Fun in Music with 2nd Grade

Thanks to a grant from PTA, our students now have the opportunity to use bucket drums and drumsticks in music class!  Today, our 2nd grade students explored rhythms, grips, and musical counts using different tools.  our watchdog dad even joined in on the fun and games! 

Spotlight on Learning

Mrs. Sutters' 2nd grade class visited our 4th graders in Mrs. Brinton's class to help with editing and revising their essays. What a great opportunity for our 4th grade students who felt so empowered and "big" helping the 2nd grade students as a part of their work in revising and editing authentic pieces of writing!  It was also an incredible experience for our 2nd grade students to share their work in the writing process and learn from our 4th grade students! 

No Pets on Campus

Just a reminder that inconsideration of student and staff safety, our district policy is that every campus is a pet-free campus. While we love furry little ones, we ask that you would kindly leave them at home as they await their favorite humans to return home from school.  

Showing LOVE to our Neighbors

Walkers: For our students who walk home from school, we ask that you remind your child to please be respectful of the yard and property of our neighbors.  While there is not a sidewalk once students cross Johnson Rd. we have asked that students refrain from cutting through anyone's yard and remain close to the edge of the property. Additionally, we ask that any parents who are waiting for students avoid parking or standing on the private property of our neighbors. Mrs. Brandel visited with the students about these reminders, but we appreciate you reinforcing these expectations out of consideration for our neighbors. 

No Parking: There is no parking on Harrell Rd. (in front of the school) at any time, as indicated by the signs on the street. 

Disabled Parking Spaces: By law, the parking spaces directly in front of the school and in the parking lot that are marked in blue are reserved for those who have the appropriate placard or license plate authorizing the use of disabled parking spaces.  While it may  be tempting to park quickly to run in, these should remain available to those who have physical and legal right to these spaces. Southlake PD will be monitoring and issuing citations for improper use of these spaces. 

Here Comes the Bus Maintenance

On Monday, February 26, services for the “Here Comes the Bus” application will be undergoing maintenance. During this time, the tracking and messaging features of the application will not be functioning. 

The system upgrade should be completed within 24 hours. We expect the “Here Comes the Bus” app to return to normal functionality by the end of the day Tuesday, February 27. If you have any questions, please contact TCSB Dispatch at 817-744-1301. 

Thank you, 

TCSB Dispatch

STAAR INTERIM TEST

State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) Interim Assessments are online assessments that align to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and that help educators monitor student progress and predict student performance on STAAR.  These tests provide our teachers with data to monitor student performance related to the state standards and provides us with insight as to areas where students may need additional support either in general or individually.   This also gives our students a practice opportunity in a testing environment and with the new STAAR 2.0 question types that include drag and drop, free response, and multiple answer selection which differs from how STAAR was prior to 2023. 

3rd Grade:

• Reading: February 12th

• Math: February 28th (Note- date has changed from previous communication and calendars to allow additional time for curriculum concepts to be introduced)

4th Grade: Note the change in dates from previous communication and calendars

• Reading: February 28th 

• Math: March 4th

For more information on the STAAR Interim test, please visit TEA: https://tea.texas.gov/student-assessment/assessment-initiatives/staar-interim-assessments

Parents, please be sure to stop by and visit the lost and found to claim your students items before Spring Break. Any items that are left over the break will be donated to Community Store House.

The Big Event- Register on the KISD Webstore! 

Hello, Florence Elementary School Families,  

The Big Event is coming to Keller ISD on Saturday, April 6, and we’re so excited for our campus to participate!  

As background, The Big Event is a district-wide day of service open to all KISD students, their families, and staff members from each of KISD’s 42 campuses. The event is designed to not only join and unite our district and campus together through service-oriented activities, but also to express gratitude for the support of the communities who give back to KISD each and every day. Think of it as a giant, tangible “Thank you.” 

