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Fernwood Avenue Middle School

Embrace, Engage , Educate

FMS Newsletter for the Week of May 3, 2026

Posted Date: 05/08/26 (03:00 PM)


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Fernwood Weekly - Rise Above

Week of May 3, 2026

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

Principal's Message

Dear Fernwood Families,

As we head into the heart of May, there is so much to celebrate and look forward to.

Testing Triumphs & Staff Appreciation
I want to start by shouting out our incredible students. They have shown immense focus and determination during our State Testing sessions. Seeing their positive attitude in action makes me incredibly proud to be their principal.

This week is also a double celebration for the heart and soul of our school:
  • Teacher Appreciation Week: Our educators go above and beyond every single day. Please join me in thanking them for their unwavering dedication to our students’ growth. Also, thank you so much to our Parents Club for providing food, treats, and other goodies for staff!
  • School Nurse’s Day: A huge thank you to our wonderful nurse for keeping our community healthy, safe, and cared for with such compassion.

Boosterthon Update
Our Boosterthon fundraiser has been a massive success so far! Thank you to everyone who has donated or shared their student’s page. Your generosity directly supports our school’s programs and resources. We have one week left in the program!

Spring Dance Tonight
Our Spring Dance is tonight. It’s going to be a fantastic evening of music, laughter, and community. We can’t wait to see our students enjoying a well-deserved night of fun after all their hard work.

Finally, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and grandmoms!

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Sincerely,

Frank Locantora
Principal
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Events Calendar

*Updated as of 5/4/26
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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

All-South Jersey Elementary Honors Band

Congratulations to Mia Gonzalez (flute), Annalyse Rivera (bassoon), Max Gonzalez (clarinet), Anna Silverberg (oboe), Max Schmidbauer (bari sax), and Richard Zhou (mallets) for their excellent performance last weekend with the All-South Jersey Elementary Honors Band! They rehearsed and performed alongside the top 5th and 6th grade student musicians from across the region.

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Fernwood Softball

The Fernwood Softball Team has had a successful season so far with a 5-1 record just over the halfway point in their season. This week, they defeated Alder 3-2 and Northfield 5-2. Zoe Blankenbuehler has led on the mound with 70 strikeouts over 36 innings. Taliyah Ortiz leads the team on offense with a .550 batting average, 2 doubles and a home run, and Kinsley Henderson has hit 2 home runs with 7 RBIs. 

Climate, Culture, and #EHTPride

May

Farm to School Healthy Eating!

Here are some of our farm fresh foods we have in the cafe! 
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Community Partnerships

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PC Volunteers
A checklist for parents about preparing children for smartphones
'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