Fostoria City Schools

Fostoria Intermediate
1202 H.L. Ford Drive Phone: 419-436-4125 Fax: 419-436-4169

November Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 3

From the Desk of Mrs. Matz

Thank you for attending your childs parent teacher conference your involvement in your childs education is one of the best gifts you can give them! Because we strive for 100% participation in conferences, if you were unable to attend a conference during the evenings we had set aside, you are encouraged to contact your childs teacher to schedule a time that is more convenient for you. Fall is upon us!!! While we bid goodbye to warm, sunny days, we welcome the coming of Fall and all it has to offer. The crunching of leaves beneath our feet, cool, crisp mornings, and the beautiful foliage are a few of the offerings that we enjoy. While there are many things I enjoy about the Fall, one of my favorite activities we do here at Fostoria City Schools happens in the month of November! If you have not joined us in previous years for our Annual Community Dinner, I would encourage you to do so this year. This amazing event features a wonderful menu including all of the trimmings for a traditional holiday meal and is a fantastic way to kick off the holiday season, while enjoying time with family and friends from throughout the Fostoria community. I hope to see you and your family there on November 27th!

Inside this issue

Principals Message..................... 1 Asst. Principals Message ............ 2 Veterans Day Breakfast............... 2 United Way Kick-off .................... 2 Characters of the Month............. 3 Picture Retakes ........................... 3 Guidance News ........................... 4 STEM News ................................. 5 PTO News ................................... 5 Literacy Specialist ....................... 6 School Text Messaging ................ 7 Mr. Pessells Portal ..................... 7

Thanks to everyone who came out for Annual Elementary Trick or Treat BINGO Night. We had an amazing turnout and loved to see everyone showing off their costumes and enjoying some great bakery BINGO! The evening was a huge success as we had positive comments from parents, kids and grandparents who attended. We estimate we had approximately 520 people in attendance!

Dates to Remember
Nov. 4 - P.T.O. Meeting Nov. 6 - One Hour Delay Nov. 7 - Picture Retakes Nov. 11 - Veterans Day Nov. 13 - One Hour Delay Nov. 18 - B.O.E. Meeting Nov. 20 - One Hour Delay Nov. 21 - STEM Club Nov. 27 - NO SCHOOL Conference Bank Day Nov. 28 & 29 - NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break Dec. 2 - P.T.O Meeting

From the desk of Mr. Renz

WINTER WEATHER
With colder weather upon us, students need coats, hats, and gloves/mittens to wear on the way to and from school and at recess. If you do not have these items and you are not able to purchase them, please let the school office know. We may be able to help you. Students and parents need to keep in mind how important communication with the school is in the event of a bullying problem. We will work quickly to address any bullying situations that may occur, but we need to know when it happens. Have your child come down to the office the same day or the next morning after the incident has taken place so that it may be addressed immediately instead of several days or weeks after the issue has taken place. Our goal is to make sure all students enjoy a safe learning environment that they can thrive in. Students need to report problems to school officials and not look to retaliate for the offense. We are encouraging the students to report the problem and not to make a bad decision of retaliation. If we all work together we can have an enjoyable school atmosphere for all students. Thank you! Mr. Renz

VETERANS DAY
We want to honor our Veterans for their service and dedication by inviting them for donuts, coffee, and juice on Monday, Nov. 11 at 8:00 a.m. Reservations are required. If a member of your family has or is serving in the armed forces, we would like to include their picture in our slide show. Send the photo in an envelope marked with the students name, teacher name, and name of the veteran. If you submitted a photo in past years, it is not necessary to submit one again.

United way kickoff

Our fourth grade students traveled to the YMCA for the annual Fostoria United Way kickoff on October 3. We want to congratulate Jasmine Groves and Mattriese Full for being the winners of the poster contest. Their posters will be displayed on city billboards to support United Way.

PICTURE RETAKES
Retakes will be taken on Nov. 7. If you want your childs pictures retaken, you must return their original package to be given to the photographer. Any student new to our school will have their picture taken and have the opportunity to purchase a package. If you were unable to purchase one originally, you may do so on retake day. Envelopes are available in the main office.

