CHARGE!
Fishers Junior High, May, 2021
Home of the Chargers
Principal: Dr. Crystal Thorpe
Assistant Principal: Mr. Tige Butts
Athletic Director: Mr. Scott Timmons
Guidance Director: Mr. Basel Maarouf
Email: vax@hse.k12.in.us
Website: fjh.hseschools.org
Location: 13257 Cumberland Road
Phone: 317-594-4150
Twitter: @FJHChargers
Greetings Charger parents,
Although it feels like school just really started for us, we only have three full weeks left in the 2020-2021 school year! Thank you for helping us make the best out of extremely challenging times! Your support of FJHS has been invaluable.
There are a few nuts and bolts we need to attend to, such as the collection of HSE district iPads, which will be on 5/25 for In-person students and 5/27 for our Virtual students.
If your student is in Band, Choir, or Orchestra, please make sure to check with them about the spring concerts.
If you like the outdoors and working hard, please join us on May 14 as we plant trees around FJH. This is due to the efforts of Deb Kletch and our partnership with DNR.
Our Girls' County Track Meet will be at FHS on May 17 and our Boys' County Track Meet will be at FHS on May 19. Good luck to both teams!
Some of our students and staff will be featured in the Washington Post titled, Covid Reflections From the Unmuted Middle! by Tim Campbell. Thank you to Cindy Baney for bringing this project to FJH.
Thank you to our PTO, led by Amy Riebe, and all their wonderful efforts this year. Please consider joining our PTO team next year: we need you!
Congratulations to our 2021 National "We the People" Champions and their teacher advisors, Mike Fassold, Tony Sturgeon, and Kevin Stumpf. Our students worked hard this year, and all of their efforts were rewarded.
During the last week of school, we will run the block schedule on Monday and Tuesday, May 24 and 25, and a seven-period day on May 26.
We will begin a building renovation project on July 1, which will last approximately18 months. We are super excited about all the updates our building will get, but that also means classes will be displaced during the next few years. Thank you for sending us the very best students!
Proudly serving as your principal
Dr. Crystal Thorpe
We the People Team wins National Competition
The FJH We the People team competed in the 9th annual National Invitational Tournament on May 1 & 2 and walked away with the National Championship Award!
Mr. Fassold and Mr. Sturgeon could not be prouder of this team. They encountered and conquered more obstacles than any team since Fishers Junior High has participated in the program.
Rather than the normal, in-person hearings, the team had to compete over Zoom at every level of competition. They were practicing and learning in a variety of environments: strictly virtual, a 50/50 setting, and, for some units, fully in-person. They also had to deal with last-minute quarantining of some team members.
But no matter what was thrown at them, these students handled themselves with grace and perseverance, which came through when the judges provided feedback to each unit at the end of the competition. “Could compete on the high school level”, “showed complex thinking”, “wonderful teamwork and synergy”, “rich conversation”, and “out of this world”, were just a few of the compliments the judges shared.
At the end of the second day of competition, Mr. Fassold told the team, “It doesn’t matter what the results are when they come out. After these two days of performance you have done exactly what we have asked of you, and you are all winners in my heart.”
FJH Heritage Tree Research Project
MARK YOUR CALENDARS – the Trees are coming!
On May 14th at 1:00 Fishers Junior High School will be starting our Heritage Tree Program: Using Science to Save Trees.
Students at FJH, in conjunction with IN DNR, The Indiana Nut and Fruit Association, US Department of Forestry, Purdue University and the City of Fishers Department of Public Works, will be planting 100 research trees.
Did you know that the American Chestnut is now on the threatened list? This icon of American history is disappearing because of a fungal blight and we have all joined together to provide research data to help save these amazing trees.
We will be planting pure American Chestnuts, pure Chinese Chestnuts and hybrids of the two in order to study their survival rate and their resistance to the blight.
Contact Mrs. Kletch, FJH Science Teacher, for more information
Join us on May 14th for this historic event and help us plant some trees!
What: Planting 100 research trees
Where: Fishers Junior High School – South side of the track
When: May 14th from 1-3 PM
Why: to come together as a community and develop a research area to solve this problem
Thanks to the City of Fishers, Department of Public Works, for assistance with digging 100 holes for the trees.
