Every day, City Schools' students show up ready to learn, dream, and grow. This Giving Tuesday, we’re inviting you to stand beside them and fuel the future. Learn more about the ways you can give, both monetarily and through gifts of time: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/article/2575178
Every day, City Schools' students show up ready to learn, dream, and grow. This Giving Tuesday, we’re inviting you to stand beside them and fuel the future. Learn more about the ways you can give, both monetarily and through gifts of time: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/article/2575178
As winter weather approaches, get your updates from City Schools’ verified sources only: our website, official social media, and robocalls. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and search engines often provide inaccurate information. Always confirm details through official City Schools channels. Learn more: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/page/inclement-weather
When winter weather hits, depend on City Schools’ verified channels for accurate updates—our websites, official social media, and direct robocalls, text messages, or emails. Information from Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, Google summaries, or other search engines may be incorrect. Always check official City Schools sources first. More information: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/page/inclement-weather
Hi FSK Families!
In the season of gratitude, we are asking help from our community to show appreciation for our FSK Staff!
Please complete the google form below to show appreciation for any staff member. You are welcome to fill out as many forms as you like!
Apologies for the quick turnaround but please complete the form no later than Sunday November 23rd at 12pm!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV8aomMRb16xObs4IkOJYeP8rYBqTEEOKGlFrS-kF0JyLUGg/viewform?usp=dialog
In the season of gratitude, we are asking help from our community to show appreciation for our FSK Staff!
Please complete the google form below to show appreciation for any staff member. You are welcome to fill out as many forms as you like!
Apologies for the quick turnaround but please complete the form no later than Sunday November 23rd at 12pm!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV8aomMRb16xObs4IkOJYeP8rYBqTEEOKGlFrS-kF0JyLUGg/viewform?usp=dialog
Good Morning FSK
FSK will be hosting a **Food Giveaway tomorrow, November 20th, from 4:30–6:00 PM**. All FSK families are welcome to stop by and pick up groceries for the upcoming holiday.
To participate, please **sign up using the link below** and remember to **bring your own bags**:
Sign-Up Form: [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf47wbREDNtDyu8pghy7DrJrtOPlkL1jpZ0UWjNiCGJs7OBdA/viewform](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf47wbREDNtDyu8pghy7DrJrtOPlkL1jpZ0UWjNiCGJs7OBdA/viewform)
We hope to see you there!
Good Morning FSK! This is a friendly reminder that we will hold our Community Budget Priority Engagement Session to discuss priorities for next school year this evening from 6-7PM, followed by the FSK PTO's General Monthly Meeting from 7-8pm. The meetings will be held in the library.
We hope to see you there!
We hope to see you there!
During the federal government shutdown, City Schools is committed to supporting our students, families, staff, and school communities. Here are some key resources from our school district, as well as the City, State, and national organizations on our families webpage: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/page/families
Halloween Reminders!
Friday, October 31, marks Halloween, and it’s also a 1 PM early release day! Students from all grade levels are encouraged to wear their costumes to school in celebration of this spooky holiday! Please ensure that your child's costume adheres to the following guidelines:
Complies with the BCPSS dress code policy
No face coverings or masks allowed - face paint is allowed!
No weapons permitted - this includes anything that could potentially be used as a weapon!
For any inquiries about grade-level celebrations, please contact your child’s teacher directly!
If you have questions, please reach out to a member of the admin team!
Friday, October 31, marks Halloween, and it’s also a 1 PM early release day! Students from all grade levels are encouraged to wear their costumes to school in celebration of this spooky holiday! Please ensure that your child's costume adheres to the following guidelines:
Complies with the BCPSS dress code policy
No face coverings or masks allowed - face paint is allowed!
No weapons permitted - this includes anything that could potentially be used as a weapon!
For any inquiries about grade-level celebrations, please contact your child’s teacher directly!
If you have questions, please reach out to a member of the admin team!
Watch now: “City Forever” | A 15-minute documentary by the Student Media Team. This film details Baltimore City College's temporary relocation to the University of Baltimore while the famous “Castle on the Hill” undergoes its first extensive renovation in 100 years. Learn more about this famous building and school's journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1soEQ9-21QU
Pumpkin Paint Party @ FSK!
10/30/25
RSVP using link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLU5N_hSF90Ap-4tBa2ryThdi2tb9HvGV1tDqBfC20GV7IVQ/viewform?pli=1
10/30/25
RSVP using link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLU5N_hSF90Ap-4tBa2ryThdi2tb9HvGV1tDqBfC20GV7IVQ/viewform?pli=1
Here at City Schools, your Choice is your pathway to possibilities. Our students can choose and apply to the middle or high school of their choice. Check our website for dates and times of school Open Houses and Shadow Days to make sure you're familiar with the educational options for your student: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/page/open-houses
Community Schools is proud to share that rental assistance is now available through the Community Schools Rental Assistance Program (CSRAP) — a partnership between United Way of Central Maryland and Baltimore City Public Schools.
This program helps families who may be behind on rent or facing housing instability get the support they need to stay safely housed.
