F.E.S. Points of P.R.I.D.E.

News from the Principal

The safety and well-being of every individual in our school are our top priorities. Our administrative team is deeply committed to doing everything in our power to ensure that our building remains a safe environment for both students and staff. Practicing safety drills at the elementary school level is a critical part of that effort, as preparation is key to keeping everyone safe in the event of an emergency.

ConVal School District is continuing the process of enhancing the way we respond to school emergencies. All schools in the state are required to practice annual intruder drills per RSA 189:64 Amendment. In the past we have practiced lockdown and shelter in place as a way of keeping students safe in the case of an emergency such as an intruder. In these more traditional drills, students and staff were told to remain seated, stay together, and be quiet.

Over time schools and agencies have determined that there are better ways to keep children safe if these types of situations arise. 3,700 K-12 schools and 900 universities have implemented a training called ALICE. ALICE is an acronym which means Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. The U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security has supported ALICE and other similar training for schools. Why? The training teaches adults and students to be alert, hide, run, etc. based on the event. The ALICE protocol is designed to enhance the safety and to provide additional opportunities to increase the safety of those in a building if an intruder enters.

What does an ALICE Drill look like at the Elementary Level?

Prior to the drill, teachers will follow an elementary, developmentally appropriate lesson that teaches students to follow directions in an emergency situation. Students will learn:

Alert: We will tell students, staff, and parents ahead of time that we are practicing an ALICE drill. We will announce “This is a drill. This is a drill. Intruder in the building. Staff use enhanced lockdown.”

Lockdown: We will continue to lock doors and secure areas. Students should be silent, listening to adults and ready to follow directions.

Inform: Keeping the staff and students informed continually allows for good decision making.Teachers will inform students where to go and what to do.

Counter: This is a component to ALICE that elementary students will NOT train or practice.

Evacuate: This is a choice for the adults in the classroom to direct students to do in an actual emergency.

All of our elementary personnel have received training on the ALICE protocol. Resources appropriate for elementary students explaining the ALICE safety protocol are available and will be used to guide the explanation and discussion with students. Students will be told that the word “intruder” is used for anyone on our property or in our school and we do not know why they are here. The focus will be for students to follow teacher directions.

We thank you for your support as we implement this important school safety protocol.

P.R.I.D.E. Day

Ms. Parisi's Grade 3-4 students lead us in our F.E.S. very first P.R.I.D.E. Day today! The assembly was focused on what it means to be part of a unique group (we are the FES Lions and part of our own pride), what each letter of the word P.R.I.D.E. means and what it looks like to others. P.R.I.D.E. stands for Positive, Responsible, Independent, Determined and Empathetic. Other activities included reviewing school-wide expectations, singing songs, celebrating birthdays for the months of August and September sharing examples student work. Ms. Parisi's Grade 3-4 students shared their hopes and dreams. Each class turned in "P.R.I.D.E. paws" that they earned from demonstrating these characteristics. We made the September goal of 10 P.R.I.D.E. Paws and with that, the students will be able to decide on a special celebration for all their hard work. Families ate lunch with their children and some joined for recess. Look forward to next month's P.R.I.D.E. meeting on October 31 at 11:30am!

News from our K-1 Class with Mrs. Ramey

In Social Studies: We focused on the book, “Chester’s Way,” by Kevin Henkes. We discussed how we can be respectful to others and wrote down ways we could be respectful throughout the day. In Science: We finished up with our Butterfly Life Cycle Unit. We have learned so much! Have your child tell you something that they have learned.

Students worked hard on the NWEA testing this week!

Special Soup and a Wonderful Open House!

Mrs Carbonneau’s class has been learning about our personal identities and that families have all kinds of differences! We had a great Open House!

Next week, we will join our school in creating a soup for our Community Supper event at the Francestown Town Hall on Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 5:30pm. Our class will prepare ingredients for a special soup! We hope you enjoy it!

Join Us in Town for Community Supper!

Just ONE WEEK until the Community Supper—and we’re short on food!

Our PTO is reaching out with a sincere and urgent plea.

Our beloved Community Supper is just one week away, and right now, we do not have enough food to feed our neighbors. This event is a tradition that brings warmth, connection, and comfort to so many in town—but it can’t happen without your help.

We are in critical need of:

Soups – hearty, warm, and comforting
Breads – homemade or store-bought, sliced or rolls
Baked Goods – cookies, bars, cakes, anything sweet to share

If you’ve been thinking of helping but haven’t signed up yet—now is the time. Even one contribution makes a big difference. And if you can’t cook, no worries—a trip to the bakery or grocery store works just as well!

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025 Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm Location: Our Town Hall

Sign Up Here (we need you!):

Sign up here!

Let’s show what our small but mighty school community can do. FES is known for its heart—let’s fill this table together and make sure no one walks away hungry.

With gratitude and hope,
Your FES PTO