FAlcon FAMILY
Weekly Newsletter
September 18-22
Week 6
Courtney Brandel
Principal
courtney.cullum@kellerisd.net
Mrs. Brandel's Message
Dear Falcon Families,
It's been a great, "cooler" week at FES which has allowed our students to enjoy outside recess. Several of our grade levels have moved forward with MAP testing this week in Math and Reading and our teachers are digging into that data to help provide individualized support for our students in their areas of strength and reinforcement.
As we are rounding out some of our beginning of the year units, we are looking at the students' performance tasks and assessments with support from our district learning coaches and utilizing the standards based rubric to analyze both student learning and to reflect on our implementation of the curriculum. We are so fortunate to have the support of these subject area experts who are supporting our students through their guidance and support of our teachers!
I have spent part of this week working closely with our teachers as they set individual goals and plans to help drive and continue to improve instruction even more. I can't express just how exciting it is to see all the strategies, practices, and processes our teachers are working to implement for our students! It's going to be a great year at FES and I cannot wait to see the ways in which our students will grow!
We have an exciting October ahead with Red Ribbon Activities, Lunch with Grandparents, Book Fair, PTA's Fall Festival, and more! Thank you for joining us in creating memorable experiences for our students and for partnering in their education!
In Falcon Spirit,
Courtney Brandel
Highlighting the tradition of excellence at Florence Elementary School!
A Rainbow Surprise
We were welcomed to school on Monday morning with a beautiful rainbow to start this week!
Kindergarten Safety
Office Potter visited with our kindergarten students to discuss the importance of remaining quiet when we are in a lockdown or evacuation drill.
Safety 1st!
Officer Potter, Officer Tom (KISD Security) and Mr. Mahen (director of emergencies) supported us in our first lockdown drill of the year and answered questions for our 3rd grade students who did a great job of reponding when they were outside during the drill.
4th Grade PJ Fun!
As a Booster reward, 4th grade enjoyed a PJ day!
First Responder Day
Thank you, Officer Potter, for keeing our school safe!
A Great Reading Spot
Our students enjoy all the spaces in our library that make reading even more fun!
Cafeteria Rewards
Our 3rd grade students in Mrs. Rice's class earned a campout time because of their great behavior in the cafeteria!
Calibration and Collaboration
Our 3rd and 4th grade teachers worked with our district reading coaches to analyze student writing with standards rubrics.
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!
upcoming events:
September 19- Watch Dog Dad 5:30-6:30
September 22- PTA Spirit Store
September 22- Chic-fil-A Mobile Spirit Day Fundraiser
September 25-26 Hearing and Vision Screening
September 26- 4th Grade Field Trip to Camp Grady Spruce
September 27- October 3- Book Fair
September 28- 29- Lunch with Grandparents (See details and pre-registration below)
October 2- 1st Grade Performance & PTA Meeting
October 4- College Color Spirit Day
October 5- Fall Yearbook Picture Day
October 6- End of the 1st 9 Weeks
October 6- Red Ribbon Dress Up Day: Superheroes
October 9-13 Fall Break- No School
October 18 3rd Grade Theatre Field Trip (More info to come...)
October 21- FES Fall Carnival (4:00-7:00 PM)
October 20th- Red Ribbon Dress Up: Be Kind to Your Mind, Live Drug Free: Dress up as who/what you want to be when you grow up.
New News
Hearing and Vision Screenings
Nurse Sue will be conducting hearing and vision screenings on September 25-26 during the school day. If your child wears glasses or hearing support devices, please make sure they are wearing them for their examination. Please reach out to her if you have any questions.
Literati Book Fair
September 27- October 3rd (Wednesday-Wednesday (Excludes weekends) from 7:25AM -3:15 PM
Florence Elementary is excited to host fall book fair. The book fair will contain reading materials from multiple grades/reading levels and genres, and students will be provided with an opportunity to visit the book fair during the school day to preview and/or purchase books. We welcome our parents to come before or after school for an opportunity to visit the book fair with their children, in order to preview items and make purchases and will welcome our grandparents to shop with their students during the Grandparents' Luncheon. Proceeds of this event will go to the campus library and help provide books and resources for teachers and students.
Keller ISD recognizes that every family and student is different, and parents have different expectations regarding what literature is appropriate for their children to read. That is why we encourage all parents to discuss reading selections as a family. Just as parents have the right to opt their children out of a school activity/class that conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs (KISD Board Policy EFB (local), parents may request their children to not access campus book fairs.
