The Fulton Flier

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Good morning Fulton Families,

We had an amazing week last week at FES! Admin visited several grade levels during lunch to share our expectations during lunch and recess and we will complete our grade level tour this week. On Friday, as your child about Dr. Burks, Mrs. Liwosz and Mrs. Sillers visiting lunch and what we went talked about!

We are looking forward to Back to School Nights this week for students in grades 1st-5th grade. As a reminder, our Kindergarten Back to School Night occurred prior to school beginning and there will not be a Kindergarten Back to School Night this week. Our Back to School Nights for families with students in grades 1st-5th grade at FES offer our families the opportunity to hear about all aspects of the new school year from our Fulton staff. We have revised the experience this year, so you will have the opportunity to meet with your child's homeroom teacher as well has your child's math teacher.

• Wednesday, Sept. 11th 1st & 2nd Grades
• 5:15-5:45 Session 1, 1st & 2nd Grades visit homeroom
• 5:50-6:20 Session 2, 1st & 2nd Grades visit math teacher
• Thursday, Sept. 12th 3rd-5th Grades
• 5:00-5:30 Band, Orchestra & Chorus Informational Session for Intermediate Learners
• 5:35-6:05 Session 1, 3rd & 4th Grades visit homeroom; 5th Grades visit Math
• 6:10-6:40 Session 2, 3rd & 4th Grades visit math, 5th Grades visit homeroom

Please note that our parents/guardians are the intended audience for Back to School Night presentations. Also, this is not a time for individual conferences, if you want to chat with your child's teacher more of our your individual child's experience or how they are settling in, please email them to arrange a time to chat more in-depth.

Wishing you wave of joy,

Dr. Burks, Mrs. Liwosz, & Mrs. Sillers

In accordance with Maryland’s Ready to Read Act (2019) and COMAR (2021), all Howard County Public School System kindergarten students will be screened to identify potential reading difficulties using the Amplify mClass with DIBELS 8th Edition assessment. Please click below to read the full notification.👇

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe, engaging, and supportive school environment that fosters the social and emotional safety, dignity, and well-being of all students. HCPSS acknowledges the need for employees

1. to use an array of research-based positive behavior interventions, strategies, and supports to address student behaviors and keep students safe

2. to minimize the practice of exclusion from the classroom environment

3. to minimize the practice of physical restraint (which may only be used when necessary to protect a student or other person from imminent, serious, physical harm and only after other less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been determined inappropriate).

It is an expectation that HCPSS employees will be responsive to all incidents of exclusion or physical restraint and appropriately case manage impacted students to minimize unsafe behaviors and maximize instructional engagement.

Additional information can be found at HCPSS Policy 9400 - Student Behavior Intervention. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.

Sometimes, compassion comes from the most unlikely source. In The Lion’s Paw, a Little Golden Book by Jane Warner Watson, a lion asks for help when he gets a thorn in his paw. One by one, the other animals reply to the lion’s need with, “Not I.” Some of the animals give excuses not to help, some of them just continue on their way. When it seems like there are no animals in the jungle willing to help the poor lion, a small mouse volunteers to help.

Take a few minutes to watch this read along version of this classic story with your children this week. Have your child share with you ideas on how they can start trying to be more like the mouse, who showed compassion by helping the lion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDDJLAj_8F8

Beginning Friday, August. 9, families with students new to HCPSS and whose registration has been finalized will begin to receive emails from security_notifications@hcpss.org with the subject “Technology account information for new HCPSS student.” The communication will be sent to the parent/guardian email address used during the student registration process and contains personalized and important information regarding new students’ technology accounts.

Families with a child new to HCPSS that do not receive the email and/or cannot locate the email in the junk/spam folder of the email account they used during registration can use the Forgot Password or Username button on the hcpss.me student landing page to retrieve both their child’s username and password.

Direct questions to TechSupport@hcpss.org with any questions.

