I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break filled with rest, quality family time, and joy! Having students (and staff) come back recharged and ready to finish the year strong is important!

Thank you to all who were able to take time for a parent-teacher conference. This exchange is extremely valuable for all involved, strengthening the partnership toward the shared goal of a successful learning experience for our students. Thank you for all of the time you give to support our students in and out of school!

December is packed with many different activities - it’s a fast, furious,and festive time in and out of school! Thank you for your continued focus on the basics: ensuring children get the rest they need, and that they arrive at school on time ready to make the most of the school day. We have 15 days of school this month - let’s finish the year in the best possible way! Please see the calendar of events section for a complete picture of the month and what follows in January. I do want to draw your attention to a few important items including December 10th when students will have a 2-hour early dismissal for Unity Day, and the last day for students prior to the Winter Break is December 20th.

One item of note for December is that AACPS is sponsoring an attendance challenge for the month. Students and classrooms will be recognized for attendance individually and by class for their collective effort with certificates, HOOT bucks, and other incentives. Please help us work to improve attendance during this month and let’s close out the calendar year in a big, wonderful way!

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our amazing team as we proceed into December. Grateful for your partnership!

Sincerely,

Mr.Jason Otte, Principal

December is all about celebrations. We are adding ATTENDANCE to the festivities! For the 15 school days in the month, we hope all healthy students are present every day and we will be acknowledging classes and students with highest attendance, as well as students who show improvement in their attendance rate. Missing school means missing out - on learning, fun, and important development. We love when our Folger owls are at school!

HOOT-ing continues to be happening all over Folger! Every day students display their HONOR for their school, show OTHER PEOPLE MATTER with their kind and respectful actions, continue to OWN IT with their academic responsibilities, and TAKE ACTION to be the best students they can be!

During lunches on November 7th, HOOT-ing Hall of Famers were recognized for their incredible displays of HONOR during the first marking period. Congratulations (and thank you) to the following students:

• Kindergarten – Ted S., Amara M., Connor B., Bennet C., Kate B., Bennett D., Belle M., Liam W., Benny G., Aspen D., Lucy M.

• 1st Grade – Ella M., Owen Y., Colette K., Beau W., Bri H., Colton B., Hugh A., Lucy W., Jack C., Victoria W., Emery M.

• 2nd Grade – Winnie P., Miles S., Addison H., Grant M., Scarlett W., Andrew M., Piper F., Dylan W., Callie B., Donovan N.

• 3rd Grade – Brynlee B., Violet S., Cal V., Hannah A., Liam P., Davis B., Jaxie H-B., Willow SA., Graham N., Landyn W., Braelyn T., Myles O., Anna C.

• 4th Grade – Amelia D., Sophia M., Ethan B., George J., Ceci C., Sophia A., Tyler K., Jovie S., William Y., Emma K., Jeremy K., Nora O., Alice P.

• 5th Grade – Hunter S., Abigail W., Addie A., Brooks R., Freeda P., Lily Mae M., Joseph G., Kensi D., Drew P., Tommy J.

 HOOT-ing Hall of Fame student “plaques” are on display in the main hallway. Please check them out the next time you are in the building.

As stated last month, the focused HOOT-ing expectation for the second marking period will be OTHER PEOPLE MATTER. This expectation is defined in our HOOT Promise as, “I am kind and respectful.”  As part of this expectation, students are completing their Second Step Bullying Prevention Units during their weekly wellness blocks. Students in all grades have discussed the 3 Rs of bullying prevention – Recognize, Refuse, and Report. Classes have also discussed the importance of bystanders when it comes to bullying. Please encourage your students to share what the OTHER PEOPLE MATTER expectation as well as Bullying Prevention means to them.

A big thank you to all our Folger Families for the support we have received all year! Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Folger HOOT team (PBIS) if you have any questions about HOOT-ing and the expectations for Folger students.

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school! This is a great opportunity to connect with your child over the thrill of bringing home new books to dive into again and again. Studies show that kids read more when they choose books for themselves. Additionally, fostering a love of independent reading leads to a wide variety of benefits including academic success and improved mental health.

All students will visit the book fair during their regular Media class the week of December 9. There will also be a Family Night from 5-7pm on Wednesday, December 11. We hope you can join us!

Visit our book fair event page here or by using the QR code below. There's a lot more info about our awesome book fair and you can set up a Book Fair e-Wallet. This is a digital payment method that allows your student to shop at the book fair without having to bring (or worry about) cash at school. You can share access to allow relatives to support your child's book adventure and you also have the option to "Share the Fair", which benefits students in need to give them access to Scholastic books and the power of reading!

This is a magical time of year, making it the perfect time for a book fair since reading is truly wonderful, exciting, and vital! Thank you for your support and creating a reading experience your child will remember forever!

Please take a look at the December edition of AACPS Family Link. It has lots of info about District news, events, and program offerings.