Keller ISD has an “opt-out” policy, whereby the parents/guardians must sign a permission form to withdraw their child from participating in the book fair without an adult family member present. If you do not wish for your child to participate in the book fair, please print, sign, and return the form below and return it to the teacher by Tuesday, September 26, 2023. If you would like a printed copy of the form, please reach out to our office and Your child will receive alternate lessons/activities to complete while students are visiting the book fair. Please note: children who do not present the classroom teacher with an opt out form will be provided an opportunity to participate in the book fair. If you do wish for your child to participate in the book fair no action needs to be taken.
Book Fair Opt Out Form:
FES Book Fair Opt. Out. .pdf
Campus Educational Improvement Committee (CEIC)
As a part of our continuous improvement process, we are seeking teachers, staff, parents, and community members to serve on the FES Campus Educational Improvement Committee (CEIC). The CEIC is an advisory group for the campus and it serves the purpose of gathering and providing feedback and input in matters of campus planning, operations, policies, and procedures. These 24 stakeholders have been selected to participate in this year's committee and will meet 4 times this year to provide input and feedback in our improvement process. Thank you, to those members, who will be serving our campus in this capacity this year.
We need volunteers for greeting grandparents, serving desserts, and taking photos. We also need LOTS of dessert donations! Desserts can be dropped off to the front office anytime Mon-Wed, September 25-27. All desserts must be store bought or prepackaged (not homemade).
PTA Volunteer Sign Up for Grandparents Day
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084FABAE2FA4F9CE9-grandparents1#/
Dessert Donation Sign Up
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084FABAE2FA4F9CE9-grandparents2#/
Lunch with Grandparents
September 28 (Last Name A-H) and September 29 (Last Name I-Z)
We welcome our grandparents/ important person to join our students during their student's 30 minute lunch time and then, during their recess time to visit library where they can enjoy browsing the book fair, share with your student some some special activities facilitated by our PTA, and enjoy the special time together. Please note, for confidentiality and to maintain the learning environment throughout our campus, guests will not be able to visit classrooms on this day.
Parents, please complete the following form if you and/or a family member would like to join us for our Grandparent's/ Important Person Luncheon. PLEASE COMPLETE ONE FORM PER STUDENT by no later than Thursday, September 21 to allow time for planning.
This pre-registration allows us to plan ahead to ensure a successful day! In order to ensure that there is plenty of space for an enjoyable time for all, we strongly encourage that families with last names beginning with A-H to attend on Thursday, and families with last names beginning with I-Z to attend on Friday. For the same reason, while we love having our parents on campus for different events, we kindly ask that we reserve this special day for our grandparents and important guests.
Bringing Lunch
Grandparents/ Important Guests are welcomed to bring lunch for their student. Please note, however, that they may not share with any child aside from their own. Additionally, if Nurse Sue communicated allergies in your child's class at the beginning of the year, please communicate these allergy specifications with your child's special guest ahead of time.
Cafeteria Lunch
If your special guest or child will be ordering a meal, please indicate in the form below and pre-pay to FES Cafeteria through your child's Sodexo account. (https://www.schoolcafe.com/KELLERISD)
Cafeteria Menu for Grandparents Day Luncheon
Thursday, September 28th: Glazed chicken drumsticks with a roll, mashed potatoes and gravy, with veggies.
Friday 29th, September 29th: Steak fingers with a roll, mashed potatoes and gravy and veggies.
Adults - $4.50 and Children: $2.95 per meal
*Arrival/ check-in procedures will be communicated the week prior to the event.
Rock Club flyer.pdfJoin R.O.C.K. Club
All interested in joining should sign up by September 20th! Click the docuemtn for the link to join!
1st Grade: Sign up now at: https://forms.gle/YQuRfmKb5nFH9x4M8
2nd Grade: Sign up now at: https://forms.gle/6TG8mj1vQB6Ny9TG6
3rd Grade: Sign up now at: https://forms.gle/Yixdoug4tPipADPb8
4th Grade: sign up now at:https://forms.gle/vp4dEkEuqqGLneW78
Watch D.O.G.S.
Thank you, to those who have confirmed your interest in being a part of Watch-DOGS! Watch DOGS kick off meeting is September 19th from 5:30-6:30 in our cafeteria. You are not required to attend to participate in the Watch D.O.GS. program however, this is when more detailed information will be shared. Once that meeting has occurred, Mrs. Bowen will share the link to the Watch D.O.G.S. calendar to those who have forwarded their volunteer approval email to her (angelina.bowen@kellerisd.net). The first day for Watch DOGS will be October 2nd.
