The BeeLine

Happy December!

December is here! This month brings the end of our second quarter and the end of the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year! Time flies when you are having fun, and boy, are we having fun at Fairmont!

We have a lot of activities and events at Fairmont this month. Marty Silvers, from Warriors Path State Park, will be here on December 5 and 6 to speak to our students about all things science! We look forward to what he will bring to show us! Thank you to our wonderful PTA for providing this experience.

Fairmont's Book Fair is beginning this week! Students will be compiling their wish lists and then selling will begin on Thursday, December 5 through Friday, December 13. Please see the information below about book fair. Books always make great Christmas gifts!

Our PTA meeting and fourth grade program will be on Tuesday, December 10, at 6:00 p.m. in the Little Theater. We look forward to seeing our fourth graders perform for us! The book fair will also be open that day from 7:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., so feel free to shop before or after the program.

We will have our second quarter checkpoints December 12-13 and 16-17 for grades 2-5. Kindergarten and first grade students will also have other middle of the year assessments in reading and math. All of our students, teachers, and staff have worked so hard this school year. We are excited for students to show what they know and what they have learned this quarter.

Our last day before winter break will be Friday, December 20. We will dismiss at 11:30 a.m. Classrooms will also be having winter parties on the morning of December 20. If you have volunteered to help with the party, please make sure you bring your ID and sign in at the office when you arrive and check out when you leave.

I hope you are able to take some time this holiday season to spend time with family and friends. We count you and your children as our greatest blessings here at Fairmont. As always, we appreciate your support of our wonderful school!

Dr. JoDee Dotson, Principal

We are having a "Change to Chapters" Coin Drive this week (December 2-6) for our Book Fair to raise money for classroom books. Read below to see which coins to bring in each day of the drive:

Monday: Pennies

Tuesday: Nickels

Wednesday: Dimes

Thursday: Quarters

Friday: Dollar bills

Winter weather is finally here! Please make sure that students are dressed appropriately for the weather. This includes a coat every day. We try to get the students outside for recess as long as it is not too cold. Students also have to walk from the car or bus to the building in the mornings when it is the coldest part of the day. If your child is in need of warm weather gear (coats, hats, gloves, boots) please let us know.

There are always lots of coats in the lost and found. Please remind your children to check there if they are missing any clothing, water bottles, or lunch boxes. Lost and Found is located in the hallway by the gym and cafeteria, so students have an opportunity each day to check for any missing items.

Please check text messages, emails, and voicemails for updates from the school system to communicate any schedule changes due to weather. The school district website is another reliable place to find any information about closures or delays. The website is www.jcschools.org. The local weather and radio channels also broadcast this information. We are Johnson City Schools System. Washington County and Johnson County are separate systems, and we do not follow the same schedules. The schools system works closely with the transit department to make the safest decision on closures and delays due to winter weather conditions.

• ALL medicine must be brought to the clinic by a parent. No medicine in backpacks! This includes cough drops, inhalers, etc!

• Over the counter medicine must be brought in unopened packaging and will need a medication form filled out by a parent/guardian. All RX medication must have a medication form completed by an MD (medical doctor).

1. Kids can catch a cold while they play outside in the cold. MYTH- Colds are most commonly caused by viruses, which are spread by germs on hands, surfaces or droplets in the air.

2. Getting enough Vitamin D is important in the winter months. TRUTH- Kids stay inside due to cold temperatures, which decreases natural Vitamin D absorption from the sunlight. Parents can supplement with multivitamins and increase Vitamin D intake by choosing the right foods. Many foods like salmon, tuna, fortified foods such as cereals, cheese and yogurt are great sources of Vitamin D.

3. The FLU vaccine doesn't work. MYTH- The Flu vaccine does help lessen the symptoms you may have if you do get sick from the Flu virus. The Flu virus changes every year, so it's helpful to get a flu vaccine yearly. The vaccine DOES NOT give you the flu, however, you can experience some mild symptoms as your body builds antibodies to the vaccine that you received. This is a normal response and means your immune system is working well!

