August 13-15
Week 1
Courtney Brandel
Principal
courtney.cullum@kellerisd.net
Chelsea Price- Assistant Principal
Christina Jones- Counselor
Dear Florence Families,
What an incredible week it has been at Florence Elementary! While our students have been enjoying the final days of summer, our campus has been buzzing with energy and anticipation. This past week, our teachers and staff returned for a full schedule of staff development, collaboration, and preparation—and I wish you could have seen the sparkle in their eyes as they set up classrooms, planned engaging lessons, and dreamed big for the year ahead. Their dedication and enthusiasm are truly contagious!
Now, the countdown is over—on Wednesday, August 13th, we open our doors for the first day of school! Whether you are joining us for the very first time or returning for another year, know that you are a valued part of our Florence family. This year, we embrace our guiding theme: “Together, we SHINE”—where each letter reminds us of our shared purpose:
✨ Strive for Excellence
✨ Honor our Students and Staff
✨ Inspire Learning
✨ Nurture Students
✨ Elevate Success
The energy on campus right now is proof that when we work together, we create something truly special for our students. Our staff’s excitement to greet your children is matched only by their commitment to making every day a safe, joyful, and meaningful learning experience.
As we step into this first week, let’s do it with optimism, curiosity, and a shared belief that our students can—and will—shine brighter than ever. Here’s to a year filled with growth, connection, and countless moments of pride!
We look forward to seeing you Monday night for meet the teacher and again on Wednesday for our first day of school!
With warmth and excitement,
Courtney Brandel
Principal, Florence Elementary
FES celebrates that our amazing Assistant Principal, Chelsea Price, is officially CANCER FREE and has returned for the 2025-2026 school year! Mrs. Price is grateful for the support from the Falcon Family over the last year and we are excited to celebrate her health and her victorious journey through treatment since last September! We are all inspired by her courage, strength, and victory!
Our newest and youngest falcons joined us in July for a couple of days at kinder camp where they met the teachers, participated in fun activities, made new friends, and even created their very own Jitter Critter to help them with any "jitters" they might have! We are excited to welcome this sweet group of students to the nest!
Theatre Teacher- Spring
Instructional Support/ ESL Teacher
Kindergarten Teacher
Crossing Guard
Gifted and Talented Teacher
Our staff have been working together in preparation for our upcoming school year, with collaboration, district professional development, curriculum work, and time in classrooms to set up for the year ahead! Thank you, PTA for a delicious lunch, and for creating a star studded environment as we set the foundation SHINING brightly in this new school year!
Co-Curr Team
Specials Team
Office Team
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
August 8- Teacher Phone Calls
August 11- Meet the Teacher Night (Last names A-K 5:00-5:45 & L-Z 6:00-6:45)
August 12- Dismissal Form Due
August 13- First Day of School 2025-2026 School Year
August 13- Boo-Hoo/Woo-Hoo Breakfast, sponsored by FES PTA (7:45-8:15 a.m. in the cafeteria). This event is for Kindergarten families and families in any grade who are new to FES.
August 18- Parent Orientation/Hybrid
Kindergarten: 5:00-5:30
1st Grade 5:30-6:30
2nd Grade: 6:30-7:30
August 19- Parent Orientation/Hybrid
3rd Grade 5:00-6:00
4th Grade 6:00-7:00
August 22- Independence Day- Wear Red, White, and Blue to celebrate students independently walking to their classrooms in the morning!
September 1- Labor Day Holiday- No School
September 2-4- BOY MAP RLA (during reading classes)
September 8-10- BOY MAP Math (during math classes)
September 10- BOY MAP Fluency (During reading classes)
September 11- Multicultural Night (5:30-8:00)
Week of September 15-19 Book Fair
September 15 Lunch with Grandparents (Last names A-K)
September 16- Lunch with Grandparents (Last names L-Z)
September 16- CEIC Meeting (3:45-5:00)
September 17- Watchdog Kick Off (6:00-6:30)
September 22- STUCO Speeches Due
September 25- 1st Grade Performance/PTA Meeting
September 29- Fun Run Kick-Off
October 1- College Spirit Day
October 2- Fall Yearbook Pictures
October 3- Red Ribbon Spirit Day
October 3- 3rd/4th STUCO Elections
Week of October 6-10 KHS Spirit Week (Dress Up Days TBD)
October 6- KHS Homecoming Parade
October 7- Fun Run
October 9- KHS Homecoming Game
October 9- End of the 1st 9 Weeks
October 10- Student Holiday- Parent/ Teacher Conferences (by appointment)
Week of October 13-17- District Holiday- Fall Break- No School
*View our full calendar on our website.
