I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with joy and gratitude. As we transition into December, we’re focusing on the character trait of compassion. I encourage you to explore the parent resources included in this newsletter to help foster this important value at home. Speaking of compassion, our amazing lunch ladies were able to make our Thanksgiving lunch so special because of donations from Albertsons Ridley’s, and a Texas Roadhouse.

Attendance Matters
A quick reminder to regularly check your child’s attendance on PowerSchool. Consistent attendance is a cornerstone of success, keeping students engaged with our academic goals and character-building efforts. Let’s work together to ensure every child is present and ready to thrive!

PTO Corner
Don’t miss the updates in the PTO Corner for details about upcoming events and ways to get involved in our school community. Your participation makes a difference!

Yearbook Contest Winners

Congratulations to all of our students who entered the 2024-25 Falcon Ridge yearbook cover contest, "Best of the West." This year's winners are: Addison K. (first place), Emilia M. (2nd place), and Benjamin B. (3rd place). Way to go, Pardners!

Perseverance and Excellence
As we move deeper into the school year, perseverance remains essential for growth. Overcoming challenges helps our students build resilience, paving the way for future success. Along with gratitude, we are emphasizing excellence this month—striving to cultivate it in academics, character, and personal development.

Exciting Opportunities
This newsletter includes updates about our ski club and the Kuna pop-up library. Be sure to check out these exciting opportunities for your family to engage and grow!

Thank you for being a vital part of the Falcon Ridge family. I wish you a season filled with gratitude, compassion, and joy!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jorgensen

As we head into the colder months, I want to remind everyone of our school’s policy regarding outdoor recess. We will continue to have outdoor recess unless the temperature drops below 20°F (including wind chill). Additionally, if it is pouring rain or wet snow, we will move recess and breaks indoors.

Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather, including coats, hats, gloves, and boots when needed. Being prepared helps your child enjoy their time outside comfortably and safely.

Outdoor play and exercise provide significant benefits for our students. Here are a few key advantages to keep in mind:

• Boosts physical health: Regular movement helps strengthen muscles, improves cardiovascular health, and promotes overall fitness.
• Supports mental health: Fresh air and physical activity can reduce stress and anxiety, lifting children’s moods and improving focus.
• Encourages social development: Outdoor play offers opportunities for teamwork, cooperation, and conflict resolution in an unstructured environment.
• Enhances cognitive skills: Time spent outdoors can increase creativity, problem-solving abilities, and attention spans.
• Promotes better sleep: Exposure to natural light during the day helps regulate sleep patterns, which is essential for growing kids.

Hello Falcon Families,

Our first ski trip to Bogus Basin will be on Friday Jan. 31st at 5PM. This would be a great Christmas gift or a New Year's resolution to get outside more often. :) The max amount of kids that can attend is 40 so please sign up before all the spots are gone. I do need both the Bogus Basin paper form filled out and turned into the school along with the myschoolbucks form. Also, family and friends can participate that don't come to our school. You just need to sign them up too through myschoolbucks. If you have questions please reach out to me! Please email me if you are interested once we have met our minimum requirement for participants we will open it up on MySchoolBucks. Please note that there are NO REFUNDS.

Tara Clark

tclark@falconridgecharter.org

Date: Friday, Jan. 31st

Time: 5pm (lessons start at 5pm)

Who: Current Falcon Ridge students grades 3-8, and older siblings (This is a student program – if some parents are looking to come up at the same time they will need to purchase their tickets and rentals separately)

Attached is the Bogus Basin Registration form and Release Agreement.

Please download and complete the form. Forms can be turned into the school office. Payments need to be made through MySchoolBucks.com. Please note that prices on the Bogus Basin form are different from MySchoolBucks because the Bogus Basin form doesn't include Myschoolbucks service fees. Registration forms are due at school and payment is due in MySchoolBucks by Jan. 6th at noon. Late sign-ups are not allowed due to Bogus Basin deadlines.

Lessons, Slope Access and Rental: $44.65

Lessons, Slope Access (no rental): $34.15

Transportation: Students will be dismissed from Falcon Ridge as usual, parents are responsible for transportation to and from Bogus Basin.

For questions, please contact Mrs. Clark, tclark@falconridgecharter.org

This year, our theme is Cowboy Up: Raising the Rigor. We are committed to holding our students to the highest standards, not only in their schoolwork and homework but also in their manners and behavior. At Falcon Ridge, we are passionate about shaping responsible, respectful, and well-rounded citizens. Together, we will ensure that every student leaves our school ready to excel in all areas of life.

