MLK Day Activities

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دوسری زبانوں کے لئے ، نیوزلیٹر کا ترجمہ کریں پر کلک کریں اور اپنی پسند کی زبان کا انتخاب کریں۔

How perfect that we celebrate the life of MLK just at the start of the new year -- it offers the opportunity to make resolutions about the steps we each can take to foster a more just world.

Good morning,

We are excited to kick off the week with our 4th and 5th grade Spelling Bee today. Additionally, as reminder, we have an early dismissal on Wednesday, January 17th, students will dismiss at 12:55pm.

Have a wonderful week!

Dr. Burks, Mrs. Liwosz, and Mrs. Sillers

FES staff want to thank all the students who submitted an entry for the Young Authors’ Contest this year. There were so many amazing poems and short stories, it made it very difficult to choose a winner. We appreciate all the time and effort that was put into writing some great pieces.

Congratulations to the following winners:

For the poem category, the winners are:

2nd grade- Sahib A.

3rd grade- Molly P.

4th grade- Aanya D.

5th grade- Margaret D.

For the short story category, the winners are:

1st grade- Ariana A.

2nd grade- Royalty O.

3rd grade- Serafina S.

4th grade- Grace N.

5th grade- Abigail L.

Congratulations to all the winners! Those students’ short stories and poems will now go off to compete at the county level. Good luck to those students. We hope to have winners from Fulton this year!

As you may know, our students are learning about empathy and inclusion during our Social Emotional Learning time through The Nora Project. A couple of weeks ago, our 4th graders had the opportunity to hear from Mr. Tyler Cashman. Mr. Cashman's presentation was moving and powerful. If you have a 4th grader, please ask them about it!

Do you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2024? Please save the date and join HCPSS for an upcoming Road to Kindergarten parent information session. All sessions will run 6:30-7:30 p.m. and cover the same content.

At this session you will learn:

• Expectations for school readiness (and receive a Ready for Kindergarten toolkit);
• Details about the HCPSS kindergarten program;
• Information about HCPSS kindergarten registration and website;
• Ways that families and children can be supported during the transition to kindergarten.

Information sessions will be offered at the following times:

• Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, Centennial High School**
• Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, Hammond High School*
• Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024 Wilde Lake High School*
• SNOW DATE: Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, Hammond High School**

* Spanish interpreter will be present at these sites.
** Chinese, Korean, and Spanish interpreters will be present at these sites

If Howard County Public Schools are closed for inclement weather, the session is canceled.

Child care is available at each session for children ages 2 and older; the session is designed for adults only. Please note, the session will include information regarding Kindergarten readiness, program components, and registration that is applicable to all HCPSS schools; specific school information will be shared by schools after registration is finalized.

Large crowds are anticipated; please allow ample time for parking, childcare drop off, and check in. Doors open at 6pm.

For more information, visit www.hcpss.org/enroll/kindergarten/ or call 410-313-5693.

The Fulton Elementary School Regional Early Childhood Center (RECC) prekindergarten programs are making preparations for classes for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. These classes include children with and without disabilities. The program’s focus is helping all children develop communication, literacy, math, problem solving, motor, and social skills. Parents of children who will be 3 or 4 by September 1st, applications will be available and accepted in mid February.

In alignment with Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future, a limited number of new applications for students turning 4 by September 1 will be available. The Howard County Public School System continues to offer a prekindergarten program for income eligible children who will be four years old by September 1. For additional information contact the school or visit: https://www.hcpss.org/schools/pre-k-programs/

HCPSS is committed to providing instruction based on the statewide Early Learning Standards which are in alignment with Kindergarten Readiness. The fees listed in the application will be collected monthly regardless of the learning model determined by HCPSS throughout the upcoming school year (virtual, hybrid, in person, or class quarantine). If you have any additional questions , please contact Jessica Lifson at (410) 880-5957.

Skate Nights

Back by popular demand, we are hosting skate nights at Columbia Association's Supreme Sports Club, with the PTA subsidizing ticket prices for this night out!

Since space is limited, we ask that only FES students in the specified grades sign up for skate night along with 1 adult chaperone. (If tickets are still available 1 week before the Skate Night, we will open registration to include additional family members.)

To ensure we adhere to capacity, everyone must purchase tickets, including chaperones.

We will also have snacks and drinks available for purchase during the event.

Recc through 2nd grade

January 28, 2024 @ 04:00pm – 6:00pm EST

https://app.memberhub.gives/fes-skatenight-jan28/Campaign/Details

3rd through 5th grades

February 04, 2024 @ 04:00pm – 6:00pm EST

https://app.memberhub.gives/fes-skatenight-feb4/Campaign/Details

DEI Committee Launches with Art Contest

The DEI Committee is relaunching and will be seeking input to help! In the meantime, they are kicking off with an art contest!

The Committee invites FES students to create 2-D and 3-D artwork that honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Please see flier for details and happy creating!

Calling All Talent

Attention students with talent - it’s that time of year again - Falcon Follies Talent Submission!!

If your student likes to sing, dance, tell jokes, do magic or otherwise perform and entertain - this show is for you! Please see the flier below for details! ‘Audition’ submissions are required to register. We can’t wait to see your talents!

For a complete list of dates and events visit https://fes.hcpss.org/calendar.

