Happy Thanksgiving! I am truly thankful for the students, families, and staff who make Falcon Ridge such a wonderful community. I hope you enjoy a restful and joyful holiday with your family next week.

This Friday is a special spirit day for staff and students. Students may wear their Cowboy Up! attire (including hats) on Friday.

It’s that time again—the yearbook cover contest is here! This year’s theme is “Best of the West.” If your child would like to participate, blank contest pages are available in the office. All entries are due by Tuesday, November 19th. We look forward to seeing our students’ creativity shine. Good luck to all participants!

For November, our character trait focus is gratitude. Be sure to check out the parent resources at the end of this newsletter for ways to foster this important quality at home.

A quick reminder to regularly check your child’s attendance on PowerSchool. Consistent attendance plays a huge role in their success, helping them stay engaged with both our academic goals and character-building efforts.

Don’t miss the updates in the PTO Corner for upcoming events and ways to get involved with our school community.

As we dive deeper into the school year, remember that perseverance is essential for growth. Facing challenges allows our students to build resilience, laying a strong foundation for future success. Along with gratitude, our character focus this month is excellence, and we’re dedicated to cultivating it across both academics and personal development.

Lastly, this newsletter includes information about our ski club and the Kuna pop-up library. Be sure to check out these exciting updates!

Thank you for being part of the Falcon Ridge family. Wishing you a season filled with gratitude and joy!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jorgensen

As winter weather approaches we want to remind everyone of our school's illness policy, which is designed to keep our students and staff as healthy as possible. We also want to support the health and well-being of our students, helping them stay energized, focused, and ready to learn. Here are some practical ways we can all work together to keep our students healthy throughout the school year:

1. Encourage Nutritious Meals

A balanced breakfast sets students up for a successful day by providing the energy they need for learning.

2. Promote Regular Physical Activity

Physical activity has proven benefits for concentration, mood, and physical health, all of which contribute to academic success.

3. Prioritize Sleep for Learning and Development

Help students get the recommended 9-11 hours of sleep for younger children or 8-10 hours for teens each night. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine can make it easier for students to wind down and get quality sleep.

4. Reinforce Good Hygiene Habits

Encourage students to wash their hands regularly, especially before meals and after activities. Good hygiene is a simple but effective way to prevent the spread of germs. Remind children to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing and avoid touching their face, especially during flu season.

5. Limit Screen Time

Excessive screen time can cause eye strain, sleep issues, and distraction from schoolwork. Encourage screen breaks during study time and limit device use before bedtime.

Students with contagious health problems should be kept home.

Please keep your child at home if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Fever: Students with a fever over 100.0° should stay home and only return once they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication.
• Vomiting or Diarrhea: Students should remain home for 24 hours after their last episode to ensure they can tolerate food and liquids.
• Sore Throat with Fever: If strep throat is diagnosed, students must stay home until they have been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
• Excessive Coughing: This includes prolonged coughing, cough with fever, chills, difficulty breathing, or any form of cough producing green, yellow, or blood-stained phlegm.
• Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis): Students should stay home until a doctor clears them to return, as pink eye is highly contagious.
• Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD): Students with HFMD should only return once they are fever-free for 24 hours, able to participate in class, and not drooling uncontrollably. Children with widespread blisters may need to stay home until they dry up, as recommended by a healthcare provider.

If any of these symptoms arise while your child is at school, they will be sent home for recovery.

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

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.

11/19 - 5th Grade Starbase Field Trip

11/19 - Girls Basketball Game at Treasure Valley Classical @ 4:15pm

11/20 - STEM Club @ 3:00pm - 4:30pm

11/20 - Girls Home Basketball Game @ 3:30pm

11/21 - Dorian Picture Retakes

11/22 - Elementary Students November Birthdays Celebration

11/25 - 11/29 - Thanksgiving Break

Email: cjorgensen@falconridgecharter.org
Twitter: @coach_jorgensen