FES Knightly News
Weekly Family Newsletter
Week of January 15th-19th
New and Important Information
School Closed January 15th
All Boone County Schools are closed tomorrow, January 15th, in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Inclement Weather
While this doesn't happen often, it is sometimes necessary during the winter months to send students home early from school due to worsening weather conditions. In order to be prepared, we are sending home forms requesting updated contact information and transportation preferences if school closes early. Please be on the lookout for these forms to come home with your FES student in the next few days and return them to your child's teacher ASAP.
Screen Time in Young Children
A study published by JAMA Pediatrics on January 8, 2024, looked at how watching TV or videos when kids are very young might affect how they sense things around them. They studied a group of children to see if early screen time could lead to different ways of processing sensory information, like touch or sound.
The researchers found that kids who watched more screens at 12, 18, and 24 months old had changes in their sensory processing. Some kids were more sensitive to sensations, while others were less aware. This could be important because it might be linked to certain behaviors seen in conditions like autism.
In simple words, the study suggests that increased screen time early in life might be connected to how kids sense things. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for babies less than 18-24 months and to limit screen time to only one hour for children 2-5 years.
Joke of the Day
If your child has a school-appropriate joke that they would like to share, please have them submit it on the school website under Students or click here. Selected jokes will be read during the morning announcements and during lunch.
Repeats from Last Newsletter
ACCESS Testing for English Learners
Dear Florence Elementary Community, We hope this newsletter finds you well and ready for the upcoming ACCESS testing period, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 8th and will run until February 16th. During this time, students identified as English Language Learners will be participating in the ACCESS test—a crucial assessment that evaluates their proficiency in English across four key areas: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
The ACCESS test provides a valuable opportunity for our students to showcase their understanding of the English language, demonstrating growth and progress in their language skills. We encourage all students to approach this assessment with a positive mindset, aiming not only to meet but exceed their previous performance.
One of the primary goals of the ACCESS test is for students to achieve a score of 4.5 or higher. This benchmark allows students to exit English language services, marking a significant milestone in their language learning journey. However, it's important to note that we are not only looking for students to meet this benchmark but also to exhibit continuous growth in their English language proficiency.
To ensure the best possible testing experience, we recommend the following assessment tips for all students:
- Get a Good Night's Sleep: Adequate rest is crucial for optimal cognitive function. Encourage your child to get a good night's sleep before each testing day to help them stay focused and perform their best.
- Be On Time for School: Punctuality is key. Arriving to school on time ensures a smooth start to the testing day and helps reduce any unnecessary stress. Please make every effort to ensure your child is at school promptly.
Thank you for your continued partnership in our students' educational journey.
Best regards, English Language Team
Archery Club Sign Up
The archery club is open to students in grades 3-5. Meetings will be once/week on Wednesdays from 3:30-5:00 (this time may change to 5:30 on some weeks).
Reminder about Pokemon Cards
Please do not allow your child to bring Pokemon cards into school. They cause a lot of problems that disrupt the learning environment when students trade them or when they get lost.
Spring Sports Leagues from i9 Sports
i9 Sports offers organized soccer, t-ball, baseball, and flag football leagues for boys and girls ages 3-14. Spring seasons start April 20th. They offer:
- Age-appropriate instruction for each division
- Coaches background checked and certified
- All skill-levels welcomed; No tryouts!
- One day/week; practice held before game
Knights of the Week
Congratulations! These students and staff were nominated by teachers because they ROCK!
Preschool- Jonathan P.
Kindergarten- Maryan H.
1st Grade- Hannah D.
2nd Grade- Christian N.
3rd Grade- Devin H.
4th Grade- Roel N.
5th Grade- Ania H.
Staff of the Week- Ms. Timmerding
Here's What We're Learning this Week
Kindergarten
Reading/Writing- We are starting week 2 of narrative writing.
Math- We are counting to 100 and making groups of 10s.
Science- We are looking at weather patterns.
Social Studies- We are looking at how we build community outside the classroom.
First Grade
Reading/Writing- This week we are reading about diversity and celebrating diversity. We will continue to practice the conventions of writing as well opinion writing.
Math- Students will be solving true and false equations.
