News From the FORCE - April 2022

   

Welcome To Our School Blog!

Message From Our FORCE Staff

April 4 2022

Happy April FORCE Families

Wow did we have an awesome March or what! We got to celebrate our "I Love Reading" month with spirit days and an amazing author visit assembly - Erin Dealy was fantastic. On top of that, Starstruck, our amazing dance production has gotten started with both students and staff enjoying practicing our choreographed dances to be ready to perform in May! We ended March with a bang, in the form of our "Day of Awesomeness" - which was fantastic fun for our students filled with bouncy obstacle courses, slides, games, music, dancing and prizes! As April begins, we are ready for Spring Break (April 11-18...Students return on Tuesday, April 19th), more Starstruck practice, state testing for 3rd-5th graders, and a "Draw Along" assembly coming down the road - It's going to be a great month!

Our hope is to keep this blog updated so that you can be informed of upcoming events, news, happenings, and important information regarding Fiddyment Farm Elementary and the great experiences your child will be having here at our school this year.  Fiddyment truly is a special place, where our staff thrives on building relationships with students and parents, in hopes to build a partnership that make everyone's time here safe and enjoyable, especially for our young learners. 

In this blog you will find school updates, important safety reminders, PTC information, acknowledged students and staff, lunch menu, after school enrichment info and community event flyers.

Have a wonderful rest of your week, and remember to always -  "BE A FORCE FOR GOOD"

Ryan Poulsen - Principal
               &
Fiddyment Farm Staff

Our school mission is to maximize learning for each member of our FORCE!

We are the F.O.R.C.E.
F - Focused  O - Organized  R - Respectful  C - Compassionate  E - Encouraging

Follow Our Story - Click the circle link: 

A HUGE THANK YOU is so deserved for our Fiddyment FORCE Community of families, friends, and relatives - all of you amazing people that stepped up for our school and gathered donations for our big fundraiser for the year! Our students had a blast earning prizes, participating in the Day of Awesomeness, and together you all raised over $35,000 for our school that will be put towards school supplies, assemblies, intervention and enrichment programs, and school improvement projects!

We truly have the best FORCE for Good around....THANK YOU SO MUCH!

REMINDER - NO SCHOOL

April 11 - April 18

Students RETURN on TUESDAY - April 19th!

Our Show Nights for Starstruck are about one month away!!!

Save the dates - Tuesday - May 3 & Wednesday - May 4

Half of the classrooms will perform 2 shows one night, while the other half of the classrooms will perform 2 shows the following night! - Your teacher will let you know when your child's class will perform!

Your teacher has sent ticket info home with your child!  If you did not receive it, reach out to your teacher or the school office. 

With that said, we are currently OUT of tickets for our EARLY (6pm) shows on BOTH May 3rd and May 4th. and have reached seating capacity in the MPR for that time (6pm) on both dates. 

If you  are still planning on ordering tickets from your child's teacher, please note that we will currently only have tickets to the LATE (7pm) shows on BOTH May 3rd and May 4th available. 

California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress Parent/Guardian Notification Letter

GRADES 3rd, 4th, 5th

Dear Parent/Guardian:

There are many ways to measure your child’s learning. Your child’s teacher uses report card grades, classroom work, teacher observations, and end-of-year statewide test results to get a complete picture of your child’s learning. Each year, students participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Your child will take the following tests, depending on their grade level or instructional program:

• Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English language arts and math, required tests in grades 3–8 and 11

• California Science Test (CAST), a required test in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school

You are an important part of your child’s education. To make sure your child feels comfortable taking tests, you can:

• Explain to your child that these tests are tools to help them learn, and they should not be anxious or scared.

• Explore the practice tests with your child at caaspp.org/practice-and-training/index.html so they can become familiar with the platform and setup of the tests. 

• Remind your child that you and their teacher want them to try their best and are there to help, every step of the way.

You will receive your child’s results at or before the beginning of the next school year. The results will identify where your child is doing well or needs more help, so you can better support their learning at home and teachers can better support their learning in the classroom.

Parents/guardians who would like to exempt their child from taking any or all parts of the CAASPP summative state assessments (CAASPP/CAA) are able to do so. All such requests will be honored per CDE Education Code.  If you are choosing to exempt your child from taking any of the assessments, you will need to submit a written request specifying your student’s name, grade, and the test/subject. This request needs to be submitted to me by March 18, 2022. Remember, if your student does not test, this means you will not receive CAASPP scores/results.

To learn more about these tests, please feel free to reference the following resources:

Starting Smarter website (English)

Staring Smarter website (Spanish)

Parent Guides to Understanding (English)

Parent Guide to Understanding, (Spanish)

Parent Guide to Understanding Website (Guides available in Arabic, Chinese, Tagalog, Russian, Vietnamese)

If you have questions, please contact Ryan Poulsen, school principal, at 916-771-1880 or rpoulsen@rcsdk8.org

Sincerely,

Ryan Poulsen - Principal

Parent Teacher Club (PTC)

 WEDNESDAY, April 28, 2022 at 6:30 pm - MPR

 

Popcorn Friday Volunteers needed:  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Dates for the rest of the year:   4/22, 5/20

Upcoming Dine Outs: 

 4/21 – Amy’s Drive Thru

     

SPIRIT WEAR makes a great gift and supports a Force Family Owned small business.  A portion of every purchase goes back to our school.  CLICK HERE TO BUY SPIRITWEAR

 

A Special THANK YOU to our Business Sponsors – Burne Engineering and Staines Financial, LLC  – FFE PTC Appreciates your Support!

            

Each Friday is spirit day - students and staff are encouraged to wear their school spirit shirts, or sport the school colors - black and gold!  The class with the most students to sport their spirit for the day, wins the coveted "Spirit Yoda" as a reward, to keep in their classroom for a week!  

We like to recognize our fabulous students here at Fiddyment Farm who continuously follow both our behavior expectations of being Safe, Responsible, and Respectful, but also consistently exhibit the FORCE traits that we believe make students a FORCE for good, which are

Focused, Organized, Respectful, Compassionate, and Encouraging!

Here is the February list of students whose teachers wanted them to know just how awesome they are!  They received certificates from their teachers as well as a reward from the school!

WAY TO GO FORCE!!!

Students Recognized in MARCH

K-2nd Graders

KINDERGARTEN

Mrs. Manley - Lincoln P. &  Shukran B.

Lincoln shows compassion towards others when they are feeling sad. I love that he cares about others - keep it up Lincoln!!!

Shukran is always compassionate towards others! He has many friends and always treats others kindly!!!

Mrs. Moore - Lincoln G., Tessa B. & Gracen N.

Lincoln is a kind friend who always brings a smile to school each day. He is helpful and loves to make his teacher proud. I can always count on Lincoln to make good choices and to be a role model for his friends. Way to go Lincoln!

Tessa shows compassion by being a kind friend every day in the classroom. She loves to make new friends and to make her teachers proud. I'm proud of you Tessa!

Gracen shows compassion every day in Room 4. She is a kind friend and loves to make others happy. She continues to make all of us proud by trying her very best. Thanks for being a kind friend Gracen!

Ms. Purcell - Sawyer P., Maribel L. & Caleb B.

Ms. Purcell's kindergarten class would like to congratulate Sawyer for being FOCUSED! Sawyer has been working so hard in kindergarten and is becoming a great reader and writer! Way to go Sawyer!

Ms. Purcell's kindergarten class would like to congratulate Maribel L. for being an expert in COMPASSION! We have been working very hard on being kind in our actions and our words and Maribel has mastered them both. Way to go Maribel!

Ms. Purcell's kindergarten class would like to congratulate Caleb B. for being incredibly FOCUSED! Caleb is such a hard worker who always gets the job done in class and does it well! Way to go Caleb!

Mrs. Van Voltinburg - Taytum M., Bradley W. & Aubree G.

We are honoring Taytum for being a compassionate member of the FORCE! Way to go Taytum!

We are honoring Bradley for being a compassionate member of the kindergarten FORCE! Way to go Bradley!]

In room 10 we are celebrating Aubree for being an ENCOURAGING member of the FORCE! Way to go Aubree!

1st GRADE

Mrs. Brusaschetti - John F., Audrey P., Phineas J.,Olivia C.,Annabelle M.& Ethan G.

John cares very much about his classmates and how they are feeling. He shows compassion daily.

Audrey shows compassion to her classmates by caring about their feelings.

Phineas shows compassion by being empathetic to other's feelings.

Olivia shows compassion by caring about her classmates and how they are feeling.

Annabelle is always happy for others when they succeed. She shows the character trait of being encouraging!

Ethan encourages others in our classroom and is a good friend!

Mrs. Ely - Giselle B., Jose S., Blaise L., Rebekah R., Kai H. & Isaiah B.

Giselle is being recognized in Room 1 for showing compassion to all! She is always willing to help and looking for ways to contribute.

Jose is being recognized in room 1 for showing respect to everyone. He is so thoughtful and kind!

Blaise is being acknowledged for being a RESPECTFUL member of our class and showing kindness to others!

Rebekah is being recognized as being a FOCUSED member of our class. She does her best, stays on task, and helps others to do the same.

Kai is being recognized in Room 1 for being ENCOURAGING! He does a great job of cheering on his classmates and peers.

Isaiah is being recognized in Room 9 for being encouraging! Isaiah is always motivating his friends to be their best in the classroom and on the playground. He helps friends learn how to play wall ball at recess. He works hard and is kind to everyone. Way to go, Isaiah!

Mrs. Grilione - Levon A., Isha H. & Jordan V.

Levon, Isha, and Jordan all excel at being compassionate!

Mrs. Julian/Mrs. Schacht - Mateo L., Marianne L., Claire C. & Isaiah B.

Mateo is being recognized in Room 9 for being compassionate! Mateo is always kind, respectful and helpful towards his friends. He is an awesome student and citizen of our school. Way to go, Mateo!

Marianne is being recognized in Room 9 for being compassionate! Marianne is kind and respectful both on the playground and in our classroom. She is a standup student and citizen of our school. Way to go, Marianne!

Claire is being recognized in Room 9 for being Compassionate! Claire is always concerned for others and helping her friends. If someone is sad or upset, she is helpful and kind. We appreciate you, Claire, thank you for being such a compassionate student!

Isaiah is being recognized in Room 9 for being encouraging! Isaiah is always motivating his friends to be their best in the classroom and on the playground. He helps friends learn how to play wall ball at recess. He works hard and is kind to everyone. Way to go, Isaiah!

Mrs. Marcoux  - Celeste L., Kendall T., Luke B., Harper W., Madison R. & Benny H. 

Celeste is very compassionate in Room 5. She is always happy for her classmates when good things happen to them and concerned for them when they are sad. She is always giving people compliments to make them feel good. Everyone should have a friend like Celeste!

Kendall is compassionate in Room 5. She cares a lot about all of her classmates and tries hard to make them happy. We are so happy to have Kendall in our class! Great job Kendall!

Luke B. is Compassionate in Room 5! He notices when classmates need help and helps or speaks up for them. He cares for his friends and classmates. Great job Luke!

Harper is Compassionate in Room 5. Harper is a very thoughtful and caring student. She fills her classmate's buckets and is always making little gifts for her teacher. Thank you Harper!

Madison is always encouraging in Room 5! She is always cheering on her classmates and so excited when good things happen to them. She is a wonderful friend to all. Great job Madison!

Benny is very encouraging to everyone in Room 5! He is always excited when good things happen to other students. He notices when his classmates feel down and tries his best to make them feel better. Great job Benny!

2nd GRADE

Mrs. Benato - Orion, Lily E. & Victoria P.

In Room 16, the students chose to acknowledge Orion for being compassionate. Orion is always checking in on her classmates and being helpful to all those around her. Way to go, Orion!

In Room 16, the students nominated Lily for being compassionate. Lily is always caring, kind, and shows empathy for her peers. We are proud of Lily!

In Room 16, we are recognizing Victoria for being encouraging. Victoria is always kind and encouraging her friends to do their best. We love her shining smile and caring heart.

Mrs. Cutter - Caroline L., Viola K. & Shreyan D.

Caroline is being recognized for being COMPASSIONATE because she likes to help her classmates and is always doing nice things for others! Thank you, Caroline!

Viola is being recognized for being RESPECTFUL! She is an excellent listener in class and consistently follows school rules. Thank you, Viola!

Shreyan is being recognized for being ENCOURAGING! He is kind to others and helpful to his classmates and I. Way to go, Shreyan!

Ms. Richard - Sophia L., Hazel P., & Hudson H.

Sophia L is being recognized for being a compassionate student in second grade. She is an incredible classmate. She is super kind, caring, and helpful to others. We are so grateful to have her in our classroom!

Hazel P. is being recognized for being a compassionate student in Room 13. She is one of the kindest, sweetest, most generous kids I know! She is so always willing to help others and truly cares about the feelings of others. We are so lucky to have her in our class!

Hudson is being recognized for being an encouraging student in Room 13. He does an excellent job cheering for others and always having a smile on his face! We love having his positive energy in class! Way to go bud!

Mrs. Schmidt  - Palomala W, Amelia M. & Marco D. 

Paloma is COMPASSIONATE in Room 17! She always thinks of others' feelings and does her best to be kind. She is a great friend in our class. Keep it up, Paloma!

Amelia is COMPASSIONATE in Room 17. She is always thinking of others' feelings and treating her peers respectfully. She is a leader in our class. Keep it up, Amelia!

Marco is ENCOURAGING in Room 17! Marco is often found using uplifting and kind words to others. He has a growth mindset that helps him and those around him to learn and grow. Keep it up, Marco!

Students Recognized in MARCH

3rd-5th Graders

3rd Grade

Mrs. Andrada - Gianna V., Kate D., & Easton E.

Gianna is always the first one to jump in and help anyone that needs help. She is so compassionate everyday! Thank you Gianna for being you!

Kate has been so compassionate in class. She is always looking out for others. Way to go Kate!

Easton is always very encouraging to all of her classmates. Thank you for being so thoughtful! You Rock!

Mr. Denney - Shahzad Y., Jade B. & Swara G.

Shahzad is a wonderful student and so respectful to everyone he meets or knows. I am so lucky to be Shahzad's teacher and whoever gets him in the future is getting one great kid!

Jade is an amazing person. She is such a wonderful friend and will always have a positive attitude in everything she does. You are awesome Jade!

Swara is an amazing friend. She is so kind and considerate and makes people around her happy. Thank you for being such a wonderful person.

Ms. Harless - Emily E., Neha G., & Audrey B.

Emily is such a wonderful student. She is such a focused learner and always doing her best. She is a leader in class and I'm lucky to have her. Good job, Emily!

Neha is new to our class and what a wonderful addition she has been! She makes our class better just by being in it. She is such a great student and it's a pleasure to recognize her for being respectful.

Audrey has become quite a role model for our class this year. She is even giving advice to other students to help them become. more respectful! Great job Audrey! You hard work is noticed and appreciated!!

Mrs. Jackson - Jennah M. & Delilah B.

A huge shout out goes to Jennah from Room 20! Thank you for being a very compassionate student! You are always make room to include friends in the class and on the playground. You are a friend to everyone! Keep up the great work, Jennah!

Thank you Delilah for being a compassionate student! You are a great role model for all our friends, in the class as well as on the playground. You are always willing to include others and think of how they are feeling . Keep up the amazing work!

4th GRADE

Mrs. Bews - Connor B., Ciara O., & Nolan S.

Connor is such a compassionate kid. He is a loyal friend and great classmate! He is kind and caring, and always does the right thing! If anyone needs help, I know I can always count on Connor to lend a helping hand! Way to go Connor! Keep up the Compassion!!!

Ciara is a great classroom friend and loves to see her friends succeed. She is super helpful and sweet and does her best in the classroom! Keep it up Ciara!

Nolan is an AMAZING kid. He always puts the needs of others before his own. He is always helping others and making sure that they understand their work. I am so proud of Nolan and his amazing progress in the classroom! Way to go Nolan!

Mrs. Cianci - Nicco F., Athena G-W., Julian W., Brady T.

This week in room in room 22 we would like to recognize Nicco F. for being our FOCUSED student of the week. Nicco has been working so hard to be the best student he can be. He always gives his best effort has been making some great progress. Way to go Nicco!

In room 22 we would like to acknowledge Athena G-W. for being our COMPASSIONATE student of the week. Athena is a student who cares about others both inside and outside of the classroom. She is always a good friend to her peers and shows she cares for them in many ways. Way to go, keep being awesome!

This week we would like to recognized Julian W. for being our FOCUSED student of the week. Julian has been working hard, especially in math to do his best on every assignment. Way to go Julian keep up the great work!

This week in room 22 we would like to recognize Brady T. for being our RESPECTFUL student of the week. Brady is respectful both inside and outside of the classroom. He makes good choices daily and a great role model to others. Way to go Brady, keep up the great work!

Ms. Lempner - Mia P., Majd Q., Anthony G., Kaydance S., & Noah L.

Mia, thank you for being so encouraging in our classroom. You are an amazing, kind student who is a great model of showing the FORCE.

Majd, thank you for being encouraging in the classroom and outside the classroom. You are always helping when an extra hand is needed and encouraging your friends here at school.

Thank you Anthony for showing compassion in our classroom. You are always a helping hand to other students and are very caring!

Kaydance, you are a great role model of showing how to be organized. Thank you for always keeping a desk clean and offering to help others with their desks.

Noah, thank you for always showing respect inside and outside of the classroom. You are a great role model in our classroom for other students to look up to. Thank you for being you!

Ms. Pulis - Anthony "AJ", Elijah L., & Evelyn R. 

Anthony "AJ" does his best every day! He works hard, completes all of his assignments, and participates in our lessons. AJ is very FOCUSED in 4th Grade!!

I would like to honor Elijah in my class for being ORGANIZED this week. He is a great student & a wonderful roll model for others! Elijah is always prepared & ready to move on to the next subject in class. His organizational skills are amazing!

Evelyn "Evey" is a very respectful person both inside & outside of our classroom. She listens attentively, helps others, waits her turn, & is always very polite. She encourages others to be respectful too. Evey is a very RESPECTFUL 4th grader!

5th GRADE

Mrs. Hall - Aliyah W., Tristyn M., Timothy B., Gemma C.,  

Congrats to these four amazing students for being Compassionate towards others!

Mrs. Morgan - Poppy H., Prince D., 

Poppy is a very compassionate classmate! She is kind and caring toward others, and is always willing to lend a listening ear to students who are having a rough day. She is patient when helping her classmates, which helps them feel at ease and benefit from her assistance. Thanks for being AWESOME, Poppy!

Prince shows compassion to others every day! He is kind to all students on the playground, even younger buddies who like to come say hello. He has a wonderful sense of humor and his smiles brighten up the classroom. We are lucky to have him in our class!

Mr. Swisley - Brayden T., Scarlett J., Shawky Z., Maddison P., Phillip G. & Lily J.   

Brayden works through everyday trying his best, working hard, having fun and sharing an amazing smile!

Scarlett has a passion for doing well and supporting her classmates and whoever else might cross her path.

Shawky sets a great example and thinking about others.

Maddison is always trying and working hard on her reading and math.

Phillip is an awesome kid, who always tries, makes every better and is an amazing addition to the world! Go Phillip!

Lily is a creative kid, helps others feel better, always tries, and is there to share a smile! Make this world a better place, kid.

Mrs. Williams - Jett M. & Amaya M.

Room 30 would like to recognize Jet for being COMPASSIONATE. Jett is always using kind words and doing extremely nice things for others. Keep up the great work, Jett! We are super proud of you!

Room 30 would like to recognize Amaya for being COMPASSIONATE. I can always count on Amaya to use kind words with others and for being extremely thoughtful with everyone around her. Keep up the great work, Amaya! We are super proud of you!

This school year, we are re-focusing our PBIS (Positive Behavior Expectations and Supports) structure to be more simplified for our students.  We are going to continue with our character themes of F.O.R.C.E. - Focused, Organized, Respectful, Compassionate, Encouraging, and put more emphasis on good character traits and habits.  

On the behavior side, to simplify the "behavior" expectations, we continue with

Be Safe - Be Responsible - Be Respectful  

These are very simple for our students to understand, and are easy to reinforce and celebrate when students follow expectations and make good choices!  These 3 main behavior expectations, will also carry over to Cooley Middle School, as they use the same 3.

When students do make good choices and follow behavior expectations, and show great character qualities of the F.O.R.C.E., they will be acknowledged at different times of the year, in different ways, from awards, to FORCE Tickets, to prizes - we want to acknowledge our FORCE students for showing up every day and being a true "FORCE" in our school!

If your child comes home with a FORCE ticket stub - they made a really good choice at school and should be encouraged to continue their positive choices and behaviors in the future!

*NOTE

The menu is scheduled to change, based on what food is delivered. 

The Breakfast at Fiddyment Farm will ALWAYS be the 

CONTINENTAL BAGGED BREAKFAST!

Z

Thank you for reading our blog and supporting Fiddyment Farm Elementary School!

The Governing Board is committed to providing equal opportunity for all individuals in education.  District programs, activities, and practices shall be free from unlawful discrimination, including discrimination against an individual or group based on race, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital, pregnancy, or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, or genetic information; a perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.