" + siteNameBegin + "

Please use the link above to sign up for the Power Pack supplemental food program for your student. Power Packs go home with students on Fridays.

WCPSS Single Subject Acceleration Test Request Window for 2021-2022 The window for parents to make a test request students for SSA is Feb 22- March 22, 2021. Requests and/or questions should be sent to Diane Rowe, FWES SSA contact.

Cary Chamber Honor A Teacher Nomination 2021- due 3/26/2021 by 5pm

Excellence in teaching – we know it when we see it. It can be the teacher who spends extra time with the students who need it most, or the teacher who is creative enough to inspire a real love of learning in a student. Perhaps it’s a teacher who cares enough to be involved with their students beyond the classroom. Whatever their methods, certain teachers make a real impact on students and their learning abilities. The COVID-19 pandemic has only highlighted the great importance of the role that teacher's play in our society.

We would like to recognize one such teacher at Farmington Woods Elementary and we need your help. The Cary Chamber of Commerce has been a leader in supporting education in our community through numerous programs and activities. One of the most critical needs of Wake County schools is that of attracting and retaining the best classroom teachers. With the Cary Chamber of Commerce's Honor a Teacher Program we hope to help our school system in meeting that challenge.

Building on the success of the Discovery Award first sponsored by the Ashworth family in 1991, followed by the Clara Knoll Award in 2000 by Barry and DJ Mitsch, the Cary Chamber has secured sponsors to develop a teaching awards program for all schools in the Cary Area.

We are asking our community to nominate teachers for this award. Included with your nomination, please describe why you feel this particular teacher deserves this award. Nominations must be submitted no later than Friday, March 26th at 5:00pm. These nominations will then be narrowed down to finalists that will be interviewed by a designated committee.

If you have any questions, please email Perry Price, Director of Education & Government Relations, at pprice@carychamber.com.

PreK Registration for 21-22 https://www.wcpss.net/Page/38130

For children who will be 4 years old by August 31, 2021- Applications Due by April 30th!!!

North Carolina Children’s Book Award ...This year there are 10 books hoping to win this award. Go to your Media/ Technology google classroom to see the books - listen to them - and vote for your favorite. All voting must be completed by the end of March. (Available to K - 3 grades only)

3-12-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 12 minutes for all- 12:45 mark starts 5 minutes of info for F2F families)

Clocks Spring Forward- make sure you have them all adjusted so you are on time tomorrow for the bus and carpool! Welcome Daylight Savings Time and more daylight!!

Welcome Back 4th/5th Graders!

We are excited to be able to have all of our students who chose Face to Face instruction for the spring semester back in our building this week! Farmington Woods just feels better to everyone when our students are in the building. We continue to be so proud of the IB Learners who are enrolled in Virtual Academy this year and are learning with their VA teachers. It has been a challenging year but the best part is no matter where you are as a learner, you are still part of the FWES Family!

I cannot believe we are almost to the 4th Quarter (it begins 3/26/21)- students have learned so much but there is still much to accomplish. It is also time when we begin planning for the end of the school year, however, at this time there are so many unknowns that we cannot do too much specific planning. The biggest factor is the EOG testing, as of today, it is still required to be completed for all face to face students and to be available to all virtual academy students who want to participate. EOG testing is typically during the last 10 days of the year (May 27-June 10), but in order to accommodate VA students, it is likely the EOG testing window may need to be extended to the last 20 days of the school year (May 13-June10)… all of which is not yet confirmed by DPI- so we will wait due to the impact this schedule may have on scheduling…. But do know we are ready to plan some fun for our students when we know a little more!

I am thrilled with the decisions that have allowed educators and all school personnel to seek and receive vaccines if they desire! Please note, however, that as our staff will begin to rotate back through for their 2nd dose, we worry there may be some scheduling challenges as staff may not feel well or have temporary symptoms as a short term side effect. I ask for your flexibility and understanding if we have to be creative in our delivery of instruction due to these circumstances in the next several weeks. We want our staff to feel safe and to be well, so we will all work together to make sure we continue to provide for our students, too.

Respectfully, Winston Pierce

FWES This Week:

IB Learner: Knowledgeable Never Stop Learning (to 4:11 mark) - our "song" this month but a song that all students will learn when we can "sing" at school- it speaks to our FWES purpose!

P2-: Love of Learning-You master new skills or learn new topics on your own or in school.

FWES This Week (a calm one to adjust to more students in the building:)

March 15- Welcome Back all 4th/5th Graders! FWES welcomes District 9 Board Member Karen Carter to our campus for a visit.

March 16

March 17- St. Patrick’s Day!

March 18

March 19-

FWES Friday Folder:

F2F Families- Updated Information for return- Spring, 2021

Please use the link above to sign up for the Power Pack supplemental food program for your student. Power Packs go home with students on Fridays.

Last week! WCPSS Single Subject Acceleration Test Request Window for 2021-2022 The window for parents to make a test request students for SSA is Feb 22- March 22, 2021. Requests and/or questions should be sent to Diane Rowe, FWES SSA contact.

North Carolina Children’s Book Award ...This year there are 10 books hoping to win this award. Go to your Media/ Technology google classroom to see the books - listen to them - and vote for your favorite. All voting must be completed by the end of March. (Available to K - 3 grades only)

Cary Chamber Honor A Teacher Nomination 2021- due 3/26/2021 by 5pm

If you have any questions, please email Perry Price, Director of Education & Government Relations, at pprice@carychamber.com.

PreK Registration for 21-22 https://www.wcpss.net/Page/38130

For children who will be 4 years old by August 31, 2021- Applications Due by April 30th!!!

For All Face to Face Families:

WCPSS made the decision several weeks ago to explore moving all elementary schools to Plan A for the remainder of the year. Although a law was passed last week by the NC Legislature, at this point, it does not impact WCPSS or our school. Families who chose face to face instruction are back for daily instruction and families who chose VA will continue to access learning virtually for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.

Note: Many VA families have made the request in the last several weeks to have students move from VA back to the face to face instructional program. Unfortunately, because we have to staff classrooms (and maintain class size law) based on the family choices for the 2nd semester, we have had to start a waitlist for these requests. At this time there just is not space in our F2F classrooms at this time for more students.

All of our K-5 Face to Face students are on campus under Plan A- which requires social distancing to the extent possible during instructional times.

While we wish this return meant business as usual from March, 2020- it cannot due to the safety regulations all public schools must still follow under Plan A:

Strong Schools NC- Public Health Toolkit- updated 3-3-2021- the information shared below can be found in this document as it outlines all of the requirements schools must follow in Plan A; while we also must comply with all WCPSS guidance, too.

Safety procedures that remain in place under Plan A:

Students will continue to need to complete a daily health screening before entering the building each day
Bus riders must have a completed attestation statement on file in order to ride the bus (and a bus tag on their bookbag- please transfer it to a new bag if they switch:)
Students will continue to be required to wear masks at all times during the school day (except when eating and drinking)
Students will need to use their own supplies in the classrooms (no sharing)
Students will need to remain in their assigned seat during the instructional time of the day (getting teacher permission to move about the classroom)

Assigned seating is the best way to provide for contact tracing should a student in our community test positive. If seating is not assigned in all spaces, we will not know who has been within 6ft for more than 15 minutes to know about potential exposures. We would not want to have to quarantine an entire classroom- yikes!

Partner and small group discussion work can happen but with distancing (so not under tables, in a classroom corner, on the floor by a bookcase, as it may have looked in the past- but with those seated near you- and everyone staying in their seats to chat)
Daily schedules will include required hand washing times- before eating,after using the playground, after using the restroom, after coughing or sneezing and other times as the teacher determines
Playground and other campus play areas can be used

Classes must play in their assigned recess area and not intermingle with other classrooms due to contact tracing requirements
Playground structures may be used
Sports equipment cannot be used at this time (4th and 5th graders on rotation had been allowed to bring a ball and ONLY the student would use the ball- that worked when we had only 8 students the teacher was supervising- it will be impossible with 25 students to make sure only individual students handle their own equipment so we must start at this point) Your cooperation as a family is appreciated!

Students must maintain 6 ft social distancing during eating and drinking and may not move around or talk while eating.

Students have been doing a wonderful job with this new requirement as of February. It is not fun, but it is safe.
K-3 students with 6ft distancing in their classrooms eat in the classroom or outside. Those who need more space spread between two rooms inside or use an outside area.
Due to the size of 4th/5th grade classes, they will always eat outside or in the cafeteria (spread out in marked seats, quiet and facing the same direction) in order to get the 6ft of distance required for eating and drinking.

Movement in and through the building will require social distancing in the class lines.

Other protocols that will remain in place for families:

Families may not send students to school who are not feeling well- than you for keeping our school safe for everyone.
Symptom presence during the school day continues to mean that students will go to our Care Center and will have to be picked up immediately.
Visitors and volunteers are not allowed in the building at this time.
Transportation changes may not be made for students over the phone for security reasons. Changes should be sent to the teacher in writing the morning of the change- the old fashioned NOTE:) (email is NOT always guaranteed if a teacher cannot check it during the day). Talking points texts can also be used the day prior or before the start of the school day to share a transportation change.
Families needing to sign out students from school will need to be prepared to show photo ID at the front door for verification- students will also be signed out at the front door.
Library books can be picked up daily from 10am-2pm in at the front of the school
Students will not be allowed to re-enter the school after leaving for dismissal to retrieve left items as we are one way “out” at dismissal.

Some changes we can prepare for include:

Longer lines waiting for health screens at buses, walkers and carpool each morning
All items brought to school to be shared (school supplies, art supplies, craft supplies, individually packaged snack items, etc.) are required to sit for 72 hours before being distributed.

Snacks may not be sent for celebrations due to this required waiting period

Adjustments to procedures as are needed the next two weeks to make sure safety is a priority. With an additional 70+ students in the building there may be some adjusting needed.

Reminder Documents for 4th/5th Grade Families Returning

Before and After School Care Registration: The Taylor YMCA is taking care of the Before and After School programming at FWES for the 2020-21 school year. They provide for our students on the FWES campus. Please use the link above if you need to register your child to be part of the program. Students on cohort rotations (4th/5th graders) may register for only the weeks they attend in person instruction.

Please take time to review all the information included at the link below to best prepare for your student's return to FWES.

3-5-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 5 minutes)

Welcome to March!

We've had that taste of spring and it is on its way.... and thank goodness for the sunshine!!!

Read Across America Week was so much fun and we saw such a variety of "characters" at school and on screen for our daily themes! Please continue to make reading joyful each day as it truly is a what gives IB Learners the opportunity to explore the world!

I got ahead of myself last week- THIS week is Social Worker Appreciation Week- so if you did not get a chance to thank Leah Frahm for all she does to support students and families at FWES- there is still time!

As we move toward the end of the 3rd quarter, we continue to need students to participate and complete assignments- whether they are F2F at school, enrolled in Virtual Academy and everyone on Asynchronous Days! Our staff are working hard to insure students learn as much as possible to be ready for next year, but your support and partnership is essential. In reviewing your child's interim report, you can identify the areas where your child may be struggline. Please note that students can access Dreambox (for math practice and filling in any math understanding gaps) in their Wake ID portal from home and effectiveness is maximized when students COMPLETE 5 or more lessons per week. In addition, iStation is also accessible with reading support lessons. If you have questions about your child's learning needs and what you can do to support them at home- please reach out to the teacher. Thank you for making sure your child is participating and engaging in all learning opportunities provided for these last 12 weeks of the year!

Just to keep you informed, I will be away from school this week, returning on Thursday, March 11th. I am a member of the International Baccalaureate Educator Network and support the IB/PYP by serving on school evaluation teams across the country. I will be working to complete the 3 day evaluation process of a school in Georgia this week. I look forward to the experience, in particular as FWES is preparing for our own evaluation in April of this year. If you need immediate assistance, please reach out to Mr. Beamish (mbeamish@wcpss.net). I will review any email received when I return on Thursday and respond as quickly as I can. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

Have a great week! Winston Pierce

This week at FWES:

IB Learner: Knowledgeable Never Stop Learning (to 4:11 mark) - our "song" this month but a song that all students will learn when we can "sing" at school- it speaks to our FWES purpose!

P2-: Social Intelligence-You are aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings. You understand why they do things.

4th/5th Graders Cohort 2 attend March 8-12! 4th/5th Cohorts 1 and 3 learn remotely from home

Monday, March 8- 6:30pm FWES PTA Board Meeting

Tuesday, March 9-

Wednesday, March 10- 9:30am NC Severe Weather Drill (no practice just discussion in all classrooms about procedures); 5:30pm District 9 Board Advisory Council Meeting

Thursday, March 11-

Friday, March 12- Teacher Workday- no school for students

FWES Friday Folder:

F2F Family Information about Return to Campus at FWES

Please use the link above to sign up for the Power Pack supplemental food program for your student. Power Packs go home with students on Fridays.

