FALCON FAMILY NEWS

Message From the NFES Admin Team

Welcome Back, Falcon Families!

We hope you and your family have had a wonderful summer filled with time to relax, recharge, and make lasting memories. We are excited to welcome everyone back for another incredible school year at North Frederick Elementary! Our staff has been hard at work preparing for the return of our students, and we can’t wait to see our Falcons back in the building.

This is our final summer edition of Falcon Family News. Beginning on the first day of school, our regular biweekly newsletters will resume with updates, celebrations, and important information throughout the school year.

Important Reminders

🚗 Car Rider Arrival and Dismissal

Please take a few minutes to carefully review our arrival and dismissal procedures. Following these expectations helps keep traffic moving safely and ensures a smooth experience for all students and families. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xHoY4MVUHPDhQ3a0R_KjyR-lzdJVmpJS-IwoWbeF9pI/edit?usp=sharing

🚌 Bus Transportation Information

Frederick County Public Schools transitioned to a new student information database this summer, which has delayed some transportation information from rolling over. Please use the link below to access the most current bus stop locations and pick-up/drop-off times. https://www.fcps.org/schools/bus_information

📬 Missed Our July Newsletter?

If you did not receive our newsletter that was shared at the beginning of July, we’ve included the link below so you don’t miss any important back-to-school information.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to welcoming our Falcon families back very soon for another amazing year of learning, growth, and success. https://app.smore.com/n/fmnw6-falcon-family-news

One Team. One Dream. Go Falcons!

Tracy Poquette-Principal

Angela Roland-Assistant Principal

Sarah Ford-Rodgers- Specialized Programs Coordinator

NFES School Hours

Students will arrive between 7:50 AM-8:15 AM

Instruction starts at 8:20 AM (Students who arrive after 8:20 will be marked late.)

Dismissal will begin at 2:50 PM

Important Dates

Mon, August 17th: Meet the Teacher grades 1-5 2:30-3:10
Mon, August 17th: Back to School Night PK/K/Expressions 3:20-4:10
Wed, August 19th: 1st Day of School for Students grades 1-5; first day of staggered start for Kindergarten; PK family conferences
Thur, August 20th: 2nd day of staggered start for Kindergarten; PK family conferences
Fri, August 21st: 3rd day of staggered start for Kindergarten; 1st day of staggered start for Pre-K
Mon, August 24th: All kindergarten students report for day 2; 2nd day of PK staggered start
Tue, August 25th: final day PK staggered start
Wed, August 26th: All PK come to school
Thur, September 3rd: Back to School Night Grades 1-5 4:45-6:00
Mon, September 7th: Labor Day No School

26.27 Staff List

2026-2027 School Meals and Meal Benefits

2026-2027 Lunch Cost: $2.95

Students at NFES receive a free breakfast

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2026-2027 Free and Reduced-price Meal Benefits

Apply Online at LINQConnect.com

IMPORTANT: Families must be approved each new school year. Even if your student has been approved every previous school year, please contact the FNS office to verify current meal benefit status. Last year’s benefits only carry over for the first 30 school days. Without a 2026-2027 meal benefits approval, your student(s) will have to pay for meals starting Thursday, October, 1st.

If you received a 2026-2027 NOTICE TO HOUSEHOLDS OF MEAL BENEFIT APPROVAL or NOTICE OF DIRECT CERTIFICATION Email or Letter, do NOT complete an application. IMPORTANT: Contact the FNS Office to verify 2026-2027 Meal Benefits status of any children in your household NOT listed on letter.
If any children in your household receive SNAP or TCA BENEFITS, do NOT complete an application. IMPORTANT: Contact the FNS office by phone or email to verify 2026-2027 meal benefit status.

North Frederick ES T-Shirts

Last year, North Frederick Elementary purchased a school spirit T-shirt for every student. We intentionally ordered sizes that we hoped would fit each child for several years while they attend North Frederick.

This year, we will provide a free spirit T-shirt to all students who are new to North Frederick Elementary. These shirts are worn for field trips, spirit days, track meet, challenge 24 tournament and any other school wide events.

