News From The Nest

Can you believe it?! Our first day of school is tomorrow and we are so excited to see our Falcons, both returning and new!

Please take some time to read through the information here as it will help to ensure a smooth and fun first day and opening week!

Remember school begins at 8:25 AM

Students should be on campus no later than the 8:22 AM warning bell in order to not be tardy. Thank you for getting your children to school on time and helping them to begin building routines to be a successful adult later in life too.

Parents of students in grades 1-6 are welcome onto campus in the morning on Monday and Tuesday this week. TK/K & SDC parents are welcome all the first week. Teachers in grades 1-6 will have their name in chalk on the blacktop where their class should line up. Students in grades 1-3 will line up on the primary playground and students in grades 4-6 will line up on the upper grade playground.

All parents are welcome to join our weekly flag assembly on Friday mornings at 8:25 AM on the upper grade blacktop. Friday assemblies will begin this Friday.

If you were not able to attend last Thursday's Popsicles with the Principal, parents can log in to their Powerschool Parent Portal account to see who's class their child is in this year.

Again this year, school breakfast and lunch are available at NO cost for all Fern students. It is important for your child to know if they will be ordering a school lunch or bringing their own each morning when the teacher is taking lunch count. Therefore, we ask that you tell your child if they have a home lunch in their backpack or will be ordering a lunch. Thank you!

A few more helpful reminders:

• Our TK and K students in our GE classes (Mrs. Drew, Mrs. Taylor & Mrs. Valenzuela) will dismiss at 12:00 pm tomorrow. Lunch will be served prior to dismissal.
• Every Wednesday is early release, at 1:15 pm, for ALL students.
• School hours (Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri): 1st-6th grade: 8:25 am -2:50 pm TK/K: 8:25 am -2:30 pm
• Parents picking up through the carline, grades 1-6 only, MUST have a car placard sign for their front windshield. If you need one, they are available in the office. See below for a reminder about our dismissal procedures. ONLY our 4th-6th grade students should be exiting our Fern Drive gate, next to the MPR, to meet parents. **TK/K (general Ed & SDC) parents who park on Fern Dr. may enter through the Fern Dr/Library gate.

Mark your calendars for our annual BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Thursday, August 21st. 5:30 PM - 7:20 PM

Follow Fern Drive on IG: fern_drive_falcons

Follow our PTA on IG: ferndrivepta

Follow our Foundation on IG: ferndrivefoundation

Dismissal Procedure: We want to ensure student, staff and family safety AND a smooth and timely dismissal each day. Please follow the procedures here to ensure we are all following the same system. When we all follow these procedures, we will have this new routine down in no time. THANK YOU for keeping our students, staff and families safe!

*If you need a name placard, stop in the office to get one. TY!

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ ALL OF THIS INFORMATION:

General Dismissal Guidelines:

• TK and K students are dismissed daily at 2:30 pm except on Wednesday when ALL students are dismissed at 1:15 pm.

• 1st-6th grade students are dismissed at 2:50 every day but Wednesday, when ALL students are dismissed at 1:15 pm..

• Cars are NOT permitted to be parked and left in the pick up lane at any time. If parents need to exit their car, they must park in an appropriate spot on Fern Dr or Pico. Staff parking spots are reserved for staff only. We have TWO marked visitor spots in the parallel parking spots as well as two designated handicap spots for those who have a placard. Parents should NOT block driveways. Please be courteous and kind to our neighbors.

• Parents of 1st-3rd graders should wait outside the MAIN gate if they are picking their student up at the gate. (Gates are marked with signs)

• Students being picked up by car will wait in our designated waiting area and will be called over our carline speaker to meet their parent's car when called. Students are not to be instructed by parents to leave the gates and walk to the carline on their own through any of the gates.

• Parents using the pick up car lane MUST have their name placard in the front windshield of their car. This is how we’ll know which students to call for pick up.

• Parents, please help this system be successful by reminding your child to listen for their name to be called. Please clearly communicate to your child what their dismissal routine will be and where you will meet them; car line, Main Gate, Fern Drive/Library Gate, The Lab, etc.

• Please be on time for pick up each day. If you need childcare, you can contact The Lab for availability.

Students Walking Home or Meeting Parents at the Gate:

• Grades 1-3:

• All parents must wait at the Main Gate for students who are walking or being met to walk to a parked car.

