Fulton Family Update

It was a short week, but students did a great job settling back in after a long Winter Break.

The weather will be especially cold the next few days. Please be sure to be prepared with warm clothing and accessories for time outside at bus stops, during arrival/dismissal, etc. Remember, students will go outside for recess if it is above 20 degrees with the wind chill factor.

We look forward to a fun Winter Wonderland provided by the PTO on Friday! Students will play games and enjoy a hot chocolate and popcorn treat during their Specials time. Thank you PTO!

Save the Date--

One School, One Book 1/27-2/14

Yearbook sale through 5/7/25.

• January 13th--PTO Meeting 4:30 in Media Center
• January 17th--PTO Winter Wonderland Celebrations (During Specials)
• January 20th--No School-Martin Luther King Jr.. Day
• January 22nd--D146 Internet Safety Seminar 6:00 at CMS
• February 4th--District Spelling Bee at CMS
• February 5th--Kindergarten Music Concert 5:30
• February 6th--1st Grade Music Concert 5:30/2nd Grade Music Concert 6:45
• February 10th--PTO Meeting 4:30
• February 14th--Valentine's Day Parties
• February 17th--President's Day--No School
• February 18th--Institute Day--No School
• February 19th--LWSRA PE Take-Over/Family-Principal Chat 4:30

Mrs. Mitera

Congratulations to all the participants in the Fulton School Spelling Bee that took place on December17th! 5th graders Elijah and Kailey and 4th grader Sabrina will be representing Fulton in the District 146 Bee on Tuesday, February 4th. Good luck and we’re proud of you!

We look forward to the Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade concerts coming up in February!

1st grade classes have invited family members to "surprise" their children as Mystery Readers. We love to share story time with our families.

Friday was Letter Day! Kindergarten celebrated learning all their letters and sounds with Alphabet Cookies, ABC dances, and hats!

We’re so proud of all of our students who are recognized for displaying the characteristics of a model Flame! Keep up the great work!

Students will be going outside for recess as often as possible. The following are our school/district guidelines.

🔆Hot Weather Conditions: We will switch to indoor recess if the temperature is 100 degrees with heat index or if the grounds are too wet.

⛄Cold Weather Conditions: We will switch to indoor recess if the temperature is below 20 degrees with wind chill, or if our grounds are too icy or wet.

We value the opportunity for students to engage in movement and independent play/socialization. Please watch the weather and be sure to send whatever your child needs to be comfortable playing outside each day.

The start of winter weather has us planning for the potential for an E-Learning day. In the event of an E-Learning day, students will bring home iPads and necessary materials. E-Learning days begin at 9:00 a.m. for students, when they should log onto Zoom. Teachers and administration will share more information about schedules and Zoom links via Seesaw if this type of day is needed.

One way for us to create a sense of community, and to get ALL of our Flames involved is to have a monthly photo submission. Each month we will have a theme for families to take pictures and share them with us. We will include some photos in the Fulton Family Update and all of the pictures we receive will be uploaded to our hallway TVs for everyone to see!

Please send us your photos to FultonFlatFlames@district146.org

Every Friday, the student Fulton Morning News crew shares their broadcast for all classes to view. We'll share the videos with you here, too! Enjoy!

Some tips to help with improved attendance:

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
• Keep your child healthy and make sure your child has the required shots.
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor or another parent.
• Try to schedule medical appointments and extended trips when school isn't in session.
• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
• If your child must stay home due to illness or quarantine, ask the teacher for resources and ideas to continue learning at home.
• Talk to your child's teacher or other school staff for support.

www.attendanceworks.org

Attendance information can be found in the first chapter of the handbook.

Order your copy of the Fulton yearbook by May 7th!

• Please refrain from 3 point turns on 171st Street.
• Please do not park against a yellow marked curb. Parking nearest the exit over the yellow lines obstructs everyone's view and clearance.
• Please park behind the yellow sign closest to the school. The spaces directly in front are reserved for special transportation needs.
  
• Please adhere to the sign and turn RIGHT out of the driveway during arrival and dismissal. This reduces the chance of crossing oncoming traffic and the potential for an accident.
• Pedestrians crossing the drive to get to their cars should use the crosswalk at the east end of the drive for the safest path.
• Please avoid turning around in our neighbors' driveways and blocking entrances/exits.
• No cell phone use in school zones.

Breakfast and lunch will be available for all K-5 students for a fee (breakfast $1.50, lunch $3.75). Lunch money may be set up through Pushcoin. Students will receive a debit card to purchase meals through the breakfast/lunch lines. If needed, applications for free and/or reduced fees should be completed. These forms are available in the school office and on the district website. When available, monthly menus will be posted to the district website, https://www.fdmealplanner.com/, and the FD MealPlanner app.

We are excited to share with you our dozens of before/after school activity offerings for K-5 students! From the arts to meditation; from sports to coding; from Student Council to games, and so much more in between, there is something for everyone to enjoy! The full packet will go home with students on Friday. Please review all of the activity descriptions and dates and expect permission slips home in the future. Remember, it's important to be on time for arrival and dismissal of the activities.

Within a couple of weeks, American School Bus will use Bus Bulletin to alert District 146 parents of bus delays and schedule changes.
Bus Bulletin sends parents instant notifications via text message, email, and/or phone call. There is no cost for parents to sign up and receive notifications.
For more information or to sign up for notifications, please visit the Bus Bulletin website.

We want to hear from YOU! Please let us know about your experiences at Fulton School so we can work together to improve or keep the good things going!

Thank you to our PTO for hosting the Holiday Shop and Winter Sing backdrop!

Our 24-25 PTO Board can't wait to partner with YOU for events like our Book Fairs, appreciation days, etc.!

President: Melissa Santangelo

Vice President: Megan Combs

Treasurer: Jamie Bellik

Secretary: Melissa Sands

Committee Members: Jennifer Matise, Kimberly Cuervo, and Patty Landeros

Anyone who would like to volunteer in classrooms or at school events must have a background check on file. Please be sure to submit an application here: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/ODQzMzplbi1VUw== If you are unsure whether you have submitted a background check in the past, please contact the office.

The Attendance Line is available 24 hours/7 days a week. Please notify the office of any absence or anticipated late arrival by calling 708-614-4525. Additionally, if your child will have a change in dismissal plans (leaving early, not taking the bus, etc.), please let the office know by 2:00. Informing the office in a timely way makes dismissal run more smoothly for all!

The District Family Support Specialists have created a new monthly newsletter for our Bilingual Families. The purpose of the newsletter is for the FSS to connect directly with families. The newsletters will highlight FAQs with links, information about FSS supports and services, and upcoming events. The newsletter is available in English, Arabic and Spanish. We will also be sending them out via School Messenger to bilingual families (home language Arabic and Spanish).

Please click below to read this month’s newsletter:
English/العربية

English/español

It’s time to start gearing up for the 2025-2026 SY Kindergarten Registration/Screening . The highlights are listed below.

• The Registration window: January 17th- 31st, 2025
• Current District 146 Pre-K students are NOT to register during this timeframe.
• Registration must be completed in order for the child to participate in the Kindergarten screening
• The Kindergarten screening will take place on April 30th, 2025, at the Administration Center

Email: mmitera@district146.org
Website: http://fulton.district146.org/
Location: 6601 West 171st Street, Tinley Park, IL, USA
Phone: 708-614-4525
Facebook: facebook.com/FultonFlames