FTE Family Newsletter
Dear FTE Families,
I hope your summer has been filled with moments that have brought you joy, laughter, rest, and time with the people you love most. Whether your days have been packed with adventures or simply enjoyed at a slower pace, I hope you've been able to make memories that will carry you into a wonderful new school year.
If we haven't had the chance to meet yet, I'm Shelly, and I have the incredible privilege of serving as principal at FTE. As I begin my 11th year here, I find myself just as grateful, and honestly, just as excited, as I was on day one. I often say how blessed I am to be part of this community, but those words never seem quite big enough. I truly love our families, your amazing children, and the extraordinary staff I get to serve alongside every day. Thank you for trusting us with what matters most to you.
One of the things I love most about FTE is that we believe growth is a lifelong journey. We encourage our students to embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and understand that progress matters more than perfection. The older I get, the more I realize that lesson isn't just for children—it's for all of us. Every school year brings new opportunities to learn, grow, and become a better leader, colleague, and person than I was the day before. I believe growth begins with the right attitude, is fueled by consistent effort, and happens one day at a time. My goal has never been perfection, it's simply to be a little better every day.
Part of that growth comes from listening. I genuinely value thoughtful feedback and welcome it because I know it helps me become better—for our students, our staff, and our families. The most meaningful feedback is offered with both honesty and grace by people who care deeply about our school and want to see us continue to thrive. Those conversations are gifts, and I'm thankful for every opportunity to learn from them.
As always, I'm spending this summer soaking up time with family and friends, finding reasons to smile, and thanking God for His many blessings. Like many of you, I know life isn't always easy and every family carries challenges that aren't always visible. My prayer is that, even on the difficult days, you're able to find moments of hope, kindness, and goodness. Sometimes they're found in the smallest places, so keep looking for the good!
I can't wait to welcome everyone back for another incredible year. There is truly no place I'd rather be than at FTE, surrounded by the best students, the most dedicated staff, and families who care so deeply about this community. It is an honor and a privilege to spend my days with your children, and I never take that responsibility for granted.
Here's to another amazing year of learning, growing, laughing, and making memories together. As always, thank you for allowing us to be part of your family's story.
You Matter.
So Grateful For You,
Shelly
Joining our 2nd grade team is Emilie Ketterman. Emilie is excited to join the FTE family and brings with her 17 years of experience in the Gettysburg Area School District and a genuine passion for helping every child succeed. She holds a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Elementary Education along with a Math Coaching Certification. Emilie believes in building strong relationships with students and families where all children feel welcomed, supported, and encouraged to do their best. She lives in the Cashtown area with her family and they love this school. Emilie is grateful for their love and support as she begins this new chapter where their children started school many years ago. Emilie is looking forward to meeting all the new families and having a wonderful year at Franklin Township Elementary.
A new addition to our 3rd grade team is Mason Ferguson. This will be Mason's 1st year teaching at Franklin Township Elementary, following his experience as a student teacher at James Gettys Elementary; he is familiar with our district! Mason has lived in Adams County his entire life and is a graduate of Upper Adams School District. Mason graduated from Shippensburg University with his Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. A fun fact about Mason is that he has worked in the FTE Head Start classroom a few times. Mason is looking forward to this upcoming school year and is very excited to join Franklin Township Elementary.
We're also excited to introduce Marian Taylor-Bower who is our new evening shift custodian. Marian was born and raised in Berwick, PA - home of the Berwick Bulldogs! In 2002, Marian moved to sunny Ft. Pierce, FL and worked at QVC for 7 years until the hurricanes brought her to Gettysburg. She worked at Gettysburg College Food Services for 12 years; this led her to Gettysburg Area Middle School for 3.5 years, until recently transfering to FTE. Marian has 2 adult children, 5 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild. Marian lives in Gettysburg with her cat, Ashley whom she adores. A fun fact about Marian is that she loves Penn State football and soap operas.
August 4 Kindergarten Screening
August 6 Kindergarten Home Visits
August 17 Warrior Welcome 5:00pm (students NEW to FTE in grades 1-5)
August 17 Kindergarten Orientation 6:00-7:30pm
August 19 1st Day of School for Students
August 20 Back To School Night Grades 1-5; 6:00-7:30pm (see below)
September 3 Family Fun Night (Hotdogs, Chips, and drinks) - FTE Playground; 5:00-7:00pm
September 7 No School; Labor Day Holiday
As we welcome a new school year, we look forward to continuing to build a school community where every student feels valued, safe, supported, and respected. At FTE, the Warrior Way serves as the foundation for how we learn, work together, and care for one another each day. Throughout the year, our staff will intentionally model these values and provide students with opportunities to practice them through their words, choices, and actions, helping to create a positive school culture where everyone can thrive.
We know that students are most successful when school and home work together. We encourage families to reinforce the Warrior Way by talking with their children about the 4 B's: Be Here, Be Involved, Be Committed, Be Kind....ultimately leading to positive choices each day. When students see these values modeled and encouraged both at school and at home, they are better equipped to build strong character and contribute to a caring, supportive community.
FTE’s Warrior Way
· Be Here: Every Day, On Time, Ready to Learn
· Be Involved: Participate, Engage, Be All In
· Be Committed: Be Responsible, Make Safe Choices, Have Ownership for Actions and Learning
· Be Kind: Show Respect, Include Others
One of the easiest ways to help lost items find their way home is by labeling your child's belongings. Please be sure jackets, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, lunch boxes, water bottles, backpacks, and other personal items have your child's name on them. Every year, our Lost and Found fills with unclaimed items, and we know these are things families have worked hard to provide. We never like seeing clothing and other belongings go unclaimed when a simple name label could help reunite them with their owners. Thank you for taking a few extra moments to label your child's belongings and helping us keep our Lost and Found to a minimum!
Celebrating birthdays is one of the many ways we help make students feel special at school! Throughout the year, teachers recognize each child's birthday in thoughtful and meaningful ways. If your child would like to celebrate with classmates, we encourage sending non-food items such as pencils, stickers, and/or bookmarks.
To help keep all students safe and to support our district's wellness guidelines, outside food, drinks, and candy may not be brought to school for birthday celebrations. Families who wish to provide a birthday treat are welcome to contact their child's teacher about Smart Snack-approved options available through the GASD Food Service Department. These treats meet all district nutritional requirements and can be ordered directly through Food Service.
Thank you for partnering with us to make birthday celebrations fun, safe, and inclusive for every student!
Reading is an important part of your child’s day at FTE, and reading at home plays a key role in helping students grow as readers. Our benchmark testing shows that students who read at home often make above-average reading progress. Here are a few tips to help build a reading routine at home:
1. Read together – Reading with your child is powerful. You can take turns reading, read to your child, or simply read side by side.
2. Encourage re-reading – If your child says, “I already read that,” encourage them to read it again! Re-reading helps build reading skills and confidence.
3. Make it fun – Turn reading into an enjoyable activity! Build a reading fort, read outside, or have your child read to a pet, stuffed animal, or even over the phone to a friend or family member.
We strongly encourage regular at-home reading; our local library is a great resource for this. If you need support getting started, the FTE Reading Team is here to help, please reach out!
