FTE September Family Newsletter
Dear FTE Families,
What a wonderful start to another school year! There is something special about the beginning of a new year with all of the excitement in our hallways, the smiles at arrival, new friendships forming, and the countless little moments that remind us why we do what we do. It has been such a joy to welcome our students back and watch them settle into their classrooms, reconnect with friends, and begin another year of learning and growing. It's also our privilege to get to welcome all of our new Warriors!
At FTE, we believe that growth is a journey and should be celebrated. We are committed to being better every day—because there is always an opportunity to learn, reflect, and improve. We want to take what we find here each day—what is working, what challenges us, what our students need, and what we learn from one another—and use it to make tomorrow even better.
That same mindset extends to our teamwork with you. We are incredibly grateful for the trust you place in us each day. Your support, communication, encouragement, and partnership make such a difference in the lives of our entire school team, and especially the kids. We will not always get everything perfect, but we will always strive to listen, learn, and do what is best for our students.
Thank you for sharing your kids with us. They bring so much energy, personality, curiosity, and joy to FTE--we feel incredibly fortunate to be part of their journey. We are excited for all that this year will bring and look forward to celebrating the growth, successes, challenges, and little victories along the way.
As always, if there is something we can do better, please let us know. If we don't know, we can't grow. Together, we can continue to make FTE an even better place for every child, every family, and every member of our school community.
Here’s to a year of growing, learning, and getting better every day—together.
With Gratitude,
Shelly
Attendance
Please note that if your child is absent for any reason, an excuse must be sent in to school or entered in Family Access within three (3) school days of the absence. District policy for absences are:
- 3 unexcused absences = AIP Meeting (Attendance Improvement Plan)
- 4 or more unexcused absences = Magistrate
- 5-9 absences (both excused/unexcused) = Dr. Warning Letter
- 10 or more absences (both excused/unexcused) = Dr. Note Required
- Educational trips - not to exceed a total of eight school days during a school year. An "Educational Trip Form" shall be completed and returned to the office no later than seven (7) days prior to the trip. Educational trips shall not be approved for the first or last 10 days of school and during state testing because this is a critical time during the educational process.
Excuses can be sent to school with your child, emailed to adiaz@gasd-pa.org or entered into Family Access (FTE’s preferred method). Here are Directions on how to enter absence requests through Family Access. Contact April Diaz at 717-334-6254 option 6 or adiaz@gasd-pa.org for any questions on attendance.
Lunch Visits
To help us prepare for visitors and maintain a safe and orderly lunch environment, all lunch visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance by completing the Lunch Visitor Request Form. Visitors must check in at the main office upon arrival and obtain a visitor's badge before proceeding to the cafeteria. To ensure consistency and avoid concerns related to food allergies, student requests, and equity among students, outside meals purchased from restaurants or other food establishments may not be brought into the cafeteria for a lunch visit. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the school lunch with their child and may purchase a school meal at the current district lunch price.
Visitors - Use of Cell Phones
To help maintain a safe and respectful learning environment and protect student privacy, visitors are asked to keep cell phones silenced and stored away during any school visits. Photographs, videos, and audio recordings are not permitted while visiting the school unless authorized by school administration. We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to welcoming you to our school.
Chaperoning Field Trips
Parents/guardians wishing to chaperone their child’s field trip will be required to obtain the necessary clearances and volunteer approval prior to participating. All necessary clearances and approval must be submitted to the main office (1) month prior to the scheduled field trip, no exceptions.
Computer User Fees
Each student in the Laptop Program is required to pay an annual Technology Use Fee. This annual and non-refundable fee will be $30 for the 2026-27 school year. This fee covers the laptop only for one free repair (battery is not covered). Any additional repairs will be charged to the parents at the cost of the repair. The annual Technology Use Fee will not cover negligent, malicious, or willful damage to the laptop and/or accessories. Parents/students will be responsible for the full costs associated with negligent, malicious, or willful damage of the laptop and/or accessories. Multiple claims by the same student will be reviewed by the administration and appropriate action taken, including but not limited to disciplinary action or restricted access. Financial Hardships Participants in GASD's free/reduced price lunch program will receive a discounted annual Technology Use Fee. Neither the Annual Technology Use Fee nor the Repair/ Replacement Deductible will cover intentional/negligent damage or loss to the laptop and/or accessories. For all other parties, if the fee creates a financial hardship on the student or parent, please contact the school administration for your building about payment options. Unpaid fees will place students on the obligation list. Financial obligations may accrue late charges. Payments can be made via cash, check (payable to GASD) or the GASD Web store
The Mobile Agriculture Education Science Lab is a 40-foot mobile classroom that travels across the state of Pennsylvania bringing an interactive field trip style experience directly to schools and students in grades K-8. The Mobile Ag Lab is equipped with over 30 STEM-based science experiments and lessons, a certified teacher, and all the supplies needed for a hands-on learning experience. Each science experiment is designed to emphasize a different aspect of agriculture, including Pennsylvania’s commodities, the environment, biotechnology, food and fiber. While on our lab, students work cooperatively to solve a problem as they form a hypothesis, collect data and draw conclusions while focusing on the scientific method. Each lesson on the Mobile Ag Lab focuses on increasing student knowledge on the importance of agriculture and its impact on their daily lives.
