#didyouknow? Each week we feature student artwork as our header background!

Big thanks going out to...

• Mackenzie Sheldon, her students, and members of the SUNY Fredonia Art Forum who presented at a recent Board of Education meeting (more below!)
• Our guest musicians who recently worked with high school band & orchestra students as they gear up for NYSSMA Majors
• Andy Dykes for visiting Lisa Forbes' classroom to speak about the importance of hard work and being a lifelong learner
• All of our students in Mrs. Walzer-Meehl's classroom for working hard to increase their literacy through the Accelerated Reader program

Dear Fredonia Families,

On behalf of our entire faculty and staff at FCSD, we send our love and sympathy to the Buffalo community after the tragic events of this weekend. Our hearts break for the victims of this attack, their friends and family, and all who have been impacted. It is during times of greatest need that Western New Yorkers have come together with a common purpose to support each other. Please join us in sending our positive and caring thoughts to all involved. We stand united with the people of Buffalo.

Our district also extends our support to those in leadership positions as they guide the city, as well as other local communities, through this difficult time. We want to recognize and thank the Buffalo Police Department and Emergency Medical Services for their quick response and action.

Tomorrow morning and as long as needed, we are offering assistance to any student or adult who may be struggling with this news. As always, our Family Support Services personnel are available for anyone who may need or want help dealing with this loss. We also encourage our parents and guardians to reach out to our schools for any assistance that may be needed.

The following resource may be helpful for those seeking more information about helping students cope with difficult situations:

Helping Children and Adolescents Cope With Disasters and Other Traumatic Events

Thanks for your ongoing support of our district and students.

Respectfully,
Brad Zilliox

Our High School Band and Orchestra invited guests to work with them as they gear up for NYSSMA Majors. The High School Band invited legendary band director Helen Ihasz in to work with them. She is a master teacher who worked at Westfield Academy and SUNY Fredonia. She also lives in Fredonia! The High School Orchestra students worked with SUNY Fredonia's Dr. Rick Webb and his students in sectionals. A big thank you to all of the clinicians who worked with our students.

Lisa Forbes and her 5th grade classroom had a visitor on Monday. Andy Dykes, who works as an evening cleaner here in the district, has been increasing his reading and math skills with a tutor at Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County. He has been learning since before the pandemic.

Ms. Forbes brought him into her class to show her students an adult "working hard to learn something so important to him," and the importance of hard work. Her students were wonderful listeners as he read to them, one student saying "That was awesome. It made my week. Can he come in again to do that?"

Thank you, Andy, for being an example for our students.

Accelerated Reader (AR) is a reading program at Fredonia Elementary to encourage students to read independently to enhance fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Two students in Ms. Walzer Meehl's classroom have met their year-end goal of 600,000 words and four have achieved "millionaire" status! The millionaires are Michaela Haas, Kamden Farrington, Emma Blair, and Elias Harper. The students who have met their fourth grade goal are Max Hernandez and Cory La Due. Congratulations!

Ryan Davis and Jackson Spangler played in a field of 32 doubles teams at the Lakewood YMCA May 11th and 12th and won their first 4 matches.

They lost in the final to the 2021 County Doubles Champions and will now play in Sectionals in Orchard Park May 24th. The group photo is the top 4 singles players and top 4 doubles teams in the county. Jackson Spangler is in 8th grade and Ryan Davis is a Junior.

Neil Cosico and Jackson Spangler finished in the top 8 in the Singles Tournament May 10th. The Fredonia boy's tennis term is 8 and 1 so far this season wih one match left.

At our most recent Board of Education meeting, Mackenzie Sheldon and several of her students gave a great presentation about their ongoing project with SUNY Fredonia's Art Forum club to create a mural (pictured above - in progress) which will be hung in the hallways. Two members of the Art Forum club attended the meeting as well to speak about how much they learned working with our students. Check out the link below for SUNY Fredonia's coverage of the partnership. We can't wait to see the finished mural hanging in our hallways!

Thanks to the following students who participated in the Board of Education presentation:

Emelia Domenico (5th Grade)

Sigrid Ellefsen (5th Grade)

Adalyn Stellrecht (5th Grade)

Meredith Marshall (5th Grade)

Lainey Ashlock (7th Grade)

Congratulations to our Senior Class of 2022! Let's celebrate their achievements and look to the future! 🧑‍🎓

Thank you to Ashleigh Hellwig for creating these awesome profiles. Click on the button below to see the full album, with more being added each week as we approach graduation.

As we prepare to close out the 2021-2022 school year, there are several activities (especially for our seniors) and important dates to keep in mind. Please see our website for a general flyer on key senior activities, the "Senior Packet" with more detailed information that is given to all seniors, and a list of important dates for the fourth quarter.

We look forward to an exciting end to the school year but remind all students and families that taking good care of ourselves - physically and mentally - is critical to academic success and the ability to participate and purposefully add to our celebrations of our students' successes.

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

-Mr. Paschke

The Rainbow Run is set to take place on Sunday, June 5, from 9:30am - approx. 10:30am. Registration will conclude on Wednesday, May 18. Volunteers are needed to sell Fredonia apparel, spray runners, and setup/cleanup of the event.

This is a fun, family friendly event. DJ Joe Gould and Servin' Up Smiles will be at this year's event!

Please email Msnyder@fcsd.wnyric.org for more info!

Registration for our popular Summer Music Lesson Program is now open and will close on June 5! Financial Aid may be available for students to participate. Please click the button below or contact your child's music teacher for more information.