Kindergarten: 10:25-10:55
1st Grade: 10:55-11:25
2nd Grade: 11:25-11:55
3rd Grade: 11:55-12:25
4th Grade: 12:25-12:55
When will I know who my child's teacher will be?
Make sure your phone ringer is turned on full volume on Friday! We are currently finalizing class lists and your child's teacher will be calling you on Friday, August 8th, at which time you will find out which of our incredible teachers will be serving, loving, and teaching your child this year!
*If you have not completed enrollment requirements (including vaccinations) then you will not receive a phone call from a teacher, as we are not able to complete enrollment until requirements are completed. Please contact our front office to finalize any pending enrollment requirements.
Action Needed- before noon on Tuesday
In order to help us ensure that your child is in the correct location for dismissal, please complete the following form before noon on Tuesday to indicate your dismissal preferences for the first week of school and the rest of the school year as well as your Orange Ozone preferences. You will need your child's teacher's name to complete the form. Once your teacher has called, please complete a separate form for each FES student. This will help us to prepare for a safe and effective dismissal process:
Click to Complete the Dismissal Form
Meet the Teacher and Back to School Bash
5:00-5:45 Last name begins with A-L
6:00-6:45 Last name begins with N-Z
Join us for to meet your teacher and visit the cafeteria to celebrate with our PTA at the Back to School Bash!
In order to accommodate limited parking, we ask that you please come during the time indicated according to the first letter of your last name. You may bring your child's school supplies to drop off in their classroom (if you did not order from PTA, as those will already be in the classrooms and ready to go!). Your teacher will have sign up sheets for and may be collecting information from you to help ensure a successful start to the year. You will receive two car pick-up tags that may be used for pick-up each day. if you need additional car tags, please let your child's teacher know.
First Day of School Drop-Off
On the first day of school, we welcome parents to escort their child to their classroom. Each grade level will have an area available for you to take some first day photos and we will have some exciting ways to celebrate and welcome back our FES students! Our Doors will open at 7:30 and you may enter with your child through the main entrance (3rd and 4th grade and their siblings) or through door 7, which is the entrance located by the library (Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade).
*If a parent is arriving separately from their child, (for example, a parent coming a bit later) you will need to check in through the front office. Staff members will be located around the inside and outside of the building to help you find your child's classroom. We ask that all parents who are not remaining for the PTA Boo-Hoo, Woo-Hoo, please exit the building by 8:00 AM so that our students may begin their first day of learning with their class.
Boo-Hoo, Woo-Hoo
Our Kindergarten and new to Florence parents are invited to join us at the Boo Hoo, Woo Hoo reception, provided by our PTA, in the cafeteria from 7:45-8:30 AM on the first day of school! Come and share in the celebration or seek moral support in all the emotions of sending your child to school for the first time with some snacks, some smiles, and some Falcon Spirit!
First Day of School Pick-Up
Be on the look out, on, as we will be sending out an email on Friday afternoon, with a form for you to fill out that will indicate how your child will be leaving school during the first week of school and then for the remainder of the year. This will help us to ensure that your child has the correct school provided backpack tag so that we make sure they go to the proper dismissal location, as a bus rider, walker, day-care attendee, Clayton participant, or car-rider.
Facebook Page
Be sure to follow our FES Facebook Page as well as our PTA on Facebook to keep track of activities, highlights, and events for our campus!
School Supplies
If you pre-ordered school supply packs from PTA, these will be delivered and ready for pick-up in your child's classroom during our Back to School Bash and Meet the Teacher event! If you missed the pre-order opportunity, our PTA does have some additional school supply packs available on a first come, first served basis. To order, please contact PTA's School Supply Liaison Lindsey Roper at: (817) 709-9513 or Lindsey.Roper@yahoo.com. You can pay with a debit or credit card at Meet the Teacher or before school starts on the first day (Aug. 13). We have also attached the supply list below if you would like to do your own school supply shopping.
Parent Square
Have you set up your Parent Square account? Keller ISD is excited to launch a new way to stay connected with ParentSquare! This all-in-one platform brings you important updates from both Keller ISD and your child's campus in one convenient place. Click here for more information, including how to activate your ParentSquare account, a helpful FAQ, and much more.
Cell Phones and Personal Technology
As we welcome students back to school on August 13th, our top priority continues to be providing a safe, welcoming environment that sets up students for maximum academic growth and success. To help with this, we want to share a reminder about Keller ISD’s practices regarding student technology to ensure that students and families are familiar with these expectations before the first day of school. The goal of the District’s phone-free learning environment is to reduce distractions and minimize interruptions to the learning process, which will increase learning engagement, address student social and emotional development needs, and support positive student mental health.
Student cell phones, smart watches, AirPods, Bluetooth headphones, communication transmission devices etc. are not allowed to be in use during instructional hours. Students will be expected to either leave their devices at home, or if they choose to bring them to school, to turn their device off and store it in a backpack, purse, or other bag for the entirety of the school day. All students have access to iPads for classwork. If there is a medical reason to use a cell phone, use will be addressed per a 504, IEP, or health plan, with prior approval.
We understand that parents may need the ability to contact their child during the school day, so please do not hesitate to contact the office at 817-744-4700 anytime and we can relay messages to students as needed.
More information about the implementation of this phone-free learning environment can be found online at www.KellerISD.net/PhoneFree. Thank you for your partnership as we work together as one for the success of all.
Volunteers
Parents are always welcome at FES and we are grateful for our volunteers as an essential part of our school! If you are interested in volunteering this year, please fill out the Keller ISD Volunteer Application.
All FES visitors are required to enter through the front office, provide picture identification, and obtain a visitor badge before proceeding to any part of the building. This procedure ensures the safety and security of our campus as we know who is in the building at all time. Office staff will verify the visitor is a parent, guardian, or approved contact for the student.
Guests must have their visitor badge worn on their shirt and visible at all times.
Guests are only allowed in designated areas to minimize disruption of the learning environment.
Guests are required to exit the building through the front doors during school hours.
Free/ Reduced Lunch Application for the 25-26 School Year
Keller ISD is currently accepting Free and Reduced Meal Applications for the 2025-2026 school year online. Families who qualify for free and reduced meals in order to secure free or reduced lunches for the upcoming school year. To learn more about school meals and prices, visit KellerISD.net/foodservices.
Drop-off begins at 7:30 a.m. with class beginning at 7:55 a.m. Students are tardy after the 7:55 a.m. bell.
Dismissal from classrooms will begin at 3:15 with bus riders exiting first, followed by walker/daycare/clayton, and then car riders.
3:15 Bus Riders begin loading busses
3:20 Walkers exiting the building
3:25 Car Riders exiting the building
*Please pick your child up by no later than 3:35 PM
3rd and 4th Grade Students and Siblings- Location 1: Front of the Building at the Main Entrance
The following students will go directly to the gym, or cafeteria for breakfast:
3rd grade
4th grade
Siblings of 3rd and 4th-grade students will enter the front of the building and then go to the library or cafeteria for breakfast
Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade- Location 2: The north side of the building facing Johnson Road
*If you have a K-2 child and a 3rd or 4th-grade sibling, please follow the directions for Location 1 above.
The following students will go directly to the library, or cafeteria for breakfast:
Kindergarten
1st grade
2nd grade
If you are picking up your child, please ensure your car tag is visible for dismissal (these will be provided at meet the teacher night). If you do not have your car tag, please park and check out your student from the front office with your ID.
Lines need to flow quickly. It is beneficial if car seats/ booster seats are on the passenger side. However, if you know your student is going to need help out of his/her seatbelt or you need to get out of the car to assist them, please park in the parking lot in a designated parking spot to allow you to assist your child out of the car and walk them across the crosswalk in order to keep the traffic moving.
Announcements start precisely at 7:55 a.m. signaling the start of the school day.
Staff will be outside until 7:55 a.m.. At that time, they will need to be in their classroom. If you arrive after 7:55 a.m., you must check your child into the front office.
Arrival for Kinder, 1st grade & 2nd grade
Have student on the passenger side, unbuckle and exit quickly
If you park, you must enter through the front of the building
Arrival for 3rd grade, 4th grade and their siblings
Pickup / Dismissal for Kinder, 1st grade and 2nd grade:
Pickup/Dismissal for 3rd grade , 4th grade and their siblings:
When you indicate that your student will walk home, you are giving permission for your student to walk home independently. Due to staffing constraints, campus staff will monitor students up to the point of our north parking lot entrance, and students will then walk independently down Harrell to their home destination. We will not be checking identification of parents meeting students, so If you prefer that extra level of security, please utilize the car line.
Please talk to your child about your expectations and the safe walking procedures of remaining on sidewalks, looking both ways before crossing streets, waiting for traffic to cross before crossing any intersection, and to maintain alertness and watch all directions while crossing the street until you have safely crossed.
We ask that out of respect for our neighbors and for the safety of our students, that FES families please do not park along Johnson Rd., Harrell, or along Cimarron Trail to meet your child. If you wish to meet your child in your vehicle, please utilize one of our car rider lines instead.
