With the new school year fast approaching, staff around Fountain Hills Unified School District (FHUSD) are preparing their classrooms and buildings to welcome families next week.

Each school site will host “Falcon Fest” on Tuesday, Aug. 1. Students will meet their teachers, walk the campus, get their picture taken and learn about school clubs and activities, as well as local vendors, such as the Boys & Girls Club and Mathnasium.

Every school has seen some change this summer, and site administrators have sent out information in “Falcon Focus” newsletters to address the changes. Administrators will answer questions during Falcon Fest, and they will continue to keep parents/guardians up to date via email throughout the year.

The following is a breakdown of important dates and times for students planning to attend FHUSD schools. Don’t forget that the first day of school is Thursday, Aug. 3.

Little Falcons Preschool

Falcon Fest will occur from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1. Parents and students are invited to see the newly converted preschool building and parents can fill out paperwork while children interact with teachers and future classmates.

There will be a preschool playdate Friday, July 28, from 9 to 10 a.m., where students and families can meet before the school year begins. Parents are also encouraged to attend “Back to School Night,” from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24. The staff will share important information about preschool curriculum and daily activities.

Little Falcons Preschool exists in the kindergarten wing of the old McDowell Mountain Elementary School at 14825 N. Fayette Dr. Contact Leah Gleason, director of Early Learning, for more information at 480-664-5100.

MMES

Principal Kevin Wilkinson said he is excited to show families the new elementary school campus. Falcon Fest will be from 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1, and the school has moved to the campus at 15414 N. McDowell Mountain Road.

Class schedules will be available on PowerSchool on Friday, July 28, and hard copies will be available at the Falcon Fest. Students will be released at 2 p.m. instead of 2:20 p.m. on Early Release Wednesdays this year, but staff will supervise students until 2:30 p.m. to accommodate for the change.

McDowell Mountain hired a childcare specialist to lead a free before-school program this year from 7 to 8 a.m. The specialist will lead students in arts and crafts, and other structured activities, and then the playgrounds will open during student drop-off from 8 to 8:45 a.m.

Wilkinson requests that parents fill out a Google form in advance, so staff knows how many students to expect in before-school care. The form can be found online at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdnJ-2P1oXYMDI00uvG3NcRRD2a2LgshWyTBezMeI9tsUOOw/viewform.

Several consolidation projects will not be completely finished by the first day of school, but staff is taking steps to ensure that no instructional time is lost.

FHMS

Fountain Hills Middle School is located within its own buildings on the Fountain Hills High School campus. Falcon Fest will be Tuesday, Aug. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the cafeteria located in Building I.

There will be a new student orientation for brand new FHUSD students before Falcon Fest at 9 a.m. located in the Lecture Hall in Building C.

Administrators are finalizing a plan for high schoolers to drop off their siblings in a safe and efficient manner. Car riders are to be dropped off/picked up at the pull-through lane located on Golden Eagle Blvd., and bus riders will be dropped off at the south gate bus lane located off Palisades Boulevard.

Students will be dismissed at 1:15 p.m. instead of 2:10 p.m. on early release Wednesdays this year. Staff will provide supervision to support families with the change, and students will be able to work on homework, read library books or use the virtual reality lab if they cannot be picked up at the new release time.

FHHS

The high school will pilot a trimester schedule and senior internship requirement this year. Falcon Fest will be staggered for each grade, so parents and students have ample time to ask questions, meet teachers, get parking passes, check out Chromebooks and more.

Students should first report to the auxiliary gym during designated times and they can meet their teachers in classrooms. Freshmen are invited to drop by from 8 to 10 a.m., and sophomores are scheduled for 10 a.m. until 12 noon. Juniors report from noon until 2 p.m., and seniors are welcomed from 2 to 4 p.m.

Early release dismissals will be at 1:20 p.m. on Wednesdays, the same as it was last year. This was kept so seniors will have time to work on their internships on Wednesdays.

There will be a job fair hosted in partnership with the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce later in August. Seniors will be able to speak with business owners and find local opportunities to pursue an internship/employment.

Useful links

To access the bus route and transportation schedule, go to fountainhillsschools.org and click on “Transportation” under “Departments.” The District Calander is available under the “About” tab on the district website.