Foster Falcon Newsletter

Every classroom worked on growth mindset this week. Growth mindset means believing you can get better at something with practice, even when it feels hard right now.

We tell students that a hard moment is not a signal to stop. It is a signal that their brain is working. Our fourth graders added a word for that: perseverance. It means keeping going when something is difficult.

Try this at home: When your child says “I can’t do this,” try adding one word: “yet.” It sounds small, but hearing it often really does change how children think.

Mrs. Van Fossen

When you see a red dot posted at our entrance doors, it means we are using our indoor morning arrival:

• Bring your child to the front doors
• Students will go directly to the gym and sit with their class instead of going to their usual outdoor line-up spot

As we prepare for a new school year, please remember that per AASD Board Policy 443.5, elementary students follow a bell-to-bell expectation: personal devices may not be used from the start of the school day until the end, including lunch, and must remain turned off and stored in a backpack. This includes cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, and other wearable technology. To reach your child during the school day, call the office at (920) 852-5470.

SOCKTOBER is a 3rd grade lead fundraiser. Last year they donated one of their highest amounts yet...was it 300? 400? 500? Do you think we can beat it this year?

Start collecting now when the deals from back-to-school are still running!

We are so excited to share that Foster is partnering with the Building for Kids Children's Museum to open Curiosity Classroom, a permanent space in our building where kids get to explore, play, and create. It's the kind of hands-on learning the museum is known for, and it's becoming part of the regular school day.

As a leadership school, this is a perfect fit. In the Curiosity Classroom, students are in charge — they choose what to build, decide what to try next, and figure out what to do when something doesn't work the first time. That's leading your own learning, in the most hands-on way there is. Every class, kindergarten through fifth grade, will have regular time in the space each week, and every student will help care for a room that belongs to all of us.

We're only the second school outside of Chicago to open one. Our staff have spent the summer planning how our students will use the space, and Building for Kids is designing the room, ordering and installing the materials, and training our teachers.

None of this would be possible without two community funders who believed in the idea. Foster was awarded a Big Idea Grant from the Appleton Education Foundation and generous donation from SECURA Insurance, both for this project, and we are grateful to them!

The room opens later this fall, and we can't wait to invite you in for a ribbon cutting once it's ready.

Foster's on-site pantry is stocked by our families, for our families. It's there so that when a need comes up, help is already right down the hall — no forms, no waiting, no questions asked.

We're restocking for the school year and would welcome donations of:

Non-perishable food (canned goods, pasta, rice, cereal, peanut butter, shelf-stable snacks)

Cleaning supplies

Laundry detergent

Items can be dropped off in the front office anytime. Belonging at Foster means looking out for one another, and this is one of the simplest ways we do it. Thank you for taking care of our community!

Foster is a tuition-free public charter school within the Appleton Area School District. Being a charter means we operate under a contract (our "charter") with the AASD School Board. That contract gives us the flexibility to build our school around a clear mission: growing student leaders through Leader in Me, alongside strong academics.

For your family, this means your child gets everything a public school provides, plus a school community with its own focus and identity. Foster also has its own Governance Board, which works alongside school leadership to guide our mission, monitor progress on our charter goals, and oversee funds raised for Foster through grants, donations, and fundraising. Board meetings are open to the public, and families are always welcome.

Want to stay in the loop? Sign up here to get a monthly email with the latest Governance Board meeting agendas and approved minutes: https://forms.gle/9vHJHfE2tUzmeAJ46

The Fine Arts Department is now using IC to collect school instrument rental forms. If your family is renting a school instrument, please complete and submit the form. Only families who are renting school instruments need to respond. (Elementary families only: Filling out this form does not sign your child up for band or strings- please contact the school’s band or strings teacher for enrollment.)

Sep 13.................... 5th Gr. Brat Fry

Sep 15.................... Staff Meeting (Office Closes at 3:30pm)

Sep 16.................... Family Night at Pizza Ranch

Sep 24.................... Freddy Falcon's Color Run 5:45pm (must sign waiver)

Sep 25.................... No School/Boys & Girls Club

Sep 30.................... BGC Talent Show 6pm

📚 Registration for Boys & Girls Club 2026–2027 School Year is OPEN! 💙💛

The Boys & Girls Club is excited to welcome new and returning members for another school year!

Our program offers a safe, supportive, and fun environment where kids can learn, build friendships, complete homework, and participate in exciting activities every day Before and after school.

Don't miss out—spots are limited! Register now to secure your child's place for the 2026–2027 school year.

We can't wait to make another year full of learning, laughter, and unforgettable memories

Every Kindergarten though fifth grade student at Foster is able to have 1 free breakfast and 1 free lunch PER SCHOOL DAY for the 26-27 school year.

If your student has cold lunch, they'll need to purchase a milk, if they prefer milk with their meal. If your student already had one lunch but is still hungry (other than the extra veggies and fruits offered already), they'll need to purchase a FULL meal, in order to get another entree. Prices listed below.

You are more than welcome to send extra items with your student (like a cold lunch) to supplement the free hot lunch if they tend to be picky or a really good eater.

Milk w/cold lunch or Additional Milk........ $0.50

Additional Meal...........................................$3.10

The Foster Charter Board meets at 6:30pm on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, in the Foster LMC. This meeting is held in-person, however an online option is available via Google Meet at this link: https://meet.google.com/pyr-vtfj-jhr . If you have any questions for the board or would like to request childcare for an upcoming meeting, please email FosCharter@gmail.com. Would you like to learn more? Check out their page on the school website!

Foster Family Network (FFN) meets at 5:00pm on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, in the Foster staff lounge (103). This meeting is held in-person, however an online option is available by request via Google Meet with this code: Vgu-agtx-yke . If you have any questions for the group who creates a lot of the family based, after-school events, on and off school grounds, please email stephenfosterffn@gmail.com. Would you like to learn more? Check out their page on the school website or their Facebook page: Foster Falcon FFN-PTO!