Who can apply:
Baltimore City residents with school-aged children
Families experiencing financial hardship or at risk of eviction
How to apply:
Click the link below to complete the application and learn more about eligibility and required documents:
https://uwcm.org/csrap-baltcity/
If you have questions or need assistance completing your application, please reach out to Ms. Owens, Community School Coordinator! dmowens01@bcps.k12.md.us
Good afternoon FSK!
We want to share some important information about Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease and how we are handling confirmed cases at FSK
Here’s how our school manages confirmed cases of HFMD:
The school nurse or administration notifies impacted classrooms or grade-level families (while protecting privacy). In accordance with local health department guidelines, we monitor for clusters and consult public health when needed. Our custodial staff cleans and disinfects all classrooms and spaces where the student has been in.
A child or staff member with HFMD should stay home if they have a fever. They should remain home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever‑reducing medicine and/or if they have open blisters.
When fever-free for 24 hours, feeling well, and new blisters are not forming, the child or staff may return, even if some rash remains. We will continue enhanced cleaning and disinfection (especially high-touch surfaces, toys, shared materials) during and after a case. We reinforce hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and safe practices school‑wide.
If more CONFIRMED cases arise, we will alert the health department, inform families and staff of steps being taken, and encourage vigilance for checking for symptoms. Families should report suspected or confirmed HFMD to the school nurse promptly to obtain guidance.
FSK takes the health and safety of our community seriously. By working together, we can reduce the spread of HFMD and ensure that, when illness occurs, we respond in a thoughtful, evidence-based way. Please review the HFMD info sheets attached. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our school health office or nurse.
School Nurse: Dannia Alexander
Email: ddalexander@bcps.k12.md.us
Nurse Tech: Ms. Vanessa
Nurse line: 410-291-2534
Thank you for your cooperation and care. Have a great day, on purpose!
We want to share some important information about Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease and how we are handling confirmed cases at FSK
Here’s how our school manages confirmed cases of HFMD:
The school nurse or administration notifies impacted classrooms or grade-level families (while protecting privacy). In accordance with local health department guidelines, we monitor for clusters and consult public health when needed. Our custodial staff cleans and disinfects all classrooms and spaces where the student has been in.
A child or staff member with HFMD should stay home if they have a fever. They should remain home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever‑reducing medicine and/or if they have open blisters.
When fever-free for 24 hours, feeling well, and new blisters are not forming, the child or staff may return, even if some rash remains. We will continue enhanced cleaning and disinfection (especially high-touch surfaces, toys, shared materials) during and after a case. We reinforce hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and safe practices school‑wide.
If more CONFIRMED cases arise, we will alert the health department, inform families and staff of steps being taken, and encourage vigilance for checking for symptoms. Families should report suspected or confirmed HFMD to the school nurse promptly to obtain guidance.
FSK takes the health and safety of our community seriously. By working together, we can reduce the spread of HFMD and ensure that, when illness occurs, we respond in a thoughtful, evidence-based way. Please review the HFMD info sheets attached. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our school health office or nurse.
School Nurse: Dannia Alexander
Email: ddalexander@bcps.k12.md.us
Nurse Tech: Ms. Vanessa
Nurse line: 410-291-2534
Thank you for your cooperation and care. Have a great day, on purpose!
Good Morning FSK! I hope everyone is well today. This is a friendly reminder that today is an early release day. School dismisses at 1:00 PM today. Please ensure prompt pickup for your students at 1:00. ALU students will report to ALU at 1 PM.
Our main office telephones are down today. Please reach out to the school by email if you have issues or concerns. I have attached the External Point of Contact sheet to this email as a directory families can use to connect to staff.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are by appointment only and will begin at 1:30 PM. Teachers have communicated conference schedules. Please reach out to your student's teacher(s) if you have questions.
Our main office telephones are down today. Please reach out to the school by email if you have issues or concerns. I have attached the External Point of Contact sheet to this email as a directory families can use to connect to staff.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are by appointment only and will begin at 1:30 PM. Teachers have communicated conference schedules. Please reach out to your student's teacher(s) if you have questions.
Good Afternoon, FSK!
I thought I had posted this earlier in the school year, but I clearly made a mistake. If you have time to complete the Google form today, please do so!
The Baltimore Family Alliance is once again sponsoring students and families who may need support with buying gifts for their children during the holidays. Please note this program is NOT affiliated with any religious/faith-based organizations. If you are interested, or know of a family that could benefit from the support, please scan the QR code and complete the google form by tomorrow afternoon (October 15th). Please contact Ms. Russell if you need assistance or have questions: trussell@bcps.k12.md.us
I thought I had posted this earlier in the school year, but I clearly made a mistake. If you have time to complete the Google form today, please do so!
The Baltimore Family Alliance is once again sponsoring students and families who may need support with buying gifts for their children during the holidays. Please note this program is NOT affiliated with any religious/faith-based organizations. If you are interested, or know of a family that could benefit from the support, please scan the QR code and complete the google form by tomorrow afternoon (October 15th). Please contact Ms. Russell if you need assistance or have questions: trussell@bcps.k12.md.us
Good Afternoon FSK!!
Families in need of grocery support can receive free weekly groceries right here at
Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School.
Packs are given out every Thursday and can be picked up from the Main Lobby. Sign-up is required –you can scan the QR code on the flyer to complete the Google Form, which reserves your pack each week. or click the link here: Weekend Backpacks
Please email Ms. Owens (dmowens01@bcps.k12.md.us ) if you have any questions.
Happy Friday Eve, FSK!
We have had a fantastic start to our year. I want to thank all of you for helping us to grow and become a better school for our students, families, and community. Our students have been showing up and walking in our school's core values consistently, each and every day. While we understand that our children won't always make the best choices, it is our belief that working together as a community we can ensure that our students make the best choices on a consistent basis. With that being said, I'd like your assistance with the following issues we've seen over the past few weeks. Please forgive the lengthiness of the post--it is long, but necessary.
1. Playfighting: We have witnessed an uptick in the incidents of playfighting .Playfighting is dangerous. It often becomes aggressive, causing animosity between those involved and sometimes leading to actual fights. At FSK we treat playfighting as fighting, and we will dole out consequences for fighting as described in the Code of Conduct if students are caught participating in this behavior.
2. Bottom Smacking: We have also seen an increase of students smacking each other on the bottom. It's being reported that our young ladies are smacking young men on the bottom in a playful manner. This is NOT okay. When we've investigated these events, the offender will give the excuse of "...just playing" and "...he was laughing..." . These are not excuses and this behavior will also have consequences as outlined in the Code of Conduct. ALL of our students have agency over their bodies and we will not tolerate anyone violating that.
3. Shoe Game: Some of our students have been participating in this game at recess where they will steal and hide each other's shoes. The problem comes when those who hide the shoes can't remember where they hid them and students have to walk around shoeless while staff assists with locating shoes. A mild annoyance, yes, but it takes time away from the operations of the day.
4. SprayGround Tags: There is a very popular brand of bookbags many of our students carry called SprayGround. These bags are very expensive. They come tagged, and it's the tag that helps keep the value of the bag. The company, allegedly, has a promotion where if you turn in five tags you get a free bag. I'm unsure of the validity of this claim, but this is what students believe. There have been a few incidents of students taking the tags from other students for this purpose. This is not okay. Barring anything else, we want our students to respect each other's property, so no one should be touching anyone's belongings without explicit permission.
We are asking for parents and families to discuss these concerns with your students and reiterate expectations around these behaviors. We know kids will be kids, but it is important that they understand that it's best for them, and our entire community, when they make the right choices consistently.
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Take care, and have a great day on purpose!
We have had a fantastic start to our year. I want to thank all of you for helping us to grow and become a better school for our students, families, and community. Our students have been showing up and walking in our school's core values consistently, each and every day. While we understand that our children won't always make the best choices, it is our belief that working together as a community we can ensure that our students make the best choices on a consistent basis. With that being said, I'd like your assistance with the following issues we've seen over the past few weeks. Please forgive the lengthiness of the post--it is long, but necessary.
1. Playfighting: We have witnessed an uptick in the incidents of playfighting .Playfighting is dangerous. It often becomes aggressive, causing animosity between those involved and sometimes leading to actual fights. At FSK we treat playfighting as fighting, and we will dole out consequences for fighting as described in the Code of Conduct if students are caught participating in this behavior.
2. Bottom Smacking: We have also seen an increase of students smacking each other on the bottom. It's being reported that our young ladies are smacking young men on the bottom in a playful manner. This is NOT okay. When we've investigated these events, the offender will give the excuse of "...just playing" and "...he was laughing..." . These are not excuses and this behavior will also have consequences as outlined in the Code of Conduct. ALL of our students have agency over their bodies and we will not tolerate anyone violating that.
3. Shoe Game: Some of our students have been participating in this game at recess where they will steal and hide each other's shoes. The problem comes when those who hide the shoes can't remember where they hid them and students have to walk around shoeless while staff assists with locating shoes. A mild annoyance, yes, but it takes time away from the operations of the day.
4. SprayGround Tags: There is a very popular brand of bookbags many of our students carry called SprayGround. These bags are very expensive. They come tagged, and it's the tag that helps keep the value of the bag. The company, allegedly, has a promotion where if you turn in five tags you get a free bag. I'm unsure of the validity of this claim, but this is what students believe. There have been a few incidents of students taking the tags from other students for this purpose. This is not okay. Barring anything else, we want our students to respect each other's property, so no one should be touching anyone's belongings without explicit permission.
We are asking for parents and families to discuss these concerns with your students and reiterate expectations around these behaviors. We know kids will be kids, but it is important that they understand that it's best for them, and our entire community, when they make the right choices consistently.
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Take care, and have a great day on purpose!
The City Schools Cell Phone Policy is off to a strong start! Classrooms are calmer, students are more focused, and learning time is protected. With continued support from families and staff, this progress will only grow. Learn how students and families are participating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGg3i6hi65E
Help our schools receive the resources that students deserve! Complete your Annual Student Verification by Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Log in to Campus Portal to update or confirm student and contact information. If you have completed Annual Student Verification, we thank you. Learn more here: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/page/annual-student-verification