Fort Frye High School
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August, 2016 Fort Frye Local School District S UPERINTENDENT ’ S M ESSAGE -Stephanie Starcher, Superintendent can also choose to take the elective be at Fort Frye for the upcoming course Current Events to study po- school year. We are excited to add While I hope this newsletter litical issues occurring in current these new members to our team and finds you still enjoying the summer times. hope you will join us in making break with your family, let me be We will also be sponsoring a them feel welcomed. the first to welcome you to the new music course elective as well Our support staff is working 2016-2017 school year at The Fort! as a nine-week career exploration hard to make sure the buildings and th th Thank you for entrusting Fort Frye class for 7 and 8 grade students grounds throughout the district are th Local Schools to educate your child and a nine-week Health class for 8 ready when students return on Au- and to prepare him/her for an excit- graders. Based on our state assess- gust 25. The annual summer clean- th th ing career and/or college. ment scores, our 7 and 8 graders ing is ongoing at each school site as Over the past several school need more time and support in well as small maintenance projects. years, our district has invested a lot mathematics so we will offer these This summer we only have one ma- of time and resources in updating junior high students an additional jor capital improvement project oc- our curriculum products that no 30 minute for daily math instruc- curring in the district which is the longer match the state required cur- tion. Some of the skills and content renovation of our traditional library riculum. For the upcoming school that were previously taught as In- space into the Cadet College and year, there will be new curriculum dustrial Art classes are now part of Career Center. The reason for this resources for Social Studies in the courses taught in the Vocational renovation is to provide a space for grades kindergarten through six. Agriculture department. distance learning courses to occur We also have secured additional Finally, we will no longer pull via a technology system called Pol- Chrome Books so that all of our students out of regular education ycom, to create small areas for schools have a least one set of mo- classes for Talented and Gifted group collaboration, to offer a stu- bile technology devices, and our (TAG) services. For students who dent media center where students junior high/high school has multi- qualify, we will be providing TAG can access technology for individu- ple sets to meet the learning needs services in the area of Superior al projects while also having a com- of our older students. Cognitive, Science, Social Studies, fortable space during transitions in There have been some course English Language Arts, and Mathe- between classes since many of our changes throughout the district as matics within the regular classroom students do not have a traditional well. We are excited to be offering in grade three through eight. Our high school schedule, and to contin- some new courses this year at Fort teachers are receiving specialized ue to provide both a computer lab Frye High School without having to training for this transition in TAG and a traditional library area where add additional staff members. In services. online books can be accessed on Social Studies, we will be offering During the summer time, our mobile tablets. We already have the College Credit Plus American administration works to make sure scheduled to offer several online History course as well as the Fort that all teaching and support staff classes by connecting to instructors Frye History/Archives class, which positions are filled with the best at other sites, including Trigonome- is an elective to allow students to candidates possible. In this Cadet try and Speech for college credit, research and promote school and Communicator, we introduce you and we will be sharing via a “live” local community history. Students to the new staff members that will distance learning connection to an- Cadet Communicator Page 2 DISTRICT NEWS other high school our new college copy newsletter or email at least changes in student enrollment. The course, Instructional Planning, monthly with building-level com- goal is to reduce the riding time for which prepares interested students munications. We also send auto- the greatest number of students to become future teachers. The tra- mated calls and emails as needed possible. If you are signed up for ditional high school experience is with information. Please note that Fort Frye’s transportation services, changing rapidly as student options all of our staff email addresses have then you will find information en- for what and how they want to been updated in the past six months closed in this mailing. If you wish learn continue to increase. This to [email protected]. to have transportation services but renovation projects allows us to You can also follow us on Face- are not signed up, and/or if you make changes to accommodate our book at Fort Frye Local Schools or have questions about transporta- students’ learning needs. We hope Twitter @fortfryesuper . tion, please contact the Superinten- you will arrange to visit the newly While I feel our district uses dent’s office at 740-984-2497 ext. renovated space where unique ex- multiple approaches to sharing in- 304. periences are occurring this fall formation, I am always considering The opening of the school year the district’s openness to receiving CURRICULUM always brings mixed emotions. A feedback. I hope you will partner -Karen Kubota, Curriculum Director lot of our kids will be excited to with us by participating in district come back to school and reconnect and building-level events, attend- Parents and guardians have the with their friends and the staff ing Board of Education meetings, right to know about the teaching members or may look forward to and sharing ideas and/or concerns qualifications of their child’s class- the extracurricular activities the with us vie emails, telephone, or in- room teacher in a school receiving school experience provides. Some person meetings. I strongly en- Title I Funds. The federal program students simply look forward to courage your participation in your No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act learning while other boys and girls child’s education. requires that any local school dis- will complain as that first day of I am looking forward to another trict receiving Title I Funds must school approaches. Just like the great year at Fort Frye Local notify parents that they may ask children, adult family members Schools. Thank you for the oppor- about the professional qualifica- have a variety of reactions to the tunity to serve your kids, your fam- tions of their child’s teacher. These beginning of the school year as ily, and our community as the Su- qualifications include: well. Some parents/guardians are perintendent. 1) Whether the teacher has met the ready to “send them back” while Ohio Teacher Licensing criteria others miss their children horribly. TRANSPORTATION NEWS for the grade level and subject School is a different experience for -Stephanie Starcher, Superintendent areas in which the teacher pro- every single child, but regardless of vides your child instruction. the child, it is critical that the Due to changes in student en- 2) Whether the teacher is teaching school and the family partner to- rollment and students transitioning under emergency or temporary gether to see that the child’s learn- from elementary school to high status that waives state licens- ing experiences are of high quality school, we have to annually review ing requirements. and positive. A key to this partner- and revise our busing routes. Deci- 3) The undergraduate degree ma- ship is two-way communication. sions for bus routes are made based jor of the teacher and any other Fort Frye Local Schools has a on student safety and the most effi- graduate degree or certification variety of ways to share and receive cient way to transport students to (such as National Board Certifi- communications with our school school in consideration of how long cation) held by the teacher and community. During the school students are riding the bus. It is not the field of discipline of the cer- year, we send out this district-wide uncommon for the order of the bus tification or degree. Cadet Communicator, with the one stops on a particular route to be re- 4) Whether your child is provided in August being mailed to families. versed from year to year due to the Each building sends out at hard- services by instructional Cadet Communicator Page 3 DISTRICT NEWS paraprofessionals and, if so, accepts scores on assessment instru- information on the committee about their qualifications. ments approved for use by the Ohio the Parent/Teacher Partnership. Department of Education. Students Module Two: Parents and guardians may ask are administered the most appropri- Communication and Respect for the information by contacting ate assessment by qualified person- During this module, the commit- the district office at (740) 984- nel. Those students who score in tee discussed gathering information 2497. the screening range on an ODE ap- on how teachers, schools and the prove test instrument will be admin- district communicate with parents istered a second assessment. Stu- about their student(s). A survey was TALENTED & GIFTED (TAG) dents may be identified as gifted on produced from this discussion and the screening instrument or on the was given to parents at the winter/ Fort Frye Local School District second test.