WELCOME BACK to another Panther School Year. I am excited to get started. The hallways and classrooms are too quiet and I’m excited to see everyone again.

As soon as students leave school on their final day in May, we begin closing down the school year and preparing for the next one. This summer was no different and we are excited to show you a few things we’ve been working on.

We began a facility audit in April with a company from Lincoln. They have gone through all of our buildings and are trying to help us understand the lifespan and current condition of each buildings’ systems. They had their team review our mechanical, electrical, HVAC, technology, and lighting systems. They also review the buildings’ envelopes as well as the actual rooms. Alongside this they gave surveys to staff and asked for staff input to educational alignment with our classrooms and facilities. We are currently helping to get further information so they are able to finish up the report. The Board will use this information to help set maintenance and repair schedules and planning priorities moving forward.

You may have noticed a lot of work around the football field at the High School. We are excited to have our football field lights completed and can’t wait to turn them on for our first home football game.

You hopefully have already received information on Final Forms and have filled out your child(ren)s information for this year. We hope that this will save you time and be much more convenient for you. If you have any questions, you can contact your building secretaries or Jodi Meyer.

We have also been working on setting up a way that parents will be able to pay for their child(ren)s lunch and milk bills. We settled on a company called eFunds for Schools. They will charge you a convenience fee for this service, but it may be worth it for some of you. If you don’t want to use eFunds you can continue sending cash or checks to school that will be credited to your child(ren)s lunch accounts. EFunds will be available starting September 1st.

As always, if you have questions, please reach out to us.

Let’s have a great school year,

Josh Cumpston

Bus service will be provided the first day of school. Please direct any questions to, Jodi Meyer, at 402-759-4955 or bus barn 402-759-3632. Shuttle routes between Fairmont and Geneva will transport students to the other town. Morning shuttles depart Geneva at 7:45 a.m., and Fairmont at 7:20 a.m.

NEW PICK-UP LOCATION: AFTER SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT PICK UP WILL BE AT 3:35 P.M. AT THE ELEMENTARY.

Breakfast and lunch will be served on the first day of school August 10th. Breakfast and lunch services are available to all students. The price per meal will be as follows:

Grades K-4: $1.85

Grades 5-12: $1.85

Adults: $1.85

Prices subject to change

Grades K-4: $2.90

Grades 5-12: $3.25

Adults: $4.00

Prices subject to change

This Institution is an equal opportunity employer.

Welcome! I hope you enjoyed your summer, however the 2023-24 school year is almost here. I am anxiously waiting for the students and staff to bring life back to the hallways and classrooms of our school building. I look forward to working with you and your child, and providing a positive educational experience.

I would like to recognize our staff members who attended numerous classes and workshops to increase their ability to deliver quality instruction to our students. I would also like to acknowledge the custodial staff for their many hours of work to make improvements and clean the elementary facility over the summer.

If you would like to have an educational conversation, please contact me anytime. The office phone number is 402–759–3184, and my e-mail address is aaron.veleba@fillmorecentral.org.

Educationally,

Aaron Veleba

Tuesday, August 8, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Open House

Monday, August 10, First day of School

Monday, August 28, 7:00 p.m. EPAC Meeting

Monday, September 4, No School

Tuesday, Sept 5, Teacher Workday

Monday, September 11, 4th Grade AgVenture Day

Wednesday, September 13, School Pictures

• Brittany Arntt will be joining the FCES staff as a para educator.

• Darlene Baguley will be the evening janitor at FCES and FCHS.

FCES students and families are invited to attend an open house at Fillmore Central Elementary on August 8th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. PLEASE PLAN ON ATTENDING WITH YOUR CHILD(REN). You should plan on meeting your child’s teacher, seeing your child’s classroom, and touring the building.

Families are encouraged to provide a water bottle for their student(s). Students will be allowed to fill water bottles at the bottle filling stations.

Volunteers and visitors are welcomed at FCES. Please contact your child’s teacher if you plan to visit during instructional time or lunch. FCES does limit visits to 1 hour in length to ensure classroom/student routines and procedures are minimally disrupted.

For the 2023-24 school year Fillmore Central Elementary is providing all required supplies needed in the classroom for all students. A book bag is the only item that families will need to provide for students. This commitment ensures every student is equally equipped to be successful at FCES.

