Fellowship Families,

National School Choice Week is wrapping up. School Choice is gaining momentum all over the country as families seek schools that align with their beliefs and values and provide an environment that builds leadership, scholarship, and citizenship. This year Texas came the closest we have come to passing school choice legislation, but in the end, our legislators fell short. If this is a topic that interests you, you may enjoy reading the Washington Flyer, a publication of the American Association of Christian Schools, which is one of our partner organizations. CLICK HERE to read the Washington Flyer's school choice report. 

Another of our partner organizations, the Association of Christian Schools International, has recently announced the formation of its department of Biblical Unity, Diversity, and Social Engagement. I personally am so delighted to see ACSI embrace our role as Christian educators in building unity in our communities and culture. The ACSI department is based on biblical principles, including God's love for unity among His people and His desire to see us engage society with His love and the truth of His word. As Christians, we have a responsibility to share what we know. As a school, we hope to equip or students to be the leaders that our communities, country, and world need. February is our Celebration of Cultures month, when we celebrate the many and various cultures and ethnicities that have come together to form the United States of America. Our students enjoyed this last year, and our hope is that our students will grow in their love and appreciation of one another. 

Thank you for choosing a Christian education for your child!

Dr. Marilyn Dardenne

Head of School

UPDATES FROM ADMINISTRATION

Wednesday, February 14

February 14 will not be a WOW Wednesday shirt-required day. To celebrate Valentine's Day, students can wear Valentine's clothing or colors.

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Update to Fever Policy

To be in alignment with the Texas Department of State Health Services guidelines, Fellowship Academy has updated a portion of our Health Services and First Aid policy:

If a child presents symptoms of illness, he/she will be removed from the classroom and the family will be contacted to pick him/her up. If your child will be absent from school, please notify the school by 9:00 AM. We welcome your child to our program if he/she is free of the following symptoms: 

Fever: 100 degrees or over. The child must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication, before returning to the classroom.

The Family Handbook has been updated to reflect the change, which is effective immediately.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS FROM ADMINISTRATION

FIRE LANES

There is NO PARKING along any of the red curbs, which are FIRE LANES. By law, curbs painted red are zoned No Parking At Any Time. The fire lanes need to be kept clear for car line; in an emergency situation the lanes must be clear for emergency vehicles to get through. Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep our campus and students safe.

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2024-2025 CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT

Review Tuition & Fees Information

January 2024

** Tuition Schedule sent via email on January 10 **

Opt Out Period

January 15 - January 31, 2024

** Opt Out Forms were sent via email on January 15 **

Registration Fees Billed

February 1, 2024

Apply for Personalized Tuition

Beginning February 1, 2024

Please contact Nora Brown at [email protected] if you did not receive the email or have any questions.

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MID-YEAR SURVEY

As we plan for the next school year, we like to evaluate our progress as a school and get your input as we make decisions. We are developing and evaluating programs, curriculum, and best practices for moving our school forward. We value your input on the progress we are making and in helping to inform our decision-making.

If you have not already done so, please take a few moments to complete and submit this survey no later than Friday, February 2, 2024.

** Each family that replies to the survey will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Chick-Fil-A Gift Certificate!**

January 15 - 31

2024-2025 Enrollment Opt-Out Period

January 22 - February 7

Cereal Bowl Challenge

January 29

FCA Meeting

January 29

Val-O-Gram Sales Begin

January 30

Spirit Night @ Cici's Pizza

February 2

Individual Picture Day

February 5

100th Day of School

February 9

Mustang Merit Awards Presentation

THANK YOU to our students, Pony Xpress Cheer and fans that attended our high school basketball games bringing stuffed animals to toss out on the court! Everyone had a great time while blessing Cooks Children’s Hospital!!

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Our school garden made it through the freeze!

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From Roblox to TikTok, technology is changing fast, and many of us are struggling to stay one step ahead of our kids. Family Tech Talk is excited to offer an expert Zoom presentation and Q&A about how to help your children stay safe online. This engaging presentation will cover: 

• What kids are doing online, from popular apps to online gaming 
• Tips for managing screen time 
• Best practices to help kids be safe, savvy, and kind online 
• Ways to manage a child’s devices, including app settings for age-appropriate content, and more 
• Plus, ask your own questions during a live Q&A chat! 

