FMS PARENT UPDATES (COVID & MORE)
OUR REGULAR SMORE WILL BE SENT OUT NEXT WEEK
SHOUT OUT TO PASTOR MULDROW AND NEW LIFE OUTREACH MINISTRY
GET CHROMEBOOK INSURANCE AT FMS TOMORROW FROM 8-11AM
- Chromebook insurance is separate from Chromebook fees
- You have to pay the fee, but you do not have to pay for insurance
- However, you have to pay for all damages UNLESS you have insurance
- Insurance covers almost everything except the charger
- Come into the school and our IT person will be here to assist you
- Insurance is $26 for the year - bring exact cash please
*THERE WILL BE ONE MORE INSURANCE DAY AT FMS ON SEPTEMBER 9, FROM 1-3PM
MAKE SURE CHROMEBOOK FEES ARE PAID ($10 CASH) AND THE FORM IS FILLED OUT OR YOUR CHILD'S CHROMEBOOK WILL BE SHUT OFF BY THE TECHNOLOGY DEPT. AFTER THE 10TH DAY OF SCHOOL
WE NEED A PARENT ON OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM
Meets every 2nd Tuesday from 3:30-5:00pm
Need one parent on the team - more than that are welcome!
Works on implementing the school improvement plan
Deals with big picture FMS initiatives and changes (years long)
Interested? Email heidiboardman@fcschools.net
FMS PARENT GROUP - LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS!
If you are interested in being a part of a new parent group, please click on the button below and sign up to be a facilitator, a member who attends meetings, or a helper who helps out once in a while. No matter what, we are glad to have you!
ATHLETICS NEED TO KNOW
- FOR ALL ATHLETIC UPDATES PLEASE GO TO THE FMS WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE ATHLETICS TAB
- For the tentative schedule scroll further down in this newsletter
- All students MUST have a sports physical to participate in anyworkouts or on any teams
- All athletes must wear masks at all times indoors and at all times outdoors unless outdoors on the field of play.
- Athletes are expected to be model students - if an athlete behaves in a way that results in disciplinary consequences, that athlete will not be able to participate in athletics until those disciplinary consequences are served.
IMMUNIZATIONS - 7TH GRADERS NEED SHOTS OR THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND SCHOOL
- TDAP booster
- meningococcal vaccine
If they are not updated on vaccinations by 9/22/2021 they will not be allowed to come to school until they get those shots.
FMS FOLLOWS ALL FCS COVID GUIDELINES CAREFULLY
PARENTS, PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES
HELP US TO KEEP AS MANY STUDENTS AS WE CAN IN THE SCHOOL AND EXEMPT FROM QUARANTINING
FCS: Latest Health & Safety Guidance
Required masking indoors at all times for all preK-12 students, staff and visitors to campus, with the exception of meal and mask breaks and in the event of a district-approved mask exemption for medical reasons. This includes sports, band and other extracurricular activities. Based upon new required quarantine guidance from the CDC, if there is a COVID-19 case in a classroom, students will not have to quarantine if there is a “mask-to-mask” exposure.
Rationale: CDC, NCDHHS, and FC Health Department all recommend this requirement. Current metrics demonstrate increased cases, impacting younger children, with Delta variant. Mask wearing protects not only the wearer, but others with whom they interact. New quarantining guidance is based on effective masking, so a mask requirement would help to curb potential quarantining.
MASKS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN DO TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION OF COVID
FCS: WHEN STUDENTS WILL BE ISOLATED AND WILL NEED TO STAY HOME:
(+) Test result reported
Exposure to COVID (+) person in last 14 days
Student classroom exposures may not require quarantine if masks are worn appropriately and with diligence
Exposures outside of classroom setting will continue to require 14 day quarantine
Symptoms
Fever (temperature >100.4)
Cough (persistent cough, not just once/twice)
Difficulty Breathing (not related to asthma, exercise)
Runny Nose (persistent drainage, difficulty masking due to runny nose)
Congestion/Stuffy Nose
Sore Throat
Loss of Taste/Smell
Vomiting
Feeling nauseous is not vomiting! Student may feel unwell and go home, but would not be excluded/required to test for nausea only.
Several issues last year where child reported vomiting, but did not actually vomit: i.e. - spit in trash can, felt like they were going to vomit (nausea);
Diarrhea - this is 2 or more very loose stools
New onset of SEVERE headache, especially with fever
Not in people with known history of headaches/migraines
**The goal is to have sick individuals remain at home, and also avoid unnecessary exclusions. Teachers may need to ask questions before sending students home.
