February Newsletter

Volume 2, Issue 5

Fostoria City Schools

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

From the Desk of Mrs. Matz

Dear FIES Families,

As testing time is drawing near, I feel it is very important to remind
everyone the role that testing plays in the education of our students.
Although we are entering a time of High Stakes Testing, I want to be
sure to put these tests into perspective for our students and families. As
important as it is for our students to try their best their best is all we
can ask for. Placing undue stress and pressure onto students to achieve
can actually be detrimental to their overall performancemany students have anxiety regarding testing. As adults we need to do our best
to ensure that we are finding the balance between asking students to
work hard, while ensuring we are not placing too much pressure on
them. Test scores are simply one measure of a students strengths and
weaknessesonly a snapshot of who that child really is and the things
they can do. Unfortunately, these tests do not measure the amazing
people we know our students are. As educators we know our students
have amazing abilities both in and out of the classroom. Whether your
child has the ability to make others smile, a special musical or athletic
talent, a wonderful sense of humor, or especially empathetic of others
the scores you get will tell you something, but they will not give you a
complete picture of what makes each of our students wonderful. I encourage you to share this message with your child, encourage them to
work hard and try their very best, but please remember there are many
ways of being smart and these tests are only one small piece of a much
larger picture. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Inside this issue

Principals Message..................... 1
Asst. Principals Message ............ 2
Guidance News ........................... 2
REDMEN Pride Days .................... 2
Kids Tech University ................... 3
Yearbook Sales ............................ 3
Donuts for Dads .......................... 4
Leaders of the Month ................. 4/5
Science Night .............................. 5
Literacy Specialist ....................... 6

Dates to Remember
Feb. 6 - Redmen Pride Day
Feb. 10 - Science Night
Feb. 13 - Donuts for Dads
Feb. 13 - Midterms sent home
Feb. 13 - McDonalds Peelers
Fundraiser ends
Feb. 16 - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day - NO SCHOOL

MCDONALDS PEELERS FUNDRAISER

Feb. 17 - BOE Meeting 6:00

Students received a packet to sell McDonalds Peeler Cards on Friday, Jan. 30.
This fundraiser will end on Feb. 13. Cards are $10 each and are valid at several locations in Fostoria and surrounding communities. Students who sell cards and
choose to go to Camp Willson as a 6th grader will earn $4.50 from each card sold
that will be applied to the cost of camp. Any additional monies raised will go to the
PTO to help pay for activities and equipment for our school. Money is due at the
time you turn in your order. Checks should be made payable to FIES PTO. Thank
you for your help!

Feb. 17 - PTO Meeting 7:00

Feb. 20 - Redmen Pride Day
Feb. 27 - Redmen Pride Day

FROM THE DESK OF MR. RENZ

As testing is fast approaching it is important to keep in mind that it may be your child taking all the tests, but you're the one who
needs to help him/her through it. Here are some test taking tips for parents to help you get your child ready.
8 Test Taking Tips
Tip #1: Make attendance a priority, especially on days that you know standardized testing will be administered or there is a test in
the classroom. Though it's important for your child to be in school as many days as possible, making sure he's there when the test
is taken helps to ensure he won't lose more learning time because he has to make up a test during school.
Tip #2: Make a note of test days on the calendar -- from spelling quizzes to big high-stakes tests. That way both you and your
child know what's coming and will be prepared.
Tip #3: Look over your child's homework daily and check for understanding. If your child is struggling with something now, it
won't be easy for her to have time to try again to learn it just before the test.
Tip #4: Avoid pressuring your child and provide him with encouragement. Few children want to fail, and most will try their hardest to do well. Being afraid of your reaction to a bad test grade can increase anxiety, which makes careless mistakes more likely.
Tip #5: Set a reasonable bedtime and stick to it. Many parents underestimate the importance of a rested mind and body. Tired
children have difficulty focusing and are easily flustered by challenges. Also, make sure all electronics are turned off at least 1
hour before bedtime. This helps the brain get ready to rest.
Tip #6: Make sure your child has enough time to wake up fully before he has to go to school. Just as rest is important, so is having
enough time to get his brain engaged and in gear. If his test is first thing in the morning, he can't afford to spend the first hour of
school groggy and unfocused.
Tip #7: Provide a high-protein, healthy, low-sugar breakfast for your child. Kids learn better on full stomachs, but if their stomachs are full of sugary, heavy foods that will make them sleepy or slightly queasy, it's not much better than an empty stomach.
Tip #8: Talk to your child about how the test went, what he did well and what he would have done differently. Think of it as a
mini-debriefing or brainstorming session. You can talk about test-taking strategies after the fact as easily as beforehand.

