lll0JB9"I

ul\0 7::>CrtOO LS
TELEPHONE: 41943581 63 1 aa1 PARK AVENUE, F'CJSTCJRIA, OHICJ 44830 WWW,F'CJSTCJRIASCHCJCJLS,CJRG

UPCOMING
EVENTS
October 17
Empty Bowls
@ 5:30p.m. - FJSHS
October 20
End of the 1st Quarter

October 26
District Wide Title I Event
@ 5:00 p.m. - FIES

November 15
5/6 Grade Band Concert
@FIES

November 20 & 21
Parent Teacher Conferences

November 20-24
No School for Students

December 4
District Wide Title I Event
@ 5:00 p.m. - FIES

December 5
3rd Grade/Multiage
Holiday Program
@FJSHS

December 12
JH Band Holiday Concert
@ 7:00 - FJSHS

December 14
1st Grade
Christmas Program
@ 6:30 p.m. - FJSHS
December 17
Band Holiday Concert
@ 3:00 p.m. - FJSHS

December 19
Holiday Choir Concert
@ 7:00 - FJSHS
 1001 Park Avenue
District Information 419-435-8163
asprang@fostoriaschools.org

Andrew Sprang
Superintendent
Image of the new 7-12 building.
Building Project Update
The work on the Early Site Package continues for the next several
months. Much of the work that is being done now is setting the
stage for the main construction that will begin in the spring. It is
exciting to see how far the design of the project has come in the
last several months.

The team from Garmann-Miller has been working with teachers

and staff in the district on classroom needs and materials. We
have hosted a community meeting that discussed the use of
memorabilia or artifacts from the older buildings in the districts
history. The bleacher project at the JSHS has been completed and
they are in use. When you visit the school campus you see that
construction fencing is up at both the JSHS and the Intermediate
school. Both buildings will be going through construction and
This image
renovations at the same time, which is a change to the timeline
is of the new
from what was originally planned. Financially for the project it is addition on the
better to shorten the timeline to control costs rising over a longer elementary
period of time. building.

Here is a milestone timeline that will guide the project over the
next several years. Obviously, this is subject to change based
on weather, availability of materials and workers, and any other
unforeseen circumstances. FCS hopes that the community can
be as excited to see this transformation of the district as we are.

Early Site Package August 2017-December 2017

Main Construction April 2018- December 2019
PK-6 Ready to open August 2019
7-12 Ready to open December 2019
Remaining Demolition/ Abatement January 2020- July 2020

We look forward to sharing more pictures and information as the

project progresses.

