Fairlawn students return to class on Aug. 18

0

SIDNEY — The school bell will be ringing for students in the Fairlawn Local School Tuesday, Aug. 18, when school opens for the 2015-16 school year. And with the first day of school comes a new way of learning for students enrolled in biology and chemistry.

A new teaching concept is being implemented for students in the 10th-grade biology and 11th-grade chemistry classes at the high school. Students will know what they will be learning in class before stepping into their classrooms.

Chris Clark, high school biology and chemistry teacher, is using a flipped classroom technique for the classes.

According to Principal Jo DeMotte, Clark started the program with his chemistry students last year and will be adding the biology classes this year. Clark will video tape his lectures and lessons for that day’s class. Students, she said, will be required to watch the lecture online before attending the class.

“When they go to class, they will be working on the concepts themselves,” said DeMotte.

DeMotte said this gives Clark the opportunity to work with the students as they do their homework instead of the student trying to figure out things on their own at home each evening.

Students can pick up their class schedules each day until Aug. 14 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. An open house will be held Monday, Aug. 17, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Class fees are $20 for kindergarten through sixth-grade students; $40 for seventh- and eighth-grade students; and high school fees depend on what classes the students are enrolled in.

Administrators are expecting 690 students to be attending school at Fairlawn this year, which is an increase of 30 students from the 2014-15 school year.

The district is also continuing implementation of teacher-based teams in the district.

The district is welcoming several new staff members for the school year. Kelty Inman is the new high school guidance counselor. Mary Watercutter will be the grade 6-8 intervention teacher, while Amber Wehrkamp is the grade 9-12 intervention teacher. DJ Heintz is the new high school math teacher and Matt Hickman will be teaching grade 6-8 math.

Other new staff members include Tyler Matthews, Sarah Braun, Olivia Cummings and Justin Tidwell, all aides for the district, and Stacy Huelskamp, a cook. Tidwell will also serve as assistant athletic director.

Lunch prices for the year are $1.95 for kindergarten through sixth-grade and $2.45 for grades 7-12.

Waiver days for the district are planned for Friday, Sept. 11, Wednesday, Sept. 30, Wednesday, March 23, and Friday, April 8,when students won’t have school. There will be 2-hour early dismissals on Wednesday, Sept. 16; Wednesday, Oct. 21; Wednesday, Nov. 18; Wednesday, Jan. 27; Wednesday, Feb. 24; Wednesday, March 9; and Tuesday, May 24.

Professional development days for teachers will be held Friday, Oct. 16, Friday, Jan. 15, and Friday, Feb. 12, and there will be no school for students.

Parent-teacher conferences, with no school for students, are planned for Monday, Nov. 23, and Tuesday, Nov. 24. Wednesday, Nov. 25, to Friday, Nov. 27, is Thanksgiving break, with no school for students.

Christmas break will be held Wednesday, Dec. 23, to Friday, Jan. 1. The first day back to school from Christmas break will be Monday, Jan. 4.

There will be no school on Monday, Jan. 18, in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Kindergarten to third-grade parent-teacher conference will be held Monday, Feb. 29, through Friday, March 4. Conferences will be held after school.

Spring break will be held Thursday, March 24, through Tuesday, March 29.

Graduation is planned for Saturday, May 21, at 2 p.m. The last day of school for students is Tuesday, May 24, and there will be a two-hour early dismissal. The teachers’ last day will be Wednesday, May 25.

Make-up days, if needed, will be Jan. 15, Jan. 18, Feb. 12, Feb. 15 and March 29. If additional days are needed, they will be made up at the end of the school year.

Braun
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2015/08/web1_Braun-Sarah.jpgBraun

Matthews
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2015/08/web1_Matthews-Tyler.jpgMatthews

Wehrkamp
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2015/08/web1_Wehrkamp-Amber-Revised.jpgWehrkamp

Heintz
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2015/08/web1_Heintz-DJ.jpgHeintz

Cummings
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2015/08/web1_Cummings.Olivia.jpgCummings

Inman
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2015/08/web1_Inman-Kelty-1-.jpgInman

Hickman
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2015/08/web1_Hickman-Matt-revised.jpgHickman

Tidwell
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2015/08/web1_Tidwell-Justin-Ass-t-AD.jpgTidwell

Watercutter
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2015/08/web1_Watercutter-Mary.jpgWatercutter

By Melanie Speicher

[email protected]

Reach the writer at 937-538-4822; follow her on Twitter @MelSpeicherSDN. Follow the SDN on Facebook, www.facebook.com/SidneyDailyNews.

No posts to display