Big thanks going out to...

• Our School Counselors for their hard work every day, but especially during School Counselor Month!
• All those who are incorporating activities, stories, and discussions about Black History Month into their curriculum.
• Our new therapy dog Millie, and owner Kayla Sullivan, for their visits to our elementary classrooms.
• Our partners at local businesses and here at FCSD who hosted high school interns again this year.
• Our fourth grade reading leaders for buddying up with first graders to help them increase their fluency.

Dear Fredonia School Community,

I hope everyone is enjoying a little bit of a break from the cold weather. We wanted to take a moment to celebrate all of the fantastic work that has been done over the course of the first semester of this school year. The district continues to focus on ways that we can be innovative, dynamic, and global, in keeping with our vision statement. At our last in service day, we highlighted efforts from across the district that fall under each of these categories. Here are a few examples:

Innovative:

• Development of new website with app

• Adoption of Envision math curriculum

• Creation of a new course combining personal fitness and nutrition

• Utilization of project-based learning thorough new Turning Points course offering

• Creation of Trap Club

• Increased participation in Student Ambassador programs

• Establishment of Grade 9 teacher committee

• Implementation of social media coordinator at MS

• Lunch bunch program

• New STEM classes and resources

• The use of iReady as a formative assessment

• Establishment of a Therapy Dog program

Dynamic:

• Involvement in the Big Buddy Program

• Implementation of Second Step curriculum

• Use of Mystery science lessons & activities

• Integration of WozED in STEM with a plan to build and grow K-12

• Continued use of the Wheelock Outdoor Classroom

• Participation in a UPK & K faculty/staff book study

• Continued growth of Unified Sports Teams

• Partnerships with SUNY Fredonia students

• Children’s Book Projects with MS students working with ES students

• Implementation of new format for Curriculum Council with focused subcommittees

• Planned professional learning for enVision with partner district

Global:

• Partnership with Feed More WNY to provide food to students and families

• Expansion of Backpack program

• Implementation of nationally normed benchmarks

• Ability for families to utilize multi-language translation on the new district website

• Special Education focus on postsecondary outcomes

• Multicultural celebrations that integration of art, music, dance, literature, & food

• Use of virtual reality with Nearpod to explore historical locations

• Held Chris Herren Assembly with evening parent session

• Access to the Edge & Edge Jr. clothing and hygiene stores

• Attendance at SAANYS Administrative Leadership Conference

• Attendance at MS/ES Team at LitCon 2023

• Attendance at MS/HS Team at EduCon 2023

• Attendance at District/ES/MS Team at WozEd STEM Conference

Thanks to everyone for their hard work and dedication over the first twenty weeks of the school year. We look forward to a positive and productive second semester which began on January 31.

Please remember to reach out with questions, concerns, or ideas at any time.

Respectfully,

Brad

This month, we are learning more about influential figures in Black history through daily stories during the High School morning announcements. We think this is an excellent way to honor Black history and spread knowledge to ourselves and our students. Click here to read more stories about these pioneers, and share their good work with others.

At Fredonia Elementary, we recently celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year. Weilin Root and Kay Dai joined us on the morning announcements and spoke in their native Chinese! Thank you to Weilin and Kay for helping us learn about and celebrate the year of the Rabbit.

February is School Counselor Month...but of course, we celebrate our counselors every day. School Counselors take on so many different roles and responsibilities, and chances are, you have been influenced by our team and their good work. Please take a moment, any time of the year, to thank this amazing group of professionals!

Gina Davis, High School

Steven Romans, High School

Jennifer Martin, Middle School

Amy Gavazzi, Middle School

Judith Przybyla, Elementary School & Wheelock Early Childhood Center

Meet our latest addition to the therapy dog family - Millie!

Millie is a labradoodle from Cherry Creek, NY, and her owner is Kayla Sullivan, a Speech Pathologist here at FCSD. She has had Millie since she was 8 weeks old, and she has grown up an avid Bills fan!

When not helping our students and staff, Millie enjoys taking long walks through the village of Fredonia. She loves watching birds and squirrels, car rides to Frosty Treat, swimming in Grandma & Grandpa’s pool, and “helping” Kayla garden by digging in the mud.

Millie trained to be a therapy dog with Kaleigh Olson of Shaylah’s Canine Commands in Forestville. She has her basic obedience certificate, passed her American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen test, and completed all the requirements to acquire her Therapy Dog Certification. She will spend time in our first and second grade classrooms.

Welcome, Millie!

Make a friend with a book! That is exactly what Mrs. Carmello’s and Ms. Aul’s 1st grade classes did with Mrs. Walzer-Meehl’s 4th grade class! Mrs. Walzer-Meehl’s class came to read to our first graders before our December break and it was such a success we began a formal peer reading program in the New Year. Our first graders are paired with fourth graders to enjoy Buddy on the Side reading. Research states that when two readers, one stronger than the other are paired together to read, it improves decoding skills and general fluency.

Here are quotes from some of the participants:

Our fourth graders said...

“I like listening to the first graders read and really like when they are able to read the words in the book that they are learning.” Charlee Gentry

“I never get to read to my own brother so I enjoy reading to first graders.” Ella Burnside

“I like teaching them to read, and having them read to me.” Mason Aldrich

“I like how the students pay attention to me and how they read the books.” John Swanson

Our first graders said...

