Dear Foothills Families,

On behalf of the faculty and staff of Foothills Middle School, I hope you are taking the necessary steps to keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy. Although this unprecedented and fluid situation has caused a significant disruption to our FMS community and our daily lives, the faculty and staff of Foothills MS remain committed to the safety, wellness, and success of our students. Among our core beliefs is the tenet that the partnership between parents and the school is essential in meeting the ever-changing needs of our young people. There has never been a time that this is more true than at this moment.

I hope that this web page--which includes weekly instructional plans for your child's teachers and other resources--will provide guidance as we work together to support your child's distance learning. I earnestly encourage your child to complete as many assignments as they can. Please know that we will continue to do everything we can to support distance learning, and place our trust in you as parents to determine what is best for your child. Ongoing communication and collaboration between teachers and parents is vital for student success, whether they are learning in classrooms or at your kitchen table.

We will continue to send regular updates to our families and students. If you are not receiving my email messages, please email Assistant Principal Christina Siriani, csiriani@ausd.net. The AUSD Coronavirus Updates, Resources, and Information page also provides current information about how our school district is addressing the pandemic.

I have created a brief questionnaire to both collect feedback from our families, and to encourage our students to reflect each day on their learning. I hope you will take a few moments to complete THIS QUESTIONNAIRE and encourage your child to do the same. While your participation is voluntary and your individual identity will never be shared, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

In closing, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks for your kind words, your patience, your support, and your perseverance. We care very much for our students and families, and cannot wait for the time when we will all be back together on campus.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me should you have questions, concerns, or if I can be of any assistance.

Be well,

Dr. Ben Acker
Principal

backer@ausd.net
@benacker (Twitter)