m 0

Enjoy your summer

Judy Withrow Coordinator of Gifted Services

1100 Broad Ave. Findlay, Ohio 45840

419-425-8296 jwithrow@fcs.org

Mary Ann Clarke ............... 419-427-5437 mclarke@fcs.org Terri Hooper ..................... 419-427-5495 thooper@fcs.org Patty Majors ...................... 419-425-8310 pmajors@fcs.org Loveda VanDerMolen ....... 419-425-8373 lvandermolen2@fcs.org Kate WInger ...................... 419-425-8240 kwinger@fcs.org Kristin Woodhull ................ 419-425-8332 kwoodhull@fcs.org

FEP Board Members:

President – Kent Bechtol Vice-President – Lameice Kenny Treasurer – Laura Metz Secretary – Carrie Templin In This Issue… Intermediate .......... p. 2-3

Middle School ....... p. 3-4

High School .......... p. 4-5

Of Interest to All ....... p. 6

Calendar of Events ... p. 8

Sept. / Oct. 2009 Vol. 23, No. 1

Dear Parents, Students, Teachers and Friends: With summer quickly approaching, my thoughts are filled with gratitude for all who have helped to make this past school year such a rewarding experience for our students who sought to grow in their knowledge and understanding. We don’t often speak enough about our very supportive FEP Board members and officers. So much of what we do to build up the gifted services in our school district would not be possible without their dedication. They are simply parents with a desire to serve in order to provide the best educational opportunities for all of our children. So, I asked them to share a bit about themselves as this school year comes to a close. Maria Harjala has three children in FCS and has served on our FEP Board for this past year after several years of serving FEP in other capacities. Maria’s favorite subjects in school were language arts and theatre. Carrie Templin has two children in FCS and has served as our FEP Board Secretary for the past two years. Carrie’s favorite subject was social studies. Stephanie Herron is now the proud mother of two FHS graduates. She has served on our FEP Board this past year after seven years of supporting our enrichment programs as a volunteer. In school, she loved math and reading. Laura Metz has been our FEP Board Treasurer for the past two years and has three children in FCS. Her favorite subject was English. Beth Fulk has served our FEP Board for the past three years after several years of supporting our enrichment programs. Beth has three daughters in FCS, and when she was in school she loved science, especially physics! Marti Earhart has served as a faithful FEP Board member for four years, and she has one daughter in FCS. Marti’s favorite subject in school was science. Dawn Copeland who has served our FEP board for the past years has three children in FCS. Her favorite subject in school was language arts. Lameice Kenny has served as our FEP Board Vice-President for the past year and has two children in FCS. When Lameice was in school she loved her math classes the best. And I have two sons in FCS. After volunteering with our enrichment programs for several years, I have served this past year as your FEP Board President. My favorite class was always art, but I also enjoyed math and band. These ladies join me in encouraging you to make the most of this summer with all the educational possibilities that abound locally and within a short travel distance. The Children’s Museum of Findlay is opening in July; The Toledo Zoo is hosting a Celebration of Flight; The Columbus Zoo is reintroducing the Heart of Africa; The Cleveland Zoo is opening the Circle of Wildlife Carousel; And the Cincinnati Zoo has a baby giraffe to name! Locally, we still have some spots available in our annual Camp World (July 28-Aug 1). Contact Judy Withrow to reserve a spot for your kids! Our Arts Partnership and Toledo’s Imagination Station both have camps and activities available for summer fun and learning! So, do something creative this summer and share those experiences with your kids! Timothy Kent Bechtol FEP Board President tkbechtol7@gmail.com ph. 419-425-4020

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT…

Tim Bechtol, President 419-425-4020

Findlay Enrichment Programs, Inc.

May/June 2014 Vol. 26, Issue 5

To receive your newsletter via e-mail, please contact Mary Ann at mclarke@fcs.org with your e-mail address.

FEP Newsletter May/June 2014 Page

2

The FIND Classroom . . .