**Students/staff with known medical conditions that may cause these symptoms can avoid multiple unnecessary exclusions with medical documentation.
**Household members of symptomatic individuals will NOT be required to be excluded this year unless the symptomatic person is confirmed COVID (+).
PLEASE, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, KEEP THE SCHOOL IN THE LOOP WHEN YOU KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME DUE TO ANYTHING ON THE LIST ABOVE
FCS: HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOL
If a student or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual/parent should contact the school and report the diagnosis to the COVID Point Person. The individual may not return to any FCS school or facility until all three of the following criteria are met:
- at least 24 hours have passed since recovery (including the absence of fever
without the use of fever-reducing medications);
- the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath);
and
- at least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
If a student or staff member has symptoms that may be related to COVID-19 and they want to return to school before completing the above criteria, the individual must:
- obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis or
- provide written documentation of a negative COVID-19 PCR test. Results from rapid antigen tests will not be accepted;
- and be fever free for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medication - Tylenol, Advil, etc.) with improvement of symptoms
*Staff who test positive for COVID-19 are required to stay home until approved to return to work by the District.
If a student or staff member has been in close contact in the past 14 days with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, they must:
- Contact the school and report the exposure to the COVID Point Person;
- Follow the guidance from the local health department regarding quarantine and testing. This should include remaining at home for at least 14 days from the last date of contact.
- Report positive test results to the school upon receipt.
* The Health Department may advise additional quarantine days based on symptom development, positive test results or continued exposure in the home.
** Students and staff who have a household member that has symptoms and is being tested for COVID-19 should remain at home until test results have been received. Those whose family member has a positive test result should follow the guidelines for close contact.
Franklin County will notify all teachers, staff, and families of all students in a school if the Franklin County Health Department identifies a COVID-19 cluster within a Franklin County Schools site. Individuals who are identified as having close school contact with individual positive cases will be contacted separately.
FMS CLUBS ARE CANCELLED UNTIL IT IS SAFE ENOUGH TO HAVE THEM AGAIN - WE HOPE THAT IS SOON!
SCHOOL DOORS OPEN AT 8AM. PLEASE DO NOT DROP OFF STUDENTS BEFORE 8AM
TRANSPORTATION UPDATES
- Parents - drop off and pick up your child in the church parking lot on Cheatham Street.
- See the drop-off map below
- Please be patient at the end of the day while waiting for your child. We are doing our best to release students to maximize safety.
- Please watch out for athletes as they make their way across the parking lot and across Cheatham Street to the athletic facility. They have to remain on campus and so they have to go that way.
BUS RIDERS
- Our buses are full, meaning there are three students to a seat in most cases. Please talk to your child about the importance of wearing a mask AT ALL TIMES while on the bus.
- Each bus driver did a seating chart for students on their bus. Please talk to your child about making sure that they sit according to the seating chart AT ALL TIMES while on the bus.
- Contact tracing happens for every student who is Covid positive, and if bus protocols are not followed, the district may quarantine the entire bus! Please help us to keep your child in school and learning!
WALKERS
- Parents please talk to your children about walking to school safely - the traffic in the morning is getting a lot busier (the town is growing!). So far our walkers have seemed to be careful and they should be commended for that :)
IEP MEETINGS
Check out our TENTATIVE sports schedule below
For questions regarding all things sports, email Coach Hartsfield at chrishartsfield@fcschools.net.
Make sure to get your physical and get up to date on your vaccinations!
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE ATHLETIC FACILITY???
PLEASE READ!
- WE LOST THOUSANDS OF MUCH NEEDED DOLLARS THROUGH TITLE I THIS YEAR BECAUSE LESS PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR FREE/REDUCED LUNCH LAST YEAR DUE TO THE FREE LUNCH FOR EVERYONE PROGRAM.
- OUR TITLE I MONEY PAYS FOR A TEACHER POSITION WITH A LITTLE LEFT OVER FOR STUFF LIKE CLASSROOM APPS AND FURNITURE - WE FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS HAVE TWELVE CORE TEACHERS AND FIVE ELECTIVE TEACHERS TO HAVE A GOOD PROGRAM.
- PLEASE SIGN UP FOR FREE/REDUCED LUNCH TO HELP THE SCHOOL AND MAYBE SAVE MONEY YOURSELF!
- IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG!