Big thanks going out to...

• All of our Veterans for their service to our country & their communities. Join us for a Veterans Day Parade through campus this Thursday 11/10 at 1:30 PM.
• Tim Wright and his family for the hard work involved in getting their dog Yost certified as a Therapy Dog - FCSD's very first! Read more below!
• All of our coaches & athletes as we wrap up successful seasons and look forward to some exciting final matchups.
• Mr. Donovan and Mr. Newell for their work as coaches for our Model UN delegate. Thanks also to Lindsey Moon and Christina Donovan who served as chaperones this year. Check out the fantastic results from this year's conference featured below!
• Our School Psychologists during National School Psychology Week - thank you Mr. Verstraete, Mrs. Wheeler, and intern Ms. Cunningham, for their hard work improving the lives of our students each day.

Dear Fredonia School Community,

I hope you are continuing to enjoy some of the fantastic fall weather recently. As mentioned last week, each year our district looks to move forward towards our vision by selecting a cross section of focus areas in the spirit of continuous improvement.

I wanted to take a moment to share a little more information this week about two of our district focus areas, which are:

• To establish an environment that supports dignity for all students and adults by recognizing and better understanding the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our district.
  
  

We are taking several action steps to make progress in this area, which include some of the following action steps:

• Create focus on “belonging” as an overarching theme within our work throughout the school year

• Define and explain relevant terminology across the district

• Establish additional communication that promotes a sense of belonging throughout the district and larger community

• Enhance family and community engagement through increased accessibility
  
  

Another district focus area we would like to share more information about is:

• Develop a plan to maintain and upgrade our district facilities based on need and preserve an environment that is conducive to effective teaching, learning, and overall performance.
  
  

We are taking several action steps to make progress in this area, which include:

• Focus on physical safety and security of all buildings

• Prepare for upcoming Building Condition Survey (BCS) 2023-24

• Understand BCS and process through Young and Wright BOE presentation

• Conduct an energy assessment and audit

• Initiate planning for Capital Project 2024-25

• Conduct periodic visual inspection walk-through by appropriate district personnel
  
  

Again, we look forward to working together over the course of the year to continue the tradition of Fredonia being a great place to teach and learn. Thanks in advance for everyone's contribution to this effort.

Respectfully,

Brad Zilliox

It’s National School Psychology Week! School psychologists are uniquely qualified members of school teams that support students’ ability to learn and teachers’ ability to teach. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.

This week, our students are participating in "Gratitute Week" to show thanks and appreciation to any staff member who has helped them be successful in school. They are sending personal messages to faculty & staff to let them know they have made a difference.

We are excited about a new addition to our Fredonia family. Please welcome Yost, our first therapy dog in the district, who will be joining our Grade 6 team this week for small portions of the day a few times a week. Yost is owned by our Grade 6 teacher, Mr. Wright, who made the commitment to have his dog fully trained and certified as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs have been proven to benefit both students and adults on multiple levels, including being helpful in terms of mental health support and reducing anxiety.

We communicated with our Grade 6 students and families before moving forward with this initiative. We appreciate everyone on the team being willing to support this efforts as another layer of our ongoing effort to create a welcoming and supportive environment within our schools. Yost will be spending time in our Middle School Grade 6 cluster beginning today.

Thanks to Mr. Wright.

Since this concept is new to the district, we are starting slow but look to expand the program when appropriate. We will keep everyone posted.

Congratulations to our Varsity Football team for their HUGE win this past Friday, knocking off #1 seed Medina to clinch a trip to Highmark Stadium. Last year, our boys fought hard but lost to Medina at Highmark. This year, they'll face off against Lackawanna for Section VI Class C Championship. The game is this Thursday at 6 PM.

Pre-Sale Tickets will be available between 8am and 3:30pm at the High School office all this week and will last until sold out. Tickets are $10.00 each and only cash is accepted. Come cheer on our 'Billies!

• Our Girls Soccer team won the class B-2 sectional championship beating Allegany-Limestone 2-0.
• Our Midget Football team became the 2022 Lakeshore Midget Football League 9u/Rookie Champions, beating Chautauqua Lake 38-8.
• Our Cross Country team had a great showing in Bemus Point recently, and 8th grader Trenton Krenzer qualified for states at a recent sectionals race. Trenton will race next weekend in Verona, NY.
• Abby Roth took 2nd in the 100 Fly and she joined Greta Frerichs, Jenna Truby and Angie May for a 4th place finish in the 200 Free Relay in the Class C swim championships.
• Sophmores Elizabeth Pucci-Schaefer and Leah Marsh finished 1st and 2nd in class C and 1st and 3rd overall in the Section 6 class Diving Championships. Both girls competed in Sectionals and States!
• Congratulations to all of our student athletes, coaches, and families!