Characters of the Month

Congratulations to the following students who were recognized for the character trait Respect: Miss Binkley Gabriel Borkosky Mrs. Kuebeck Kanye Tucker Mrs. Noel Alyssa Durst Mrs. Reino Arielle Scott Mrs. Ross Jaelynn Crow Mrs. Schermer Patrick Porter Mrs. Schreiner Corey Shank Mrs. Armstrong Trevor Nowicki Miss Bartz Esperanza Sanchez Mrs. Linhart Raelyn Hoffman Mrs. Sharkey Corey Bartell Mrs. Terres Dion Springer Mrs. Wise Sierra Kleinmark Mrs. Click Michelle Snyder Mrs. Costello Jacob Durst Mrs. Hossler Paul Gutierrez Wolph Mrs. Hushour Ryan Combs Miss Jennison Joshua Swartz Mrs. Lewis Samantha Tatum Mrs. Riedlinger Kaylee Goeller Mr. Kramer Madeline Cook Mrs. Miller Michael Augsburger Mrs. Riley Hailey Hoffman Mr. Smith LaShanti Rickman Mrs. Stone Tyler Cobb Mrs. Ward Elisia Ledesma

COLLECTIONS
Continue to send in Boxtops for Education and Campbells Labels for Education. You can help us earn more points by visiting the following websites and registering your Kroger card: BoxTops for Education: www.reward yourschool.com and Labels for Education: www.elabelsfor education.com Also send in aluminum pull tabs as we donate these for Ronald McDonald House.

For the month of October, the focus for classroom guidance lessons in the 3 rd grade classrooms was on Conflict Resolution. We began our discussion on the topic that everybody experiences conflicts/problems with others, however, we may differ by the way we resolve the conflict. Miss. Niekamp (School Counselor Intern) and I engaged in a skit demonstrating a common conflict that occurs amongst children and began to introduce a few steps to resolving the conflict in a Respectful way. The very first step we discussed was calming down. This opened the discussion into how Anger can easily get in the way of resolving a problem. Before we can begin to solve a problem with the person, we must first calm down. We brainstormed simple strategies to calming down before we could move onto the next step. Students brainstormed taking slow, deep breaths, counting slowly, leaving the situation for awhile, taking a nap or a nice hot shower, etc. All the strategies they came up with were perfect. After the first step of calming down is completed, we can then begin to think of solutions to solving the conflict. In our skit, Miss. Niekamp and I came up with many solutions to solving the problem to demonstrate there is more than one way to solve a problem. We then demonstrated the ability of compromise by choosing one of the solutions and agreeing on the solution. A few students were selected to engage in a couple skits as well to further demonstrate the conflict resolution steps. Following the lesson a few key points were stressed to the students: The difference between a disagreement/conflict and a fight is ANGER. Anger prevents the ability to think of solutions to compromise and loses the ability to keep the disagreement respectful. Not every conflict can be resolved right away and may take some time, especially if the person needs time to calm down. My hope is that students begin to practice some of these steps and apply them to their own problems with friends and others to prevent a disagreement turning into a fight.

Last month I talked with students about respect. We discussed self-respect, respect for parents, teachers, other students, and property. I asked students to choose at least one respectful activity to try for one or two days. Activities included, holding the door open for adults and other students, using please and thank you appropriately, and addressing all adults using the appropriate titles (Mr., Mrs., or Miss). I also challenged students to show respect every day. In November I will be talking with students about citizenship, and we will be focusing on work -ethic, patriotism, and service (volunteering). Friendship/Social Skills (4th grade), Grief and Loss (5th grade), and Anger Management (6th grade) groups have been meeting for four weeks. In the Friendship group, we are identifying qualities and characteristics that are important to us when choosing friends. In the Grief and Loss group, we are beginning to share our thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to the loss of loved ones. In the Anger Management Group we are talking about reactions to anger, and we are beginning to identify appropriate ways to handle anger. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 419-436-4125 ext. 3226 or by email at bsanford@fostoriaschools.org. Enjoy this time of the year with your family and friends! Bethany Zambori-Sanford, Guidance Counselor

PTO NEWS
STEM NEWS
A great big thanks to Parents, Teachers and Students for all your work making the following events a huge success! FIES catalog sale has ended and we are very proud of our students who worked so hard to bring in record breaking sales. The candle sale at Riley & Longfellow has also ended and your candles will be delivered soon! Great work kids! And how fun was our Halloween Trick or Treat Bingo? If you didnt attend you missed a great time! Room Parents We are looking for parents who would like to help teachers with projects, parties and educational activities. If you have a few hours a month to spare please contact the PTO for more information. Spirit Wear Our spirit wear sale is currently under way at all 3 schools. There are 3 different designs to choose from in several styles and colors. Orders must be returned to school by November 5th. And remember you can wear your spirit wear on Fridays! Campus Wear Campus wear will soon be available for sale at FIES. Details to Follow! Santa Shop Mark your calendars, the Santa Shop will be open Dec 9, 10th & 11. And this year well have night hours so students from Riley and Longfellow will be able to participate. Carnival Its time to start planning our spring Carnival. Please contact Mindy Lance if youre interested in helping. (419) 934-2676 Questions or Comments: Facebook.com/RileyLongfellowP Email: ptopresident@fostoriaschools.org Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Caryl

