January 13-17
Dear FES Families,
I hope that you and your family have enjoyed the rare opportunity that we get in Texas to play in the snow and enjoy time together! As a mom, these last two days have been filled with joy and wonder experiencing this winter weather through the eyes and laughter of my children as we played, built a snowman, and we even had a snowball fight (although those icy/snow blend ones smart just a little bit...).
Although our first week back of the second half of the year was cut short, our week was filled with learning! I am so proud of the ways in which our students returned this week, ready to learn, and eager to jump back into the routine of being back at school. As a staff, we spent Monday together, focused on our vision for the rest of the year, shared together in training from our amazing counselor, and learned more about individualized learning and assessment in RLA led by Mrs. Price and Mrs. Hetherington. It's hard to believe that we are down to a little more than 80 school days left in the school year, and our teachers have intentionally and collaboratively planned ways to continue to foster growth and solidify our students' foundational learning each and every day we have together!
Next, week and in the weeks ahead, we have several exciting things coming up, including our STEM night on Thursday, an assembly from Texas A&M Agrilife and the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and a long weekend ahead with The Martin Luther King Day Holiday on the 20th.
Wishing all of you warm wishes and an enjoyable weekend!
Courtney Brandel
Principal, Florence Elementary School
James and Charlotte Brandel with their snowman.
Our 3rd 9 weeks, our students focused on the character trait of RESPECT. The following students were selected by their classmates for their embodiment and ongoing demonstration of respect and were recognized at our assembly. Congratulations to all of our recipients!
Blake Turner
Hays Coan
Jack Kilian
Emerson Killam
Tyce Webb
Uriah Boto
Miles Vestal
Hailey Paxton
Dalton Devin
Cayson Anderson
Emma Blake
Nate Taylor
Logan Hanstad
Beckett Stuckenschneider
Ferris Allison
Henry Redding
Izbee Salicru
Aubree Paris
Tannon Pawlak
Clara Paetzold
Raelynn Doty
Kathleen Leggett
Preston Blake
Our 2nd grade students showing off their spirit chant during our assembly. Congratulations to 1st grade for winning our spirit award for the 3rd 9 weeks!
On Monday, our teachers were the students at FES, participating in collaborative professional learning that supports our campus goals. They explored ways to support student behavior and emotional needs through regulation as well as how to utilize data and reports we have available to customize learning support for studnets. Thank you, Mrs. Hetherington, Mrs. Price, and Mrs. Jones for leading our teachers and staff!
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!
January 15- Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and Texas A&M Agrilife Assembly (2nd-4th grades)
January 16- STEM Night (6:00pm-7:45pm)
January 20- District Holiday-No Classes
January 23- Program- PTA Meeting
January 24- Spirit Store
January 27-31- The Great Kindness Challenge Week
January 29- 1st Grade Water Safety Field Trip - Natatorium
January 29- 3rd Grade Fine Arts Field Trip
January 30- 4th Grade District Honor Choir Field Trip - CHS
January 30- CEIC Campus Walks
January 31- Western Day (Co-Curr Activities)
January 31- Book Fair Previews
February 3- Book Fair Preview
February 4-7- Spring Book Fair
February 4- 100th Day of School
February 4- Spring STAAR Interim (3rd-4th Grade Math)
February 5- College Spirit Day
February 5- Spring STAAR Interim (3rd-4th Grade Reading)
February 6- PTA Executive Board Meeting (9:15am-10:15am)
February 6- Multicultural Night (5:00pm-7:00pm)
*More 2024-2025 information and dates to come. Plan ahead by visiting our new website to access our full year FES Campus Calendar.
All grades for first semester will be posted and viewable Friday, January 10th. Please take a look and reach out to your child's teacher with any questions you may have.
As we begin our second semester, students will participate in the following Co-Curr classes: PE, Music and Theatre.
On Wednesday, The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo will provide a wonderful opportunity to help educate our students. They have teamed up with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service for AgVentures! They will present throughout Fort Worth and surrounding areas to teach children about the process from the plant to the plate. Assembly is for 2nd, 3rd, or 4th-grade students.
In this program, Farmer Howdy (with help from Cornelius Cob) takes the Moos Brothers through their farm and describes the importance of each aspect of the farm. The program covers the everyday use of corn in products, how tomatoes have vitamin C to help our cuts and scrapes heal, and how beef provides us with protein. The combination of foods will help promote healthy eating habits and help teach kids where their food comes from and aligns with our life science unit of science.
Please be sure that your child is coming to school with weather appropriate clothing including a jacket or a coat, as they will continue to attend recess outside when the temperature falls within our district policy. Please be sure to label all coats, jackets, and winter accessories with your child's name as this is the time of year where our lost and found tends to grow!
As we monitor the temperature and weather, we may move to an alternate or indoor recess plan, depending on the circumstances.
We will continue to follow the KISD guidelines for outdoor activity including recess and PE:
Wind chill or actual temperature between 40-32 degrees Fahrenheit – Students must have the ability to cover all extremities. Limited outside activity not to exceed 20 minutes.
Wind chill or actual temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit – No outside activity.
Students will participate in activities in the classrooms or flex space and will have a choice of games, hands on activities, movement and other options. (Not an iPad time)
*** Please be sure your child is dressed for the cold weather with their arms, legs, and body covered and with a coat, gloves, and winter hat on cold days. ***
With the winter season here, Keller ISD’s emergency operations team will be closely monitoring upcoming weather conditions. Any decision about altering our schedules due to weather conditions will be made after considering the conditions of roads and sidewalks in the District and surrounding areas, building conditions, and forecasts from the National Weather Service.
Should there be any winter advisories that would impact the district, updates will be posted by the school district to www.KellerISD.net. An email notification will also be sent to all Keller ISD families, employees, and students. Updates will be posted to Keller ISD’s official social media accounts, as well (Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter).