http://childparenting.about.com

FROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR

I am continuing to talk with students about bullying. We have defined bullying. (Bullying is when someone repeatedly and on purpose says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has
a hard time defending himself or herself.) We are also focusing on
the following Fostoria Anti-Bullying Rules:
1. We will not bully others.
2. We will help students who are bullied.
3. We will include students who are left out.
4. If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an
adult at school and an adult at home.
We are watching videos about bullying, and we are talking about
how bullies and targets feel as well as how we can comfortably handle bullying situations. I encourage you to talk with your child about
bullying.
Social Skills Groups will be finishing up this month. Throughout the
next few weeks, we will be focusing on Listening to Others, Expressing Ourselves Positively, Making Good Choices, and Handling Irritating Behaviors.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 419-436-4125 ext. 3203 or by email
at bsanford@fostoriaschools.org.

Stay Warm!
Bethany Zambori-Sanford, Guidance Counselor

Kids' Tech University at BGSU

Kids' Tech U is for students ages 9-12 who are interested in the fields of science,
technology, engineering and mathematics. They will learn from scientists who
work in these fields, and participate in hands-on activities that let them explore
scientific concepts.
Spring Sessions
Feb. 7 - Dr. Peg Yacobucci, a BGSU associate professor of geology, will lead an
interactive session titled "How Do Fossils Reveal Our Planet's Past, Present, and
Future?"
Feb. 14 - Dr. Karen Lynn Snover-Clift, director of the Cornell University Plant
Disease Diagnostic Clinic, associate director of Northeast Plant Diagnostic Network (NEPDN), and national quality manager of the network, will share "A
Mighty Oak Tree Is Killed in the Forest; DNA Can Tell Us Who Did It."
March 28 - Dr. Andrew Torelli, a BGSU assistant professor of chemistry, will
answer "What's the Best Way to Grow Crystals?"
April 11 - Dr. John McDowell, a Virginia Tech professor of plant pathology, will
discuss "Why Are the Foods that You Love the Most in Danger from Rusts,
Blights, Molds and Mildews?"
Kids' Tech U Sign-up Information
For students who live within a one-hour driving distance of BGSU.
$80 registration fee to participate; scholarships are available
Includes lunch card and a KTU T-shirt
Students work with undergraduate and graduate students, professors and STEM
leaders from community organizations and local industries.
When parents register their child to attend the program, they are signing up for
all the days: Feb 07,Feb 14, Mar 28, and Apr 11.
Generally it will last from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm each KTU day. We will email you
with the specific start and end time closer to each day.
Online registration is now open and will be limited to 150 children.
Register Online Here! http://kidstechuniversity-bgsu.vbi.vt.edu/

YEARBOOK SALES
Yearbooks are on sale
now. The yearbook will
include all elementary
buildings in one book. A
standard soft cover yearbook is $16.00 but there
are other packages and
options for varying prices.
A flyer has been sent
home twice to give you
the opportunity to place
your order. The deadline
is Feb. 13. Place your order now to assure you get
a copy.
MARTIN LUTHER
KING, JR. ESSAY
CONTEST
Congratulations to
Braden Finsel, winner of the 6th grade
division of the 2015
Martin Luther King,
Jr. Essay Contest!
Braden read his essay in a special celebration at City Hall
on Monday, Jan. 19.
He then attended
the Seneca County
dinner ceremony in
Tiffin where all
county winners read
their essays.