Children typically begin to learn empathy within the first three years of their life. Empathy is something that develops over time and is important for success in your child’s life. You can teach your child to show empathy by being a role model to them. Encouraging empathy, reading stories, and practicing gratitude are great ways to show your child what empathy is. Here are some ways to tell if your child is learning empathy.

1.They respond to others emotions

2.They consider other people’s perspectives

3. They apologize when they are wrong

4. They ask about other’s feelings

We are having a weekly random drawing for students that are in attendance. Each week a random day will be chosen where there are 10 students names drawn to come to the office to chose a prize for being at school!

- This holiday season, the best gift you can give your child is a good education. And the best place to get that education is in school. Every day. On time.

- Building a habit of good attendance is your child's ticket to success in school and eventually on the job. But every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after winder break. It's time to break that cycle. We know it's tempting to extend your vacation by a few days on either side of the holiday.

- We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away and exposing your children to your home and language, whether you grew up in another part of the United States of a different country. The costs of plane tickets often influence when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children's education if they miss too much school.

- Just a few missed days here and there, even if they're excused absences, can add up to too much lost learning time and put your child behind in school. This is as true in kindergarten as it is in high school.

- Make sure your child is in school every day, right up until vacation starts. Our teachers will be teaching , and our students will be learning. But it's harder to teach and its harder to learn when too many students are absent.

There will be a tree in the lobby with some of our Fairmont students and families Christmas needs. Please feel free to come in and chose a tag with a child or even a family to sponsor this holiday season.

Please consider linking your Kroger Plus card to Fairmont PTA. By doing so, you can help us earn quarterly rewards that we then use to fund teacher grants, field trips, and much more.

Click the picture or the link to go online to Kroger.com/communityrewards. After logging in, find the Community Rewards section and search for us by name or Organization Number WX712. Thank you!

December PTA meeting will be held Tuesday, December at 6:00 p.m. Fourth grade will be performing. Book fair will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. this day, so come and shop before or after the meeting!

If you would like to become an official PTA member, you can pay $7 for membership with the following QR code/link.

Whether you become an official member or not, we strive for the involvement and supportive collaboration of all parents, guardians, and teachers, so everyone is welcome to attend our general meetings.

Please reach out to us if you have an interest in becoming a PTA Board Member this year or even next year. We may have an open position for you now or you may be able to shadow our current PTA Board Members in their duties this year for an easy transition in the future. You can email us at fairmontbuzz@gmail.com.

We would also love to hear from you if you have specials skills that could be used to support our events throughout the year. For instance, are you a handy mom, dad, or grandparent? Is your job in the STEM field? Do you own random cool stuff, such as a popcorn machine, snow cone machine, or DJ music equipment? You can email us at fairmontbuzz@gmail.com.

If your child will be absent call the office (423)434-5275 to report the absence. If we do not receive notification before 10:00 A.M, you will receive an automated call and/or text message informing you that your child's attendance is unverified, which results in an unexcused absence.

It is important that morning car line move quickly and efficiently to prevent unnecessary tardies. Please make sure your children are unbuckled and have their belongings ready to get out of the vehicle when our staff members open the door. Thank you!

If you need to change how your child will be getting home at the end of the day call the office, (423) 434-5275 BEFORE 2:00 so we can get the message to your child's teacher. Thank you!

The 2024-2025 Food City School Bucks Program runs from September 4, 2024 - May 6, 2025. Parents can link to the school of their choice beginning September 1 and points will start accumulating on September 4. Food City is making $800,000 available to participating schools to invest in classrooms, equipment, and essential supplies.

Since its inception, School Bucks has provided nearly $22 million to regional school - all with the help of community members like you.

Click the picture above to visit the website to register for the 2024-2025 School Bucks Challenge. You can also watch the video below to walk you through registration.

December 3 and 9 - Coalition Closed

December 4 - Fifth Grade Spelling Bee (parents of participating students have received an invitation)

December 5-13 - Book Fair

December 5 and 6 - Marty Silvers' Visit to Fairmont

December 6 - All Pro Dads Meeting 7:30 a.m. (Art Room)

December 10 - PTA/4 Grade Performance

December 20 - 1/2 Day of School; dismissal at 11:30 a.m.

December 23 - January 6 - Winter Break/No School

Click the menu to visit the food service website for more information.