Cary Chamber Honor A Teacher Nomination 2021- due 3/26/2021 by 5pm

We would like to recognize one such teacher at Farmington Woods Elementary and we need your help. The Cary Chamber of Commerce has been a leader in supporting education in our community through numerous programs and activities. One of the most critical needs of Wake County schools is that of attracting and retaining the best classroom teachers. With the Cary Chamber of Commerce's Honor a Teacher Program we hope to help our school system in meeting that challenge.

If you have any questions, please email Perry Price, Director of Education & Government Relations, at pprice@carychamber.com.

PreK Registration for 21-22 https://www.wcpss.net/Page/38130

For children who will be 4 years old by August 31, 2021- Applications Due by April 30th!!!

WCPSS Single Subject Acceleration Test Request Window for 2021-2022 The window for parents to make a test request students for SSA is Feb 22- March 22, 2021. Requests and/or questions should be sent to Diane Rowe, FWES SSA contact.

North Carolina Children’s Book Award ...This year there are 10 books hoping to win this award. Go to your Media/ Technology google classroom to see the books - listen to them - and vote for your favorite. All voting must be completed by the end of March. (Available to K - 3 grades only)

2-26-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 6 minutes)

Happy Friday Families!

We had a great full week with our students this week and look forward to the first return of our Cohort 1 students in 4th and 5th grades next week, too!

I am so proud of our students and teachers who are face to face each day. Remembering and following all the safety protocols is hard and can be a challenge, but students understand the "why" and are cooperating every step of the way. We want to keep our FWES Family healthy and safe and together we can continue to be #FWESstrong!

Next week is Social Worker Appreciation Week and we are thankful for the dedication and hard work of Leah Frahm as she serves to support families and students' needs at FWES. Please take a minute to thank her for all she does to make sure our school family is well taken care of each day to be ready for learning!

We look forward to Read Across America Week next week with some fun book and spirit wearing days- check out the flyer below for more details- what a great way to combine the fun of reading with having fun dressing up!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Winston Pierce

IB Learner Attribute for March: Knowledgeable

P2 Character Strength March 1-5: Enthusiasm

School Social Worker Appreciation Week!

Read Across America Week!

Monday, March 1- Silly Book and Outfit

Tuesday, March 2- Famous Person Book and Dress Like Them; SSA Info Session with Mrs. Rowe 6:00pm- https://meet.google.com/fpm-khqy-yks

Wednesday, March 3- Asynchronous Learning Day; 3rd Grade Materials Pick Up 10-11am; Influential Athlete Book and wear your favorite sport gear/team

Thursday, March 4- Culture Book and dress to represent your culture; SSA Info Session with Mrs. Rowe 12:00pm- https://meet.google.com/cux-noqg-etx

Friday, March 5- 9:45-10:45am New Magnet Student Welcome Event (only for new magnet students and families); Favorite Book and Wear Favorite Color

Cohort 1 4th/5th graders attend F2F This Week!

FWES Friday Folder Information:

Parent SSA Virtual Information Sessions- Tuesday, March 2 at 6:00pm or Thursday, March 4 at 12:00pm- links above and on the FWES Website to join.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgl2V4hS8l9nKXFsVGT4-BbHPS4bCUCNMmQ6bvdHz8C24TTA/viewform?gxids=7628

Please use the link above to sign up for the Power Pack supplemental food program for your student. Power Packs go home with students on Fridays.

Read Across America flyer (bitly.ws/bUmy)

Read Across America promotes reading for children and young adults. Many schools, libraries, and community centers across the United States participate in the week by bringing people together to take part in reading books. This year we have created a week-long suggested book list. Please feel free to read as many each day as you wish . There is a youtube read- aloud linked behind each book cover. Dress up if you want to … but be sure to READ !!!

WAKE Up and READ … We completed our book collection this week. Thank you to everyone who donated books to this project. Farmington Woods will be delivering 728 books to the Wake County WAKE Up and READ program.

2-19-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 7 minutes)

Well- what a roller coaster return week.... but we ended it without rain and a building and computer screens with IB Learners in them!!!

Our F2F students and families did wonderful with the return to campus this week, including those new to the protocols for safety and those who had been here 2nd quarter but had to learn NEW Updated protocols. I am so proud of our students and their understanding of the need to keep each other and our staff safe while on campus. I am also so thankful for the dedicated staff at FWES and their work to assist with the extra amount of duties and supervision we need to insure safety and success! We look forward to welcoming Cohort 3 of our 4th and 5th graders next week with the same success.

Please make sure you have an updated version of the Spring, 2021 calendar in your home, as there are changes to the Asynchronous Days and cohort rotations!

Traditional- Semester 2 Calendar 2020-21 updated 2-16-2021 at the WCPSS Board of Education Meeting

Have a wonderful weekend- bundle up but enjoy the sunshine!!!

IB Learner Attribute for February: Caring

P2 Character Strength Feb 22-26: Celebrating Others Success

February- Black History Month

FWES This Week:

FWES PTA and United Arts Sponsored Cultural Arts- GEMS: The World’s Wisdom Stories with Doug Berky
FWES Celebrates Bus Driver Appreciation Week

Monday, Feb 22- Cohort 3 4th/5th Graders Return to Campus! (Cohort 1 and 2 4th/5th graders participate in virtual learning)

Tuesday, Feb 23- WCPSS Magnet Notification Day! 2nd Grade Weather Guest Speaker Event

Wednesday, Feb 24- Asynchronous Learning Day-Assignments in Google Classroom; Select VA 3rd Graders to FWES to take BOG Reading Test; 1-2pm 1st Grade Materials Pick Up Event; FWES PTA Spirit Dinner at Mod Pizza, Waverly Place 5-9pm (see link for info and online order code below)

Thursday, Feb 25- BOG Reading Test for NEW face to face 3rd graders given 9:30am-12:30pm, WCPSS Family Academy for ESL Families 6:00pm

Friday, Feb 26- FWES Spirit Day- Wear FWES Shirts!

FWES Friday Folder Information:

FWES PTA Spirit Night- February 24th at Mod Pizza Flyer

Family Academy en Espanol- Thursday night at 6:00pm join the WCPSS Family Academy for a Coffee Chat with ESL families to provide information, support and answer questions about Spring Semester learning. Family Academy Coffee Chat

Raleigh Parks and Rec Black History Month Activities- Several activities and events for families to learn about the impact of African Americans and Black History here in Wake County. There are independent activities, trolley tours and other ways to explore with your family.

WCPSS Single Subject Acceleration Test Request Window for 2021-2022 The window for parents to make a test request students for SSA is Feb 22- March 22, 2021. Requests should be sent to Diane Rowe, FWES SSA contact.

Mrs. Rowe will be having some virtual parent information sessions during the window to share more info and answer questions, too!

WAKEUp and READ …. We will continue to collect books this week. So far we have collected 443 books !!! Can we make 700? Books can be placed in boxes outside the Inquiry Center doors or in the box labeled for WAKEUp and READ during library book pick up times

RETURN TO “NORMAL” Library Book Pick-up beginning WEDNESDAY, FEB 17th !!!

Monday - Friday 10:00am - 2:00pm in the front carpool loop
REMEMBER to wait until you get the email from Mrs. Grice to come get your books
Student who are in school will have books delivered to their classrooms

2-12-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 7 minutes)

Happy Long Weekend FWES Families!

Reminder that today there was no school due to President's Day and there is no school again tomorrow, as it is a Teacher Workday for our incredIBle hard working teachers. We return to our instructional schedules on Wednesday of this week.

We have been busy planning for the return of our students to campus and continuing our work with 3rd Quarter learning, too. We continue to monitor all of our students for their participation in learning through attendance during live lessons and completion of assignments. Thank you for carefully reviewing your teacher's schedule and make sure that your student completes assignments and when appropriate attends live instructional times to maximize their learning.

Our campus continues to have construction work completed on the new FWES roof that is being installed. Unfortunately, all of this awful rain in 2021 has the project a little behind- so the materials and construction will be continuing after the return of students to the building. We are working closely with the WCPSS Site Manager and the contractors to limit the impact to student learning. If the weather allows, work will continue over the cafeteria and front office area this week.

Have a great short week!

Winston Pierce

IB Learner Attribute for February: Caring

P2 Character Strength Feb 15-19: Humility- You do not seek the Spotlight. You let your actions speak for themselves

February is Black History Month

FWES This Week:

Monday, Feb 15- No School- calendar out day; President’s Day

Tuesday, Feb 16- No School- Teacher Workday; Medication Drop Off 9:00am-3:00pm

Wednesday, Feb 17- Return of F2F students to FWES! PreK, ECS and K-3- ALL students return; 4th/5th Cohort 2 returns

F2F Family Info (additional messaging coming)

Thursday, Feb 18

Friday, Feb 19- Interim Reports for Q3 Home; Retention Risk Notification Letters Mailed Home (below grade level in ELA and/or Math)

FWES Friday Folder Information Items:

Family Behavioral Health Resources- This school year has been challenging to everyone. Please check out these resources that can support your students and your family as challenges arise related to your emotional well-being.

There is a series- Keeping your Kids Emotionally and Physically Safe- with several sessions coming up soon!

FWES PTA Spirit Night- February 24th at Mod Pizza Flyer- Mark your calendar for NEXT Wednesday to support the FWES PTA at Mod Pizza- Waverly Place. If you order online, use the code on the flyer to support FWES!

RETURN TO “NORMAL” Library Book Pick-up beginning WEDNESDAY, FEB 17th !!!

Monday - Friday 10:00am - 2:00pm in the front carpool loop
REMEMBER to wait until you get the email from Mrs. Grice to come get your books
Student who are in school will have books delivered to their classrooms

WAKE Up and READ …. We will continue to collect books daily through Feb 26th. Books can be placed in boxes outside the Inquiry Center doors or in the box labeled for WAKEUp and READ during library book pick up times

Inquiry into a Bald Eaglet: Want to watch a bald eaglet? … try the NorthEast Florida Eagle Cam https://nefleaglecam.org/ .NE24 has hatched and is being cared for by parents Gabby and Samson … there is one more egg (we are hoping it will hatch also)... they are usually feeding NE24 in the morning

Meal Benefits Applications: Important: Complete a Meal Benefits Application by Feb. 26, 2021

Parents, please consider applying for meal benefits by Feb 26. For every student that turns in the free and reduced lunch application and qualifies, the school receives federal funds that benefit the student and teachers at the school. These funds provide additional teachers and staff for the school which means more services for students, especially students that are struggling in reading or math. These funds also are used for materials and supplies for students and teachers. These are valuable resources that teachers can use to improve student achievement.

Also, the NC Department of Health & Human Services will soon begin collecting free and reduced lunch data from WCPSS to determine families that will receive additional Pandemic Electronic Benefits (P-EBT) that will be issued in the coming months! By not applying for these meal benefits, you will miss the opportunity to receive direct P-EBT funds for your family!

Yes, meals will still be free for all students through June 2021 but we still need you to complete a meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for this extra funding next year. Information about applying for Meal Benefits for the 2020-21 school year can be found at www.wcpss.net/meals. Help our school continue to receive this funding by completing an application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications can be requested by calling 919-588-3535.

2-5-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message (9 minutes)

Hello FWES Families!

We hope you have had a great week. Mr. Beamish and I have been enjoying joining many classrooms in the last two weeks and continue to be amazed at the incredIBle teachers and students we see accessing learning virtually each day! We are so very thankful for your support in engaging your students during these challenging times.

While the WCPSS Board of Education voted to return students to campuses beginning for FWES on Wednesday, February 17th- there are still several additional details that will be developed and shared in the coming week and weeks ahead as it relates to having students on campus and schedules. There may be the need to adjust cohort rotations for 4th quarter to insure equitable access to face to face instruction by all rotating cohorts and the possibility of changes to the asynchronous learning days. Families will be informed by the district as that information is available and I will, of course, also try to share information as it may impact our students and families at FWES.

Have a great weekend and keep an eye on some possible winter weather toward the end of next week!

Take Care, Winston Pierce

FWES This Week- February 8-12, 2021

IB Learner Attribute for February: Caring

P2 Character Strength Feb 8-12: Love- You value close relationships with others and being close to people.

February- Black History Month- Read Aloud Book List to Celebrate Black Culture (check some of them out from FWES!!!)- oops- link is no longer available on PBS Kids- sorry!

February 8th-12th

Monday, Feb 8 FWES PTA Board Meeting 6:30pm

Tuesday, Feb 9

Wednesday, Feb 10 10:00am-2:00pm Library Book Pick Up

Wake Up and Read Book Drop Off

Thursday, Feb 11 3:00pm WCPSS Teacher of the Year Virtual Celebration- FWES Celebrates Susan Combs!

Friday, Feb 12 Chinese New Year Begins!!!

Possible Snow:) Inclement Weather Information for Families

10:00am-2:00pm Library Book Pick Up

Wake Up and Read Book Drop Off

Face to Face (F2F) Return of Students Information

PreK, ECS and K-3 F2F Students return to Daily In Person Instruction, beginning Wednesday, February 17, 2021.

4th and 5th Grade F2F Students return to Cohort Rotation* In Person Instruction beginning with Cohort 2/B on Wednesday, February 17, 2021

*Cohort assignments will be sent to families by Monday, February 8th.

February 22-26, 2021- Cohort 3/C
March 1-5, 2021- Cohort 1/A
March 8-9, 2021- Cohort 2/B Asynchronous Learning Days March 10-11 and Teacher Workday, March 12th
March 15-19, 2021- Cohort 3/C
March 22-26, 2021 Cohort 1/A

Medication Drop Off: Medication for new F2F students to have at school may be dropped off on Friday, February 12th or Tuesday, February 16th from 9:00am-3:00pm. Please find more information and required forms in the F2F Family Resources document below.

Before and After School Care Registration: The Taylor YMCA is taking care of the Before and After School programming at FWES for the 2020-21 school year. They provide for our students on the FWES campus. Please use the link above if you need to register your child to be part of the program. Students on cohort rotations (4th/5th graders) may register for only the weeks they attend in person instruction.

F2F Family Resources (for new F2F Families and to review for returning F2F Families): Please find information to assist you and your student in the transition back to the campus for learning during the 2nd semester.

WCPSS will be sharing additional information and updates throughout the week next week. Any new resources will be added to this document for FWES families, too.

FWES Friday Folder Information:

February is Black History Month: Read Aloud Books: Families may want to check out some great read aloud resources that celebrate Black Culture during Black History Month. The FWES Media Center has many of these titles available, too, for check out and pick up at FWES! Enjoy reading and celebrating together!

Lack of Participation Letters: WCPSS and FWES are concerned about our students who are not actively participating in learning regularly (missing live instruction, not completing assignments or a combination of the two). Families have or will receive letters regarding a student's lack of participation within the next week. Please use the informatino provided in the letter to monitor your child's schedule and help them regularly link to live learning/assignments and please reach out to your child's teacher if you have questions.

If you have family challenges and need support of our School Social Worker or Counselor, please reach out to Mrs. Pierce (awpierce@wcpss.net) and she will be happy to connect you and work with you to get the support needed so your student can maximize their learning time this year!

Wake Up and Read Book Donations- FWES will be collecting during library book distribution. Clean off that bookcase now and get them ready for next Friday's pick up! Take Action! Check out the website as volunteers will be needed at the end of the drive to sort and prepare books for students- another great way to take action!

Family Behavioral Health Resources- As shared in this week's note, the district and community partners have put together many options to support behavioral health of families during the pandemic- adults and children. This resource has several sections and many options for parents and families to explore- all at no cost! If you, too, have now realized we are in our 4th season of the year since the pandemic started and could use some new strategies for getting through it all- please take a look!

Dreambox Math! All students at FWES have access to Dreambox Math in their Wake ID Portal- it looks like a blue and green lower case "d". This adaptive program allows students to practice math calculation and problem solving skills based on their current understandings. One of the challenges with the pandemic is the the possibility of learning gaps for students. In math, these gaps can create additional gap later- so to mitigate any gaps or learning loss- Dreambox will monitor your child's responses to questions and problems and if there are errors- will adapt to your child and give them practice and some reteaching of skills or concepts they struggled with when problem solving. Teachers get diagnostic information on students who use Dreambox regularly of where students may have these gaps and they can support them within the math lessons and small group work, too.

Please help monitor and have your student complete at least 5 lessons each week (they are engaging and fun- we have one student who has averaged almost 30 lessons a week, so 5 is very doable). There is a parent portal where you can see what your child has "completed"- need to complete the lesson, not just start it.
Don't help your child (or let older siblings or grandparents help)- or the adaptive part of the program cannot work and your child will not fil in learning gaps but be moved forward to skills that are too challenging and frustrating
Ask your teacher if you are not sure how to log on or have questions about your child's access or parent reports

IB Family Survey 20-21 - Last call for survey responses! This was sent out in December, but we would LOVE to have a few more families respond with information and feedback. Please respond by February 12th. Questions? Contact: Anna Goodrum - Magnet Coordinator

As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, it is a requirement that each school undertakes a formal evaluation process every five years- addressing all aspects of the Primary Years Program. During this year of evaluation, it is required that all stakeholders (parents, students, teachers, administrators) reflect on the standards and practices of our IB PYP. Farmington Woods IB/PYP is being evaluated by the IB Organization in the 2020-21 school year. The formal process will take place over several days in the Spring of 2021, but we are currently in the process of organizing data and documents to share with the visiting team. Your input is important as we work to create an effective PYP school community.

Important: Complete a Meal Benefits Application by Feb. 26, 2021

Yes, meals will still be free for all students through June 2021 but we still need you to complete a meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for this extra funding next year. Information about applying for Meal Benefits for the 2020-21 school year can be found at www.wcpss.net/Page/1849 . Help our school continue to receive this funding by completing an application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications can be requested by calling 919-588-3535.

1-29-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 8 minutes)

Happy Friday and happy end of January!

The snow was beautiful and a reminder of how many seasons have passed since we last saw each other at FWES- wow! Hard to believe and hard on everyone. Please be sure to review the information below about Family Wellness training and workshop opportunities (virtual of course) that can support you and support you support your students, too. We just received this information this week, so sign up as some sessions have limited registrations. We want to see you all again when it is safe, but in the meantime want you to take care of yourselves and our incredIBle IB learners, too!

The WCPSS Board of Education will be having a work session on Tuesday at 3:00pm and then a Board Meeting at 5:30pm with the expected primary point of discussion will be related to the return of students to school campuses. These meetings are broadcast live on YouTube- WCPSS Channel.

We are excited to transition into February and move to our next IB Learner Profile attribute of Caring, because our FWES community of students, families and staff are the MOST caring groups around! You can start next week by recognizing National School Counselor Week and showing caring to Jennifer Thakur and Hanna Normandeau our wonderful, caring counselors. We appreciate all they do to support our entire school community with a clear focus on supporting our students so they can learn.

Have a wonderful weekend- watch for a possible taste of winter again on Sunday night, too!

Winston Pierce

FWES This Week- February 1-5, 2021

IB Learner Attribute for February: Caring

P2 Character Strength Feb 1-5: Integrity

February- Black History Month

February 1st-5th- School Counselor Week

Monday, Feb 1

Tuesday, Feb 2 Groundhog Day! Sir Walter Wally live event on You Tube 12:00-12:30pm

3:00pm WCPSS Board of Ed Work Session

5:30pm WCPSS Board of Ed Meeting

6:30pm PTA General Body Membership Meeting

7:00pm Q&A with Jennifer Thakur, School counselor- Emotional Wellbeing during pandemic

Wednesday, Feb 3- Asynchronous Day- no live meets

10:00-11:00am Materials Pick Up

2nd and 5th Grades

**No Library Book Pick up due to supplies today

Thursday, Feb 4 8:00am FWES SIP Quarterly Review

Friday, Feb 5 10:00am-2:00pm Library Book Pick Up

Wake Up and Read Book Drop Off

FWES Friday Folder Information:

FWES PTA General Membership Meeting- Tuesday, February 2nd 6:30pm- followed by Counselor Q&A at 7:00pm

The PTA will be having our next General Body Meeting on 2/2/2021 at 6:30 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to check in and find out how you can stay connected to and continue supporting FWES during these unprecedented times.

The slate will include:

What has your PTA been up to?

President's Check-In

Electing our new Vice President of Services Lynn O'Brien

Open Positions for next year

The meeting will be followed by a Q&A session with Jennifer Thakur to start around 7:00pm. She is joining us to answer questions around socialization during Covid, navigating virtual learning, and more. Please use the following link to submit any questions you may have for her:

All questions must be submitted by Friday, January 29th.

Hope to see many of you there!

Family Behavioral Health Resources- As shared in this week's note, the district and community partners have put together many options to support behavioral health of families during the pandemic- adults and children. This resource has several sections and many options for parents and families to explore- all at no cost! If you, too, have now realized we are in our 4th season of the year since the pandemic started and could use some new strategies for getting through it all- please take a look!

Please help monitor and have your student complete at least 5 lessons each week (they are engaging and fun- we have one student who has averaged almost 30 lessons a week, so 5 is very doable). There is a parent portal where you can see what your child has "completed"- need to complete the lesson, not just start it.
Don't help your child (or let older siblings or grandparents help)- or the adaptive part of the program cannot work and your child will not fil in learning gaps but be moved forward to skills that are too challenging and frustrating
Ask your teacher if you are not sure how to log on or have questions about your child's access or parent reports

Important: Complete a Meal Benefits Application by Feb. 26, 2021

Yes, meals will still be free for all students through June 2021 but we still need you to complete a meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for this extra funding next year. Information about applying for Meal Benefits for the 2020-21 school year can be found at www.wcpss.net/Page/1849 . Help our school continue to receive this funding by completing an application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications can be requested by calling 919-588-3535.

FWES Book Pickup TIMES - THERE WILL BE NO BOOK PICKUP ON WEDNESDAY, FEB 3rd due to supply pick up for 2nd and 5th grades. Book pickup will resume on Friday from 10:00am - 2:00pm in the front carpool. PLEASE return any finished books when you come to get new ones and do not come until you receive an email from Mrs. Grice

1-22-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 5 minutes)

Happy Short Week Friday!

Thank you all for your cooperation and work through the shift to our 2nd semester configuration of classrooms and grade level changes that were needed. Our team is ready to support all students with incredIBle teachers no matter their classroom assignment! Your cooperation with the delay of report cards is also appreciated. Expect to receive your report card no later than Tuesday, but some classes may begin to receive them as early as Monday.

It's been fairly quiet at FWES without staff and students and with our schedules and events....and that will continue into next week, too.

Take care, stay well and use those WWW so those who are ready for Face to Face instruction can get back to school safely!

Winston Pierce

FWES This Week

IB Learner Profile- Risk Taker

P2 Character Strength- Supporting Others When They Struggle

Monday 1/25- 9:30-10:30 iStation Family Support- con interprete de espanol para obener ayuda (Google Meet Code: https://meet.google.com/pyp-ofgw-ajm

Tuesday 1/26- Report Cards for Q2 go home via email; 8:00am SIP Quarterly Review Meeting; 10:45am Virtual Magnet Tour and Info Session about FWES

Wednesday 1/27

Thursday 1/28- Last Day for Magnet Applications to be accepted for 2021-2022! Inclement Weather Info for Families 2020-21- just in case that snowflake on my phone happens to happen:)

Friday 1/29

FWES Friday Folder Items:

FWES Yearbook Updates

FWES 2020-21 Yearbooks for Sale
Missed Picture Day or in Virtual Academy- How to take pictures at home for the yearbook. Extended Deadline! Photos are due no later than FRIDAY January 22, 2021.
FWES Yearbook Ads - Learn how to purchase space to recognize your 5th Grade student in our 2020-21 yearbook.

NEW FWES Book Pickup TIMES - Book Pickup will be Wednesday and Friday from 10:00am - 2:00pm in the front carpool. PLEASE return any finished books when you come to get new ones and do not come until you receive an email from Mrs. Grice

WAKE Up and Read … Collection begins next week !!

Farmington Woods will be joining WCPSS again this year in the collection of books. The county is hoping to get 200,000 books. We need books for babies, toddlers, and elementary school children up to 12 years old. These books need to be new or gently used. Your support will help ensure that ALL children have access to the books necessary to foster a love for reading and literacy skills. We will be collecting books on Wednesdays and Fridays in the front of the school. Our 2021 drive runs January 23 - February 28. To learn more about WAKE Up and Read, please visit www.wakeupandread.org, and follow WAKE Up and Read on Facebook and Twitter.

TSI Notification to FWES Families: Notification per state mandate (an annual announcement from a designation in 2019) - As a parent/guardian of a student at Farmington Woods Elementary, I must inform you that FWES has been designated as a Targeted Support & Improvement Additional Targeted Support (TSI-AT) school by the North Carolina State Board of Education. As stated in ESSA Section 1111(d)(2), North Carolina had to identify schools for targeted support and improvement. TSI-AT schools in North Carolina are those that have a subgroup that is under-performing. FWES was identified based on the EOG test scores of students in our Students with Disabilities (SWD) category that were not comparable to the other subgroups of students at FWES.

