Dear Fort Families,
Wow! What an October at the Fort!
October was a whirlwind of excitement here at Fort Smallwood Elementary! We ended the month with our incredible Race for Ed, and we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to its huge success. Special appreciation goes out to our PTA, our generous families, our supportive staff, and of course, our enthusiastic students who made Race Day unforgettable. Thanks to your participation, we’re excited to use the funds raised for enhancements that will directly benefit our students.
We also wrapped up our Harvest for the Hungry food drive. Your support for this important cause was truly appreciated, and we are grateful for all the contributions made to help those in need.
A new and exciting initiative launched this year is our Buddy Classes! Classes have been paired up, giving students the opportunity to work with their buddies on various projects and activities, fostering relationships across grade levels. It has been heartwarming to see our older students step up as leaders, helping their younger buddies thrive. We even incorporated buddy classes into events like the Race for Ed and our Fall Festival.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Unlocking Our Potential Night where we reviewed fall testing data and shared more about our curriculum. This event was well-attended and a great opportunity to connect and collaborate with our families.
In classrooms, we’ve celebrated some exciting end-of-unit experiences with our new literacy curriculum. Teachers have been creative and dedicated, organizing activities such as tea parties, Olympics, medieval games, and even a circus to tie together learning themes and make education engaging and memorable for students.
Our PBIS Fall Festival was another highlight of October. Special thanks to Ms. Carelton for coordinating the event, securing volunteers, and organizing games to create a smooth and fun day for everyone. The festival was a great reminder of why we strive for "Rocky behavior" throughout the marking period. We look forward to continuing to recognize and celebrate positive student behavior at the end of each marking period.
Parent Feedback Survey for Marking Period 1 We value your input! Please take a moment to fill out our Marking Period 1 Parent Feedback Survey to share your thoughts.
Looking Ahead to November
There’s even more to come this month:
PTA Meeting on November 16: All parents are encouraged to attend and connect with our wonderful PTA community.
Book Fair: Kicks off on November 18, with opportunities for students to shop during school hours. Join us for Family Night on November 19 for book browsing and our Mathnasium Night, featuring fun math games and activities for the whole family!
Picture Retakes: Scheduled for November 22. Make sure your child is ready for a second chance at school pictures.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Conferences will take place on November 25 and 26. Monday’s conferences will be offered in person or virtually, while Tuesday’s conferences will be virtual only. Be on the lookout for more information from your child’s teacher this week to sign up for a conference time.
Seasonal Reminders As the weather turns colder, please remember to send students with layers to ensure they stay warm during outdoor activities. We aim to have recess outside as much as possible since fresh air and movement are vital for learning.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our work at Fort Smallwood. We are grateful for our amazing school community and look forward to another great month!
Warm regards
Mrs. Courtien