The Importance of Federal Funds
Fostoria City Schools receives revenue from
Federal, State, and Local funds to support our
operations. The largest share of our funding
comes from the state level (61.3%), local
(25.4%), federal (10.4%) and other (2.8%). In
past articles, I have primarily discussed the
health of our general fund and the use of the
five year forecast to monitor the funds longevity.
This article will instead focus on federal funds.
Although federal funds are not included in the
districts five year forecast, they are an integral
part of maintaining the districts financial stability.
Federal funds come from the federal
government to the state government and then
are passed along to districts. They are always
earmarked for a particular purpose and those
monies may only be used for that particular
objective. Often times, the funds are intended
Sue Lehmann
Treasurer
to help disadvantaged students or special
education students. Fostoria has significant
population of disadvantaged families; therefore,
FCS is the recipient of a large amount of federal
grants.
During the 2016-17 school year, FCS received
$1,926,100 in federal dollars. The bulk of these
dollars are used for the salary and benefits
for employees who work on the objective of
that particular federal grant. Although we are
fortunate to have these dollars come into our
district, we have for some time recognized our
dependence on these funds to maintain current
staffing levels. Loss of federal funds would
mean elimination of programs and staffing or
continuing them with the use of general fund
dollars.
Over the past 3 months, we have been notified
that either a federal award was being reduced
or eliminated for this school year. In total, we picked up by the general fund.
have seen a reduction or complete elimination FCS remains heavily reliant on federal dollars
in seven federal programs and experienced a to maintain our operations. Although we were
loss of $354,623 for this school year. able to make spending modifications to offset
the majority of this recent loss, future cuts in
The May forecast predicted a high of federal dollars would be very difficult to offset
$7,011,105 in general fund cash reserves and without major cuts to programs or significant
a low of $3,831,536 over the five year period. increase to general fund costs.
If the general fund were to absorb the loss of
these federal funds, cash reserves would dip to
$2,675,642 by 2021.
In response to this, a comprehensive approach
was taken to reduce the burden that would
be placed on the general fund. A plan was
employed which included the elimination of four
positions through attrition, savings from new
hires and reductions of capital expenditures
and educational supplies. This resulted in cost
savings of $314,660, leaving $39,963 to be
 District Information
Tera Matz
Curriculum Director
Parent Involvement
The district believes that significant learning by students is more likely to occur when
there is an effective partnership between the district, schools, and students parents/
guardians. Such a partnership means a mutual belief in and commitment to significant
educational goals for each student, a plan for the means to accomplish those goals,
cooperation on developing and implementing solutions to problems that may be
encountered and continuing communication regarding the progress of accomplishing
these goals. The district, in collaboration with parents, has outlined its commitment to
parent involvement in the District Parent Involvement Plan. In addition, each school
has a parent involvement policy that was developed jointly by the district, schools, and
parents and is reviewed and revised annually.
This year, the district will be focusing on hosting quarterly district-wide parent
engagement opportunities. Each of these events will have activities and sessions that
are both fun and informational. Sessions will cover a variety of topics including a focus
on math and reading, college and career readiness, and other high interest topics for
families. These events will offer a dinner for families as well as the opportunity to pick
sessions that best meet the needs of your family! More information will be coming
about this exciting addition, but please mark your calendars for Thursday, October 26,
2017 for our first event!
Online Resources
As a district we are excited to be able to offer an increasing number of opportunities for
our students to access textbooks, coursework, and other academic materials online.
Below is information on these opportunities your student(s) should have received
usernames and passwords for all of these resources. Please contact your children(s)
teacher if you need assistance with logging on or have questions regarding what is
available for your child.
STRIDE ACADEMY is an Internet-based academic program giving students the
opportunity to enhance their Math, Reading and Science skills while working on a
computer at home or at school. Because it links learning, competition, and a fun
video-game format, students engage with Stride Academy as an entertaining way to
practice and master grade-level skills and beyond. STRIDE is based on the Common
Core State Standards and closely linked to the content students study here at school.
Our goal for implementing STRIDE ACADEMY is to provide individualized intervention
and enrichment to each and every student. All buildings have purchased STRIDE
accounts for their students. Our goal is to have students spend time both in and out
of school working in the STRIDE ACADEMY program. We hope that you will join
us by encouraging your child to use this resource at home, as together we improve
student learning opportunities and performance. Visit www.stridestart.com to access
your students account.
Jenny Abell
Student Services
Welcome to the 2017-18 school year. The student services department has hit the ground running
and has many ideas and plans for the school year. Always in the forefront of our thoughts is helping
to implement the best services for students with academic and behavioral concerns.
First, the special education and related services staff will be focusing on various questions and
instructional ideals for the year in hopes of increasing student achievement with our at-risk population:
1. What new instructional practices/strategies will be implemented in the classroom with all students
focused on either academic or behavioral functioning which utilizes technology or hands-on
practice?
2. How can students be included more often in the general education classroom to ensure that
students are not only receiving the grade-based curriculum they need to perform at grade level,
but also allowing the necessary time for remediation of skill deficits and meet their individualized
goals?
3. What strategies will be taught to students to increase their independence and success?
4. How can time be used creatively to plan with general education teachers and paraprofessionals
to help coordinate services to students within the general education setting?
Additionally, the student services department will begin taking an inventory of all of the services
provided within the district and community that target students behavior, social skills, and mental
health. This will include analyzing what strategies are available and at what level of intensity they are
provided. With the vast number of behavioral strategies available both within the schools and through
various community agencies, the hope will be to help provide a menu of options as well as prioritize
them based on effectiveness and efficiency of implementation. Once determined, the next steps will
be to make sure all staff are aware of the services and to delineate how to access and intensify them,
as needed in the best interest of students.
As always, this department will work hard to support those students with the highest levels of academic
and social-emotional needs.

Connect Ed is the technology component that supports our McGraw-Hill curriculum

materials. Currently the K-6 Reading Wonders and 7-12 Social Studies materials can
be accessed here. Logging into Connect Ed allows students to access their textbook,
supplemental reading materials, assignments, and assessments online. Students can
practice skills, read selections, and locate homework. Visit www.connected.mcgraw-
hill.com to access your students account.

The districts K-12 math curriculum as well as the K-6 Social Studies Curriculum is
both supported by Pearson Education. The online portion of the curriculum is known
as Pearson Realize, which offers access to the student textbook and additional
educational opportunities including math games, helpful tools for online student work
and tracking student progress. Visit www.pearsonrealize.com to access your students
account.

Dont forget that Progress Book is also a great tool for you and your child to utilize to
keep track of grades and classroom performance. If you or your child(ren) have not yet
set up accounts, we encourage you to do so!
Curriculum Adoption
You may have noticed that over the last couple of years, FCS has updated our curriculum
materials in several content areas. This is because the district has committed itself to
get back on schedule for a five-years curriculum review cycle. This year, the focus
of the district will be on reviewing the needs of the science department PK-12. The
investment into these new curriculum adoptions is something that the district takes
very seriously. In order to ensure that a thorough review of our needs and options is
completed FCS will assemble a committee of K-12 teachers, administrators, parents
and students to begin this review process. The goal for the committee is to determine
what resources will best meet the needs of our students for the 2018-2019 school year
and beyond.
Alicia Swartzmiller
Transportation
The fall is upon us, leaves are beginning to don their beautiful colors and the air is beginning to crisp.
The buses have been rolling for several weeks and are getting into the groove. The continued support
of our parents and caregivers is so important to safe bus rides. Please discuss with your children
safe bus riding habits. In the coming weeks a bus will be out to Longfellow, Riley and FIES to go over
safety in and around the school bus. We will also be conducting bus evacuation drills with our riders.
The transportation department is currently searching for interested persons that would like to join
our team. It is a great opportunity to join the Fostoria City Schools staff and work with some amazing
young people. Please contact the transportation department at 419-436-4105 and let us help you
towards your new career!
 Longfellow/Riley Elementary School 619 Sandusky St. 1324 Walnut St.
419-436-4135 419-436-4145
Grades PreK 2 kbauman@fostoriaschools.org

Kelli Bauman
Principal
Year 3 of Leader in Me
As we continue our
journey with the Leader
in Me, we jump into the
Empowering Instruction
portion. All teachers
participated in training this
summer to prepare for
the 17-18 school year. In
years 1 and 2, we have
focused on teaching the 7
Habits of Highly Effective
People, setting goals
with students to increase
academic achievement
and overall building culture
improvements.

Level 3 of Leader in Me
focuses on the following:
Building Trusting
Relationships
Activating Student-Led
Learning
Engaging Collaborative
Planning and Reflection

These components
are focused towards
what teachers can do
instructionally to empower
students, even at the young
age of a kindergarten or
preschool student. This
transforms the classroom
culture from being
exclusively teacher-led into
a place where students
are empowered to lead
themselves. This year will
give us a chance to bring
all parts of the Leader in
Me together for a whole-
school transformation.
We are working to show
measurement of these parts through a results assessment created by
Franklin-Covey. I look forward to seeing the outcomes as we prepare
students socially, academically and culturally through this amazing
process.

WE NEED YOU! Calling all Leaders!

Are you in a position of leadership? Do you have a craft or skill you could
share with kids? As Leader in Me Schools, Longfellow and Riley work hard to
expose students to all different kinds of leadership and career opportunities,
even at a young age. We hold several school events throughout the school
year to promote this philosophy. From having lunch with students to sharing
what leadership skills it takes to do your job, you can help us! Please contact
Kelli Bauman at either school to share your leadership.

