FALCON FAMILY NEWS

Dear North Frederick Parents and Guardians,

Hello North Frederick Falcons! We want to officially welcome all of you to the 2026-27 School Year! For those of you who are new to our school, we want you to know that you are coming to an absolutely wonderful place. We are so delighted that you are part of our amazing learning community. We welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education, and we look forward to working with you and your children.

Excitement is building as we count down to the start of another wonderful school year. Behind the scenes, many people are working together to ensure a successful start. Our office staff is preparing schedules, registering new students, and organizing important materials. Our custodial team is carefully preparing the building so that every space is welcoming and ready for learning. At the same time, our PTA is planning events and opportunities that help strengthen connections between home and school.

Mrs. Poquette, Mrs. Roland and Mrs. Ford-Rodgers will be outside of NFES on Wednesday, August 5th from 9:00-9:45. We'll have books, popsicles and teacher assignment letters. We would love for you to stop by and introduce yourself if we haven't had the opportunity to meet. If you are unable to attend, we will mail your Teacher Assignment letter to you and your children on August 6th. You will also have access to your child's teacher through Schoology.

We look forward to seeing all 1st-5th graders at our Meet the Teacher Open House on Monday, August 17th from 2:30-3:10 PM. This is an opportunity for an informal meet and greet with your child's teacher. This will be held on our blacktop outside the school. Each grade level will have a designated color. You will look for the color of balloons assigned to your child's grade. More information to come about balloon colors in your "Teacher Assignment Letter". PK, K and Specialized Programs will have their "Meet the Teacher" with the Back to School event. (See information below)

We will hold two Back to School "Nights" so we can accommodate all families in our building. Please plan on joining us on:

• PK/K/Specialized Programs: August 17th 3:20-4:10 (Please plan to attend for the entire hour.)
• 1st-5th Grades: September 3rd 4:45-6:00 (Teachers will hold two exact presentations to accommodate families with two or more children in grades 1-5. The first presentation will begin promptly at 5:00, and the second will begin at 5:30. Doors will close at 5:40 so please plan to arrive on time for the start of the presentation.

The main office open throughout the summer, so please feel free to contact us should you have any questions in preparation for the upcoming school year. Summer office hours are Monday-Thursday 7:30 AM-3:30 PM. We are open from 3:30-5:00 by appointments only. We are looking forward to partnering with you!

Tracy Poquette-Principal

Angela Roland-Assistant Principal

Sarah Ford-Rodgers- Specialized Programs Coordinator

Students will arrive between 7:50 AM-8:15 AM

Instruction starts at 8:20 AM (Students who arrive after 8:20 will be marked late.)

Dismissal will begin at 2:50 PM

After seeing the positive impact of our revised car rider dismissal procedures last year, we are excited to continue the process this year with a few adjustments designed to further improve efficiency and safety.

For our NEW NFES families: To ensure a safe and efficient dismissal for all students, it is important that every family follows our car rider procedures and arrival timeline. Arriving too early causes traffic to back up onto Motter Avenue, creating a safety concern for our students, families, and the surrounding community. By following the designated arrival times outlined below, you help us keep traffic moving smoothly and dismissal running safely.

• All Specialized Programs families will be invited to pick up in the back of the school from 2:30-2:40. If you miss that window, no worries, you can join the car rider line in the front of the building.
• All PK & K families will have a window from 2:45-2:55 before students in 1-5 are dismissed. If you miss that window, no worries, you are welcome to pick up until 3:15 each day.
• All 1-5 families will have a window of 2:55-3:20 to pick up your car rider.

*Car Rider tags will be distributed to all families on Monday, August 17th during Meet the Teacher.*

Last year, North Frederick Elementary purchased a school spirit T-shirt for every student. We intentionally ordered sizes that we hoped would fit each child for several years while they attend North Frederick.

This year, we will provide a free spirit T-shirt to all students who are new to North Frederick Elementary. These shirts are worn for field trips, spirit days, track meet, challenge 24 tournament and any other school wide events.

If you would like to purchase an additional spirit T-shirt for your child, please complete this Google Form https://forms.gle/YYruWoTP5fUaHzxk8 by listing your child's name and requested size. The cost is $10 per shirt, and payment must be made through SchoolCash Online. Important- the 26.27 SchoolCash online will be open beginning Monday, July 20th.

Please note that we are only able to order shirts that have been paid for. After submitting this Google Form https://forms.gle/YYruWoTP5fUaHzxk8, be sure to complete your payment through SchoolCash Online to ensure your order is included. (SchoolCash online opens July 20th)

If you need support with School Cash Online, please reach out to Melissa Bishop in the front office.

https://www.schoolcashonline.com/ Thank you for your continued support in helping us provide the best possible experience for our Falcons.

