The Arrow

March 2024

Our Parent/Student Handbook is online this year. You can access the handbook by clicking on this link.

A Word from Mrs. Bright

Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is coming March 18-21. Parents can complete the registration application online at home or come to FBES to complete the online application anytime that week from 9-2 each day as well as from 4-7 on Thursday, March 21. You can find more information about Kindergarten registration farther down in the newsletter.

Our first ever Literacy Night is coming up on Friday, March 8 from 6:30-8:00 PM. Our second graders will be performing in the gym prior to the literacy night fun at 6:00. Literacy night will be the celebration of the completion of our One School, One Book Program. Parents will get ideas on how to support children at home with literacy, and students will have the chance to participate in glow rooms and other fun activities. See the information below for more information. We hope to see you there.

Spring Pictures will be taken on March 14. Only individual students who have purchased a package will be photographed at this time. We will also be taking group/class photos on this day which includes all students. All of the ordering information can be found below.

Our PTO will be holding a Spring Fundraiser beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 27. This fundraiser will be a catalog type fundraiser with a variety of items for people to sell/purchase. Students will also earn prizes for selling items. The fundraiser will end on March 12, and items will be available for pick up at FBES on Friday, April 12th beginning at 12:00 PM.

Upcoming Parent Meetings: Our first meeting is on Thursday, March 21 at 9:00. The topic is PBIS and Mental Health in children. The other parent meeting is our Title 1 parent meeting on Testing and will take place on Tuesday, March 26 at 9:00. This meeting will explain the different types of assessments we administer and more information about the Georgia Milestones. Both meetings will be in our learning commons.

On Tuesday, March 12, the gym at FBES will be used as a polling place for the Presidential Preference Primary Election. Please anticipate heavier than normal traffic on this day.

We are celebrating Read Across America Week from March 4-8. Each day, students will celebrate all of the ways reading helps us in our lives. The dress up days are listed below.

Did you miss our February Snacks and Facts Workshop on Literacy? If so, you can watch the recordings at the links here: English or Spanish.

Thank you for your support of our school!

Amy Bright

Previously Published Information:

Parents when you come to lunch, please remember that you can only eat lunch with your own personal child. ALL lunch visitors must be listed on student's emergency card in the front office. Students' friends cannot be invited to sit on the stage for lunch. Remember no outside food is allowed in our cafeteria.

In the mornings, all students (including students who are attending the I-Station lab) must enter FBES through the morning car rider loop. If you need to walk your child in to the school, parents should park in the parking lot and walk their child in to the school. The bus lane is used for buses, tardy student drop offs, and PreK drop offs and pick ups only.

Please remember to label your child's coats, jackets, hats, gloves, etc. with their names so lost items can be returned to students.

Volunteer Information: Are you interested in volunteering at FBES for events such as Book Fairs, enrichment cluster help, guest readers, Field Day, PTO events? If so, please go to this LINK for all of the information you need to get started with this process. This process must be completed each year (even if you volunteered last year-you must re-apply each year). The video at this LINK can also help you with this process.

Dates to Remember

March 4: 3rd grade Field Trip to Dahlonega Gold Mines

March 4-8: National School Breakfast Week

March 8: Family Literacy Night 6:30-8:00; 2nd grade performs in the gym at 6:00

March 11: Elachee visits 4th grade classes (Kelly and Stiles' class)

March 12: Elachee visits 4th grade classes (O'Dell and Jessee's class)

March 12: PTO Spring Sale ends

March 12: Presidential Preference Election in the gym (see info above)

March 14: Spring Pictures and Class Pictures

March 14: Skate Night at Skate Country in Buford

March 15: Parents Night Out at Jay's Karate

March 15: WHHS band visits 5th grade students

March 18-21: Kindergarten Registration for the 24-25 school year (9-2 each day; 4-7 on Thursday March 21)

March 19: 3rd grade field trip to the Hall County School District Farm

March 21: Report Cards go home

March 21: Snacks and Facts Parent Workshop at 9:00 AM

March 22: Student Holiday/PL day for teachers

March 22: Last day to purchase yearbooks

March 26: Testing Workshop for parents at 9:00 AM

March 26: FBES Spirit Night at Chick Fil A in Stonebridge Village

Parent Tips

Please click through the slide deck to read this month's parenting tips.

FBES Parent Institute Engagement Tips FY23-24

One School, One Book Program at FBES

March 4-7 Reading Schedule

Spring Picture Ordering Information

Ordering information for Individual pictures

Ordering information for Group pictures

Yearbook Ordering Information

Counselor's Corner

If you would like a copy of any of the tools below, please reach out to Wendy Trinh, School Counselor. Wendy.Trinh@hallco.org

Regulation Railroad

The Regulation Railroad is taught through our Tier 1 Sources of Strength lessons. This tool helps students work through their emotions.

Feelings Wheel

Simply naming our emotions helps the amygdala part of the brain regulate. This also puts the thinking / more rational brain back in charge.

Five Finger Breathing

This calm down strategy was taught by Ms. Trinh through classroom guidance. This is a great tool to use in part 4 of the Regulation Railroad.

DAISY Award

This year, we are giving our parents an opportunity to recognize staff members with our DAISY Award. The DAISY Award can be given by parents to FBES Staff Members for being a Dedicated Adult Investing in Successful Youth. It's as simple as clicking here and completing the form. Mrs. Bright will recognize the recipient each time the DAISY Award is submitted. We can't wait to celebrate our wonderful staff for all they do for our students!

SY 24 School Meals Payment Information

The breakfast and lunch menus can be found here. Breakfast is $1.10 for students and lunch is $1.95 each day. Lunch visitors can purchase a meal for $4.50 and must be paid in cash.

You can use MyPayments Plus to pay for your child's school meals. Meal payments can also be made via cash or check (made payable to the school) by sending the payment to school with your child in an envelope labeled with your child's name, grade, teacher, and what the money is for (lunch money). Students can only charge up to $10.00 at a time. Items such as extra milks can not be charged.

SY24 Free & Reduced Price Online Application

The free and reduced-priced application is now available at http://schoolmeals.hallco.org/
For the 2023-2024 school year, you may be eligible to receive free or reduced price meals if you receive Medicaid.
In addition, during 2023-2024 School Year, households will not be required to pay the reduced price $0.30 for breakfast and the $0.40 for lunch due to Georgia Department of Education funding that will be used to cover these costs.

FBES Partners in Education

We love our Partners in Education (PIE's). Their support of our school benefits our students and staff in a variety of ways such as student and staff recognition, school beautification, and school-wide enrichment. Our primary request is for monetary donations in the amount of $100, $250, or $500; however, we also work with businesses who offer services to our school. PIE's are recognized through our parent newsletter and school social media accounts. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Partner in Education for Flowery Branch Elementary School, please reach out to Amy Bright at amy.bright@hallco.org for more information.

Here is a list of our current Partner's in Education (PIE's):

Chick-Fil-A @ Stonebridge Village

Homerun Nutrition

Chattahoochee Baptist Church

Jay's United Karate

Nothing Bundt Cakes-Gainesville, GA location

Piedmont Group-Peter Truong

Publix-Spout Springs Road