Dear Falcon Ridge Families,

I hope you had a restful and meaningful Thanksgiving with your family. This is such a special time of year, and there is much in which to be grateful!

Speaking of gratitude, we are pleased to recognize both Ridley's and Texas Roadhouse for their generous donations for our school Thanksgiving feast. They generously donated sixteen pumpkin pies and sixteen dozen rolls! We would also like to recognize Mrs. Lopez, Mrs. Bowser, and Mrs. Klinchuch for their time, preparation, and care as they cooked the delicious Thanksgiving feast on Friday! We are spoiled!

It’s hard to believe, but we're already planning for our next school year! Our 2024-2025 lottery is opening on Fri., Dec. 8th. This year, we are asking all current FRPCS students wishing to re-enroll for 2024-2025 to complete an “Intent to Enroll” form to reserve their position. One form per current student is required. Returning students will NOT need to complete a lottery application, only the intent to enroll form.

New students will still need to fill out the lottery application for the upcoming year once it is available.

Click the link to access the Intent to Enroll: 2024-2025 Falcon Ridge Public Charter School. Forms are due by Friday Dec. 1st so please complete them as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued support in making Falcon Ridge a nurturing and positive learning environment for our students. On behalf of our Falcon Ridge staff, we wish you a blessed Thanksgiving with your family.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jorgensen

Our goal is to provide an academic environment free of distractions being

conducive to learning and a social environment that supports the

development of kind and respectful relationships. Use of any electronic

devices such as cell phones or smart watches (any screened watches) must be

turned off and in your backpack at all times. Any student using their

phone or any electronic device will have them confiscated. However student(s)

may use their cell phones in the office with permission. If a student needs to

contact a parent, he or she should come to the office. Conversely, if a parent

needs to contact a student, he or she should contact the office.

This year Miss Eason will continue teaching monthly character trait lessons in grades 1-8, and beginning October 26th, she will be partnering with Mrs. Combe from Lifespan Idaho (formerly Positive Action) to co-teach the monthly character traits in grades K-5. Lessons will include a focus on anti-bullying and the Falcon Ridge character traits, including:

• September - Respect
• October - Excellence
• November - Gratitude
• December - Compassion
• January - Responsibility
• February - Kindness
• March - Patience
• April - Honesty
• May - Integrity

Resources will include children's chapter books as well as age-appropriate videos and hands-on activities provided by Miss Eason. Survey permission slips will be coming home in 4th and 5th grade classes. If you have any questions about the lessons or resources, please contact Dr. Jorgensen or Miss Eason.

Weekly ADA:

YTD: 97.09%

K - 95.83%
1st - 95.17%
2nd - 95.83%
3rd - 97.93%
4th - 93.33%
5th - 98.18%
6th - 95.75%
7th - 95.75%
8th - 97.27%

Students who accrue five (5) or more full-day unexcused absences or nine (9) full-day excused and unexcused combined absences in a semester may lose their seat. After the eighth (8th) full-day absence, the student and parent/guardian will be required to meet before the school board. After the ninth (9th) full-day absence in one semester, a note from parents is not sufficient.

TARDY POLICY

Students are considered tardy if they are not in the school building at the time school commences at the beginning of the day as established by the school calendar. The tardy bell rings at 8:05am. All students arriving late must be signed in at the office to ensure accurate records and lunch counts. Students leaving and returning during the school day must be signed in and out by an adult. Each time a student accrues (3) unexcused tardies, the student will also be treated as having 1 unexcused absence. Examples of an unexcused tardy include, oversleeping, late walking to school, missed school bus, parent running late, etc. Students will not be considered tardy in the event of bad weather, if buses are running late, etc.

As part of our continuous commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all our students, we kindly remind you of our designated student pickup protocol.

For the safety of our students, we ask that you please adhere to the following guidelines during the student pickup process:

Designated Pickup Spot: Please arrive at the designated pickup spot indicated by the school. This helps streamline the pickup process and ensures a smooth flow of traffic.

Teacher Supervision: Our teachers will be present at the pickup spot to assist with safely escorting students to your vehicles. This also allows us to verify that the student is being picked up by an authorized person.

Communication: If there are any changes to the pickup routine, such as a different authorized person picking up the student, please inform the school office in advance. This will help us avoid any confusion and ensure the safety of your child.

Patience and Courtesy: We kindly ask for your patience during the pickup process, especially during peak times. Your courtesy towards fellow parents and staff is greatly appreciated.

By adhering to these guidelines, we can collectively maintain a secure environment for all students. We sincerely thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Thank you for your ongoing support in prioritizing the safety of our students.

PTO Changes:

*Going forward, PTO will adopt a meeting model to match the way our school board conducts business. A meeting notice and agenda will be sent out a week prior.

This will help PTO streamline our process to make sure our meetings are as productive as possible and follows the same policies as the school.

*Believe Kids Fall Fundraiser Updates:

Thank you all for selling and supporting PTO! We are excited to announce our final numbers:

Total Sales $6,018.50

Total Profit $2,642.70

We can't wait to get the trees and benches in after the ground thaws in the Spring.

Orders that were placed online and marked to ship to the school as well as paper orders will be delivered to the school on 12/5. This will include student prizes from the company. We will make sure to keep everyone updated once we have the actual tracking info from Believe Kids. Thank you for your patience!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*PTO Meeting 12/5 @ 6pm in the multi-purpose room

*Giving Tree 12/1 - 12/19

*Polar Pals Santa Shoppe 12/7 & 12/8

*PTO Meeting 1/11 @ 6pm in the multi-purpose room

*Panda Express Dining Out 1/19

**Note that the Chili Cook Off Scheduled for December has been Moved to March 15th.

REMINDER: When PTO organizes an event, school policies still need to followed by students and their families. Children need to be supervised by a parent at all times. Thank you for helping us keep things running smoothly and everyone safe.

All times are 3:00pm-4:30pm

October 11th

October 18th

November 1st

November 15th

December 13th

January 10th

January 24th

February 14th

February 28th

March 6th

March 20th

April 10th

April 24th

• 11/28 - 5th Grade StarBase Field Trip

• 12/5 - 5th Grade StarBase Field Trip
• 12/5 - Middle School Boys Basketball Open Gym 3-5pm
• 12/5 - PTO Meeting @ 6pm
• 12/6 - Middle School Boys Basketball Open Gym 3-5pm
• 12/7-12/8 - PTO Santa Shoppe
• 12/12 - 5th Grade StarBase Field Trip
• 12/12 - School Board Meeting @ 6:30p.m.
• 12/13 - STEM Club
• 12/14 - Elementary Holiday Concert @ 9am
• 12/15 - December Student Birthday Celebrations
• 12/15 - Middle School Choir Concert @ 2:15pm
• 12/20-1/3 - Christmas Break

Email: cjorgensen@falconridgecharter.org
Twitter: @coach_jorgensen