“I like when they read to me and they are really nice.” Haley Haase

“I like the books they pick.” Charlie Proper

“They are perfect readers. I like to listen to them.” Dynasty Garcia-Hillard

“I get to read fun books and work on my AR count.” Quinn Krenzer

“I like working with 4th graders!” Collin Aldrich

By the conclusion of this collaboration, everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy a paired reading experience.

We are very proud to announce several of our middle and high school artists were chosen for recent juried art shows at Daemen College and St. Bonaventure. Congratulations to Grayson Osborne-Coy, who won Honorable Mention at the show!

High school students chosen for Daemen's All High Exhibition:

Lauren Arch

Raena Beckley

Marlo Huestiis

Adrianna Lisa

Grayson Osborne-Coy

Emma Putney

Middle school students whose work was shown at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts Middle School Juried Art Exhibition at St. Bonaventure:

Callie Draggett

Tyler Johnson

Aidan Kinney

Alexa Klemens

Suzie Nebrich

Sam Rogers-Holbrook

Olivia Seelbinder

Brooklyn Smith

Lilly Stranahan

Hailey Voigt

View a full gallery of their work here.

Each year, our high school students in Mrs. Depue's business classes are paired with local business owners, educators, and FCSD staff, to find the right internship for their interests. It's an amazing opportunity for them to gain real world experience. This year, the following students have been working hard in their internships:

• Ethan Fry with Mrs. Lotter in a Lifeguarding Class
• Maria Maytum with Head Athletic Trainer Brenda Dean at SUNY Fredonia
• Claire O'Connell at FCSD with Mrs. Padua and Mrs. Rush's class
• Grayson Osborne-Coy with Art Professor Tim Frerichs at SUNY Fredonia
• Emma Putney in FCSD Art Education with Mrs. Appleby
• Kara Vecchio with Mrs. Wiskup in MS Phys. Ed
• Grace Wdowiasz at Family Orthodontics

Thank you to all of our local partners for their time and efforts to provide these experiences to our students, and to Mrs. Depue for facilitating this program each year.

Each year, Wheelock is excited to celebrate the Global School Play Day. This day is held every first Wednesday of February and encourages children to simply...play! Research has shown that there is a positive relationship between unstructured play and children's mental health. We believe that it is important that students can be kids and play!

Our Unified Bowling Team had a great time at their first match of the season against Lake Shore. We are so proud of all of you!

Their first home meet will be on Wednesday, February 15 at 3:15 at Lucky Lanes. We would love to see the support of all our teachers and friends at their match!

It was our pleasure to host the CCMTA (Chautauqua County Music Teachers Association) Solo Festival for the 20th time on February 4! Over 400 student musicians performed from across the county and 128 of the solos were played by our own Hillbillies. Many thanks to the 52 student assistants who volunteered at the festival as well. This festival would have not been possible without you! Congratulations to all involved.

Congratulations to the 25 FCSD students who performed in All County Ensembles at the CCMTA Winter Festival on February 11 at Maple Grove High School. The groups involved were the All County Elementary Band, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Senior Orchestra. We are very proud of you all!

Check out the gallery!

Mrs. Forbes' 5th Graders are reading about the Dust Bowl in Social Studies class.

Texts and witnesses referred to the strong static electricity that was present in the dry conditions.

FMS Science teacher Mr. Waag presented a lesson to the 5th Graders, and let several student volunteers safely experience the electric charge from a VanDeGraaf generator in his room. It was a "hair raising" experience!

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and your time, Mr. Waag!

Congratulations to our girls and boys varsity bowling teams for qualifying for their respective Section VI tournaments! They are held this year at Airport Lanes in Cheektowaga, NY. The girls tournament is on February 15 at 9:00 am, and the boys tournament is February 16 at 9:00 am. Good luck to all our bowlers!

Girls Team:

Allie Cook, Grade 12

Jenna Truby, Grade 12

Jaelyn Davis, Grade 11

Leah Hinds Morrison, Grade 11

Taylor Hinds Morrison, Grade 11

Oleysia Batista, Grade 9

Moss Kaiser-Callen, Grade 9

Londyn Wilmot, Grade 8

Boys Team:

Zack Kawski, Grade 12

Kyle Berkshire, Grade 11

Nate Manzella, Grade 11

Simon Price, Grade 11

Owen Rush, Grade 11

Daniel Cook, Grade 10

Brady Helmer, Grade 10

Connor Sullivan, Grade 10

We are so proud of our High School Chamber Choir who performed at the Choral Festival on February 11! This was an amazing opportunity for our students because, for the past 12 years, the festival has been collegiate-only. Many thanks to our partners at SUNY Fredonia for their continued support of our student musicians.

The Fredonia Central School District welcomes our Fredonia families to register their children for UPK and/or Kindergarten for the 2023-23 school year. Registration for pre-kindergarten children who will turn 4 years old on or before December 1, 2023 and registration for kindergarten children who will turn 5 years old on or before December 1, 2023 is currently in progress.

Kindergarten and pre-kindergarten registration are critical pieces of the school enrollment process. The pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms will continue to be held at Wheelock Early Childhood Center next year. Please call the Wheelock School office to enroll your child in either UPK or Kindergarten and request a registration packet. We plan on offering a full-day UPK program for all students next year, as well as an optional half-day am classroom.

Parents and/or guardians will need to provide us with several important items when registering their child: proof of residency such as a utility bill or rent receipt, a birth certificate or other legal evidence of your child’s age, your child’s immunization record, and the completed pre-kindergarten or kindergarten packet forms and materials.

Please contact the Wheelock Office by April 1 at 679-1581, ex 2800 to request a

registration packet for either Universal Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten.