The Fulton Flier

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Good morning Fulton Families,

Last week was a memorable week for our school community. On Thursday, our 4th and 5th graders participated in the school-wide spelling Bee.

And on Friday, The Raven's Purple Caravan visited FES. It was such a memorable event for our entire community. A huge shout-out to Ms. Mellendick, who won tickets to the football game. Check out this link for some highlights.

Warmly,

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

Let's give a huge 'way to go' to Ms. Peyton Conley, one of our RECC teachers. Ms. Conley was one of the eleven nominees for the HCPSS Teacher of the Year. She was highlighted for her talents, expertise, accomplishments, and contributions to the field. Thank you, Ms. Conley for serving our students!!! We are very proud of you!!!

Hi FES families!

An FES parent created this Facebook group if you’d like to join.

Fulton Elementary School Parents and Families is a group for parents and families of students attending Fulton Elementary School. The group aims to foster a sense of community and involvement among its members through events, projects, and opportunities to get involved in the school. It provides a platform for parents to connect, share information, and support one another in their children's educational journey.

Thank you,

Mrs. Great Luhar

As you may know, due to the lunch schedule, some grade levels have snack. This is a friendly reminder, if your child has snack as apart of his/her schedule, they are expected to bring snack from home. FES will not provide snack. If your family needs support with snack, please reach out to Ms. Courtemanche, our school counselor, samantha_courtemanche@hcpss.org.

As you may know, Mrs. Shields recently had a baby girl; as such will be staying home with her little ones. We will miss her!

Ms. Courtemanche has been serving as our long term substitute school counselor since the beginning of January. Please join me in officially welcoming Ms. Courtemanche as our new 1.0 School Counselor. She has jumped right in and is eager to help. If you need anything, please reach out to Ms. Courtemanche samantha_courtemanche@hcpss.org

Skate Nights

Calling All Talent

Attention students with talent - it’s that time of year again - Falcon Follies Talent Submission!!

If your student likes to sing, dance, tell jokes, do magic or otherwise perform and entertain - this show is for you! Register here: https://forms.gle/X3iyijrCQWqJ27SU9

January

• 01.30: 7:00pm Chorus Concert only

February

• 02.04 PTA Roller Skating Night (3rd-5th)
• 02.05 NEW DATE: Report Cards Issued
• 02.06 PTA Ledo Pizza Night (Fulton Location); 5-9pm
• 02.07 & 02.08: Elementary Schools ONLY-Close 3 Hours Early (No half day Pre-K/RECC)-ES Parent Teacher Conferences
• 02.09: Schools Closed for Students-Countywide Professional Learning Day
• 02.19: Schools & Offices Closed, President's Day
• 02.22- 03.04: Book Fair
• 02.22: 6:30pm Band & Orchestra Concert
• 02.24: Unheard Perspectives Showcase
• 02.28: Evening Book Fair, PTA Meeting (in-person), 7:00pm

BLISS is a program made to empower Black girls in Howard County grades 3-5 while teaching them how to embrace their identity and ‘Black Girl Magic’. Guided by Black high school students who strive to set a better future for the next generation, BLISS provides a safe space for young girls to articulate their emotions and experiences in an open way with people who relate to them. The program stretches from topics of hair to representation and is curated in a way that young girls can understand. Click here for more information.

HCPSS Sponsors: Jada Williams, Carmen McGinnis and Diettra Allen

Join the HCPSS STARTALK Program and Centennial High School for a spectacular Lunar New Year Celebration on Friday, February 9 from 5:15 to 8:30 pm at Centennial High School. Enjoy an evening filled with authentic Chinese food, student performances, professional groups, cultural activities, and Chinese New Year entertainment. Past and potential HCPSS STARTALK Chinese Language Program participants and their parents/guardians are welcome. Space is limited. RSVP here: https://forms.gle/DhAeuaG1FiazABPd6Links to an external site.. Please contact startalk@hcpss.org with questions.

Due to the cancellations last week, the Board of Education has pushed back the end of quarter 2. It now ends on January 25th. Grades are due on January 30th.

Engage your child(ren) at home this week with Measurement

Suggested Activities:

Predict how much milk or juice is needed for the week.

• We are purchasing three gallons of beverages (milk, juice, or soda). Predict how many pints would be in three gallons, how many cups are in three gallons, or how many quarts are in three gallons.

• How much would three gallons of milk cost?

• Discuss how much money would be saved on various items using a coupon.

Helpful Hints

• 2 quarts = ½ gallon

• 4 quarts = 1 gallon

• 2 pints = 1 quart.

• 2 cups = 1 pint

• Look at metric measurements and compare sizes too.