Join other parents for this free Zoom event: 

Tuesday, February 6

7:00 pm

Zoom Link:

https://trendmicro.zoom.us/j/99543520399?pwd=N2lxbTQxV0luVGI3YU54SnptZ1hlUT09

Be sure to sign in when prompted to be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card from Trend Micro! Contest Rules: https://bit.ly/3rUpUvE

Mr. Chaney ~ February 1

Mrs. Houston ~ February 18

Mrs. Barth ~ February 19

Mr. Conroy ~ February 20

Mrs. Keene ~ February 20

Mrs. Froese ~ February 23

PRAYER TIME

MONDAYS

8:15 to 9:15 am

FA Conference Room

Please contact Patty Campbell at [email protected]

if you would like to participate or have a prayer request.

2023-2024 Staff Favorites Lists

Our faculty & staff completed a questionnaire listing all of their favorite things. Check out the lists below if you would like to gift your teacher or a staff member with a special treat!

2023-2024 Dress Code

Important Updates for 2023-2024:

• Crocs are no longer allowed, even in “sports mode” (back strap around the ankle) because of the number of injuries our students incurred wearing crocs.

• Jeans with rips and holes may now be worn on Fridays only as part of our Sweatin’ for the Arts fundraiser. Crocs also may be worn as part of this Friday fundraiser because there are no PE classes on Fridays.

• Girls in 5th - 12th grade may NOT wear leggings.

• Shorts (for boys and girls), skirts, and dresses should be no more than 3 inches above the knee.

• All students will wear their WOW Wednesday polo shirts each week.

• For field trips, students will either wear their WOW Wednesday polo shirt or a designated FA t-shirt.

Click the link below to download the COMPLETE DRESS CODE.

ILLNESS POLICY REGARDING FEVER

Please remember that a student must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication before returning to the classroom. Therefore, a student sent home from school with a fever may NOT return to the classroom the next school day. Please contact Nurse Brown at [email protected] if you have any questions.

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2023-2024 COVID POLICY

• Students/Staff that test positive for COVID-19 must stay home for 5 days from the date of the positive Covid test.

• Students/Staff may return to school after 5 days and are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).

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SPEED LIMIT / PARKING LOT / CAR LINE POLICY

The safety and security of our students and staff is imperative. Please help us keep our car line times safe and running smoothly by following these guidelines:

• Our driveway is ONE WAY from drop off in the morning until pick up in the afternoon. It is imperative that this one-way traffic pattern be followed to keep all of our children safe.

• The entire driveway and parking lots are CELL PHONE FREE zones during morning and afternoon car line. Please do not use cell phones during these times.

• The speed limit in the driveway and parking lots is 5 mph at ALL times.

• Students may NOT be dropped off anywhere in the driveway or parking lots. Students must be dropped off at the designated drop off doors.

• We have designated parking for visitors (past the front doors on the secondary side of the building). Please do NOT park in the upper parking lot (designated for our student drivers) or the lot in front of the gym (designated for staff). Painted parking spots have been paid for by families of senior students and may only be used by that student.

• Dismissal time on Fridays is 1:00 pm for all students. If a student needs to be picked up prior to 1:00 pm, the school office must be notified in advance via phone call or email.

2023-2024 Handbook Highlights

Administration has listed the changes that have been updated in the 2023-2024 Family Handbook.

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2023-2024 Family Handbook

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2023-2024 Arrival / Dismissal Map & Schedule

2023-2024 Lunch Program



For more information regarding the optional Lunch Program through Ordo, please contact Malisha Crump at [email protected].

SCHOOL CALENDARS

The official school calendar is located in the Family Portal.

The calendar can be added to your personal calendar program by using the ical feed generated in the Family Portal.

Steps to Download iCal Feed:

• Go to factsmgt.com
• Click "Family Login" (our District Code is FAK-TX)
• Log in using your username and password
• On the menu (to the left), click on "Calendar"
• Click the "Subscribe" button (on the upper right on the calendar); choose "School"; you can also click "Classroom" to see events from the classroom calendars.
• Copy the url; use this url in your personal calendar program to set up a calendar that will sync with the school calendar.

Please note that changes to the FACTS calendar can take up to 12 hours to sync to personal calendars.

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The Year at a Glance calendar can be downloaded and printed.

FA RANK ONE WEBSITE

All of our Athletics forms are now located on the FA Rank One Website. There are links to the Athletics Student Handbook, TAPPS Medical History Form and more in the Quick Links section.

VOLUNTEER POLICY

Fellowship Academy has a responsibility to the well-being of our students and has implemented a program to enhance their safety. This program consists of two components, a background check and Ministry Safe – a complete safety system designed to reduce the risk of sexual abuse.

Any person volunteering/working on the Fellowship Academy campus, at an event, sporting event (i.e. gate, concessions, etc.), substitute teaching, room helper, field trip driver or chaperoning a Fellowship Academy sponsored field trip, must complete both components to be eligible to volunteer or chaperone.

• The fee for a background check and Ministry Safe is $30.

• Background checks are renewable every three years for a fee of $25; Ministry Safe training is renewable every two years for a fee of $10.

Ministry Safe training is an online course which takes approximately one hour to complete (it does not have to be completed in one sitting). Your preferred email address MUST be provided to Fellowship Academy in order to initiate the Ministry Safe training process. Before the links to complete a background check or Ministry Safe Training can be sent, you must complete the request form (see link below).

Parents who do not have a current background check AND have completed the Ministry Safe Training will not be allowed to attend field trips. Please contact Laura Dossett at [email protected] to check the status of your background check and/or Ministry Safe Training.

FA PARENT GROUPS ~ HOW TO CONNECT

There are many opportunities to help with Staff Appreciation, concessions, finance, reception, fundraising, media relations, library, music & fine arts, prayer teams, athletics, All Pro Dad and more! We have a place for everyone! If you don't see an opportunity that fits you or your skill set, please contact our Advancement Team at [email protected]. Who knows...you may be the perfect person to start another opportunity for our volunteers.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact one of our parent organizations:

ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB

Cyd Miller ~ President

Contact: [email protected]

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FELLOWSHIP ACADEMY PTF

Andy Carroll ~ Facilitator

Contact: [email protected]

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PARENT PRAYER GROUP

  Patty Campbell ~ Prayer Group Leader

Contact: [email protected]

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ALL PRO DAD

 Andy Carroll ~ Group Leader

Contact: [email protected]

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FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

  Valerie McMahan ~ Librarian

Contact: [email protected]

GIVE WHILE YOU SHOP!

Support the following retailers as an additional way to give to Fellowship Academy! We are registered with the following retailers:

Use your Kroger Plus Card each time you shop and Kroger will donate to Fellowship Academy through the Community Rewards Program. You must link your Kroger Plus Card to Fellowship Academy:

• If you do not have a Kroger Plus Card, you may obtain a Kroger Plus Card free of charge at any Kroger store
• Register your account online at www.kroger.com; under the Kroger Community Rewards tab, search using Organization number LQ788 or Fellowship Academy
• If you do not have an online account with Kroger, choose "Create Account" and create your account using your Kroger Plus Customer Number
• Your account will remain linked to Fellowship Academy until you choose to change it

Shop at Office Depot and Office Max to earn 5% back in credits for Fellowship Academy!

Simply make a purchase of qualifying school supplies* at Office Max or Office Depot, provide our ID at checkout (in store and online) and Fellowship Academy will receive 5% back in credits for FREE supplies for our school! It's a small act that can make a huge difference.

School ID: 70122894

How it Works:

Complete your online purchase and enter our ID number on the Thank You Confirmation page. Shopping in store? When you check out, simply provide our school’s name or ID to the associate.

* CLICK HERE to download list of qualifying school supplies.

Fellowship Academy has partnered with Ready-Set-Start School Supplies as an option for parents who wish to order school supplies online.

• Ready-Set-Start gives 5% Cash back from all orders to Fellowship Academy
• Parents have customized ordering - purchase ONLY what you need
• Supplies are delivered directly to parent’s homes
• There is no minimum amount to order
• Supplies can be ordered year-round

Click the link below to begin! Simply type in the school zip code (76060), select Fellowship Academy and select the list you wish to view. Check the "Comments" section on your class list for any items that may not be available through Ready, Set, Start.

PLEASE NOTE: MANY ORDERS WILL ARRIVE THE DAY FOLLOWING THE ORDER & THE LISTS WILL REMAIN ONLINE THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR...IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO ORDER ONLINE!