Fillmore Central continues to encourage families to follow the district wellness policy when providing snacks and treats. Food items that are brought into the school should follow the smart snacks standards if possible. Additional information can be found on the school website.

• When do we meet? The last Monday of August, November and March at 7:00 p.m.

• Meetings last 1 hour or less.

• What is it?

E-PAC is an advisory group of parents / guardians of elementary students who share and discuss information about our school. Any parent / guardian of an elementary age child in grades K – 4 is invited to attend. There is no expense – just the investment of your time.

Please call the school before 8:45 a.m. if your child will not be in attendance that day, 759 – 3184. Thank you.

The school day begins at 8:05 a.m. The tardy bell rings at 8:10 a.m. Breakfast is served from 7:30-8:00 a.m. Students should arrive no earlier than 7:30 a.m. All students are to enter through the front doors.

1. Parents/Guardians are asked to drop off their child at the front doors of the building.

2. Students arriving at school between 7:30 – 7:50 a.m. report to the lunchroom. Please enter through the front doors.

3. Students arriving between 7:50 – 8:05 a.m.

• “K” Report to the art room

• 1st Grade Report to the lunchroom

• 2nd Grade Report to the gym

• 3rd Grade Report to the music room

• 4th Grades Report to lunchroom

4. Students are not allowed to wait for the 8:05 a.m. “bell” anywhere outside the building unless they are supervised by their parent / guardian.

Breakfast is served each school morning starting at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast service stops at 7:55 a.m. to ensure students have time to eat and transition to their classrooms at 8:05 a.m. The cost for a student breakfast is $1.85. If your child eats breakfast, the cost will be deducted from your child’s lunch account.

When you plan to eat school lunch with your child please call the school before 9:30 a.m. so a lunch can be prepared for you. Student lunch cost is $2.90 and adult lunch cost is $4.00. Please note, hot lunches for elementary students are prepared at the high school each day, so it is important that we have an accurate count of visiting adults. Thank you for your help in this matter.

Students in Kindergarten and 1st grade can purchase milk for their daily A.M. milk breaks for $22.00 per quarter.

Please note that Nebraska State Law requires all Kindergartners and all out-of-state transfer students to have:

· 3 doses of DTP with one given on or after the 4th birthday

· 3 doses of polio

· 2 doses of MMR, and

· 3 doses of Hepatitis B

· 2 doses of Chicken pox: Must have the immunization or a note stating the date when your child had chicken pox.

· Influenza type b (Hib)

· Invasive pneumococcal disease

· Physical exam

· Vision Exam

· Certified copy of the birth certificate (the copy from the hospital does not meet this requirement).

These required documents must be on file prior to the start of the school year. Please be sure this is taken care of prior to August 8 so your child does not have to miss the first day of school. Tip: Do not wait until the last minute to find these items. It takes some time to collect copies from various agencies. Please be diligent about collecting the necessary paperwork, and call if you have questions.

During the 2023-24 school year Fillmore Central Elementary will generate revenue through the Boxtops for Education App. In the past, Boxtop funds were used to go on fieldtrips, see a movie at the theater and provide food and other treats during the school year. Please continue to scan your receipts with the Boxtops App. to help Fillmore Central Elementary.

What is Early Development Network Services Coordination?

Services Coordination helps families of children with special needs below age three:

• Find services to meet developmental, educational, financial, health care, child care, respite care and other needs

• Work with multiple providers to make sure services are provided as needed

Why is Service Coordination Needed?

Nebraska families of children with special needs have found it difficult to locate needed services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and then to coordinate the services with the providers.

Who is Eligible for Services Coordination?

Eligible families are those with an infant or toddler below age 3 who has a disability or developmental delay and qualifies for special education through the public schools.

Year round services coordination is provided.

There is no cost to families.

How Can Families Apply?

To request Early Development services for your child or to refer a child, call the local number below. With prior parental permission, referrals may be made by anyone who suspects a developmental delay in an infant or toddler.

CONTACT: Beth Lightwine at ESU6-Geneva office (225 North 17th, Geneva, 402-759-3143).

The start of the school year is quickly approaching! Below is important information, as well as, important dates to mark on your calendar, for your student at Fillmore Central Middle School.

Wednesday, August 9th

· Pool Party

• A pool party will be held at the Fairmont Pool from 3:00-4:30p.m.

• All 5th-8th grade FCMS students are welcome to attend.

· Open House

• Open House at Fillmore Central Middle School will be held from 4:30-6:00p.m.

• All 5th-8th grade students are encouraged to attend.

· Orientation

Orientation will be held during the Open House on August 9th in the Middle School Gym. Students and parents will be provided a brief overview and updates before meeting their grade level teachers.

• 5th grade – 4:30 P.M.

• 6th grade – 5:00 P.M.

• 7th/8th grade – 5:30 P.M.

The first day of the 2023-2024 will be Thursday, August 10th. Classes will begin at 8:05 AM and will end at 3:20 PM.

Shuttle buses from Geneva to Fairmont will leave Fillmore Central High School each morning at 7:45 AM. There will be four buses so that each grade will have their own bus. Drivers and other staff will assist students the first day in boarding the correct bus. Students who ride the shuttle bus to Fairmont are to sit in the High School Cafeteria while waiting for the bus each morning. Breakfast will be served beginning at 7:30 a.m. If your student is not eating breakfast, we ask that they not arrive before 7:40 a.m. At the end of the day, shuttle buses will return to Fillmore Central Elementary at approximately 3:35PM. *Student-athletes practicing in Geneva will be bussed to the High School.

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! I am excited to get everyone back in the building and get the year rolling. The older I get, the quicker the summers seem to go. I hope everyone had a chance to do some fun things, spend time with family and get recharged for another great year. As we get started, here are a few highlights to get things going.

We were fortunate to retain our entire teaching staff this past year at the high school. I believe this shows that FCHS is a great place to teach and that our staff is dedicated to providing a great educational experience for the students of the district. Last year we were unable to fill our Library/ICU para position, but this year we are excited to welcome Kristen Sherman to that position.

Students may stop at school anytime between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on August 7th, 8th and 9th to sign up for a locker and pick up their packet.

9th grade laptop check-out will be on Wednesday, August 9th. We will be holding two sessions. 9th grade students whose last name begins with the letters A-K will meet in the high school Library at 1:00 p.m. 9th grade students whose last name begins with the letters L-Z will meet in the high school Library at 2:00 p.m. New students to the district will check out laptops on their first day of school. These sessions will last approximately 30 minutes.

This year will mark the 4th year that we will be using the Power of ICU program. As a reminder, this program is essentially a communication tool designed to help ALL students complete ALL assignments with quality, and in a timely manner. This program has been very effective and there will be a few changes as we work to make sure that ALL students have access to the help they need to be successful. A more detailed letter will go home with students in their back to school packet.

We will once again be offering breakfast between first and second period each day. This opportunity has been well received by our kids and we are happy to be able to offer this program.

As has been done for the past several years, all necessary school supplies will be made available to students.

Organized practices for all 9 – 12 fall athletics will begin on Monday, August 7th. Pre-participation Physical Evaluation Clearance Form, NSAA Student and Parent Consent Form, Fillmore Central Activity Signature Page, and Medical Release forms must be turned in before students will be allowed to practice.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me.

GO FC!!!

Ryun Theobald

Activity passes are $75 per person. Activity passes are able to be used at any regular season games.

Fillmore Central Fans that are 65 years or older are free. Please contact Dawn to make sure you are on the list or to be added.

For questions contact Dawn Temme at 402-759-3141 or at dawn.temme@fillmorecentral.org

Monday, August 7th

Start of Fall Practice

Tuesday, August 8th

Elementary Open House 4:00-6:00pm

Wednesday, August 9th

Middle School Open House 4:30-6:00pm

Thursday, August 10th

First Day of School

Monday, August 14th

School Board Meeting 7:30pm

Monday, August 28th

Academic Booster Club Mtg. @ FCHS Library

EPAC @ FC Elementary 7:00pm

Monday, September 4th

NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

Tuesday, September 5th

NO SCHOOL

Monday, September 11th

School Board Mtg 7:30pm

Wednesday, September 13th

School Pictures