PARENT LUNCH:
One day each month, starting in October, parents and grandparents can join
their child for lunch at both Longfellow and Riley. The following dates have
been selected for these events.
Lunch at LONGFELLOW: RILEY Caf:
Thursday Friday
Oct. 12 Oct. 6
Nov. 9 Nov. 3
Dec. 14 Dec. 8
Jan. 11 Jan. 12
Feb. 8 Feb. 2
Mar. 8 Mar. 2
Apr. 12 Apr. 6
 1202 H.L. Ford Dr.
419-436-4125 Fostoria Intermediate Elementary School
kbernal@fostoriaschools.org Grades 3 6
A Note from Mrs. Engleman
Kori Bernal In the 3rd Grade and Multiage Music
classes, the students will be preparing for

Principal their Holiday Program called Our Family

Christmas. The program is Tuesday,
December 5th at 7:00 PM in the FJSHS
PAC. They will be singing many songs
From the Desk of Mrs. Bernal with choreography and there will also
We are well underway at FIES and the students have done an amazing be many solo singers. Santa and his
job adjusting to the daily routines! During the months of August and
September, teachers have been spending time assessing your childs Reindeer will also make an appearance
reading and math levels. This data will provide teachers with valuable and sing.
information used to determine instruction along with intervention and The 4th Grade Music classes will be
enrichments. Students will then be assessed in December and April to preparing to start playing the recorder.
track their progress in reading, math and science. They will learn to read music on the
Leader in Me is in full force at FIES! Students have been completing treble clef staff and how to set up their
activities on how to implement the 7 Habits in their daily lives. In October, playing area.
we will start with student action teams. The Student Lighthouse Team
has already met and put together welcome goodie bags for our substitute The 5th Grade music students are
teachers! What a great way to welcome our substitute teachers. learning the many instruments of the
orchestra: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass
and Percussion.
The 6th Grade music students are
starting a unit on the many genre of
music, including Opera, Broadway
Musical, Folk, Latin, Disco and many
others.

Mrs. Webers Art Corner

We have started the year creating
awesome pictures for the Square 1
Arts Fundraiser. Each child will get a
packet with their artwork on it. Their
masterpiece can be displayed on an
assortment of gifts to buy!
For the 1st quarter in the art room, all
students will be learning about the Pop
Art era. Each grade will be learning
Tech Talk with Mrs. Frederick
During the first quarter of technology there are many things happening. All about a different artist that contributed
students will be taking a pre-assessment on their typing skills, understanding to Pop Art. 3rd and 5th graders will be
of word processing, internet fair policy, and cyberbullying, along with creating learning about Wayne Theibaud and his
a document with a set of given instructions. Then throughout the first quarter dessert paintings. 4th and 6th graders
the students will first learn and review acceptable internet use and learn
about cyberbullying. Then, the grade levels will branch off with their own will learn about Andy Warhol and his
specific learning standards. Third grade students are learning how to access repetitive prints.
many new websites along with learning how to get into their email accounts
and how to use google classroom to create and turn in assignments. Fourth
graders will expand on their knowledge of document production with creating
brochures, while the fifth graders will learn how to use google sheets and
create spreadsheets with graphs. Finally, sixth graders will begin to learn
how to create slideshow presentations. Many exciting things happening
throughout the four grade levels.

Project MORE Volunteers Needed!

Project MORE is a reading
intervention program at Fostoria
Intermediate Elementary School.
Our mission is to help every student
maximize their reading potential, no
matter their ability level. Volunteers
are trained to work 1:1 with 3rd-6th
grade students on reading skills
during the school day (8:00 AM-3:00
PM). The minimum time requirement
is 30 minutes once a week or as much
as the volunteer would like each day/
week. Background checks are
required but are paid for by a grant
obtained by Project MORE. If you are
interested please contact Mrs. Pam
Berrier, 419-436-4125 or pberrier@
ostoriaschools.org.
 Fostoria Junior/Senior High School 1001 Park Ave.
419-436-4110
Grades 7 12 dbauman@fostoriaschools.org

Drew Bauman
Principal
The first few weeks of this school year have flown by as students and staff acclimate themselves to the hustle
and bustle of a new year. There is much to be excited about at Fostoria Junior/Senior High School and we are
grateful for the opportunity to share it all with our community!

