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FAPS #WeAreFenton Community Update
January 11, 2024
2024 is here!
Dear Fenton Community and Families
Hello,
I hope that this newsletter finds each of you having enjoyed the winter break, and are making new year's resolutions that are reflective and will ensure a happy and healthy 2024! I have always loved the quote included from Emerson, and I share it with you to hopefully point us all in the right direction! In this update you will see some resources for the cold weather which is finally here, and some crucial information on our BOND effort and details regarding the steps in the process. We also will include some information regarding sinking fund projects that will take place this summer. We also have an awesome opportunity from Dolly Parton (that's right Dolly) for our students from birth to 5, and supporting our efforts to read early- read often. Take a look! Lastly, please consider heading over to Texas Roadhouse and nominating a teacher for our Adopt-A-Teacher Partnership, and let's get as many nominees as possible!
Furthermore, I am including a link to our Strategic Plan Goals, which we are diligently working on throughout the year. I find that the New Year is an excellent time to remind ourselves of our goals for improvement, so including the Strategic Plan reminds you the direction our district is headed and focused on. It also helps hold us all accountable to them to be reminded of how we are spending resources including our most valuable - time.
My hope is that you find this newsletter helpful and informative so you can make 2024 an amazing year!
Sincerely,
Heidie Ciesielski
Superintendent
BOND UPDATE
For our Students, For our Community
In consultation with the district's bond attorneys and financial firm, the board of education has authorized a bond sale to take place within the next 60 days. We, with the help of the latter parties, are currently in the process of drafting a Preliminary Official Statement which is required to get a rating call for us to go to the market. We are scheduled to give notice on the sale of the 1st series of the bond the second half of February, with the finalized bond sale on March 4. The board will formally award the bid for purchase of bonds at the regular meeting on March 4. We will have the necessary documentation to take to Treasury and then close on the bonds to have the funds to start construction as soon as the weather breaks. Our community will start to see construction bids shortly after this for AGS Middle School's new main entrance as well as site work starting this summer. We will also start to work on the electrical and equipment purchasing for our elementary mechanical projects. We are hoping that supply chain allows us to procure all that is needed for our projects.
We are going to keep our BOND 2023 portion of the website updated with timelines, and project information as well as pictures to keep you all abreast of the bond progress. Stay tuned for regular updates!
https://www.fentonschools.org/page/bond2023
We again thank you all for the support of these amazing facility upgrade opportunities - these improvements will take several years to accomplish, but will improve our students' educational experiences for DECADES!
SINKING FUND IMPROVEMENTS
We also have facility improvements that have been scheduled with our sinking fund dollars. The first and most crucial is our high school track being completely replaced this summer. We will begin this work on June 10th, and we know that many of our community and staff uses the track to walk or run, and we wanted to make sure to give notice of the plan. The track will be closed the entire summer so that we can replace it and get ready for the opening of school. Below are pictures of the current state and need for the replacement.
Food Service - Summer Meal Eligibility Information
To receive the Summer EBT benefit, every family must have an approved student eligibility benefit (free or reduced) through their school. Households may need to complete and submit the School Meals and Summer EBT Application.
Make sure all families are aware they will need to turn in this form ahead of count day to receive benefits over the summer. Count day will be in early February 2024. https://fenton.familyportal.cloud/
Eligibility Overview - Summer EBT benefits are available for eligible households based on their student eligibility status (free or reduced). This can be from direct certification, categorical eligibility, or from the School Meals and Summer EBT Application.
The student benefit data will be pulled from the 2023-2024 MSDS Early Childhood and General Spring collections.
FREE Books - Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Free Books for Genesee County Children Birth to Age 5!
Flint and Genesee Literacy Network Announces:
As a community, we want all children to enter kindergarten healthy and ready to read. We can now offer a great opportunity for Genesee County parents to get free books for their children!
Parents of children residing in Genesee County can sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that sends a book each month to the home of each registered child (birth through five years of age) at no cost to the family. Children of different ages receive different titles; the books are carefully selected and are the children’s to keep.
Sign up online with the link below.
Staying active and engaged when it's cold out = health and happiness!
January in Michigan can have some climate related challenges. Examples include extremely cold temperatures, icy roads, and frequent cloudy days, which limit our outside activities and sometimes make you wish you could spend the winter in a tropical location. However, we can enjoy Michigan's winter months by participating in healthy activities that promote our mental well-being. January is also International Creativity Month, so you can start the New Year by exploring activities that celebrate everything from letter writing, reading a book, completing puzzles, painting, or learning to play a musical instrument.
Promote mental wellness in the winter with these activities.
. Read daily
· Limit the time you watch television and play videos games
· Exercise 30 minutes most of the days of the week
· Practice daily meditation or mindfulness
· Plan for future vacations and events
· Jot down last year's highlights and set goals for the New Year
· Devote time to daily activities that bring you joy
Take a look at these winter activity resources:
FAPS Board of Education
Board of Education Meeting January 8, 2024
Our school board held the regular monthly meeting on January 8, 2024. Please find the link to the board's work located on our new easy to navigate BOE website page here:
https://www.fentonschools.org/page/board-of-education
Our board conducted their organizational meeting and our 4 current officers of the board will remain in their roles for the 2024 calendar year:
Emily Rossmaessler - President
Dana Jones - Vice President
Matthew Welch - Secretary
Mike Pearce - Treasurer
January is also School Board Member Recognition Month! If you see one of our 7 board members out and about please thank them for their service to our district and our students!