Welcome Erin Williams, Chief Human Resources Officer, effective July 1, 2025. more at fz.k12.mo.us
Welcome back! We look forward to seeing staff and students in person today. It is an A Day for high schools and middle schools and a C Day for elementary. A few reminders:
Bundle up!
Give yourself extra time.
Elementary families please send all of your completed packets back today.
Meal options can be found in the FZ app or on your school website in the menu under Dining.
Wave to our crew! They did an amazing job getting your school ready for you come back.
Make it a great day!
All activities and facilities usage in Fort Zumwalt School District are canceled today, Jan. 10, 2025.
The timing of the recent winter storm has presented a number of challenges for Fort Zumwalt’s final exam schedule. With Thursday being our fourth inclement weather day in a row, any further delay of finals will impact second semester plans. Because of these unique circumstances:
High school students will have a half-day AMI Day tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 10. Currently, students are scheduled to attend their first semester classes on the A Day schedule Monday. Second semester will begin Tuesday, Jan. 14.
FINAL EXAMS WILL BE OPTIONAL. Students will not be required to take finals. There will be an opportunity for students who wish to improve their current semester grade to take one or more final exams during a make-up session arranged by their school. For students who elect this option, any final exam score will only be added to the gradebook if it improves their semester grade.
Each school will share arrangements for students needing to take finals in dual credit courses; End-of-Course (EOC) exams or Industry Recognized Credentials (IRC) exams. While all students will be held harmless for school final exams, the requirements for dual credit classes or IRCs are determined by their issuing institution. Please contact your student’s counselor if you have questions.
Additional information about final exam schedules will come by email directly from your school later today.
Dear Fort Zumwalt families,
Out of an abundance of caution, the district will use an AMI Day on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. District leaders have been monitoring conditions across the district all day and, though things are much improved in many areas, a number of roads remain hazardous and, in quite a few neighborhoods, even impassable. Thank you to our maintenance and custodial team members, who have put great effort into preparing our buildings for staff and students to return. It has been more than 10 years since our community has dealt with a storm like this, and we appreciate their efforts to have campuses ready. High school students and families should watch for an email update from your school tomorrow, Jan. 9. Students Pre-K - 8 are already scheduled to be off Friday for a Records Day. Thank you for your patience as we are all working through this winter weather together.
Pre-K through 5 - AMI Packet No. 3
6 - 12 Login to Canvas
go.FZSD.us/AMIDays
As you are aware, Fort Zumwalt School District canceled school Jan. 6 and called an AMI Day for Jan. 7. Due to inclement weather and hazardous road conditions Jan. 8, 2025, will be an AMI Day.
As a result, high school students have not had the opportunity to review for finals as scheduled. In order to address this unusual circumstance, final exams will only be used to positively impact semester grades and they will not be used to bring down any individual final semester grade. Students are still expected to attend class and take final exams, with some minor adjustments to the schedule.
Wednesday, Jan. 8 is an AMI Day that will be used to provide virtual review sessions.
Thursday, Jan. 9 and Friday, Jan. 10 will remain half-day finals schedules. (Check your school website for specifics).
Monday, Jan. 13 will be a full day of finals and will be the last day of the first semester. (Check your school website for specifics).
Tuesday, Jan. 14th will be the beginning of second semester classes
Questions should be directed to your student’s teacher(s) or to your high school office. Thank you for your patience as we work through this weather situation. Stay warm and safe.
Due to the continued hazardous road conditions, Wednesday, 1-8-2025 will be an AMI day in FZSD.
Grades 6 - 12 should log in to Canvas. HS should check your email for details on finals.
Pre-K - 5 should complete AMI packet No. 2.
go.FZSD.us/AMIDays.
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, will be an AMI day in Fort Zumwalt School District. Students grades 6 - 12 should log in to Canvas. Students grades Pre-K - 5 should complete AMI packet No. 1. Remember, AMI Days do not have to be made up. Access packets in the announcements section of the Family Portal or at go.FZSD.us/AMIDays.
Activities, events and facilities usage are canceled for Jan. 7, 2025.
Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, will be a traditional snow day in Fort Zumwalt School District. There will be no school Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, due to inclement weather and road conditions. Just a reminder, this means the day will have to be made up at the end of the school year.
More than 10,000 downloads each!
