The Rocket Review
March 1, 2022
Parent and FVES Family Newsletter
Speaking of Healthy...we have some Health Guidance changes coming our way by March 7th. It is very important that we speak specifically to the way these changes will affect FVES. Staff has discussed the bullets below and will have a staff meeting on Wednesday, March 2nd to discuss any new items as well. We will not perfectly navigate these changes, however, we are committed to doing our very best in figuring out the best way to support students!
- Beginning March 7th, masks are recommended for staff and students- not required. This trickles down into snack/mask breaks, cafeteria masking after eating, collaborative work, and more. Please make a plan with your child(ren) so they know and understand what your family plan is for masking or not masking.
- Staff and students will not feel pressure to put on or to take off their masks. This is a personal /family decision and this decision is between parents and students and/or staff and staff families. Staff will not be in the business of tracking, enforcing, and pressuring students to put on or take off their masks.
- FVES will be a place of empathy. If we see someone wearing a mask or not- we will presume positive intent and continue educating and caring for all. We will promote this care, respect, and love inside and outside of the classrooms. We do not need to know anyone's personal thoughts to provide them education, care, and love.
- We will all need to promote self-love and positive self-esteem within the building and at home. Many students (and adults) have felt a sense of safety and less judgement when wearing masks. Unveiling noses and mouths leaves many in a more vulnerable state. Beauty is recognized with and without masks here at FVES!
- Our counselors are helping with some social stories and lessons for all students to support personal choice and voice, self esteem, and being a good friend during this transition time.
If you have any questions or want clarity around a specific topic, please reach out to me and I will do my best to answer!
Continue to keep a look out for updates on the WCPSS site here.
Thank you for your help, questions, and support as we navigate something new (again).
Heather Johnson
Principal
BOOK FAIR- Starts Next week!
6 WCPSS SCHOOLS RECEIVE PURPLE STAR AWARD
NCDPI established the Purple Star Award Designation initiative in 2019 to recognize the state’s strong military presence and its support for military families. The Purple Star designation is awarded to schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families.
The WCPSS schools are:
Alston Ridge Elementary
Bugg Magnet Elementary
Fuquay-Varina Elementary
Willow Springs Elementary
Durant Road Middle
Millbrook High
Schools across the state applied for the special designation, and schools deemed as Purple Star Schools are those that completed several required activities, plus an optional activity, aimed at ensuring strong support for students of military families.
Schools earning the Purple Star Award were required to have a staff member as a designated point of contact for military students and families, a designated central administration staff member supporting the point of contact in the school and also the provision of annual professional development addressing special considerations for military students and families.
We look forward to sharing with you more in APRIL for our Month of the MILITARY CHILD recognition! If you have ideas on how we can better serve our Military families, please reach out to Ms. Dawn White or Ms. Heather Johnson!
Get Heart Healthy Challenge!
We raised over $6,336.00 to support the American Heart Association!
We raised over the amount of our last year’s total!!! Thank you so much for all of your hard work with the KHC program!
The following classes are in the lead for the most students registered:
First grade will help SLIME a few teachers and staff from FVES! Stay tuned to a video of Friday's event!
PTA Meeting This Week!
Time: Mar 3, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every month on the First Thu, until May 5, 2022, 5 occurrence(s)
Mar 3, 2022 08:00 AM
Apr 7, 2022 08:00 AM
May 5, 2022 08:00 AM
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us04web.zoom.us/meeting/upMucO6tpzIpH9EuM2meq9kUaxYc89klzjRf/ics?icsToken=98tyKu6vrTwtH92csxyCR7YEA4_CKO_xmFhegvp4iTK3DiVCOwjDN_p7MeomG9TK
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77377599355?pwd=OFNGY050WW9XZlhsTWIzWWxXcXU5UT09
Meeting ID: 773 7759 9355
Passcode: Rocket1
Upcoming School Field Trips
3.10.22 - 3rd Grade - NC Museum of Art (Woodward & Wheeler)
3.11.22 - 3rd Grade - NC Museum of Art (Stevens & Colop)
4.5.22 - 4th Grade - NC Museum of History (Collins & Gantt)
4.6.22 - 4th Grade - NC Museum of History (Frankland & Metzger)
4.22.22 - 2nd Grade - Greensboro Science Center
4.29.22 - 1st Grade - NC Zoo
Communication CHANGES for Better COVID Response Time
We are excited to welcome Mrs. Bradley to our FVES School Family. She has both a medical and school background with children attending FVES. We are thrilled to have her help us through a difficult time with multiple changes in procedures and protocols each week! Her taking this position will enable our front office to run smoother and focus on safety, teaching, and learning.
Ms. Bradley will be our primary contact for all things COVID related. Positive test notifications, questions, PCR results, clarification, when to return, and concerns should be directed to the following email address:
Though email is preferred, urgent questions can be also directed to her direct line through the extension below:
Call (919)557-2566 and then press
Extension 20722#
Please make sure that this email address is saved in your contacts to prevent it from going straight to your junk mail! In addition, please do not send any other types of questions or topics to this email address.
Reminders and Requests!
Teacher Snacks: Thank you for helping us keep our staff fridge stocked for our teachers to enjoy! Feel free to send in drinks and snacks for us to stock up again in this new year!
