News from the Nest
Principal Newsletter ~ Week of October 10th, 2022
A Message from Mrs. Lucas
Dear Fern Drive Families,
There is a lot of new information this week as well as two quick surveys... please take a few moments to read and respond to all the information below!
Our monthly PTA Family meeting is this Tuesday, 10/11/22, @ 6pm via zoom.
Please use the link below to join the meeting:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73190638490?pwd=9wFsjPaU18Dix3skRGRB2qDhnhauYc.1
Meeting ID: 731 9063 8490
Passcode: 4H2Yke
Please join me for my next, Coffee with the Principal on Friday, Oct. 21st at 8:45 am after our Friday Assembly! We will meet in the MPR again.
Lastly, Falcon parents, please take some time this weekend to have a discussion with your students about the importance of school and their "job" to be a responsible, respectful and engaged student. Together we will help our students succeed!
As we are returning this year, one of the things we have been noticing and discussing as a staff is that many of our students still need to learn or relearn "how to be a student". During the pandemic, there were many options and ways our students had to attend school. Students developed, through no fault of anyone other than the situation that the pandemic created, some bad habits such as having the freedom to walk around their rooms or houses, eat, talk and just generally be distracted. As we are returning to the more traditional school setting, which we are all so grateful for, we have noticed that students seemed to have "forgotten" how to be a student in the classroom. We also acknowledge that our current first and second grade students had to begin their school careers on zoom.
Please take some time to discuss with your students the importance and necessity of the following to help them reach their potential:
- Students should be actively engaged in the lesson
- Students should be listening to the teacher's instruction
- Students should be actively listening to and participating in lessons
- Students should be "socializing" at recess and not during instruction
- Students should persevere when learning is challenging and not give up
- Students should complete their class assignments and lessons during the lesson (and not be distracted or choose not to begin)
- Students should ask for help, be curious and inquisitive in their learning
- Students should be respectful to their teacher and all staff, each other and themselves
- Students should feel challenged but still enjoy learning and know that our Fern Drive staff love them and want everyone to succeed!
Together, we can help our students succeed! The home-school partnership is hugely important in elementary school and are so grateful for a supportive parent community at Fern Drive!
#togetherweachievemore
Warmly,
Mrs. Lucas
Go Falcons!
PTA Family Movie Night! ~ October 21st
Please join us for family movie night on Friday, October 21st!
We will be showing Monsters University!
We will have food trucks, coffee and concessions!
Gates open at 5 pm ~ Food Trucks will be open ~ Movie begins at 6:30 pm
This is NOT a drop off event ~ Spend the evening with your family and Falcon Family!
Bring your chairs, blankets and dinner or purchase dinner from the food truck!
Please complete this google form so we can plan for the food truck.
Spirit Wear?
Upcoming Events Calendar
- October 14th ~ Spirit Day, wear PINK
- October 19th ~ SSC Meeting, 3 pm via zoom
- October 21st ~ Coffee with the Principal, 8:45 am in MPR
- October 21st ~ PTA Movie Night 5:00-8:30pm
- October 22nd ~ Saturday School
- October 24th Week ~ Red Ribbon Week
- October 25th ~ APEX kick off assembly
- October 31st ~ Halloween Parade, 8:45 am
- November 1st ~ Non-Student Day
~ SPIRIT DAYS ~
Every Wednesday is College Colors Day!
Every Friday is Green Day ~ wear our school spirit wear and/or green and white!
Socktober ~ Student Council Led Service Project
We are encouraging students to bring in new pairs of socks all month long.
All socks collected will be donated to Pathways for Hope.
Help our students continue to be service-minded by participating in this student-led project!
Go Falcons!
Wear Pink on Oct. 14th
Our next Fern Drive Spirit Day is this Friday, October 14th!
Falcons are encouraged to wear pink to show their support for
Cancer Awareness Month!
Red Ribbon Week ~ Oct. 24th - 28th
Plan ahead...
Help our Falcons celebrate Red Ribbon Week by showing their school spirit each day of Red Ribbon Week!
See the flyer here for how students can dress each day to celebrate choosing to be healthy and drug free!
Character Trait of the Month ~ Safety
Here are some topics that you might chat with your child(ren) about at home this month around the topic of safety:
- internet safety and playing online games only with friends they actually know
- stranger danger safety and how to walk home safely from school or a friends house
- bicycle and skateboard safety and ensuring they wear their helmet
Finally, here is a resource that may help you get the conversation started.
Having a discussion with your child about safety and how they can demonstrate both responsibility and safety not only helps your child feel prepared but it also often opens up a great discussion with our kids. As a parent, one of the skills I am actively working on at home is really being a good listener and letting my kids lead the conversation when we talk. I have noticed that letting them lead often results in a much more open and fuller discussion. It also allows me to understand what they know and understand and what they may be wondering about as we chat.
OC United annual Pumpkin Run
Fern Drive PTA
Our Monthly PTA Family Meeting is this Tuesday, October 11th, via zoom at 6:00 pm.
Please use the link below to join the meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73190638490?pwd=9wFsjPaU18Dix3skRGRB2qDhnhauYc.1
Meeting ID: 731 9063 8490
Passcode: 4H2Yke
Our Fern Drive PTA is led by our President, Mrs. Kristen Greene. You can reach her via email at kristengreene77@gmail.com
Thank you to everyone who has joined PTA! We really appreciate the support.
For clarification, joining PTA can be as much or as a little if a commitment as you choose. We would love for members to attend meetings and volunteer time, but we are more than happy with just the $10 membership purchase.
Please use the QR code below to join PTA today, if you have not already. Go Falcons!
Our Parking Lot and Pick Up Time
- DRIVE SLOWLY in the lot and on Fern Dr and Pico Dr
- BE PRESENT when driving ~ please put your cell phones away during this time
- DROP OFF on the sidewalk side of your car only ~ do not permit your child to exit the car in the passing lane
- DO NOT DART across Fern Dr to turn into our lot ~ I see cars turning left and darting into the parking lot, nearly causing accidents
- BE AWARE of the crosswalks and students/families walking through them ~ pedestrians always have the right of way
- USE the CROSSWALKS and please do not walk haphazardly through the parking lot to parked cars
- STUDENTS SHOULD NOT walk across Fern Drive to get into a car without an adult
Fern Drive Foundation
Hello Falcons!
The Fern Drive Foundation for Education and Techknowledgey is thrilled to welcome you to the 2022-2023 school year! The Fern Drive Foundation is a volunteer organization made up of parents, teachers, and staff. Our foundation is dedicated to the successful education of our Falcon students. Last year with the help of Apex Leadership we helped raise over 21,000 dollars to help toward our school’s technology fund.
Fern Drive Foundation for Education and Techknowledgy helps create numerous forms of fundraising to give our Falcons the very best education technology available.
Welcome back Falcons, we’re so excited to learn with you. Keep an eye out for our upcoming meetings!
Follow us on Social Media
IG: fern_drive_falcons
Twitter: @Fern_Drive