10.30.26 Collins Connection

Hello Collins Families,

What an amazing week to be a Husky! Thank you to our entire Collins community for coming together for our fundraising efforts, dress-up days, and Husky Hike. We had such a blast celebrating what makes Collins so special! An extra BIG thank-you to all of our volunteers who counted what felt like endless amounts of change during our Change Wars. We are incredibly lucky to have such a supportive community of families who show up for our students and school. I can’t wait to see if we reached our $30,000 goal, which means I might be getting slimed next week! Stay tuned!

Thank you, too, for your patience and flexibility with our pick-up line this week. We had a bus canceled for the week, which meant about 70 additional students needed to be picked up by car. We appreciate your understanding as we work through the extra traffic and keep dismissal safe and smooth for everyone.

I’m looking forward to seeing many of you at our parade this afternoon! Go Huskies!

Natalie Bice
Principal

2 Hour Early Release

As part of our ongoing commitment to safety and security, FHPS is introducing a new visitor management system in all of our schools this November. The system keeps track of who is in our buildings at all times, so we can continue providing a safe and welcoming environment for students, staff, and families.

When you visit any FHPS school during the school day, there are two important things to remember:

1. Always enter through the main entrance and check in with the office staff.

2. If your visit will take you beyond the main office, for example, to volunteer or read to a class, bring a valid government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID.

If you’ll be going beyond the office, here’s what to expect when you arrive:

• Enter the secure vestibule area inside the main school entrance. Press the security door buzzer, and proceed to the main office. Scan your ID using the designated iPad and follow the directions posted at each iPad kiosk. If you need assistance, an office member can help you.

• Scan your ID at the kiosk each time you visit.

• The system reads your name, photo, and date of birth from your ID. It then runs a brief background check against the sex offender registry and any flags or local alerts entered by school personnel.

• Once you’re cleared, the kiosk prints a visitor sticker. Visitors must wear their sticker where staff can easily see it throughout their visit, so staff knows you’re an approved visitor.

• Before you leave, return your sticker to the front office and quickly scan out.

The entire check-in process typically takes less than 30 seconds.

Not every visit requires scanning in. If you’re stopping by briefly to drop off or pick up a student, or to make a delivery, you won’t need to use the system. FHPS employees also won’t scan in, because all district staff are already required to wear their FHPS ID badge at all times, enter through the main office, and check in with office staff before going further into the building. During larger events, such as classroom parties, the visitor check-in will be more streamlined and will be communicated by each building principal.

Behind the scenes, the new system replaces paper sign-in sheets with a secure digital process. It also replaces the volunteer form and Google sheet that adults complete every year. It keeps a real-time record of everyone on campus, including when each visitor arrives and leaves. It also connects with PowerSchool, our student information system, and can generate reports for building administrators. If a visitor is flagged, the system immediately alerts an administrator so they can respond quickly and discreetly.

Most importantly, remember to bring your government-issued ID every time you plan to go beyond the school office. Our front office staff is always willing to assist. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe and welcoming for everyone.

Calling all PRIDE Pup fans! Our PRIDE Pup sWAG sale is here, and it’s the paw-fect way to show some love for the four-footed friends who brighten our schools. Choose from cozy hoodies, crewnecks, tees, totes, and hats, with youth and adult sizes for the whole pack. Rep your favorite pup, or grab the design featuring the whole crew! Support Astro and the FHPS PRIDE Pup program! All proceeds go directly back to our school support dog program. Shop by Nov. 30 at grmifullypromoted.chipply.com/pridepupspopup. Have it shipped, or pick it up at your school. It also makes a great holiday gift!

We had our October PBIS Assembly on Wednesday. It is always a great time to come together as a school community and share valuable information and have some fun! The teachers shared a skit about being Known and Befriended. The challenge of the skit was to look around and see who you can be a friend to and to never forget that "You are seen. You are valued. You are known. You belong"!

This month's drawing was for a signed Husky football and team poster! Thank you to Coach O at the high school for making this happen. Logan in 3rd grade was the winner!! Mrs. Gardiner's class was the winner for the Golden Ticket drawing and will have an extra recess time next week to celebrate!

Ask your child about the staff activity at the end of the assembly! It was entertaining watching some of our staff members make a human caterpillar and have a race! :)

During the month of November, we will be introducing volleyball in PE! Students will work on basic volleyball skills while learning that it takes practice, patience, and perseverance to improve. Volleyball can be challenging at first, but we will focus on never giving up, trying our best, and learning from our mistakes. We will also emphasize teamwork, communication, and encouraging one another. Our goal is to help students build confidence, develop new skills, and learn that working together and persevering can lead to success!

Happy Friday Husky Families!

We are so grateful for your incredible support during Husky Hike and the week leading up to it! From the little pennies in the Change Wars jars, the hundreds of dollar bills at the $1 Fun-raiser, to the Fundraising Envelope donations we were so impressed by all of the ways our students showed up to say that they love Collins and want to contribute to meaningful purchases and celebrations throughout the year!

We are excited to celebrate our efforts at an all school student assembly on Wednesday November 4th! The PTO will reveal our total funds raised and recognize the students and classes that win the prize categories!

1. Every student who returned their envelope, with or without a donation, will be entered into a drawing. One student will win a Special Lunch Delivery from the PTO!

2. The top 5 students/families who raised the most money will win a Prize Box of goodies!

3. The class that won Change Wars, the classes that returned 100% of their fundraising envelopes, and the class that raised the most money will be invited to an Ice Cream Social!

4. And finally, if we meet our goal of raising $30,000 dollars we will SLIME Mrs. Bice!

Stay tuned to hear the results!

Upcoming 2026 Dates & Events:

Friday October 30 - Harvest Party in classrooms and Costume Parade [Spectators arrive by 3:15 for parade. Follow standard dismissal procedures, please notify the office for any change in pick up after the parade.]

November 9-18 - Fall Food Drive for Buchanan Elementary [Details and volunteer sign up will be coming.]

Thursday December 3 - PTO Meeting, all are welcome! 10am in the Staff Lounge

December 8 & 9 - Snowflake Shoppe [This is a student gift shopping experience, details and volunteer sign up will be coming.]

December 17 - Winter Party in classrooms

Select the image below to view our Arts In Our Schools newsletter!

Get ready to celebrate 20 years of Disney's High School Musical! Forest Hills Northern's talented students are bringing this fan-favorite musical to life November 19–21 at the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center! Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 PM and Saturday at 3 PM and 7 PM. Don't miss this high-energy show filled with music, dancing, and Wildcat spirit!

Tickets are on sale NOW at FHFAC.Ludus.com or at the FAC Box Office, Monday–Friday, 9 AM–4:30 PM.

GO WILDCATS!

• All student after school changes in transportation must be communicated by the parent/guardian. Please email your child’s teacher and coattendance@fhps.net.
• Keep in mind any phone calls or emails made past 2:30pm may not be delivered before the end of school.
• If your student has a fever or vomits, they must be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school.
• Heather Lane is always a 2-WAY Street.

• Hand2Hand Sign Up Form
• Drop off and pick up map
• Volunteer form (this must be filled out every school year)
• Medical form
• Transportation My Ride K-12
• District Website
• Collins Calendar