NFTN

Dear Falcon families,

As we wrap up the first 30 days of school, I wanted to share our current attendance data. Our goal is 98% attendance schoolwide. For the first 30 days, we had an attendance rate of 96.7%. Please join Mrs. Lucas and our SSA, Ms. Cristina, this Friday for our first Coffee with the Principal at 8:45 am in the MPR. We will be sharing about the importance of school attendance, how it impacts student achievement now and in the future and how good attendance now predicts success in high school and college.

This week we have Parent Conferences. ALL students will be dismissed at 1:15 pm ALL week and WEDNESDAY is a NON-STUDENT day. Please plan accordingly. Students who go to Encore will attend as usual, at dismissal.

Our Scholastic Book Fair will be open during Conference Week on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 1:15 pm. Friday will also be our first Lunch With A Loved One event starting at 12:15 pm. *More information on that coming soon. Kona Ice will also be here on Friday, 9/25 at 1:30 pm.

September 26th is our first Saturday School opportunity for the year for our K-6 grade students. Please complete the google form, if you have not yet, to help us plan for the day. Saturday School is from 8:00-12:15 pm.

TK and Kindergarten families, look for a separate email from Mrs. Lucas inviting all parents to sign up for our amazing, free Words Alive parent and student classes beginning on October 8th. The class is held once a week from 8:30-10:00 am. The first 30 families that sign up will be in the class. It's a great experience for our parents and students and each family will receive a book weekly. A flyer with a QR code to register was sent home a few weeks ago and Mrs. Lucas will reshare it in an email as well. Be on the lookout for it.

Warmly,

Mrs. Lucas

Don't forget, there is a translation button at the top of this newsletter if needed.

We are looking forward to Lunch with a Loved One this Friday from 12:15 - 1:00 pm!

Here is information to make our lunch a fun success:

• Parents will enter through the MPR gate, off Fern Drive. We will open the gate at approx. 12:10 pm and set up for your lunch picnic.
• TK and K parents should plan to enter the campus through the Library gate off Fern Drive. You will be permitted in at approx. 12 pm to set up your location and then walk to their classroom to get your TK/K student. If you are having lunch with an older sibling, you may take your TK/K student with you to the big playground. If you only have a TK/K student, you may eat with your child on the TK/K playground.
• At 12:15 pm, parents in grades 1-3 will go to their child's classroom to meet their child. Students in grades 4-6 will walk out and look for their parent. If you can give them a general area to look, that will be helpful.
• There will be a section of the lunch tables reserved for students who will be having school lunch that may not have a loved one. Please do not sit at those tables. They will be marked.
• When the bell rings at 1:00 pm, 1st-6th grade students will line up and will return to class to be dismissed at 1:15 pm.
• At 1:15 pm, students will be dismissed in our regular routine. Please do NOT park in the drive through lane during Lunch with a Loved One. TK and K students must be walked back to their classroom at the 1:00 pm bell.
• Please bring chairs and blankets for your lunch picnic. Remind your students that they are to play on their designated playground. TK and K will play on the primary playground. Non-school age children are not permitted on the playground.

After school on Friday, we will have the Kona Ice truck and our Book Fair will be open from 1:15-3:15 pm. Students need to be accompanied by an adult at the Book Fair.

GATE SCREENING

GRADES 3 - 6

If you are interested in your child being screened for Gifted and Talented Education Services, please complete the linked form no later than October 2, 2026 at 4:00 pm:

https://bit.ly/ParentRef2627

Or

We would love your input on the Community Schools Climate Survey on this google form. Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback. TY!

Falcons, submit your t-shirt design for our Falcon Dash! The context ends October 26th. You can pick up your contest flyer in the school office.

Please sign up to volunteer, if possible. PTA would like to be open at the hours offered on the flyer but we do need a few more volunteers to make that possible. Use the QR code to sign up to volunteer. Shifts are in 30 minute increments.

Spirit wear sales OPEN NOW through September 26th!

Place your order today. ALL spirit wear will be delivered to your child's classroom upon arrival.

Join us for Falcon fun!

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. Tavera

September 21st-25th ~ Parent Conference Week

September 23rd ~ Non-Student Day

September 25th ~ Coffee with the Principal, 8:45 am

September 25th ~ Lunch With A Loved One, 12:15-1:00 pm

September 26th ~ Saturday School (1 of 3 for the year)

October 7th ~ NATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY

October 7th ~ PTA General Association Mtg, 8:30 am

October 30th ~ MINIMUM DAY FOR ALL STUDENTS

Fern Drive Student Handbook

2026-2027 FSD Student Calendar

Encore Registration Link

School Calendar on the website

Fern Drive PTA

Fern Drive Foundation

FSD Website

2026-2027 Executive Board

Link to FSD website Nutrition Page

Lunch and breakfast will continue to be free for all students daily. We 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.

Email: julie_lucas@myfsd.org
Website: Fern Drive Elementary
Location: 1400 W Fern Drive, Fullerton CA 92883
Phone: 714-447-7710
Instagram: @fern_drive_falcons

Facebook: Fern Drive School Principal