The Fulton Flier

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Dear Fulton Community,

The weather this week will be chilly in the morning but will warm up to almost spring-like temperatures by dismissal time. We encourage you to have your children wear layers to ensure they stay comfortable throughout the day. This way, they can adjust as needed for both the cooler morning and warmer afternoon.

Wishing you wave of joy,

Dr. Burks, Mrs. Liwosz, & Mrs. Sillers

Is your child creative? Does your child build items around the house? Does your child like to play with Legos? If so, your child might like to participate in Fulton’s Lego Challenge. Fulton is providing an opportunity for students to show their creativity and engineering ability. Have your student look at the challenge for his/her grade level and follow the requirements to build what comes to mind.

Kindergarten Challenge: 100 Pieces-Animal

Choose your favorite animal. In 100 or less Legos, create this animal.

1st Grade Challenge: 100 Pieces-Car

Design a car using 100 or less Legos.

2nd Grade Challenge: 200 Pieces-Transportation

Design a vehicle that is used to transport either goods or people using 200 or less Legos.

3rd Grade Challenge: 200 Pieces-Robot

Design a robot using 200 or less Legos.

4th Grade Challenge: 300 Pieces-Symbol of Maryland

Create a Lego structure in 300 or less Legos, which represents our state.

5th Grade Challenge: 500 Pieces-Architecture

Design a house or building for the future using 500 or less Legos.

All entries must arrive to school:

• On Monday, May 12th, 2025 (Please don’t drop off Lego structures before the 12th.)

• In a shoe box labeled with the student’s name

• A base of the structure no bigger than 6” by 12”

• With a completed Grade Level Table Tent, which students will receive after permission slip has been received

Please remember piece challenge is a requirement and not to be passed. Fulton will not be able to provide Legos for the challenge. Fulton is not responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced Lego pieces. All structures will be on display at the Fulton Finery on Thursday, May 23rd, 2024. All Legos will be sent home on Friday, May 24th.

If your student is interested in participating in the Lego Challenge, please fill out the form by Friday, May 2nd, 2025.

Clubs/Group Picture Day is scheduled for February 24. If your student participates in an FES sponsored club or group (i.e. chorus, band, orchestra, SGA, etc.) they will have their pictures taken for the yearbook.

Class Picture Day is scheduled for February 25. Information to order pictures is coming soon!

Grade 5 students will take the MISA Assessment on March 3, 4, 5, and 6th .

The Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA) is administered to all students in fifth grade, eighth grade, and high school. The MISA is aligned to the Maryland Next Generation Standards (NGSS). The NGSS integrates three dimensions necessary to understand science. The dimensions are the Science and Engineering Practices, the Crosscutting Concepts, and the Disciplinary Core Ideas. To assess the three dimensions of the NGSS, a set of interrelated items is required. All items on the MISA are part of an item set. This assessment provides educators, parents, and the public with information on student progress towards science literacy.

Test Preparation and Practice

The following link provides resources that can help students prepare for the MISA.

• Grade 5 and 8 Practice Tests - No username and password required. Click the “Practice Tests” link.

It is essential all students get a good night's sleep prior to testing and come to school on time on testing days. We appreciate your support!

For further information on the dates, times and locations of the groups, and to discuss whether this group would be a good fit for you, please contact Lisa Dickerson-Guerra at lisa_dickerson-guerra@hcpss.org or 443-766-2916.