As a TSI-AT school, FWES is required to develop a comprehensive plan that specifically addresses how the school will improve student achievement. The plan will also include how our district will support us and monitor the progress of our school. Please find our current School Improvement Plan and supporting documents on our FWES Website under “Our School”---”School Improvement” to review our plan.

Kindergarten Registration for 2021-22: We are currently registering kindergartners for NEXT year. If you have a student who will be 5 by August 31, 2021 or know of one, please make sure that student starts the registration process. Early registration allows our school (and others) to best plan for staffing and space needs prior to summer and best prepare for student arrival in August!

New Student WCPSS Enrollment

FWES PTA General Membership Meeting- Mark Your Calendars!

We are having our General Body Meeting on 2/2/2021 at 6:30 pm.

* Mtg link will go out later with budget, minutes, and agenda

Meeting starts at 6:30 pm

Topics include:

Electing VP of Services Lynn O'Brien
What has your PTA been up to
Open Positions for next year
President's check-in

Followed by a Q&A session with Jennifer Thakur, school counselor, to start around 7:00pm. She is joining us to answer questions around socialization during Covid, navigating the emotions of virtual learning, and more. Please submit questions by 1/29. Question Form

1-15-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message (10 minutes)

Happy Friday!

I hope you have had a great week. It was my hope that we would be ending the week preparing for our face to face student to return but due to many data points and current conditions in schools and beyond, for the safety of students and staff, the WCPSS Board of Education voted last night to continue remote learning for ALL K-12 students through the middle of February. Currently the board is scheduled to vote on February 9th with a then expected return of Wednesday, February 17th (Monday and Tuesday that week there is no school scheduled).

This decision means that our Materials Pick Ups planned for VA students in K, 3rd and 4th have now been expanded to include ALL students at each of those grade levels for Tuesday, January 19th- see below for more details. The remaining three grade levels will be scheduling another date for their students in the near future.

At this time we are continuing to move ahead with our newly reorganized 2nd semester rosters, so students who had been reassigned to a new teacher will begin in that classroom on Wednesdsay. If the district were to provide additional guideance between now and Wednesday that would cause us to make a shift back, I will let you know. I appreciate the support of families with the many changes that were necessary to create structures at each grade level where students and staff working with Face to Face students will be safe. It is always challenging when we approach changes, but I have found in my many years as an educator, with family and school adult support, students are resilient and often help us as adults find and see the silver lining! With the clear intent of the WCPSS Board of Education to work hard for the safe return of students to the building as soon as possible, it makes the most sense to begin those configurations at this time.

Please help me welcome two new teachers to our FWES Team. Mrs. Kayla Belote-Perry is joining our 4th grade team. She joins us after teaching 5 years in Durham and is already in love with the IB/PYP program and how engaged her students are as learners! Ms. Syreeta Sutton is joining our team as our Pre K Teacher. Ms. Sutton was serving in that same classroom space as an Instructional Assistant and has been enrolled in a teacher licensure program to taking over the teacher position this week. We are so fortunate to have her knowledge of the classroom, students and families as she makes this transition.

I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend- remember no school on Monday and no school, but materials pick up on Tuesday for half of our school! We will see you online on Wednesday, January 20th to start the 2nd semester of the year! We are at the halfway point of the 2020-21 year!

Take care and love to all- Winston Pierce

FWES This Week:

IB Learner Profile- Risk Taker

P2- Perseverance

Monday 1/18- Holiday, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Birthday

Tuesday 1/19- No School- Teacher Workday

Medication Drop Off 9:00am-3:00pm in Front Office for Face to Face students 2nd Semester

All Kinder, 3rd and 4th are picking up supplies- Virtual Academy and Face to Face Learners

(February 3rd- 5th and 2nd grade; 1st Grade TBD)

10:00-11:00am- 4th Grade

1:00-2:00pm- Kindergarten AND 3rd Grade

Wednesday 1/20- Start of 2nd Semester! New Classrooms placements begin; New Specials Rotations- Day 1; FWES PTA Spirit Night Chipotle 4-8pm ! Spanish Chipotle

Thursday 1/21

Friday 1/22- Report cards for Q2 emailed home; 12:00-1:00pm iStation Questions Session (again from 9:30-10:30am on Monday- Intérprete de español disponible)

FWES Friday Folder Notes:

Inclement Weather Info for Families 2020-21- new procedures this year if schools cannot operate due to inclement weather, please review

Medication Drop Off- Tues 9:00-3:00pm- will accept and reschedule additional times when students are officially returning to campus

Annual WCPSS Asbestos Notification Statement - required family notification letter from WCPSS Maintenance

New Student WCPSS Enrollment

NEW FWES Book Pickup Remote Learning TIMES - Book Pickup will be Wednesday (except 2/3 due to materials pick ups scheduled) and Friday from 10:00 am - 2:00pm in the front carpool. PLEASE return any finished books when you come to get new ones and do not come until you receive an email from Mrs. Grice

Assessment Update: All students K-5 will participate in the middle of year benchmark reading assessment using IStation. Assessments will occur Wednesday, January 20th- Friday,January 29th. Specific details will be shared with families from their individual teacher.

If you have questions about accessing the Istation platform remotely please email Elizabeth Plotkin, eplotkin@wcpss.net.

You may also come to a Q&A session on Friday, Jan 22nd 12:00-1:00pm OR Monday, Jan 25th 9:30-10:30am (Intérprete de español disponible para ayudar) Use THIS LINK for the Q&A sessions. The link is also on the FWES Public Calendar.

FWES Yearbook Updates

FWES 2020-21 Yearbooks for Sale
Missed Picture Day or in Virtual Academy- How to take pictures at home for the yearbook. Extended Deadline! Photos are due no later than FRIDAY January 22, 2021.
FWES Yearbook Ads - Learn how to purchase space to recognize your 5th Grade student in our 2020-21 yearbook.

20th Annual African American Cultural Celebration- NC Museum of History- Registration Information

An online experience: Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021
Join us virtually for our 20th Annual African American Cultural Celebration, the statewide kickoff to Black History Month in Raleigh. Named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society since 2015, this year’s annual celebration will bring together community organizations, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and scholars to showcase the contributions that African Americans, past and present, have made to North Carolina’s history and culture. This year’s digital format will allow the Museum of History to share those contributions in a safe environment to a statewide audience.

1-8-2021

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 8 minutes)

Happy Friday! I hope you all have had a great week- we have been so happy to see the wonderful student attendance and participation this remote learning week- remember one more week to go!

The week presented many challenges due to things happening outside of our school community, but a great time to revisit our Positivity Project motto- #otherpeoplematter- and our IB Mission- "....create a better and more peaceful world" as we support our students as learners and those who will make a difference in our world. I continue to carry the P2 strength of the week, optimism, moving into 2021 and seeing our students, families and staff and the strength of our school community fuels that sense of optimism!

We are currently preparing for the return of all K-5 Face to Face students on Wednesday, January 20th. Based on the selections made by families in December, I have worked to reorganize our grade levels and classrooms to serve students in Virtual Academy and Face to Face. Teachers will receive their updated classroom rosters on Monday and will begin reaching out to families about your teacher assignment for the Second Semester, Spring 2021, on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. The WCPSS Board of Education will be meeting again on Tuesday, January 12th with a particular focus on 4th and 5th grade class sizes and of course if there are any changes made at that point, it will be shared with our families.

I am so appreciative of our families and miss you all so very much! In doing virtual magnet information sessions for families, we share an FWES video and I am always almost in tears by the end because I miss our FWES family and all of us being together in our building. We will get through and we will continue to work as hard as we can to serve our students and families the best we can, but I just like it when we are AT school the best:)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Winston Pierce

FWES This Week- January 11-15, 2021- Remote Learning for ALL Students continues

IB Learner Profile Trait- Risk Taker

P2 Character Strength- Prudence- You plan for the future and your future goals by making careful choices every day.

***Grade Level 1st Semester GOLD Celebrations This Week (see teacher communication for details to celebrate Going for the GOLD!)

Monday, January 11- 6:30pm PTA Board Meeting

Tuesday, January 12

Wednesday, January 13- Asynchronous Learning Day- complete assignments in Google Classroom for attendance

Thursday, January 14

Friday, January 15- FWES Virtual Magnet Info and Tours 10:00am and 1:45pm

Note: No School Monday, January 18th- Holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr B-Day; No School Tuesday, January 19th- Teacher Workday (however see below about materials pick up times scheduled)

Friday Folder Information and Notes:

Materials for 2nd Semester Pick Ups for Virtual Academy Students: Please make a note of the grade levels and times below when materials students in Virtual Academy will need for 3rd Quarter and 2nd Semester will be availble for pick up at FWES. If your grade level is not listed, no additional materials are needed at this time. Additional dates and times will be scheduled in the future.
- Tuesday, January 19th
  - 10:00-11:00am- 4th Grade
  - 1:00-2:00pm- Kindergarten and 3rd Grade
3rd Grade Families- Read to Achieve Information from NC Department of Public Instruction: Please review the information below regarding the Read to Achieve legislation that requires all 3rd graders to read on grade level by the end of the school year. A session will be set up in the next few weeks to answer any questions you may have- stay tuned.
- Read to Achieve and 3rd Grade Beginning of Grade Reading Test Letter
- Read to Achieve Information Power Point English Spanish
3rd Grade Virtual Academy Students- BOG Invitation: Please review the email sent by your child's teacher and respond to the link below no later than noon on Monday, January 11th so we can plan appropriately for providing Virtual Academy students the opportunity to take the BOG on campus at FWES. Thank you!
- BOG for VA 3rd Graders
Go for the GOLD Celebrations: Our FWES Healthy Schools Leadership Team has planned our annual GOLD celebration events to be virtual this year. Grade levels will communicate with families the day and time(s) that students will be participating. Enjoy the activities and the celebration of our students Giving and Earning Respect, Owning their actions, Leading by Example and Demonstrating Cooperation.... all things that maximize learning!
Kindergarten Registration for 2021-22: We are currently registering kindergartners for NEXT year. If you have a student who will be 5 by August 31, 2021 or know of one, please make sure that student starts the registration process. Early registration allows our school (and others) to best plan for staffing and space needs prior to summer and best prepare for student arrival in August!
- New Student WCPSS Enrollment

FWES PTA News: FWES Board Meeting for January, Monday, January 11th at 6:30pm

FWES Yearbook Updates
- FWES 2020-21 Yearbooks for Sale
- Missed Picture Day or in Virtual Academy- How to take pictures at home for the yearbook. Photos are due no later than NEXT FRIDAY January 15, 2021.
- FWES Yearbook Ads - Learn how to purchase space to recognize your 5th Grade student in our 2020-21 yearbook.
Wake County PTA Reflections Contest
- Congratulations to Gwyneth Overton 5th Grader for her 1st Place recognition in the 3D Visual Arts Category, Intermmediate for a piece entitled: The Heart That Matters. Her work will now move on to the state level competition. FWES PTA sponsors our school based Reflections contest annually to allow students the opportunity to share their creativity.

12-18-2020

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 7 minutes)

Happy, happy Friday to our Farmington Woods Families! We have had a great Gift of Reading week and many thanks to our volunteers and supportive families throughout the week. As we head in to Winter Break, I encourage our students to continue to give themselves the gift of reading each day! I also encourage them to take some time to continue to practice math on Dream Box- I look forward to sharing information about our top 5 classrooms for lessons completed when we return on January 4th!

Thank you for the emails and phone calls related to the Spring Semester Confirmation Letters. The systems that generate lists for the school messenger system don't always "play nicely" with the systems used for Virtual Academy registration. We realize there may have been mixed messages sent and we will continue to work with families to insure you are in the placement you expected.

As a reminder, the Board of Education determined that January 4-15, 2021 will be Remote Learning for ALL students. This effort is related to the health protocols that are followed for safety that require extensive quarantining for symptoms and/or exposures. These protocols have created some challenges in schools to provide appropriate adult supervision. There is hope that this time will allow for development of plans by the district to assist with filling of the gaps and provide all students and staff time away from each other so that upon the start of 2nd Semester on January 20th- we are good to go!!!

During this time, staff have been asked to telework, so there will not be someone in the office each day to take your phone calls, however, the messages will be checked regularly throughout the day and returned as soon as possible. Beginning January 4th- email may be the fastest tool for communication with FWES Staff members:)

After a very complex 2020- I wish you all a joy and peace filled break and all the happiness possible for 2021!

With love, Mrs. Pierce

FWES Friday Folder:

Remote Learning for ALL students- January 4-15, 2021. Teachers will communicate schedule information and students should log on Monday, January 4, 2021. FWES News begins at 9:05am!

No library book pick up 1st two weeks in January- reserve books and they will ready when return to campus! More information to come.

Supply Pick up for Second Semester: We are working on details for supply pick up for Virtual Academy students on either January 13th or 19th. More information will be available when we return on January 4th.