Social Studies: Students will be learning about maps and why they are important. Students will also work on their own map skills through out the week.
Second Grade
Reading/Writing- Students will be taking the second round of MVPA. Students will also be continuing reading folktales while exploring trickster tales. Students will also be working on words with the long i sound.
Math- Students will be taking round two of MVPA. Students will also be working on mental addition and subtraction.
Social Studies- Students will continue the unit on landforms
Third Grade
Reading/Writing- In reading, students are identifying and citing information from a summary to determine the theme, lesson, and/or moral. We are also reading Pourquoi tales and discussing how they are like other folktales that we have read.
Math- In math, students are solving two-step word problems using the four operations.
Other Important 3rd Grade Information for this Week: Students will be taking the MVPA on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fourth Grade
Reading/Writing- Students will be learning about poetry, and point of view.
Math- Students will review previously learned standards and begin to learn long division.
Science- Students will learn about weathering and erosion.
Fifth Grade
Reading/Writing- Students will be working on an opinion piece that goes along with their volume zoo project.
Math-Students will be learning how to find volume and they will be starting to work on their volume zoo project!
Science- Students will be researching their endangered species that they chose for they zoo project.
Social Studies-Students will be learning about the reasons for revolution.
More Important 5th Grade Info- Students will be starting their volume zoo project. This project consists of the students making animals out of cardboard boxes, so if you have any boxes that could be donated it would be greatly appreciated.
Gym
Kindergarten is learning to follow a rhythmic activity leading up to a dance.
First grade is learning to move in various pathways and levels during a dance.
Second grade is focused on aerobic activities and Cardiovascular.
Third grade has started a learning a dance sequence and pattern leading to a dance.
Fourth grade is working on muscular endurance using plyometric
Fifth grade is learning how flexibility and muscular endurance can be beneficial in their daily life.
Photos from Around the Building
Girls Bball Team
The girls celebrate their victory at Collins Elementary
Cheerleaders
The FES cheerleaders perform at the basketball game
4th Grade
Ms. Bodenbender's Language Arts Class
Kindergartners' New Years Resolutions
FES Students are Artists!
Ms. Vater's Class
The students in Ms. Vater's class are working hard on writing.
From the Transportation Department
From Mr. Dave Burton, FES Lead Bus Driver
Boone County Schools has invested in new GPS technology that will help alleviate the problems of unpredictable pick-ups and drop-offs during times of inclement weather, break downs, accidents and bus driver shortages. This new app, that is free to parents, will provide additional safety for our students and give our parents peace of mind.
Click here to view a video about the Zonar app.
From the First Aid Room
Information from health services regarding Covid:
If your student tests positive for Covid and have no sick symptoms, please contact your primary care provider to obtain guidance and determine when your child can return to school. If your child is sick and tests positive for Covid please contact your primary care provider for guidance on care and when to return to school. Students should not return until they are recovered, and symptoms resolved.
Pictures from Our Past
This Florence High School graduation photo shows the class of 1949 on the stage of the Florence High School gym. The gym was refurbished into the Ralph Rush Professional Development Center. The stage still exists behind the desk that the board of education sits at during board meetings.
From the Cafeteria
SBDM Update (UPDATED FROM LAST WEEK)
The School Based Decision Making Council at FES is made up of the principal (Ryan Burch), three teachers (Alicia Bachman, Abbigail Supe, and Megan Timmerding), and two parents (Alicia Coulter and Vee Miller). This group makes policy decisions and approves some of the school's financial and instructional activities. Meetings are usually held on the first Monday of each month at 4:15 in the FES library. Meetings are open to the public (except for occasional closed sessions).
The meeting on Monday, January 8th did not have enough members in attendance to make decisions. The meeting has been rescheduled for January 29th at 4:15 in the FES library. Click here for this month's agenda.
All of our SBDM policies are available on the FES school website.
On the Calendar
Important December Dates
- January 15th- Martin Luther King Jr. Day; No School
- January 23rd- Boone's Beginner's @ Burlington Elementary; 5:30-7:00
- January 25th- Grandparent's Math Bingo Night (other family members invited as well); 5:30-7:00
Click the calendar above to see the schedule of all events throughout the year.