee!
Steps to take when selling coupon books:
- Collect the $10 for each coupon book. All checks should be made payable to Farragut Intermediate School. This year you may pay for coupon books online just like you did for school fees. Click here to go to online payment. This is for both in-person and virtual.
- Send the orders and checks or money to school with your child. Please make sure it is in a labeled envelope. We will make every effort to fill your order the same day or the next morning after the money is received.
- Please DO NOT let your child sell books door to door without an adult present.
Prizes
Class Prizes
50 Books - Class receives Blow Pops and Hat Day
Class meets the goal of an average of 5 coupon books sold per student - $150 to spend for the classroom.
Student Prizes
Student sells 5 books - spin the virtual wheel for a guaranteed prize
Go to the FIS website to See prize list
Top Sellers
The top sellers in each grade level will get to participate in the FIS "Money Grab" and will receive a Chick-fil-A gift card. Click here to see an example of "Money Grab".
Top Selling Classroom
The top-selling classroom in the whole school (most books sold) will win a $1500 voucher for purchasing needed classroom materials.
If we meet our school's goal of selling 4,000 coupon books, our school will participate in a "dress-up" day later in October.
Virtual families: We will be set up the following Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. in the front circle for virtual families to pick up the coupon books purchased online: October 8 and October 22. If you need to pick up your coupon books at another time, please email the bookkeeper at karen.whitney@knoxschools.org or call the front office (865) 966-6703, and we will get those ready for pick up.
School Fees Please
https://knoxschools.schoolcashonline.com/. If you can not pay online, you can send cash or a check for the amount to the classroom teacher. Thank you for your support!
Tech Tips!
Tech Tip #5
Last week the Tech Tip defined the difference between an app and an extension on the Chromebook, along with how to take screenshots and make a split-screen. We will continue with tips on using the Chromebook, specifically looking at shortcuts for helping maneuver through tasks more quickly. Below is a chart that highlights the most used shortcuts.
Visit our school website for helpful Tips and Tricks!
Dates to Remember
Oct.12-16 - Fall Break🍁
Oct. 22 - KCS Coupon Book Campaign ends
Oct. 23 - End First 9-weeks Grading Period
Oct. 30 - Reports Card Go Home
Nov 2 - Makeup Day for Individual Student Pictures (Makeup for Virtual Students at 4:00 pm)
Nov. 3 - Election Day (In-service Day for Teachers and No School for Students)
Nov. 25-Nov. 27 - Thanksgiving Break
Bus Riders
A Message from Our Counselors
You should have received an email including a form re: Family Needs from Jelena Browning, our Farragut Schools Social Worker. This form is required for all families. If you have multiple students, you may have gotten multiple emails. You only need to fill out the form once as a family and include ALL students under student name(s). Make sure to include their last names on this form. If you did not receive the email, you can access the form through this link.
~Carol Slatas
School Counselor, FIS
FIS Office Hours
Office Phone: 865-966-6703