It is time to begin thinking about parent/teacher conferences with your child's math teacher! This is a great opportunity to learn about what your child has been learning about in math, how they are progressing with the taught curriculum and how we can partner together for your child to excel.

We will be hosting 15 minute conferences.

Wednesday, February 7th:

- Afternoon conferences will be IN PERSON at FES.

- Evening conferences will be VIRTUAL. A google link will be sent.

Thursday, February 8th:

- All Conferences will be VIRTUAL - A google link will be sent.

The Google Meet link will be sent to you with your confirmation email. If you have questions, please email your child’s math teacher. Please note, 4th grade students who are in GT Math, met with GT Math teachers during our 1st quarter conferences; as such, conferences will not be held at this time.

Scheduling Conferences:

Beginning Monday, January 22nd at 8:00 am, you can log into HCPSS Connect to view and select from the time slots provided by the teacher for conferences. Step-by-step directions are below. If you need assistance please call 410-880-5957 and we would be happy to help.

Directions to Select a Conference Time:

Login to hcpss.org/connect

Select Conference from the left-side choices

Select Parent Scheduled Conferences at the top right

Select a time slot for your conference

You will have access through Friday, February 2nd at 4:00 pm to schedule your child’s conference by logging into HCPSS Connect.

As we approach the second half of the school year, we wanted to remind you that HCPSS is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment that focuses on student well-being. We are taking this time to uplift the importance of reporting any type of bullying that has occurred. We will be reviewing this with our students and staff as we start the second half of the school year, and hope that you too can uplift this at home.

For children facing the emotional toll of bullying, a supportive individual can make all the difference. Please encourage your children to reach out to a trusted staff member at school should they need to report anything. As parents and guardians, you will use the same reporting form as students by following the steps outlined below.

How do I report bullying?

1. When you believe bullying has taken place, you should report it through the Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment and Intimidation (BCHI) reporting form. Reporting can take place in one of three ways:

1. Complete a BCHI online reporting form

2. BCHI paper reporting form (available in the main office, staff workroom, school counseling office, media center, and health services office

3. An oral report to a staff member

2. It is important to note that policy states “in the event the reporting party does not complete a BCHI Reporting Form, school administrators/supervisors will take the appropriate steps to address and document the incident.” Therefore, if you or someone else makes an oral report, it then must be documented (i.e. through a BCHI reporting form) by the administrator.

Thank you for your partnership and attention to this important topic.

Do you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2024? Please save the date and join HCPSS for an upcoming Road to Kindergarten parent information session. All sessions will run 6:30-7:30 p.m. and cover the same content.

At this session you will learn:

• Expectations for school readiness (and receive a Ready for Kindergarten toolkit);
• Details about the HCPSS kindergarten program;
• Information about HCPSS kindergarten registration and website;
• Ways that families and children can be supported during the transition to kindergarten.

Information sessions will be offered at the following times:

• Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, Centennial High School**
• Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, Hammond High School*
• Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024 Wilde Lake High School*
• SNOW DATE: Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, Hammond High School**

* Spanish interpreter will be present at these sites.
** Chinese, Korean, and Spanish interpreters will be present at these sites

If Howard County Public Schools are closed for inclement weather, the session is canceled.

Child care is available at each session for children ages 2 and older; the session is designed for adults only. Please note, the session will include information regarding Kindergarten readiness, program components, and registration that is applicable to all HCPSS schools; specific school information will be shared by schools after registration is finalized.

Large crowds are anticipated; please allow ample time for parking, childcare drop off, and check in. Doors open at 6pm.

For more information, visit www.hcpss.org/enroll/kindergarten/ or call 410-313-5693.

The Fulton Elementary School Regional Early Childhood Center (RECC) prekindergarten programs are making preparations for classes for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. These classes include children with and without disabilities. The program’s focus is helping all children develop communication, literacy, math, problem solving, motor, and social skills. Parents of children who will be 3 or 4 by September 1st, applications will be available and accepted in mid February.

In alignment with Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future, a limited number of new applications for students turning 4 by September 1 will be available. The Howard County Public School System continues to offer a prekindergarten program for income eligible children who will be four years old by September 1. For additional information contact the school or visit: https://www.hcpss.org/schools/pre-k-programs/

HCPSS is committed to providing instruction based on the statewide Early Learning Standards which are in alignment with Kindergarten Readiness. The fees listed in the application will be collected monthly regardless of the learning model determined by HCPSS throughout the upcoming school year (virtual, hybrid, in person, or class quarantine). If you have any additional questions , please contact Jessica Lifson at (410) 880-5957.