The Monthly Morsel

Hello FME Families – Happy Summer!

I hope you’re all enjoying a fun, relaxing, and well-deserved summer break! While I certainly don’t want to rush these sweet summer days, I can’t help but feel excited about the upcoming 2025–2026 school year. It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve as principal of Frances Meeks Elementary, and I’m beyond grateful to be part of such a supportive and caring school community.

As we begin to look ahead, I wanted to share a few important updates to help you prepare for the new school year. I hope you find this information helpful as we count down to another fantastic year at FME!

Joshua Cooper

Principal, Frances Meeks Elementary

• July 31st (4:00-6:00)- Open House
• August 4th (8:30-10:30)- Kinder Camp
• August 6th- First Day of School
• August 28th-Curriculum Night - 5:00-7:00

• School Hours: 8:20 AM – 3:20 PM
• Morning Drop-Off:
• Begins at 7:50 AM
• Students should be dropped off no later than 8:15 AM to ensure they are in their classrooms and ready to learn by 8:20 AM.

• If a student arrives after car line drop-off has ended, a parent/guardian must sign them in at the main office.

• Afternoon Dismissal Changes

  • Any changes to a student’s afternoon dismissal must be communicated in writing via a signed note sent to your child’s teacher.

  
  

• Breakfast: $2.50

• Lunch: $3.75

The first day of school is always one of the most exciting times of the year at Frances Meeks Elementary. After a summer of planning, preparing, and recharging, our team will be ready to welcome back our Wildcats with open arms and big smiles. It's a day we all look forward to, and we do everything we can to make sure it's a special one for every student.

To ensure a smooth and safe experience for all:

Students should arrive on the first day using their regular mode of transportation.

Whether your child rides the bus, or is a car rider, we ask that families follow their usual routine starting on Day 1. This helps us maintain safety and consistency for all students. Our staff will be stationed throughout the building, ready to greet students and guide them to their classrooms.

Our Open House is a great opportunity to walk the building with your child, meet their teacher, and help them get familiar with their classroom route. This visit can go a long way in helping your child feel confident and ready on the first day.

For our youngest Wildcats, Pre-K and Kindergarten Camp will take place on Monday, August 4th. During this time, we’ll help our littlest learners practice drop-off procedures and classroom routines, giving them a positive and comfortable start to their FME journey.

We can’t wait to kick off another amazing school year on Wednesday, August 6th. The excitement, energy, and smiles that fill our halls on that day set the tone for the incredible learning and growth ahead.

The Bryan County Schools (BCS) transportation guidelines are available at the link below. These policies went into effect last year and will remain in place for the upcoming school year:

BCS Drop-Off Waiver & Transportation Policies

We will have both the Bus Escort Form and Waiver Form available for you to complete at Open House.

We utilize Pik-My-Kid to ensure students are safely and quickly dismissed from school. Your child's teacher will give you specific information needed for Pik-My-Kid. In the meantime, you can visit this link for more information on the program and download the app on your phone.

School Supply List

If you purchased a school supply box, you’re all set—there is nothing more you need to do. The supply box will be delivered directly to your child’s classroom before the first day of school.

This school year, we will again host our Pre-k and Kinder camp. This event will take place from 8:30-10:30 AM on Monday, August 4th. Our hope for this time is to get our youngest Wildcats familiar with the building prior to the first day of school.

You can register for Pre-K/Kinder Camp here!

• All lunch guests must be on your child's white card.
• One lunch guest per child per week due to space limitations.
• Ensure you look at the schedule closely for designated weeks. We will only be able to accommodate lunch guests on the scheduled weeks.
• All guests will be required to sign in at the front office and wear a visitor's badge while on campus.
• All visitors will eat with their child at a designated area in the lunchroom. Due to space and safety, only your child will be permitted to eat lunch with you. Your child's friends will not be permitted to join lunch with you.
• No outside food will be permitted during your visit.

Our year long ice cream pass was incredibly successful and convenient last school year and is back by popular demand! We will notify you when this is available for purchase on MyPaymentsPlus!

The district has shared the following Back to School Site with information for parents about the start of the school year. Please take a look at the information that is already available to parents!

In order to become a volunteer in Bryan County Schools, you must complete the Volunteer Orientation process. More information regarding how to become a volunteer will be sent out soon!