On January 30, 2025, the Board of Education approved adjustments to Policy 8080 - Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media that changes the ability for students to use personal devices during the school day. The Board approved the following changes related to the use of personal devices by students at school:

• No students, PreKindergarten-12, will be permitted to use cell phones and other personal technology devices during the student day (first bell to last bell of the day or posted school hours) except for reasons detailed in a student’s IEP, 504, or health plan. Under the prior version of the policy, elementary and middle school students were not permitted to use personal devices during the school day at any time. For high school students, this policy removes access to personal device in between classes and at lunch. For all grade levels, the addition of consequences for violating the policy is new.
• When a personal device is used in violation of the new policy, the device will be confiscated for the remainder of the student day. Following the first violation, the student may retrieve the device at the end of the student day. For all subsequent violations, a parent/guardian must retrieve the device from the school.
• A device that is confiscated during the final period of the student day will be confiscated for the entire next student day. The student may retrieve the device at the end of the day it was originally confiscated to take home but must provide it to the front office upon arrival on the next student day.
• Students may be in possession of personal devices, but they must be “away and silenced,” meaning devices are not able to be seen by either the student or staff member and are set to make no noise. Additionally, devices may not be a distraction.
• Smart watches will be permitted to be worn to check time but may not be a distraction.
• Personal laptops may be used for instructional activities in high school when permitted by the teacher.
• A staff member on a school-sponsored field trip may permit the use of a personal technology device by a student in limited situations where capturing a picture or video may be appropriate or contacting a parent/guardian is necessary.
• School administrators and school administrators’ designees may authorize use of a personal device in rare instances such as an emergency for communication purposes.

These new expectations will take effect on Monday, March 3, 2025. The complete changes and expectations may be found online. Please take time to review these new expectations with your student to ensure they do not violate the new policy.

February

• 02/21-02/28: Scholastic Book Fair
• 02/24: Club/Group Picture Day
• 02/25: Class Picture Day
• 02/26: 7:00 PTA Meeting (in-person, cafeteria)

March

• 03/03: 4:15 School Tour for SY25-26 Families
• 03/03: Late SY25-25 Kindergarten Registration
• 03/03-03/07: Kindergarten and New First Grader Registration
• 03/04: SGA Spirit Day: March Into Reading (wear clothes with letters
• 03/05 & 03/06: 5th Grade MISA testing
• 03/14: Professional Work and Wellness Day: Schools close 3 hours early
• 03/17: SGA Spirit Day: Lucky To Be Readers (wear green or lucky items)
• 03/24: SGA Spirit Day: Spring Into Reading (wear spring colors)
• 03/27: Spring Picture Day
• 03/28: End of 3rd quarter
• 03/31: Professional Work and Development Day: Schools closed for students

For a complete list of dates and events visit https://fes.hcpss.org/calendar

Upcoming Dates

Book Fair

2/21-2/28 • Fulton Elementary

The Book Fair has officially started! Students may purchase books during their recess time from February 21 - February 28. Special evening hours will be offered on February 26 from 5-8pm. Payment can be made via E-wallet, a check made out to Fulton Elementary School, cash or credit card. E-Wallet

There’s a bigger selection online, too! If you order during the book fair, we still receive 25% of proceeds and your purchases will conveniently be shipped to your home. Orders over $25 ship free.

There are still a lot of open volunteer slots so please consider signing up as this is always a really fun and exciting event for the kids! Find details and sign-up here: Sign-Up Genius

PTA Meeting

2/26 • 7-8pm • Fulton Elementary

The next general PTA meeting is right around the corner on February 26th from 7-8pm in the Fulton cafeteria. Ms. Courtemanche, Fulton’s amazing school counselor, will be our guest presenter. You will not want to miss it!

Falcon Follies

4/24 • 6-8pm • Reservoir High School
If your student likes to sing, dance, tell jokes, do magic or otherwise perform and entertain - they can sign up now for the Falcon Follies Show on April 24th from 6-8pm.

Falcon Follies Sign Up

International Night

5/9 • 5:30-8pm • Fulton Elementary School

Save the date and come see the world at International Night on May 9th from 5:30-8PM. Stay tuned for the sign ups to participate!

If your family requires assistance in affording a book or item from the book fair, please complete this form. Rest assured that your information will remain confidential. Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our School Counselor, Samantha Courtemanche at Samantha_Courtemanche@hcpss.org.