Each of the classrooms at FTE will visit the Ag Lab once during the week of 9/22-9/25.
At FTE, the Warrior Way serves as the foundation for how we learn, work together, and care for one another each day. Throughout the year, our staff will intentionally model these values and provide students with opportunities to practice them through their words, choices, and actions, helping to create a positive school culture where everyone can thrive.
We know that students are most successful when school and home work together. We encourage families to reinforce the Warrior Way by talking with their children about the 4 B's: Be Here, Be Involved, Be Committed, Be Kind....ultimately leading to positive choices each day. When students see these values modeled and encouraged both at school and at home, they are better equipped to build strong character and contribute to a caring, supportive community.
FTE’s Warrior Way
· Be Here: Every Day, On Time, Ready to Learn
· Be Involved: Participate, Engage, Be All In
· Be Committed: Be Responsible, Make Safe Choices, Have Ownership for Actions and Learning
· Be Kind: Show Respect, Include Others
It’s been wonderful having your children join us for a new school year! What is the most reliable predictor of success in life? Many would instinctively think, “IQ” or “socioeconomic status”. As influential as those factors can be, current research indicates that executive functioning (EF) takes top billing in the play of success in life. Throughout this school year, I will include helpful pieces of information regarding EF and how to facilitate EF skills development in your children. Let’s begin with learning more about what EF is with this informative video from Harvard University’s Center for the Developing Child. Looking forward to a wonderful school year full of growth through effort and positive attitudes!
~ Mr. Hogg, School Counselor
Welcome Back!
I hope all of our students and families had a safe, healthy, and enjoyable summer. As we begin a new school year, please review the following important information from the Health Office.
Please complete and return your child’s PINK Health Survey Form as soon as possible. This information helps us provide the best possible care for your child while at school.
If your child needs to take a routine medication during the school day that is not included on the bottom of the Health Survey Form, a new Medication Permission Form must be completed. Medication forms are renewed each school year and require signatures from both the parent/guardian and medical provider. All medication must be brought by an adult to the School Nurse in its original packaging or properly labeled prescription bottle. If your child has a food allergy or requires a special dietary accommodation, please notify the Health Office to receive the Medical Plan of Care for School Food Service form to have your physician to complete.
School Dental Program- This year, paper registration forms will not be sent home for the School Dental Program. Families who would like to participate should register online. Dental screenings for students in Kindergarten, 3rd grade, and 5th grade are required by the state each year, similar to our required vision and hearing screenings. School Dental Screenings at FTE will be held Tuesday, September 22, 2026. If the Health Office has not received a Private Dentist Examination Report completed after August 20, 2025, or other communication regarding your child's dental examination by September 20, 2026, students in Kindergarten, 3rd, and 5th grades will receive the school dental screening. The school dental screening is a visual examination of your child’s teeth at no cost to you and will fulfill the school dental screening requirement for the year.
The first School Dental Visit will be Tuesday, October 27, 2026 and is available to any student in the school who is registered for the program.
If you have any questions, concerns, or health information you would like to discuss regarding your child, please feel free to contact me at rmead@gasd-pa.org.
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy school year!
Rachel Mead, RN
School Nurse
In Kindergarten, we’re having a fantastic time learning our classroom routines and discovering what it means to be a Warrior! We’ve been enjoying nursery rhymes and exploring story elements like characters and events. Excitingly, we’ll soon dive into the world of the Five Senses! The Kindergarteners have been having a blast with our daily calendar activities and watching our number line grow each day. It’s amazing to see how much both our number line and our students have blossomed already this year! Alongside all this learning, we’re also focusing on being kind friends, using helpful hands, and embracing the Warrior Way. It’s shaping up to be a wonderful year ahead!
~ Mrs. Canning, Mrs. Forbes, & Mrs. Roberts