The staff and students at Fostoria Junior/Senior High School are working hard this year on the goal-setting
process as we begin our journey as a LEAD school. Research has shown that the simple act of writing a goal
greatly increases the chances of accomplishing the goal. If goals are broken down into action steps and the
action steps are tracked, goals have an even greater percentage of success. Fostoria High School student council representatives were elected at the
conclusion of last school year. These students have already started acting
as leaders of their class and the building. As members of student council and
During our weekly SUCCESS period, each student writes and then monitors three examples for their peers, these students are expected to exemplify strong
Wildly Important Goals or WIGs in a Leadership Notebook. These goals are focused moral character and academic integrity.
on 3 critical areas: Grades, Attendance, and Personal Development. We refer to
these critical areas as our GAPs. For each area students identify 2-3 action steps
to ensure they are taking efforts to achieve their GAP WIGs. During SUCCESS,
students also meet with an accountability partner to discuss their action steps and the
progress they have made over the last week.

We are very excited about the work our students and staff are doing through LEAD! Taking this process
seriously will help us close the GAP. We encourage you to ask your child about our Leadership Notebooks
and WIGs at home. The goals chosen are meaningful to your child, so be sure to practice Habit 5: Seek First
to Understand, Then to Be Understood. We sincerely thank you for your support!

Part of LEAD is discussing what are known as the 7 Habits. These are habits
that, when made an integral part of our everyday decision making and treated
as a way of life, will have a significant impact on our lives.

Our students are diving into these habits in their

SUCCESS classes as well. They will begin with
Habit 1 Be Proactive. Being proactive means to
take responsibility for your own life. One easy way
for students, and adults, to do this is by listening
to our language. Some examples of proactive
language versus reactive language can be found
in the picture to the left.
A motto that we have adopted this year is Victim or
Victor. Too often it is easy for a person to focus on
what is outside of their control or influence when
evaluating their own behaviors. This is what we
call the Victim Mindset. Instead, we would like our
students to pay specific attention to those things they do have control or influence
over, adopting a Victor Mindset. A victim mindset allows others to dictate to us
what we are capable of accomplishing, and limits our potential to others opinions
of us. A victor mindset empowers students to carve their own path and limits their
potential only to what they tell themselves they are capable of.
Something our students will practice at school, and can also easily be done at home, is the Circle of Control.
When considering a goal we would like to accomplish,
p or a dilemma in our lives, we should consider this circle.
Pictured are this years class presidents. From left to right are:
Freshmen President Dominic Jackson
Sophomore President Devin Mauricio
Senior & Student Body President Calob Keller
Junior President Tia Overton
We would like to highlight that while our student council representatives
have high expectations in the classroom, many of these students are also
representing Fostoria High School outside of the school as members of extra
and co-curricular activities including athletic teams, band, choir, school clubs
and other volunteer organizations. It is our goal to have 100% of our students
participating in at least one extra or co-curricular activity to provide each
student with a well-rounded educational experience.
Empty Bowls
FJSHS art students working on their empty bowls for the supper that will be
held October 17 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The meal is
$10.00 and guests are invited to take a bowl with them to remember there
are hungry people in our community. Its a simple supper of soup, bread and
water.

Is this something that we have influence or control over? If so, it falls within the inner part of circle, or the Circle
of Control. If it is not something we are able to influence it falls in the outer circle, or the Circle of No Control.
If we grow the inner circle, and shrink the outer circle we are building a Victor Mindset and will take greater
responsibility of our own lives.
 SPORTS
Varsity Wrestling
Day Date
2017-2018Opponent Place Time
Saturday 12-2-17 Gibsonburg Golden Bear Inv. A 9:30 AM New to the Redmen runner (from SW)
Tuesday 12-5-17 NBC Quad @ Otsego A 5:30 PM Erika Gonzales is the front runner for the
Tuesday 12-12-17 NBC Quad @ Lake A 5:30 PM girls team, while Dylan Sheets continues
Saturday 12-16-17 Mohawk Duals A 10:00 AM to lead the boys.
Friday 12-22-17 Findlay Trojan Inv. A 10:00 AM
Friday 1-5-18 45th Annual A Classic Woodmore A 5:00 PM
Saturday 1-6-18 45th Annual A Classic Woodmore A 10:00 AM
Tuesday 1-9-18 NBC Quad @ Elmwood A 5:30 PM
Saturday 1-13-18 Carey Classic A 10:00 AM
Tuesday 1-16-18 NBC Dual v Eastwood w/Clay H 5:30 PM
Friday 1-19-18 Van Buren Invite A 4:00 PM
Saturday 1-20-18 Van Buren Invite A 9:00 AM
Saturday 1-27-18 Galion Covert Wrestling Inv. A 10:00 AM
Saturday 2-3-18 NBC Championship @ Lake A 10:00 AM