DONUTS FOR
DADS
Donuts for Dads will be
held on Friday, Feb. 13,
from 7:45-8:30 a.m.
We invite students to
bring their Dads, StepDads, Grandpas, or
special role model to
enjoy donuts, coffee,
and juice in the FIES
auxiliary gym. A flyer
will be sent home and
reservations are required to assure we
have enough food for
everyone. Return the
slip to school no later
than Feb. 6!

MARK YOUR
CALENDARS
A Wax Museum, sponsored by the third grade,
will be held on March 12
from 6:00-7:30. Please
save this date so you and
your family can attend!

LEADERS OF THE MONTH

Payton Torres is an outstanding leader by coming to school ready to learn, anticipating
challenges and facing them with confidence, and helping her fellow classmates to understand concepts. Great work Payton! - Miss Binkley
Javier Lopez shows leadership by showing respect to peers and teachers, working well
with others, and always having a positive attitude in class. - Miss Golamb
Christian Price has been a hard-working, responsible student in the classroom and is always very friendly and helpful. - Mrs. Noel
Journey Bateson is actively involved in all our classroom activities. She puts forth a great
deal of effort in her homework and participates in classroom conversations. Her contributions to class service projects have been commendable! The good citizenship qualities
Journey displays deserves "Hero of the Month" recognition! - Mrs. Reino
Adisyn McElwain works hard in class and is willing to help other students. Adisyn is a
great example of a good student leader. - Mrs. Ross
Jacey Blair works very hard in class. She follows our classroom expectations and is a good
example to others. Jacey is very helpful and is kind to others. - Mrs. Schermer
Megan Crum is always helping out other students and teachers. She always makes sure
her work is done and homework turned in on time. She is a great role model in our classroom. - Mrs. Schreiner
Alexis Hinkle is a model student who is always one of the first students to volunteer to
share materials with others or to include others who need a group to join. - Mrs. Armstrong
Destiny Cramer has done a great job this month on being responsible. She has done a
great job of getting her homework in on time and practiced her math facts nightly and is a
member of our class 81 club. She participates often in class and is a good friend to her
classmates! - Miss Bartz
Michael Myers leads by example, he does the best he can on his work and is kind and
friendly to his classmates. - Mrs. Linhart
Elesia Guerra is kind and helpful to everyone and has been working very hard is class to
do her best. - Mrs. Riedlinger

LEADERS OF THE MONTHCONT.

Jaiden Bonney shows his leadership everyday by being a responsible and organized student, and by doing his best on
everything he does. - Mrs. Sharkey
Gabriel Borkosky is a hard worker and does not give up. He is always greeting others with a warm smile to start
their day off right. - Mrs. Terres
Raelyn Hoffman is a very positive hard working student who willingly volunteers her time to help in Project
MORE. She can always be counted on to have her work finished, seeks help when needed, and is willing to help any
time it's needed. - Mrs. Click
Zachary Ward is attentive and participates in class. He has a positive attitude and is kind to others. - Mrs. Hossler
Celeste DeTillion is a very hard working student. She completes her work on time, always volunteers to help in
class, and is a friend to everyone. - Mrs. Hushour
Maleah Rose is a leader everyday by setting an example for her classmates to follow. She works hard and completes
her work. She is helpful to the students around her and smiles often. - Miss Jennison
Brayden Boucher shows responsibility and is a positive role model for others. - Mrs. Lewis
Manuel Calderon has been a great leader in assisting all of his teachers in communication with our Spanish speaking
student. Without his assistance communication would not be successful. - Mrs. Costello
Hailey Connor demonstrates outstanding responsibility by working at Project MORE, being a member of Student
Council, and producing good work. - Mr. Kramer
Erin Saunders may be quiet, but she always does what is asked of her. She is a great role model for those around her.
- Mrs. Miller
Camilo Castillo does a great job in class, is kind to his classmates, and demonstrates a positive attitude towards
learning. - Mrs. Riley
Jarrod Claburn is a very hard working student that always does the right thing! He is a model student! - Mr. Smith
Aubrienna Kleinmark is an excellent leader in our classroom. She leads by example of doing the right thing all the
time. She focuses on her responsibilities and reads books when she has free time. - Mrs. Stone
Dereck Daughenbaugh is a good role model because he works hard, is respectful toward adults and other students,
and has a good attitude. - Mrs. Ward

