The Falcon Reporter
Fowler's Official Newsletter - Back to School 2019
Fowler Parents & Students,
We are so excited to begin our 2019-2020 school year. Much has been planned at Fowler Middle School to ensure a positive and rewarding experience for all students. At FMS, we are committed to providing our students with a learning environment that will ensure success for all students. Our mission and purpose can best be articulated by our campus mission – Knowing & Advancing Each Child.
Parents, I would like to encourage you to read all of the information in our six-week newsletters. Our newsletters contain important information about our campus and many programs that we provide at FMS. Because you are an integral part of your child’s education, we feel that ongoing communication and collaboration with you is most important. We encourage you to contact teachers, counselors or administrators any time you have a question. Our receptionist, Ms. Alperin, will be happy to take a message or connect you with voicemail if we are unavailable. You are also welcome to email us.
At Fowler, we utilize our School Messenger phone and email system often to communicate important dates and reminders. Our Fowler website is also an excellent way for you to stay informed throughout the school year. Together, we will make Fowler Middle School the most wonderful and positive experience for your child. We look forward to the wonderful school year ahead.
Sincerely,
Donnie Wiseman
Fowler Middle School Principal
Important Dates
August
September
October
Musical Auditions
Fowler Theatre Arts is proud to announce we are producing
Aladdin JR
as our Fall Musical. ALL STUDENTS are welcome to apply to audition for an acting role or a tech position – you don’t have to be in theatre to be involved the productions at Fowler!
If you are interested in being a part of our musical, here are some important things to know:
· The application process is ONLINE – please go to http://bit.ly/fowlerauditions in order to apply for an acting role or a tech crew position.
· If you have ANY questions, please don’t hesitate to ask Mrs. Cortez. You can find her in room 315 in the Fine Arts wing. You can also email her at corteza@friscoisd.org.
· Applications must be completed by Monday, August 26, 2019. Auditions will be on Wednesday and Thursday, August 28-29, 2019.
Noteworthy Choir Dates
Sept. 4th: HARMONIX Auditions, by appointment.
Please scan QR code for access to the audition form.
September 18th: 4th Annual Sing-A-Thon fundraiser from 4:30 - 7:30 pm on stage at FMS.
Students will be performing pop songs, and asking sponsors to support the Fowler Choir program via text donations.
Please come out to support our Singing Falcons!
October 16: Fall Concert 6:00 pm on stage at FMS.
Falcon Friends
Information Session
Wednesday, September 4th, 2019
7:45 am OR 3:45 pm in Library
Join the movement here: https://bit.ly/2YZjhUU
Falcon Friends is replacing Best Buddies! Same friendship club, but different name!
Welcome New Staff Members
Fred Alonzi
Fred Alonzi currently serves as Assistant Director of Bands and Assistant Director of Jazz at Fowler Middle School and started his band directing career in 2009. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Conducting at the University of Oklahoma. Before coming to Fowler Middle School, Mr. Alonzi taught at Garland ISD in Texas and at Berryhill Public Schools and Lindsay Public Schools in Oklahoma.
As Director of Bands, the “Berryhill Brigade” High School Marching Band was named state champion in their class in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 and the Berryhill High School Jazz Band was named state champion in 2014. The Berryhill Brigade has also performed at the Bands of America Super Regional in St. Louis and Bands of America Grand Nationals competition in Indianapolis.
Prior to teaching at Berryhill High School, Mr. Alonzi completed his Master of Music in Conducting at the University of Oklahoma in 2013, where he studied under Dr. William Wakefield. As a Graduate Conducting Associate, he worked with “The Pride of Oklahoma” Marching Band, the OU Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band and Concert Bands. Mr. Alonzi’s responsibilities also included directing the “Sooner Showmen” Basketball Band and assisting with undergraduate conducting and music education classes.
As a trombone player, Mr. Alonzi studied under former International Trombone Association President, Dr. Irv Wagner and has performed across the country with the University of Oklahoma Wind Symphony and Trombone Choir. Mr. Alonzi also performed with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps where he played baritone (2005) and euphonium (2006).
Mr. Alonzi’s professional affiliations include, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, National Association for Music Educators, International Trombone Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.
Mr. Alonzi directs the Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble 2, and teaches the beginning trombone, euphonium, and tuba classes.
Denise Bethard
Hello, my name is Denise Bethard and I will be teaching Technology Applications and Animation and I am so excited to be a Fowler Falcon this year. I am so proud to call myself a teacher and so blessed to have a found such a fabulous school to start my journey. This will be my 1st year teaching in Frisco ISD and my 13th year working in the district. I am a graduate of The University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. I have been married to my high school sweetheart and best friend for 28 years. I am the mother of one son, Justin, that attended CHS and then went on to play baseball at Texas Tech University. He married his high school sweetheart, Makalee, who also graduated from CHS and Texas Tech University. My favorite past time is traveling with my husband and two Australian Shepherds, Sadie and Jessie. They go everywhere we go!
Elise Diaz
Hi Fowler Falcons, I’m happy to join such a great school and community! I’m Elise Diaz, and I’m originally from Seattle, Washington. I moved to Texas four years ago when my husband accepted a job here at a non-profit. I have been teaching ESL students for eight years (four of which were in the country of Honduras). I love learning about new cultures (my Master’s degree is in Intercultural Studies), and I know first hand what it’s like to be in a different country struggling with the language. I also have two kids: a son in sixth grade and a daughter in first grade. We love to travel, explore new places, and serve others as we go! This next year, I’m excited to help our ESL students build deep connections at Fowler and thrive academically. Please reach out to me if I can help and support you in any way.
Joseph Loredo
Howdy! My name is Joseph Loredo and I am a first year teacher here at Fowler Middle School. I will be teaching 6th grade Math and I am so excited. A little bit about me--I grew up in Frisco, and graduated from Centennial High School in 2013. I then furthered my education at Texas A&M University and graduated in May of 2019. I completed my student teaching here at Fowler Middle School and I am thrilled to be back working and changing the lives of my students! I love spending time with my girlfriend, family, and loved ones. I enjoy the outdoors, going to concerts, and trying out new foods!
Nicole Munoz
Hello Fowler Falcons! I am so excited to join the Fowler family and to call myself a Falcon this year. My name is Nicole Munoz and I will be teaching 7th grade science as well as coaching Volleyball, Basketball and Soccer. I was born and raised in Fort Worth and have spent the last 6 years in Wichita Falls, Texas, where I attended Midwestern State University and earned my bachelor and master degrees in Exercise Physiology. I also have a minor in Biology. I am happily married to my husband and we have two dogs! In my spare time I enjoying playing soccer, traveling and reading research articles. This will be my first year teaching and I'm so excited that it will be at Fowler. I cannot wait to help grow your child's learning and love for Science!
Lish Oliveria
Aloha! My name is Lish Oliveira. I have been married for 20 years to my amazing husband, Stan, and we have two kiddos; one is at Lebanon Trail and one is at Roach Middle School. We are a proud FISD family! Stan also works for the district.
We moved here 9+ years ago from the Big Island of Hawaii to give our kids better educational opportunities. Both our kids are special needs; our son has autism and our daughter has severe anxiety. We are beyond grateful for all the support they are given by the amazing educators and administrators in FISD.
This will be my 7th year as a paraprofessional working in a centralized classroom. My son was at Fowler with Lindsey Bianchin and Heather Burris, and I am over the moon that I get to work with them and learn from them. They are both gifted educators. It’s a total privilege to be supporting our students at Fowler, and I can’t wait. It’s going to be a great year!
Barbara Reed
Hello Fowler Falcons! After working in the corporate world for many years, I realized my passion was teaching. I taught for 4 years in Lewisville ISD, and I am really excited to now be a part of the Fowler Family! I followed my family's tradition and started college at the University of Texas, but I broke that tradition and graduated from Texas Woman's University. When I'm not teaching, I love to read, spend time with my friends and family, and play board games or escape rooms. My other great love is traveling around the world. I love sharing the experiences I have with my students! I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and starting this new adventure!
Justin Wu
Howdy Fowler Falcons! My name is Justin Wu and I am excited to be a part of the Fowler Family. I will be teaching 8th grade science and can’t wait to explore the wonders of it all with y’all. A little about myself: I was born and raised in California, but have called the great state of Texas home for the past 12 years. I have also recently graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies in the May of 2019. After graduating, I packed my bags and hauled my way from Katy all the way to Frisco. During my free time I love to be in the outdoors and to explore everything around me. I also love to view and create arts of all different kinds, from photographs to water-color paintings. Other than my love for nature and art, I enjoy sitting down to read a good book or to enjoy the time I have with the people that are around me. This will be the first of my many years as a teacher and I am eager to be a part of this great community. I hope to be able to meet everyone and to play a part in this family.