Varsity/JV Boys
Day
Basketball 2017-2018
Date Opponent Place Time 13-5 currently as we near the end of the
Saturday 11-11-17 Margaretta/New Riegel (S) A 9:30 AM season, vying for a top half fi nish in league.
Tuesday 11-14-17 Gibsonburg (JV/Fr H) (S) A 5:30 PM
Thursday 11-16-17 Lakota (S) A 5:30 PM
Friday 11-24-17 Elgin (S) A 10:00 AM
Monday 11-27-17 Bowling Green (S) A 6:30 PM
Saturday 12-2-17 Cardinal Stritch A 6:00 PM
Friday 12-8-17 Genoa H 6:00 PM
Thursday 12-14-17 Lake A 6:00 PM
Friday 12-15-17 Tiffin Columbian H 6:00 PM
Tuesday 12-19-17 Eastwood A 6:00 PM
Friday 12-22-17 Rossford H 6:00 PM
Saturday 12-23-17 Arcadia A 6:00 PM
Thursday 12-28-17 Holiday Classic Evergreen A TBA
Friday 12-29-17 Holiday Classic Evergreen A TBA
Thursday 1-4-18 Otsego H 6:00 PM
Tuesday 1-9-18 Woodmore A 6:00 PM
Friday 1-12-18 Elmwood H 6:00 PM
Thursday 1-18-18 Seneca East A 6:00 PM
Friday 1-19-18 Genoa A 6:00 PM
Thursday 1-25-18 Lake H 6:00 PM
Saturday 1-27-18 Hopewell Loudon A 6:00 PM
Friday 2-2-18 Rosford A 6:00 PM
Tuesday 2-6-18 Eastwood H 6:00 PM
Friday 2-9-18 Otsego A 6:00 PM
Friday 2-16-18 Woodmore H 6:00 PM
Tuesday 2-20-18 Carey H 6:00 PM
Friday 2-23-18 Elmwood A 6:00 PM

Varsity/JV Girls
Day
Basketball 2017-2018
Date Opponent Place Time Football captains clockwise
Saturday 11-4-17 Riverdale/Mohawk (S) A 10:00 AM from top left: Skyler Garcia,
Saturday 11-11-17 Stryker/Liberty Center (S) A 10:00 AM Collin Rice, Jace Boff, Monty
Wednesday 11-15-17 Galion (S) H 5:30 PM Stahl.
Saturday 11-18-17 Fremont/Upper Sandusky (S) A 10:00 AM
Wednesday 11-22-17 Hardin Northern/Gibsonburg (S) H 5:00 PM
Friday 11-24-17 Hopewell Loudon A 6:00 PM Redmen are off to a 4-2 start
Saturday 11-25-17 Arcadia H 6:00 PM under their leadership.
Tuesday 11-28-17 Tiffin Columbian A 6:00 PM
Friday 12-1-17 Rossford A 6:00 PM
Thursday 12-7-17 Eastwood H 6:00 PM
Saturday 12-9-17 Bowling Green H 1:00 PM
Tuesday 12-12-17 Woodmore A 6:00 PM
Friday 12-15-17 Otsego A 6:00 PM
Saturday 12-16-17 Lakota A 6:00 PM
Thursday 12-21-17 Lake H 6:00 PM
Thursday 12-28-17 Wapak Holiday Tournament A 6:00 PM
Friday 12-29-17 Wapak Holiday Tournament A 6:00 PM
Tuesday 1-2-18 Genoa H 6:00 PM
Friday 1-5-18 Elmwood A 6:00 PM
Thursday 1-11-18 Rossford H 6:00 PM
Thursday 1-18-18 Eastwood A 6:00 PM
Tuesday 1-23-18 Otsego H 6:00 PM
Friday 1-26-18 Woodmore H 6:00 PM
Thursday 2-1-18 Lake A 6:00 PM
Thursday 2-8-18 Genoa A 1:00 PM
Saturday 2-10-18 Seneca East H 6:00 PM
Thursday 2-15-18 Elmwood H 6:00 PM
 Fostoria City Schools
GOOD MATH QUESTIONS
TO ASK YOUR CHILD
When your child needs help
getting started, you can ask:

