Fulton Focus

FPS students, staff, and families,

It has been a great start to the year and it feels like fall is finally here. I just hope it sticks around a while before winter. Students are finishing up fall activities and I encourage everyone to get out to support them. They have worked hard and are continuing to get recognized for their success. We are looking forward to family conferences towards the end of the month, but don’t hesitate to reach out before then with questions or concerns. Lastly, climate and culture surveys will be coming soon and we ask that you take the time to provide feedback so we can continue to improve.

Thank you for sharing your students with us. It’s always a great day to be a Hornet!

Ty A. Crain, Superintendent

As part of our District's Strategic Plan, we will be surveying students (grades 6-12), parents/guardians, and staff to gather information to assess the climate and culture of Fulton Public Schools. These anonymous surveys will be emailed to the respective groups Monday, October 23rd and the findings will be used to support continuous improvement planning. We encourage you to take this opportunity to provide your feedback on our schools.

Students (grades 6-12) will receive 2 surveys; the School Quality Survey, and the Student Engagement Survey.

Parents/Guardians will receive the School Quality Survey.

Staff will receive 2 surveys, the School Quality Survey, and the Employee Engagement Survey.

Please look for these surveys in your email Monday, October 23rd. Also, please note that the surveys will close Friday, November 3rd.

All 6 of our buildings will have Chromebooks set up during Fall Conferences allowing families the opportunity to complete the survey.

Below is a PDF print of each of the surveys for your review.

School Quality Survey

Student Engagement Survey

Employee Engagement Survey

A feature within Infinite Campus allows families to see their students' attendance history and receive notifications when attendance has been updated (marked Absent, Tardy, etc.) These notifications will be sent via the methods chosen in your notification settings.

If you would like to no longer receive notifications when your student’s attendance has been updated, please follow these steps:

1. In the top right corner, select the Account Icon and choose “Settings”.
2. Select “Notification Settings”.
3. Uncheck the boxes next to “Attendance”.

It is important to note that you can still view your student’s attendance regardless of the notification preferences you set.

Please reach out to your student’s school if you have any questions.

Easy access to staff directories, school calendars, lunch menus, news and so much more!!!

Android: https://tinyurl.com/5cu8mrku

Apple: https://tinyurl.com/2vy7jsma

Fulton Public Schools saw a significant improvement in student attendance during the 2022-23 school year. The end-of-year attendance rate of 81.55%, a 6.65% improvement in attendance from the previous school year.

State Attendance Target: 90% of students attending 90% of the time.

Sometime between October 31st and November 10th, Fulton Public Schools, in collaboration with the University of Missouri, will be administering a universal screener to students in grades 3-12 for social, emotional, and academic behavior. The purpose of this screener is to help us identify students who may be at risk and need support with paying attention, completing tasks, regulating emotions, creating positive peer relationships, and managing negative emotions like stress and worry. This screener does not diagnose or identify a student with mental health illnesses or a disability. Following the completion of the screener, building staff will review the results to inform interventions designed to improve student skills

Students in grades 5-12: During registration/enrollment, you indicated your preference for your student to participate or not participate in this screener. If there has not been a change in this preference, no further action is required. If you have questions about your student’s participation, please call Central Office at (573) 590-8000 prior to October 20th, 2023. If your preference for participation has changed, please fill out the second page of this form and return it to Central Office prior to October 20th, 2023.

Students in grades 3 & 4: During registration/enrollment, you were not able to indicate your preference for your student to participate or not participate in this screener. Each elementary building principal will be sending communication to families with information on the process for choosing not to participate.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Odyssey, a platform that helps states connect families to public funding and education services, announced the launch of the Missouri Close the Gap Grant program. This is a one-time grant of up to $1,500 for parents/guardians who reside in Missouri to use for allowable education expenses. Applications are now open and must be submitted by October 25, 2023.

To be eligible for the grant, students must be a Missouri resident and be enrolled in grades K-12 in a Missouri public school district or charter school. Per state statute, the distribution of funds will be prioritized for families whose income is below 185 percent of the federal poverty level. If sufficient funds are available after those below 185 percent of the federal poverty level receive funds, families at or above that poverty level may receive funds.

