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BACK TO SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Welcome new families
and for our returning families, welcome back to school!!
It's going to be a great year!
Thank you to everyone for arriving a little early today and following our new entry and exit procedure, through the front lobby. I know it was a little congested but the first day of school is always the busiest! As a reminder, for the security of the school and your children, all other doors at the front of the building will remained closed at all times. Also please remember:
WALKER PICK UP HAS CHANGED
Walkers (those children not being picked up by bus or car) will now be dismissed in through the front lobby instead of the playground tunnel.
WALKING YOUR CHILD TO CLASSROOMS WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED THIS WEEK
Please make sure to arrive by 7:30 am if you intend to walk your child to his/her classroom. (We have teachers/staff and patrols ready to greet, direct and/or escort your child to his/her classroom too.) Parents must be out of the classrooms by 7:40 am so the instructional day can begin.
Starting Monday August 13th, parents will be asked to leave their children at the door where teachers and staff will help guide them to their classrooms.
DO NOT PARK IN OUR CARPOOL LANES
There were a few folks who parked in our carpool lanes directly in front and along the side of the school this morning. It is essential that you not block the flow of these lanes! Remember, today was one of the busiest days you will see the school in the morning so please park in our designated visitor parking (up on Heaton Park Rd) and walk down to the school building. Here's map you can use to help!
If you did not have a chance to pick up one of the green folders that we were handing out at Open House, please stop by the office and grab one. Each folder has lots of important handouts for you, including our first Fernbank Family Handbook! One of my favorite things is that it details all of the important guidelines that we have set in place for the safety of your children.
I look forward to seeing you at the Welcome Back Picnic, and at our Curriculum Nights - all in the next couple of weeks!
Wishing you a wonderful school year,
Ms. Ray
EVERY CHILD NEEDS A SKETCHBOOK AND 2ND-5TH GRADERS ALSO NEED AN AGENDA
If you purchased our school supplies in advance, either online or at Open House, your child's agenda and sketchbook were included in the sale. If you have purchased supplies on your own, all students are required to purchase one of our sketchbooks, and 2nd-5th graders are required to buy agendas. In the mornings this week, PTA will be selling them (cash or charge) in the lobby or you can stop by the front office (with cash) if you need to buy one! And for families who haven't yet gotten your supplies, here's the list!
NEXT MONDAY, CLUB REGISTRATION OPENS AT 9AM
Fernbank offers a number of after school clubs. Clubs are run and managed by individual vendors who meet Fernbank's requirements and qualifications, or sponsored and led by Fernbank teachers who are assisted by parent volunteers.
Clubs are offered per semester and are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. The fall session registration period begins Monday August 13 and will run through Friday August 17th. Clubs will start meeting in late August and run through mid-December.
To have a look at the clubs that Fernbank will be offering this semester and what days they will be available, visit the club descriptions page on our website.
VOLUNTEERING AT FERNBANK - WE NEED YOU!
Parent involvement makes Fernbank an amazing school! We are asking that families give a minimum of 5 hours per school year to help us keep things running smoothly. Several of you filled out our volunteer survey at Open House - thank you so much! We put each of your names in a drawing for a FREE week of After School Care. CONGRATULATIONS to Yanjie Li who won the free week!
We have one more week of FREE AFTER SCHOOL CARE to give away! This week, everyone that fills out our volunteer survey (if you haven't yet) or signs up to work an the event on our school calendar (see the links embedded in the event descriptions), will be entered to win!
To read more about our parent volunteer groups and the various committees, visit this page in the Get Involved area of our website.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
ASEDP (After care) registration for the 2018-19 school year can be done in the front office. We will give you paperwork to complete. A $25 Registration Fee MUST be turned in with your paperwork. It must be paid by CHECK or CASH ONLY (no credit cards).
WE KEEP ALL OUR EVENTS ON A GOOGLE CALENDAR - FOLLOW US ON YOURS!
On your google calendar, where it says “Add a friend’s calendar”, type in “Fernbank Elementary PTA” and select our account.
You can always find our calendar on our website too at fernbankelementary.com/calendar. Now volunteer sign ups are embedded inside each event's description!
STAYING IN THE KNOW WITH EVERYTHING FERNBANK
There are lots of ways that we stay in touch at Fernbank. You should be receiving Fernbank emails by now, and we encourage you to join our parent discussion group on Facebook. Here's a link to read more about how to join the group, along with how to subscribe to text alerts, and more.
SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR BACK TO SCHOOL PICNIC, NEXT FRIDAY
Friday, August 17th 6pm-8pm: Back to School Picnic - Fernbank Field & Playground
Bring a blanket, chairs, and a picnic to enjoy an evening visiting with Fernbank friends! This is a great way to meet your child's classmates and their parents.
SAVE THE DATE FOR CURRICULUM NIGHTS AND FERNBANK 101
Tuesday, August 21st 6pm: PreK-2nd Curriculum Night & Fernbank 101, the younger years
First, meet your child’s teacher in the classroom to discuss curriculum and expectations for the year. Afterwards, join us in the cafeteria for Fernbank 101, everything you need to know about school!
Wednesday, August 22nd 6pm: 3rd-5th Curriculum Night & Fernbank 101, the older years
First, meet your child’s teacher in the classroom to discuss curriculum and expectations for the year. Afterwards, join us in the cafeteria to learn more about what to expect in 3rd, 4th, 5th & beyond at DHMS.
For any questions related to PTA programs/events or to provide feedback, please email our co-presidents Hillary Kilfeather and Emily Samai at fernbankelementarypta@gmail.com
If you need to publish any information in the Flash digest, you can do so by emailing us at fernbanknewsletter@gmail.com