Issue 06 | September 26, 2025

Issue 06. September 26, 2025   A Message from Admin   Greetings FCCS Community, The end of September always brings many early dismissals and days off. Our scholars are adapting well to the inconsistent schedule. Thank you for your flexibility!  Speaking of that, next week, October 2nd is a day off for scholars and teachers. On October 3rd, we will be celebrating our custodians, Ms. Stoner and Mr. Willis. I am sure they would appreciate any kind words and encouragement. Conferences are coming up; parents will receive links to sign up for conferences on October 6th. Conferences will take place from October 13th to 15th. On the 13th and 14th, there will be 4-hour late arrivals, with drop-off beginning at 12:15. On October 15th, there will be a 3.5-hour early release, with the carline running from 11:45 to 12:15. Please make transportation arrangements for your scholar(s). Have a wonderful weekend!   School Bulletin Board Spirit Wear Sale Hey FCCS Griffin Fans! It’s time to rock your colors! Our Spirit Wear Sale is ON—think comfy hoodies, cool tees, and all the gear to show off your school pride. Hurry—Sale Ends: OCTOBER 1ST Limited stock, unlimited spirit! Let’s turn our GRIFFIN pride all the way up! Contact social@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org with questions SHOP Hearing and Vision Screening Oct 6-7, 2025 Hearing and Vision Screening will take place on October 6 & 7, 2025 for all students in kindergarten, (if not screened in pre-kindergarten), 1st grade, 8th grade and new enterers to the Maryland public school system over the past year. Maryland State Law mandates this screening. Parents/guardians who have an objection to this screening based on their church or religion practices must submit a request for their child to be exempt from screening. All written requests must be submitted to the health room by October 2, 2025. Please make sure if your child wears glasses or contacts that they have them on the screening days. If you have any questions, please contact the health room at 227-203-3849. Parent Education Event Oct 16, 2025 6:00-7:00 PM Frederick Classical Charter School Join us for an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Frederick Classical Charter School’s mission and operations. This engaging session will cover key aspects of our school—including finance, education, governance, advocacy, history, and future planning—offering families insight into how FCCS, Inc. functions and how we can all support its continued success. Parent Education Night will flow directly into our Fall Membership Meeting, making it a valuable evening to both learn and participate in shaping our community. Fall Membership Meeting Oct 16, 2025 7:30-9:00 PM Frederick Classical Charter School The Membership Meeting of Frederick Classical Charter School, Inc. will be held on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 7:30-9 p.m. in the FCCS cafeteria. The meeting will follow that Parent Education Night, which is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. Sign in for the Membership Meeting beginning at 7:10 p.m.  Please look for more information in an upcoming Griffin Gazette and announcement. Thank you for your continued support! AGENDA ATTN FCCS Community Members We are planning another Veteran's Day Observance at FCCS. We want to make the observance this year the best ever. If any community members are interested in serving on the planning committee or just have ideas on how to honor our Veterans, please contact H. Brooke Duke, 4th grade ELA/History at brooke.duke@fcps.org.    Upcoming Dates View the FCCS Calendar Please mark your calendars to stay up to date with FCCS community dates and events. Oct 1: Spirit Wear Fundraiser closes Oct 2: School Closed Oct. 9: STEAM Night Oct. 13-15: Parent Teacher Conferences Oct 13: 4-hour delay Oct 14: 4-hour delay Oct 15: 3.5-hour early dismissal Oct 16: Parent Education Event & Fall Membership Meeting Oct 17: School Closed Oct 24: Trunk or Treat Oct 24: Middle School Costume Dance Oct 28: School Closed Oct 31: 2-hour early dismissal   A Message from the BOT Fall Membership Meeting 7:30-9 p.m., in-person at FCCS The Membership Meeting of Frederick Classical Charter School, Inc. will be held on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 7:30-9 p.m. in the FCCS cafeteria. The meeting will follow that Parent Education Night, which is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. Sign-in for the Membership Meeting will begin at 7:10 p.m.  Agenda The draft membership meeting agenda is now available online; however, members can expect the opportunity to participate in discussions or hear updates on the following business items: Appointment of Mr. Balch, parliamentarian, as Presiding Officer President’s Report Head of School Report Nominating Committee: Call for Members FCCS’ Future Facility discussion and vote Uniform Policy– Addition of Skorts (Discussion, vote) Members FCCS, Inc.’s bylaws require 20% of members to attend in order for any business to be conducted. Members of FCCS, Inc. are current parents/guardians of record and current staff employed at FCCS. The date of record will be set and communicated by the BOT during its upcoming meeting on 10/6. Member participation is valuable and necessary. Please plan to attend or participate by submitting your proxy. In the event that a quorum is not met at the meeting on Oct. 16, 2025, the procedure authorized by Md. Code Ann., Corps. & Ass’ns §5-206 might be invoked. Under that statute, if a majority of the members present in person or proxy at the Oct. 16, 2025 meeting, call for an additional meeting and certain requirements for published notice 15 days prior to the additional meeting are followed, those present in person or proxy at the additional meeting will be able to take any action that could have been taken at the original meeting, if a sufficient number of members had been present. Voting by Proxy If you are unable to attend the meeting, please submit the Member Proxy Form to the front office or by email. Proxy forms will be sent home with scholars and will be available online. The proxy deadline will be set at the upcoming BOT meeting on 10/6. Completed forms can be submitted to Ms. Tucker in the front office or by email to proxy@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org. Each parent or guardian of record counts as an individual member. If only one member per household can attend, the attending member can proxy for the other member. Per the bylaws, each member who attends the meeting can hold no more than three (3) proxies, which means each member who attends the meeting can have up to four (4) votes.  If members do not execute the duty to participate either in person or by proxy and a quorum is not met, official business cannot take place. The membership meeting will be postponed.   Call for Nominating Committee members! Each year, in accordance with the FCCS, Inc. by-laws (ARTICLE A-V. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS), “The Nominating Committee shall be appointed annually by the Board of Trustees at the first board meeting held in the new fiscal year. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three (3) parent members who are not Trustees or applying to become Trustees, two (2) teachers, and a current Trustee who shall serve as Chair in a non-voting capacity.” The Nominating Committee performs the essential functions of recruiting, interviewing and recommending candidates for Board of Trustee elections. Members of the community can express interest in joining the Nominating Committee by emailing a letter of interest to BOT@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org. Join the Committee Board Committee Opportunities Frederick Classical Charter School is seeking dedicated volunteers to help shape the future of our community. We currently have vacancies for the School Improvement Committee Chair and the Communications Committee Chair. These roles are vital to advancing our mission and ensuring strong engagement across our school. If you are interested in serving, please submit a Letter of Interest to BOT@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org. Your leadership and perspective can make a meaningful difference! Express Interest   PTC Corner Library Committee News Dear Parents and Families, Welcome to a new year in the FCCS Library! Our library is a special place where students can explore new worlds, meet exciting characters, and grow their love of reading. We’re so glad your child will be part of our reading adventures this year! To keep the library fun and fair for everyone, here are a few important reminders: Library Rules Take Care of Books – Turn pages gently, keep books clean and dry, and return them the way you found them. Use the library bag to store books. If the bag gets misplaced, it is $2.00 for a new bag. Checkouts – Students may borrow 1-2 books at a time. Books are due back in 2 weeks (renewals are available if they need more time). Return on Time – Please help your child remember their due dates so everyone can enjoy the books. Overdue notices will be issued as needed. Library Manners – Use quiet voices, walk, and be respectful of others. A few tips for home: Choose a safe spot to keep library books. Read together daily, even for a few minutes. Talk about stories — ask your child their favorite part or character. Thank you for helping us build a joyful reading community! If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help. Let’s make this a wonderful year of stories and discovery. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at library@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org Social Committee News The Social Committee is looking forward to the upcoming events: PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE - We are in need of assistance for the Parent Teacher conference meal. Please use sign-up genius to help if you are able to. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E44A9AD28ABFF2-58692818-conference TRUNK OR TREAT - 10/24 TRUNK HOSTS: (about 10) To host your trunk on October 24, please register your trunk at https://forms.gle/CSjPyKg3MZhsrQUz6  by the 17th October. For questions please contact social@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org. We are asking for donations of pencils, pens, whistles, notepads, stamps, spinning tops, vampire teeth, glow sticks, bouncy balls, and monster fingers. It can be from any store. https://www.orientaltrading.com/web/wishlist/31953799049/954525674-_FCCS_Wish_List_ The sign up genius for items: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E44A9AD28ABFF2-58735223-trunk MIDDLE SCHOOL COSTUME DANCE - 10/24 We are looking for decorations, and for parents to help with decoration ideas. The dance is only for Middle School, and will be from 7.30pm-9.30pm. If you would like to assist with this event, please use the sign-up below: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E44A9AD28ABFF2-57525583-middle     HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD - (formerly International Day: This event will only take place if someone can take charge of this event) Please contact social@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org if you have any questions, or if you would like to lead an event. Volunteer Corner THANK YOU to the Parent Teacher Committee (PTC) and everyone who volunteered their time and attended the PTC meeting last night contributing to ideas, planning for the school year, and learning about ways to volunteer! The next PTC meeting will be at the end of October! THANK YOU to the Social Committee who are coordinating and planning many fantastic fall events, fundraisers, and teacher appreciation opportunities! If you would like to learn more about special events or want to volunteer, email the Social and/or Volunteer Coordinators! Popcorn Party Update: Thank you THANK YOU to ALL the families and friends who have completed the annual registration and training to be FCPS volunteers for our school!!!! WOW!!!! We have such an awesome community here at FCCS. The results are being tabulated and we will share the winning grades from K-4 and 5-8 SOON!!!! Go Griffins!!!! **REMEMBER** Please record your family's volunteer hours to be submitted for special recognition with your scholar(s) later this year!  The goal at FCCS is 15 Hours per family! Volunteer Opportunities Social/Appreciation/Hospitality volunteers needed! Interested? Email Volunteer Library - Help is needed on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings 8:45am-9:45am, Thursdays 9:45am-11:15am, and Friday mornings 8:45am-10:15am for classes who come weekly.  Click here to email questions about volunteering or training or to sign-up for a shift click here which allows scholars and staff to come as often as they can! Training options for volunteers are: in-person group Oct 11, sign-up when another volunteer is there, or **email** to ask for a training session with Mrs. Khaleeli at 2:30pm M-F! Cafeteria - Help is needed most right now on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, if you can come any of those days for part of or the full lunch period, come on down! See you at lunch!!! K-1st: 11:04am-11:34am 2-4: 11:45am-12:16pm 7-8: 12:38pm-1:08pm 5-6: 12:53pm-1:23pm For a Cafeteria Volunteer Guideline Sheet, questions, or if you want in-person training, e-mail the Volunteer Committee Coming soon... Fall Field Trips - Volunteers will be selected by lottery. Volunteers must have completed FCPS Registration and Training before the trip! Register to be a FCPS Volunteer. Complete FCPS Volunteer Training (24 minutes) Oct 9 - STEAM Night → Donations! Oct 10 - Cafeteria and Library Volunteer Training Oct 13 - Staff Meal provided during Parent/Teacher Conferences → Help and Donations! Oct 24 - Trunk and Treat Volunteers and donations due 10/20 (other donations, 44 items for a whole grade, **labeled for Trunk/Treat and grade if applicable** your scholar can give to their teacher or you may drop off anytime in the Front Office!)   Advocacy Corner MAPCS Funding Formula Advocacy Dear FCCS Community, As part of MAPCS's advocacy efforts with FCCS Inc. around the Maryland Charter School Funding Formula, Phase 1 of the campaign begins Sept. 29th and will run until mid-October. Phase 1 (Sept. 29 – mid-Oct.) Once I receive the plug-and-play packets for parents and families, they will be distributed so that you have resources to participate. Social media posts you can share An email campaign (hosted on the MAPCS website) directed to MSBE, MSDE, and the General Assembly Talking points and conversation language to support outreach There will be a public work group meeting on Oct. 30, 2025, 1–2:30 pm (virtual, with a possible in-person component). Once the details are received, they will be shared with the community. In the meantime, you may also sign up on the MAPCS website to stay informed. Phase 2 (Nov./Dec.) Will coincide with the 30-day public comment period of the Maryland Register and/or an AELR hearing. Families and schools will again receive plug-and-play packets and messaging, based on the materials shared at the Oct. 30 meeting. I will share the campaign packets as soon as I receive them. Thank you in advance for helping amplify this important advocacy effort. Regards, Debbie Nnameka President, Board of Trustees     Frederick Classical Charter Elementary & Middle School Hearing and Vision Screening will take place on October 6 & 7, 2025  for all students in kindergarten, (if not screened in pre-kindergarten), 1st grade, 8th grade and new enterers to the Maryland public school system over the past year.  Maryland State Law mandates this screening. Parents/guardians who have an objection to this screening based on their church or religion practices must submit a request for their child to be exempt from screening. All written requests must be submitted to the health room by October 2, 2025. Please make sure if your child wears glasses or contacts that they have them on the screening days. If you have any questions, please contact the health room at 227-203-3849.   Counselor's Corner Join my Counselor’s Corner group on Schoology for all updates from the counseling department.  Use the following steps: Login to Schoology. On the homepage, click on Groups at the top of the page. Click on My Groups to the right of the page. Click on the blue Join Group button on the right of the page. Enter the following access code when prompted: KJVJ-5M6F-6SX2V 8th grade scholars and families:  Please remember to join my 8th Grade Grad Schoology group using the Counselor’s Corner steps about, but use this access code instead:  W9F5-3NDR-KTSN5 Xello Mr. St. Paul will be working with 7th and 8th grade students in Xello through September and October, pending availability.   Some of the things they will working on are as follows: Logging on and familiarizing students with Xello. Matchmaker (All) - matches students' interests directly to careers, allowing students to see why a career is a good match for their interests or not. Skills (8th) - In this lesson, students will explore the skills required to perform various activities, as well as the link between their skills and career goals. Biases and Career Choices (7th)- In this lesson, students will identify biases of gender, ethnicity, ability, and class in the workplace and explore how biases can influence career choices. IB at Urbana Students and families interested in the International Baccalaureate Program at Urbana High School are invited to attend an information session on Wednesday, September 24th at 6:00 pm in the Urbana High Auditorium (3471 Campus Drive, Ijamsville). At this meeting, we will share information about the program- prerequisites, courses, and requirements for earning the IB Diploma- and the application process.  A second meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 8th at 6:00 pm at the same location for families unable to attend the first meeting.  The application packet will be made available on the UHS website starting September 24th. All application materials, including transcripts and teacher recommendations, must be received by the UHS IB Office no later than 2:30 pm on Dec 5th, 2025. Decision letters will be sent in early January. Families with questions are welcome to reach out to the UHS IB Office: uhsibprogram@fcps.org. The Academy of the Fine Arts The Academy for the Fine Arts will be holding its Open House on Thursday October 23rd from 6:30-8:00pm.  This is the same evening as the CTC Open House so hopefully students that are interested in both can see both programs on the same evening.      Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* You are being sent this email because you are a subscriber. If you wish to update your Email Preferences or Unsubscribe, click *{{Unsubscribe}}*