Second Semester: Please make sure your calendar indicates- Second Semester begins January 20, 2021.

Face to Face Families- New to Second Semester: More information will go home as the start of the semester gets closer but if you will need care for your student before and/or after school. Please use this link to the Taylor YMCA to get more information and register for the program. The program takes place on the FWES campus but is run by the YMCA.

IB Family Survey: LINK HERE

As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, it is a requirement that each school undertakes a formal evaluation process every five years- addressing all aspects of the Primary Years Program. During this year of evaluation, it is required that all stakeholders (parents, students, teachers, administrators) reflect on the standards and practices of our IB PYP. Farmington Woods IB/PYP is being evaluated by the IB Organization in the 2020-21 school year. The formal process will take place over several days in the Spring of 2021, but we are currently in the process of organizing data and documents to share with the visiting team. Your input is important as we work to create an effective PYP school community.
Attached is a series of questions that relate to important components of the IB Primary Years Program. There may be questions you don't understand or are not applicable to you individually. If you are not sure about a question, it is acceptable to mark N/A.
Thank you for helping us reflect on and improve our practices in the implementation of the PYP.
If you have any questions, please contact Anna Goodrum, Magnet Coordinator - agoodrum@wcpss.net

12-11-2020

Mrs. Pierce's Message ( 6 minutes)

Happy Friday to our FWES Families!

I hope you have all had a great week. I continue to be amazed by the talents of our teachers and the commitment of our students and our families as each day I see students growing and learning- in classrooms and on line. I am also thankful that although some things are different, the foundational principles or our IB/PYP approach are still the core of our planning and our students' engagement in their learning. I had the pleasure of serving on a panel at a Global IB Conference this week (at 2:30am because the conference was in Singapore:) to discuss student voice, choice and ownership in the classroom. And as with all things, we all have things we must do- but I watch our classrooms each day find ways for students to have a voice, choice and ownership as learners and when conference participants asked me questions- I had real world examples from FWES to share with them because of our school's vision and the IB mission.

We are beginning our Magnet Recruiting window and will have our 2nd Virtual Tour on Monday. If you are a magnet family, you got the "feel" of being in our building.... our prospective families can't get that, but we are working hard to provide them with as much as we can in the virtual format. Your word of mouth about the work we do with the IB/PYP structures is a great recruiting tool for us.... so please feel free to send friends and neighbors interested in our school to one of our upcoming sessions. The Magnet application window closes on January 28, 2021.

My heart is full each day because of the FWES extended family I get to be a part of and I wish you all a break that is restful, joyful and peaceful.... hoping that in all that you do, in these difficult times, that your heart is FULL, too.

Sending global wishes for peace on earth and a Happy New Year-

Winston Pierce

FWES This Week:

IB Learner Profile- Principled

P2 Focus- Self-Control

Monday, December 14- Exercise your Brain and Read! 10:00 Virtual Magnet Tour

Tuesday, December 15- Tacky Sweater Tuesday- Read Together Day! *Last Day to request books for check out for Winter Break

Wednesday, December 16- Asynchronous Day- assignments on line; Wild Animal Wednesday- read to a stuffed animal today; Spring Semester confirmation letters emailed to families (in the PM)

Thursday, December 17- Lights out and Read (F2F students may bring flashlights to use at school to read- of course VA students do the same at home)

Friday, December 18- Relax and Read- PJs!

Winter Break- December 21, 2020-Jan 3, 2021- FWES Office will be closed. FWES Office will reopen on Monday, January 4, 2021. Happy New Year!

*Note- 1st Semester continues through Jan 15th- if you made a change and received a confirmation letter for 2nd semester- your student begins in their NEW learning environment on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

Jan 4-8: Cohort 2 4th/5th Grade Return; All current K-3 F2F return!

FWES Friday Folder Notes:

Mrs. Moore at the Front Desk is Retiring- send her your well wishes! Well Wishes for Mrs. Moore at FWES

Spring Semester Updates:Spring Semester Starts on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

Confirmation of VA and F2F placement for spring will come in a letter on Wednesday, December 16th. No additional changes can be made at this time.
Face to Face- if you are moving to Face to Face from Virtual Academy and will want to ride the bus- fill out the Bus Registration Form for the 2020-21 school year.
All bus riders are also required to have completed the Bus Attestation form before riding a school bus. Please go ahead and complete the form now:)

We are beginning to work on the configuration of grade levels and classrooms for the Spring Semester. Information about teacher and classroom placement for the Spring Semester will go home no later than January 16, 2021 but as soon as we can have it ready and we are hopeful it will be before that date. There are many interconnected parts that must be taken into consideration and those take time to process and arrange. There are several grade levels that will require some reconfiguration so it will take some additional time to create classrooms.

Gift of Reading- Theme reading days all next week and families invited to read virtually in classrooms- contact your child's teacher to share your interest in being a virtual reader on Tuesday!

Reading Log- complete on paper or electronic and give/send to teacher- by 12/17 to be included in the drawing for books!

(note you will have to make a copy and save it by your name to access again and make sure your reading is collected on one page)

PTA Cultural Arts Performance this week: We are so thankful for our FWES PTA and their support (along with the United Arts Council of Wake County) in continuing the cultural arts experiences for our students in a virtual format. This week students will enjoy The Beast-Sankofa, a history of African American music from spirituals to hip hop. Grade levels have chosen a time this week to watch the performance and teachers will be sharing that information in their family communications.

Library Book Pick-up

Monday - Friday 10:00am - 2:00pm in the front carpool loop
BE sure to request books for the Winter break by TUESDAY, Dec 15th, to allow time for them to be processed for pick up!!
REMEMBER to wait until you get the email from Mrs. Grice to come get your books

Virtual Academy Students- Pictures for the Yearbook- VA students- Take your yearbook picture at home to be included in the FWES Yearbook. Read the guidelines and submit your photo by January 15, 2021 so you are included in your classroom section. This yearbook will be one for the history books! Guidelines here- due January 15, 2021

12-4-2020

Mrs. Pierce's Message (8 minutes)

TODAY IS LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR HOLIDAY FOOD BUNDLES FOR CHILDREN 18 and YOUNGER:

Holiday Food Bundle Registration Link

IB Learner Profile: Principled

P2 Focus: Knowing my words and actions affect others

FWES This Week:

Monday, December 7- Welcome Back Cohort 3 4th/5th Graders! Returning to Campus Family Checklist

Tuesday, December 8- Cohort 3 Pictures

Wednesday, December 9- Last Day for Spring Registration for Elem Families

Thursday, December 10-

Friday, December 11- 8:30am PTA Virtual Coffee Chat- Asynchronous Learning Day- Remote Learning for ALL

FWES the Next Week (Dec 14-18): Gift of Reading!!!

Monday- Exercise your Brain- exercise or fan/team/jersey attire

Tuesday- Tacky Sweater Tuesday

Wednesday- Wild Animal Wednesday (asynchronous day at home)

Thursday- Turn off the Lights and Read (flashlight reading)

Friday- Relax and Read- Pajama Day!

Hi FWES Families!

It was great to see so many of you at the Thursday Q&A session- I truly miss seeing and talking with our families each day! Now is the time for ALL families to consider the Spring Semester and the learning environment that will be best for your student. Information is linked below that will allow you to make a change from your current setting as it relates to Virtual Academy or Face to Face Instruction. Please make a note that the deadline is December 9th for your input.

We are excited to begin preparation for the Gift of Reading at FWES and hope you will consider being a virtual reader to your student's classroom on Tuesday, December 15th. Please review the information link below and reach out to your child's teacher if you are available during the grade level's guest reader time. We cannot have readers IN the building this year, but we've all gotten pretty good at Google Meets and can welcome readers through the virtual format to celebrate reading!

Interim Reports are being emailed to families today as we have reached the mid-point of the 2nd Quarter of the year. Please review your child's information and contact the teacher if you have any questions.

Next week note- The Asynchronous Day is on FRIDAY- not Wednesday.

We are so appreciative of your partnership with FWES to provide support for your child's academic success! Have a wonderful weekend!

Winston Pierce

FWES Friday Folder Information:

Register for 2nd Semester Lighting Our Way Forward- Guide for Reopening

*students in K-3 are currently in Plan A

*students in 4-5 are currently in Plan B

*Beginning Jan 20th- K-5 will be Plan A

It is time for families to consider Spring Semester, 2020 (begins January 20, 2021). Information about registration is linked along with the guide to protocols and policies related to the return of students to school. Please note that beginning January 20, 2021, K-5 students will be Plan A and social distancing requirements will be met- to the extent possible- as we will have full classrooms of students (like we do now with our K-3 students in the building). The Lighting our Way Forward guide is also linked for families to review the practices that will be in place in Plan A if your student were to return to campus. Please reach out if you have any additional questions.

Happy Retirement to Susan Moore, FWES receptionist extraordinaire! We want to wish Mrs. Moore well as she prepares to retire from WCPSS after giving 25 years of service to schools, with the last 8 years at Farmington Woods as our amazing receptionist! She knows all of our students and families and will miss helping everyone! She is looking forward to spending much more time with her family and her 4 grandchildren! December 18th will be her last day at Farmington Woods. Please feel free to drop of a card/note, mail it to the school (1413 Hampton Valley Road, Cary, NC 27511) or enter your thoughts here (by December 11th) and we will make sure they get shared with her! Mrs. Moore Retirement Well Wishes, December 2020

Gift of Reading Preview- Read here about our Annual Gift of Reading event scheduled for December 14-18. Note the time that your student's grade level will be welcoming guest readers on Tuesday, November 15th and let your teacher know if you are interested in being a virtual guest reader that day!

Social Emotional Learning for WCPSS Families: Please review the flyers below for how parents and families might participate in upcoming trainings related to social emotional well-being. A great opportunity to learn!

5th Grade Families- As you begin to explore middle school options for your student- Dillard Drive Magnet Middle School would like to invite you to check out their new magnet theme: Center for World Languages and Spanish Immersion. Read more here and sign up to attend a virtual session: Dillard Drive Magnet Middle School Flyer

Pictures for Cohort 3 on Tuesday, December 8th: Face to face students in Cohort 3 K-5 will have photos taken at school on Tuesday, December 8th. Virtual Academy students are also invited to sign up for times to have your formal picture taken. Review the information linked to get all the details.

Library Book Pick-up

Monday - Friday 10:00am - 2:00pm in the front carpool loop
REMEMBER to wait until you get the email from Mrs. Grice to come get your books

11-20-2020

Mrs. Pierce's Message (6 minutes:)

FWES This Week:

IB Learner Profile- Thinker

P2- Gratitude- FWES Shows Gratitude

Monday, November 23 State required Remote Learning Day- No students at FWES- asynchronous learning and attendance taken based on completion of assignments
Tuesday, November 24 State required Remote Learning Day- No students at FWES- asynchronous learning and attendance taken based on completion of assignments
November 25-27- Thanksgiving Holiday Break

Looking ahead to the next week:

Monday, November 30- Welcome Cohort 2 of 4th/5th Graders! PreK, ECS and K-3 attend daily!
Tuesday, December 1- Picture Day for Cohort 2 students K-5; VA Students Sign up for picture times (see links below)
Wednesday, December 2- Asynchronous Learning Day- no students at FWES- attendance taken on completion of assignments; Portal to Choose Learning Setting for 2nd Semester Opens for Elementary Families (open through December 9th)
Thursday, December 3- PTA Q&A with Mrs. Pierce 6pm- see below for entering questions
Friday, December 4- Interim Reports for Q2 home with all students

FWES Friday Folder Messages:

Food Distribution During Thanksgiving Week

Curbside pick up locations and Big Bus Food Truck sites will distribute two lunches and two breakfasts on Fri., Nov. 20 to also cover meals for Mon. Nov. 23 as all curbside pick up locations and Big Bus Food Truck locations will be closed on this date. On Tuesday, Nov. 24, our CNS team will distribute a four-day holiday pack at our curbside pick-up locations and Big Bus Food Truck sites as long as supplies last. Food distribution services will not be occurring Nov. 25-27.

Reminder- ID Required for Student check out or pick up at FWES! As we have more students attending school in person, there are times when students need to be checked out or picked up by families. Since families are not allowed to enter the building and we have a variety of staff (some of them new) responsible for check out of students- adults presenting at FWES to sign students out will be asked to show Photo ID so it can be compared with the student's record and we can continue to insure the safety of our students before releasing them from school, even if school staff know you:) Thank you for your cooperation to keep all students safe!

This process is in place during the school day, when students have to go home sick and when a family does not arrive on time for the dismissal process*.

*Please note: Due to not being able to congregate students in a central location, if you are not on time to pick up your student as a carpooler (arrival after 4:00pm) or walker (arrival after 3:40pm); your child will be sent back to their classroom to be supervised by their homeroom teacher. Thank you for your cooperation!

