Dear FMS Families and Guardians,
We are excited to announce the annual Read-A-Thon is back at FMS, in partnership with the Essex Town PTO. Our Read-A-Thon is a program that brings students together in school, and at home with families to encourage reading and build lifelong reading habits.The main goals of the FMS Read-A-Thon are to improve our literacy skills, increase reading stamina, and promote the love of reading in school and at home.
The dates of the Read-A-Thon are Monday, January 27, to Friday, February 7. Look for student tracking forms to come home on Monday 1/27. FMS set a collective goal of reading 200,000 minutes - and we need your help to reach our goal! Reading with your students at home will be a wonderful way to show your support, and those at home minutes count towards our ambitious school goal.
Important Read-A-Thon Details:
📖 What counts as reading?
Reading at school or at home.
Reading on your own, being read to, or even listening to audiobooks.
Class reading sessions (teachers will track minutes, too!).
🕒 How do I track minutes?
Use the Home Tracking Form we’re sending home.
Log your minutes every day—or scribble them on post-its or paper and update later!
The Honor System
Please help students keep track of their minutes and make sure their logs are accurate and realistic.
🎁 Prizes and Celebrations!
If we hit 200,000 minutes, the entire school gets a popsicle party!
The top class in each grade gets a bonus gift from the PTO!
And let’s not forget—we will watch your minutes climb on our giant schoolwide bookworm display!
So grab your books, curl up, and let’s have some fun accomplishing our schoolwide reading goal together! Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Thank You & Happy Reading!
Amanda Biggs, School Librarian
abiggs@ewsd.org
Essex Town PTO
pto@ewsd.org
There is some research that some students may benefit from using a fidget. Fidgets can help some students maintain their attention during class. Some students use fidgets with great success here at FMS.
With that said, there is an increase in distractions and challenges with fidgets that are brought to class, and there is a boundary between fidgets and toys. We have some clear guidelines for fidget use. For students who truly need a fidget, the expectations are:
They stay silent
They stay hidden from the sight of others
They are used only when trying to focus
Only use one at a time
Thank you for your cooperation with this.
At FMS, students should be “device-free” during school hours. Devices should be kept zipped into student backpacks if they are brought to school. Smartwatches that have messaging or phone call capabilities should also be kept at home or in backpacks. Personal devices are a distraction to learning.
Examples of personal devices are:
- smartphones
- smart watches
- tablets
- personal laptop computers
If you need to get in touch with your child at school, please call the front office at 802-879-6326.
Thank you for your understanding!
The Girls on the Run program needs more coaches this spring to support all the girls.
If you are interested in helping out two days a week after school (or even if you are only available one day), please consider signing up to join this fun program.
Not a runner? Haven’t coached before? No problem! Girls on the Run VT (GOTRVT) provides training, easy to follow lesson plans, supplies and support for a transformational season. Our season begins the week of March 17, 2025, and ends with a celebratory 5K on Saturday, May 31st. Over the 10 week season our team will meet twice weekly for 90 minute sessions to connect, move, learn and have FUN!
If you have any questions, you can visit this page for more information, or email Martha McLaughlin at mjoymcl@gmail.com.
Founders Memorial School
Email: sjablonski@ewsd.org
Website www.ewsd.org/fms
Location: 33 Founders Road, Essex Junction, VT, USA
Phone: 802-879-6326
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Founders-Memorial-School-1509308329359547