FJH Chargers
May / June 2020 Newsletter
Fishers Junior High School
Principal: Dr. Crystal Thorpe
Assistant Principal: Mr. Tige Butts
Athletic Director: Mr. Scott Timmons
Guidance Director: Mrs. Jackie Wolf
Email: vax@hse.k12.in.us
Website: https://fjh.hseschools.org/
Location: 13257 Cumberland Road
Phone: 317.594.4150
Twitter: @FJHChargers
Greetings Charger families
Sadly, the 2019-20 school year has come to an end. Even though it isn't the ending we expected, we are still thankful for the times we've shared with our students and families. We have missed our students tremendously. I know eLearning wasn't always easy for some, but I appreciate your willingness to work with staff to make the best out of a less than ideal situation. Thank you to all of the parents who wrote encouraging/positive notes to our staff. That little bit of kindness made a huge impact.
I would especially like to thank our PTO board members who provided exceptional service to our school over the last few years - Shannon Alexander, Amy Riebe, Lanny Duke, Tabbatha Collier, Gwen Lusk, Ginnette Matthews, Jennifer Dack, Andrea Fraley, Brittany Schmuck, and Rani Colzani. From running our concessions, to providing staff appreciation, to paying for professional development, and supporting all of our school functions - THANK YOU! Your support of FJH is second to none. Please consider joining this amazing group!
Remember, this Thursday and Friday, we will have iPad, textbook, and library book drop-off. Staff we be available to assist you. When a timeline for allowing students to retrieve belongings from school is developed, I will send that information out. Preview Day is scheduled for July 29 from 1:00 to 6:00, so 7th grade parents, mark your calendars! I'm pleased to announce that the 8th grade hallway is under renovation to match our 7th grade hallway. I'm excited! All inquiries about athletics can be found on our website at https://fjh.hseschools.org
Have a pleasant summer, and we look forward to the upcoming school year.
Proudly serving as your principal,
FJH Class of 2024
FJH Class of 2025
Virtual High Five!
Hey FJH Charger Family,
The Wellness department would like to give you all a virtual high 5 đ for hanging in there! We didn't get to finish the year as we would have liked with fun games and a fantastic field day, but just like any game you make adjustments in the 4th quarter to secure the win! You all stepped up, dug deep, and finished the 2019-2020 school year game with hard work, perseverance, and dedication to your studies! Congratulations! Through the summer, take care of your health triangle by staying active, eating nutrient rich foods, getting enough sleep, using good social health practices, and taking care of your mental/emotional health. We wish the Class of 2024 all the success in the world as you move to high school and next chapter of your life. We are looking forward to seeing the Class of 2025 gracing the halls of FJH in the fall. From the bottom of our hearts we have missed you all!
Hope to see you soon,
Ms Hartzell
Ms Zeller
Mr. McDowell
Mr. Pollock
Mr. Dowden
PTO Update
While this school year did not finish the way any of us imagined, we are ready to charge ahead and continue the great level of parent involvement and teamwork with FJH teachers and staff - no matter what the 2020-21 year brings. The current PTO Board met May 20th via Zoom and are excited to share our new board!
President â Amy Riebe
Vice President â Tori Schuh
Treasurer â Lanny Duke
Secretary â Jennifer Dack
Members at Large: Ginnette Matthews and Carylin Perry
There are still several opportunities to get involved. Please go to https://bit.ly/fjhptocommittees to see if there is an area that interests you. We need you!
We will continue to share information through social media over the summer â please follow us on the platform you prefer:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fjhchargerspto
On Twitter: @fjhchargerspto
On Instagram: fjhchargerspto
Lastly, thank you! Thank you to all of our Charger families for your support and willingness to help when asked. Thank you to our committee chairs who are moving on to high school â you are the definition of teamwork. And a special thank you to Shannon Alexander, our president for the past two years. Shannon has done an amazing job readying the PTO for anything that lies ahead and establishing great relationships with parents, teachers, staff, and students. We are all better for her tremendous love for FJH.
Have a great summer and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Curbside Dropoff
Thank you for your continued flexibility and patience over the past many weeks! We wanted to take this time to share about our âDrop-Off/Pick-Upâ Curbside drive thru that will be coming up on Thursday, May 28th and Friday, May 29that Fishers Junior High.
The âDrop-Off/Pick-Upâ will take place on the south side of the building at the Main Entrance pavilion (Doors 1 and 2). Towards the bottom of this letter are the set times by last name (alpha order) and grade level for each day. We need to collect materials in effort to prepare the items for next school year. For example, many rented iPads will be replaced with newer versions and all other rented iPads need to be cleared for next yearsâ rental and app selection.
Textbooks, classroom novels and books,and library books need to be collected, isolated for multiple weeks to follow CDC guidelines, and then sorted for next year. During this curbside
drive thru, our staff and volunteers will have masks and gloves on to assure everyoneâs safety. We have selected two days to allow for flexibility with familyâs schedules. Families will be dropping off the following items:
rental iPads
all textbooks *Put student name in textbook inside cover*
classroom novels and books
library books
school-owned instruments
As mentioned, this is a drive thru event, and we ask that no one leaves their cars during this time. We will not be collecting any workbooks or consumable materials. In addition, we will not be returning items that are still in the building. All items that are inside the building, including lockers,will be returned when the governmentâs executive orders and essential business only on school grounds is lifted. This will be after June 30, 2020. The business we are conducting on these two days are deemed essential to prepare for next school year.