FIND NEWS FROM THIRD GRADE Patty Majors

Was It Worth It? Independent Studies take many hours in the FIND classroom and many hours at home. There are stressful moments, days, and weeks. Sometimes students, parents, and, yes, even the FIND teacher wonders – Is this really worth it? This past week, students were asked to reflect on the entire Independent Study process in a journal format. They have become accustomed to me giving a fairly loose set of directions so that each of them may go in the direction that suits him/her. Over the years, I have found that the more structured the assignment is the more similar the responses will be; the more open the assignment is the more thoughtful and original the responses will be. In the words of FIND 3rd graders: --I did better and better as Independent Study went on. --Think about the good when bad makes it worse. --Fun, interesting, new data. --Hard work pays off. --Don’t forget the problem or it will all fall apart. --If I don’t succeed, I will try, try again. --It was hard at first and easy at the end. --I was glad it was over, but then I realized that this was just the beginning. --Effort equals perfectness. --I can do it! --It was not easy. --For me, my Independent Study started out rough but ended up smooth. It was like going through a storm. --The Independent Study was an awesome experience for me. --If you don’t succeed, try try again. --When I learned more about XXXX it made me even more curious. --I never knew I could do such awesome things. --The independent study is…AMAZING! --My favorite part in my Independent Study is presenting. --When I started my Independent Study, I thought it would be easy, but it wasn’t. --The Independent Study has helped me achieve my goals in many ways. --Try, try, try again. --I can do anything if I work hard. --I couldn’t have done it alone. --Thank you to my family for helping. It was worth it.

What Makes a Great Disney Movie by Elizabeth Tisdale

Lindsey Cassata created Rolling on a Coaster

Black

Gold

created

by

Andrew

Behrendt

FEP Newsletter May/June 2014 Page

3

FIND BANQUET on MAY 16, 2014

Fourth/Fifth Grade FIND News from Wilson Vance Kristin Woodhull

Fun for All!

The FIND students in grades 3-5 and their families celebrated the end of the year and being in FIND with a potluck banquet. The students shared special memories of their year in FIND through readings, skits, and special creations. We wish all of our outgoing fifth grade FIND students the best of luck in middle school, and we encourage all FIND student to continue to challenge themselves throughout the summer!

MIDWEST ACADEMIC TALENT SEARCH

(EXPLORE) This year the Center for Talent Development of Northwestern University conducted its eighteenth annual search for elementary and middle school students who are academically talented. In January, students took

EXPLORE, an out-of-level test specifically developed to accurately assess abilities in talented students. Of the seventy-one students who qualified, twenty-three 5th and 6th grade students attending Findlay City Schools chose to participate in the Midwest Academic Talent Search: Jordan Bechtol, Rhys Bello, Jordan Bryant, Michael Copeland, Jadyn Dawson, Anna Detterman, Megan Earhart, William Fedirka, Jalyss Fisher, Moses Gaines, Kiralyn Gordon, David Hackenberg, Emma Hellman, Jack Kenny, Trinity Lee, Haleigh Qualls, Mooskan Singhal, Josiah Spiceland, Drew Swisher, Steven Wintringham, Ryan Yarcusko, Sophia Yu and Zedric Wilson.

MIDWEST ACADEMIC TALENT SEARCH

(SAT Test) Students who participated in this year’s Midwest Academic Talent Search for grades seven and eight will be honored at their middle school award assemblies at the end of the year. To qualify for the program, students had to score at or above the 95th percentile on nationally-normed tests. In January, students took the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) which is designed for college-bound seniors. Findlay area students did quite well. This year twenty-four students chose to participate: Phillip Bibler, Omar Bodnarik, Riley Coward, Wyatt Deem, Cameron Dillon, Katelyn Foster, Caitlin Fraley, Julia Fulk, Sam Giedeman, Nicholas Hunt, Emily Huynh, Andrew Kanwit, William Kiffmeyer, James Laumeyer, Analese Lutz, Sofia MendezIxcot, Alexandria Montgomery, Ezekiel Neat, James Spiceland, Nadya Sudarma, William Templin, Hunter Tichenor, Logan Wetz, Madeline Woodhull and Maggie Yarcusko.

REACH NEWS . . .

Kate Winger & Loveda VanDerMolen

Grade 7 at Donnell & Glenwood

COACH BOONE HEARD BY REACH SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS

In 1971, racial tensions ran high in Alexandria, Virginia, as three schools were integrated to form T. C. Williams High School. In a story captured by the monumentally popular Disney film Remember the Titans, Herman Boone–portrayed by Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington–faced the challenge of a lifetime in uniting black and white players from previously rival schools in the newly-created Titan football team. Coach Boone’s presentation at Findlay High School on respect, teamwork, community involvement, and the importance of character inspired the following quotations by seventh grade REACH students. “Although much of the presentation referenced a movie called Remember the Titans, the meaning is

