Finneytown Secondary Campus August/September 2017

FSC: More Than a School Welcome to the 2017 – 2018 School Year!

Our vision is to empower students to THINK critically, GROW intellectually and LIVE with integrity.

Important Dates

Sept. 13th @ 6:00 p.m.

Secondary Campus FACE meeting in the Media Center

1st Quarter Interims are sent home

Staff In-service: No school for students

Homecoming Parade and Bonfire

Homecoming Tailgate @ 4:00 p.m.

Homecoming Game @ 7:00 p.m.

No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you’re still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.

- Tony Robbins

Message from the Principal It has been an exciting start to our 2017 – 2018 school year. Our staff has spent many hours this summer preparing for our students and this new chapter in the story of Finneytown Secondary Campus. We are working to bring back honored traditions while also creating new ones. On August 21st, our 6th and 7th graders had an orientation, which gave them the opportunity to learn our campus and meet a lot of staff before the building filled up with 8th – 12th graders. The rest of our student body joined us on August 22nd for a fun-filled day, including an “Amazing Race” during which students discovered their House and Mentor Group. That afternoon, we all enjoyed lunch provided by Jersey Mike’s.

For the first time in my nineteen years here, we have students leading assemblies, peers mentoring peers, and students and staff getting to know each other on a daily basis as equal members of our school community. Together we are learning how to support, encourage, and respect one another. During our Opening Day assembly, my message to our staff and students was to “lean into the discomfort.” I challenged all of us to try new things- the things which at first glance make us scared and uncomfortable. Our goal is to create a school environment where we all feel safe to take risks, fail, and try again- for it is only in that environment will we realize our true potential.

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Week of Sept. 18th

Sept. 25th

Sept. 28th @ 6:00 p.m.

Sept. 29th

Sept. 30th @ 8:00 p.m.

Homecoming Dance in the MP

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House System Update • House Captains and staff enjoyed our first ever “Raftapalooza”

(pictures included in this newsletter)

• Mentor Captains are currently being selected in each mentor group. There will be 2 Mentor Captains per mentor group.

• Mentor Groups are meeting daily- from 9:46 – 10:01 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and from 9:40 – 10:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Mentor group activities have included a Waa tournament, creating a living poster and mentor group playlist, and fundraising for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

• Look for more information soon about “House Family/Parent Night.”

Counselors’ Corner

The National College Fair is October 22, 2017 at the Duke Energy Convention Center. The counseling department encourages all students in grades 10-12 to attend. This is an excellent opportunity to interact with college representatives from all over the country and to learn about colleges and universities that students might find of interest.

Also, please see our letter explaining Super Wednesday, October 11, 2017. It will be sent home via email and posted on our website.

Super Wednesday, October 11, 2017 6th grade: normal bell schedule 7th grade: Career Speakers will visit classrooms 8th grade: field trip to Diamond Oaks 9th grade: field trip to Central State University- dismissed when they return (1:30/2:00ish) 10th and 11th grades: PSAT- dismissed by 12:30 12th grade: choose between college visit, shadowing someone at work, reporting to school for work on college applications See our letter for more specific information.

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So, for the 2017 – 2018 school year, I’ve asked our students and staff to remember two things:

1.) Challenge yourself to lean into the discomfort this year and

2.) Always remember- you are important and you belong here. You belong to your House, you belong to the Secondary Campus and you belong to the Finneytown community.

I am honored to be the principal of Finneytown Secondary Campus because we truly are “more than a school.” It’s going to be a great year!

Sincerely,

Jen Dinan

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Additional Resources:

• Sign up for our Remind 101 text updates: on your phone, enter the number 81010 and text this message: @b6d2ch

• Make sure you have log in information for Progress Book. If you don’t, please email Jan Foster at jfoster@finneytown.org

• Ask your Secondary Campus child/children to share each teacher’s Google Classroom sign in.

Meet the Newest Members of our Team!

Leslie Custer- Educational Aide Elaine Walton- Educational Aide Kristen Staneck- 6th grade IVS Kathy Neher- Educational Aide Nick Tippenhauer- 6th grade SS Mike Rosa- HS SS Janelle Sowders- 6th grade ELA Elijah Sanders- HS SS Rhiana Blaugher- 6th grade ELA Tom Budday- HS English Ali McCrea- 6th grade Math/Science Maggie Burke- MS/HS English Susan Mokren- 6th grade Math/Science Alicia DuBois- 7th Grade ELA Kylie Watzka- School Psychologist Gerald Warmack- AD & ATS Amanda Snyder- Spanish Lisa Hill- GPS Program Administrative Team: Jen Dinan- Principal Charlie Crawley- Assist. Principal, 10-12 Marlo Thigpen- Assist. Principal, 6 – 7 Eric Muchmore- Dean of Students, 8 – 9 Treece Lalley- Principals’ Secretary

Our 6th and 7th graders enjoyed the eclipse. Thanks to our science department for making this happen!

Important Announcements: • Monday, Sept. 11th will be a school-wide

Red-White-Blue day to honor the victims of 9/11 and show our support for hurricane victims.

• Homecoming tickets go on sale September 20th. Tickets are $10.00 each. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

• Buy Finneytown apparel at schoolstore.jostens.com. You can search for our school by name or using the code ea612.

• Family members of Secondary students interested in volunteering can complete a brief survey using this link: https://goo.gl/forms/0QVPCO8tz89qEcar1

• There is free tutoring available every Thursday in our Secondary Media Center from 3:15 – 4:00.