We can't wait to meet with families for conferences this week. This year we are using Parent Square to sign up for conferences. Everyone should have received an email with a link to sign up. The window closes Monday at 10:00 p.m., so please sign up today! A reminder that students are welcome to attend conferences, as they will actually be presenting much of the information. 

Also, it is a three-day week for students--no school on Thursday during conferences, Friday for a School Improvement Day, or Monday in observance of Columbus Day/Indigenous People Day. Enjoy the upcoming five-day weekend!

We're into October and that means lots to look forward to--the Book Fair, Family Reading Night, Spider Challenge, Storybook Pumpkin Patch, Trunk or Treat, and Fall Parties are all coming up and many of the activities we need YOU to be sure they go off without a hitch! Please use the sign-up links below!

Remember to watch the weather as temperatures often fluctuate both indoors and outdoors during October. It is a good idea to keep a hoodie at school "just in case".

Save the Date--

October is Bullying Prevention Month

• October 6th-24th--Candy War Collection
• October 6th--Parent Teacher Conference Sign Up Closes at 10 p.m.
• October 7th--Wheel of Wisdom Assemblies
• October 8th--Walk and Roll to School/Storybook Pumpkin Patch Entry Forms Due
• October 9th--Parent-Teacher Conferences 11:00-8:00 No School
• October 10th--School Improvement Day No School
• October 13th--Columbus Day/Indigenous People Day No School
• October 14th-- Bus Evacuation Drills/PTO Meeting 4:30 at Sip 
• October 16th--Earthquake Drill
• October 17th--Book Fair Set Up
• October 20th-24th--Scholastic Book Fair-Volunteers Needed!
• October 20th-23rd--Bring in Storybook Pumpkins
• October 23rd--Family Reading Night--Spider Challenge, Storybook Pumpkins, and Book Fair
• October 24th--Evacuation/Reunification Walk during Specials
• October 28th--PTO Trunk or Treat
• October 31st--Fall Parties AM/11:45 Dismissal

Mrs. Mitera

Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled for October 9 from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. This year, we will be using ParentSquare to schedule conference appointments. An email will be sent to all parents at 7 a.m. on October 2 with links and instructions on scheduling your appointments.

To assure a smooth process and quick access to the schedules, we encourage families to create a ParentSquare account in advance. Without an account, you may need to contact the office to schedule your appointments.

To create an account, please follow these instructions:

1. Go to ParentSquare.com or download the app on your mobile device
2. Click on “Sign In”
3. In the box titled “Register” enter the email address that received this message
4. Click “Get Started”
5. Follow the steps presented

You can view detailed instructions, with screenshots and a video, by clicking here. 

If you have any issues registering your account, please contact Keegan Kociss at kkociss@district146.org or by phone at 708.614.4500.

We look forward to welcoming our families to Parent Teacher Conferences! Remember, the students are welcomed and encouraged to attend as the conferences are student led. 

📚 Calling All Book Lovers and Super Parents! 📚

Our upcoming Book Fair is just around the corner, and we need your help to make it a success! 📖
If you have a passion for books and some time to spare, we'd love to have you as a volunteer at the fair. It's a fantastic way to get involved, support our school, and foster a love for reading in our students.
Whether you can assist with setup, help kids discover new books, or manage the checkout, every bit of your time and energy counts. 🙌
Ready to dive into the world of books with us? Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Each volunteer will receive a free book as a thank you for donating your time! Let's make this Book Fair the best one yet! 🌟📚

Thank you!

Fulton PTO

We’re excited to bring back our 2nd annual Fulton PTO Trunk or Treat on October 28th! To make this event a success, we need the help of our amazing school community. Please let us know how you’d like to be involved!

There are several volunteer opportunities we need to fill in order to have a successful event.

First, we need a planning committee that will meet via Zoom to coordinate the details of the event (organization, Candy Wars, line ups, etc.) We also need decorators who will decorate their car trunks the night of the event, and who will pass out candy and prizes the PTO collects from the Candy Wars held at school. Lastly we need volunteers to get the candy/prizes together the day before the event and volunteers the night of the event to help it run smoothly. Please sign up below!

We also need LOTS of candy and non-edible treats to make this event a success. Join us in our CANDY WARS for a fun way to pitch in and help out!

The Great Pumpkins are coming! Fulton will be getting into the fall spirit by displaying pumpkins based on a favorite book or book character during our Fall Family Night on Thursday, October 23. Entry forms are due back to Mrs. Jackson by October 8th.

We encourage families ho may safely do so, to participate in Walk and Roll to School Day on Wednesday, October 8th.

There are plenty of good reasons to walk or roll to school, provided you live within a distance that is safe to do so. One of the best reasons is that it encourages children and parents to be active and engage in healthy habits together. Why not join the many communities around the world who recognize this day and reap the benefits of improved health and well-being? It may even lead to you frequently taking the walk to school!

No worries if you are unable to walk or roll to school with your children that day! PE teachers (Grades K-8) will observe the event next week by taking a nature walk around the school during PE classes.

Below is a tip sheet for teaching pedestrian safety to kids!

October is Bullying Prevention Month. Many classes will begin their bullying prevention lessons during the Social Emotional block. Our assembly on Tuesday will include questions about bullying and bullying prevention. You can see samples of content here: Second Step Bullying Prevention. Ask your children if they know the 3 Rs this week!

We’re so proud of all of our students who are recognized for displaying the characteristics of a model Flame! Keep up the great work!

We are excited to share with you our dozens of before/after school activity offerings for K-5 students! From the arts to meditation; from sports to coding; from Student Council to games, and so much more in between, there is something for everyone to enjoy! Please review all of the activity descriptions and dates and expect permission slips home in the future. Remember, it's important to be on time for arrival and dismissal of the activities.

Elementary School
Students who find lost articles of clothing or other items should immediately give them to a teacher or the main office to be placed in the lost and found bin. Students who lose personal items should check the lost and found for their items. Identifiable items will immediately be returned to the student. Valuable personal property or sizable amounts of money should not be brought to school. Unclaimed items are given to not-for-profit organizations throughout the year.

Our Lost and Found is already accumulating quite a few items--please check for water bottles, hoodies, and other valuables. 

Students will be going outside for recess as often as possible. The following are our school/district guidelines.

🔆Hot Weather Conditions: We will switch to indoor recess if the temperature is 100 degrees with heat index or if the grounds are too wet.

⛄Cold Weather Conditions: We will switch to indoor recess if the temperature is below 20 degrees with wind chill, or if our grounds are too icy or wet.

We value the opportunity for students to engage in movement and independent play/socialization. Please watch the weather and be sure to send whatever your child needs to be comfortable playing outside each day.

To ensure the safety of all students and to remain in compliance with state law, parents are required to notify the school office if their child will not be in attendance. This notification must take place within the first hour of school. When reporting an absence, please call the school office, use the voicemail system, or enter the absence into Powerschool anytime, day or night. You may inform the office of attendance 24 hours day/7 days a week. 

Please notify the office of any absence or anticipated late arrival by calling 708-614-4525. Additionally, if your child will have a change in dismissal plans (leaving early, not taking the bus, etc.), please let the office know by 2:00. Informing the office in a timely way makes dismissal run more smoothly for all!

A few reminders for the front of the school at dismissal:

• Please do not park against a yellow marked curb. Parking nearest the exit over the yellow lines obstructs everyone's view and clearance.
• Please park behind the yellow sign closest to the school. The spaces directly in front are reserved for special transportation needs.
  
• Please adhere to the sign and turn RIGHT out of the driveway during arrival and dismissal. This reduces the chance of crossing oncoming traffic and the potential for an accident.
• Pedestrians crossing the drive to get to their cars should use the crosswalk at the east end of the drive for the safest path.
• Please avoid turning around in our neighbors' driveways and blocking entrances/exits.
• No cell phone use in school zones.

Bus transportation is also available for most students attending Fulton school. Please contact the office if you would like to add your child(ren) to a bus route.

Anyone who would like to volunteer in classrooms or at school events must have a background check on file. Please be sure to submit an application here: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/ODQzMzplbi1VUw== If you are unsure whether you have submitted a background check in the past, please contact the office. 

As you may have seen, we have a new food service vendor, Whitsons Culinary Group. Breakfast and lunch will be available for all K-5 students for a fee (breakfast $1.50, lunch $3.75). Lunch money may be set up through Pushcoin. Students will receive a debit card to purchase meals through the breakfast/lunch lines. If needed, applications for free and/or reduced fees should be completed. These forms are available in the school office and on the district website. When available, monthly menus will be posted to the district website, https://www.fdmealplanner.com/, and the FD MealPlanner app. 

During the first weeks of school, we practice many safety drills including evacuation drills, tornado drills, and a lockdown drill with the police department as required by Illinois School Code. Fire drills are done three times, once with the fire department. Students may also walk to the off-site evacuation location (opt-out forms shared at a later date).

Lockdown drills with students will be communicated with you before and after so you are aware of those procedures, the language used, and the time they'll be conducted.

These drills are crucial to ensure our students and staff follow safety procedures efficiently. Thank you!

Within a couple of weeks, American School Bus will use Bus Bulletin to alert District 146 parents of bus delays and schedule changes.
Bus Bulletin sends parents instant notifications via text message, email, and/or phone call. There is no cost for parents to sign up and receive notifications.
For more information or to sign up for notifications, please visit the Bus Bulletin website.

We want to hear from YOU! Please let us know about your experiences at Fulton School so we can work together to improve or keep the good things going!

Our 25-26 PTO Board can't wait to partner with YOU for events like Book Fairs, appreciation days, etc.!

President: Megan Combs

Vice President: Melissa Sands

Treasurer: Jamie Bellik

Secretary: Melissa Santangelo

Committee Members: Jennifer Matise and Kristin Wooten

Email: mmitera@district146.org
Website: http://fulton.district146.org/
Location: 6601 West 171st Street, Tinley Park, IL, USA
Phone: 708-614-4525
Facebook: facebook.com/FultonFlames