Are there any words in the

directions that you dont
understand?

Where do you think you could

begin?

Have you tried reading the

problem aloud?

What do you know so far?

Can you predict what the solution might look like? What makes you think
that?

When your child has difficulty with math homework, you can ask:

How is this like what you did in class today?

Does this remind you of a similar problem that you have solved in the past?

Is there anything you know that could be used to solve the problem?

Can you find help in your textbook or notes?

Can you explain everything you have done so far?
Can you complete part of the problem?
Have you tried breaking down the problem?
When your child asks Is this right? you can ask:
Does your answer seem reasonable?
What does your answer mean?
How can you convince me that your solution makes sense?
Is there more than one possible solution?
What is being counted? Does your solution need units?
When your child is finished with homework, you can ask:
What did you learn from this assignment?
What new questions do you have?
How do these problems fit with what you have been learning recently?
Will your strategy always work?
Fun Nutrition Facts: Crash and Burn Sugar
Ride the sugar rollercoaster
When you havent eaten for a while, your legs may get wobbly and your brain
may begin to lose focus more easily, causing you to do poorly in class. These
are signals from your body that its store of energy is getting low as energy
feeds both our bodies and our brain.
All foods contain energy. Some food release their energy quickly. A sugary
drink or a piece of candy gives a quick energy rush. But the effect fades and
soon you may want another drink or more food as your sugar level drops.
Foods like whole grains and fruit release energy more slowly than candy
or sugary drinks because they have fiber in them. So when you eat toast,
cereal, or a banana, your energy lasts longer than If you had sweets or a
fizzy drink.
Fun Fact: A normal-size candy bar contains a nearly amount of sugar as a
can of soda? Glucose, sucrose, fructose, and maltose are all types of sugar.
You can spot them in the ingredients list because they all end with the letters
ose.
THE EVOLUTION OF DECA AT FOSTORIA HIGH SCHOOL
Fostoria DECA has been around since the mid l960s and has changed and evolved with the times. DECA, which
stands for An Association of Marketing Students, used to be called Distributive Education. Since DECA is a co-
curricular organization, students enrolled in one of four courses become members of DECA. These courses
include: Introduction to Marketing, Business Foundations, Marketing Applications, and Advertising and Social
Media. Today, Fostoria DECA includes students in grades 9-12. Students who complete 3 out of the 4 courses
offered will then become program completers.
DECA places a strong emphasis on leadership, vocational understanding, networking, and competition. As a result,
Fostoria DECA has attended leadership conferences and competitions in Buffalo, Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis,
Orlando, Atlanta, Nashville, and Anaheim. For the competitive events most students are required to take a 100
question test that covers content in business, marketing, economics, human relations, and employability skills.
In addition to a test, students participate in a role-play with a judge, which involves solving a simulated business
problem or situation. Other competitive events include a written paper and a presentation of the paper. Students
compete at the district, state, and national levels. Over the years Fostoria DECA members have represented
Fostoria well by sending over 25 students to the national level and having two Ohio DECA state officers. Although
DECA has changed with the times, Fostoria continues to support students who wish to pursue their interest in
business, marketing, finance, or entrepreneurship.
Literacy Corner Choosing Just Right Books
Do your children ever struggle when choosing a book to read? 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 hardbut just right.
Introduce the ideas 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 you 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 nest book.
If you 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. Happy Reading!