• Grades 4-6:

• Students not being picked up in the carline may exit the Fern Drive/Library Gate at dismissal. If they are walking to meet a parent parked on Fern Drive, they should exit this gate as well.

• 4-6 grade students meeting a younger sibling to walk or to meet parents must meet their sibling at the “sibling spot” (students will learn where this location is, which is outside Mr. Conti’s classroom) and then walk to meet their parent at their pick up location.

• ALL students, grades 1-6, being picked up in our carline must wait in our designated waiting area and then exit from our Dismissal Gate when their name is called to go to their parent’s car.

Students being picked up in the car line: Will exit the dismissal gate called by the teacher on duty.

• Students being picked up in the car line in our lot will walk to the front of the school, with their teacher, and wait in our designated dismissal waiting area to be called via speaker to walk to the car line and meet their parent at their car.

• When parents enter the pick up lane, they MUST pull as far forward as possible and wait there for their student(s).

• Students will be called via speaker to walk to the car pick up line. Students MUST enter their parents car from the sidewalk side of the car. Students are NOT permitted to walk into the parking lot to get into their car.

• Parents should not exit their car to put backpacks, etc into the car. Please teach your child to independently put their backpack into your car.

• Once students are in the car, parents should carefully and with caution exit the pick up lane. All cars should continue pulling as far forward as possible.

TK and Kindergarten students:

• All students MUST be met at their designated TK/K gate by a parent/guardian. Students will be released to their parent/guardian when the teacher has made eye contact. Parents should not crowd the gate and should not enter the gates while students are being dismissed.

• Parents waiting for older siblings are not permitted to park in the pick up lane and exit their car. You must find an appropriate parking spot either in the lot or on the street. When the 2:50 pm dismissal bell rings, parents should be waiting by the MAIN gate to pick up their children in grades 1-6.

Getting to a Parked Car in the Parking Lot- all grades:

• We have a designated crossing area, at the top of the pick up lane, that parents and students MUST use to cross the parking lot safely to get to their parked car. The designated crossing area, at the top of the pick up lane, is between the two white lines.

• NO students will be permitted to cross the parking lot without an adult guardian.

• Parents may NOT pull into the drive through lane, (the outside lane, not along the sidewalk), and waive their child to their car. All students being picked up by car MUST enter their parent's car in the pick up lane, next to the sidewalk.

TK : Mrs. Taylor, Rm K2

TK: Mrs. Drew, Rm 9

K: Mrs. Valenzuela, Rm K2

1st Gr: Mrs. Campos, Rm 2

2nd Gr: Mrs. White, Rm 6

3rd Gr: Miss Mitchell, Rm 16

3rd Gr: Mrs. Stewart, Rm 15

4th Gr: Mrs. Price, Rm 14

4th/5th Gr: Mrs. Holbrook, Rm 12

5th Gr: Mrs. Tavera, Rm 13

5th/6th Gr: Mr. Rabenston, Rm 10

6th Gr: Mr. Conti, Rm 7

ELA RTI: Mrs. Kim, Rm 1

Math RTI: Mrs. Sanchez, Rm 9 (T, W, TH)

SDC, Gr. 1-3: Mr. Hernandez, Rm 19

SDC, Gr. 4-6: Mrs. Gambrell, Rm 18

SDC, Gr. TK/K: Miss Doan, Rm 1

SDC, Gr. 1-3: Miss Morales, Rm 4

RSP: Mrs. Paiz, Rm 11

PE: Mr. Rizzi

Speech: Miss Ruiz, Rm 17

General Music: Ms. Vo, Rm 25

Band: Mr. Hernandez, Rm 25

We look forward to our seeing you at our annual Back to School Night on 8/21/25.

This evening is intended for PARENTS only as it is your evening to meet the teacher and learn about the year ahead.

5:30-6:00 PM ~ Principal Welcome, Staff Introduction & our first General Association Meeting

for the year at the lunch tables

6:00-6:40 PM & 6:40-7:20 PM ~ Classroom Presentations in classroom

*Classroom presentations will be the same for each session

*PTA Membership will be available, as will Spirit Wear

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.

• You can drop off meds anytime starting now between 9 AM - 2 PM through the first day of school.
• You will need the IHP form - linked here

A reminder, if your child will need crutches or a cast and/or splint to begin the year, or any time during the year, please fill out this form and bring your child by the office to check in. We will need to ensure their safety prior to entering campus.

As always, please call the office with any health-related information, questions and/or concerns regarding your child.

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