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DON'T FORGET: Bus transportation changes to begin with 2023-24 school year
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To mitigate the critical shortage of bus drivers, reduce costs and improve efficiency, the Board approved the following changes to bus transportation, beginning with the 2023-24 school year:
- Implement a one-mile walk boundary for students in grades 6-12. Students living within this one-mile boundary are not eligible for bus transportation unless required by an Individualized Education Plan or road safety concerns identified by the FHSD Transportation Department.
- Consolidate neighborhood bus stops, with an average walk distance of two-tenths of a mile for students in grades K-5, and four-tenths of a mile for students in grades 6-12.
- Adjust bell times of some schools to allow for the combination of middle and high school bus routes as necessary.
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The first day of school will be here before you know it. In this special Back-to-School issue, we’ve included a checklist of tasks that need to be completed before students return on Monday, August 21.
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Review your communication preferences. Parents/Guardians listed in Infinite Campus are automatically subscribed to email communications from FHSD and your child’s school. This includes the District Digest and school eNews. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, use the “Unsubscribe” button at the bottom of the email. If you are not receiving the District Digest and/or school eNews, you can sign up here. FHSD utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to communicate time-sensitive information such as weather alerts and emergency information with families via robo-call, text message and email. All parents/guardians listed in Infinite Campus Parent Portal are automatically registered to receive these important alerts. It is imperative that your contact information is up-to-date in Parent Portal before the start of the school year. Parents/Guardians who are new to the District must opt-in to receive text messages from SchoolMessenger. Opt-in by texting “Y” or “YES” to 67587. Returning families do not need to opt-in every year.
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Schedule immunization and physical appointments with your healthcare provider, as needed. Missouri law requires children enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade to be immunized against certain preventable diseases. Required immunizations include DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis) or DT (Diphtheria and Tetanus); IPV (Polio); Hepatitis B; MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella); and Varicella (Chickenpox). Two additional vaccinations are required for students in grades 8-12: Tdap (Pertussis) and Meningococcal (Meningitis). Updated immunization records are required for students entering Kindergarten, 8th grade, and 12th grade. The St. Charles County Department of Public Health offers a convenient immunization clinic. Learn more about immunizations.
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Complete the FHSD Student Health Form and submit to your child’s school nurse. This health form must be submitted each school year. Please note that although this is a fillable form, there is no way to submit it directly online. You must download the completed form and email/fax/mail it to the school nurse or drop off a hard copy.
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Fill out the 2023-24 Free- and Reduced-Price Meals application. In order to continue receiving meal benefits, eligible families must complete a new application each school year. Information provided on the application is confidential and will be used only for the purpose of determining eligibility. Not sure if you qualify? Check the income limits on the USDA website. For the 2023-24 school year, a family of 4 with an annual income of less than $55,500 qualifies for the program.
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Remind your child(ren) to change their FHSD account passwords after August 2. Each summer, FHSD student account passwords are reset to a default password. (Fhxxxxxx for elementary students; Fhsdxxxxxx for middle and high school students. The ‘F’ is capitalized and the xxxxxx represents the student’s ID number). After the District password reset - planned for August 2 - students may wish to update their password to something unique. Password changes must be done while at school on an FHSD network. New passwords must be at least 8 characters and include at least one capital letter and one special character.
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Check meal balances and add funds to your child(ren)’s lunch account. FHSD uses two systems to manage and monitor school lunch purchases.
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FHSD Webstore - Check your child's lunch account balance and add funds via the FHSD Web Store. To make a payment, click the Food Service Payments button. The system accepts Visa, MasterCard or Discover (credit or debit cards). Cash and checks can also be sent with your child to school to be added to their lunch account. The system is also able to accept electronic checks. Need help? Read these detailed instructions on how to add money to your student's lunch account.
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EZSchoolPay - Once you’ve set up an account through the FHSD Web Store and added funds to your child’s lunch account, visit EZSchoolPay. Here you’ll be able to see exactly what your child has purchased for breakfast and/or lunch each day. Parents/guardians can also set spending limits through EZSchoolPay. Please note - meal payments cannot be made through EZSchool Pay and must be made through the FHSD Web Store.
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Request changes to bus transportation by August 11. Student bus information for the new school year will be available in the Parent Portal on Monday, August 7. Bus routes for the 2023-24 school year are set based on how a student ended the prior school year. If transportation preferences for the upcoming school year are the exact same as the 2022-23 school year, additional action is not required.
- If your child rode the bus this spring and they are not impacted by the new 1-mile walk boundary for secondary students, they will automatically be assigned a bus route for the upcoming school year; no action is required on your part.
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If your child did not ride the bus last spring, or only rode one-way, and you require something different this year, you must contact the school to request changes by August 11, 2023 at 5:00 PM. All changes received after that date and time will be effective on Monday, August 28, 2023
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Here's an example: Last year, my 5th grader attended the aftercare program at Vacation Station and did not ride the bus home in the afternoon. This year, as a middle schooler, my child will not attend Vacation Station and will need to ride the bus home. In this example, the parent/guardian must contact their child's school by August 11 to request afternoon bus transportation.
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Pay school fines and fees. Parents and families can now view and pay school fines and student fees within the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Use the same existing Infinite Campus Parent Portal account used for viewing student grades, attendance, schedules, and bus information. Online payments can be made with Visa, MasterCard, or Discover cards. The processing fee is 3.5%. Additional information and directions can be viewed by clicking here.
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Review school supply lists. Make note of Missouri’s Sales Tax Holiday, August 4-6 2023. Certain back-to-school purchases, such as clothing, school supplies and computers, may be exempt from sales tax during the holiday. However, not all Missouri counties and cities are participating. Learn more.
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Mark your calendar for Transition Day on August 17. Incoming 6th- and 9th-grade students will have the opportunity to get familiar with their new school buildings on Thursday, August 17. Transition Day will start at the same time as a regular school day (using 23-24 bell times) and buses will run their assigned routes. Schools will communicate additional details, including dismissal times, in the coming weeks.
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Look for communication from individual schools regarding additional information. This includes schedule pickup, parking permits, locker requests, yearbooks, senior photos, and more.
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Join our team. We are seeking caring, energetic, and fun-loving people to work with children. We have a number of openings for bus drivers, substitute teachers, custodians, and food service workers. Please share our job opportunity website or view open positions.
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Get certified to be a school volunteer. We are thrilled to welcome volunteers back into our buildings! The volunteer application and training videos have to be filled out and watched every year. The District also requires that all volunteers be fingerprinted and have a background check. This does have a fee associated with it but only needs to be completed every 6 years. Visit the District website to review the step-by-step process and complete the volunteer application.
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Don't forget to apply for the inaugural class of Citizens In Our Schools!
The Citizens In Our Schools program offers an immersive, experiential journey that gives participants a behind-the-scenes look at all aspects of school district operations and helps them become the ultimate informed citizens. Over a nine-month period (September through May), participants will convene for a full-day program on the first Wednesday of each month. Learn what we're teaching in classrooms, how decisions are made, where the money comes from and where it goes. Experience what daily life is like for our teachers and staff. Sit behind the wheel of a bus, serve lunch in the school cafeteria and so much more. Hurry - space is limited and the application window closes July 21!
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JULY 20 | 6:30 PM
Board of Education Meeting
801 Corporate Centre Drive
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AUG. 17
Transition Day
Incoming 6th and 9th graders
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AUG. 17 | 6:30 PM
Board of Education Meeting
801 Corporate Centre Drive
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AUG. 21
First Day of School
All Schools
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