Issue 07. October 3, 2025 |
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Greetings FCCS Community, |
October is here, and that means conferences. On Monday, conference sign ups will be distributed to families via school messenger, so check your email. They will take place from Oct. 13-15th, with the 13th and 14th being 4-hour late arrivals and the 15th being a 3.5-hour early dismissal. Please make arrangements to drop off and pick up your scholars on time.
Speaking of pick up and drop off, two things! First, we have had a number of scholars being picked up very late these past few weeks. The school day ends at 3:45, our staff’s day also contractually ends at 3:45. It is true that many staff volunteer their time to do clubs, it is their choice. Please show our staff love and consistently get your scholar on time. We do understand that “life happens,” and you can’t make it; let’s make that the exception and not the rule.
Second, we are still having some unsafe behavior during our car line. Please do not try to pass on the side during carline. Due to carseats some scholars exit on the driver side (we recommend having scholars exit from the passenger side). We have had near misses with accidents. We know families want to get in and out as soon as possible, but an accident could do more than just take additional time.
Have a wonderful weekend! |
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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.
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| 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.
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| 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! |
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Say Cheese! Picture Day is October 30 |
October 30
Get ready for Picture Day at Frederick Classical Charter School! This is a wonderful opportunity to capture your scholar’s smile and create lasting memories. Individual photos will be taken for yearbook use and family purchase. To order, visit www.classic-photo.com |
- Click Schools, then Pre-Order Now
- Online Code: 25fredclass26
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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.
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| Complete the Media & Photo Release Form |
To help us celebrate and share the wonderful moments happening at Frederick Classical Charter School, we ask all parents to complete our Media & Photo Release Form. Please provide your scholar’s full name, grade level, and a current photo, then review and sign the consent section regarding the use of your child’s photo or video for school-related purposes. Completing this form ensures we have accurate records and clear permissions, so we can highlight student achievements, events, and activities while keeping families informed and connected. Thank you for supporting our school community!
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Please mark your calendars to stay up to date with FCCS community dates and events. |
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| Oct. 6: BOT Monthly Meeting, 7-9 p.m., virtual Oct. 9: STEAM Night, 5-7 p.m. 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 20: Red Ribbon Week Oct 24: Trunk or Treat
Oct 24: Middle School Costume Dance Oct 28: School Closed Oct 30: Fall Picture Day Oct 31: FCCS 2-hour early dismissal |
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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: |
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Appointment of Mr. Balch, parliamentarian, as Presiding Officer
- Nominating Committee: Call for Members
- Advocacy Committee: Call for Chair and members
- Uniform Policy– Addition of Skorts (Discussion & vote)
- Consent Agenda (Discussion & Vote)
- Governance Committee (Discussion & Vote)
- Owner's Rep (BOT vote)
- FCCS’ Future Facility (Discussion)
- Message to the community.
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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.
Please look for more information in an upcoming Griffin Gazette and announcement. Thank you for your continued support! |
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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. |
| 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! |
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School Improvement Process Team Corner |
Join Our School Improvement Process Team SY25-26
We are excited to invite parents and grandparents from our community to participate in this year's School Improvement Process Team (S.I.P.). This team plays an integral role in strengthening our school's instructional program, ensuring that our curriculum remains rooted in classical pedagogy while also meeting state educational standards. What We're Looking For
We are seeking five community members (parents and grandparents) to serve on the team for the 2025-2026 school year. Meeting Schedule All meetings will be held from 3:45 PM to 4:45 PM on the following dates: | - October 20th
- November 10th
- January 12th
- February 9th
- March 9th
- April 20th
- May 11th
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How to Participate
If you are interested in serving on the S.I.P. team, or if you know someone from our community who would be a strong addition, please contact the BOT president at president@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org by end of day, October 10th.
We aim to finalize our team roster by October 16th to ensure we can begin our important work together this month. Your insight and support will help us continue to build a strong educational foundation for our students. Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a meaningful difference in our school community.
For questions or to express your interest, please contact president@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org |
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Dear Parents and Families,
The FCCS Library has now had most classes stop by. Each elementary student has received bags to store their library books.The following is the Library schedule if you would like to Volunteer in the Library: |
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Monday (bi-weekly) - 3rd Grade (both homerooms) 9am - 10am
- Tuesday - 1st grade (Ms. Geisler) 9am
- Wednesday - 1st grade (Ms. Ball) 9am
- Thursday (bi-weekly) - 4th grade (both homerooms) 10am-11am
- Thursday (bi-weekly) - 2nd grade 2.15pm
- Friday - Kindergarten (both) 9am-10.00am
- Next Library Training session will be on October 10th at 8.0am
- To Volunteer please use this link
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Please remind your scholars of the following rules below. |
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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 |
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Do you enjoy hosting parties? Does it spark joy to bring people together to celebrate? We would love to hear from you and invite you to a team of party planners for FCCS! If you would like to learn more, or want to volunteer, email the Social and/or Volunteer Coordinators!
Popcorn Party Update Thank you to ALL the families and friends who have completed the annual registration and training to be FCPS volunteers for our school!!!! And thank you for exemplifying the virtue of patience while the team here at FCCS is working hard to get the results! We will share the winning grades from K-4 and 5-8 SOON!!!! We have such an awesome community here at FCCS. Go Griffins!!!! **REMEMBER** Please record your family's volunteer hours (FCCS goal is 15 Hours per family) to be submitted for special recognition with your scholar(s) later this year! |
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Library - Help is needed for class visits on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8:20am-9:45am and Thursdays 9:45am-11:15am. Click here for questions about volunteering or training or to sign-up for a shift click here! Training options for volunteers include in-person group (Friday 10/10), signing-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 every day, and the more the merrier! But most help is needed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, if you can come for part or the full lunch time, come on down! |
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K-1st: 11:04am-11:34am
- 2-4: 11:45am-12:16pm
- 7-8: 12:38pm-1:08pm
- 5-6: 12:53pm-1:23pm
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For a Cafeteria Volunteer Guideline Sheet, questions, or if you want in-person training, e-mail the Volunteer Committee See you at lunch!!! Coming soon... |
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MAPCS Funding Formula Advocacy – Phase 1 Begins Sept. 29 |
Dear FCCS Community, A new proposed regulation from the Maryland State Department of Education could significantly harm public charter schools across the state—including FCCS. The regulation would raise the administrative fee from 2% to 5% and allow districts to make broad, districtwide deductions—like special education overages—that unfairly reduce the per-pupil funding charter schools receive.
Please see a message from our partners at the Maryland Alliance of Public Charter Schools (MAPCS): Maryland's public charter schools are facing a serious funding crisis—and we need your voice to help prevent school closures, program cuts, and the permanent loss of high-quality options for families across our state.
Under a new funding formula and proposed regulations, many charter schools are at risk of losing up to 25% of their funding. That's on top of already tight budgets, facility costs that traditional schools don't face, and years of navigating pandemic recovery. And now, some of the highest-performing charter schools in Maryland could be forced to shut their doors.
This crisis isn't about politics—it's about protecting great public schools that are working for thousands of Maryland families. |
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Regards, Debbie Nnameka
President, Board of Trustees |
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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.
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Join my Counselor’s Corner group on Schoology for all updates from the counseling department. Use the following steps: |
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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
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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 |
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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.
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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 |
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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. |
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