FALCON FAMILY NEWS

We have a new phone number! Our new front office number is: 227.203.1480!

Please help us keep North Frederick Students and Staff safe by:

• Only enter the school at the front of the building.
• Have your drivers license with you when you arrive at the school.
• Do not let any other parent or visitor in the door when you are buzzed in. Each visitor must be "screened" and approved before being invited in.
• Help us keep students and staff safe when they are outside for recess and PE. Our school property is off limits to dog walkers and trespassers during our school hours.
• Dogs are not allowed on our property during arrival, dismissal and school hours.

We've had a significant increase in lunches, instruments and water bottles being delivered to school. It's becoming more and more challenging for the front office staff to respond to phone calls and screen visitors at the door, while taking time to deliver student items.

Starting Monday, October 21st, all deliveries will be dropped inside the door and placed on a black cart. Parents will label the item with a sticky note that includes the students name, teacher and grade. We will have staff deliver the items periodically throughout the day.

• Wednesday, October 23rd- PTA Trunk or Treat

• Thursday, October 24th- School Picture Day

• Friday, October 25th- Students Dismiss 2 hours early

• Monday, October 28th- School Closed

• Friday, November 1st- Q1 Awards Ceremony (Parents will receive an invitation in Oct. 24th Thursday folder if your child is receiving an award.)'

• Friday, November 1st- Spirit Day: Dress to Impress

• Tuesday, November 5th- School Closed

• Friday, November 15th- Spirit Day: Animal Day

• Tuesday, November 26th- Spirit Day: Pajama Day

• Tuesday, November 26th- Two Hour Early Dismissal

• Wednesday, Nov. 27-Nov. 29- School Closed

Students will arrive between 7:50 AM-8:15 AM

Instruction starts at 8:20 AM (Students who arrive after 8:20 will be marked late.)

Dismissal will begin at 2:50 PM

Information Worth Repeating

Please use this link to locate FCPS School Meal Information

FCPS has a new parent portal for School Meals: https://linqconnect.com/

• Use Linq Connect to apply for Free and Reduced Meals
• Use Linq Connect to add money on your child's lunch account
• View student meal transactions
• View lunch Menu
• Set low-balance notifications

*If you want to limit your child's account to just lunches or one snack a day/week, please send a written note in with your child.

Electronic Meal Benefits Applications for the 2024-2025 school year are now active at LINQ Connect. Families can apply for free or reduced price meal benefits all year long. All students at all Frederick County Public Schools can apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits.

For any questions, visit the Free and Reduced Meals FAQs, email FNS at food.service@fcps.org, or call 240-586-8152.

The first step of the process is to follow these detailed directions on how to create an account in Unified Talent and then how to complete the two required trainings. After you complete your trainings, you will receive an email with the next steps in the process. Please be aware that the process can take 48-72 hours and MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR to you volunteering for FCPS.

If you are a current FCPS Employee who is interested in volunteering, you must complete the Volunteer training listed under your Recommended Courses on your Unified Talent Home Page.

• Visitors: Individuals attending school events (e.g., awards ceremonies, assemblies) do not need to register as volunteers. Visitors must:

• Bring valid identification and complete a Raptor screening each time they enter a school building.

• Volunteers: Volunteers are individuals who support and interact with students under staff supervision (e.g., assisting in classrooms, lunchrooms, class parties or chaperoning field trips). Volunteers must:

• Complete two (2) required training modules through Unified Talent and register via the Volunteer Center.

• The training modules must be completed before registering at the Volunteer Center.

• Upon arrival, they must present valid identification and undergo a Raptor screening.

• FCPS Staff as Volunteers: FCPS staff volunteering as parents/guardians or community members must:

• Register as volunteers.

• Complete the mandatory training modules in Unified Talent under "Volunteers in Schools."

• Bring their valid identification and undergo a Raptor screening each time they volunteer.

North Frederick staff are so proud of our students and families who continue to work hard to establish school and home routines, and keep students engaged in school. Our goal is for 96% attendance each month. Congratulations to 2nd grade for reaching that goal in September and for 3rd-5th grade coming very close!

We’re thrilled to share that our elementary, middle, and high schools are joining forces for an exciting new initiative focused on tackling chronic absenteeism and harnessing the power of data-driven decision making. Our entire feeder pattern is ALL IN for this collaborative effort, working together to ensure every student has the support they need to succeed. Stay tuned for more updates as we roll out strategies designed to make a meaningful impact across all grade levels.

Chronically absent is defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days for the year. At the end of the 180 day school year, 18 absences is considered chronically absent. Wednesday, September 18th marks our 20th day of school. If your child has missed 2 or more days by September 18th, they are technically chronically absent. We understand that some illnesses prevent students from attending school. If your child has missed 2 or more days, there is plenty of time to turn their attendance around by coming to school each day on time.

Parent Handout English

Parent Handout Spanish

Tracy Kibler, Principal Thomas Johnson High School

Josh Work, Principal Thomas Johnson Middle School

Tracy Poquette, Principal North Frederick Elementary School

President – Alicia Graves

Vice President –Lauren Herbster

Secretary – Amelia Saris

Treasurer – Ryan Trout

Trunk or Treat is this Wednesday, October 23!!!

