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Fernwood Avenue Middle School

Embrace, Engage , Educate

FMS Newsletter for the Week of April 12, 2026

Posted Date: 04/17/26 (02:58 PM)


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Fernwood Weekly - Rise Above

Week of April 12, 2026

The exterior of Fernwood Avenue Middle School on a sunny day.

Principal's Message

Dear Fernwood Families,

Welcome back! I hope your Spring Break was filled with exactly what you needed, whether that was a trip, quality time with family, or simply a few extra hours of sleep.

We are entering the final stretch of the school year. While the finish line is not in sight quite yet, these coming weeks are some of our most important. This is the time when months of hard work crystallize into real achievement, and we want every student to finish this year feeling proud of what they’ve accomplished.

To ensure we hit the ground running, let's focus on three things:

  • Re-establishing Routines: Getting back into a consistent sleep schedule and morning rhythm helps students stay focused in the classroom.
  • Staying Recharged: The final push can exciting, but can also be taxing. Encourage your students to balance their studies with outdoor time and rest to avoid end-of-year burnout.
  • Finishing Strong: From final projects to spring performances, let’s bring the same passion and curiosity we had in September all the way through to June.

Let's make these final months the best ones yet!

Frank Locantora
Principal
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Events Calendar

*Updated as of 4/2/26
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Attendance Reminders

A friendly reminder that all absences and doctor notes can be emailed to FMSattendance@eht.k12.nj.us 

Students must be present for 4.5 hours to receive full credit for the day. 

They must: 
Sign in no later than 10:15 am 
Sign out no earlier than 12:45 pm 
Students cannot be late or leave early on half days or two hour delay.

Thank you!
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Student Achievement

Snacks and Storytime

On Tuesday, April 14, Honors 7 and Honors 8 French students visited the Swift Slaybaugh Complex to host their annual Snacks and Storytime event. Our students guided their audience though a read aloud of a French children's story of their choice followed by the creation of a craft associated with their book. The entire lesson was created by our students from start to finish and done in French! Thanks to an NJEA FAST Grant, our students were able to introduce the French language to over 660 elementary school students! Amazing job everyone! You should be so proud of yourselves!
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Voices of the Holocaust

Our 8th grade ELA students recently engaged in an interactive gallery walk to build background knowledge for their final unit, Our 8th grade ELA students recently engaged in an interactive gallery walk to build background knowledge for their final unit, Voices of the Holocaust. After watching an introductory video and unpacking the definition of the Holocaust, students worked collaboratively to rotate through 10 stations. At each station, they analyzed and discussed powerful images, historical events, and Nazi laws, deepening their understanding through thoughtful conversation and written responses. This meaningful experience set the stage for the important learning ahead. After watching an introductory video and unpacking the definition of the Holocaust, students worked collaboratively to rotate through 10 stations. At each station, they analyzed and discussed powerful images, historical events, and Nazi laws, deepening their understanding through thoughtful conversation and written responses. This meaningful experience set the stage for the important learning ahead.
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Climate, Culture, and #EHTPride

April
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Book Madness Winner!

After a month of voting, Mrs. Lenko is excited to announce that "Sunny", by Jason Reynolds, has won the Book Madness tournament and is named the 2026 Fernwood Book of the Year! The two students with the highest points from 210 brackets will win a free copy of the book! Congratulations to Sean and Aariz who both had 23 out of 26 points!

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Community Partnerships

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A checklist for parents about preparing children for smartphones
PC Volunteers
'NJ Parent Link

NJ Parent Link

NJ Parent Link
Updates have been made to the NJ Parent Link website to highlight & prioritize content & hyperlinks to youth suicide, crisis & mental health lifelines, helplines, services and resources:
Youth Mental Health & School/Home Partnership Resources

NJ Parent Link
Navigate Parenthood, Navigate New Jersey.

Parent Portal

Do you have a parent portal account? Request an account today by emailing icportal@eht.k12.nj.us and provide the following information in the body of your email. If you have requested an account and haven't received a reply, please check your spam folder. Due to overwhelming requests, replies may take up to five days.
Parent Portal account.
EHT text message sign-up.
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An advertisement for EHT Transportation, featuring a yellow school bus and recruitment information.
 
 
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Contact info