Please tell your child, they will get his/her items back later in the summer. We appreciate your patience.
Dates/Timesâ˘
Thursday, 5/28
7th Grade last name A-M from 10:00â2:00
7th Grade last name N-Zfrom 2:00â6:00
Friday, 5/29
8th Grade last name A-M from 10:00 â2:00
8th Grade last name N-Z from 2:00 â6:0
How will this work:â˘Turn into the lot entrance nearest the roundabout and follow the flow of traffic. Four cars at a time will be serviced within the cones between Door #1 and Door #2.â˘Open your window and place textbooks, classroom novels and books, and library books inside the collectorsâ boxes; iPads will be scanned/checked to verify ownership, and a receipt will be provided.â˘**Band/Orchestra instrument ONLY if you are returning them per Directorâs email
We the People Team Are National Champions
In the middle of March, everything changed. The Center for Civic Education announced that this yearâs national competition for the We the People program would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation. The 26 students, and their teachers, were devastated. The class had been working all year to travel to Washington D.C. to compete against the best in the country, and now they would not have that opportunity.
Fortunately, a couple of weeks later, the Center contacted all of the teams and let them know that there would be a virtual competition held via Zoom if the teams wanted to participate. The answer from the FJH team? A resounding yes! The units began to polish the final drafts of their papers and met multiple times, virtually of course, to review new material that would help with follow-up questions they were sure to be asked. Mr. Mike Fassold, who started the program at FJH seven years ago, scheduled numerous volunteer judges to hold rehearsals with the team before the big day. The circumstances of the competition may have changed, but the work leading up to it did not.
On Saturday, May 2, the team dressed in their normal competition outfits, and joined their respective rooms to read their four-minute prepared paper and answer six minutes worth of follow up questions from a panel of judges. The judges were the same ones that would have been present for the in-person competition and ranged from practicing lawyers, to college professors, to We the People state coordinators, to national policymakers. The students from FJH held their own against the difficult questions from this group of professionals, and by the end of the day they had proven themselves to be national champions! The third such honor for Fishers Junior High.
But the real accomplishment of this year was the effort and attitude of the 26 students. These young men and women could have decided that this was too difficult to do under the circumstances. Not being able to meet with their units or teachers. Balancing this extra work with the other classes in an environment that was foreign to everyone. Dealing with the mental stress that all of us have felt during this time of quarantine. But these kids never quit. âI could not be prouder of any group of students than I am of this class,â said their English teacher, Tony Sturgeon.
We the People is about learning to become a better citizen and to make an impact on the country. The students from Fishers Junior High showed, in more ways than one, what it takes to accomplish these goals in the face of difficult circumstances. In the end, they more than earned the right to call themselves champions.
Jerry Yang Named Finalist
In February, Desmos announced that they would be hosting it's first annual Global Math Art Contest 2020. Jerry decided that he wanted to submit his Eiffel Tower project into the contest. He chose to go back in and add in the landscape to set his project apart. In all, his project includes 1045 equations. Jerry's project made it through the first round of cuts. He is among the top 20 finalists for his age group. The contest featured over 4,000 graphs from over 100 countries around the world. The winners will be announced June 1st. We wish him the best of luck as he moves on to the next round!
Moving this summer?
Address or Bus Changes: Anyone requesting new bus transportation for their child, due to a move to a new home, must provide proof of residency to the attending school to make this change. Residency documents needed are posted on the corporation website under âMeet HSEâ then âEnrollment,â "Step 2, Residency Documents." You may email documentation to kbroughton@hse.k12.in.us.
https://www.hseschools.org/about/enrollment
2021 8th Grade Washington DC Trip
Iâm excited to announce Iâm leading my 29th trip to Washington D.C.. Weâll be having another open registration period next Fall when school starts again, but wanted to offer early electronic sign ups as it gives parents a lower registration fee, early bird discounts, and more time to spread payments out for the trip.
Also, the tour company I work with (Worldstrides) offers Flag Scholarships to families in need of financial assistance (details below). In these uncertain times I strongly encourage you to purchase the optional trip insurance when you sign up.
This trip is not required by the school, but only a fun and educational opportunity during Presidents Day Weekend so no school is actually missed. Please watch the below Parent Presentation to learn more about this incredible educational opportunity.
Hereâs some additional information:
⢠Our Trip ID is 188161 Use this to sign up at worldstrides.com/signup or by phone at 800-468-5899.
⢠When you sign up now, you can save $75 off the trip price and pay only a $49 deposit. Plus, youâll have more time to spread out payments before your trip.
⢠Thereâs also FLAG financial assistance that may be available along with flexible payment options. You can call 800-468-5899 for more information.
There will be an additional open registration time as well as an optional parent meeting next Fall when school starts back up to answer any questions. But please read the attached pdf for cost, how to register, and lots of additional details. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Click here for a PDF document with all the details!
All the best,
Steve Heiniger (sheiniger@hse.k12.in.us)