You can check out more about our upcoming book fair via this link.

We wish those students, families, and community members celebrating, a Blessed Ramadan. If your child will be fasting on certain days and would like to go to another location to read or color during their designated lunch time, our school counselors will provide supervision in their office during Ramadan.

Please complete one form submission per child.

Get ready for an unforgettable basketball experience! The 8th Annual Skyy 2 Win Spring Break Basketball Camp is here, offering your young athlete the chance to learn from one of the best in the game!

This camp is designed to help your child take their game to the next level while building memories that last a lifetime.

From April 14-17, 2025, at Long Reach High School in Columbia, Maryland, your player will train under the guidance of Coach Patterson (Coach P)—a world-renowned coach who has traveled the globe teaching basketball. Known for his high-energy coaching style and innovative techniques, Coach P is dedicated to helping players develop their skills and build confidence on the court.

Check out this link for more information.

We are a year round program with intense training, mentorship opportunities, and winning mentality. This program is looking for student-athletes that are serious about the game of basketball and have the skills to play on a competitive level. Complete the registration form and we will see you there!

LIFE Elite Athletics is an organization that caters to the youth and young adults. We foster the development of leadership qualities through a commitment to education and community involvement. We aim to provide our constituents with versatile experiences through scholastic empowerment, athletic conditioning, and cultural exposure. We believe in guiding our youth to Seeing Obstacles as Lessons Understanding Trials Induce Opportunities for Next Steps (SOLUTIONS) mentality.

We create opportunities for youth and young adults to achieve their dreams by providing them with resources, instilling work ethic, and building the confidence needed to be successful adults.

Teaching the game of basketball is an avenue used to achieve said goals. We believe in using basketball as a tool to prepare the players for real life; by instilling discipline, dedication, teamwork, leadership to name a few. In addition, we work on the fundamentals of basketball and enhance the basketball IQ of each player. Lastly, we aim to win, to build confidence in our kids, and learn from losses.

Free Life Skills Classes for HoCo Middle/High School Students

• Classes will be taught by HoCo college students with high school student assistants and adult supervision. Botvin’s Evidence Based Curriculum promotes positive health and personal development for students in grades 6 to 9. (Slightly younger students will be considered especially if joining an older sibling, and students older than 9th grade may be invited to join our high school team to earn Community Service Hours while learning.) If parents/guardians have questions about the appropriateness for students, register the students and HC DrugFree’s team will contact you. Siblings and friends are encouraged to take these classes together.
• Class dates: February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 31, April 7, 28, and May 5 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Visit HC DrugFree’s website for more information and register students at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Spring2025LifeSkills
• HoCo High School Student Leadership Opportunity to Earn Community Service Hours: Join HC DrugFree’s instructional team to assist college students teaching online Life Skills classes – all while serving as a role model and mentor to younger HoCo students. This leadership experience looks good on resumes and college applications. For more information and to register to volunteer, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AssistLS2025spring

Free Parenting/Grandparenting Classes

• Free! On Zoom and open to parents, guardians and grandparents residing in HoCo or with school-age children/grandchildren residing in HoCo. This evidence-based, interactive prevention program provides families with the skills and knowledge to reduce the risk that their children will use drugs including alcohol or engage in other dangerous behaviors. The curriculum was written for families with children 9-14 years olds, but we believe it is appropriate for K-12 families. Class dates: March 18, 21, 25, 28 and April 1 from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Visit HC DrugFree’s website for more information and register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Spring2025GGC

The River Hill High School Boosters are sponsoring summer camps at River Hill High School. The camps are designed to help young athletes improve their fundamental athletic skills. Weekly camps begin on June 9th. Over thirty different camps are offered this summer, including football, tennis, soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, field hockey, volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, weight training, wrestling, “Hawks” Sports camp, and dance. We also offer an Art camp and Video Production camps. Camp schedule and registration can be found at www.riverhill.org.