FIES SCIENCE NIGHT

A Science Night is being hosted by our 5th grade teachers for all students and families! Tuesday February 10th will be Science Night in the
FIES Auxiliary Gym. The night will include activities for all ages. There
will be several stations for you to experience the wonders of Science.
The fun will begin at 4:30 p.m. and conclude at 5:30 p.m. We look forward to
seeing you there.

The 6th grade team of teachers at FIES planned a Health

& Safety Fair at the school.
Community groups and the
6th grade Science classes
hosted fifteen displays for
student and adult visitors;
sharing ways to stay healthy
and safe, and giving away
table gifts and door prizes.
Members of the 6th grade
Leaders of Justice group
helped set up the Health
Fair, served as greeters, and
helped clean up afterward.
There were 15 different tables with exhibits, each one
of which shared information
about a different area of
health. Thank you to the following community organizations that participated: OSU
Extension - Seneca County
SNAP-ED Program; Firelands; Tri-County Dental; the
Fostoria Red Cross; the
Geary Family YMCA; the
State Highway Patrol - Hancock County Division; the
Fostoria Fire Department;
Fostoria Community Hospital;
Sheryl St. Clair - Fostoria City
Schools Nurse; Advocare; Dr.
Sulken's dental office; and
the Fostoria Rail Preservation
Society. In addition, four displays were presented by the
6th grade science classes,
covering topics on: the dangers of smoking, the benefits
of exercise, cells and their
development, and the benefits of drinking plenty of water.

FROM THE LITERACY SPECIALIST

Morphology (A Fancy Name for Word Parts)
Just like a beginning reader needs to be able to quickly identify sight words,
emerging and more advanced readers need to identify word parts to help
make their reading more fluid. Once a reader can automatically pick out prefixes, suffixes, and root words, their ability to decode rapidly will increase.
This makes reading, and comprehending text, a much smoother process.

Examples of Word Parts

Prefix: A word part that is added to the beginning of a word and changes
the words meaning. Common prefixes include: un-, re-, dis-, in-, non-, over-,
mis-, and sub-.
Suffix: A word part added to the end of a word that changes its meaning
and often its part of speech. Common suffixes include: -s, -es, -ed, -ing, -ly,
-y, -able, and ful.
Root Word/Base Word: The word to which a prefix or suffix is added.

What you can do at home to help:

1-Choose one or two words from your childs book that appear to have a prefix or suffix.
2-Have them identify the prefix/suffix and what it means. Most prefixes
have more than one meaning (ex. un- can mean not as in unhappy, or do the
opposite of, as in untie).
3-Then have them determine if the prefix/suffix is really a prefix/suffix.
For example, the letters u-n in unhappy form a prefix, the letters u-n in uncle
are not a prefix. To determine whether or not a group of letters is a prefix,
remove the letters from the word. What remains must be a known word. In
unhappy the root word happy is left. In uncle, the letters cle are left, which
are not a root word. This works for suffixes as well.
If your child is not yet reading books with prefixes and suffixes: Choose
a word from their story and have them create a word that does contain a
prefix/suffix. For example, if the word color is in their book, ask them
What is a word that means full of color? Together you can come up with
the word colorful. Then have your child write the word so he/she can recognize the suffix when they see it at a later time.
Happy Reading,
Mrs. Dawn Skornicka