As part of our continuous commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all our students, we kindly remind you of our designated student pickup protocol.

For the safety of our students, we ask that you please adhere to the following guidelines during the student pickup process:

Designated Pickup Spot: Please arrive at the designated pickup spot indicated by the school. This helps streamline the pickup process and ensures a smooth flow of traffic.

Teacher Supervision: Our teachers will be present at the pickup spot to assist with safely escorting students to your vehicles. This also allows us to verify that the student is being picked up by an authorized person.

Communication: If there are any changes to the pickup routine, such as a different authorized person picking up the student, please inform the school office in advance. This will help us avoid any confusion and ensure the safety of your child.

Patience and Courtesy: We kindly ask for your patience during the pickup process, especially during peak times. Your courtesy towards fellow parents and staff is greatly appreciated.

By adhering to these guidelines, we can collectively maintain a secure environment for all students. We sincerely thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Thank you for your ongoing support in prioritizing the safety of our students.

We are so excited that the sports season has begun! Here is some important information regarding practices and home games:

• Elementary students and siblings must be accompanied by an adult and can come to games when doors open

• Siblings of students can not stay after school during practices due to not have staff to supervise students who are not participating

• The main doors will be unlocked at 3:30 for home game guests

The PTO board hopes you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. We’ve now reached the most magical time of year and we look forward to celebrating with all our students and staff. The PTO kicks off the season with the Teacher Giving Tree. We will have tags hanging on a Christmas tree just inside the main doors. The tags will have teachers names and items on their Christmas wishlist. These teachers will include the main classroom teachers as well as our specials teachers and some support staff. If you choose to gift your child’s teacher(s) please have them to the school by 12/18. If an item comes from Amazon and shipped to the school be sure to click the “send as gift” box and include which teacher the item goes to.

Our second Christmas activity is Santa’s Shop. This was a huge hit last year and the students have already been talking about it. Santa’s Shop will be December 19 & 20. Students will be able to come shop during school hours. This is to be a non-commercialized opportunity for kids to shop for family or friends. Envelops will be sent home with students soon. On the envelope is an area to fill out who the student is shopping for and how much the envelope or Venmo contains. More details to follow in separate email.

Please consider joining our Falcon Ridge PTO Facebook page community. You will find updates, reminders, and pictures from activities.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1G6UcqcJ3G/?mibextid=K35XfP

Upcoming Events

~ 12/3 Monthly PTO meeting 6pm

~ 12/2-18 Teacher Giving Tree

~ 12/19-20 Santa’s Shop

~ 1/9 Monthly PTO meeting 6pm

~ 1/17 Dining Out-Panda Express

Why is this important? Classroom instruction and learning happen when students are present. Also, Falcon Ridge receives funding based on average daily attendance. Thank you for your support!

YTD: 95.81%

K - 97.50%

1st - 91.03%

2nd - 96.89%

3rd - 98.62%

4th - 98.78%

5th -97.57%

6th - 99.39%

7th - 100%

8th - 96.36%

October 9th

October 23rd

November 6th

November 20th

December 11th

January 8th

January 22nd

February 12th

February 26th

March 12th

March 26th

April 9th

April 23rd

We are so blessed to have the Kuna pop-up library at Falcon Ridge!

You may have heard that the Kuna Library is adding onto the building and updating the carpet and paint. This is very exciting but it also means that they need to close their main building starting November 11th for approximately four weeks.

They will still be able to provide the pop-up library at Falcon Ridge (Nov 19th and Dec 3rd) and students may still return books at the Kuna library if they wish. (They will have a temporary pop up library in the parking lot M-F 9:30am-1:30pm with limited resources while the main building is closed.) They also always have our 24 hour drive- thru return bins in the parking lot.

12/3 - 5th Grade Starbase Field Trip

12/3 - PTO Meeting @ 6pm

12/10 - Board Meeting @ 6:30pm

12/11 - STEM Club @ 3-4:30pm

12/12 - Elementary Holiday Program @ 9:30am

12/19-12/20 PTO Santa Shoppe

12/20 - Elementary Birthday Celebrations

12/20 - Middle School Choir Concert @ 2:15pm

Email: cjorgensen@falconridgecharter.org
Twitter: @coach_jorgensen