November Superintendent's Corner
Launch the media gallery 1 player
I wanted to take this month's Superintendent’s Corner to remind you of the upcoming election and to give a few “Shoutouts” in regard to service-based programs that we are providing here at Friend Public School.
Tuesday, November 14th is election day for the Playground/HVAC school bond election. We have lots of information on the district’s website and FB page. The bond calls for no tax increase for those who live in the district and will allow us to put in two new playground areas and allow us to purchase five new HVAC units. Please take a look at the info. and let us know if you have any questions.
We have lots of new activities and programs going on at the school this year. I thought you might like to get a quick update on how they are progressing.
Mrs. Combs has started a “Running Club” this year. Each week the students get a chance to get valuable exercise time in with a large group making it more fun! We are thankful for Mrs. Combs’ willingness to get this program going. Mrs. Critchfield has also started a cheer program for our younger students. Our “little ones” have loved the opportunity to be “like the big kids” and be cheerleaders for their school. Thank you Mrs. Combs and Mrs. Critchfield for going the extra distance to help our school provide a better experience for our students!
As you know, we added new electives this year. One of the electives is horticulture. Through this program, our students are learning how to grow and take care of various types of plants. Coach Miller has led this program to the extent that his room looks like a small greenhouse. One of the primary goals for the class is to eventually support the school’s food service program by providing vegetables they have grown. Not only are our students learning to grow things, but they are also learning how to give back and support their school. Our new Esports Team has competed in its first state-wide competitions and has done very well for first-timers. The team has won several matches and will continue representing FPS in state-wide competitions. Mrs. Hogan has been a great leader and supporter of these kids
Over the spring and summer, we looked at our food service program. While our staff were doing great work, we wanted to see if we could expand service options for our students and teaching staff. With that idea in mind, we have offered 2 lunch options for students each day. One option is typically the “tray” lunch which often includes a “hot” lunch option. Hamburgers, pizza, chicken strips, and pasta with alfredo sauce are common options. We are also offering a “cold” option. Salads, sandwiches, and lunchables are popular items for the “cold” option. By offering two choices, student participation in the school lunch program has increased greatly. We have over 100 more students per month eating the school’s lunch as compared to last year. The importance of the school lunch program is that funding for food service goes directly back into the food service program. These funds can’t be used for general school improvements as they are required to go directly toward food service-related needs. As participation increases, funding increases, meaning more equipment, supplies, etc. can be purchased to continue the improvement process of the program
Another area we are making efforts to improve in is with our test scores. We have made quite a commitment to use a curriculum support program called Alpha Plus. The program is specifically designed to make sure what is taught in the classroom is directly linked to the state standards which is what the state tests cover. We hope by using the program we will have improved results.
FPS is not perfect. No school is. But we are always looking at ways to get better. We also have a wonderful staff who care about the students they teach and who provide a wonderfully, positive experience for our students. Falcon pride is alive and well!