We had our first STEM club on October 17. The students were given a design challenge to create Halloween decorations out of recycled materials. Check out the projects in our front case at FIES! We are looking forward to another successful STEM club in November. We are also collecting materials that we can use for projects at FIES. Please feel free to send in egg cartons, cereal boxes, clean plastic bottles, 2-liter bottles, newspapers and empty toilet paper tubes. Your child can bring them to the STEM labs. Thank you in advance for your help!

Thank you to everyone who made this year's Red Ribbon Week a success! It was wonderful to see students having fun, while also supporting the important message of being Drug Free! A special thank you to Firelands for the donation of Drug Free Contracts and our visit from Hoola Hippo!

FROM THE LITERACY SPECIALIST

As an extension of last months article in which I discussed the importance of your child reading every day; Im going to share how to help your child choose books that are appropriate for them. While it may be easier for you to choose books for your child, its actually a useful skill that your child can and should learn. Below are some strategies to help your child choose books that are neither too easy nor too hard. ** Introduce the idea that we read for a purpose, even if that purpose is pure enjoyment. Ask your child: What type of book are you looking for today and why? With older children you can ask: Are you looking for fiction (made up) or nonfiction (factual)? Ask them to explain their choice. ** Allow your child to choose the books they want to read. A book that your child wants to read is the one you want to take home. Dont worry if a book seems short, too easy, or has pictures. Looking at pictures is a perfectly acceptable way to read a book. ** Use the rule of five. Let your child keep track of how many words they did not know. If they count five or more incorrect words on a page, the book was probably too challenging for an independent read. If your child really wants to read something you know is beyond his or her ability, solve it by reading it aloud together. You can take turns reading and define unfamiliar words as you go. That way the child will avoid frustration and enjoy the added bonus of your company! **Let your child know its OK if he or she doesnt like a particular book, but encourage them to tell you why. Was it too hard, too long, or just didnt keep their interest? This will give them direction when choosing their next book. **If your child has really enjoyed a book, look for other books by the same author. These are just a few strategies for helping your child choose appropriate books. If youd like to know more about whats recommended for a childs age and grade, visiting your local library or bookstore is a great place to start. Books are usually grouped based on the readers skill level. Publishers also often include information about a recommended age group on the jacket cover. If you need any additional information Id be happy to help! Happy Reading! Dawn Skornicka Literacy Coach

SCHOOL TEXT MESSAGING

Dear Parents and Guardians, Fostoria City Schools is pleased to announce that we are now able to send announcements (i.e., closings/delays, etc.) via SMS text messaging to your mobile phones. If you would like to receive these announcements as text messages, please do the following: 1. Ensure your school has your cell phone number on file.* *If the school did not have your cell phone number on file and you contact them to add it, wait at least 24 hours before proceeding to Step 2. 2. From your cell phone, text the word Join to the number 56360.** **If our School Connect messaging system finds a match for your number in its database, you will receive a confirmation message thanking you for joining school alerts. At any time, you can unsubscribe by texting Stop to 56360. 3. Create a contact on your phone with the name of your school or school district (if you have children in multiple schools in the district), or another meaningful name, and the phone number 56360. Then when you receive a text from this number, you know who is sending it. Thank you, Andrew Sprang, Superintendent

Mr. Pessells PE Portal

Youre giving me homework? Homework for physical education? Some of you may have been told by your children that they have been assigned homework for physical education class. It is true, Ive been telling FIES students that they need to get 60 minutes of exercise daily. As you know, your child only gets 60 minutes of physical education a WEEK. The government recommends that children and adolescents (ages 6 17) get 60 minutes a day. This can include strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and stretching, or any combination of the three. All of the students at FIES are in the process of being pretested on Standard 4, benchmark A, of the Ohio Physical Education Assessment. In order for our children to show growth for the student learning objective, they will need practice. Ive told all of our students that they should do 20 pushups daily for homework, and 20 or more sit-ups or crunches daily. What can you as a parent do? Encourage your child to be active! Whether it be playing outdoors with friends, swimming at the YMCA, or taking a walk at Portage Park with the family, school age children need to be very active physically. Also encourage your kids to get plenty of sleep, and eat nutritiously. Check out these links encouragement and ideas. http://www.nfl.com/play60 http://www.letsmove.gov/get-active http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity/amount.html