October 2026

Ferber School Website

Mark Your Calendars!

October 3- Fox Valley Tough Kid Challenge @ Highlands Elementary

October 7- PTO Dine to Donate Qdoba 4-8pm

October 8- Picture Day

October 13- Lions SPOT Vision Screening

October 15- Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7:30 pm

October 20- Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7:15 pm

October 21- Author, Aaron Reynolds Visit

October 29- PTO Trunk or Treat 5:30-7:00 pm

October 30- No School

2025-2026 Appleton Area School District Calendar

Community Opportunities For Students

Lunch Menu

Principal's Corner

Dear Families,

Welcome to October! It is hard to believe we have already completed our first full month of the school year. September was filled with establishing classroom and school-wide expectations, getting to know each of your wonderful children, and wrapping up our beginning-of-the-year assessments. With those foundational weeks behind us, our teachers and students are eager to dive right into the heart of our academic learning, exploration, and growth.

Safety is our number one priority, and I want to extend a sincere thank you to all of our families for your patience, adaptability, and constructive feedback as we transitioned to our new drop-off and pick-up procedures. I am happy to share that the new system is working exceptionally well! Traffic flow has improved significantly, and we are seeing a wonderful increase in students utilizing the west side crosswalk with our crossing guard. Having more families use designated crosswalks keeps our walking paths clear and ultimately makes arrival and dismissal much safer for everyone.

In keeping with our commitment to student safety, we have officially launched our 5th Grade Safety Patrol Program! A dedicated group of 5th graders has stepped up to serve as student leaders during arrival and dismissal. These leaders assist staff, model proper behavior, and help keep their peers safe. We are incredibly proud of their leadership and enthusiasm.

October brings a vibrant mix of educational experiences and community-building activities. Be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming highlights:

Class Field Trips: Various grade levels will be taking hands-on learning beyond the classroom walls this month. Keep an eye out for permission slips and specific date details from your child’s teacher.
Special Author Visit — Aaron Reynolds: We are thrilled to welcome bestselling children's author Aaron Reynolds to our school! A very special thank you to Sara Wayland, our LMC Director, for arranging this exciting educational event for our students.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Partnering with you is key to your child's success. Conference schedules and signup details will be sent home soon so we can celebrate progress and set goals together.
PTO "Dine to Donate" Events: Enjoy a night off from cooking while supporting our school! Watch for announcements from our PTO regarding participating local restaurant partners and dates.
PTO Trunk or Treat: Join us for one of our new favorite fall traditions! Our annual Trunk or Treat is a fantastic way for families to connect, wear costumes, and celebrate as a school community.

To make our annual Trunk or Treat a roaring success, we are collecting, individually wrapped candy and small prize donations. PTO has placed a friendly "Candy Monster" donation container in the main office! If your family would like to contribute, please feel free to drop off the candy/prizes in the office or send it in with your student anytime between now and the event. The Candy Monster is hungry, so let's keep him well-fed!

Thank you for your ongoing support, partnership, and engagement. Together, we are creating a safe, welcoming, and enriching environment where our students can thrive. If you ever have questions or feedback, my door is always open.

Warmly,

Heather Doyle Ostrum

Principal

The Dean's Desk

Positive Expectations!

We are continuing to work on meeting our school-wide expectations of Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe.

If you can continue to have conversations with your child on what this looks like, sounds like, and feels like, that would be wonderful. One main point is using kind words with others and keeping our bodies in our own bubbles.

Feeling Safe At School!

We all want our students to feel safe here at Ferber. As we move into October, I am beginning to see in uptick in rough play, fake fighting, and other things that tend to lead towards unsafe behavior that escalates into somebody getting hurt. When I speak with students, I often tell them that they may be able to play rough with their siblings, cousins, or friends at home, but at school we cannot because there are just too many of them and it tends to go too far. Talking to your child about what play looks like at home versus at school is a great way to reinforce this concept.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I enjoy getting to work with families to help their children have a positive educational experience here at Ferber.

Mrs. Head

(920)852-5465 x26021

headlisa@aasd.k12.wi.us

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

Dear Ferber Families,

We are so glad you are part of the Ferber community! At Ferber, we use Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to teach clear, consistent expectations that help every student thrive. Our three core expectations are simple and meaningful: be safe, be respectful, and be responsible. Together—families, staff, and students—we build a caring school where everyone can learn and grow. October is National Bullying Prevention Month and as a school we will unite by wearing orange on October 21. In addition, below is a resource to use to report an unsafe incident.

Unity Day — October 21, 2026

WEAR ORANGE to show unity for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
This visible message supports that no child should ever experience bullying.

Speak Up Speak Out (SUSO) — Bully & Incident Reporting

If you or your child does not feel comfortable bringing a concern to a Ferber staff member, please use the Speak Up Speak Out (SUSO) App.
Students, families, school staff, and community members can submit a school safety concern by downloading the SUSO app (Android and iOS), submitting a tip online, or calling 1-800-MY-SUSO-1.
It is recommended that users type "AASD" into the search field to see all AASD schools.
SUSO Resource Center staff work around-the-clock to respond to reports and deploy a response locally by communicating directly with school administrators, law enforcement, and counselors. This system is used to identify not just threats to schools, but also other daily safety concerns students encounter, such as bullying, drug use, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and more.

Thank you for your support!

Ferber PBIS Team

School Visitor Guidelines

For the safety and protection of our students, all visitors are required to report to the school office upon entering the building or grounds.

Building principals shall have the authority to determine which visits are to be permitted as well as the discretion to set any appropriate conditions on the nature and extent of such visits. In exercising their discretion, the principals shall consider the purpose of the visit, the impact of the visitor’s presence, and the relationship of any visitor to the students.

All visitors to the schools shall comply at all times with District policies and school rules. The building principal may exclude any visitor from school premises if he/she fails to comply with District policies and school rules, is disruptive to the educational process, threatens the health and safety of students, staff and others at school, or damages school property. Law enforcement authorities may be called if necessary.

In an effort to protect the youngsters in our care during the school day, we attempt to monitor the presence of non-school people in the buildings. Non-school students may visit during the school day but they must be accompanied by an adult relative. Parents are welcome and encouraged to visit the school but it is in our mutual interest that the Board has adopted the following notices:

• Except for faculty and employees of the Appleton Area School District, all registered students of this school, and persons whose presence the principal may deem related to school business, everyone is required to register in the school office for a permit to be in the building during posted school hours.

• The wearing of an identification badge will be required for all staff and visitors.

• At all times loitering in the building, on school premises or school grounds by unauthorized personnel is prohibited.

Health News

Is Your Child Well Enough to Go to School?

It is not always easy to decide if your child is sick enough to stay home or well enough to be in school. Children who come to school are expected, with few exceptions, to participate fully in school activities.

Here are some guidelines that might help in a parent’s decision-making.

Fever: A fever of 100.4 degrees or more signals an illness that is probably going to make a student uncomfortable and unable to function well in class. Your child should stay home until his or her temperature is less than 100.4 degrees (without the use of fever reducing medication) for 24 hours and he/she is feeling better.
Vomiting, Diarrhea or Severe Nausea: These are symptoms that suggest a student to remain at home until a normal diet is tolerated for 24 hours.
Infectious Diseases: Diseases such as impetigo, pink eye with thick drainage, and strep throat require a health care provider’s visits and possibly a prescription for medication. Contacting the health care provider and using the medicine as directed for the full recommended length of time are necessary. A student may return to school 24 hours (or as advised by a healthcare provider) after the first dose of an antibiotic and if he/she is feeling well.
Rashes: Rashes or patches of broken, itchy skin need to be examined by a health care provider if they appear to be spreading, draining or not improving.
Injuries: If a student has an injury that causes continuous discomfort, the student should not attend school until the condition is checked by a healthcare provider or it improves. Injuries that interfere with class participation need a medical evaluation. If participation in physical education classes is not recommended, a health care provider’s excuse is required.

If your child becomes ill in school, we will need to be able to reach you. Please make sure to notify the office of any work or phone number changes as they occur.

If you have further questions, please contact your school nurse through the school office.

Here are some things you can do to help:

Frequent handwashing
Coughing or sneezing into a tissue or sleeve
Drink plenty of water
Eat a well balanced diet
Get adequate sleep

Spanish

Hmong

School Attendance

Running late? Stuck in traffic? Car troubles? Alarm didn't go off? We've all had those days. If you will be dropping of your child late to school, please call and let us know and check them into the office upon your arrival.

Ferber Phone Number: 920-852-5465 Option 1

Student Absences

It’s very important that you notify the school when your child will be absent. This can be done by phone call, email, or parents/guardians can use the Absence Request found on Campus Parent/Parent Portal tool to submit a request that informs the office in advance when their student is not going to be in school.

Ferber Phone Number: 920-852-5465 Option 1

Email: BARRONLEPEEVA@aasd.k12.wi.us or KOEPSELLMANDI@aasd.k12.wi.us

Aaron Reynolds!

Author Aaron Reynolds is coming to Ferber on Wednesday, Oct. 21st!

Aaron will be presenting to all of our students during the morning of Oct. 21st! We are incredibly excited to have him come to Ferber and can’t wait to meet him!

Here is a little information about Aaron:

Aaron Reynolds is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of many highly acclaimed books for

kids including CREEPY CARROTS, CREEPY PAIR OF UNDERWEAR, CREEPY CRAYON,

THE INCREDIBLY DEAD PETS OF REX DEXTER, the FART QUEST series and the brand new

chapter book series JASPER RABBIT’S CREEPY TALES.

He has a passion for kids’ books and seeing kids reading them. He regularly makes time to visit

elementary schools, where his hilarious and heartfelt presentations keep kids spellbound. He lives in Chicago with his wife, two kids, three cats, and anywhere between zero and ten goldfish, depending on the day.

Instrument Rentals

The Fine Arts Department is now using IC to collect school instrument rental forms. If your family is renting a school instrument, please complete and submit the form. Only families who are renting school instruments need to respond. (Elementary families only: Filling out this form does not sign your child up for band or strings- please contact the school’s band or strings teacher for enrollment.)

What's Happening in STEM?

Tri-County Dental

Wisconsin Creates: K-12 Art Contest

Free or Reduced Carry-Over Status Ends October 14, 2026

AASD families approved automatically or through an application for Free or Reduced Meals for the 2025-26 school year, we want to remind you that carry-over status, which allows families time at the start of the school year to submit a new annual application, will expire on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

All families without a current and completed Free or Reduced application will revert to full pay for meals on October 15, 2026. Please submit your completed Free or Reduced application to determine eligibility for meals for the remainder of this school year.

If you think your family may qualify for Free or Reduced meals, or you aren’t sure, we encourage you to annually complete the Free and Reduced meal application online through the Parent Portal. When logging into the Portal, the Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Application is available on the center panel under "Meal Benefits.” Only one application is needed per household.

Please note that families with students who attend a CEP School (Community Eligibility Program) will continue to receive meals at no cost. Families are still encouraged to submit free or reduced meal applications each year. While CEP meals do not require an application, other waivers and benefits do.

Please remember to add money to your meal account if you have not applied for the current year. If you have questions, please email the Food Service staff at foodservice@aasd.k12.wi.us or by phone at (920) 852-5314.

REMINDER: Meal benefits apply only to the reimbursable meal. The reimbursable meal includes milk as one of the required components and must be priced as a unit. If the student decides to take only milk, this is not a reimbursable meal, and the meal account will be charged for the milk as an à la carte item.

Freddy's Lost and Found

Oh, Freddy's Lost and Found is bursting at the seams, With water bottles piled up like wobbly tower dreams! There's sweatshirts stacked so high they nearly touch the sky, And lonely bows and headbands sitting there and wondering why?

Your belongings miss you dearly (yes, even that one sock), So swing by Freddy's Lost and Found before they learn to walk!