The Fulton Flier

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As we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day today, we reflect on Dr. King’s powerful legacy of resilience, courage, and the pursuit of justice for all people. His work continues to inspire us to stand strong in the face of challenges, promote equality, and foster unity in our communities.

This day is a reminder to all of us, especially our children, that resilience is not just about overcoming obstacles, but also about lifting others up and working together toward a better future. As we teach our children about Dr. King’s life and message, we hope they understand the importance of kindness, perseverance, and standing up for what is right.

We encourage you to take some time today to discuss Dr. King’s vision with your child and reflect on how each of us can make a positive impact in our own communities.

With the three days last week lost to snow, the deadlines for scheduling conferences that need interpreters and making interpreter requests have been pushed back. Due to this, the date that scheduling of parent/teacher conferences will open for everyone at all schools has also been delayed. The sign-up window will now open on Thursday, January 23 at 8AM and will close on Friday, January 31 at 4PM.

On Thursday, January 23, please log in to HCPSS Connect to sign up for a conference time.

We would like to extend a BIG Congratulations to all of our students who participated in this year's Young Author’s Contest! We truly enjoyed reading every single entry, and we are incredibly proud of all the students who took the time and effort to submit their work. Your creativity and passion for writing shine through in each piece!

As you can imagine, it was no easy task for our judges to select just one winner from each category—they had a very challenging job! We are thrilled to announce that the winning entries have now been submitted to compete at the county level. We are excited to see how these students' works will be recognized on a larger scale. Please join us in recognizing our winners:

• 1st Grade Poem- Coralyn R.
• 2nd Grade Poem- Kian A.
• 3rd Grade Poem- Sahib A.
• 4th Grade Poem- Rishika K.
• 5th Grade Poem- Abigail N.
• 1st Grade Short Story- Sebastian T.
• 2nd Grade Short Story- Maeve G.
• 3rd Grade Short Story- Bernice A.
• 4th Grade Short Story- Mithra J.
• 5th Grade Short Story- Floralei R.

We look forward to even more students participating next year and continuing to nurture the amazing talent within our school community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this contest a success!

January 22 at 6:00pm (Snow date: January 30 @ 6pm)

LKMS Cafeteria

Parents will get an overview of middle school, our G/T program, and a sense of what the day in the life of a 6th grader will be.

As we reach the midpoint of the school year, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the importance of maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all our students. One of the most critical issues we face as a school community is bullying, which can have lasting effects on children’s well-being, social development, and academic success. We believe that addressing bullying requires a partnership between students, families, and school staff.

Understanding Bullying

Bullying is more than just occasional teasing. It is intentional, repeated aggressive behavior that can be verbal, physical, or social, and it often involves an imbalance of power. While some bullying behaviors can be overt, others are more subtle but just as harmful. Examples of bullying include:

• Physical bullying: Hitting, pushing, or damaging property.

• Verbal bullying: Name-calling, teasing, and hurtful comments.

• Social/Relational bullying: Spreading rumors, excluding others, and social manipulation.

• Cyberbullying: Using digital platforms to harass or intimidate someone.

How You Can Help at Home

Parents play an essential role in preventing bullying and supporting their children through difficult experiences. Here are some steps you can take:

• Talk to Your Child: Encourage open communication with your child about their social experiences, both online and offline. Discuss how they should handle situations where they witness bullying or experience it themselves.

• Set a Positive Example: Show your child how to be kind and respectful toward others. Modeling good behavior in your interactions will teach them valuable social skills.

• Monitor Online Activity: If your child uses social media or online platforms, make sure you are aware of their online interactions. Cyberbullying can be particularly damaging, and it’s important to stay engaged with your child’s digital life.

• Reinforce Respect and Empathy: Remind your child that treating others with respect and kindness is always the right thing to do, no matter the situation. Teach them how to stand up for others in a positive way, not by fighting, but by seeking help and offering support.

• Support School Efforts: Be an active partner in your child’s education and in the school’s anti-bullying efforts. Attend parent meetings, participate in workshops, and reinforce school policies at home.

Together, we can build a culture of respect, kindness, and safety in our school, ensuring that every student feels valued and supported. Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our students safe. More information can be found on the HCPSS Stop Bullying website. An online version for reporting is available and can easily and confidentially be used by students, staff, and family members. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.

The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments are computer adaptive achievement assessments in reading and math. As a student responds to questions, the test responds to the student, adjusting up or down the difficulty of the questions presented to the student. MAP assessment items align to objectives in the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards. This assessment is designed to measure student growth in math and reading, both during the school year and across multiple school years. The assessment allows teachers to see instructional strengths and needs for each student.

At the conclusion of the assessment, each student receives a score that aligns to where he or she is instructionally based on this assessment. MAP in conjunction with other measures throughout the school year help teachers differentiate instruction within their classrooms. Home reports will be sent at the end of the testing window. A reminder will be shared with families for when these reports are being sent home.

Please see the dates below for Grades 1-5 testing dates:

Grade 1:

Math 1/27 & 1/28

ELA 2/10 & 2/11

Grade 1:

Math 1/27 & 1/28

ELA 2/10 & 2/11

Grade 3:

Math 1/30 & 1/31

ELA 2/3 & 2/4

Grade 4:

Math 1/27 & 1/28

ELA 2/10 & 2/11

January

• 01/20 Schools Closed, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

• 01/21-01/22 No half day Pre-K/RECC

• 01/21 Winter Chorus Concert, 7:00pm (Students arrive 6:15)

• 01/22 FES PTA Meeting, 7:00pm (virtual)

• 01/22 Lime Kiln Middle School Rising 6th Grade Parent Night, 6:00pm

• 01/23 Schools Close 3 Hours Early; End of Qtr.2; Synergy Opens for Scheduling Parent Teacher Conferences UPDATE

• 01/29 School Closed; Professional Work Day

• 01/30 Winter Instrumental Concert

• 01/30 Lime Kiln Middle School Rising 6th Grade Parent Night, 6:00pm (snow date)

• 01/31 Parent Teacher Conference Sign Up Closes 4PM

February

• 02/05 Schools Close 3 Hour Early- Parent Teacher Conferences; No half day Pre-K/RECC
• 02/05 In-Person Parent Conferences
• 02/06 Schools Close 3 Hour Early- Parent Teacher Conferences; No half day Pre-K/RECC
• 02/06 Virtual Parent Conferences
• 02/07 Schools Closed; Teacher Professional Learning Day
• 02/13 Fulton's Reading Night
• 02/17 Schools Closed - Presidents’ Day
• 02/21-02/28 Scholastic Book Fair
• 02/26 PTA Meeting (in-person)

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

PTA Meeting

1/22 • Virtual • 7-8pm

Save the date for our next general PTA meeting on January 22 from 7-8pm. Virtual link- https://meet.google.com/zit-iutc-agy?hs=224

PTA Sponsored Events

SAVE THE DATE! A portion of the proceeds will go towards the PTA if you visit the following establishments on these dates. Don't forget to mention Fulton. First up is Climbzone!

• Jan 31: Climbzone
• Feb 4: Decadent
• Feb 19: Maiwand Kabob

Falcon Follies Show

March 2025 • Reservoir High School

If your student likes to sing, dance, tell jokes, do magic or otherwise perform and entertain - they can start preparing now for the Falcon Follies show! Stay tuned for more details!

Resilience: Getting back up when something gets you down

Have you ever listened to the alternative rock song called “Get Up” by the band Superchick? The words to this song summarize the meaning of resilience. The song begins with the words, “I’m not afraid to fall. It means I climbed up high. To fall is not to fail. You fail when you don’t try. Not afraid to fall. I might just learn to fly and I will spread these wings of mine.”

The chorus goes on to say, “ If I get up, I might fall back down again. So let’s get up, come on. If I get up, I might fall back down again. We get up anyway. If I get up, I might fall back down again. So let’s get up, come on. If I get up I might fall back down again. I might fall back down again. We’ll just jump and see, even if it’s the 20th time. We’ll just jump and see if we can fly.”

Take a few minutes and listen to this song…maybe you can even sing along and let this be a resilience challenge for you to continue to “get back up when something gets you down.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAhtLeP4rUk

We are looking forward to our Parent-Teacher Conferences, which will take place with the Math teacher on Wednesday, February 5, and Thursday, February 6.

The Parent-Teacher Conference scheduling window opens January 20th at 8 am! For your planning purposes, please note the schedule below:

• On Wednesday, February 5th, any afternoon conferences will be in person only.
• On Wednesday, February 5th, any evening conferences will be virtual only.
• On Thursday, February 6th, any afternoon conferences will be virtual only.
• All February conferences will focus on math.:
• Just a reminder: Mrs. Gainer-Lee and Mrs. Cassara already held conferences for students in 4th Grade GT math during the fall. Therefore, if your child has one of them for 4th Grade math, you will not have another conference this time.

Families will sign up for conferences using Synergy. Here’s how to schedule a conference:

Log in to HCPSS Connect to view and select your time slot:

1. Go to https://www.hcpss.org/connect/
2. Select “Conference” from the left menu.
3. Choose “Parent Scheduled Conferences” at the top right.
4. Pick a convenient time slot.

Please view the following helpful guides:

https://www.hcpss.org/connect/guides/

https://www.hcpss.org/f/connect/parent-conference-parent-2024.pdf

If you cannot access HCPSS Connect, please contact the school at 410-880-5957 for assistance.

The scheduling window will remain open until January 31st at 4:00 pm. After Jan. 31st, families must call the front office secretaries directly to check availability and schedule a conference.

Free Life Skills Classes for HoCo Middle/High School Students

• Classes will be taught by HoCo college students with high school student assistants and adult supervision. Botvin’s Evidence Based Curriculum promotes positive health and personal development for students in grades 6 to 9. (Slightly younger students will be considered especially if joining an older sibling, and students older than 9th grade may be invited to join our high school team to earn Community Service Hours while learning.) If parents/guardians have questions about the appropriateness for students, register the students and HC DrugFree’s team will contact you. Siblings and friends are encouraged to take these classes together.
• Class dates: February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 31, April 7, 28, and May 5 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Visit HC DrugFree’s website for more information and register students at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Spring2025LifeSkills
• HoCo High School Student Leadership Opportunity to Earn Community Service Hours: Join HC DrugFree’s instructional team to assist college students teaching online Life Skills classes – all while serving as a role model and mentor to younger HoCo students. This leadership experience looks good on resumes and college applications. For more information and to register to volunteer, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AssistLS2025spring

Free Parenting/Grandparenting Classes

• Free! On Zoom and open to parents, guardians and grandparents residing in HoCo or with school-age children/grandchildren residing in HoCo. This evidence-based, interactive prevention program provides families with the skills and knowledge to reduce the risk that their children will use drugs including alcohol or engage in other dangerous behaviors. The curriculum was written for families with children 9-14 years olds, but we believe it is appropriate for K-12 families. Class dates: March 18, 21, 25, 28 and April 1 from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Visit HC DrugFree’s website for more information and register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Spring2025GGC