We encourage everyone to remain weather-aware throughout the weeks ahead and throughout the winter season and to be sure that your contact information and emergency contact information is correct and up to date. (See your parent portal in Aeries to see all information and contact Terra Peters terra.peters@kellerisd.net if you need any changes or updates.)
- Clayton before-school programs will be unavailable when schools are delayed to open in the morning.
- Clayton will be closed when schools are closed for the entire day.
- Clayton will be closed when schools close early or cancel after-school activities with reasonable notice to families.
- *If schools cancel afterschool activities late in the day and close to dismissal times, Clayton employees will arrive at campuses at normal time and contact all families to pick up as soon as possible because we will be closing early. Clayton staff will stay until the last child is picked up.
The Elementary Math (K-6) Department has created a 9 weeks newsletter using SMORE. We will share the links with specific grade-level teachers. Please communicate this information as well with your teachers and families. The newsletter contains an overview of upcoming material, important concepts, student misconceptions, ideas for supporting their student at home, and DreamBox support.
Happy New Year! Please see below for information about Small Counseling Groups for the spring. If you feel that your student would benefit, please complete the form HERE. We will be celebrating The Great Kindness Challenge the last week of January. Stay tuned for more information about how we will be spreading cheer and kindess to our classmates and community!
Save the date! We are excited to announce that The Big Event is returning on April 12, 2025! This districtwide day of service is open to all Florence Elementary School students, their families, teachers, and staff members. Learn more about The Big Event at www.KellerISD.net/BigEvent. We will make an announcement in March about what service activities are available and about our collaborative service project. Hope to see you there! #KISDBigEvent25 #CelebrateKISD
Dear Florence Parents,
CookLearnGrow is returning to Florence with NEW curriculum and recipes for the spring semester. After-school enrichment classes for 1st - 4th grade will be on Mondays or Tuesdays, starting January 27 & 28 from 3:30 - 4:30 PM. https://cooklearngrow.com/dallas-classes/
Unfortunately, enrollment is currently very low, and we are at risk of having to cancel the class unless we meet the minimum number of students required by Tuesday, January 21st. If you know other Florence families or friends who might be interested, please help us spread the word.
Kind Regards,
--
Ann Lowrie
STEM Night will be held on Thursday, January 16 from 6-7:45 p.m. with setup beginning at 4:30 p.m. for our science fair participants. Awards will be announced at 7:00 PM.
There will be lots of fun and educational events for kids of all ages, including our annual favorite: Creepy Critters! We will see you there!
Congratulations to the following students whose entries received an "Overall Award of Excellence" and will advance to the Texas state level for judging!
Intermediate Dance Choreography - Reese Villafranca
Intermediate Film Production - Gemma Lovell
Congratulations to all our talented students whose Reflections entries advanced to the District level! We are so proud of their creativity and hard work.
Student entries will be showcased at RBFCU in Keller on January 14th from 5–7 PM. Additionally, all Florence students who participated in Reflections will be celebrated at a school reception in February. Thank you for supporting our young artists and their creative journeys!
Parents are invited to share in the fun during their child's Co-Curr time. Students will perform a special dance they have been practicing followed by fun, Western-themed activities and decorative photo ops!
Students are invited to show off their best western wear and usually dress in boots, hats, handkerchiefs and blue jeans!
We are in need of henna artists and multicultural performers! Please contact Diane Du at dufamily08@gmail.com if you'd like to participate!
Pack your bags; we're taking a trip around the world! Time to get creative and plan your display for FES Multicultural Night!
This year, students will announce their presentations on stage in the "parade of cultures." They will then head to their displays where they can present and answer questions while students and families "travel" near and far! Enjoy a variety of performances on stage throughout the evening. Your presentation could be based on your own culture, or you could feature any country or culture that interests you!
Register here:
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!
FES 2024-2025 yearbooks are on sale NOW! 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
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.
Tyler Lamon- Front Office / Attendance: tyler.lamon@kellerisd.net
Leah Dimmitt Front Office / Substitutions: leah.dimmitt@kellerisd.net
Terra Peters- Campus Secretary: terra.peters@kellerisd.net
Sue Piehler - Nurse: susan.piehler@kellerisd.net
Jessica Sustaita- Librarian: jessica.sustaita@kellerisd.net
Christina Jones - Counselor: christina.jones@kellerisd.net
Chelsea Price - Assistant Principal: chelsea.price@kellerisd.net
Courtney Brandel - Principal: courtney.cullum@kellerisd.net
Nicole Seidel - PTA President: ptaflorencees@gmail.com
Esmeralda Gallegos - Cafeteria Manager: esmeralda.gallegos@kellerisd.net
Kindergarten: 10:40-11:10
1st Grade: 11:10-11:40
2nd Grade: 11:40-12:10
3rd Grade: 12:10-12:40
4th Grade: 12:40-1:10
4th Grade:8:10-9:10
3rd Grade: 9:10-10:10
2nd Grade: 10:10-11:10
1st Grade 12:50-1:50
Kindergarten 2:00-3:00
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
Dear Florence Parents,
CookLearnGrow is returning to Florence with NEW curriculum and recipes for the spring semester. After-school enrichment classes for 1st - 4th grade will be on Mondays or Tuesdays, starting January 27 & 28 from 3:30 - 4:30 PM.
Register here https://cooklearngrow.com/dallas-classes/
Unfortunately, enrollment is currently very low, and we are at risk of having to cancel the class unless we meet the minimum number of students required by Tuesday, January 21st. If you know other Florence families or friends who might be interested, please help us spread the word.
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
Be sure that your email is correct in your infosnap to be sure you receive all of our Blackboard communications (emails and texts).