FEP Newsletter May/June 2014 Page

4

apparent. Accepting the diversity of people is more than different skin tone. It is the acceptance of a person’s personality, skin tone, behavior, and the person as a whole.” Emily Huynh “Coach Boone’s presentation taught me many things. One thing the presentation taught me is you must work hard to succeed. It also taught me that respect leads to trust and trust is what holds teams together. It taught me that you can’t be a good leader if you judge people by how they look.” Will Templin “Because Remember the Titans is one of my favorite movies of all time, it was amazing to meet him in person. I did learn though that the movie is not about football, but the overcoming of diversity.” Caden Skellie “One of the things I learned from Coach Boone is that diversity is not about the color of your skin. It is about your character and that your character is what makes you different from everyone else.” Gretchen Nichols “During Coach Boone’s presentation it got me thinking about how Remember the Titans wasn’t about football. It was about overcoming prejudice and America working as a team to be the best country.” Kevin Kuhn “He said that during his coaching season, he had to make the players look over the hatred of diversity that the town showed. Then when the players were working in unison, they managed to rank second in the country.” Evelyn Kutschbach “Coach Boone’s presentation was funny, enjoyable, and motivational. I learned that trust is a way to respect. I also learned that you should talk to people to get to know them. Not everyone is the same, but if you talk to them you can embrace the differences.” Gabby Brown “Coach Boone was a good speaker. He taught me that diversity isn’t about your color; it is about who you are. He taught me to be me.” Maggie Yarcusko “Coach Boone was very cool to listen to because he is a football coach like my dad and I learned a new way coaches think when around their players.” Tori Ritzler “Coach Boone taught me that I need to make a difference every day. Even if it’s a small difference, it counts. Coach Boone also taught me that it is my job not to just survive each day as it comes, but to embrace the potential of each day, and make the most of life.” Grace Hodson “Coach Boone was really an eye-opener for me. His opinions all made sense and were so thougtful. I learned that we need more Coach Boones in this world!” Blossom Davidson “I learned that even the smallest things can become habits, which affect your character. I also learned that success comes after hard work in the dictionary so I know I have to work hard to achieve my goals.” Logan Wetz “Coach Boone provided us with his view of how to stop racism in a very comical fashion. He had many jokes that appealed to today’s youth.” Roman Nikolaev “I liked what he said about diversity and what it means to be a team.” Lauren Spaeth

“The speaker really taught me to appreciate the diversity of others. Coach Boone is easily an inspiration to anyone.” Lauryn Humphreys “I really liked his definition of team – a group of young boys and girls working together, with one heartbeat, to reach a goal – winning.” Analese Lutz “I really enjoyed Mr. Boone’s views on diversity: people from different races don’t have to like each other, but you do have to respect each other!” Emma England “The speech was very inspiring, and I enjoyed Coach Boone. He made great points on why he was right, and he explained it very well.” Kate Foster “I loved how he could be serious yet make jokes at the same time.” Madeline Woodhull “He had many great stories to tell.” Jared Fleckner “Herman Boone is a very inspirational man.” Caitlin Fraley “He actually taught me something, and I enjoyed his presentation.” Antonia Beltz “He helped us understand what it meant to be black in that time period.” Ammar AlAhmad “Mr. Boone was very enthusiastic about what he was talking about.” Alyssa Cassata “The speech helped people understand that we’re all the same.” Corrin Rodabaugh “Coach Boone said if you learn one new thing each day, you are 365 times smarter each year you are older. Also when he told us that success only comes after hard work in the dictionary, I was very empowered by that.” Sofia Mendez

Coach Boone autographs a bun

Findlay HS NEWS . . .

HONORS CAREER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM (HCMP)

On April 17th, a celebratory breakfast honored twenty-two students and their mentors who completed their career mentorships during Session III. The breakfast was held at Millstream Café. The importance of the mentorship experience and specific experiences were

FEP Newsletter May/June 2014 Page

5

shared by each student. The breakfast was sponsored by Finday City Schools, Findlay Enrichment Programs, and Academic Booster Club. A very special thank you to Mrs. Jenne Cairns, and Mrs. Wendy Davidson who served as our medical career mentorship coordinators and Mrs. Terri Hooper who helped in the placement of students with their mentors.

Good NEWS from the Academic Boosters Club… As the school year comes to a close, the Academic Booster Club (ABC) has been busy with year-end activities. On April 16, ABC hosted the 3.75 Banquet where 384 students were honored. The Senior Recognition Program was held May 22 to honor students who strive for and achieve excellence. The Top 10% at seventh semester received medallions. Through the generous contributions of our members, we are able to make the presentations annually. Congratulations to the following seniors for achieving a 3.75 grade point average: First-Year: Ahmed Almutawa, Samantha Deckard, Nicholas Fields; Second-Year: Kirstie Hans, Hannah Hunt, Mitchell Perry, Shelby Roether; Third-Year: Emily Lazar, Aaron Lewis, Lara Munoz; Fourth-Year: Zachary Armstrong, Olivia Bair, Lindsey Barchent, Sarah Barkey, Sarah Barwig, Ryan Beckett, Sophia Beery, Joslyn Bendt, Alexander Bishop, Hannah Block, Heather Bolmer, Amanda Burrows, Amanda Campbell, Stuart Collins, Kaitlin Coward, Jackie Dong, Bradley Dufek, Boden Fisher, Victoria Fisher, Benjamin Foster, Makenna Fox, Nicholas Goldacker, Tanner Graves, Austin Gutting, Hiromasa Harada, Jacey Hardesty, Morgan Hinshaw, Laura Inbody, Graciana Janton, Nicholas Kairys, Gabrielle Klakamp, Stephanie Koch, Celeste LaFleur, Kaitlin Mabee, Hannah McClellan, Sydney Miller, April Misamore, Eliana Neufeld Basinger, Katherine Orr, Catalina Petrescu, Emily Pinski, Liza Praprotnik, Jarrett Quanrud, Rachael Rackley, Hailee Rennels, Hannah Richards, Patrick Riley, James Robertson, Nolan Rodman, Emily Schaefer, Anna Schumm, Austin Secor, Alexis Simmermeyer, Georgia Snelling, Natasha Snelling, Emily Stacy, Hyun Woo Suh, Zoe Swisher, Mariah Tate, Sarah Kate Thomas, Andrea Troyer, Emma Wagner, Lucy Wagner, Mara Wallace, Hannah Warren, Mackenzie Wealleans, Grant Weickert, Rebecca Wells, Emma Whipkey, Zachary Zimmerman.

READ FOR LIFE'S SPELLING BEE

Read for Life's annual corporate spelling bee included three high school teams this year. Two teams from FHS: Team I (Emily Stahl, Kylee Rudolph, and Nicole Polzin) and Team II (Jenny Vielhaber, Trent

Schroeder, and Olivia Bair)…represented LaRiche Toyota Subaru while Putnam Family Dental sponsored the Junior Statesmen of America team (Sarah Barwig, Tim Polelle, and Aditya Sharma). Although none of the high school teams placed, the students had fun at the spelling bee. The spelling bee is the primary fundraiser for Read for Life, an adult literacy program that provides reading instruction via trained volunteers.

FHS Spelling Bee Teams

JUNIOR STATESMEN OF AMERICA

Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) is proud to announce they reached their goal of raising over $5000 to improve water quality in Africa. Their sponsor, Mike Peak, will once again match that amount. Over $10,000 will be sent to Tanga, Tanzania in August 2014 for the clean water project. GLORIOUS & TRIUMPHANT…

Congratulations to the following students who took the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying test and met requirements to enter the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program. The students are Bethany Giedeman, David Hoban, Noah Keppers, Aaron Long, Samuel Majors, Timothy Polelle, Adam Seitz and Emily Stahl. Five Findlay City Schools' students won "Absolutely Incredible Kid" Awards: Aiden Copeland, Donnell, Diversity; Deidre Rose, Glenwood, Family/School Development; Avery Charles, Donnell, Leadership/ Community Service; Isiah Colvin, Donnell, Nature; Nicole Peterman, Glenwood, Youth Development. Each student was honored at a May 13 luncheon and received $250 from Camp Fire Northwest Ohio.

FEP Newsletter May/June 2014 Page

6

Melina Hammond and Christy Strzempka were published in the Toledo Blade Kidscoop section. Their topic was “Invent Something to Help the Easter Bunny Deliver.” Congratulations to both of them! Max Rutledge, a 7th grade Donnell student, entered The National Road Safety Foundation’s Drive 2 Life PSA contest which was co-sponsored with Scholastic. Among over 900 entries, Max was selected among the best 25 in the nation. Winning a $25.00 iTunes gift card as a reward, he was able to create a Public Service Announcement storyboard to teach teenagers the dangers on the road and spread the news to his peers that car crashes are the number one killer of teenagers. Congratulations Max!