Why?
Because the FZSD Family Portal is the best way to connect with your student’s academic progress. And The Fort Zumwalt App helps you keep up with news, such as inclement weather notifications, and events at your school and across the district. You can even sync your calendar!
Best part?
They are free in your app store.
Connecting with our community is a priority, which is why we send quarterly newsletters to thousands of mailboxes. Now you can subscribe for the email version! We promise your email address will only be used to help you keep up with Fort Zumwalt and participate in important conversations about our schools. Sign up through the link in our latest edition:
https://ftzumwaltsdmo.edurooms.com/engage/fort-zumwalt-school-district/newsletters/winter-2025-quarterly-community-report
By order of the President, flags will fly at half-staff through sunset Jan. 28, in memory of former President Jimmy Carter. See the proclamation: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/12/29/proclamation-announcing-the-death-of-james-earl-carter-jr/
Rebecca VanSant’s 6th grade math class at West Middle is an exercise in constant motion. Keeping 11- and 12-year-olds engaged in fractions, percentages and geometry requires planning and flexibility. On any given day you will find her circling her class providing one-on-one support and tuning in to student-led conversations.
It’s this collaborative piece of K-8 math classes in Fort Zumwalt that many adults would find surprising. Students work together to find solutions and learn from each other’s thinking. VanSant and middle school math teachers create opportunity for students to learn from each other. It’s in this environment that they learn to communicate their strategies, experience constructive criticism and open their own thinking to classmates who have found another route to the same solution. Building the workforce of tomorrow one middle school math problem at a time. It’s in our mission: Educate, empower and equip students to excel. #FZEquipToExcel
The City of O’Fallon recognized the FZSD Work-Based Learning Program this fall with its annual Volunteer IMPACT award. The Work-Based Learning Program offers students the opportunity to train to be life and workforce ready. For the past two years students have supported the Renaud Center in day-to-day custodial duties, providing a pristine facility for the community and gaining valuable work experience.
The Volunteer IMPACT Award, which stands for “Inspiring Meaningful Partnerships and Community Teams,” is hand picked by the Mayor of the City of O’Fallon, Bill Hennessy, and Volunteer Services staff. It recognizes a community partner who contributes to the success of the City of O’Fallon. The O’Fallon City Council recognized the program at its Nov. 21 meeting.
You can connect with big events for the 2025-2026 school year from any of our websites. In the Events section, use the See All Events button. Arrow through the calendar and hover over an event to add it to your calendar. Use the Subscribe To A Calendar button to sync any of our calendars with yours. All of these features are also available through the FZ App, free for Apple or Android. Updates coming to go.FZSD.us/QuickCalendar after Winter Break.
Tis the season! Concert season, that is. Our bands, choirs and orchestras are on stage and in the community spreading cheer. Check for times on our school websites.
Elementary school is such a busy place! Of course students are working on reading, writing and arithmetic, but there’s also coaching, collaboration and creativity. Building scholars with soft skills for the workplace of the future. #FZEquipToExcel
Why are flags at half-staff? In accordance with state statute, flags should fly at half-staff each Dec. 7 in remembrance of those members of the US armed forces who lost their lives Dec. 7, 1941 during the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor.
Congratulations to the newest Grow Your Own Teachers, Kellyanne Flaherty and Aidan Vogt. These South High seniors have been selected by the not-for-profit Fort Zumwalt Education Foundation to receive a forgivable loan of $4,000 per semester for eight semesters as they attend a Missouri university to become teachers in a high needs area. Kellyanne plans to teach secondary math. Aidan plans to be a Special Education teacher. Both will return to Fort Zumwalt to teach.
Since 2005, the Grow Your Own Teacher program has put 19 teachers into FZSD classrooms in areas such as Special Education, secondary science and math, world language, and industrial tech. Eight more teachers are currently in the program, studying at Missouri universities.
The foundation sold out it's annual trivia night last month, one way it raises funds to support the work of growing teachers for hard-to-fill positions. Learn more at go.FZSD.us/GYOT
📸 Jacob Croy
Celebrating Excellence! Congratulations to Hope High's Jason Rubin and the Early Childhood Center's Jennifer Kist, honored with Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards! Learn more on our website: https://www.fz.k12.mo.us/article/1882555