On April 6, each KISD campus will come together at the same times across our district and the surrounding communities to serve and give back. I’m excited to share that Florence Elementary School will be participating in the following activities on the day of The Big Event, and your student(s) and your family are invited to join us:  

9:00 AM -11:00 AM  

• Kindergarten: make friendship bracelets for patients at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children  

12:00 PM -2:00 PM  

• First Grade: plant flowers and work in school’s courtyard garden; make individual flowerpots for recipients of Metroport Meals on Wheels 

• Second Grade: trash pick-up at Royal and Annie Smith Park 

• Third Grade: Make homemade blankets for those staying at Salvation Army of Tarrant County 

• Fourth Grade: donation drive for non-skid socks and card/drawing creation for residents at Heritage House Keller Rehabilitation and Nursing 

You can sign your child and your family up to volunteer and sign the district’s liability waiver on KISD’s secure Web Store here. To access the Web Store, parents/students must log in with their student ID number and student’s last name (in upper/lowercase letters). Once logged in, you should see your child’s name at the top of the screen.  After clicking on your child’s name, you will see a search feature at the top of the screen.  Type “Big” in the search field and click search.  You will be taken straight to the Big Event items for your child’s campus. 

Be on the lookout next month for an email containing specific, day-of details for the job(s) you signed up for. Note that we’re asking each student to wear their Florence Elementary School T-shirt on the day of The Big Event, so be sure you locate that today...and, get your social media accounts ready to share photos of your family volunteering; follow Keller ISD on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter); tag the district; and be sure to use the hashtag #KISDBigEvent24!  

This event is not mandatory, but we’d love to have as many Florence Elementary School families, students, teachers, and staff participate in this special day. This is a family-centered event, so we’d ask that families attend with their children if at all possible. Additionally, service hours for organizations like National Honor Society (NHS), National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), Eagle Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc. will be granted for participation in The Big Event.  

Attached to this link is a helpful Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, and you can also find more information including a video that guides you through the registration process at: www.kellerisd.net/bigevent. We are so excited about The Big Event and hope you’ll make plans to join us (or the campus of another child in your family) on Saturday, April 6, to serve and give back!  

After-school club reminder

If there is any change in dismissal arrangements for your child (such as NOT staying for a club, being a car rider instead of a bus rider, riding the bus on a different day, etc.) please call the FES front office at 817-744-4700 so that our office staff may complete the orange sheet and ensure that students are in the proper dismissal location. Please do not email your child's teacher regarding a change in dismissal without first contacting the front office as our teachers are not checking their emails during instructional time and it is likely that that email will not be read before dismissal time. For this reason, our front office ladies do a great job to ensure that the communication is made with teachers for any change of dismissal. 

Have you changed your information?

Parents, in order to keep information updated and correct in Aeries we need your help. Be sure to communicate with the Campus Secretary/Registrar, Terra Peters, any changes that you have. Below are examples of common updates that Mrs. Peters sees.

• Phone number changes: Please email Mrs. Peters the contact information you need updated.

• Email updates: Please email Mrs. Peters the contact information you need updated.

• Parent Name Change: Please visit the office with a copy of a legal document showing the name change. A copy will be given to Mrs. Peters.

• Address Change: Please email a copy of the new utility bill (gas, water, or electric) to Mrs. Peters so she may update the address in Aeries. 

• Emergency Contact: Please email Mrs. Peters the emergency contact name, relationship, and phone number (email is optional) you need updated.

Winter Weather and Outdoor Activity 

We will continue to follow the KISD guidelines for outdoor activity:

• 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.

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. 

HEalthy Falcons

We are in the midst of cold and flu season and recognize that many of our families have been impacted.  Our custodial team is continuing to disinfect and clean our school according to the district guidelines and processes.  We also continue to encourage healthy practices of handwashing, covering your cough/ sneeze, taking care of your body, and remaining away from others you are sick.  Thank you for your partnership in supporting a healthy environment!  We are hopeful that this nice, long weekend will allow everyone time to rest, enjoy time together and to return fully ready to learn!