Little Falcons Preschool

Hello Little Falcons Families,

Preschool has been busy getting baseline assessments and continuing to learn the routines and procedures of preschool. Many new friendships have been developing! In our ALL ABOUT ME unit we have been learning how we use our body parts to learn and move. American Sign Language has been a big hit! We are learning signs for sit, stand, stop please, look, listen, and more. The concepts of big and little, loud and soft, and sorting have been introduced as well as colors. Miss Connie from Sunset Kiwanis came to read and share a book with every student! Thank you Miss Connie!!!

Some upcoming events: 

• Sept. 2nd (Labor Day) No School
• Sept. 9th Picture Day 9:00 and 12:50
• Sept. 11th Coffee with Mrs. Matus 10:00 -Please try and stop by!!!
• Sept. 26th Preschool Ice Cream Social 5:00 to 6:00
• 

Enjoy the current pictures of the children learning and exploring our classrooms.

Sincerely,

Denise Matus

Preschool Director

Little Falcon Preschool

McDowell Mountain Elementary School

Hello Falcon Families!

MMES is off to a great start! The students are having fun and are highly engaged! Check out some of our unexpected delights.

Finding your twin on Falcon Friday!

The Boys and Girls Club has been joining us for lunch recess! 

Scottsdale Bible Church provided us with a delicious lunch and some sweet treats!

Kindergarteners are having fun practicing their letters!

Fun Friday in Mrs. McAloon's class! 

Our 5th Grade is learning about maps!

Our students are enjoying library time. 

More Exciting News!!



Back to School Night

I am happy to announce that Back to School Night will be on August 27th.

Please start in the cafeteria at your designated time. 

Be sure to follow MMES on our new page! Click on the link to like and join! https://bit.ly/mmesfacebook

Reminders:

Early Bird Care: 

This is free for all MMES students from 7:00 am. to 8:20 am. Please walk your students to the cafeteria and sign them in.

Arrival: 

Please make sure your child arrives at school on time. Our gates open at 8:20 a.m. and close at 8:40 a.m. 

Dismissal:

***We are finding that many students are not picked up on time. The school day ends at 3:40.*** Please plan accordingly.***

When picking up your child from school, please go to the correct line. Please use the first entrance to pick up kindergarten students and the second for grades 1-5. If you choose to get out of your car and pick them up at our dismissal area, please have your sign, and we will bring your child out to you.

If you need to change your child's way of getting home, please call or visit the office before 3:00. Our goal is to keep all students safe.

Early Release Wednesdays:

Dismissal is at 2:00 pm.

Remind app: 

Please check your notification settings and turn them on.

Upcoming Important Dates at MMES

• Early Release Wednesday, August. 28th
• August 28th - Kona Ice during lunch
• No School - Labor Day - September 2nd
• First Friday Breakfast September 6th - Come and eat breakfast with your child in our cafeteria!
• Picture Day - September 9th
• Be Kind Assembly - September 13th

Have a fantastic weekend, Falcon Families!

Valerie Reichler

Principal

McDowell Mountain Elementary School

Fountain Hills Middle School

Dear Fountain Hills Middle School Families,

We are now three weeks into the school year, and I am pleased to share that our students are adjusting well and learning to embody the Falcon way of being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind.

Attendance is Key!

Please ensure your student arrives at school on time. If a student arrives after 7:50 AM, a parent or guardian is required to sign them in at the front office.

As you know, our goal is for our students to work hard, gain knowledge, and be well-prepared for high school. However, we recognize that some students may need additional support to master the content. This is why we offer Reteach. Reteach sessions are held at the end of the school day from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM. During this time, students receive extra instruction and have the opportunity to retake formative assessments on which they did not demonstrate mastery.

Any student who scores below 80% on a formative assessment will be required to attend Reteach. Families will be notified by phone or email if their child is required to attend. If a student skips their Reteach session, an “I” (incomplete) will be recorded in the gradebook for that class until the student completes the Reteach session. This incomplete grade could impact the student’s eligibility for athletics and other activities.

Additionally, students who are not required to attend but feel they could benefit from extra instruction are encouraged to make arrangements with their teacher to attend Reteach.

Our dedicated teachers care deeply about your student’s success and offer Reteach sessions for all subject areas throughout the week:

• Monday/Thursday: Math & Science
• Tuesday/Friday: English & Social Studies
• Regular Wednesdays ONLY: Electives

Transportation is provided for students who need it, and we will assist students in getting to their correct location after Reteach is done.