Team News
6th Grade
Welcome to 6th grade social studies! We will begin our journey around the world by reviewing our map skills, geography, and learning about the elements that make up culture. We are looking forward to a fantastic year of geography, history and culture!
For the first 9 weeks in ILA, we will be covering Unit one of our new Pearson text. We will read and analyze narrative non fiction, memoirs, poetry, and other pieces of literature focusing on point of view, inferencing, creating mental images when reading, and increasing fluency. We will focus on writing skills through quick writes, short answer responses, and personal narratives. This year we are going to read like a writer and write like a reader in ILA! We are looking forward to a great year ahead!
In Science for the first nine weeks, students will be revisiting safety in the science lab and process skills such as finding mass, volume, and density. Once we complete the beginning of the year reviews, we will start with our study of energy. In this unit, we will explore natural resources, as well as energy and heat transfer.
Welcome to 6th grade math! In Module 1 we will learn divisibility rules, factors and multiples, prime and composites, prime factorization, and exponents. The students will be introduced to a fun project about divisibility rules and have a chance to show us their creative side. It is our hope that the 6th grade students will find learning math fun and engaging! We are looking forward to a great year!
7th Grade
To begin the year, 7th grade science classes will introduce lab safety, graphing, the scientific method, and the first ADI (Argument Driven Inquiry) Lab.
Texas history classes will be starting the year by studying the four natural regions of Texas and the Native American Indian tribes of Texas.
ILA classes will be working on writing a personal narrative and learning the techniques of revising a narrative.
Our 7th grade mathematicians will review some operations with rational numbers and solve two-step equations and inequalities. Please make sure that your mathematician is taking notes for homework.
8th Grade
As we open our classroom doors to welcome our students, we are anticipating an engaging and exciting year. The ILA district curriculum has been updated and is paired with a new textbook that will meet every student's needs. We will offer a literacy-rich diet that will encourage your child to foster a passion for reading and writing. Our first unit of study will ask the essential question: What are some challenges of growing up?
Welcome to 8th grade science! Mr. Peterson, Mr. Wu, and Mrs. Fry look forward to sharing an exciting year of learning with our Falcon Scientists! We will begin our studies with a two-week review of lab safety, lab tools, the Scientific Method, and graphing skills. Following this introductory unit, we will move into our study of chemistry!
Moving into the math world, Math 8 students will be working on classifying and ordering real numbers, using the Pythagorean theorem, identifying transformations on the coordinate plane, and describing angle relationships. Algebra students will be introduced to the concept of functions including: linear, exponential, quadratic, and absolute value. Students will classify each function family using graphs, equations, and graphing calculators. Students will then explore and develop comprehension of different forms of linear equations represented with charts, graphs, equations, and real-world problems. Finally, Fowler geometry students will learn about the basics of Euclidean Geometry, perform geometric constructions, and begin working on the foundations of proofs.
Celebrations!!!!
Fowler Cheerleaders Win BIG!
Fowler Cheer finished NCA Camp very strong by earning the Herkie Award, Spirit Award, Three Spirit Sticks, and 11 nominations for All American Cheerleader. Also, 8th grade Cheerleader, Mytae H. was awarded the NCA Camp Leadership Award (the only person to receive this award at camp). "Herkie Team Award, the most prestigious award given by NCA. The Herkie TEAM Award, named after NCA founder, L.R. Herkimer, is awarded to squads who exemplify the qualities upon which the NCA was founded. These qualities are leadership, values, and teamwork."
THAT IS THE HIGHEST AWARD given at NCA camp, and ONLY ONE SQUAD earns it!
We are proud of the Fowler Cheerleaders!
Congratulations to the Fowler Orchestra!!!!
They placed 5th in the State of Texas, Honor Orchestra Competition!!!
Reminder from Nurse Violet
As the school nurse, I look forward to caring for your child's needs this school year. It is very important that I have the necessary paperwork and supplies to care for your child. If you have checked a medical condition in Infosnap that requires special attention, please send in the appropriate paperwork in order for him/her to have a safe school year. All the paperwork can be found here https://sites.google.com/a/friscoisd.org/fowler-clinic/forms-1 . If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Counselors’ Corner
The beginning of a new school year is always an exciting time for Fowler Middle School students. This is a great time for all students to step out on the right foot as they journey through many fun and significant opportunities ahead in the 2019-2020 school year. The counselors, along with all of our staff members, value the opportunity to work with students and parents to make the middle school years a positive and challenging time as students learn and grow in all aspects of their lives.
With this goal in mind, we have several exciting events planned throughout the school year and several important dates for you to put on your calendar.
1) August 15-22, 2019- Schedule Change Requests – Students may pick up schedule change request forms in the front office beginning Thursday, August 15th, and they must be turned in NO LATER THAN 3:35 on August 22nd. These forms are only used for Pre-AP level changes. No changes to elective classes will be approved. Counselors will provide students with a new schedule if it is possible to make the change.
2) August 27, 2019 (7:55 am) - 6th grade New Student Breakfast in the Library August 28, 2019 (7:55 am) - 7th grade New Student Breakfast in the Library August 29, 2019 (7:55 am) - 8th grade New Student Breakfast in the Library
3) August 27, 2019 (3:40 – 4:10 pm) – Clubs and Organizations Fair in the Fowler Cafeteria
4) September 4, 2019 (9:00-10:00) – Coffee with the Counselors –Counselor Introductions and Services Provided – Fowler Library
5) September 4, 2019 – Power to Change Character Traits Overview Lesson
6) September 9-13, 2019 - College Week
Monday – Wear a college t-shirt with jeans
Wednesday – Flight Time teachers hand out college questionnaires
Thursday – Drawings during lunches
Friday – Classroom College Door Decorating Judging
7) September 11, 2019 – Power to Change Introduction Lesson
8) September 18, 2019 - Power to Change Lesson – Character Lab Purpose
9) September 25, 2019 - Power to Change Lesson - Catch My Breath – Anti-Vaping – Lesson 1
10) October 2, 2019 - Power to Change Lesson - Character Lab – Self-Control
11) October 9, 2019 - Power to Change Lesson - Catch My Breath – Anti-Vaping – Lesson 2
12) October 16, 2019 - Power to Change Lesson - Suicide Prevention
Catherine B. Fowler Library News
The Catherine B. Fowler Library is open from 7:55 to 4:05 daily. Students may come to the library before and after school to use Chromebooks, work on homework, and check out books. There is no student printer in the library. All printing must be done in the integration lab before school from 7:55 to 8:15.
Get Involved @ Your Library!
Does your student love to read and spend time with other readers? There are several ways Falcons can get involved at the library!
SLAB (School Library Advisory Board)—Students in SLAB help with all sorts of library projects, such as decorating book fairs, keeping the library clean and organized, and shelving books. SLAB members are chosen by application process. Applications are available on the library web site. https://sites.google.com/a/friscoisd.org/fowler-falcons-library/
Library Lunch Bunch—Three times a semester, students will meet in the library during lunch for a fun book-related activity. Each event will have a separate sign-up sheet, and will be advertised on the announcements. Students are welcome to attend any or all of the events.
If your student is interested in being a part of the library fun, please have him/her attend the Club Fair in the cafeteria on August 27th to get more information.
Author Visit
Authors Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs are coming back to Fowler again this year to promote their new book The Beast, sequel to last year’s hit The Darkdeep. This visit will be for all sixth graders, but students in 7th and 8th grade may attend the visit if they purchase a book. Preorder forms are available now in the library and are due September 16th.
Looking for a good book?
Try the FMS Library blog! Here you’ll find book reviews on middle grade and young adult novels, tagged by genre and reviewed by your librarian! http://imallbookedup.blogspot.com.
5th Annual Back to School Book Swap!
Parents, Teachers, and Students are all welcome!
We’re excited to host our 5th annual Back to School Book Swap after school on September 11th! Here’s how it works:
1. Send gently used books with your student to the library. You may also drop off books during open house on the 29th. (We will have an adult table for parents and teachers, and lots of middle grade/young adult tables, so you may bring anything from about a fifth grade reading level up.)
2. For every book that is accepted, your child will get a ticket. Each ticket can be redeemed for one “new” book at the event.
3. Stop by as soon as possible after school on September 11th. Books will be displayed on tables for you to browse and trade. We will be swapping and socializing until around 4:30! (If you can’t make it that afternoon, whatever is left will be available in the library for a few days—just hang on to your tickets.)
**We will also gladly accept donations if you are not interesting in swapping!**
Book Fair
Mark your calendars! Fall Book Fair will run October 28th-November 1st!
Fowler Middle School
Email: fowler@friscoisd.org
Website: http://schools.friscoisd.org/campus/middle-school/fowler/home
Location: 3801 McDermott Road, Plano, TX, USA
Phone: 469-633-5050
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FowlerMSFISD/
Twitter: @FowlerFalcons07