News From The Nest

Hello Falcons families,

Thank you for joining us for our final Read With A Loved One event for the year this past Friday! It has been so heartwarming to see families and loved ones on campus once a month to read with your child, and often times, a few of their friends! We want to thank our Fern Drive Foundation once again for the generous donation of our book cart and books for families to choose from for our monthly event! We know that one of the leading indicators of academic and future career success is a strong foundation in reading. Having the opportunity to read with our kids monthly strengthens this important skill while also providing time to just slow down and connect with your child.

This past week we were able to attend the FETA End of Year Celebration dinner to honor our Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Paiz and our two retirees, Mrs. White and Mr. Conti! We had a wonderful evening honoring these amazing educators and it was an evening very well spent!

As a reminder, Student Council is selling popsicles every Wednesday at lunch. They are one per customer for $1 each. We will also have the Kona Ice truck one last time, this Friday at 2:30 pm.

We have no school next Monday, in observance of Memorial Day. Next week is our last week of school, I can hardly believe it, and we will have our regular schedule all week until Friday when ALL students will be dismissed at 12:00 pm. See the information below about our annual "Clap Out" tradition that will take place on the last day of school for our 6th Grade students and our two retiring teachers, Mrs. White and Mr. Conti!

Finally, a reminder that our 6th grade Promotion will be on Thursday, May 28th at 9:00 am on the black top. Parents and families will be able to enter campus at approximately 8:35 am through the Fern Drive MPR gate.

Go Falcons! 💚

Warmly,

Mrs. Lucas

Mark Your Calendars:

May 25th~ No School, Memorial Day Holiday

May 28th ~ 6th Grade Promotion, 9:00 am

May 29th ~ Last day of school, DISMISSAL 12:00 pm

It is with a great happiness that I officially share that Mr. Conti and Mrs. White will be retiring at the end of this school year! It is for sure very bittersweet news to share! 💚🤍

Mrs. White has been at Fern Drive for her entire 31 year career, joining the Nest in 1995. For most of those years, except the past two, she taught first grade, teaching generations of students to read and write as well as all the other skills that come along with being a first grader! Her warmth and expertise will be greatly missed but we wish her the very best as she heads into a very well earned retirement.

Mr. Conti joined the Nest in 2001, always teaching sixth grade! He has helped prepare our students for junior high as well as safely guiding them to sixth grade camp. Additionally, he has been a founding member of our Fern Drive Foundation, helping to raise thousands of dollars that have positively impacted every student at Fern Drive! He too will be greatly missed, especially his homemade Italian ice!

We know our two beloved teachers will enjoy their retirement and we expect we'll see them pop in every now and then at events and possibly even subbing in our classrooms. 😊

Mrs. White and Mr. Conti, cheers to you, your time, love, dedication and commitment to our Fern Drive families and staff over the years! Once a Falcon, always a Falcon!

On the last day of school, 5/29/26, we will have Clap Out for our 6th graders to send them off to Junior High and we will be clapping out Mrs. White and Mr. Conti as they head into a well earned retirement.

As we do each year, we will have our K-5th students create a giant tunnel that will lead to the Kindergarten gate where our sixth graders will exit for a final time. Our sixth grade Falcons will walk through the tunnel as the rest of our Falcons cheer them on and wish them well. TK families, please look for specific instructions from your class teacher regarding Clap Out.

I ask that we reserve the quad area closest to the gate for our sixth grade families so that they may be there to meet their sixth grader and take pictures as the leave Fern Drive. School is dismissed at 12:00 pm and our sixth graders will begin their walk through the tunnel at approx. 11:50 am. Once they're through all our TK-5th grade students will be dismissed from their teacher as they normally dismiss from each day and summer vacation will begin!

Each Friday this month, we will have a school spirit day. Join your class this Friday by wearing your school appropriate pajmas!

PTA will be selling leis for 6th grader Promotion. See the details below!

Please take a moment to click on the QR code and take the End of Year Survey from our PTA.

Your input is greatly valued and appreciated!

Our free library got a refresh, thanks to our Fern Drive Foundation and local artist, Priscilla Moreno! She worked with our Foundation President and Board to design an update that is beautiful and inspires a love of reading! Thank you, @preemoreno!

Encore Program registration for the 2026–2027 school year will be open from May 1 through June 15, 2026.

Current and new families interested in enrolling their student should complete registration through 6Crickets during this window. Please refer to the attached flyers for program details and the direct registration link .

Don’t miss this opportunity to secure your student’s spot!

If you have questions, please reach out directly to our Encore Programs office at 714-447-7477.

Attendance is key in student achievement and success at school.

Thank you for ensuring your Falcon attends school on time every day that they are healthy.

If your child will be absent, please use this google form to clear their absence. You may also call the school attendance line to clear an absence. Independent Study MUST be requested on THE DAY of the absence. For vacations, parents must request Independent Study TWO weeks before the absence.

Each week we hold a raffle for class attendance. Each day, if the class has 100% attendance, the teacher sends a raffle coupon up to the office. On Friday's we draw a primary and upper grade class winner. The winning class receives 3 class Gotcha's, a 10 minute extra recess and has the Falcon mascot in their room for the week.

This week's winners are:

Primary - Mrs. Campos

Upper grades - Mrs. Gambrell

End of the Year Information about Independent Study

The application window for Independent Study PE is open May 1 through May 29 for the upcoming 26-27 school year. ISPE is an option for students in grades 7–8 who are engaged in national or international level athletic training, averaging 10 or more hours per week Monday through Friday, as an alternative to traditional PE.

For more information, please visit the ISPE website. If you have questions or would like next steps, please contact danielle_guerrero@myfsd.org or 714-447-2870 during the application window.

As we head into the winter months, students are often home ill. If your child is absent, you can request Independent Study to make up the absence on their attendance. You MUST request it on the first day of the absence. There is a spot on the google attendance form to request this. If your child is absent, you MUST clear their attendance with either the ABSENCE google form or a call to our office attendance line so that the absence does not become a truancy. TY!

Here is our May update from Student Council. Read carefully to see the latest spirit dates.

Link to FSD website Nutrition Page

Lunch and breakfast will continue to be free for all students daily. We will still do a lunch count daily so please discuss with your student the importance to take a correct lunch count. Some students bring a lunch to school and then at lunchtime go get a school lunch. This results in some lunch shortages of the choice meal that day. Lunch options are still available and all children will be fed but often when this happens, the "lunch of the day" runs out. Please review with students the importance of this an accurate lunch count.

Month of May PTA update.

Each month, be sure to take a look at the latest news and events from PTA.

Our 25-26 Foundation Board Members

President, Kristen Jones

Vice President, George Benfit

Secretary, Nanette Roller

Treasurer, Joe Conti

• The PowerSchool Parent Portal will be live beginning Fri, 8/8. If your child took the state test last spring, you can find their CAASPP test scores there.
• Fern Drive School Handbook
• Fern Drive Website
• FSD Website
• Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Follow Fern Drive on IG: fern_drive_falcons

Follow our PTA on IG: ferndrivepta

Follow our Foundation on IG: ferndrivefoundation