Our PTA's Trunk-or-Treat event is just around the corner on Wednesday, October 23rd from 6-7 PM, and we’re so excited!

Before we kick off the fun, we have some important reminders to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time:

1. This is NOT a drop-off event. This event is for NFES families and students only. While we love seeing older siblings come out to show support, they must be accompanied by an adult at all times and remain mindful of their behavior while attending.

2. No vehicle movement during the event. For safety reasons, no vehicles are allowed to move through the parking lot during the event unless it’s an emergency. If you are signed up to hand out treats from your vehicle, your car must be parked by 5:45 PM and remain there until the event ends at 7 PM.

3. Parking is limited—plan ahead! Since our parking lot is being used for the event itself, there will be no parking in the lot. Parking on surrounding streets is allowed, but please be extra mindful not to block any driveways. We recommend arriving early to find parking or dropping off any family members who need extra assistance at the ramp on Fairview for easier access.

4. Chorus Performance kicks off at 6 PM! Our fantastic NFES chorus will kick off the event with a performance at 6 PM near the Fairview Avenue end of the parking lot. If you're coming just for the chorus performance, you may want to enter from the Fairview side to avoid walking through the Trunk-or-Treat festivities.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at northfrederickpta@gmail.com. We’re looking forward to a fun-filled night and can’t wait to see you there!

Do you still need to pick-up your Spirit Wear?

If you ordered Spirit Wear but have not picked it up yet, please reach out to us at northfrederickpta@gmail.com to arrange a pick-up time and location. Note: Since this is a PTA-run initiative, we are not able to send items home from school. Thanks for your cooperation!

Announcing the PTA School Directory Initiative!

We are excited to introduce the North Frederick Elementary School Directory initiative, designed by the PTA to help families to connect outside of school. This digital directory will be free to all current PTA members and include info to make it easier to build our school community.

Participation is completely optional, and the directory will be available only through the NFES PTA to help students connect outside of school - for personal use only.

Key Information:

• Submit Your Info by: November 1st

• Digital access will be sent to all current PTA members by Thanksgiving break.

To submit your information here:

• English

• Spanish

Thank you for your participation!

Support NFES at Chipotle October 29th!

Mark your calendars for October 29th from 5-9 PM and join us for a delicious way to support our school! Head over to Chipotle in Wormans Mill and a portion of your purchase will go directly to the NFES PTA, helping us fund important programs and events for our students.

How to participate:

• In-store: Show the digital flier (linked below) at checkout.

• Online orders (pickup only): Use promo code Q82EA7Q during checkout to make sure your order counts.

Fliers:

• Flier (English)

• Flier (Spanish)

Every burrito counts! Thank you for being a part of our community!

One Movie Night Only! Join Us for Disney's Coco! Volunteers Needed

• Date: Friday, November 8th

• Time: 6PM

• Location: NFES Cafeteria

• Admission: FREE!

• Feature Film: Coco (PG)

• Volunteers Needed!

Join us for Coco, a heartwarming and visually stunning film about family, tradition, and following your dreams! This will be the school PTA's ONLY movie night of the school year! Please note this is NOT a drop off event. This event is about family - just like Coco! Get comfy in your pajamas, bring blankets, pillows, and chairs, and settle in for a night of NFES community and fun. And don't forget - we'll have movie snacks on sale for $1 and a Coco-inspired raffle basket up for grabs!

With this being our ONLY movie night this year, do not miss out on the fun! To RSVP, click here: https://forms.gle/ygRMa2Aezwhe6gr59

As always, we rely on our volunteers to make these events happen for our kids! Sign up to volunteer if you are already planning to attend with your child this is a great opportunity to help out the PTA. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C49ACA82CA1FE3-52014463-2024

PTA Membership: Please Join If You Have Not Yet Done So!

Not a member yet? It’s not too late, and there are plenty of reasons to sign up! Families who join the PTA will receive exclusive access to the student directories this fall. Plus, members can participate in the 2nd-5th Grade Spring Play for free!

For our teachers, PTA membership comes with a $75 reimbursement for classroom needs and free candy to hand out at Trunk-or-Treat.

Don’t miss out – join today!

Our next PTA meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 5th at 5:30pm. It will be virtually only. A Google Meet link will be sent to all members via email. You can also find up-to-date meeting links and info on our Facebook page and Instagram.

Communication is very important to your child’s success at school and we want to keep you informed of what is going on at North Frederick Elementary School. We do not want you to miss important information.

• FCPS School Messenger

• Twitter: @FCPS_Poquette

• PTA Facebook page: North Frederick Elementary School PTA

• North Frederick Elementary Website: https://edu.fcps.org/nfes/home

Mrs. Angela Roland: Assistant Principal

Ms. Courtney Fike: Specialized Programs Coordinator

Mrs. Ericka Villatoro-Somarriba: Administrative Secretary

Mrs. Alex Brown: Front Office Secretary

Location: 1010 Fairview Avenue, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: 227.203.1480