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FES Knightly News
Weekly Family Newsletter
Week of October 16th, 2023
Knights ROCK!
You may have heard your child or their teacher mention that Knights ROCK. ROCK is our acronym to help students remember our schoolwide behavior expectations. It is a part of our positive behavior intervention and support system (PBIS) behavior plan. For more about PBIS, click here.
Our ROCK expectations are:
R- Respect self and others
O- Own your actions; be responsible
C- Character counts
K- Keep expectations high; be ready
If your student can live up to these expectations, they should have no trouble being successful at Florence Elementary School. Students receive Dojos for meeting these expectations, and may occasionally receive red Dojos for not meeting these expectations.
New Items and Important News
Suggestions
If you have any suggestions for improving the teaching and learning that takes place at Florence Elementary, please submit them using the form below. This form is available at the bottom of every family newsletter. Please keep your suggestions appropriate and constructive. You may respond anonymously if you choose.
For Your Information
Go Pantry Food Drive (Updated from Last Week)
The Go Pantry Food Drive runs through this Tuesday (October 17th). Send in non-perishable food items (especially apple sauce and/or fruit cups) with your FES student. Send items in between October 10th-13th. Students will deposit them with their teacher. The winning classes will get a reward! All food items are used to feed local children in Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Grant, Owen and Dearborn Counties.
Veteran's Day Celebration (REPEAT FROM LAST WEEK)
While we don't know exactly what we are doing to celebrate our veterans this year, we would like to know WHO to celebrate. If you are a veteran or if you have a family member who deserves our thanks and recognition on this day, please complete the form below. More information about Veteran's Day will be shared as it becomes available. If the form below doesn't load, click here.
Dress Code Reminder (Repeat from Last Week)
According to the dress code that was updated and approved by SBDM last year, shorts are prohibited between fall and spring break. Therefore, students should refrain from wearing shorts starting tomorrow.
Child Development Guide available in French and Spanish (REPEAT FROM LAST WEEK)
Many times it is difficult to know if your young child is displaying appropriate developmental behaviors. For a general guide of what developmental markers students should be displaying at various ages, click here (or see below). This guide has been developed by Northern Kentucky First Steps. Please promote this resource to any families you know who may have children too young to attend school. Early intervention for children with possible developmental delays is crucial to ensuring their success in school. More information about First Steps is available here.
From the Family Resource Center
- Big Smiles will be at school this week and next week.
- Fall Literacy Night is this Thursday from 5:30-7:00pm.
- Pumpkin coloring contest papers due by Oct 27th, voting will take place on Halloween.
Knights of the Week
Congratulations! These students and staff were nominated by teachers because they ROCK!
Preschool – Eliel S. (Lobenstein)
K – Scottlynn S. (Bachman)
1 – Ava H. (Wilson)
2 – Myles B. (Groeschen)
3 – Khloe P. (Timmerding)
4 – Italia T. (Bodenbender)
5 – Keigan B. (Gambrel)
Staff – Ms. Bernert
Meet the Hard Workers in Our Cafeteria!
Ms. Carla Vallandingham
Carla Vallandingham has worked in the FES cafeteria for3 years. She is the only "international" representative in our cafeteria, having grown up in Newfoundland, Canada. There, she attended Morton's Harbour Elementary School. She has 4 cats, and her hobbies are watching TV and playing games. Her daughter, Zoe, is a 5th grader at Florence Elementary. Thanks for all you do, Ms. Carla!
Pictures from Our Past
The old Florence Public School (present day RISE building; attached to Florence Elementary) was the original high school for the city of Florence. The picture below shows the very first graduating class from 1932.
Here's What We're Learning This Week!
Kindergarten
Reading/Writing- We are starting our writing unit with learning about what Writers do. We are excited to do this.
Math-We are learning about 3-D shapes and heavy and light. See if your children can find things around your house for these things.
Science- We are working on weather patterns.
Social Studies- We are learning about community helpers.
1st Grade
Reading/Writing- This week we are doing another author study! We will reading the books of a fan favorite: Mo Willems
Math- As we wrap up with identifying teen numbers we will begin to add three numbers!
Social Studies- We will be identifying and learning about the Kentucky State Symbols!
2nd Grade
Reading/Writing- Students will be learning about why it is important to learn about the animals in our world. Students will also be finding the similarities and differences across the books in this set, discuss why the information is important, and discuss why the authors want you to know or learn from reading these books.
Math- Students will be adding and subtracting two-digit numbers.
Social Studies- Students will be learning and discussing ways that students can be good citizens.
More 2nd Grade Info- Students will be taking the MVPA test next week.
3rd Grade
Reading/Writing- Students will ask and answer questions and make and support logical inferences to construct meaning from the text. Students will be exposed to books that tell about the importance of determination. Students will continue to answer questions using statements. They will continue to support their statements by using evidence from texts.
Math- Students will continue to work on fluently multiplying within 100 and solving word problems.
Social Studies- Students will use economic concepts such as supply, demand, and price to help explain events in China and the US.
4th Grade
Reading/Writing- Students will be reviewing story elements, along with practicing deep understand for plot.
Math- Students will be learning different strategies to solve multidigit equations within addition.
Science- Students will be learning about collision and explaining how energy is seen within collison.
Social Studies- Students will be learning lines of longitude and lines of latitude.
5th Grade
Reading/Writing- Students will use context and word parts to understand vocabulary. In writing students will be working on punctuating titles.
Math- Students will be adding and subtracting decimals to the hundredths place.
Science- Students will be answering the question of "How can I create an ecosystem that will provide all the food you will need?
Social Studies- Students will be learning about the Judicial Branch.
STEM
Kindergarten is learning about weather patterns and seasons. First grade is learning about patterns in the night sky, including the moon and stars. Second grade is continuing to learn about material properties and changes in matter. Third grade is continuing a Project Lead the Way unit on the forces of flight. Fourth grade is continuing a Project Lead the Way unit on energy. Fifth grade is learning about ecosystems.
Physical Education
For the Month of October all Grade Level will focus on throwing and catching skills. Kindergarten will be introduced to throwing cues and catching skills. First grade is learning the cues of a proper throw and catching skills. Second grade is learning the cues to throwing to a target and catching skills. Third grade is reviewing the mechanics of a proper throw and catching skills using a target. Fourth grade is reviewing the mechanics of a proper throw and catching skills using a target Fifth grade is reviewing the throw mechanics and using cues to play a catching and throwing activities. SEL: Practice Kindness
Music
Melody, the main idea of a song and how notes move to create an idea. Line and space names of the treble clef staff. Grades 2-5 will be learning a song about Veterans
Art
K&1 are learning about the ocean and creating different art with ocean animals. 2&3 are creating sea gull collages with several different materials. 4&5 are creating lighthouse collages with several different materials. 2-5 all learned about how to draw cylinders to use in their collages.
From the Cafeteria
SBDM Update (REPEAT FROM LAST WEEK)
The School Based Decision Making Council at FES is made up of the principal (Ryan Burch), three teachers (Alicia Bachman, Abbigail Supe, and Megan Timmerding), and two parents (Alicia Coulter and Vee Miller). This group makes policy decisions and approves some of the school's financial and instructional activities. Meetings are usually held on the first Monday of each month at 4:15 in the FES library. Meetings are open to the public (except for occasional closed sessions). At the September SBDM meeting, council voted to fully allocate funds to enclose our playground in the interest of safety.
The meeting for October has been changed to Monday, October 16th at 4:15.
All of our SBDM policies are available on the FES school website.