Mr. Cumpston
Despite the weather in January, we have had a good start to our second semester. As always, our district is large and we have students driving in from many different areas and many different roads. Please remember, that you may always keep your child(ren) home or have them come later if your roads aren’t in good shape. We have a lot of student activities coming up this month; we’d love to see you come out and support our students.
Beauty and the Beast
I am really excited to watch Jodi Meyer and Jeff Schwarz work with our students to perform Beauty and the Beast. This is the first musical that Fillmore Central will bring to life on stage in many years. It will involve many students on stage singing and dancing, students working on the set and behind stage responsibilities, and student and area musicians in the pit orchestra. This is a huge undertaking as lights, costumes, sound equipment will all need to be rented. They are planning on performing 3 shows – May 3rd,4th,and 5th. Watch for times and ticket prices as this will be an incredible event for our students, families, and community to attend. This will be a culminating event to celebrate our students and the arts.
Thank a Support Staff Member
We have a tremendous group of support staff that help to make sure our students have positive experiences at school. I want to thank all members of our support staff: bus drivers, maintenance and custodial, secretarial, para educators, our kitchen staff, and those working in our district office. These people help to make school happen! If you know any of our support staff team, tell them thanks – we couldn’t do it without them.
School Response Protocol or SRP
SRP is a common language that is used in schools across Nebraska and the country that was developed by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation. They use 5 words (Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter) to help everyone know what to do and be on the same page should there be an incident in a school.
According to their site, the “I Love U Guys” Foundation serves the lives of students, administrators, public safety experts, families, and first responders through the development and training of school and community safety and family reunification programs. Their programs have been implemented by over 45,000 schools, agencies and organizations across the United States, Canada and 11 other countries.
We have sent staff to trainings and they have returned and trained all of our teaching staff. A few members of local law enforcement have attended trainings with our staff as well. We continue to learn and train with this organization and wanted you to know about it.
During second semester we will review the common language and vocabulary used with students. Again, the five specific words used are Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.
- A Hold might be used for a medical emergency, someone having a seizure, someone passed out in the hallway, an altercation between students, a maintenance issue – anything that might want us to not have students in the hallway.School would continue as normal within the classrooms, but students wouldn’t move throughout the building until the all clear was given.
- A Secure is usually something that we would begin if we were contacted by law enforcement about a potential danger outside of our buildings.This could be a police pursuit, the report of someone suspicious in the area, a dangerous animal on the playground, etc.School would continue as normal, we just wouldn’t allow people in or out of the building during that time.
- A Lockdown is called when there is a threat or hazard inside a building.This could be an angry individual, a parental custody dispute, or an active assailant.
- An Evacuate is called when there is need to move people to another location for safety.This could be a gas leak or bomb threat.
- A Shelter is used in response to tornados, hazardous material spill, other local situations.
Each of these, if enacted, would have specific actions to be initiated.
Fillmore Central Beef Boosters
Did you know that we have an active Beef Booster club that was formed to assist the Fillmore Central Hot Lunch Program? The club provides high-quality, good tasting locally raised beef that students enjoy for lunch. This program promotes the opportunity for students to learn and understand the importance of agriculture to our community and throughout Nebraska, the United States, and the World. It also helps students learn about nutrition and good eating habits. Our kitchen uses this Beef Booster beef in our hamburgers, chili, tacos, spaghetti, meatloaf, lasagna, sloppy joes, and roast beef.
The Beef Booster Club accepts monetary donations to help with the program. All monetary donations are tax deductible.
Let’s have a great February, but I have to admit, I’m looking forward to warmer temperatures,
Josh Cumpston
Like and follow our Facebook page, Fillmore Central Public Schools, to stay up to date with events and photos happening at the elementary.
BOXTOPS
Boxtops can now be received by scanning receipts with the Boxtops for Education App. Boxtop funds have been used to buy supplemental materials and equipment, provide a year-end movie, celebrate Red Ribbon Week, support Proud Panther Night, and sponsor field trips.
ILLNESS
It is for the well being of your child’s health and his/her classmates that we have certain school policies regarding when a child should not be in school exposing other students, but at the same time we do not want a child absent from school so often or for such an extended period of time that they get behind on their class work. Our school policies are:
1. Parents of sick children will be contacted and the school expects the child to be picked up within 1 hour of notification.
