Florence Fox Tracks

Welcome to October!

This month brings exciting opportunities to connect, collaborate, and continue building a strong school community with our wonderful Florence families!

The Florence Fox Tracks will continue to be a helpful resource throughout the school year, providing important updates, reminders, and information for our families.

In this month’s edition, you’ll find information about:

• Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Harvest Celebration

Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we work together to help every Fox do their best each and every day! As always, if you have questions or need additional support, please reach out to your child’s teacher or the Florence main office. We are grateful to have you as part of our Florence family!

Go Foxes!

Mrs. Cordoba, Proud Florence Principal

12-16-Goal Setting Review w/students

15-Attendance Celebration

16-5th Gr to the Rose/Positive Behavior Celebration

19-2nd Quarter Begins

Week of 19th-Conferences

22 & 23-No School for Students (Boys & Girls Club open on 10/22 from 8-5pm)

27-Late Start

29-Make-Up Picture Day

30-Harvest Celebration

November

3-No School for Students (Boys & Girls Club open 11/3 from 8-5pm)

10-5th Grade to Glow Baseball

19-Literacy Night @ Florence 5-6:30PM

23-27- Thanksgiving Recess

We are excited to partner with you during our upcoming Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences! This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your child’s growth, check in on their progress, and work together to set meaningful goals for the year ahead.

Together, we’ll help students understand their learning, recognize their strengths, and identify next steps so they can take greater ownership of their learning and growth.

Please use the link below to sign up for a conference time that works best for your family. Conference links and QR codes have also been shared by each classroom teacher through Seesaw. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Florence office at 531-299-1400.

Kindergarten:

Kershaw

Reilly

1st Grade:

Schaben

Evans

2nd Grade:

Foster

Nahayo

3rd Grade:

Ellis

Conway

4th Grade:

Ellis

Grimmond

5th Grade:

Schnieder

Nielsen

We’re excited to celebrate the season with our Florence Harvest Parade on Friday, October 30th starting at 2:30 PM. Families are welcome to watch the parade from outside the building along the north and east sides of Florence Elementary.

Parade Route

At 2:30 PM, students will exit the building on the north side with their classroom teachers and follow the sidewalk to the main parking lot on North 36th Street.

From there, students will walk with Florence staff along North 36th Street to Notre Dame, where they will parade through the Notre Dame space. Students will then return to Florence and enter through the main entrance, continuing their parade. We welcome families and community members who would like to donate treats or participate by handing out goodies to students.

Following the parade, students will return to their classrooms with their teachers for their individual classroom Harvest Celebrations.

Costumes

Students may change into their costumes beginning at 2:00 PM before the Harvest Parade and celebration. Please ensure all costumes are appropriate for school. Weapons and makeup are not permitted. If you have questions about your child’s costume, please contact their classroom teacher in advance.

Alternative Activities

If you prefer that your child not participate in the Harvest Parade or classroom celebration, please contact their classroom teacher. Alternative activities will be available in the Library during this time.

Cold Weather Reminder! Chilly weather is approaching! Please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for the weather each day. Students will continue to spend time outdoors for fresh air and recess, weather permitting, so coats, jackets, and other cold-weather clothing may be needed. Thank you for helping our Foxes stay warm, comfortable, and ready to learn! If you need assistance with these items, please reach out to Dr. Bond, Florence Counselor.

Society of St. Vincent DePaul is hosting two Coat Giveaways this month!

October 10th - 3 pm - 7 pm

Assumption Church Gymnasium

5602 S. 22nd St.

October 24th - 8 am - 1 pm

Omaha Home for Boys

4343 N. 52nd St.

Our Scholastic Book Fair will be at Florence October 19–22! Families will also have the opportunity to shop during Parent-Teacher Conferences.

The Book Fair supports our Florence Moonshot Goal of strengthening student achievement and fostering a love of learning and reading. Providing students with access to engaging books helps build reading habits, encourage curiosity, and inspire a lifelong love of literacy!

Thank you for supporting our Florence Foxes as we continue to Reach for the Stars!

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/florenceelementaryschool5

At Florence, we are committed to helping all students understand and demonstrate our building-wide expectations of being Safe, Respectful, and Responsible!

As we continue to support students in understanding these expectations, staff will teach, model, and practice them throughout the school year through our MTSS-B framework (Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Behavior). These expectations are posted throughout the school and reinforced daily across all settings, including classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, the playground, and school activities.

Our goal is to help every student feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

Each quarter, we will host a Positive Behavior Celebration to recognize students who consistently demonstrate these expectations and make positive choices throughout the school day.

Each classroom teacher will share the specific criteria students need to meet to participate in the quarterly celebration. This will help students and families understand the expectations and know what students are working toward.

These celebrations are an opportunity to recognize student growth, celebrate positive choices, and honor our Foxes who help make Florence a safe, respectful, and responsible place to learn. Together, we will continue building a positive school community where every student can thrive!

The school day begins at 8:50 AM, and every minute counts!

October is a great time to refocus on the importance of being at school, on time, and ready to learn! When students arrive late, leave early or miss school, those minutes add up quickly. Even a few minutes each day can mean missing important instruction, classroom conversations, and learning opportunities.

At Florence Elementary, our goal is to help every student succeed. Building strong attendance habits starts with being at school every day and arriving on time. We encourage all families to make 8:50 AM arrival a priority so students can begin their day with their classmates and be ready to learn from the very start!

Did you know? Students who attend school at least 95% of the time are more likely to stay on track academically and graduate from high school. Consistent attendance helps students build routines, strengthen relationships, and develop habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

A Few Important Reminders

• School begins at 8:50 AM. Please plan ahead so your child arrives on time and ready to learn.
• If your child will be absent, please contact the Florence office at 531-299-1400 to report the absence and reason.
• Families whose children have not arrived by 9:30 AM will receive an automated phone call if the school has not recorded their attendance.
• Doctor’s notes may be provided to the front office when applicable.

At Florence, we celebrate student growth and achievement, and good attendance is part of that success! Thank you for partnering with us to help our Foxes make the most of every learning opportunity. On time, on task, and on a mission to shoot for the stars!

Thank you to all our wonderful Florence families for supporting our September attendance challenge! Our attendance posters look phenomenal and are now lining our hallways with positive messages that remind us of the importance of being on time, on task, and on a mission to shoot for the stars!

We are so proud of the creativity, teamwork, and commitment our students and families have shown. Thank you for partnering with us to build strong attendance habits and help every Fox shine!

We are excited to support daily reading through our classroom program BookLoop (formerly DIBS for Kids). This program gives students the opportunity to check out books each day to bring home and enjoy. We encourage all students to read at home each night. Just 10–20 minutes of daily reading can make a big difference in building strong literacy skills, confidence, and a love of reading!

At-Home Reading Tips:

• Read together daily – Take turns reading or enjoy a story as a family.
• Talk about the book – Ask questions like “What was your favorite part?” or “What do you think will happen next?”
• Reread favorite books – This builds fluency and confidence.
• Make it a routine – Set a consistent time each night for reading.
• Encourage and celebrate your child’s efforts and growth.

Together, we can help every student grow as a reader and continue to Reach for the Stars!

Parents/guardians listed in the Primary Household have until October 30 to log in to Campus Parent and update any household information, including address and phone number changes. If you have questions or need assistance accessing the Parent Portal, please contact the Florence office for support at 531-299-1400.