PTO News
As we prepare to wrap up the 2020-21 school year, we are excited to announce the slate for 2021-22:
President - Tabbatha Collier
VP - Shelley Harder
Treasurer - Angela Walls-Thomas
Sec/Communications - Shelley Bradway
Member at Large - Jessica Grogan
We will be voting on this slate on May 19th at 3:30pm during a general meeting via Zoom. All FJH parents are invited and encouraged to participate.
If you would like a link to the meeting, please email us at FJHChargersPTO@gmail.com. While we wish this year had been different in so many ways, our biggest regret is the inability to connect in-person as an FJH community - students, staff, & parents. But brighter days are ahead and 2021-22 is full of new opportunities and vision.
There is still room! If you would like to be involved next year, this new board would love to connect with you. Please use the PTO email above to share your information at anytime. There will be events and activities that need you - some will be in person but some can be done from home on your time. They are open to a wide variety of involvement - just let them know!
Any questions about the May 19th meeting should be directed to the PTO via the email address. We hope to see you there!
News from our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team
Our team would like to formally say welcome to our new superintendent Dr. Yvonne Stokes. Currently, staff is reading and discussing Biased by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt.
This summer, more staff members are attending the two-day workshop, Interrupting Racism. Our student DEI club is meeting in May with high school students to learn about DEI opportunities at the high school and about summer events.
NJHS Class of 2025
Attention Class of 2025,
Mark your calendar for Thursday, May 20th @ 6:30! It has been an eventful year. We do want to take the time to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Citizenship, and Character.
The Class of 2025 Induction Ceremony for National Junior Honor Society will take place May 20th @6:30 PM in the Main Gym at Fishers Junior High.
· Students need to arrive no later than 6:15PM
· Masks are required
· It is recommended that families limit themselves to 2 members
· Seating will be available on a first come basis in the bleachers on both sides of the gym
· Students will be on the gym floor sitting alphabetically in rows
· Dress code does apply:
Girls: dress, skirt, or dress pants, dress shoes or sandals
Boys: sport coat is optional, collared shirt, tie or bowtie, dress pants, dress shoes
· We do understand that some might have already committed to other activities. We will make sure participants receive their certificate.
If you have any questions, please email:
Jennifer Oskay joskay@hse.k12.in.us or Kurt Henderson jkhenderson@hse.k12.in.us
We look forward to seeing everyone!
iPAD Collection Dates
iPad Collection will be Tuesday May 25th for in-person students and Thursday May 27th for virtual students.
Before turning in your school iPad, please do the following:
Remove the passcode
(Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Enter Passcode > Turn Passcode Off > Enter Passcode/Turn Off_
Clean the iPad
Carefully remove iPad from case.
- Remove any stickers, paper, tape, etc. from the iPad & case, and clean any remaining residue. Do notuse any liquid adhesive removers.
- Use a soft cloth with no cleaners or liquids to wipe all surfaces of the iPad & the case.
- Carefully place iPad back in the case.
From the Guidance Department at FJH
FJH School counselors for school year 2020-2021
7th Grade: Ms. Gal – kgal@hse.k12.in.us
8th Grade: Mr. Maarouf – bmaarouf@hse.k12.in.us
Registrar: Mrs. Broughton - kbroughton@hse.k12.in.us
FJH School counselors for school year 2021-2022
7th Grade: Mr. Maarouf – bmaarouf@hse.k12.in.us
8th Grade: Ms. Gal – kgal@hse.k12.in.us
Registrar: Mrs. Broughton - kbroughton@hse.k12.in.us
Follow us on Twitter @FjhCounseling twitter.com/fjhcounseling
Course Selections for next year, 2021-2022, were available for parent review and approval on Skyward Family Access the week of April 14th-21st. If these course selections are incorrect, or if you wish to make any changes, please contact your student's counselor before June 1st, 2021. Schedules will be made available for Charger Preview Day the week before school starts. In order to provide the best schedule for our students while maintaining manageable class sizes for our staff, it is important that all families adhere to this deadline of June 1st.
Charger Preview Day will take place on Wednesday, July 28th, from 1:00-6:00 p.m. Students may have their picture taken for their school ID, walk their schedule, set up their locker, put money into their lunch account, and be able to purchase Wellness uniforms.
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 “Meet HSE” then “Enrollment,” "Step 2, