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Contact Us
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(right-click on name to send an e-mail )
Editor:
Daryn Schwartz
Volunteer Coordinator:
Angela Hayes
PTA President:
Leslie Crouch
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Resources
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FAWE Classroom Sponsorship & Special Project Funding Opportunities
Click on the bus image to view the FAWE teachers who don't have a sponsor. And to see the Felix projects that need funding. Thanks in advance for supporting our classrooms!
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FAWE Volunteer Opportunities
Support our goal of "Five for FAWE." We are asking each family to consider volunteering a minimum of five hours, per semester.
We have many volunteer opportunities! Some work can be done offsite.
Immediate Opportunities:
- Lunchroom volunteers
- Creative Play Lab volunteer
- Boosterthon planning team
- Elks Heart Packs volunteers (Thursdays)
- Parents/Grandparents' workshop
- Four C's Literacy/Reading Coaches (ongoing commitment)
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To the FAWE teachers, Administrators and staff who have been so hard at work before and during the first few weeks of school. (Especially with all the curriculum changes!) We appreciate you.
- Jon and Kristi Brown for hosting a very successful Watch DOGS kick-off night.
- Jessica O'Hara for organizing the Grandparents and Boo Hoo Breakfasts.
- all the volunteers who hosted our Open House.
- Kari and Bryan Polhemus and Erinn and Richard Gordon for their efforts helping to improve and shade our playground.
- the volunteers and donors who helped make our new Creative Play Lab a reality!
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Make a Difference as a Reading Tutor!
Are you looking for an ongoing
volunteer opportunity where you can make a difference in a child's life? The 4 C's Literacy Program is continuing at FAWE this Fall and we are looking for dedicated volunteers to support 3rd grade readers.
Encourage anyone you know in our community who may be interested. To learn more, contact
Danielle Collins.
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FAWE Clinic
Donations Needed
The clinic needs the following items:
- Girls shirts & elastic waist shorts (sizes 6-8)
- New girls underwear (sizes 6-8)
- Boys elastic waist shorts (sizes 6-8)
- New boys small underwear (size 4-6)
Please consider donating!
Thank you.
Samantha Hamilton
FAWE Health Assistant
772-219-1640, ext. 106
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PTA Membership Drive!
Have you paid your $7 PTA dues for this year? Please remember, multiple people (Grandparents too!) from your family can sign up to support our PTA efforts! And this year, we have a Membership Drive Contest to reward the classrooms with the most PTA members!
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Yearbook Cover Contest for 5th Graders
Fifth graders! Show off your artistic talents by entering your original artwork for FAWE's 20th yearbook! Contest flyer.
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Volunteer Reminders
Thanks to all of you who came to our Volunteer Orientation. Here are a few volunteer reminders!
- Everyone must complete and submit a Form 270 to volunteer at FAWE (and every MC school you volunteer at.) every year.
- Background checks (good for 2 years) cost $20. Cash or checks (made payable to FAWE) along with a completed 270 Volunteer Form should be submitted to the front office. A background check is required for you to be a chaperone or to work one on one with students.
- When volunteering at school, please "dress for success"
Thank you in advance. Our FAWE volunteers truly enhance school community !
If you have any questions, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Angela Hayes.
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Gather your Box Tops 
Please clip and save any Box Tops you see. They add up and earn money for FAWE. Look for a
Box Tops classroom contest...coming soon!
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"Like" us on Facebook
Both the Felix A Williams Elementary PTA and the FAWE School Advisory Council (SAC) have a Facebook page. "Like" either or both pages to see timely information, resources and reminders!
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F.A.W.E. Splash Flash
September 11, 2014
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New Creative FAWE Play Lab!
Thanks to our School Advisory Committee (SAC) and some gung-ho volunteers, FAWE now has a creative play lab! To balance the increasing demands and academic rigor in our classrooms, the play lab was designed to give young students the opportunity to play and be creative during recess, on days when students have
Physical Education.
(Volunteers are needed each day from 10:45 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.) The Play Lab is located at the back of the media center (near Coach's area.)
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Mark Your Calendar!
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9/12 - Spirit Day! (Wear a FAWE shirt or school colors!) 9/15 - FL Standards Workshop (district-wide) @ 6 p.m. at MCHS 9/16 - Seacoast Bank Day -7:15 until 7:40 a.m. 
9/17 - Page Turner's Night -3 to 6 p.m.
9/17 - PTA Membership Meeting 5 to 6 p.m.
9/19 -- Yearbook Cover Entries due (5th graders)
9/22 - Family Day --Eating with Family Matters week in Martin County
9/23 - Seacoast Bank Day -7:15 until 7:40 a.m.
9/29 -Boosterthon Pep Rally (during the day)
9/29 - Boosterthon Fun and Food Festival - 6 to 7:30 p.m.
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Introducing New FAWE Staff Members
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We have a great group of new staff members who joined the
Felix A. Williams team. Please join us in welcoming them!
Click on the links below to read their bios.
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Literacy Tips from Lauren Gifford
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 Dear FAWE Families,
The 2014-2015 school year is underway and teachers and students are immersing themselves in effective literacy practices that will become routines and habits throughout the school year.
Your child's teacher will be encouraging and fostering a love of reading right away. Teachers will survey students to learn about their reading habits and interests by topic, genre, etc. Once that information is acquired, children will be encouraged to make choices in their text selections. According to Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer, "People who lose the ability to make choices become disempowered. This is true for adults, and it is true for young readers. When every book a child reads is chosen for them, by parents or teachers, children lose self-motivation to read and interest in reading. Children should choose their own reading material most of the time, but they need exposure to a book flood to determine what books they like and learn how to choose their own books."
Click on the links below for more information:
"Five Finger Rule" to finding "just right" books
Suggestions for building a love of reading at home
As a literacy coach I provide research, support, coaching, and modeling of lessons to all teachers across grades K-5 in order to ensure the most effective, research-based literacy strategies are employed to reach all of our diverse learners. Please visit my school web page, schedule a time we can meet, call or email at any time. I am also a resource for parents and look forward to supporting you and your child through your literacy endeavors. Please visit my webpage for more helpful literacy links.
Sincerely,
Lauren G. Gifford , Literacy Coach (K-5)
"We can't learn to swim without swimming, to write without writing, to sing without singing, or to read without reading." -Lucy Calkins
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Note from the FAWE PTA President
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 Hello! The summer went by quickly, didn't it? And although I wanted just one more week, it was still so exciting to see your familiar faces and get the opportunity to meet many new families.
This is our family's fourth year at FAWE. Not a day goes by where I find myself wondering what it would be like to drop our son off at another school. FAWE has become so much more to us. We have an amazing administration and staff, dedicated teachers with huge hearts, incredibly supportive families and the best kids in Martin County!
So let's get together! Please come out to our General Membership Meeting on Wed. Sept 17th at 5 p.m. It will be in conjunction with Page Turner's Night hosted by FAWE's very own, Media Center extraordinaire, Mrs. Baldwin! Which means...bring the kids! Page Turners starts at 3 p.m. The PTA meeting will begin at 5 p.m. Not a PTA member yet? Please stop by to learn more about us. And take a look at our 2014 PTA Membership contest.We are looking for volunteers to help us with the following important PTA events this year: - 5th Grade Graduation
- Talent Show
- Fall Festival
- Dances
- Reflections
- Felix Farm
Experience isn't necessary. (We value and look forward to new ideas!) Please let me know if you would like to learn more or are interested in helping or leading these events.
I look forward to another year as your PTA President and can not wait to see what we can accomplish together!
All the best!
Leslie Crouch
PTA President
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Rock & Raise Funds with Boosterthon!
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$116,000 Raised For FAWE over the past five years...supporting:
- $25,000 in classroom giveback
- 3,300 take home folders
- 2,200 planners
- Document cameras, Promethean boards and software
- Musical instruments
- Assemblies
- Felix Farm
- PBIS (positive behavior incentive system)
The Boosterthon Fun Run has produced funds for all that and much more! That is why FAWE has chosen to partner with Boosterthon, once again.
Our FAWE community rocks! So we are gathering together for a fun, unforgettable musical festival experience with Rock'n Town Live!
� Character lessons
� Community giveback
� Every student participates
Fitness, Leadership, Character and FUN!
Monday, September 29
Student Pep Rallies during the day!
"Eat to the Beat!" family fun 6:00-7:30 PM
Wednesday, October 8
Boosterthon FUN RUN!
K&1 @ 7:50 AM
2&3 @ 9:05 AM
4&5 @ 10:20 AM (including a special surprise!)
Join your kids as they celebrate COMMUNITY in Rock'n style!
Learn more here:
http://www.boosterthon.com
http://www.boosterthon.com/why-boosterthon/more-than-a-run/
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FPL Solar Shade coming to Back Field
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 | This photo (at another school) is an example of what the covering will look like.
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You may have noticed a project on our back recess field. A solar paneled covered area is being built as a contribution from FPL. The energy generated through the solar panels will be used to decrease our energy consumption. This project should be completed by the third week of September.
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Felix Farm is going NATIVE!
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With only a few weeks of school under our belts, the Felix Farmers have already been busy planting. Supporting our 4th grade Florida History Curriculum, our school will be growing native Seminole pumpkins and Everglades tomatoes. Our Felix Farmers are learning about native plants. We are hopeful that we will harvest enough fruits from our garden to once again donate back to our community. A huge round of applause and thanks to the University of Florida Farm to Schools for donating supplies for our Felix Farm native planting.  | Seminole pumpkins are an endangered variety of pear-shaped squash that once grew throughout Florida, and were widely planted by the various Native Americans and colonists who inhabited Florida (particularly along the banks of the Everglades.)
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FAWE Named "Five Star" School
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 Congratulations to Felix A Williams Elementary for earning the "Five Star School Award" from the Florida Department of Education for the 2013-14 school year. The Five Star School Award was created by the Commissioner's Community Involvement Council and is presented annually to those schools that have shown evidence of exemplary community involvement. In order to earn Five Star school recognition, a school must show documentation that it has achieved 100% of the established criteria in the categories of: - Business partnerships
- Family Involvement
- Volunteerism
- Student Community Service
- School Advisory Councils
A HUGE thank you to Volunteer Coordinator Angela Hayes for her efforts creating and submitting our school's portfolio!
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Show your Spirit with a FAWE T-shirt!
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Fridays are FAWE Spirit Day. Students, staff (and parents) are encouraged to wear a FAWE shirt or school colors. There are several options, which are all available at the front desk:
FAWE Spirit Shirt -- $10
Youth FAWE blue spirit shirts are available for $10. Adult blue (and pink) spirit shirts are available for $12.
FAWE Supports our River Shirt -- $11
Youth and adult sizes available. Sales benefit FAWE and the Rivers Coalition Defense Fund. Cash check payable to 4RShores. Questions about the river shirt, ask Annemarie Tyner.  | |
(L) Blue FAWE Spirit Shirt
(R) Back of FAWE Supports our River spirit shirt.
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Help FAWE win $1,000 for Supplies
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Hulafrog ( a free online community activities resource) is giving away $1,000 in supplies from Staples to the school with the most votes! Just sign up and enter Felix A Williams Elementary. And share with other FAWE friends to increase our chances. Bonus - one lucky parent from the winning school will win $250 as well. Already subscriber? You can still enter (you won't be subscribed twice)!
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$10 Sailfish Splash Waterpark Tickets
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If you go to the Sailfish Splash Waterpark on a Saturday or Sunday in September, admission is only $10. And, the United Way of Martin County gets $1 of each ticket sold. Buy your tickets through the online store at Sailfishsplash.
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Tuesdays are Bank Days at FAWE
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 Every Tuesday morning from 7:15 until 7:40 a.m., Seacoast Bank is set up in the Cafe for Seacoaster Savings Day. Seacoast can help you and your child set up a junior account that may help inspire young people to save. - No minimum balance requirement
- No monthly service fees
- Six withdrawals are allowed for quarter.
Every time your child makes a deposit, Seacoast offers a little prize..
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"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
- Leo Buscaglia
How can YOU make a Splash in someone's life?
Until next time...
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