Here are some translated messages for new Synergy families:

English

Chinese

Korean

Spanish

The Howard County Public School System seeks new members for the GT/Advanced Programs Advisory Committee. Curriculum advisories serve as a forum for sharing ideas, information, and concerns, as well as suggesting initiatives for continuous improvement and academic excellence in HCPSS.

By Sept. 13, please complete the interest form if you are interested in serving on this advisory committee. All applicants will be contacted by October 1. If you have any questions, please reach out to Debbie Blum, Coordinator, Gifted and Talented Education, at debbie_blum@hcpss.org.

September

• 09/11: 5:15pm 1st & 2nd Grade Back to School Night; 6:30 PTA Meeting In-Person
• 09/12: 5:00pm 3rd-5th Grade Back to School Night
• 09/18: 12:55pm 3hr early dismissal
• 09/28: 9:00am-11:00am PTA Rescheduled Beautification Day

October

• 10/03 No School (Rosh-Hashanah)
• 10/05 2:00-5:00 PTA's Fall Festival
• 10/18 No School (Professional Work Day)
• 10/30 End of 1st Marking Period
• 10/31 No School (Professional Work Day)

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

PTA Happenings

Become A Member

Please consider joining the PTA - https://fulton.memberhub.com/store.

Joining is a tax deductible donation (that requires zero commitment or time) but will help make an impact on our school, our students, and our teachers. Every little bit helps!

Become A Year Long Sponsor

Thanks to the generosity of organizations like yours, Fulton Elementary has been able to put on so many wonderful programs for our students, teachers, parents, and friends of the school.

Help us kick off the year with a generous contribution to support the FES PTA! In doing so, your company will be promoted throughout the school year at highly anticipated events like Falcon Trot, Fall Fest, and so much more. See attached flier and email Jade at vp2@fespta.org for details!

Get Involved

Want to get involved, meet new friends, bring fresh ideas? Click the link for a committee interest form and you could join a team to organize one of our many PTA Events! There’s something for everyone from event planning to fundraising to becoming a PTHAC officer. We look forward to hearing from you!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwI74iKap9mPWisDJ9IVL3XrPrazSwwR-GvUBO2ilQLCpzoA/viewform?usp=sf_link

The Big, Bold Back-to-School Challenge

Are you ready to kick off the school year with a bang? Highlighter is giving away $5000 to the school with the most votes in their Back-to-School Challenge. Click on the link below and vote for Fulton. The contest ends on September 15th and the winner will be announced on September 21st. Share on social media, tell your neighbors and get voting!

https://www.usehighlighter.com/backtoschool

Upcoming Dates

PTA Meeting

9/11 • 6:30-7:30pm • Cafeteria (Immediately following lower elementary back to school night)

Please join us for our first meeting of the year! Get a sneak peak of what you can expect this year and all members in attendance can help us vote on the budget (we need a minimum of 10 paid members in attendance.)

Fall Fest

10/5 • 2-5pm • Fulton Elementary

See flier for details, tickets coming soon.

Join us for an afternoon of fall fun - games, food, crafts for the whole family. We hope to see you there!

Falcon Trot

11/2 • SAVE THE DATE

A great community event, come join the fun! Details to follow!

Rescheduled Fulton Beautification Day Project
9/28 • 9-11am • Fulton Elementary
The rain may have stopped us from making the blacktop colorful last year but we are ready to brighten it up! Seeking volunteers to paint the blacktop to close out last year’s beautification projects. Stay tuned for the date of this year’s Beautification Day!

HCPSS participates in the Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMs) program. Qualification is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential.

Participation in FARMs qualifies students for a wide range of opportunities and resources beyond breakfast and lunch, including free college applications, free or reduced JumpStart tuition, discounted internet through the Comcast Internet Essentials program, and more.

Families must submit a new application every school year by Oct. 31. During the first 30 school days, students with FARMs eligibility from the prior school year will continue to receive benefits. Any student whose family has not filled out an application by the 30th school day will have their status changed to full pay until a new application is received.

Parents/guardians are highly encouraged to fill out the applications as soon as possible. It is very important that applications are filled out accurately and completely. Families can:

• Apply online
• Apply by mail: Paper applications can be picked up in the Food and Nutrition Service Office (5451 Beaverkill Rd, Columbia, MD 21044). Applications can be returned to your child’s school or mailed to: HCPSS Food & Nutrition Service Office, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042.
  

If you have questions regarding the program, please visit www.hcpss.org/FARMsLinks to an external site. or call Food and Nutrition Services at 410-313-6743.

Parents/guardians can monitor their child’s HCPSS Chromebook internet usage by signing up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications to receive a weekly email summary of their child’s usage.

Once parents have signed up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications, the email summary delivered each Sunday will contain a link with access to the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides near real-time information on their child’s internet activity.

The Lightspeed Parent Portal offers additional details about internet usage and the ability to control a child’s online activities when they are not on the HCPSS network at school by allowing parents to pause the internet for 1 hour, 3 hours or until 6 a.m. the next morning. Frequently asked questions about Lightspeed and the Parent Portal can be found online.

HCPSS teachers will access Lightspeed in the classroom to monitor student Chromebook usage. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher if they notice their child is regularly on non-academic websites during the day.

Find instructions on signing up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications online.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to review HCPSS Student Mobile Technology Duties and Obligations, which outlines the responsible use of technology in accordance with HCPSS Board Policy 8080 Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media.

This year, we are excited to focus on developing important character traits aligned with our core values of Learning, Kindness, and Relationships. Each month, we will spotlight a specific character trait that we will discuss during our morning announcements.

We encourage you to join us in this initiative by discussing the monthly trait at home with your child(ren). Your involvement will reinforce the trait and help deepen its impact.

Thank you for partnering with us in fostering these important values.

For the month of September, we will be learning about compassion.

Compassion: Caring enough to do something about someone else’s needs

SHARE WITH YOUR CHILD(REN):

• Share a time in your life when someone showed compassion and helped you with a need.
• How does it make you feel when you show compassion and help others when they are in need?

ASK YOUR CHILD(REN):

• Can you think of a time one of your friends showed you compassion and helped you?
• Who is someone you can show compassion for this week?

Community members are invited to attend one of these meetings to help inform the system’s new strategic plan by providing their input about stakeholder values during this virtual, hour-long opportunity facilitated by HCPSS staff. No registration is required.

• September 9, 2024 – 5:00–6:00 pm – Google Meet link

• September 10, 2024 – 7:00–8:00 pm – Google Meet link

• September 17, 2024 – 5:00–6:00 pm – Google Meet link

HCPSS parents, guardians and family members are invited to join HCPSS Superintendent Willliam J. Barnes, school system leaders and community organizations for this valuable information night to prepare for a successful academic year. The event will also feature various workshop topics which provide access to resources and support.

The 2024-2025 Parent Academy Kick-Off will be held Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 6-8:30 p.m at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia. Dinner will be provided from 5:15-6 p.m. Registration is encouraged.

Workshop topics include:

• College and Career Readiness/Career Exploration

• Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future

• Navigating the School System for Student Success

• Mental Health

• Advanced Programs K-12

• Social Media Safety & Security

• Elementary ELA, Reading, and the Library

• Math Programs

• Financial Literacy

• Immigration Law

• Early Childhood Programs

Flyers for distribution:

• Parent Academy Kick-Off Flyer - English

• Parent Academy Kick-Off Flyer - Spanish

• Parent Academy Kick-Off Flyer - Korean

• Parent Academy Kick-Off Flyer - Chinese

Please contact 410.313.1293 for more information.

Please find the list of after school activities hosted by Howard County Parks and Recreation Department that will be here at FES. The classes provide fun, structured, educational, and enriching activities for students