Gator Parent Newsletter
October 2024
Message from Mr. Barnes
Mark Your Calendars
Week of September 30th
Monday 9/30: Picture Day, Evacuation and Reverse Evacuation Drills
Tuesday 10/1: Lockdown Drill and Shelter in Place Drill
Wednesday 10/2: ADD Conversation w/Students, Custodian Appreciation Day
Thursday 10/3: No School (Rosh Hashanah)
Friday 10/4: Drop/Cover/Hold Drill and Severe Weather Drill
Week of October 7th
Monday 10/7: 4 Hours Late (school hours 12:45 - 3:45)--> Parent-Teacher Conferences
Tuesday 10/8: 4 Hours Late (school hours 12:45 - 3:45)--> Parent-Teacher Conferences
Wednesday 10/9: 3.5 Hour Early Dismissal (school hours 8:45 - 12:15)--> Parent Teacher Conferences
Week of October 14th
Monday 10/14: Fire Drill
Wednesday 10/16: Hearing and Vision Rescreen
Thursday 10/17: Fall Bash (PTA sponsored event during school hours), Farm-to School Lunch Special (Crunch Day)
Friday 10/18: No School: Teacher PL Day
Week of October 21st: Book Fair Week
Friday 10/25: End of 1st Quarter, 2 Hour Early Dismissal (1:45)
Week of October 28th:
Monday 10/28: No School: Teacher Work Day
Thursday 10/31: Fall Bash Rain Date
Friday 11/1: 2:30 Costume Parade
Volunteers and Chaperones
Volunteers play a crucial role in the success of our school and truly help to build a strong home-school partnership. Mr. Fowlkes will be coordinating volunteer efforts this year and connecting interested parents with teachers in order to support within and outside of the classroom. If interested in volunteering; please follow the steps below.
In addition, field trips are an important part of our students' learning experiences. In order for us to go on field trips we need chaperones. Chaperones must also complete the volunteer training as indicated below. If you may want to chaperone this year, please complete the steps below so that we can have enough chaperones to attend field trips. Please consider doing this well in advance of a field trip as it will take 72 hours to process after completion of your training. We don't want to be put in a situation because we don't have enough chaperones for trips 3 days in advance.
Steps:
Click here for for directions to complete volunteer training (Spanish directions at bottom after English)
Complete volunteer training through Unified Talent Platform (approximately 1 hour)
After training is completed; you will receive an email with the next steps
Complete 72 hours prior to volunteering or chaperoning (earlier the better)
Mr. Fowlkes or the classroom teacher will be in contact to coordinate volunteering or chaperoning field trips
Important Links
School Safety Week
School Safety Week will be the week of September 30th (see calendar above). During this week we will practice each of the drills outlined below.
ADD: Avoid, Deny, and Defend: We do not formally practice this drill but talk to students (age appropriate) that we may have to avoid (leave school grounds to a different location) or deny (lockdown and block door).
HOLD! In your room or area. Clear the halls.
Students: Clear the hallways and remain in the room or area until “All Clear” is announced. Do business
as usual.
Adults: Confirm door is closed and locked. Account for students and adults. Do business as usual.'
SECURE! Get inside. Lock outside doors.
Students: Return to inside of building. Do business as usual.
Adults: Bring everyone indoors. Lock outside doors. Increase situational awareness. Account for students and adults. Do business as usual.
LOCKDOWN! Locks, lights, out of sight.
Students: Move away from sight. Maintain silence. Do not open the door.
Adults: Recover students from hallway if possible. Confirm door is locked and shut. Turn out the lights. Move away from sight. Maintain silence. Do not open the door. Prepare to avoid or defend.
Students and Adults: When locking down is not an option, Avoid, Deny, Defend.
EVACUATE! (A location may be specified)
Students: Leave stuff behind if required to. If possible, bring your phone. Follow instructions.
Adults: Lead students to evacuation location. Account for students and adults. Notify of missing, extra,
or injured persons.
SHELTER! Hazard and safety strategy.
Students: Use appropriate safety strategy for the hazard. Tornado: evacuate to shelter area. Hazmat:
seal the room. Earthquake: drop, cover, hold. Tsunami (flood): get to high ground.
Severe Weather Drill: Exit classrooms, line up in hallways against wall, sit on knees (if able) or go to an enclosed room if unable, and cover heads.
Drop, Cover, Hold: Go under desk and when announced evacuate building
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher time slots are filling up fast. If you haven't done so, please sign up for a conference using this link. If you need an interpreter, email lisa.kravitz@fcps.org. If you need assistance in attending the conference email latroy.fowlkes@fcps.org.
Attendance
Arrival Reminder
Our doors open at 8:45 to welcome students. During this time, students can settle in, prepare for the day and eat breakfast.
The bell rings at 9:15. Students that arrive after the 9:15 bell, are considered tardy.
Pick up from Office
No later than 3:15. Picking up from the office after 3:15 disrupts buses from entering the building, and safely dismissing students to their dismissal locations.
Absent Notes and Doctor Notes: email to moes.attendance@fcps.org
We are Striving for 5. No more than 5 absences throughout the entire year. One of the best predictors for student success is regular school attendance. Missing 10 or more days will require a doctor's note for all absences after 10 days. Missing more 18 or more days is considered chronically absent and will result in additional interventions.
Car Rider Procedures
Morning Drop Off
–Begins at 8:45am, when the bell rings.
–Drop off before 9:13 am. If staff no longer on the sidewalk, drive to the front office for a late slip (students need to be in class by 9:15 am).
- Drop off on the sidewalk only. Do Not drop off students on grass.
–We are encouraging the independence of our students so please help them learn to unbuckle their car seats when pulled up to the sidewalk. If you need assistance with unbuckling your child, please turn on your flashers, stay in your car, and staff will help to safely get your child out. This will save time and speed up our process as parents won’t leave their car, unbuckle, return to car, etc.
–Please do not pull in the middle and park unless directed by staff. Students who are car riders must be dropped off in the line and exit their car on the sidewalk. This ensures a SAFE process for all of our students.
-Never drive around a car in line unless directed by staff
–If you need to enter a building, you will need to come through the front of the building.
Afternoon Pick Up
–Dismissal Begins at 3:35 pm from the gym
–Students will be dismissed from the gym to a designated number on the sidewalk. This is based on your location in line. Students and cars will need to pull to that spot and be loaded from the sidewalk.
-Please stay in your car.(See am) Staff will assist students if necessary.
–If your child is running late, you will be asked to pull into the middle and then directed by staff to rejoin the line to exit the parking lot.
Costume Parade
All students are invited to participate in our costume parade on Friday, November 1st at 2:30. Students will bring their costumes to school to change into prior to the parade. There are no weapons allowed, including plastic weapons. If you do not wish for your child to participate in the parade, please contact troy.barnes@fcps.org and we will arrange an alternative activity (no more than 20 minutes).
Families are invited to attend the parade by standing along the exterior sidewalks. Parents are invited to park in the back parking lot.
More information will be sent out a couple of weeks in advance of the parade.
Picture Day
Free and Reduced Meal Forms
Current status will expire on Thursday, October 3 unless you submit another application to qualify. Full price meals are $2.65 a day.
If you are unsure if you qualify, go ahead and submit the application. We are a Title 1 school, and the higher our F.A.R.M numbers are, the more recourses and funding our school receives to benefit all students.
Lost and Found
Please have your child check the lost and found if they are missing any items (main hallway as you enter the building). It is always best practice to write your child's name on the tag, so that it can be easily returned to your child. Lost and Found items will be donated on the 1st of every month as we do not have space to house all of the items.