2024-2025 FLORENCE FAMILY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Falcon FAMILY Nest

Weekly Newsletter

Week 11

October 28-November 1

Mrs. Brandel's Message

Dear FES Families,

Welcome back from Fall Break! My husband, son, daughter and I were able to enjoy time together visiting family on the beaches and mountains of Central America and what a wonderful, recharging, and heart filling week it was! Even after a week of family fun, I am always excited to get back to school and I have loved hearing from our students all about the family fun, time at home, travels, or other adventures that they had over Fall Break. It sounds like so many memories were created and that our students and staff were able to enjoy a well-earned break! I also loved seeing all of the excitement and fun at our FES Fall Carnival, where we had over 300 students and their families sharing in the fun! We appreciate all of the volunteers who made it possible.

What a great start we have had to our second nine weeks! Our 2nd grade students were absolute showstoppers with their program on Thursday night where they showed off all of their STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics) knowledge and their incredible performing skills. I am always so impressed with the talents of our students and all that Mrs. McIntire is able to bring out of them as they shine on stage! (Fun fact: Mrs. McIntire wrote the program that our students performed!)

Our FES family also grew this week, as Mrs. Brezina welcomed a new baby girl! We also welcomed back Mrs. Santos as she returned today from her leave. We are grateful for Mrs. Roberts who served as our long-term substitute for during her leave and to Mrs. Blake and Mrs. Day who have also supported and substituted for some of the time that she has been away.

Next week, we will conclude our Red Ribbon month and look forward to sharing in reading fun with our Storybook Character parade and look forward to wrapping up the exciting month of October and jumping right into November!

In Falcon Spirit!
Courtney Brandel

Principal, Florence Elementary School

Week 11 Snapshots

Our 2nd grade students did a wonderful job with their program on Thursday!

Carnival Fun!

Cup Stacking Challenges

Silent Auction

Game Time

Dunk Tank Fun!

Staff Recognition

Staff Shoutouts

"Our first grade teacher, Mrs. Harmon told the students she would love to support their games/athletics, and not thinking much of it, we sent her (our child's) soccer game schedule. I completely forgot about it until she showed up this morning, and the boys in her class were waving and so tickled that she came to watch them. Furthermore, it was an 8am game on a Saturday! She used her one morning off to show love to the boys. I could not let this go unnoticed and wanted to send a note to you to let you know how kind that was, and how special it made the boys feel.

We do not deserve the amazing, sweet teachers at Florence! They are such a blessing, and even if the boys don’t say it to their faces, I know it meant a lot to them to have her there!" - Alli, FES Parent

Want to shout out an FES Staff member for embodying the tradition of excellence?

We love celebrating the tradition of excellence at FES! As a part of that process, we will be recognizing our amazing staff members and would like your help.

Please share the name and information of the staff member you feel who is deserving of recognition along with some words that share the reason they are being recognized. Please note, your response with be shared with the staff member and may be featured in our publications/ social media and any student names that are included may be omitted for confidentiality.

Fill out a shout out on this Staff Shout Out Form to help us celebrate excellence among our FES teachers and staff!

October/ November upcoming events:

October 30- PTA Reflection Entries Due
November 1- Storybook Character Parade 8:20 AM- South Parking Lot
November 3- Daylight Savings Time Ends (2am Local Time)
November 5- Staff Development Day- No school
November 6- College Spirit Day
November 11- Veteran's Day Program- FES Veterans and their families are invited to celebrate
- Kindergarten- Wear Red, White and Blue
- 1st grade- Wear Red
- 2nd grade- Wear White
- 3rd Grade- Wear blue
- Fourth- Wear Red White and Blue
November 12- Angel Tree Begins
November 12- STAAR Interim Reading (3rd and 4th Grade)
November 14- STAAR Interim Math (3rd and 4th Grade) - UPDATED DATE- was previously the 13th
November 15- Picture Makeup in the Library (8:00-9:00)
November 18- SBG Q2 Grading Window Opens
November 19- Kinder Feast Thanksgiving celebration
November 20- ROCK Club
November 22- Campus Thanksgiving Meal during student lunch times (preregistration coming in November)
November 25-29- Thanksgiving Break Holiday- No School

December-January Events (click to expand)

