The BeeLine
September 2026
Greetings, Fairmont Families!
We have had a wonderful first month of school getting to know each other, meeting new friends, seeing old friends, and learning from our fabulous teachers! Thank you for making this a great start to the 2026-2027 school year!
This month we will be busy bees with fall pictures, Fairmont at the JCS Board Meeting, Literati Book Fair, Coin Wars, and our main event...FALL FESTIVAL on Friday, September 11, from 5:00-8:00 p.m.! This year our theme is Harry Potter. This is the only fundraiser we have each school year and all the fun is organized by our wonderful PTA. Please come out and support our Fall Festival by donating an item to the silent auction, volunteering at a station, donating snacks, helping set-up or clean-up, and attending with your child. Please see all the information below.
In addition, students are welcome to dress up like a character from Harry Potter on Friday. Please make sure you abide by school dress code. No hoods are allowed. Bring your extra change for Coin Wars this week as the top class gets an ice cream party before the Quidditch match on Friday!
Please consider joining our PTA this school year. Information can be found below. We appreciate ALL PTA does for our school!
Since September is Attendance Awareness Month, I want to remind you of the importance of making sure your child is at school on time every day. When students are not at school, they miss valuable instruction from their wonderful teachers. They also miss out on the fun things we have going on at school. So, please make an effort to make sure your child is at school.
We appreciate all of our Fairmont families! Your child's success cannot happen unless we work together. I hope each of you have a wonderful start to Fall!
Dr. JoDee Dotson, Principal
Walkers
If you would like for your child to walk home from school we must have a permission form on file. You can ask your child's teacher or contact the office (423) 434-5275 to get a permission form. You will need to determine if your child will exit the school from the front door at the office or the back door at the cafeteria. Each location will have a designated staff member responsible for keeping track of the students leaving the building as walkers. We want to make sure each child makes it to you safely.
Bus Riders
Every family will receive a Johnson City Transit Disciplinary Code. Please read over this form and make sure students understand the behavior expectations while riding the bus.
If you would like to utilize bus transportation, please complete a bus request form. You can get a form in the office or request a copy from your child's teacher. These are required for each student before riding the bus. Once we receive approval from transit you will get a phone call to notify you of approval.
Students in kindergarten through second grade must have an adult at the bus stop for students to be allowed off the bus. If there is not someone at the stop for these students, transit will return the child to the school and they will have to be picked up in the office. If students are brought back to the school by transit more than twice, they will not be allowed to ride the bus for a period of time. This is the policy from JC Transit.
The safety of all our students in our #1 priority. Thank you for your cooperation!
SEPTEMBER: GROWTH MINDSET
This year at Fairmont we are really focusing on finding something great each day. This month we are emphasizing a growth mindset — the belief that effort, strategies, and learning from mistakes help students grow.
How families can help:
Praise effort and strategy, not just results. Try saying: “I saw how hard you worked on that” or “Nice strategy — what helped you solve that?”
Model learning from mistakes. Briefly share something you tried, what didn’t work, and what you learned.
Encourage “yet.” If your child says “I can’t do it,” add “yet”: “You can’t do it yet.”
Set small learning goals each week and celebrate progress.
Quick at-home activities:
Growth Mindset Jar: Each time someone tries a new strategy or learns from an error, add a slip of paper to the jar and celebrate when it reaches a small goal.
Reflection Questions (5 minutes nightly): What did you try today that was new? What helped you? What will you try next time? What was something great that happened today?
Chick-Fil-A
Students are required to read and take tests on AR books that they read in the classroom and at home as homework. The tests are scored and points are awarded based on the score. Student goals are set each 9 weeks or quarter. Each 9 weeks students that meet their AR points goals will receive a Chick-Fil-A card featuring a free menu item.
Johnny Brusco's
As students meet their AR reading goals each 9 weeks Johnny Brusco's will reward them with a certificate for a free kids personal pizza.
Care Counselor
If you would like your child to have access to our school's Care Counselor, Mrs. Revis, please make sure you have signed and returned the consent form. This form gives her permission to see your child and speak with them at school if there is a need. Mrs. Revis provides student focused mental health support services. Students, parents, and/or teachers can request that the care counselor check in with a student.
