FRONTIER NEWS
AUG-SEPT 2016
Superintendent's Message
Dear Frontier Staff, Family and Friends,
Welcome to another exciting school year at Frontier Schools. It is my pleasure to continue serving as Superintendent of Frontier Schools where we work towards continuous improvement and high standards. As we opened our doors on August 11th, we instantly felt the familiar comforts of the beginning of a new school year as we eagerly welcomed approximately 1,600 students into our K-12 classrooms.
We believe that a school is dependent on having an active and engaged community. We will be reaching out to our staff, families and community through our “Frontier News” newsletter. This newsletter will inform our entire Frontier family about what's happening in our schools, as well as provide updates on our programs and other school and district highlights. Another way to stay connected is to follow us on social media. Our Facebook and Twitter accounts are provided in this newsletter.
I am looking forward to working with you to make this the best year so far for our students. Thank you for your continued commitment to quality education for all of our students at Frontier Schools.
Sincerely,
Ugur Demircan
Superintendent
Regional Teacher of the Year: Joe Mentesana
Each year, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education accepts nominations from schools around the state about teachers who deserve the distinction of “Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year”. It is Frontier School Systems honor to share that second grade teacher at Frontier School of Innovation, Joe Mentesana, has been selected as one of the Regional Teachers of the Year, representing the Kansas City area. Mr. Mentesana has worked as an elementary teacher with Frontier for over five years and FSI is thrilled that his dedication and talent has been recognized.
Mr. Mentesana is innovative in his lessons, thorough in his approach, and yet flexible in his strategies to meet each student on their own level in order to help them with complete comprehension. However, Joe’s success in the classroom goes beyond his talent for teaching math and reading lessons. Joe teaches mindfulness to his students and instructs them on meta cognitive skills and strategies on a daily basis. Mr. Mentesana finds ways to incorporate emotional intelligence and regulation into his academic lessons so that the students are not just learning about social studies or science, but also about themselves. Joe loves to learn and teaches his students how to do the same.
The goal for Joe is not just that they pass the grade, but that they find the joy in education and the desire to become productive citizens. Joe takes the time to not only get to know his students on a personal and academic level, but to understand them and build individualized plans for each of his students. From August until June, Mr. Mentesana remains unconditionally patient, empathetic, and supportive of each one of his students and families.
Congratulations to Joe Mentesana!
Gymnasium
Frontier STEM High School is excited to announce that their new gymnasium is open for business, sports, and fun! Construction broke ground last year and was completed just in time to host our First Annual STEM Festival on May 13th , 2016. Students now have ample space to complete their physical education courses, practice with their athletic teams, and gather for assemblies and events. The gymnasium will host several exciting events throughout the school year, such as a community blood drive, parent game nights, community classes, dances, and so much more.
Frontier STEM High School 2nd Floor
Frontier's Ambassador Program
During professional development before the start of the school year, the three administrators provided a workshop for all staff about what it means to be a Frontier Ambassador. Staff learned about social media posting and how they can positively and negatively affect the school, how to professionally handle sticky situations with co-workers, and how to have positive interactions with students. Frontier Ambassadors will be held to high expectations and staff were given tools to reach the top tier of leadership.
Parent Champion Luncheon Banquet
Frontier 2015-2016 Parent Champions are,
- Maria Aguilera (Frontier School of Innovation Elementary)
- Stephanie Eguade (Frontier School of Innovation Elementary)
- Careli Rodriguez (Frontier School of Innovation Elementary)
- Leonira Castaneda (Frontier School of Innovation Elementary)
- Maria Calderon (Frontier School of Innovation Elementary)
- Martha Chavez Loya (Frontier School of Innovation Elementary)
- Pilar Bahena (Frontier School of Innovation Middle)
- Cynthia Chaparro (Frontier School of Innovation Middle)
- Rosalinda Flores (Frontier School of Innovation Middle)
- Letonia Torrence (Frontier School of Innovation Middle)
- Veronica and Nicholas Albor (Frontier School of Innovation Middle)
- Alma Velazquez (Frontier School of Innovation Middle)
- Elizabeth Villarauz (Frontier STEM High School)
- Mirla Deavila (Frontier STEM High School)
- Hayley Le (Frontier STEM High School)
- Carmen Ramirez (Frontier STEM High School)
- Claudia Ortiz (Frontier STEM High School)
- Sandra Alarcon (Frontier STEM High School)
- Theodore Dean (Frontier School of Excellence)
- Chuong "Terri" Tran (Frontier School of Excellence)
- Susie Goodwin (Frontier School of Excellence)
Congratulations to our 2015-2016 Parent Champions!