If you would like to purchase an additional spirit T-shirt for your child, please complete this Google Form https://forms.gle/YYruWoTP5fUaHzxk8 by listing your child's name and requested size. The cost is $10 per shirt, and payment must be made through SchoolCash Online. Important- the 26.27 SchoolCash online will be open beginning Monday, July 20th.

Please note that we are only able to order shirts that have been paid for. After submitting this Google Form https://forms.gle/YYruWoTP5fUaHzxk8, be sure to complete your payment through SchoolCash Online to ensure your order is included. (SchoolCash online opens July 20th)

If you need support with School Cash Online, please reach out to Melissa Bishop in the front office.

https://FrederickCounty.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/67724/82/False/True Thank you for your continued support in helping us provide the best possible experience for our Falcons.

Information Worth Repeating

26.27 NFES School Supply List

Smooth Rides Start Here! (Car Rider Dismissal 26.27)

After seeing the positive impact of our revised car rider dismissal procedures last year, we are excited to continue the process this year with a few adjustments designed to further improve efficiency and safety.

For our NEW NFES families: To ensure a safe and efficient dismissal for all students, it is important that every family follows our car rider procedures and arrival timeline. Arriving too early causes traffic to back up onto Motter Avenue, creating a safety concern for our students, families, and the surrounding community. By following the designated arrival times outlined below, you help us keep traffic moving smoothly and dismissal running safely.

All Specialized Programs families will be invited to pick up in the back of the school from 2:30-2:40. If you miss that window, no worries, you can join the car rider line in the front of the building.
All PK & K families will have a window from 2:45-2:55 before students in 1-5 are dismissed. If you miss that window, no worries, you are welcome to pick up until 3:15 each day.
All 1-5 families will have a window of 2:55-3:20 to pick up your car rider.

*Car Rider tags will be distributed to all families on Monday, August 17th during Meet the Teacher.*

FCPS Volunteers- REQUIRED to chaperone field trips, volunteer in the classroom or for class parties

Family and community members interested in volunteering should begin the volunteer process by visiting our FCPS Volunteer Webpage. Applicants will be directed to:

Complete a registration form.
Complete a training module on Unified Talent.
Await school approval on application.
Sign-up for volunteer opportunities facilitated by individual schools.

*Complete ONE registration form only per person. Additional school selections may be added after original approval. Please note: To avoid delays, you must complete the registration form and training using the exact same full name and email address each time. Do not use nicknames, abbreviations, hyphen variations, or alternate spellings or email addresses.

The volunteer registration and training process is completed annually for each school year. Volunteers must complete the process before being signed up for volunteer opportunities. FCPS encourages family and community members interested in volunteering to complete the process early as processing times can vary.

For technical support in Unified Talent, volunteer applicants may contact unifiedtalent@fcps.org. For all other volunteer related questions, volunteer applicants may contact: FCPSVolunteers@fcps.org. FCPS is grateful for the generous support from our family and community volunteers.

Visitors: Individuals attending school events (e.g., awards ceremonies, assemblies, or having lunch with your child) do not need to register as volunteers. Visitors must:

Bring valid identification and complete a Raptor screening each time they enter a school building.

Volunteers: Volunteers are individuals who support and interact with students under staff supervision (e.g., assisting in classrooms, assisting in the lunchrooms, class parties or chaperoning field trips). Volunteers must:

Complete required training module (above).
Upon arrival, they must present valid identification and undergo a Raptor screening.

July 13th Falcon Family Newsletter

NFES Family Handbook

NFES 26.27 PTA

26.27 PTA Officers:

President – Alicia Graves

Vice President –Grant Otto

Secretary – Jaclyn Bowens

Treasurer – Sarah Kurtanich

We want YOU….for the 2026-27 NFES PTA!

Want to lend a hand with fun and engaging school activities for our kids, but don’t have unlimited time to give? We’re always looking for enthusiastic parents, guardians, and caregivers to support our school community! Your level of commitment is completely up to you.

26.27 FCPS School Calendar

STAY INFORMED

Communication is very important to your child’s success at school and we want to keep you informed of what is going on at North Frederick Elementary School. We do not want you to miss important information.