This year, over fifty Fredonia students participated in the 70th Annual Gannon University Model United Nations Conference alongside hundreds of other high school students in this interstate simulation.

Each delegation wrote a position paper, and this year we submitted sixteen position papers. Since the first week of school, the Model UN team has stayed after school every Friday to work on their position papers. Their dedication has been exceptional and their hard work has certainly paid off. Only three awards are given in this category, and Jenna Truby and Patrick Cotter’s position paper was awarded second place. This is a major achievement.

Several Fredonia students were recognized for their outstanding effort in representing their countries at the conference. Ava Hartung, Andrew Cowan, and Luca Gullo won best delegate awards for their work in GA 1 (Child Labor). This is a back-to-back win, as they won best delegate awards last year. Ava Kehrer secured a second-place best delegate award for her work on the Crisis Committee. In addition to being recognized for their position paper, Jenna Truby and Patrick Cotter were recognized as third-place best delegates for their work on GA 3 (South American Economies). Rebecca Lash’s leadership on the Security Council was acknowledged, as she was awarded third-place best delegate. Greta Frerichs, Angelina May, and Joella Bauza received honorable mentions for their diplomacy and efforts in GA 2 (Wildfires).

Last year, Gannon added a new committee: the Press Corp. Students develop a pen name, attend committee meetings, post updates on social media, and write press releases and articles. Writing as a reporter for The New Yorker, Alex Weiss received a third-place best correspondent award.

Finally, Fredonia won second place for Overall Best Delegation. This award recognized the work of all the students who attend the weekly meetings here at school and performed at their best at the conference.

A big thank you to Lindsey Moon and Christina Donovan who served as chaperones at this year’s conference. We’d also like to recognize this year’s seniors, many of whom have participated in Model UN all four years of their high school careers. Their leadership, dedication, and determination were especially evident during the years when the pandemic affected how Model UN functioned. We are extremely grateful for all the support this organization receives from parents, students, and the community, and we are looking forward to next year when Fredonia High School will celebrate 30 years of Model UN participation.

Thank you,

Pat Newell & Tom Donovan

Congratulations to our new inductees to the Tri-M Music Honor Society for this year! Their names are listed below. A handful of students were unable to be photographed due to soccer and volleyball commitments.

2022-2023 New Tri-M Inductees

Grant Abbey, Andrew Cowan, Cassandra Cramer, Brady Crawford, Ray Dai, Charles Domenico, Gracia Domenico, Alexandria Ferguson, Katherine Fortna (not pictured), Jackson Gollnitz, Luca Gullo, Gabriel Hellwig, Marla Henderson, Meghan Johnson, Elizabeth Joy, Moss Kaiser-Callen, Lydia LaBarr (not pictured), Cortland Lehnen, Adam Lesch, Kyree McCarthy, Elizabeth Pucci-Schaefer, Madeline Saunders (not pictured), Emily Schwertfeger (not pictured), Cooper Stenger, Jack Tuccio, Molly Tuccio, Frances Tucker, Elspeth VanDette, & Piper Walnicki (not pictured).

Students in our 5th grade classes had a unique opportunity this past week. Mrs. Forbes invited local conservation educators Rich Lazarczyk and Gary Dudek to present about trapping. The students have been studying westward expansion, and got to learn about and hold many animal specimens they've read about. Thank you Mr. Lazarczyk and Mr. Dudek for an engaging and interactive experience!

This year our High School continued with the annual Great Start Event! Around 65 students were nominated by their teachers based on their great start to the school year and their Preparedness (the P in our PRIDE acronym). Students stopped by the library and were treated to donuts, cider and candy - the perfect breakfast trio!

5th Grade students in Mr. Kwilos' ELA class performed a Halloween Reader's Theater skit for their Social Studies classmates in Mrs. Forbes' room on Friday. The actors enjoyed performing for their peers, and are looking forward to doing it again!

Our Unified team will once again be participating in the Polar Plunge at Woodlawn State Park Beach on December 2 to raise money for the Special Olympics. We have an amazing team this year with a fun name - the "Chilly Billies"! Check out the names below of students who need your donations to reach their goal. Each student is trying to raise $125.00.

How can I make a donation?

CLICK THIS LINK to donate!

or...

Can Kings Fundraiser: Just bring your cans/bottles to Can Kings in Fredonia and

donate to FHS Polar Plunge! Super easy!

Students participating (those in bold are still looking to reach their goal!):

Gracia Domenico Solomon McKnatt Josie Tomaszewski

Joella Bauza Anna Normand Mason Tomaszewski

Aiden Czekanski Josh Priolette Bailey Wegrzynowski

Austin Duliba Ryan Priolette Gracia Domenico

Gigi Ferro Tyler Priolette Charlie Domenico

Jena Gullo Abby Roth Noah Tarbell

Arianna Huber Ava Ruckavina Tristan Tarbell

Abigail Joy Cassie Smoczynski

Ava Kehrer Makayla Tabone

Lydia LaBarr Miriam LaBarr

Recently, 28 of our seniors took a trip to the University of Buffalo. They had an information session with admissions and took a tour of the campus. It was a great opportunity for these prospective students to ask questions and learn more about their options for higher education. Thanks to Laura DePue, Steven Romans, and Gina Davis for arranging this trip and acting as chaperones.