• Wed, August 5th: Teacher Letter Distribution 9:00-9:45
• Mon, August 17th: Meet the Teacher grades 1-5 2:30-3:10
• Mon, August 17th: Back to School Night PK/K/Expressions 3:20-4:10
• Wed, August 19th: 1st Day of School for Students
• Thur, September 3rd: Back to School Night Grades 1-5 4:45-6:00
• Mon, September 7th: Labor Day No School

Information Worth Repeating

Link to the online secured portal is found under “Enrollment”:

https://www.fcps.org/families_students/enrollment

Important information:

PreK: child must be 4 on or before September 1st

*PreK acceptance is based upon income eligibility criteria

Kindergarten: child must be 5 on or before September 1st

Please have with you:

*Child’s birth certificate

*Proof of residency in Frederick County, MD – current Electric, Gas, Water bill, current property tax bill or signed rental agreement;

*FCPS Parent Residence Affidavit Multi Family-Form (notarized) (if applicable)

*Immunization record

*Parent Photo Identification

For PreK only:

*Copy of Current Verification Letters from FCDSS for FSP and/or TCA benefits OR

* Total Household Gross Income must be verified for each household member receiving income

to be considered for placement in Pre-K:

• Provide one of the following documentation for each income source:

1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Current letter of Verification

1. Most Recent W-2 form(s) for all Household Members

1. Most Recent Tax Return(s) for all Household Members

Please note: a Household Member includes anyone who is living with you and shares income and expenses, even if not related

FCPS Food & Nutrition Services will be serving a free breakfast and a lunch at various open sites to anyone in the community 18 years old or younger. Those over 18, who are enrolled in an educational program for people with disabilities, will also be served.

This program will be available from Monday, June 22, 2026 – Thursday, August 6, 2026.

Meals served Monday - Thursday
Breakfast will be served from 8:30am-9:30am
Lunch will be served from 12:00pm – 12:30pm

Meals will not be served on Thursday, July 2 or Friday, July 3rd, 2026.

Free Breakfast and Lunch will be served Monday – Thursday at the following sites:

Butterfly Ridge Elementary School
Entrance point will be located at the front doors of the school
Breakfast: 8:30am-9:30am
Lunch: 12:00pm-12:30pm

Lincoln Elementary School
Entrance point will be the side doors located at the cafeteria
Breakfast: 8:30am-9:30am
Lunch: 12:00pm-12:30pm

Waverley Elementary School
Entrance point will be located at the front doors of the school
Breakfast: 8:30am-9:30am
Lunch: 12:00pm-12:30pm

Please note:

• Children must be present to get a meal
• A child or adult cannot pick up a meal for a child who is not present
• All meals must be consumed at the site where the meals are served
• Children cannot take meals home
• Meals will not be served on July 2nd or July 3rd, 2026.

The last day of summer meals service to the community will be Thursday August 6th, 2026.

If you have questions, contact FCPS Food and Nutrition Services at 240-586-8152.

Family and community members interested in volunteering should begin the volunteer process by visiting our FCPS Volunteer Webpage. Applicants will be directed to:

1. Complete a registration form.
2. Complete a training module on Unified Talent.
3. Await school approval on application.
4. Sign-up for volunteer opportunities facilitated by individual schools.

*Complete ONE registration form only per person. Additional school selections may be added after original approval. Please note: To avoid delays, you must complete the registration form and training using the exact same full name and email address each time. Do not use nicknames, abbreviations, hyphen variations, or alternate spellings or email addresses.

The volunteer registration and training process is completed annually for each school year. Volunteers must complete the process before being signed up for volunteer opportunities. FCPS encourages family and community members interested in volunteering to complete the process early as processing times can vary.

For technical support in Unified Talent, volunteer applicants may contact unifiedtalent@fcps.org. For all other volunteer related questions, volunteer applicants may contact: FCPSVolunteers@fcps.org. FCPS is grateful for the generous support from our family and community volunteers.

• Visitors: Individuals attending school events (e.g., awards ceremonies, assemblies) do not need to register as volunteers. Visitors must:

• Bring valid identification and complete a Raptor screening each time they enter a school building.

• Volunteers: Volunteers are individuals who support and interact with students under staff supervision (e.g., assisting in classrooms, lunchrooms, class parties or chaperoning field trips). Volunteers must:

• Complete required training module (above).

• Upon arrival, they must present valid identification and undergo a Raptor screening.

President – Alicia Graves

Vice President –Grant Otto

Secretary – Jaclyn Bowens

Treasurer – Sarah Kurtanich

We want YOU….for the 2026-27 NFES PTA!

Want to lend a hand with fun and engaging school activities for our kids, but don’t have unlimited time to give? We’re always looking for enthusiastic parents, guardians, and caregivers to support our school community! Your level of commitment is completely up to you.

Communication is very important to your child’s success at school and we want to keep you informed of what is going on at North Frederick Elementary School. We do not want you to miss important information.

• FCPS School Messenger

• Twitter: @FCPS_Poquette

• PTA Facebook page: North Frederick Elementary School PTA

• North Frederick Elementary Website: https://edu.fcps.org/nfes/home

Mrs. Angela Roland: Assistant Principal

Mrs. Sarah Ford-Rodgers: Specialized Programs Coordinator

Mrs. Melissa Bishop: Administrative Secretary

Mrs. Alex Brown: Front Office Secretary

Location: 1010 Fairview Avenue, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: 227.203.1480