January

• 1.17: Schools close 3 hours early. No half-day PreK/RECC
• 1.18: No half-day/PreK/RECC; LKMS Rising 6th grade Parent Orientation
• 1.19: No half-day/PreK/RECC; End of Second Marking Period
• 1.22: Schools Closed for Students/Professional Work Day
• 1.23: 6:00PM Winter Instrumental Concert
• 1.30: 6:30PM 4th & 5th Winter Concern; Report Cards Issued

Save the date if you have a current 5th grader. LKMS will have their rising 6th grade student Parent Orientation on January 18 from 6:00-7:00 PM (January 25 snow date). Families can learn about middle school, the academic schedule, and the Gifted and Talented program.

HCPSS and The Council of Elders (TCOE) Community Academy - Processes for Parent Empowerment:The next HCPSS and The Council of Elders (TCOE) Community Academy will take place on January 27 from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Parents and families are invited to attend a virtual session regarding parent advocacy topics include: Bullying, Parent Concerns, Special Education, Advanced Placement. Representatives from HCPSS will provide resources. This session is for families of students at the elementary, middle, or high school levels and will be held virtually. To register, please complete the registration form linked hereLinks to an external site.. More information can be found in the TCOE Processes for Parent Empowerment FlyerLinks to an external site.. If you have any questions, please contact Sheree Tilley at sheree_tilley@hcpss.org.

National Pan-Hellenic Council of Howard County Black History Expo 2024: The annual Black History Expo sponsored by the National Panhellenic Council of Howard County and the Howard County Public School System will be held on February 17 at Long Reach HS from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The theme of this year’s event is “African Americans and the Arts.”

HCPSS student organizations are invited to participate with exhibits that speak to the theme"African Americans and the Arts" (exhibit fee is waived), as assistants in various areas, or provide program performances. Students can receive community service hours for their participation. Registration forms for exhibitors, vendors and program performances are included in the Black History Expo packet. The deadline to register to participate is January 20,

For more information please contact Muriel G. Mitchell, Black History Expo Coordinator at (410) 461-4717 or blackhistoryexpo@gmail.com.

Dear Fulton Community,

I’ve made the decision to continue my maternity leave indefinitely to stay at home with my 2 children. While I’m looking forward to spending more time with my own family, I can’t help but also feel sad that I won’t be able to spend more time with your children at Fulton. It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know the students, staff, and families over the past 9 years and I’m proud of the contributions I’ve made to the school counseling program.

I will miss the kind, supportive, generous Fulton community and the relationships I’ve built.

Thank you for your understanding and I wish the entire school community the best in the future!

With gratitude,

Beth Shields

School Counselor

Last week the belonging committee sent out a presentation containing some information about New Year's and resolutions. In the presentation, we asked staff to encourage their students to develop ONE WORD for 2024. Fulton Elementary has chosen their word:

What does learning mean to us? Learning is engaging and adapting by gaining and sharing diverse knowledge.

Talk to your child(ren) at home and ask them what word they would choose to describe what they want or are looking forward to during 2024!

It is time to begin thinking about parent/teacher conferences with your child's math teacher! This is a great opportunity to learn about what your child has been learning about in math, how they are progressing with the taught curriculum and how we can partner together to your child excel.

A couple of reminders regarding February Parent/Teacher Conferences:

• HCPSS elementary schools will close 3-hours early on Wednesday, 2/7 and Thursday, 2/8, for parent teacher conferences. FES will begin dismissal at 12:55 on 2/7 & 2/8.

  • HCPSS schools are closed on Friday, 2/9.

• Conferences can be scheduled in 15-minute blocks with your child’s math teacher.

  • Families of fifth grade GT Math students can sign up for a conference with Mrs. Cassara or Mrs. Gainer-Lee.

  • Fourth grade families met with GT math teachers at the end of quarter one.

• Families wishing to conference with any of our related arts teachers can email the teacher(s) directly to set up a mutually agreeable time during the conference window. Staff contact information is on our website: https://fes.hcpss.org/school-staff

• The scheduling window opens in Synergy on Thursday, 1/22, and closes on Friday, 2/2.

  • Click here for directions to schedule a parent teacher conference

• Wednesday, 2/7 - all afternoon conferences (1:20-4:00) will be in person only.

  • Teachers will host afternoon conferences in person at FES and parents may only attend their scheduled conferences from 1:20-4:00 in person on this day.

• Wednesday, 2/7, all evening conferences (starting with the 4:15 time slot) will be virtual only via google meet if teachers choose to host conferences on Wednesday evening.

  • Please check teacher schedules in Synergy.

• On Thursday, 2/8, afternoon conferences (1:20-4:00) will be virtual only if teachers choose to host conferences on Thursday afternoon.

  • Please check individual teacher schedules in Synergy.

• Due to the winter conference window being shorter than the fall window, there may not be as many time slots for you to sign up to meet with your child's math teacher. As such, we encourage you to sign up early. If you are unable to sign-up with your child's math teacher during the parent/teacher conference window and would still like to meet with him/her, please reach out to your child's math teacher. It is important for us to partner with you on your child's progress.
  

• The HCPSS Family Engagement Committee has developed a Parent-Teacher Conference Tip Sheet (English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean) to support families in preparation for February conferences.

• Once the scheduling window opens, please email your child’s teacher or call 410-880-5957 for assistance.