November 1- Storybook Character Parade (Whole School morning parade- more details to come)
November 5- Staff Development Day- No school
November 6- College Spirit Day
November 11- Veteran's Day Program- FES Veterans and their families are invited to celebrate
November 12- Angel Tree Begins
November 12- STAAR Interim Reading (3rd and 4th Grade)
November 13- STAAR Interim Math (3rd and 4th Grade)
November 15- Picture Makeup in the Library (8:00-9:00)
November 18- SBG Q2 Grading Window Opens
November 19- Kinder Feast Thanksgiving celebration
November 20- ROCK Club
November 22- Campus Thanksgiving Meal during student lunch times (preregistration coming in November)
November 25-29- Thanksgiving Break Holiday- No School
December 4- College Spirit Day
December 6- Angel Tree Due
December 16-18- Students bring nutcrackers
December 19- Nutcracker Day
December 20- Character Assembly and Class Parties
- Kindergarten: 9:00-9:45
- 1st Grade: 9:30-10:15
- 2nd Grade: 10:00-10:45
- 3rd Grade: 10:15-11:00
- 4th Grade: 10:30-11:15
December 22- January 3- District Holiday- No Classes
January 6- Teacher Workday- No classes for students
January 7- Classes Resume
January 8- College Spirit Day- Wear your College Colors

*More 2024-2025 information and dates to come. Plan ahead by visiting our new website to access our full year FES Campus Calendar.

2024-2025 District Calendar

Click here to access the district Academic Calendar.

Exciting Info from our Counselor!

I can't believe we are already almost to November! September and October brought us Dot Day, The MAVS Man, Red Ribbon Month, a Responsibility Character Assembly, Watch D.O.G.S Kickoff, Student Council elections, and more! If your student is participating in guidance lessons, we've learned about the role of the school counselor, identifying emotions, healthy choices, and most recently about our brain; including how we can regulate our emotions.

I'm excited for the fall season as we focus on gratitude and helping our community. Student Council and R.O.C.K. club will facilitate a food drive benefiting The Community Storehouse (more information coming soon)! Florence will host an Angel Tree to help support families this holiday season. Our sister school is North Riverside, and we look forward to blessing those families as well as our own FES families in need this season! -Mrs. Jones

Events and Activities

Story Book Character Parade Information

On Friday, we invite all of our families to join us for our Storybook Character Parade which will begin at 8:20 AM! We invite parents to join us by finding a spot to watch the outdoor parade around the loop of our south parking lot. Please plan to park in the north parking lot library side of the building, as the south lot will be closed off at 8:00 AM to allow for the parade route to be cleared for our students.

Parade Route

Our students will begin the parade through our main entrance and will take two laps around the south parking lot before returning to their classrooms.

All of our Future Falcons (younger siblings of our students and their parents) are invited to wrap-up our parade by joining in after our 4th grade students as they come outside in front of our front entrance.

Rain Plans

In the event of rain, we will NOT have a whole school parade in the morning each grade level will parade down the main hallway during that grade level's co-curr time as an individual parade and activity. More details will be shared via email should we need to execute our rain plan.

Storybook Character Costumes

On November 1st, students are invited to dress up like a favorite character or something related to a favorite book! Students may wear their costume for the duration of the school day, so please ensure that they are able to sit, move, and participate in the day while wearing their costume. We ask that all costumes be school appropriate and follow general KISD student dress guidelines and pay attention to the following:

No scary, gory, or violent costumes or masks
No weapons or pretend/toy weapons including swords, guns, knives, num-chuks, etc.
No inflatable costumes
Students must be able to move independently while wearing their costume and should be able to navigate and function in a regular classroom setting and hallways.

We encourage students to bring their book or a picture of their book along with their costume.

Veterans Day and First Responders Celebration

We look forward to celebrating all our Veterans and First Responders on Monday, November 11th at 8:15 AM at our Veterans Day Program and Breakfast.

Due to capacity limitations, we ask that only Veterans and First Responders and their families attend this program.

Please RSVP to Attend

Please fill out the google form below by November 6th if you are a veteran or first responder or the family of a veteran or first responder who plans on attending the Veterans Day Celebration and Reception.

Student Attire for Veteran's Day Program on November 11

Kindergarten- Wear red, white and blue
1st grade- Wear Red
2nd grade- Wear White
3rd Grade- Wear blue
Fourth- Wear Red White and Blue

Other Information

How can I help my child with math at home?

The KISD Math department has put together a guide for parents to see what your child is learning in math, including an overview, important concepts and common misconceptions. It also includes ideas of how to support your child's learning at home. Simply click on your child's grade level link to see the curriculum overview and information.

2nd 9 Weeks - SMORE Math Curriculum Overview - 2023-2024 (1).pdf

Report Cards Available

Report cards for all grade levels are available in Aeries on 10/25/2024 at 4:00pm.

If you have any questions about grades, assignments, or your child's progress this quarter, please reach out to your child's teacher.

How to Report an Absence

While we appreciate a phone call letting us know your child is absent, with the updated Attendance procedures, we will now request a written explanation of absences for each day they were absent.

This may be an email sent to Tyler.Lamon@kellerisd.net or a written note that is sent upon your child's return. An absence is considered to be a partial absence any time that a student leaves early or arrives later than the first 15 minutes of the day and parents may utilze a parent excuse for these if there is not documentation. Please see the Keller ISD Attendance 101 for more information. https://www.kellerisd.net/students-families/resources/students-families-resources/attendance-truancy

It's Time To Order... School Pictures order by Oct. 30th!