Arrival/ Dismissal/ Transportation/Attendance Reminders: You may arrive as early as 8:45 AM and our day will begin at 9:15 AM. Please be sure you are here on time. Please arrive to pick up your child at 3:45 PM. Your child’s educational achievement is directly related to his/her attendance in school. When your child must be absent, please send written communication into school within 2 days of their return in order for the absence to be excused. If we do not receive communication from you about the absence, it will be unexcused. Please refer to the WCPSS Student/Parent Handbook for a list of excused absence reasons. If you need to pick up your child early, please send a note to your child’s teacher that morning. To be considered present at school, students must be in attendance at least one-half of the school day. Half day is 12:30 PM. To ensure the safety of all students and provide an orderly dismissal, we ask that you check out students by 3:15 PM if you have appointments requiring an early check out.
Bus + Cab Updates
Transportation staffing levels continue to be affected by the impacts of COVID-19. Due to a driver shortage, we are encouraging families to check the status of their child’s bus daily at www.wcpss.net/busupdate. In addition to checking the bus update page, they can also track their child’s bus using the Here Comes the Bus app. Due to the unpredictable nature of pandemics and the increased infections caused by the Omicron variant, we do not know how much longer service will be disrupted.
Conscious Discipline Corner
Check out the wonderful powers that help us all keep things safe and support students into becoming a conscious and mindful adult!
COVID-19 Isolation & Quarantine Requirements + COVID Testing
Check out the latest information at the link below!
Additional resources
Information for families is available on wcpss.net/whentoreturn. Additional information regarding isolation and quarantine requirements can be found on pages 14-16 of the StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit.
Testing on Campus
MAKO testing on site begins today. For more information, please check out the link below.
Share the Love of Your Career!
2022-2023 Meal & Education Benefits
Yes, meals will still be free for all students through June 2022 but we still need you to complete a meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for this extra education funding next school year. Also, this ensures your student is covered for the first few weeks of school next year. Information about applying for Meal Benefits can be found at www.wcpss.net/meals. Help our school continue to receive this funding by completing an application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications can be requested by calling 919-588-3535.
Spanish: Padres, por favor consideren solicitar los beneficios de comidas tan pronto como sea posible. ¡Al entregar una solicitud que califique, las familias también ayudarán al distrito escolar a calificar para fondos adicionales con el fin de apoyar a los estudiantes y el aprendizaje! Además, el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte está recopilando información sobre almuerzos gratuitos o a precio reducido y de la asistencia escolar de los estudiantes de WCPSS para determinar cualquier beneficio electrónico adicional (P-EBT) por motivos de la pandemia que se emitirán en los próximos meses. Si usted no solicita y no califica para los beneficios de comidas, ¡perderá la oportunidad de recibir fondos P-EBT directos para su familia!
Sí, las comidas seguirán siendo gratuitas para todos los estudiantes hasta junio de 2022, pero aún necesitamos que usted complete una solicitud de beneficios de comidas para que nuestra escuela pueda ser elegible para estos fondos adicionales para la educación del próximo año. Además, esto asegura que su estudiante cuente con estos beneficios durante las primeras semanas de clase del próximo año escolar. Usted puede encontrar información sobre cómo solicitar beneficios de comidas en www.wcpss.net/meals. Ayude a nuestra escuela a seguir recibiendo estos fondos completando una solicitud en línea en MySchoolApps.com. Las solicitudes en papel se pueden solicitar llamando al 919-588-3535.
SPRING Picture Day!
Spring Individual + Classroom Picture Day
- Friday, March 25, 2022
Volunteer Opportunity!
We would LOVE your help and NEED your help! Our instructional assistants are being pulled to cover classrooms and already cover lunch duty. Would you be willing to volunteer some time 1x (or more) a week to help in the cafeteria? You would walk around and encourage students to eat, keep things clean, and help with supervision!
If You're Willing:
1. Make sure you are a registered volunteer! Come by during school hours to sign up in our Media center if you haven't already.
2. Be ready to wear a mask while you are on campus!
3. Please be on time:) so the coverage is helpful!
4. If you can, sign up for a buddy slot to help another grade level.
Your 45 minutes to 1.5 hours will change our day and help us keep focused on teaching and learning! This would be a life changer! Sign up here ONLY after you have Volunteer Clearance Status! Email Mrs. Johnson after signing up online at hmjohnson@wcpss.net to check to see if you're cleared to volunteer.
Join Our FVES PTA!
Click here to join online!
Fuquay-Varina Elementary School Resources
Front Office Number: (919) 557-2566
School Fax Number: (919) 670-4210
School Website: https://www.wcpss.net/fuquayvarinaes
Kindergarten Website: https://sites.google.com/wcpss.net/fveskindergarten1st Grade Website: https://sites.google.com/wcpss.net/fvesfirstgrade
Principal: Heather Johnson, hmjohnson@wcpss.net
Assistant Principal: Kelly Bradshaw, kbradshaw@wcpss.net
School Secretary/Bookkeeper: Amanda Dial, adial@wcpss.net
Front Office Receptionist: Remikka Leach rsleach@wcpss.net
Data Manager/ Attendance: Lisa McNeill, mmcneill2@wcpss.net
Cafeteria Manager: Stefanie Morales, cns420@wcpss.net
Special Education Lead Teacher: soquendo@wcpss.net
School Counselors: Kristen Bush: kbush@wcpss.net & Michelle Brick, mbrick@wcpss.netKelly Bradshaw, Assistant Principal
Our School
Heather Johnson, Principal
Previous Newsletters
Should you need to refer back to previous newsletters, click the links below or visit our FVES website --> Our School --> Principal's Message!