2. Exclusion of children with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or above, symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, or a suspicious contagion.
3. Any pupil with a rash must be excluded until the disappearance of the rash. If the physician recommends that the child be readmitted, with a written notice to that effect, the admittance is acceptable.
4. Some contagious infections require treatment and the student may return to school 24-48 hours after verified treatment has been initiated and/or when the physician permits return in writing. These diseases include but may not be limited to: Pinkeye, Impetigo, Intestinal Worms, Ringworm, Scabies, Scarlet Fever, and/or Strep infections.
5. Contagious infections such as Chicken Pox, CMV, (Cytomegalo Virus), Infectious Mononucleosis, Influenza (Flu), Fifth’s Disease, Hepatitis, and Tuberculosis require that the student’s symptoms be altered or absent before they are readmitted to school unless we have a physician’s statement, in writing, stating otherwise.
6. Life threatening contagious infections without known treatment may require exclusion from regular school attendance. These diseases include but may not be limited to: AIDS, Chronic Hepatitis, etc.
7. Students may be excluded from school under “Emergency Exclusion” for a dangerous communicable disease that is transmissible by normal contact and/or poses an imminent threat to health. Students can be excluded from school and school functions for up to five (5) school days.
Thank you for all you do to ensure that your child remains healthy and ready to learn!
Mrs. Lamb
Early Dismissal –- February 7, 2024
On Wednesday, February 7th, the school will end 2 hours earlier than usual so that our staff can participate in professional development activities. These monthly early dismissals provide an opportunity for our staff to enhance their teaching strategies and skills, ultimately leading to improved student performance.
For middle school students, the early dismissal time will be at 1:20 PM. Please note that there will be no middle school practices on these days. The bus and supervision routines will still be in place at the end of the day, but everything will occur 2 hours earlier than the usual schedule.
8th Grade Graduation
The 2023 8th Grade Class Graduation and Honors Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 15.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
The upcoming parent-teacher conferences for the spring session are scheduled for Tuesday, March 5th. These conferences will occur at the Fillmore Central High School Gymnasium from 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. During the conferences, you will have the chance to meet your student's teachers in person and engage in meaningful conversations about their academic progress and growth. Please make sure to attend these conferences as third quarter progress reports will also be available for pick-up.
Enhancing Your Conference Experience and Supporting Your Child's Growth
Focus on your student's learning journey:
Ask specific questions about what they have learned and the skills they have developed throughout the year.
Inquire about their upcoming goals and what they still hope to achieve before the end of the school year.
Look beyond letter grades:
Grades are important, but they only provide a glimpse of a student's knowledge and learning habits.
Emphasize the value of continuous learning, their capacity for growth, and the study habits they are developing.
Express concerns clearly:
Avoid beating around the bush and clearly articulate any concerns or requests you may have.
Open communication is key to resolving issues and fostering a productive parent-teacher partnership.
Take an active role in finding solutions:
Understand that the school and teachers are dedicated to supporting your child's learning and development.
Recognize that a student's growth requires collaboration between the school and home, and be willing to contribute to the solution.
Schedule a follow-up conference if needed:
Keep in mind that conference time is limited due to the number of parents needing to meet with teachers.
If significant concerns require more time, be prepared to schedule a separate, more extensive conference to address them adequately.
Honor Roll of Distinction Lunch
The lunch for students on the honor roll of distinction will be Feb. 7th. This is our annual first semester award for students on the highest honor roll. Additionally, all students on either honor roll will also have homemade cookies in the afternoon.
Class Competition Winner
Congratulations to the seniors for winning the first semester class competition. They will be awarded a pot-luck style lunch provided by the teachers sometime this month. The class competition contest is in its first year. This semester-long event takes into consideration things like academics, participation in Homecoming week, ICU list, attendance, etc.
Attendance
We had a pretty good first semester with attendance, but we are in the middle of the cold and flu season, so I know that absences will start to trend upwards. I also want to remind everyone that students are allowed to miss no more than 10 days without doctor verification. Once a student hits the 10-day mark, possible forfeiture of credit comes into play. If students are truly sick, they should stay home. However, I simply want both students and parents to choose wisely for all other days missed.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me.
GO PANTHERS!!!