Parents, your students photos are now available to view. Glamourcraft will be sending a postcard in about two weeks with their photo and code to their homeroom teacher. All packages purchased will be shipped to your home.

District News

Enter the Keller ISD Elementary Holiday Card Contest

Keller ISD Elementary students are invited to enter their holiday artwork in this year’s KISD Elementary Holiday Card Contest.

This year’s contest is open to all KISD elementary school students. One lucky winner will have their artwork featured on the District’s official digital holiday card.

Guidelines for this year’s Holiday Card Contest include:

Design a piece of artwork featuring holiday or winter images, scenes, celebrations, or traditions.
Create artwork on an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper using any materials.
Creatively incorporate “Keller ISD” somewhere within the artwork.
Label the back of the artwork with student name, campus, and grade level.

You can drop off your entries at the Front Office by Wednesday, November 13.

The winner and finalists will be announced prior to Thanksgiving Break and recognized at the December 19 Board of Trustees Meeting.

Good luck!

Opportunities to Support

The ROCK Club is sponsoring a nationwide program called Socktober the entire month of October. Don't forget to drop off NEW socks for men, women or children.

The drop off bin is located outside the office door in the hallway.

Subs Wanted!

Extracurricular and Club Opportunities

Student Club Times

Marimba: 3rd, every Tuesday 7:25-7:50
Marimba: 4th, every Thursday 7:25-7:50
Falcon Choir: 3rd & 4th, every Thursday 3:25-4:15
R.O.C.K Club: 1st-4th, the last Wednesday of the month 3:15-4:15+
Chess Wizards Club: Begins October 3 . 3:30-4:30 on Thursdays
Run Club: 3rd & 4th Grade, every Monday 3:25-4:00

PTA Events

One Stop for Everything PTA

Join PTA: https://florenceelempta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/1813

Volunteer: https://kellerisd.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx?jcat=Volunteer

Reflections Art Program -- Last Chance! Entries Due October 30.

Reflections is a PTA-sponsored arts recognition program where students can express their creativity in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, visual arts and accessible arts. All participants will be recognized and there are advancement opportunities at the district, state and national levels.

For the participation form and guidelines, visit txpta.org/reflections (http://txpta.org/reflections)

volunteer opportunities

Please visit https://florenceelempta.membershiptoolkit.com/ to view and sign up for volunteer opportunities at one of our upcoming events!

Volunteers and Visitors

Parents are always welcome at FES! If you are interested in volunteering, you must fill out the Keller ISD Volunteer Application. All FES visitors are required to enter at door #1, go through the front office, provide picture identification, and obtain a visitor badge before proceeding to any part of the building which must be worn in a visible area for the duration of the time on campus. Office staff will verify the visitor is a parent, guardian, or approved contact for a student.

Guests are only allowed in designated areas to minimize disruption of the learning environment and may not go throughout the building, to the playground, or classrooms.

Guests are required to exit the building through the office during school hours. We value and appreciate guests and all volunteers at FES!

yearbook

10% off ends October 31st! Order your yearbook today!

FES 2024-2025 yearbooks are on sale NOW! Save 10% on your order if you purchase before 10/31. Everyone is a yearbook photographer with the Treering App. You can upload photos from FES events as they happen throughout the year to be included in the yearbook. Each book also comes with two free custom pages. Grab yours today! 📚📸

https://web.treering.com/create-account/1016599729561880?PassCode=1016599729561880

Cafeteria Menu

October/November Menu

Cafeteria Menu- Click Here

Cafeteria information

Sodexo has received several concerns regarding the printed menu reflecting options which are either substituted or changed completely on the serving line due to product unavailability or use of State provided commodity items. While Sodexo strives to minimize the number of changes to the menu, they are still at the mercy of product manufacture shortages and logistical challenges from all providers which places a burden on the program to provide the menu as previously planned.

To improve the communication of menu changes Sodexo has recently launched new and improved online menus for Keller ISD through Nutrislice at https://kellerisd.nutrislice.com/menus-eula .

This change will provide students, staff and families the most up-to-date printable and digital menus that are reflective of any changes that need to be made to the menus.

Did you hear? There are FIVE choices for lunch each day this year!

https://kellerisd.sodexomyway.com/

What time is breakfast? Breakfast will begin at 7:25. The line will close at 7:50 for students to be in class at 7:55.

What is offered? This school year Sodexo will be offering 3 hot side options and 2 cold side options.

How do I add money to my child’s cafeteria account? You may place money on your child's lunch account by setting up an account for them on School Cafe. The link is below and you will need your student's ID # to do so.

Sodexo - Breakfast and Lunch.