Families unable to arrive during our required dismissal windows may choose to enroll students in the YMCA after school program on site at FWES.

Classroom Setting for Spring Semester, 2021- (January 20-June 11)- Elementary Families Choose December 2-9: Please make a note of the WCPSS communication about choosing a classroom setting for your student for the Spring Semester. ALL families are able to make a choice during this time frame. Please note that at FWES, there are likely to be some teacher and classroom changes based on the choices made for the Spring semester.

FWES Shows Gratitude in November! Although there are many challenges that we are all facing each day, it is important to continue to focus on those things that are positive, as we all have many people and things that we can recognize with gratitude. Students, families and staff will be invited to share their thoughts. Please help us fill our Gratitude Tree with your thoughts and wishes of Gratitude throughout the month of November. Enter your thoughts on the link and we will add your gratitude to a leaf to add to our tree- help us fill the tree by November 24th! Students participating in Face to Face instruction are also invited to add their own statements while at school to put on our tree.

Fall Pictures are Coming!! FWES will offer Fall pictures through Lifetouch Photography. Students enrolled in face to face instruction will have individual photos on 12/1 for Cohort 2/B, and 12/8 for Cohort 3/C with some exceptions shared by classroom teacher. Fall Picture Details

We still need volunteers for picture day! Use the following link to signup:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0449A9A62CA57-picture

FWES PTA Updates:

Room Parent and Virtual Volunteers

We are finalizing the details and will be reaching out soon, if you have not already signed up and are interested, please reach out to Ushma Shukla, our volunteer coordinator at ushukla.pta@gmail.com

Q&A with Mrs.Pierce

Mark your calendars for December 3rd at 6pm for another Q&A with Mrs. Pierce

Please return Question Forms (Link) by November 27th

11-13-2020

Mrs. Pierce's Message (12 minutes)

FWES This Week:

IB Learner Profile- Thinker

P2- Gratitude- FWES Shows Gratitude

Monday, November 16- Welcome All K-3rd and Cohort 1 of 4th/5th!
Tuesday, November 17- Picture Day for Cohort 1 Students K-5! Virtual Academy register for a picture appointment
Wednesday, November 18- Asynchronous Learning- No students at school- assignments given online and attendance taken based on completion of assignments; 2nd/3rd Grade VA Supply Pick up 3:00-4:00pm
Thursday, November 19- WCPSS Parent Session on Magnet School Applications 5:00pm; 6:00pm Virtual Book Fair Guest Reader- Ms. Binns!
Friday, November 20- Don't forget Remote Learning Monday and Tuesday and to contact your teacher if you have not yet had your parent conference!

Next Week Notes:

Monday, November 23 State required Remote Learning Day- No students at FWES- asynchronous learning and attendance taken based on completion of assignments
Tuesday, November 24 State required Remote Learning Day- No students at FWES- asynchronous learning and attendance taken based on completion of assignments
November 25-27- Thanksgiving Holiday Break

FWES Friday Folder Messages:

FWES Honors Veterans in our School Community 2020- Thank you to our families and staff members for helping us honor our FWES Community veterans last week and thank you for your service!

Library Book Pick-up - Updates Beginning November 16th

Monday - Friday 10:00am - 2:00pm in the front carpool loop
Beginning Monday, Nov 16th - Books will be delivered to classrooms for students who are in the building
REMEMBER to wait until you get the email from Mrs. Grice to come get your books

All Bus Riders- Important Information: Bus Attestation Forms stating that parents and children will abide by health and safety protocols for bus ridership. These forms are required for students to be transported by school bus. Families, if you plan on riding school bus, please reference this link and complete the on-line attestation form- Students are not permitted to ride the bus until this form has been submitted. You will need to submit a form for all of your children who plan to ride the bus during the 2020-21 school year.
Submit form online | Español

Fall Pictures are Coming!! FWES will offer Fall pictures through Lifetouch Photography. Students enrolled in face to face instruction will have individual photos on Tuesdays 11/17 for Cohort 1/A, 12/1 for Cohort 2/B, and 12/8 for Cohort 3/C with some exceptions shared by classroom teacher. Fall Picture Details

We still need volunteers for picture day! Use the following link to signup:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0449A9A62CA57-picture

Sick Students (important updated information): A reminder that students with ANY symptom of COVID-19 will be sent home immediately and is unable to return to campus for 10 days or until a medical professional provides information that the symptoms are NOT related to COVID-19 through a negative COVID test. This policy has been updated to indicate that if a student shows symptoms at school, the student's siblings must also go home at the same time and follow the procedure of remaining home for 10 days unless a medical professional has additional information for the school. Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining a safe environment for ALL members of our FWES community!

Update your contact phone numbers! Please make sure if you update your phone number that you email your child's teacher the new contact # AND email Mrs. Tracy-Dale, data manager (mtracy-dale@wcpss.net) so your child's records can be updated, too, and we are able to contact you in the event of an emergency.

FWES PTA Updates:

Virtual Book Fair continues ….be sure to join our google meets on Thursdays at 6:00pm for a special staff “guest“ reader

Have you started buying for the holidays yet? Books might be the perfect option and you will be helping our school in the process! Visit our virtual book fair, hosted by the FWES PTA, to get started!

www.bedfordfallsusa.com School Code: FWES1

Don't forget to join us on Thursday nights at 6pm during the book fair to hear guest readers!

https://meet.google.com/dam-xxvg-tes 11/19 Ms. Binns

Email bookfair@fwespta.org if you have any questions.

PTA Reflections Contest: The National PTA organization sponors a contest each year to showcase student creativity and talent in the arts through Reflections. Entries are in various arts categories and around the theme: "I matter because...." Entries are due by November 16th- information on how to submit virtual entries is included on the flyer linked above.

Returning to FWES Slide Show with Photos

FWES Face to Face (F2F) Families: Mrs. Pierce's Message to F2F Families (13 minutes)

WCPSS Return to Campus Guide for Families WCPSS Health Safety Videos- English and Spanish to watch with your student!

FWES Handbook Highlights and Updates for F2F Families

Spanish Version Arabic Version

Cohort Assignments and Calendar for Returning Students

ALL PreK, ECS and K-3 students return on Monday, November 16th! Whole classrooms will be attending daily instruction beginning next week.

Cohorts 1 of 4th and 5th grade students will return on Monday, November 16th! Cohorts 2 and 3 of 4th and 5th grade students will remain in virtual learning the week of November 16-20th.

Getting Ready to Return to FWES! Returning to FWES Family Checklist

Review the checklist provided to make sure you are ready to return to the classroom.

There will be many things that are the same, but many that will be different as our students return, especially as it relates to the Safety Protocols in place. Please take time to watch the videos provided by WCPSS WITH your student and help them understand the expectations when they are in any school building this year. We will also be highlighting these videos on our FWES News this week, so tune in to see them again:)

WCPSS Health Safety Protocol Videos- In English and Spanish!!!!

Medication Drop Off: Thank you the families who dropped of medication on Thursday and Friday. If you have medication to drop off at school- it can only be accepted between 9:30am-3:00pm due to the requirements of staff to support health screenings, arrival and dismissal processes. If you arrive during the arrival process, you will need to wait outside, social distancing in a mask until 9:30am. Thank you!

Reminder that all medication requires the signed doctor's order (Rx medications and any required over the counter medications).

WCPSS Medication Information and required 1702 Form

Student Dismissal Transportation Information Thank you for filling out this form or for responding to phone calls and messages last week. We want to make sure we know how your student will be going home on their first day. If you are Cohort 2 or 3 and have not yet filled out this form- please fill it out ASAP.

Bus Transportation Information:

Please take time to review the information linked above and watch the video to review the bus arrival and dismissal process with your child.

All riders must present to the driver or complete on line- the Parent Attestation Form that provides your assurance that your child's temperature will be taken at home each morning and that he/she will not get on a bus if they are not feeling well.

Bus attestation form

More WCPSS Bus Info and paper Bus Attestation Form

Bus Routes for FWES- Routes for 2020-21

Here Comes the Bus App- Use this link to download and connect to the Here Comes the Bus app to track your child's bus daily

Carpool and Walker Information:

Expect delays due to increased number of students and health screening process. Thank you for your cooperation.

Walkers must be picked up by 3:40pm Daily

Carpool ends at 4:05pm Daily

Please take time to review the documents linked and watch the videos about the procedures for both processes.

No adults will be allowed to move beyond the screening stations set up- only students allowed on the front porch to enter the school. Please make sure your child is aware that you cannot walk with them. If your child may struggle to separate from you if you are standing beside them as a "walker", it is recommended that you consider using carpool drop off, as staff may not have contact with students to hold a hand or give a hug to help them walk to their classroom.

All individuals on campus must wear masks (including adults with students) and maintain 6 ft social distancing. Please be mindful of younger siblings and keep them with your family at all times.

Supply Lists for F2F Families: It will be important that due to Remote/Asynchronous learning days, that F2F students have supplies at school AND at home for learning. If you are able, updated supply lists are linked here for getting your child the things they need at school. Due to safety, supplies cannot be shared in the classroom so if you want to send extra supplies for teachers to have on hand for students who may forget to bring supplies or run out during the day, that's great, too.

**The one addition for all students K-5th is a pool/beach towel for school. We are going to try to eat outside on as many days as possible and to help students maintain social distancing and provide them a nice spot for eating, we are asking each to bring a large towel to use during the week. It will be sent home with students each Friday for washing and returning the following week. If you have an extra for students who may not bring them, thank you for sharing!

Technology Guidance for Families: All students returning to the FWES campus are expected to bring their WCPSS Chromebook- CHARGED- each day. It will return home with the student daily for access to homework and on remote learning days.

*At FWES, students without a WCPSS Chromebook checked out to them at home- will be assigned a FWES Chromebook that will be used only by that student while on campus. While the WCPSS document references, bring your own device, we have found that WCPSS systems and other resources sometimes do now work well on non-WCPSS devices- so we are not going to sponsor BYOD when students return.

Kindergartner Arrival and Pom Pom Pathway to your Classroom: Our kindergartners did a great job the last three weeks, but not to worry, we will maintain our Pom Pom Pathway for a few more days as a reminder to Cohort 1 and 2 students! Watch the video linked here and your child will just follow the Pom Pom pathway to get to the purple kindergarten hall to find their teacher and their classroom! We can't wait to see them!

Sick or Symptomatic Student Information for F2F Families: The information below can be found in the FWES Handbook but is important information for families to review and understand- as the process this year will be VERY different.

Students showing ANY signs or symptoms listed- MUST go home IMMEDIATELY. Please make sure you have a plan for how to pick up your child quickly if he/she is ill during the school day. School staff are not trained medical personnel and their first responsibility is to insure the safety of our school community. Students who complain of illness will be treated as if there were an illness present to keep our school safe. Your understanding and cooperation is paramount to maintaining a safe school for students and staff.

Update: Siblings of any student showing or complaining of symptoms are also required to go home when the student leaves campus and to follow the same 10 day guidance for remaining at home. This WCPSS updated information was shared with families in an email the week of November 6th.

We are experiencing a Global Pandemic and there are no exceptions, except for those listed in the information below that require medical professional documentation. Families are asked to closely monitor students each morning and keep them home if they show ANY signs of illness or not feeling well. The best news is that if a child is at home, but able to learn- we are able to connect them to a Virtual Academy classroom so they do not miss learning or assignments, until they can return to campus!

Classrooms of students who have been sent to the Care Center with symptoms will be quickly relocated so the room can be cleaned and sanitized- as soon as all required sanitation procedures are completed, students will return to the classroom. The Care Center will also be sanitized after each student has been picked up.

New for 2020-21

All WCPSS schools will have a Care Center set up in a classroom for sick students to be supervised and socially distanced

Students exhibiting illness during the school day will be immediately escorted to the FWES Care Center (not the health room)
- FWES Care Center is on the Green Hall in a room facing the Green Top
- Family members pick up students will park in the bus lot and bring Photo ID to the back door of this classroom to sign out and pick up a sick student. Signs will indicate the location of the Care Center as you walk up the ramp from the bus log.
Students exhibiting ANY contagious illness symptom or symptoms of COVID according to the DHHS guide (see below) MUST be immediately picked up from school.
Students who leave school sick must remain home for 10 calendar days unless confirmation of an alternative diagnosis from a health care provider that would explain the COVID-19-like symptom(s) is provided.

Students who are not feeling well in the morning should not report to school. Students who do not pass health screenings will not be allowed to enter the school building. With the many safeguards in place, it is still possible that students may get sick during the school day. Students exhibiting any illness symptoms connected to COVID or other communicable illness will be immediately escorted from the classroom to the school’s Care Center.

