Fordham Family Times

Hello Fordham Families,

My name is Lindsay Brandlein and I am Fordham’s newest VPK teacher. I am so excited to be a member of the Fordham Fox Family! This school year is my 14th year teaching VPK; prior to coming to Fordham I taught for 13 years at The Villages Early Childhood Center. I have a bachelor's degree in educational studies from Saint Leo University with a specialization in early childhood development . I am passionate about helping our youngest students learn and grow and it is very fulfilling to see my students succeed.

I grew up in the Marion County area and attended Marion County Public Schools from elementary school all the way through high school and I enjoy living here with my family. I have two grown children; my daughter is a registered nurse, and my son will be graduating nursing school in May. In addition to my children our family includes two Miniature Schnauzers, Millie and Gibbs and a Doberman puppy named Hobie. In my spare time I enjoy reading, shopping, cooking, and traveling to new places with my friends and family.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year here at Fordham and wish all of you a great school year full of learning and fun!

Educationally Yours,

Ms. Brandlein

The January Monthly Calendar has been printed and will be sent home for your convenience. The calendar can also be referenced using the link below.

Are you interested in learning more about our school? Do you want to be part of the planning process for various aspects of our school? If so, we invite you to join our School Advisory Committee meeting on January 9 from 3:00-4:00 PM in our school den. We look forward to YOU being a part of our school. Care will be available for Fordham students not in Marion Afterschool Program.

Fordham Early Learning Academy is planning Career Day for our students on Friday, March 14, 2025. Before we finalize our presenters, we would like to extend an invitation to any parent who would like to share their career with Fordham students. If interested, please contact Mrs. Carpenter or Mrs. Cintra in Guidance at (352) 671-4927. Note: This will be the Friday before the Spring Break.

In order to adequately prepare for the 2025-26 school year, an Intent to Return form is being sent home with your child. Please select the option below that applies to your child. Each of your children, currently attending Fordham Early Learning Academy, must have a separate “intent to return” form on file. Please return this form to your child’s homeroom teacher no later than Friday, January 31, 2025.

VPK is a free educational program that prepares 4-year-olds for success in kindergarten and beyond. Children must live in Florida and be 4 on or before September 1 of the school year they enroll. To register your child for the VPK Certificate of Eligibility, visit the Family Portal at https://familyservices.floridaearlylearning.com to complete the sign-up process. The VPK registration window for Marion County Public Schools will open at the end of February, 2025.

We invite families interested in Fordham to schedule a tour in January and apply for enrollment through the school choice website. Current VPK students at Fordham must apply for enrollment for Kindergarten. (This is a change from last year.) Current Fordham students in Kindergarten and 1st grade DO NOT need to reapply. The application window will close on January 31, 2025. Families will be notified after that date. The School Choice application can be found at this link: https://www.marionschools.net/parents__students__and_community/parents/school_choice

Pre-K 3 and VPK families interested in Fordham will apply once that application window opens at the end of February. Our Pre-K 3 program is a fee-based program.