FSE Conference Schedule Sign Up

Dear Parents,
Fall conferences are upon us!  Please sign up for a 30 minute conference time with your child's teacher by clicking here for our online scheduler.  Once you log in our password is mustangs.  These conferences are led by your child and facilitated by your child's teacher. You will have the opportunity to hear your child present their current work, progress towards goals and then talk privately to your child's teacher with any additional questions you might have. If you have additional questions please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher.

Sincerely,
Kelli Smith, FSE Principal

October's Principal's Message

Dear FSE Parents,

      This month was packed full of work and fun here at FSE!  After students took our I-Ready reading and math assessments teachers spent a planning day looking at student data and planning for next steps to personalize learning for each of our students.  This year, grade levels have a 40-minute block of time each day where students are rotated through the grade level and taught a targeted skill at their particular level.  We are excited about this collaboration model for our students and the possibilities that it will open up.

    Our PTO sponsored the fun run, Flagstone the Musical, and it took place this month!  There are tons of pictures at #oneflagstone and if you want to see more than are loaded in this blog check them out.  Thanks to the wonderful support from our community we were able to raise $25,000 (and met our goal) to purchase a new sound system for the music teacher, more books for the library, ipads for our K-1 students and an art installation.  Thank you so much for your support! Please join us tomorrow, Friday, as we announce the winners of different categories in our fun run and to see the Principals get a pie in the face since we met our fundraising goal!  This assembly starts on Friday at 3:15.

BOND/MILL LEVY Information

Bond & Mill

As you are aware, the Douglas County School District Board of Education voted to place a $40 million Mill Levy Override (MLO) and $250 million no-new-taxes Bond on the 2018 ballot. Additional funding would directly benefit Flagstone in the following ways:

Flagstone would be able to...

• Retain more teachers by offering salaries that are competitive with neighboring Districts
• Increase mental health support offered to all students
• Continue to have a healthy building budget that allows for low-class size
• Replace classroom technology 
• Continue with our specials and intervention support programs

We would also be able to upgrade/repair our building with the following needed improvements...

• Replace and upgrade our heating and cooling systems: we consistently have trouble keeping the building at a comfortable temperature in the summer and winter
• Replace and upgrade our plumbing systems: Our plumber is out all the time to help regulate our water temperature to ensure our students are using water that is not too hot or too cold.
• Replace roofing
• Replace and upgrade fire alarm system

If the mill does not pass and building needs arise, money would be taken from the general fund. This could significantly decrease the amount that is allocated to all schools. Decreases to Flagstone's building budget would significantly impact our ability to hire the staff needed to support small classes, specials etc.

Click here for additional information regarding the funding needs of the District.

Black Hawk Helicopter Landing at FSE!

On Thursday, October, 18th at 10:15 in the morning we will have the National Guard land a Black Hawk helicopter on the field at FSE.  The National Guard reaches out to schools during Red Ribbon Week to talk about saying no to drugs and making healthy choices in life.  These wonderful folks talk to the kids for a bit about being healthy and why they should live a healthy life.  At the end of the short talk, they let the kids come out to the helicopter and check it out.  Please feel free to come and watch and bring siblings.  We ask that you stay on the blacktop with the rest of the school until it is time to look at the helicopter.

Second Step

Second Step is the name of our new Social Emotional and Anti Bullying Curriculum that our counselor,  Patti Roberts, is helping to implement along with our classroom teachers.  Please read her note here for more information:

Dear FSE Families,

We want your child to be as successful as possible at school. Success in school is not just about
reading and math. It is also about knowing how to learn and how to get along with others.
We will be using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom to teach these critical skills.

The Second Step program teaches skills in the following four areas:

1. Skills for Learning: Students gain skills to help themselves learn, including how   

   to focus their attention, listen carefully, and be assertive when asking for help

   with schoolwork.

2. Empathy: Students learn to identify and understand their own and others’

   feelings. Students also learn how to take another’s perspective and how to

   show compassion.

3. Emotion Management: Students learn specific skills for calming down when

   experiencing strong feelings, such as anxiety or anger.

4. Problem Solving: Students learn a process for solving problems with others in

   a positive way.

Your child will be learning a lot this year—and he or she will need your help! Throughout the year,
your child will be bringing home Home Links that go with several of the Second Step lessons.
Home Links are simple, fun activities for you and your child to complete together. They are a great
way for you to understand what your child is learning and for your child to show you what he or she
knows.

If you have any questions about the Second Step program, please do not hesitate to contact us for
more information. Also, visit www.secondstep.org using the activation key SSP5  FAMI LY75 to
watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student
is learning. Thank you for supporting your child in learning the skills that lead to success in
school and in life.

Need Support to Help your Child with their Math Homework?

Bounce Pages is an app that comes with our math program and you can download it on your smartphone.  See link HERE for information.  Once you download the app scan the camera over the homework page and it will load a video tutorial of how to do the math on the homework page.  It is a great tool when your child comes home and is stuck on a problem!

FSE Happenings