We are excited to share that Mrs. Anna Reyes will be serving in our Crossing Guard position for the AM (7:15-7:50) and PM (3:15-3:50 PM) to assist students in crossing Johnson Rd.
Keller ISD is proud to have Texas Central School Bus as the District’s transportation provider! TCSB has a fleet of 243 buses and provides transportation to over 7,500 students across the District. KISD is required to provide bus service to eligible students who live more than two miles from their campus of regular attendance and for special needs students who require transportation to attend school. In addition, the neighborhoods that are located south of 1709 are also eligible for bussing to FES. For more information about bus routes and stop locations, please use the Bus Stop Finder or call 817-744-1300. We suggest that you also download the Here Comes the Bus Mobile App for updates and to see where your child's bus is. Transportation Website.
Clayton provides before and after school care at FES. For more information, please visit their website:
https://claytonyouth.org/locations/category/keller-isd/
Some local daycares provide pick up from Florence Elementary School. Please contact your daycare provider to see if this is an option available for you. Students who ride a daycare bus will be escorted to their daycare bus by a staff member.
Want to be a part of the fun on campus this school year? Keller ISD is now accepting volunteer applications for the 2025-2026 school year! Whether you're dreaming of chaperone duty or want to lend a helping hand in the work room, now's the time to sign up. Your volunteer application must be submitted and approved before you can volunteer on-campus. Click here to learn more and apply: https://shorturl.at/xM1B2.
New Kindergarten families and families new to FES in any grade, please join us for the annual "Boo-Hoo/Woo-Hoo" Breakfast, sponsored by FES PTA! This event will be held on the first day of school (Wednesday, Aug. 13) from 7:45-8:15 a.m. in the cafeteria.
We're so excited about this year's Reflections theme, "I Belong!" This year’s theme is a powerful idea submitted by 6th grader Ben Morgan from Idaho, who shared:
“I have found belonging with my family and friends. The people in my classes can also be like part of my family, even though we aren’t directly related. For me, 'I Belong!' means I know where I am accepted, and I know that I can be myself there without being criticized or judged.”
Whether your student loves to draw, dance, write, compose music, take photos, or make films, this is their chance to shine and reflect on where they feel they truly belong.
Be sure to check the rules by category to ensure their work meets all guidelines:
www.txpta.org/reflections-participation.
Questions? Reach out to PTA Cultural Arts Chair Lyndsay Lovell at: lyndsay.lovell@gmail.com. We can’t wait to see what your Falcons create!
Get ready to show your school spirit! Florence spirit wear shirts will be available for purchase at Meet the Teacher on Aug. 11. Both adult and kid sizes are offered, and payment by credit or debit card is preferred. Look for us at our table to purchase -- and join PTA while you're there, too!
Help support our Falcons by purchasing your FES PTA membership today! Memberships are just $11 each and can be purchased for anyone (parents, grandparents, and community members). Signing up for PTA does not require you to volunteer!
When you buy two (2) memberships, you'll be able to get these limited-edition ball caps, available for pick-up at Meet the Teacher on Monday, Aug. 11 (while supplies last). Families can also sign up for PTA at Meet the Teacher; look for the PTA table!
Scan the QR code or click here to join today: https://florenceelempta.membershiptoolkit.com/home.
PTA's Membership Toolkit is your one-stop-shop for all things PTA, including: the FES family directory, teacher "favorite things" lists, Spirit Store purchases, volunteer sign-ups, PTA documents, PTA sign-ups, and so much more! Visit https://florenceelempta.membershiptoolkit.com/ to register.
August is always hot, so we invite you to cool down with some fro-yo (and support FES at the same time) at our first spirit event of the school year! Our spirit event will be held Tuesday, Aug. 19 at sweetFrog (101 Town Center Lane, Suite 117, Keller) all day: 12-10 p.m. Be sure to mention Florence when you order!
PTA was excited to host the back-to-school luncheon for the amazing FES teachers and staff on Aug. 4! We were honored to provide them with a delicious meal from DeVivo Bros. Eatery and a "make-and-take" gift of design-your-own trucker hats with the help of Trendy Trucker TX.
Special thanks to 3rd VP - Hospitality, Cassie Matthews (and her committee), for decorating the luncheon so beautifully; 1st VP - Membership, Anna Reyes, for discussing PTA membership; and to Grants Chair, Cindy Villafranca, for speaking to teachers about PTA grants that assist in providing creative and enhanced learning experiences.
What time is breakfast? Breakfast will begin at 7:30. 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
Be sure that your email is correct in your infosnap to be sure you receive all of our Blackboard communications (emails and texts).