Close the Gap Grant applications will be administered on Odyssey's website, where families can access both the application and the Odyssey Marketplace. Listed below are additional program details and allowable educational expenses.

Program Details:

• Parents/guardians will need to create an Odyssey account to submit an application.
• If the system is unable to verify income level or residency through an automated process, parents/guardians will be requested to submit additional information.

Allowable educational expenses include

• Instructional resource materials;
• Tutoring;
• Academic day or summer camps;
• Computer equipment;
• Internet connectivity;
• Before- and afterschool educational programs;
• Course fees and textbooks;
• Online access for an academic app or subscription;
• Education, learning, or study skills services;
• Arts-related day or summer camps; and
• Art enrichment.

2023-24 Free & Reduced Meal Application PDF

This form must be completed each year to qualify. Unsure if you qualify, complete the form, and our Food Service Department will process it and let you know!

Completed applications can be dropped off at our Central Office (2 Hornet Drive), during Open House, or sent in with your student on the first day of school.

If you have any questions, please contact our Food Service Department at 573.590.8045.

The Fulton Public School District relies heavily on email and text messaging for communications with parents.

Please make sure your email address and phone number are correct in your Parent Portal.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Communication is a vital part of the school experience!

Fulton Public Schools will be utilizing a new provider for mass notifications. You will now receive texts from a new shortcode "60680".

You will not need to do anything to continue receiving these messages.

*Direct Report from our SIS System - only household parents will receive messages.

"Honoring Our Hornets" is a way for you to express your gratitude to any Fulton Public Schools employee who goes above and beyond what is expected. Anyone can submit an "Honoring Our Hornets" nomination for any Fulton Public Schools employee.

*Recipients will be selected monthly from the nominations received.

Submit An "Honoring Our Hornets" Today!

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, pursuant to Section 170.048, RSMo, developed a model policy for suicide awareness and prevention. All school districts had to have a policy in place by July 1, 2018. One of the components of this policy is that students will receive age-appropriate information and instruction on suicide awareness and prevention starting no later than 5th grade.

Fulton Public School social workers/home school liaisons will be presenting information to students about mental health, well-being, and suicide prevention and awareness during the month of November. The curriculum at the 5th-grade level will be about being safe, how to handle situations when they feel someone is not being safe, and how to talk to a trusted adult. Middle school and high school lessons will address the following topics at an age-appropriate level:

1. Promotion of a climate that encourages peer referral and which emphasizes school connectedness.

2. Recognition of the signs that they or peers are at risk for suicide.

3. Identify issues that may lead to suicide, including depression, anxiety, anger, and drug/alcohol dependency.

4. Directive to not make promises of confidence when they are concerned about peer suicide.

5. Identify a trusted adult on campus with whom students can discuss concerns about suicide.

If you would like to review the suicide curriculum for a particular grade level, have questions about your child’s participation, or would prefer your child not participate in the curriculum, please get in touch with your child’s counseling office by October 27th.

You may have noticed a new School Violence Tip Line link on our Fulton58 website under the For Parents and Community tab. This is an anonymous tip line linked to the Missouri Highway Patrol's Courage2Report Missouri. To prevent school violence, they offer three ways to anonymously report a concern. When a tip is submitted it immediately goes to law enforcement and notifies the school administrators. Please take the time to watch the video below, and to read the Student and Parent Frequently Asked Questions.

October 30, 2023 - No School - Earned Day Off

November 6, 2023 - No School - Teacher PD

November 8, 2023 - Board of Education Meeting - FHS Library - 7pm

November 22-24, 2023 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

December 4, 2023 - No School - Teacher PD

December 13, 2023 - Board of Education Meeting - FHS Library - 7pm

December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 - No School - Winter Break

Email: communications@fulton58.org
Website: www.fulton58.org
Location: 2 Hornet Drive, Fulton, MO
Phone: 573-590-8000

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It's a Great Day to be a Hornet!

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