FES Monthly Newsletter

Hello FES Families!

I hope this message finds you well as we move through the first part of December. We have some fun and festive events coming up for the rest of the month!

🎶 Special Performance

• 2nd Grade Christmas Concert

• When: This Thursday at 7:00 PM

• Where: Alverson Center at the High School

• Come enjoy a wonderful performance by our 2nd graders!

🎁 Shopping & Celebrations

• Holiday Shop

  • When: Monday, December 8 – Friday, December 12

• Holiday Parties

• When: Next Thursday

• Please contact your child's teacher for specific details regarding times and classroom needs.

🎉 Spirit Week (Next Week)

Get ready to show your school spirit! Here are the themes for the entire week:

• Monday: Candy Cane Day! Wear Red and White

• Tuesday: Holiday Hat/Headwear Day! 🎅

• Wednesday: Plaid or Flannel Day

• Thursday: Christmas Sweater/Shirt Day

• Friday: Comfy, Cozy Pajama Day

🐾 Giving Back: Community Drives

• Animal Shelter Donation Drive

• Our high school's National Honor Society (NHS) is collecting clean, gently used blankets and soft, washable stuffed animals to be donated to our local animal shelter. These items help provide warmth and comfort to animals awaiting adoption.

• Collection boxes will be available in the main office starting soon. Thank you for helping our furry friends!

We encourage you to check your student's backpacks regularly for specific times, permission slips, and updates on these events. Your involvement makes our school a vibrant place to learn!

Dear FES Parents and Guardians,

The cold weather is officially here! We love seeing our students enjoy outdoor recess, but to ensure they stay warm, safe, and happy while outside, we need your help in making sure they are properly dressed each day.

Here are the essential winter items your child (age 5-8) should be wearing or bringing to school:

• Warm Winter Coat: Essential for staying warm outdoors.

• Hat: Critical for keeping heat in!

• Gloves or Mittens: A helpful hint: Mittens are often warmer than gloves, especially for younger hands. Please try to send waterproof or water-resistant gloves/mittens. Cloth gloves get wet very quickly and will not keep your child's hands warm and dry during recess play.

• Snow Pants: These are necessary for playing in the snow and keeping clothes dry. If your child wants to play on the snowbanks, they must have snow pants.

• Warm Boots: Waterproof boots are the best choice for snowy and wet conditions. Please make sure students have a separate pair of indoor shoes to change into.

Helpful Hints for Our Youngest Students

• Label Everything! Please write your child's name clearly on all hats, gloves, coats, and snow pants. This helps us return misplaced items quickly.

• Keep Spares: Consider keeping a spare pair of socks and maybe even an extra pair of gloves in your child’s backpack just in case their items get wet during the day.

• Pace Yourself in the Hallway: Remind students to carry their coats, snow pants, hats, and mittens as they enter the building. Trying to wear all the gear inside can make them very hot and uncomfortable before they get to their locker.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students warm, dry, and ready to learn this winter!

We are launching a challenge for all families! The greatest gift you can give your child for the winter season is the ability to dress themselves independently!

Please practice the following skills at home:

1. Putting on all outerwear (coat, snow pants, boots, hat, gloves) without adult assistance.

2. Zipping their coat all the way up (this takes coordination!).

3. Putting gloves/mittens on and tucking them under coat sleeves.

Practicing these skills helps students get ready for recess and pack up for home much faster, giving them more time for learning and play.

We are reaching out to our wonderful school community with a small request that can make a big difference for our younger students.

Throughout the school year, we occasionally have minor accidents or spills that require a quick change of clothes for our children. While we always try to contact parents, having a small, readily available stash of clean, spare clothing at school helps us handle these situations immediately, allowing the child to return to learning quickly and comfortably.

We are hoping to replenish our emergency clothing supply and are kindly asking for donations of gently used and clean items that your child may have recently outgrown.

• We are currently accepting:

  • Pants (sweatpants, leggings, or soft trousers)

  • Shirts (T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts)

  • Underwear (new only, please)

• Sizes needed: Primarily Kindergarten through 2nd grade sizes (4T to Youth 8/10).

How to Donate: Please drop off your labeled donation bag at the Main Office anytime during school hours.

Thank you so much for your generosity and for helping us ensure all of our students have a comfortable and successful school day. Your support means the world to our staff and students!

December

Holiday Shop - December 8th-12th

2nd Grade Concert - December 11th

Shop with a 1st responder - December 12th

Holiday Spirit Week - December 15th-19th

Holiday Parties - December 18th

Pajama Day/Polar Express Day - December 19th

• 2025 Holiday Food and Gift Programs
• Food Programs and Pantry List

https://milivcounty.gov/hscb/resources/

Drop Off

If you are parking in the parking lot, please make sure that when you are dropping off your child that you are walking them all the way across the parking lot and to the entrance. This is to keep your child safe from crossing vehicles and ensure that they make it to the school safely.

If you are going to use the drop off line please be sure to stay in your vehicle at all times. If you need to get out of your vehicle for any reason, please pull into a parking space.

Pick Up

When you are coming to pick up your child, be sure to make contact with your child's teacher to ensure that your child is being picked up by the appropriate person. Be careful when exiting the parking lot as well, we have already had a few incidents and would appreciate no more.

We know life happens, but consistent attendance is one of the biggest factors in a child’s success at school — both academically and socially.

• If your child must leave for an appointment, call the office (517-223-6400) ahead of time so we can have them ready.

• Please limit early pickups and tardies when possible — those minutes add up quickly.

Stacey Pace (President): ptchtsmith@gmail.com

Shelley Szuran (Vice President)

Kristen Robinson (Treasurer): ptchtsmithtreasurer@gmail.com

Shelby Palarchio (Secretary)

Krystal Sweet (Teacher Liason)