Sample illness symptoms from the CDC in children under 19 years of age may include:

headache,

fever,

chills,

shortness of breath (not related to asthma),

sore, throat,

cough,

runny nose,

gastrointestinal issues (stomach ache, diarrhea, nausea),

discharge from eyes,

ear aches,

loss of taste or smell, etc.

Students in the Care Center will be socially distanced and monitored by trained school staff members and/or our School Nurse. The family and/or emergency contacts will be contacted by office for immediate pick up of the student from school.

Families must immediately pick up sick students from the school’s Care Center. FWES Care Center is located on the Playground side of the school. Parents picking up students from our Care Center will park in the bus parking lot and follow signs to the outside door of the care center for signing out of the student.

11-6-2020

Mrs. Pierce's Message (9 Minutes)

FWES This Week:

IB Learner Profile- Thinker P2 Character Strength- Bravery

Library Book Pick up Monday-Friday 10:00am-2:00pm in the front carpool loop; Beginning November 16th- Books for Face to Face students will be delivered to their classrooms and Virtual Academy students can continue to pick up in the carpool loop.

FWES Virtual Book Fair Continues

Saturday, November 7th- 5th Grade Families- Note- WCPSS Virtual Magnet Fair 9:00-12:00- explore Magnet Middle School options!

Monday, November 9th- First Day for Cohort 3 students in ECS, Pre K and K-3 classroom; Cohorts 2 and 3; along with ALL 4th and 5th graders remain at home this week for Virtual Learning

Tuesday, November 10th- 10:45am FWES Virtual Magnet Tour Event

Wednesday, November 11th- Veteran's Day Holiday- No School for Students or Staff

Thursday, November 12th- 9:30am BOG- Reading for 3rd Graders; FWES Book Fair Guest Reader Ms. Madden- 6:00pm

Friday, November 13th- 8:30am PTA Coffee Chat- check PTA website or email/member hub for access link

FWES Calendar Notes for Next Week (11/16-20):

Monday, November 16th- ALL PreK, ECS and K-3 students return to FWES for daily instruction; Students in COHORTS 1 in 4th and 5th Grades arrivat at FWES; 4th/5th Cohorts 2 and 3 Stay Home for Remote Learning

Wednesday, November 18th- Asynchronous Learning Day- no regular live meets; student complete assignments in Google Classroom to be marked present; Library Book Pick Up and 2nd/3rd Materials Pick Up 3-4pm

FWES Friday Folder Information:

FWES Honors Bravery and Gratitude for Veterans Day: Please help our school family honor the Veterans in our school community. Add a slide about an FWES Community Veteran to our slide deck. The slide deck will be posted for all families to view the week of November 9th.

FWES Shows Gratitude in November! Although there are many challenges that we are all facing each day, it is important to continue to focus on those things that are positive, as we all have many people and things that we can recognize with gratitude. Students, families and staff will be invited to share their thoughts. Please help us fill our Gratitude Tree with your thoughts and wishes of Gratitude throughout the month of November. Enter your thoughts on the link and we will add your gratitude to a leaf to add to our tree- help us fill the tree by November 24th! Students participating in Face to Face instruction are also invited to add their own statements while at school to put on our tree.

WCPSS Elementary Health Screening Questions: If you have any questions about whether or not your student should attend school, please review the current WCPSS Elementary Health Screening Questions- as long as you can answer no to all of them AND your child does not have a fever above 100.4, your child may attend school.

Sick Students (see returning to school section): A reminder that students with ANY symptom of COVID-19 will be sent home immediately and is unable to return to campus for 10 days or until a medical professional provides information that the symptoms are NOT related to COVID-19 through a negative COVID test. Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining a safe environment for ALL members of our FWES community!

Taylor YMCA Before and After School Program: Families may access program information at this link. Students registered by Sunday nights may attend for the week. Note- YMCA program is housed at FWES but is not endorsed or staffed by FWES staff and the YMCA maintains it's own liability for the program, program participants and program employees.

Kindergarten Registration for 2021-22: What? Yes? You read that correctly- it it time to begin registration of students for the 2021-22 school year. If you have a rising kindergartner or know someone who does, let them know it is not too early to register:) The Virtual Magnet Fair on November 7th will kick off the Magnet Application process with final applications due by January 28, 2021. A reminder that magnet siblings entering kindergarten need to register at your assigned base school AND complete a magnet application to secure a seat for 2021-22.

Learning at FWES with Cohorts, Tracked Out and Virtual Academy Enviornments: All students will maintain the same pace of instructional content and curriculum each week, no matter which learning environment. For F2F students who track out- learning will continue, as it has in the virtual setting, when they are tracked out- so participation in live sessions and completing all daily lessons are essential even when your student is not F2F at school.

Virtual Academy Lessons with F2F Tracked out Students: As was shared with families since the beginning of planning for this school year, teachers on teams are partnering to best support each other and our students. As our F2F students begin to return to school, teams will begin utilizing this partnership in various ways to maintain the same level of instruction for ALL students.

F2F teachers cannot obviously serve the students in front of them all day and still provide 2.5 hours of instruction and support to the students who are tracked out- but as a school we want to maintain learning at the highest level for all students. This structure is new to all of us and as all teams have designed an initial plan, it is possible that plans will need to be tweaked and adjusted as we move along. I thank you for your patience and understanding as these changes may occur, remembering that our focus is on student learning for ALL students.

What you might see:

F2F Students and Families
- Face to Face Student learning in cohorts
  - Due to the low classroom sizes of 3-7 students, some classrooms may combine during the day to provide teachers with time to reach out to tracked out students for lessons, follow up learning and/or small group work
- Tracked Out Students
  - Your teacher will be responsible for grading and reviewing your work while tracked out and providing you support you may need with learning
  - In some grade levels, tracked out students may be joining a VA classroom on the grade level to access the live lessons during the day
  - In some grade levels, tracked out students will be taught some lessons by VA classroom teachers or IAs and some lessons by their homeroom teacher
  - Tracked out students will also have times where their teacher will reach out to engage them in follow up small group lessons while tracked out
Virtual Academy Students and Families
- You may notice extra students in your student's live lessons so that students tracked out continue to get the full level of instruction possible
- We hope you might see a friend you've not seen since last year, too:)

FWES PTA Updates:

Virtual Book Fair continues ….be sure to join our google meets on Thursdays at 6:00pm for a special staff “guest“ reader

Link for book fair : befordfallsusa.com

*This Thursday, November 12th guest reader is Ms. Madden 6:00pm Link for guest reader meet: Meet

PTA Reflections Contest: The National PTA organization sponors a contest each year to showcase student creativity and talent in the arts through Reflections. Entries are in various arts categories and around the theme: "I matter because...." Entries are due by November 13th- information on how to submit virtual entries is included on the flyer linked above.

Returning to FWES Slide Show with Photos

Yubbler is back with updated school lists! https://www.yubbler.com/Yub/Details/20659

FWES Pet Photos! Share your pictures of your favorite family pet! Email to yearbook@fwespta.org or upload directly to https://images.jostens.com/415464928?fbclid=IwAR3RjtRCNI1-XFwHIIAAbhykh0zwv1AlLW6207XxGpCP7Yatvlllrja9hC4

FWES Face to Face (F2F) Families:

Returning to FWES Family Checklist

WCPSS Return to Campus Guide for Families WCPSS Health Safety Videos- English and Spanish to watch with your student!

FWES Handbook Highlights and Updates for F2F Families

Spanish Version Arabic Version

Cohort Assignments and Calendar for Returning Students

All 4th and 5th Graders will continue to remain at home and access virtual learning.

Cohorts 1 and 2 students PreK, ECS, K-3 will remain at home and access virtual learning November 9-13.

Welcome Cohort 3 PreK, ECS and K-3 Students to FWES for November 9-13!

Getting Ready to Return to FWES! There will be many things that are the same, but many that will be different as our students return, especially as it relates to the Safety Protocols in place. Please take time to watch the videos provided by WCPSS WITH your student and help them understand the expectations when they are in any school building this year. We will also be highlighting these videos on our FWES News this week, so tune in to see them again:)

WCPSS Health Safety Protocol Videos- In English and Spanish!!!!

Reminder that all medication requires the signed doctor's order (Rx medications and any required over the counter medications).

WCPSS Medication Information and required 1702 Form

Bus Transportation Information:

Please take time to review the information linked above and watch the video to review the bus arrival and dismissal process with your child.

Bus attestation form

More WCPSS Bus Info and paper Bus Attestation Form

Bus Routes for FWES- Routes for 2020-21

Here Comes the Bus App- Use this link to download and connect to the Here Comes the Bus app to track your child's bus daily

Carpool and Walker Information:

Please take time to review the documents linked and watch the videos about the procedures for both processes.

All individuals on campus must wear masks and maintain 6 ft social distancing. Please be mindful of younger siblings and keep them with your family at all times.

Kindergartner Arrival and Pom Pom Pathway to your Classroom: Kindergartners are new to the FWES campus and we know families may be worried about how they will find their classroom and teacher- no worries! Watch the video linked here and your child will just follow the Pom Pom pathway to get to the purple kindergarten hall to find their teacher and their classroom! We can't wait to see them!

New for 2020-21

All WCPSS schools will have a Care Center set up in a classroom for sick students to be supervised and socially distanced

Students exhibiting illness during the school day will be immediately escorted to the FWES Care Center (not the health room)
- FWES Care Center is on the Green Hall in a room facing the Green Top
- Family members pick up students will park in the bus lot and bring Photo ID to the back door of this classroom to sign out and pick up a sick student. Signs will indicate the location of the Care Center as you walk up the ramp from the bus log.
Students exhibiting ANY contagious illness symptom or symptoms of COVID according to the DHHS guide (see below) MUST be immediately picked up from school.
Students who leave school sick must remain home for 10 calendar days unless confirmation of an alternative diagnosis from a health care provider that would explain the COVID-19-like symptom(s) is provided.

Sample illness symptoms from the CDC in children under 19 years of age may include:

headache,

fever,

chills,

shortness of breath (not related to asthma),

sore, throat,

cough,

runny nose,

gastrointestinal issues (stomach ache, diarrhea, nausea),

discharge from eyes,

ear aches,

loss of taste or smell, etc.

10-30-2020

Mrs. Pierce's Video Message ( 7 minutes)

FWES This Week:

IB Learner Profile- Thinker P2 Character Strength- Perspective

FWES Virtual Book Fair Begins

Monday, November 2nd- First Day for Cohort 2 students in ECS, Pre K and K-3 classroom; Cohorts 1 and 3; along with 4th and 5th graders remain at home this week for Virtual Learning

Tuesday, November 3rd- Teacher Workday- No School (no live or Google Classroom) for students; Election Day; FWES is polling site- Office will be closed.

Wednesday, November 4th- FWES PTA Spirit Day at City BBQ- order online with Fund A code or show the Flyer at the store to support FWES PTA

Thursday, November 5th- 7:35am School Improvement Team Quarterly Review Meeting; ESL Family Academy Event- en Espanol- 6-7pm ; FWES Book Fair Guest Reader Ms. Radichi- 6:00pm

Friday, November 6th

Saturday, November 7th- 5th Grade Families- Note- WCPSS Virtual Magnet Fair 9:00-12:00- explore Magnet Middle School options!

FWES Notes for Next Week:

Monday, November 9th- PreK, ECS and K-3 students in COHORT 3 ONLY- return to FWES; Students in COHORTS 1, 2 and 4th and 5th Grades Stay Home for Remote Learning

Wednesday, November 11th- Veteran's Day Holiday- No School; School Closed

FWES Friday Folder Information:

What you might see:

F2F Students and Families
- Face to Face Student learning in cohorts
  - Due to the low classroom sizes of 3-7 students, some classrooms may combine during the day to provide teachers with time to reach out to tracked out students for lessons, follow up learning and/or small group work
- Tracked Out Students
  - Your teacher will be responsible for grading and reviewing your work while tracked out and providing you support you may need with learning
  - In some grade levels, tracked out students may be joining a VA classroom on the grade level to access the live lessons during the day
  - In some grade levels, tracked out students will be taught some lessons by VA classroom teachers or IAs and some lessons by their homeroom teacher
  - Tracked out students will also have times where their teacher will reach out to engage them in follow up small group lessons while tracked out
Virtual Academy Students and Families
- You may notice extra students in your student's live lessons so that students tracked out continue to get the full level of instruction possible
- We hope you might see a friend you've not seen since last year, too:)

FWES PTA Updates:

Virtual Book Fair begins on November 2nd ….be sure to join our google meets on Thursdays at 6:00pm for a special staff “guest“ reader

Link for book fair : befordfallsusa.com

*This Thursday, November 5th guest reader is Ms. Radichi 6:00pm Link for guest reader meet: Meet

FWES Spirit Day at City BBQ- Wednesday, November 4th: FWES PTA Spirit Day at City BBQ- order online with Fund A code or show the Flyer at the store to support FWES PTA

PTA Reflections Contest: The National PTA organization sponors a contest each year to showcase student creativity and talent in the arts through Reflections. Entries are in various arts categories and around the theme: "I matter because...." Entries are due by November 13th- information on how to submit virtual entries is included on the flyer linked above.