Of Interest To All. . .

CAMP DISCOVERY SUPPLIES NEEDED

We need empty paper towel tubes, empty toilet paper tubes, shoeboxes, plastic coffee containers and pinch-style clothespins. Please bring to FCS Administration office at 1100 Broad Avenue, or call Terri Hooper, Assistant Camp Director, at 419-427-5495 by June 6.

2014-2015 FEP OFFICERS

President – Tim Bechtol Vice-President – Lameice Kenny

Secretary – Carrie Templin Treasurer – Laura Metz

FEP BOARD MEETING DATES

Sept. 9, 2014; Oct. 7, 2014; Nov. 4, 2014; Dec. 2, 2014; Jan. 6, 2015; Feb. 3, 2015; Mar. 3, 2015; Apr. 7, 2015;

May 5, 2015

SPACE CLUB NEWS Fifth grade Space Club members from all four intermediate schools took a field trip to the Challenger Learning Space Center in Oregon, Ohio on May 9. The students had been preparing for this event since last November. At the Challenger Learning Space Center, the students participated in a simulated space mission to the moon. Students had to save the ship from several emergencies and completed the mission successfully with time to spare.

TEACHER RECOGNITION

Teachers in grades K-8 received a special surprise the week of May 5. Students wrote them notes about why they were their favorite teachers. Findlay Enrichment Programs recognizes excellent teaching through this project. Thank you teachers for all you do to help students learn and develop socially and emotionally.

Max Rutledge

places in Top 25

FEP Newsletter May/June 2014 Page

7

On Saturday, April 12h, students were assessed for giftedness in Visual and/or Performing Arts at the University of Findlay. In accordance with State of Ohio guidelines, Gifted Services obtained referrals, screened and assessed students in the areas of visual art, music (vocal and/or instrumental) and drama. Pictured below is original artwork from Glenwood students Sarah Smith (8TH grade) and Madeline Woodhull, (7th grade) identified gifted in visual art.

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES Please remember to visit Findlay City Schools’ Gifted website (www.findlaycityschools.org/gifted.htm) to see the Summer Opportunities 2014 available in the community and Ohio for your child(ren). The website is updated as additional information is received.

FINDLAY ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

Volunteer Opportunities Each year many volunteers are needed to assist with various programs funded by FEP. Listed below are opportunities available next school year. If you are interested in helping, please check your area of interest, provide the requested contact information and return this form to Judy Withrow, 1100 Broad Avenue, Findlay. ____ Outback Fundraiser Committee member (Jan.-Feb.) Assist with the sale of 300 tickets for steak/chicken dinners, collecting money and tracking counts. ____ Creativity Club Leader Grades 3-5 (Nov.-Mar.) Meet 4 to 6 times with small groups of children; materials and training provided by FEP. ____ Enrichment Cluster Facilitator Grades K-5 (Oct.-May) Meet with small groups of students at their school once a week for 45 minutes during the school day. Subject areas are language arts, math and critical thinking with materials and training provided by FEP. ____ Family Science Night Committee Grades K-6 (Nov. 3, 6-9 pm) Assist parents and students with a variety of “hands-on” science experiments. Presentation, training and equipment will be provided. ____ Newsletter mailing preparation (5 times during the school year) Attach labels for approximately 2-3 hours during the day at the FCS office, 1100 Broad Avenue. ____ Teacher Recognition Committee members (Mar.-April) Assist with assembling, delivery, and pick up of K-8 students’ teacher appreciation notes from 11 schools. ____ Camp Discovery/Camp World (Mar., June/ July) Assist with sign-up day in March; help during lunch times at camps. Name Address Email Phone Student’s home school (You don’t need to have a student to volunteer.) For more information, contact Judy Withrow at 419-425-8296 or jwithrow@fcs.org.

By Sarah Smith

By Madeline Woodhull

FEP Newsletter May/June 2014 Page

8

Calendar of Events

June 9-13 Camp Discovery, 8:30-3:00, Donnell Middle School

July 28-Aug. 1 Camp World, 8:30-3:00, Glenwood Middle School

Read the FEP Newsletter online at … www.findlaycityschools.org/districtinfo/gifted

RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER BY EMAIL If you would like to receive our newsletter by email, please email us your request at: mclarke@findlaycityschools.org. Please include your street address so we can remove you from our mailing list.