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The loss of seven school days over the last month has necessitated some changes in our calendar. The first issue that needed to be addressed was pushing back the end of the first semester. At the School Board meeting last night it was recommended, and subsequently approved, to change January 27th from a non-school day to a school day, and to change February 3rd from a school day to a non-school day. This effectively moves the end of our semester to Thursday, February 2nd. Please note this change on your calendars.
The second issue the board addressed was the potential of adding back days. While many options were discussed, including attending school on holidays, eliminating early release Wednesdays, attending during Spring Break, extending the school year, etc….two options were recommended for consideration. The first option simply has the school year being extended by 5 days, with the last school day occurring on Thursday, June 22nd. The second option has the end of the school year being extended by 3 days (ending on June 20th), with the other two days being identified and made up between now and the end of the school year (attending on Presidents Day, the Friday before Memorial weekend, another non-school day, etc)…..The board plans on making a decision at their next meeting on February 6th. Both options considered have us adding back 5 of the 7 days we have missed, and assume no more snow days. If we have more snow days, other adjustments will need to be made.
In the coming weeks, the FRSD will be discussing how to add back these days that we have lost. We hope to have a decision soon, so that our students and families are aware and can plan appropriately. The first formal conversation will take place tonight, January 17th, at the board meeting scheduled at EHS. In our final calendar for 16-17 (which can be seen at the following link: http://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016-2017-Calendar-Adopted.pdf) potential weather make-up days were built into the calendar that extended the school year by a week.
As soon as a decision is made, we will be sure to get the information out. Any potential days being added back, will NOT alter the High School graduation date. The EHS Class of 2017 graduation is set for June 9th.
Fern Ridge School District will be hosting an Open House and Ribbon Cutting on January 19th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Please join us in our new Elmira Elementary School, 88960 Territorial Road, Elmira, OR 97437. The evening will begin outside of the school where School Board Member, Twinkle Morton and students, will cut the ribbon and lead the way to the gym. There will be a short greeting from Gary Carpenter and Michelle Marshall. The grand opening will be a wonderful opportunity for families, community members, and friends to explore the beautiful new building and learn more about the design and layout.
Are you feeling a little cold? This month, the Spirit Day theme is Winter Wonderland. Show your school spirit by wearing hats, scarves, and mittens/gloves on Wednesday, January 11th. Please make sure that the items your child does wear are appropriate for the school atmospheres and won’t distract them from learning.
*4th Grade classrooms are in charge of popping the popcorn, so if you can help beginning around 7:30 a.m., please contact your child’s teacher or the front office.
Happy New Year to all of our EES students and families! What a week of weather! I am so excited for students to return to school in our NEW building! We have had an amazing effort from EES and FRSD staff to help prepare for this exciting event.
I anticipate that many families are both excited and nervous about this transition. Please know that there will be multiple staff members available to help students find their way between locations. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
AM Student Drop-off: Parking over the next few months will be extremely limited. We will have one lot for both buses and cars (staff will be parking in other areas). Families are encouraged to use the drop-off loop; pull as far forward as possible and have students exit toward the side walk. Please do not pass buses.
PM Student Pick-up: This will be a bit challenging over the next few months. Thank you in advance for your patience! Buses will pull as far forward as they can in the loop. They will arrive at the school around 2:15 and leave as close to 2:30 as possible. This will impact parent pick-up. Our current parking area has 37 parking spots available. Please pull all the way through the parking spot so that people are not trying to back out of spaces. If the parking lot is full, please pull up behind buses. Cars will not be able to exit the parking lot while buses are loading and/or exiting the loop.
The entrance and exit space is not large enough for both cars and buses to use at the same time. Please be cautious in this area and provide enough room for buses to maneuver.
This will be a work in progress. Thank you again for your patience as we get settled into our beautiful new building. Construction on the additional parking lot will begin shortly!
FRSD will be closed January 5th.
Happy New Year! Remember school resumes tomorrow, JAN. 4th, in the new building! Doors open at 7:30 a.m.
Happy Winter Break Elmira students and families! I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing time off. Stay safe and enjoy the holidays!
Please expect more information regarding parking, busing, and new school routines. We will have a great 2017 in our amazing new building!
School will resume in the new EES building on January 4th!