FWES Handbook Highlights and Updates for F2F Families

Yubbler is back with updated school lists! https://www.yubbler.com/Yub/Details/20659

Virtual Volunteers Needed: Please complete the Family Communication form to share with us your interest in being a Virtual Room Parent, Virtual Hook a Book Parent or other interests you might have as a virtual support for FWES and our programming.

FWES News- What does FWES PTA do for our school?

School Supply Drive: Thank you for all of your support, each F2F teacher at FWES now has a box of supplies that can be shared with students as needed to keep everyone safe!!!

FWES PTA has distributed teacher start up funds to FWES Staff who are PTA members- teachers submit receipts for the start up materials they have personally purchased for reimbursement up to $100 each. It is a great way to help all of our teachers get the items for their classroom (virtual and F2F) that they need without having to spend their own funds.

FWES PTA is excited to have been able to continue our work in providing Cultural Arts experiences for ALL students through PTA and some grant funding from the United Arts Council of Wake County. Black Box Dance Theater will be shared with all students the week of November 9th! Stay Tuned

Check out our Twitter feed for Ice Cream Truck Fun on Thursday 10/22 with the FWES Staff!

10-23-2020

Mrs. Pierce's Friday Message (10 minutes)

Happy Long Weekend to everyone! We hope you have found time away from screens and enjoying the chance to be outside with an extra day on Friday! We had a very busy week at FWES last week as we continued and finished the preparations for the return of our Face to Face students to campus on Monday!

Below you will find information for ALL FWES families and a separate section for Face to Face families. While all of our students are part of our FWES school community, as you can imagine there are many details to be shared with Face to Face families in this period of transition- so your support and understanding with the somewhat lopsided information is appreciated!

I send heartfelt thank yous to our families for the support you have shown to your child's learning and to our incredIBle staff through this journey. The next phase begins on Monday and your continued support will be needed, too.

With love to all- Winston Pierce

FWES This Week:

IB Learner Profile- Open Minded P2 Character Strength- Creativity

Monday, October 26- First Day for Cohort 1 students in ECS, Pre K and K-3 classroom; Cohorts 2 and 3; along with 4th and 5th graders remain at home this week for Virtual Learning

Tuesday, October 27

Wednesday, October 28- ASYNCHRONOUS DAY- ALL students remain at home and access learning virtually- attendance taken

Thursday, October 29- 3rd Graders Take Beginning of Grade State Reading Test (BOG) 9:30am-12:30pm

Friday, October 30- Report Cards for Quarter 1 emailed to all families

FWES Notes for Next Week:

Monday, November 2nd- PreK, ECS and K-3 students in COHORT 2 ONLY- return to FWES; Students in COHORTS 1, 3 and 4th and 5th Grades Stay Home for Remote Learning

FWES Friday Folder Information:

Schedule Changes for All Students: To best align our Virtual Academy and F2F schedules and provide all teachers on a grade level with a common planning time each day, there are some slight changes to the instructional schedules. Please review any information shared with you by your child's teacher for the updates.

School wide, the specials start times have been adjusted for all grade levels:

9:35-10:15- 5th Grade

10:25-11:10 - 4th Grade

11:20-12:00- 2nd Grade

1:05-1:45- 3rd Grade

1:55-2:35- Kindergarten

2:45-3:25- 1st Grade

What you might see:

F2F Students and Families
- Face to Face Student learning in cohorts
  - Due to the low classroom sizes of 3-7 students, some classrooms may combine during the day to provide teachers with time to reach out to tracked out students for lessons, follow up learning and/or small group work
- Tracked Out Students
  - Your teacher will be responsible for grading and reviewing your work while tracked out and providing you support you may need with learning
  - In some grade levels, tracked out students may be joining a VA classroom on the grade level to access the live lessons during the day
  - In some grade levels, tracked out students will be taught some lessons by VA classroom teachers or IAs and some lessons by their homeroom teacher
  - Tracked out students will also have times where their teacher will reach out to engage them in follow up small group lessons while tracked out
Virtual Academy Students and Families
- You may notice extra students in your student's live lessons so that students tracked out continue to get the full level of instruction possible
- We hope you might see a friend you've not seen since last year, too:)

FWES Student and Family Handbook for 2020-21- The handbook has been updated to reflect items related to the return of students to campus. As information is updated or changed, it will also be updated in the handbook for families. Update dates will be noted on the first page of the Handbook.

Spanish Version Arabic Version

Free and Reduced Lunch Applications- Families who received free/reduced lunch last year or who believe they are eligible this year are asked to complete this form. If the form is on file for F2F or Virtual Acacemy students if the student returns to school, it is not needed.

Asynchronous Day Added- October 28th- WCPSS had added an additional asychronous day on Wednesday, October 28th. Please add this date to your calendar.

Reminder that Asynchronous Days are days that there are regularly scheduled live instruction for BOTH Face to Face Students (they do not come to school on Asynchronous Day) and Virtual Academy Students (no live sessions)- however, assignments will be posted for both in Google Classroom and completion of those assignments will be used to take attendance on Asynchronous Days.

Student and Family Information, Volunteer and Cultural Heritage Info Needed: We are making sure that all lines of communication are open with all of our families. Please complete this form for EACH of your FWES students to let us know your current communication information, your interest in volunteering and your family's cultural heritage. Thank you to the 220 families who have completed the form- 450 more to go!

Holiday Gifts Needed for your Family? We are so appreciative of our community partners and thank St. Michael's Church for their partnership to assist families in need with Holiday Gifts. Requests must be made at the link on they flyer no later than October 30th.

FWES PTA Updates:

PTA Reflections Contest: The National PTA organization sponors a contest each year to showcase student creativity and talent in the arts through Reflections. Entries are in various arts categories and around the theme: "I matter because...." Entries are due by November 13th- information on how to submit virtual entries is included on the flyer linked above.

Returning to FWES Family Checklist Returning to FWES Slide Show with Photos

Virtual Book Fair November 2-24th! Order and have books delivered to your home!

FWES News- What does FWES PTA do for our school?

School Supply Drive: Thank you for all of your support, each F2F teacher at FWES now has a box of supplies that can be shared with students as needed to keep everyone safe!!!

Check out our Twitter feed for Ice Cream Truck Fun on Thursday 10/22 with the FWES Staff!

FWES Face to Face (F2F) Families:

Mrs. Pierce's Message for F2F Families ( 19 minutes)

WCPSS Return to Campus Guide for Families WCPSS Health Safety Videos- English and Spanish to watch with your student!

FWES Handbook Highlights and Updates for F2F Families

Spanish Version Arabic Version

FWES PTA Q&A with Mrs. Pierce from 10-14-2020

Cohort Assignments and Calendar for Returning Students

WCPSS Health Safety Protocol Videos- In English and Spanish!!!!

Reminder that all medication requires the signed doctor's order (Rx medications and any required over the counter medications).

WCPSS Medication Information and required 1702 Form

Bus Transportation Information:

Please take time to review the information linked above and watch the video to review the bus arrival and dismissal process with your child.

Bus attestation form

More WCPSS Bus Info and paper Bus Attestation Form

Bus Routes for FWES- Routes for 2020-21

Here Comes the Bus App- Use this link to download and connect to the Here Comes the Bus app to track your child's bus daily

Carpool and Walker Information:

Please take time to review the documents linked and watch the videos about the procedures for both processes.

All individuals on campus must wear masks and maintain 6 ft social distancing. Please be mindful of younger siblings and keep them with your family at all times.

New for 2020-21

All WCPSS schools will have a Care Center set up in a classroom for sick students to be supervised and socially distanced

Students exhibiting illness during the school day will be immediately escorted to the FWES Care Center (not the health room)
- FWES Care Center is on the Green Hall in a room facing the Green Top
- Family members pick up students will park in the bus lot and bring Photo ID to the back door of this classroom to sign out and pick up a sick student. Signs will indicate the location of the Care Center as you walk up the ramp from the bus log.
Students exhibiting ANY contagious illness symptom or symptoms of COVID according to the DHHS guide (see below) MUST be immediately picked up from school.
Students who leave school sick must remain home for 10 calendar days unless confirmation of an alternative diagnosis from a health care provider that would explain the COVID-19-like symptom(s) is provided.

Sample illness symptoms from the CDC in children under 19 years of age may include:

headache,

fever,

chills,

shortness of breath (not related to asthma),

sore, throat,

cough,

runny nose,

gastrointestinal issues (stomach ache, diarrhea, nausea),

discharge from eyes,

ear aches,

loss of taste or smell, etc.

10-16-2020

Mrs. Pierce's Friday Message (11 minutes)

Happy Fall to our FWES Families! It has been an extremely busy week at FWES as we in the home stretch of preparations for the return of our Face to Face students. Thank you to those families who joined me on Wednesday night for Q & A with the FWES PTA. The questions and summary answers are included below for your reference. As complicated as the prep for F2F students has been, we are all still focused on learning and student growth as IB Learners at FWES... and with that comes special events and projects to share with our families. There is a lot of information below for all families and a separate section for our Face to Face (F2F) families. Grab your hoodies with this weekend's fall temps and read through it all to stay informed.

Note to F2F families- there will be more updates sent throughout the week as some of the WCPSS additional information is made available for sharing with families.

FWES would like to welcome our two new specialists to the FWES Specialists Team! Daniel Jones, Music, began with students last week and has been enjoying all of them! Haili Crenshaw (pronounced "Highly" as in highly likely) started on Friday and will begin seeing students on Wednesday, October 21st with the new specials rotation. We are happy to have both of them in our FWES family! Thanks for helping to welcome them to our team!

Take Care, Winston Pierce, principal

FWES This Week:

IB Learner Profile- Open Minded P2 Character Strength- Forgiveness

Library Book Pick up 8am-4pm M, T, W on Front Porch

Monday, October 19

Tuesday, October 20

Wednesday, October 21

Thursday, October 22- Last official day of Quarter 1- Asynchronous Day- learning assignments in Google Classroom and attendance taken; PTA Sponsored Bruster’s Ice Cream Truck for Teachers!

*Medication Drop off for F2F Families 9:00am-3:00pm

Friday, October 23- Teacher Workday- no learning assigned

*Medication Drop of for F2F Families 9:00am-3:00pm

FWES Notes for Next Week:

Monday, October 26th- PreK, ECS and K-3 students in COHORT 1 ONLY- return to FWES; Students in COHORTS 2, 3 and 4th and 5th Grades Stay Home for Remote Learning

Wednesday, October 28th- Asynchronous Remote Learning Day- No students at school or live on line- but assignments posted and attendance taken based on assignments submitted

Friday, October 30th- Report Cards for Q1 emailed to all families

FWES Friday Folder Information:

Asynchronous Day Added- October 28th- WCPSS had added an additional asychronous day on Wednesday, October 28th. Please add this date to your calendar.

Student and Family Information, Volunteer and Cultural Heritage Info Needed: We are making sure that all lines of communication are open with all of our families. Please complete this form for EACH of your FWES students to let us know your current communication information, your interest in volunteering and your family's cultural heritage. Please complete by Tuesday, October 20th. Thank you if you are one of 157 student families who have already completed the form- only 510 more to go!

PTA Reflections Contest: The National PTA organization sponors a contest each year to showcase student creativity and talent in the arts through Reflections. Entries are in various arts categories and around the theme: "I matter because...." Entries are due by November 13th- information on how to submit virtual entries is included on the flyer linked above.

WCPSS Return to Campus Guide for Families

FWES PTA Updates:

School Supply Drive: The FWES PTA is supporting ALL FWES students returning to campus by making sure there are plenty of extra supplies that can be given to students as they might need them for learning. Supplies can be ordered from the FWES PTA Amazon Wish list and shipped directly to the school or dropped off on the front porch on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

Virtual Book Fair is Coming: More information later, but there will be a Virtual Book Fair throughout the month of November, sponsored by the FWES PTA

FWES News- What does FWES PTA do for our school?

FWES PTA is excited to have been able to continue our work in providing Cultural Arts experiences for ALL students through PTA and some grant funding from the United Arts Council of Wake County. We are planning our first Cultural Arts experience in early November- stay tuned!

FWES PTA will also be celebrating our fantastic staff by bringing Bruster's Ice Cream Truck to FWES Campus at lunch on Thursday's asynchronous day for a special treat!

FWES Face to Face (F2F) Families:

Mrs. Pierce's Message for F2F Families (10 minutes)