School Nurse
Please DO NOT send any medication to school with your child in their backpack. This includes cough drops. ALL MEDICAITON MUST BE CHECKED IN THE CLINIC BY A PARENT OR GUARDIAN. All over the counter medication must be new in unopened original packaging. Prescription medication must also have Dr. orders to be kept and used at school. If you have any questions or concerns please contact our school nurse, Nurse Erin.
🐝 Fairmont PTA Updates 🐝
Can you believe we’ve already been back in school for a month? 📚🍎 The Fairmont PTA has been hard at work finding ways to support and serve our students, families, and teachers this semester!
We’ve welcomed several wonderful new volunteers and loved seeing familiar and new faces at our first PTA meeting on August 18. 💛 Thank you to everyone who has jumped in to help make this a great year at Fairmont!
Thank you for supporting Fairmont and helping us make this a wonderful year for our students! 🐝
Jodi Gilbert
PTA President
📧 Contact PTA: Fairmontbuzz@gmail.com
We have open spots on the PTA board and would love your help! 💛 No experience needed—just a great way to meet other Fairmont families 🐝 and get involved without a big time commitment (especially if you team up!).
✨ Current needs:
🎉 Fall Festival – our biggest fundraiser and so much fun to plan!
📸 Yearbook – snap pics + help with sales and distribution
🍽️ Fundraising Nights – organize a few restaurant spirit nights throughout the year
Not seeing your thing? Reach out anyway—we’ll find the perfect fit for you! 🙌
📧 fairmontbuzz@gmail.com
Have you heard? We have a brand-new Fairmont PTA Facebook page! 🎉
Be sure to like 👍 and follow ❤️ our page to stay up to date on upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, school news, and all the fun happening throughout the year!
🔗 Follow us on Facebook: @FairmontElementaryPTA
We can’t wait to connect with you this school year! 🍎📚
👕 School Spirit Shirts
WOW! Fairmont showed its school spirit this year, with an incredible 852 T-shirts ordered (including grade level shirts)! 🎉 We’re so grateful for the amazing response and hope to send shirts home with students very soon. We can’t wait to see our Fairmont Bees showing their school spirit! 🐝💙
Arts & Civics News
Know someone who just turned 18? 🗳️ Have you recently changed your address?
To participate in the November election, voter registration must be completed or updated by October 5.
Visit the Washington County Election Commission website at wcecoffice.com or contact Fairmont PTA Arts & Civics Chair Laura Los with any questions.
School Buck$ Challenge
The 2026-2027 Food City School Bucks Program registration is now open. For every dollar you spend at Food City using your ValuCard, one point will be earned for your school. The more points earned, the larger share of the cash your school will receive. All you have to do is link your ValuCard to your school (Fairmont) and you'll automatically earn points every time you shop. Food City is making $800,000 available to participating schools to invest in classrooms, equipment, and essential supplies. You must register your school to your ValuCard each year to continue earning points.
Since its inception, School Bucks has provided nearly $22 million to regional school - all with the help of community members like you.
Click the picture above to visit the website to register for the School Bucks Challenge. You can also watch the video below to walk you through registration.
Friday, September 4
Fairmont's first First Friday Ice Cream for the 2026-2027 school year will be Friday, September 4. You can send money in to purchase ice cream for your student or you can put money on their MySchoolBucks account. If there is money in the account please remind your child to let the cafeteria staff know that they will be using MySchoolBucks to pay for the ice cream. The link to sign up for MySchoolBucks is below the lunch menu. The other way to purchase ice cream is to send money directly to the cafeteria to be added to your child's lunch account. Please enclose this money in an envelope with your child's name, teacher, and cafeteria money on the outside. Ice cream costs .75 and it is very helpful to the cafeteria staff to have money already on the account or to pre pay the .75 the week of Ice Cream Friday.
September 4 - First Friday Ice Cream
September 4-14 - Book Fair in the Library
September 7 - Labor Day/NO SCHOOL
September 11 - Fall Festival
September 15 - Fall School Pictures