Calling All Parent Volunteers!
Do you know who loves when you volunteer? YOUR KIDS!! Multiple studies have shown that active parent engagement increases children’s success in school. Frontier provides many ways for parents to become involved through our Parent
Champions Program.
Here’s how you can help!
· Help with miscellaneous school events – school fairs, committees, field trips, etc.
· Communicate with public officials in email or in person – be our advocate!
· When we have special visitors - come and share your Frontier story with them.
· If an article is printed by our local press, good or bad, reply to the article or blog advocating for Frontier Schools and/or Charter Schools in general.
If you’re interested in becoming a Parent Champion for Frontier Schools, please contact:
· Frontier School of Innovation & Frontier STEM High School: ataylor@frontierschools.org
· Frontier School of Excellence: jwatson@frontierschools.org
Dr. Bernard Franklin Visits Frontier STEM High School
“You have a very special school and I admire the work you and your staff are doing to encourage and guide students who might otherwise not be served in other circumstances. Thank you for being the strong visionary leader you are.” - Dr. Bernard Franklin
New Food Service Provider! – American Dining Services
Frontier Schools has entered into a new partnership with American Dining Services, a food services vendor who will now provide our cafeteria services. The benefits of this new program include higher quality presentation of food, more variety in meal selections, along with cafeteria improvements. With the new provider, Frontier is participating in the Community Eligibility Program (CEP). This program provides a free breakfast and lunch to all students – no meal application form is needed. We hope that you will ask your children about their perceptions of the positive changes to our food service program.
Frontier Alumni Spotlight: Wasilah Smith
A recent Frontier School of Excellence graduate is getting a lot of attention these days. Wasilah “Wuz” Smith is being called Kansas City’s next fashion prodigy. At the young age of 13, Wuz told his grandma that he wanted to learn to sew. She taught him the tricks of the trade and from that day forward he was a natural – fashion became his life. His unique and creative designs are now breaking into the fashion world catching the attention of national magazines.
Congratulations, Wuz!
To learn more about Wasilah and his accomplishments, please click on the links below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKyvSWgsZ_4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AnQgCoORNc
http://fox4kc.com/2016/05/04/fashion-prodigy-sketching-and-sewing-up-dreams-in-kc-attic/
http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/ink/article70315042.html
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Frontier Schools
Website: frontierschools.org
Location: 30 West Pershing Road, KCMO, MO, United States
Phone: (816) 241-6200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontierschools/?fref=ts
Twitter: @FrontierSchools
Frontier School of Innovation (K-3)
Website: www.kcfsi.org
Location: 6700 Corporate Drive, KCMO, MO, United States
Phone: (816) 363-1907
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontierschoolofinnovation/
Frontier School of Innovation (4-8)
Website: www.kcfsi.org
Location: 1575 Universal Drive, Kansas City, MO, United States
Phone: (816) 241-6202
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontierschoolofinnovation/
Frontier STEM High School (9-12)
Website: www.frontierstem.org
Location: 6455 E Commerce Ave, KCMO, MO, United States
Phone: (816) 541-8200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontierstemhighschool/?hc_ref=SEARCH
Frontier School of Excellence (6-12)
Website: www.kcfse.org
Location: 5606 Troost Avenue, KCMO, MO, United States
Phone: (816) 822-1331
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontierschoolofexcellence/