The Monthly Howl

The start of the 21-22 school year is right around the corner and the TFES team is SO excited for the start of another year. The TFES team would like to welcome all of our new families to Three Forks Schools and to the community of Three Forks. We are excited to see all the new faces and we hope to make this a great school year for your children. Please feel free to call or stop by the office if you have any questions. We are here to help! Also, welcome back to all returning TFES students. We can’t wait to catch up and share stories of summer. Three Forks Schools makes a commitment to keep parents and community members informed. Please check out our District Facebook page and/or our school website (tfschools.com). 

Kindergarten Update

Three Forks Elementary is gearing up for the 2021-2022 school year. One of the most exciting things about this preparation is welcoming the new crew of kindergarten students. The start of the year is a little different for kindergarten students, here are some important dates to remember.  

Kindergarten Screening- Screening will take place on August 25-27 from 9 a.m. to noon. If you have signed your child up for screening you will be called and assigned a screening date. If you have not signed your child up, please call the elementary office. 

Kindergarten Orientation- After screening is complete, the K team will call families to set up individual orientation times. Orientation will take place on August 30-31. Orientation provides an excellent opportunity for your family to come in and meet your child’s teacher and learn more about the important procedures and routines of kindergarten.

(With orientation on the 30-31, the August 24th open house does not include kindergarten families.)

First Day of School- Kindergarten kicks off on September 1st. We do start the year with full day kindergarten, 8:15-3:30. 

TFS Campus Building Project Update

It has been a busy summer around the Three Forks School campus with construction on a steady pace. The new parking lot is nearing completion as well as the new parent drop off area for the elementary school. Progress continues on the new builds to the north of the existing building. 

If you are interested in learning more about the design proposals and/or the project in general please access the following link which can be found on the Three Forks School website. As updates arise in the project they will be shared during Board Meetings, the District Facebook page, as well as the District website.

Important Construction News and Notes

As excited as we are about the current building project, we will definitely feel the impacts on our day to day operations. Here are some specific items to be aware of as we start the year:

Building Access- With construction taking place to the north of the existing campus, TFES will not have access to the NW or NE doors. Students and visitors will have to enter the school using either the elementary main entrance or the ESE door. 

Campus Traffic- As the year starts Oak Street will be open for traffic. We are encouraging parents to use the Oak Street to 4th Avenue corridor for student pick up and drop off. This area will be congested so please be cautious and drive safely.

Parking- Parking will be limited for both staff and visitors. Parents are encouraged to park on 4th Avenue and in appropriate spots on East Neal. We do expect more parking to take place around the adjacent neighborhood. 

Playground- We will be using the football field and track as our playground area. Students are not to be in these areas before or after school.   

Morning Routine- With no playground available before school, adjustments will be made to building access in the morning. Doors will not open for elementary students until 8:10. When doors do open students will go directly to their classrooms. Students that do ride the bus in the morning will be allowed entry prior to 8:10 but will be allowed in the cafeteria only. Breakfast will once again be a grab and go option for K-5 students, with service taking place in the classroom.

-From the Desk of Mr. Fanning: Every child deserves a champion!

Along a narrow staircase that leads onto the Notre Dame football field hangs one of the most iconic signs in sports. Upon the request of Hall of Fame football coach Lou Holtz, the sign “Play like a champion today” was hung, and remains still today. Three Forks Elementary School is definitely not Notre Dame, and our teachers don’t run out of the locker room each day to teach kids (although that is a pretty cool idea). But, hanging above the door as you exit the elementary lounge hangs a sign very similar. This sign reads “Teach like a champion today”. Although very similar to the Notre Dame icon, this sign was not inspired by coach Lou Holtz, rather a woman who devoted her life to education, Rita Pierson. Anyone in education has probably seen Rita’s TedTalk video titled, “Every child deserves a champion”. In this video Rita emphasizes the importance of relationships and the impact a caring adult can have in the lives of children. Rita concludes her speech with these few lines:

   Every child deserves a champion.

   An adult that will never give up on them,

   who understands the power of connection,

   and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.

Now, more than ever, we need champions. We need champions in our households that will never give up on their children. We need champions in our local community that will understand the power and value of human connection. And we need champions for our youth that will insist on them becoming the best that they can possibly be. As we embark on a new school year together I will share these same sentiments with the teaching staff of Three Forks Elementary School. Each and every day we will come to work and be that champion for our students. This responsibility does not fall solely on the backs of teachers and coaches. It is a shared responsibility between school and home. This African proverb says it best, “It takes a village to raise a child”. Let’s all do our part, BE A CHAMPION!!