Add your photos to the yearbook
Please upload your pictures on www.TreeRing.com for HOCO Week/Parade & Fun Run by October 6th. Last call for all pictures from Meet the Teacher and First Day of School!
We LOVE VolunteerS!
✅Get Cleared to Volunteer! All volunteers must complete a yearly background check. Click the link to apply for a volunteer position through KISD.
Click here to access the KISD background check application.
✅Check out our events and let us know how you can get involved! Click here to sign up to help!
✅Check the PTA Website for upcoming volunteer opportunities.
PTA Events and Volunteer Opportunities
Information Central for PTA!
We are encouraging ALL our families to register on the PTA website, even if they have not become PTA members. We want you to have access to be able to volunteer and get information that you need. Plus it will prepare you for BCI and KMS as they also use this website program as well.
Please go to
Chic Fil A
Join us ALL DAY next Friday for a Chic-Fil-A spirit day where a donation will be made to FES for every mobile carry out or drive through order placed in support of FES (at the Keller Pkwy. location only)!
Spirit sweatshirt sale
FES Sweatshirt Pre Orders will be available now until October 1st! There are both adult and youth sizes available. Delivery will be in November. Go to the FES PTA Website below to order NOW! https://florenceelempta.membershiptoolkit.com/
Volunteers Needed
We need some dependable parent volunteers to help Nurse Sue with Hearing & Vision screenings on Sept 25 & 26th.
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/70A0F4DAFA62EA3FC1-vision
Join PTA!
Be a part of the Falcon Family! JoinPTA.org this month and help us achieve our goal! A voice for every child! When two members in your family sign up, you receive a car static cling!
Reflections
Let's Get Creative! Reflections is here! Theme: "I am Hopeful Because..." Information, entry form and rules: https://www.txpta.org/reflections 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 and visual arts. All participants will be recognized and there are advancement opportunities at the district, state and national levels. We will host two brainstorming workshops at Florence where we will guide students through the process of reflecting on the theme, "I am Hopeful Because...," assist in creating a strong artists' statement, help formulate a plan for completing their projects on their own time, and provide them with some basic supplies if applicable to help bring their ideas to life!
We also need volunteers please use the link below to signup!
https://florenceelempta.membershiptoolkit.com/Volunteer
Fall Carnival Committee Volunteers needed
🍁🍁Fall Carnival plans are being made and our PTA Carnival Chair, Sarah Terpstra, needs a few more people on her planning committee. Please contact Sarah.Terpstra@gmail.com if you would like to help out.🍁🍁
Candy Needed!
We need Candy! (Insert green monster)
It’s time to feed that MONSTER again! We need candy for Fall Carnival, preferably non-melting and no nuts! The green monster will be located in the front office to place those donations!
Spirit Store Volunteers Needed
Spirit Store volunteers needed, please signup to help out.
https://florenceelempta.membershiptoolkit.com/Volunteer
In Case you Missed it
Yearbook
https://tr5.treering.com/school/243502/2023/school-content/school-photos/298960765
school code : 1016599729561880
Cafeteria Menu- September 2023- UPDATED
Sept. Updated Lunch Menu.pdfCafeteria information
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.
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.
Contacts
FES Front Office: 817-744-4700
Allison Stetz- Front Office / Substitutions: allison.stetz@kellerisd.net
Leah Dimmitt- Front Office/ Reception/ Attendance: leah.dimmitt@kellerisd.net
Terra Peters- Campus Secretary: terra.peters@kellerisd.net
Sue Piehler - Nurse: susan.piehler@kellerisd.net
Kelly Roberts- Librarian: Kellene.roberts@kellerisd.net
Angelina Bowen - Counselor: angelina.bowen@kellerisd.net
Tammy DeLeon - Assistant Principal: tammy.deleon@kellerisd.net
Courtney Brandel - Principal: courtney.cullum@kellerisd.net
Jessica Fry - PTA President: ptaflorencees@gmail.com
Connect with and Follow Us!
FES PTA Facebook
FES on X (formerly Twitter)
Also, be sure to follow @MrsBrandel
Blackboard Communications
Be sure that your email is correct in your infosnap to be sure you receive all of our Blackboard communications (emails and texts).