Congrats to art students Grayson Osborne-Coy, Stephen Keefe, and Kathryn Czekanski for being selected to be in the NYSATA NYSSBA Exhibition online. To view their work, click the link below. Their work is on slides 139-141.

Nineteen Fredonia Middle and High School student musicians were selected for New York State School Music Association Area All-State Ensembles this Fall. These groups draw their members from the best student musicians in Chautauqua, Erie, Cattaraugus, and Niagara Counties as determined through competitive auditions. Students in grades 7-9 will be performing on Saturday, November 5 at Akron High School and students in grades 10-12 will be performing on Saturday, November 19.

In addition, Abigail Roth was selected for a NYSSMA All-State Honor Ensemble. These ensembles are made up of the best High School student musicians in the state, and they are incredibly competitive. She will be performing on Sunday, December 4 at Eastman Theater in Rochester, NY.

Over 100,000 students are evaluated in NYSSMA Festivals each year. Congratulations to these students, their families, and their teachers on this accomplishment.

Selected students are:

Area All State Treble Chorus: Gilen Gottinger (Soprano), Ava Hartung (Soprano), Miriam LaBarr (Alto),

Area All State Mixed Choir: Ryan Davis (Baritone), Ezra Daly-Griffen (Baritone), Claire D’Amato (Soprano), Katherine Fortna (Soprano)

Area All State Orchestras: Nella Darrell-Sterbak (violin), Kyree McCarthy (viola), Cooper Stenger (cello), Grant Abbey (bass), Madeline Saunders (violin), Abigail Joy (violin), Benjamin Feit (violin), Emmanuel Rose (viola), Jack Pietro (cello), Benjamin Seigel (cello)

Area All State Band: Abigail Roth (Percussion) and Timothy Branden III (Percussion)

All State Symphonic Orchestra: Abigail Roth (Percussion)

We all know parenting can be one of the toughest jobs. We're here to help make it a little easier by getting you need-to-know info from area experts on issues you and your children are facing on a daily basis. Family Support Services at FCSD presents "Parent Academy: Timely Topics for Parenting Today". Sessions are free, and you can participate in three ways - you can attend the presentation in person, join live via Zoom meetings, or access a video recording and materials post-session. Any questions, please contact Kat Beyer, School Social Worker - kbeyer@fcsd.wnyric.org, 679-1581, ext 2759.

Click here to join us via Zoom on 10/26.

Our Unified Team has been having fun learning about bocce ball!

This is a fun fall activity for our players to enjoy while they wait for the official season of Unified Bowling. The courts were provided by the Special Olympics. We will have eight practices and then one culminating event in November with other schools. Thanks for everyone involved for bringing another exciting opportunity to our students.

The Fredonia Music Department is once again selling car magnets and shirts. If you are interested in purchasing them please use the link below. The site will remain open until 11/6.

Fredonia Middle School is celebrating ten years of musicals with its presentation of MATILDA the Musical JR. on November 18 at 7pm and November 19 at 3pm and 7pm in the District Auditorium. All tickets are $5. Reserved tickets are available at fredoniamusical.com with any remaining seats available at the door.

MATILDA the Musical JR. is based on the popular children's book by Roald Dahl. It is about an extraordinary young girl who dreams of a better life for herself and her classmates while contending with her family and the evil headmistress at her school, Miss Trunchbull. The musical features many hit songs including "When I Grow Up," "Naughty" and "Revolting Children."

Over 100 Fredonia students are involved in this production between the cast and backstage crew. Principal cast members include Alanna Marvin & Josie Swanson (Matilda), Claire d'Amato (Miss Trunchbull), Nella Darrell-Sterbak (Miss Honey), Adam Hartung (Mr. Wormwood) and Rosemary Gugino (Mrs. Wormwood).

Any questions, please contact Ben Wendell (Director): 716-679-1581 ext. 1455 or bwendell@fcsd.wnyric.org

There will be a “BLACK FRIDAY” Basketball Clinic for any interested girls and boys in Kindergarten – 8th grade on Friday, November 25th, from 7:00 am – 12:00 pm in the Fredonia High School Gym. It will be a fun filled day with games and prizes. All participants will receive a complementary season pass for all the 2022-2023 Fredonia Boys & Girls JV & Varsity Home Basketball Games.

DON’T DELAY, SPOTS ARE LIMITED!

For more information & signup form please contact Nick Bertrando at nbertrando@fcsd.wnyric.org.