We’ve had another wonderful week of learning, and we’re so glad the weather cooperated, allowing us to be in school every day. A big thank you to everyone for helping take care of the Chromebooks and materials as they’ve been sent home for preparation. Please remember that these are school devices, and if there are any damages or lost chargers, families will be charged for replacements.

We also had a successful kindergarten registration! If you know anyone who missed it and still needs to register a kindergartener for next school year, please have them contact the office as soon as possible.

Today, we had the chance to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special trip to the Astra to watch Moana 2. A huge thank you to our PTO for making this experience possible for the students! We all had a great time.

If you plan on attending the basketball game this evening, remind your child of behavior expectations. Also the Knights of Columbus will be having their food drive for the local pantry.

As we head into the weekend, please remember that we have school on Monday. This was originally a snow make-up day, but we will be in session now. We look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday!

Enjoy your weekend!

Mrs. Kerri Winkler

At this week’s PTO meeting, we discussed several exciting updates. The PTO will be purchasing foldable, portable risers for the music program and teachers to use for various activities. We also agreed to increase the field trip contribution from $5 to $10 per student. The Breakfast with Buddies event is coming up, and the planning committee is already hard at work. Additionally, the Teacher Appreciation Week committee will soon begin organizing their plans. We had the opportunity to see some of the kindness rocks students painted, which will be distributed in the future. Finally, we’re looking for a new secretary and vice president for the upcoming school year. Reach out if you have any interest or want to learn more.

The Ferdinand Elementary PTO would like to invite you to bring some sunshine to the staff at FES! The winter days can be long and cold so let's fill the teacher's lounge with yummy snacks and treats to show our support for our educators! Please use the link below to sign up.

Please make sure to pull all the way forward to the car in front of you and then make sure to let your child out of the car if you are between the basketball goal and the front. Have them start unbuckling and getting ready prior to getting to the zone. Thanks for your help with this!

At Ferdinand Elementary, we are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all our students and staff. At the beginning of this school year, all Southeast Dubois schools implemented a new school visitor policy using the Safe Visitor system. All visitors are required to check in with a valid driver's license or government issued ID and wear a visitor badge during their time on campus. This policy helps us monitor who is on school grounds and ensures the safety of our community. We appreciate your cooperation and support in keeping our school a secure place for learning and growth. Please review the policy below. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school office.

AI in Education: Why It’s Important for Our Students

In our previous newsletter, we shared a video that introduced the basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its various categories. Now, we want to dive deeper into why AI is so important for our students' futures.

This new video highlights how AI is influencing our world and what it means for the education and career opportunities of our children.

Watch the video: Artificial Intelligence: Why It Matters

By enhancing our understanding of AI, we can help guide our children in using technology responsibly and effectively!

We continue to monitor attendance as we are really working to improve our schoolwide attendance. This year, we will be sending letters out to families as they get closer to the 10 allowable excused abscenses for the year so families are aware of their child's attendance. Thanks to all for helping us meet our attendance goal for the year!

Community Event: Knights of Columbus Food Drive

Join the Christ the King Parish Knights of Columbus in supporting local food pantries at the Forest Park vs. Heritage Hills boys basketball game on Friday, February 14th!

Most Needed Items:
Household goods: Toilet paper, paper towels, plates
Breakfast & boxed foods: Cereal, pasta, Pop-Tarts, Hamburger Helper
Personal hygiene items: Deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, soap
Canned food is always welcome!

Drop-Off Location: Main gym entrances – Knights of Columbus members will be there to collect donations.
Monetary donations are also accepted and will go directly to local charities!

Let’s come together to help those in need! If you can’t attend but want to donate, please contact Steve Grundhoefer at (812) 639-1217.

Thank you for making a difference!

January 6th - Return to School

January 10th - Report Cards get sent home

January 16th - Blood Drive at FES

January 20th - School is in session

January 21st - Starlab arrives at FES

February 5th - No school - PD day for Staff

February 12th - Public PTO Meeting

February 14th - Astra

February 17th - School is in Session

February 10th - 25-26 Kindergarten Registration 5:30 - 7

March 3 - 14th - iRead testing for 2nd and 3rd graders

March 7th - End of Third Grading Period

March 21st - High School Choir Visit

March 24 - 28 - No School - Spring Break

April 2nd - Walk to School

April 8th - Grades 3-4 to Jasper Community Arts Performance

April 9th - Fine Arts Night for Grades K, 2, and 4

April 14 - May 9th - iLearn testing for Grades 3-4

April 18th - School is now in Session

April 24th - Kindergarten Field Trip

April 25th - PTO Convocation and tentative Walk-a-Thon date

May 2nd - Second Grade Field Trip

May 7th - Walk to School

May 16th - PTO Surprise for students

May 13th - Tentative Field Day Date

May 23rd - Last Day of School