When it's too hot to play outside during lunch/recess, students can enjoy a fun-filled recess playing multiball inside our library. We extend our appreciation to parent volunteer Andrea Hall for providing lunch supervision on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

A special shout out to Scott Schlossberg, owner/agent with Farmers Insurance for helping our teachers out. First recipient was Brittney Etchin our i21 Social Studies teacher.

Finally, congratulations to our first student shopper at the Second Chance Store, 6th grader Elijah Webster! Elijah earned this opportunity by participating in our school spirit days. Way to go, Elijah! 

Our awesome PTO has made arrangements with KONA ICE and COLD STONE CREAMERY to come to our school

Important Dates to Remember:

• One Hour Early Release Days @ 1:15PM - August 28, 2024.
• Monday, September 2, 2024 - Labor Day - No School 
• Friday, September 7, 2024 - School Picture Day with Lifetouch. Get your smiles ready!
• Monday, September 9, 2024 - Back-to-School Night, starting at 5:30 PM in the FHMS Cafeteria. This is a valuable opportunity for families to learn how to engage with their child's education and for parents and teachers to ensure they are aligned in supporting their child's best interests. More information will follow as the date approaches.
• Thursday, September 12, 2024 - Ribbon Cutting for the Second Chance Store at 5:00 PM in Room G-105 in the G building.
• One Hour Early Release Days @ 1:15PM - September 11, 18, & 25, 2024

Thank you for your continued support in making this school year a success.

Together We Can! 

Dr. Kimberly Weeldreyer

Principal 

Fountain Hills Middle School

Fountain Hills High School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are enjoying a smooth start to the 24-25 school year at Fountain Hills High School! I met with each grade level several times during advisory and discussed expectations both academically and behaviorally. As you know, the high school had an air conditioning issue, and we were able to safely navigate the early release of students thanks to the amazing job of our teachers and staff! Thank you to our maintenance team for working all afternoon so that we could return to school the next day. Safety is our top priority and we have already conducted a fire drill and practice lockdown. Please be reminded that since we share a campus with the Middle School, our drills and practices are done jointly as would be the case if there happened to be a safety issue on either campus. We want to keep you informed and involved in the upcoming events, initiatives, and opportunities for our students. Please reach out if you have questions or concerns.

Important Dates:

• August 22 & 23, 2024: ASVAB Test for 11th and 12th grade students
• August 27, 2024: Coffee with Mrs. Pinto - 9:00 - 10:00 AM
• August 28, 2024: Early Release at 1:20 PM
• September 2, 2024: Labor Day – No School
• September 9, 2024: Back to School Night - 5:30 - 7:15 PM
• September 17, 2024: SENIOR Internship Fair - 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• September 17, 2024: Homecoming Parade
• September 21, 2024: Homecoming Football Game
• September 22, 2024: Homecoming Dance

Focus Point:

Supporting Student Success with RETEACH:

We want every student to succeed but we understand that mastering content can be challenging at times, so we are continuing offering Reteach. Reteach takes place at the end of the school day from 3:00 - 3:30 PM. It’s a dedicated time for students to receive additional instruction on content they may be struggling with and to retake formative assessments if needed.

Reteach Schedule:

• Monday & Thursday: Math & Science
• Tuesday & Friday: English & Social Studies
• Tuesday & Thursday: Electives

Transportation for Reteach:

Transportation is available for students who need it after Reteach. Students should inform the bus driver of their regular bus route and cross streets. The bus will leave at 3:45 PM to take students home. Please make sure your student knows their home address if taking the bus. 

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

• Parking Permits are for sale for $100 in the high school front office. Any car parked on campus must have a 24-25 school year parking permit. 
• Please check your child’s lunch account balances. You are welcome to come to the school and pay the balances and add money to their account. 
• FHUniversity, for 11th and 12th grade students, was rolled out this past week. Students should have begun their coursework as of August 20th. Make sure to check in with your student periodically on their progress and that they are meeting course requirements and deadlines. If you want to learn more about this new amazing partnership with Arizona State University use this link: https://www.fhschools.org/fhu.



Athletics:

• Please visit azpreps365.com for team schedules and more information

Tips for a Successful School Year:

• ATTENDANCE: Students should come to school on time so that they don’t miss out on valuable learning opportunities. ATTENDANCE is key! 
• Stay Connected: The High School has a new website! Please visit it at: fhschools.org/fhhs. Don’t forget to opt-in to Remind notifications, either email or text or both, for important information. Information about Remind was shared in last week’s Falcon Focus. Please also make sure your contact information in PowerSchool is kept up to date.

We are committed to creating an environment where students can thrive. Learning should be enjoyable and we believe that every student can achieve greatness with the right support and encouragement. Please continue to be our partner in this journey! 

Warm regards,

Barrie Pinto

Principal

Fountain Hills High School

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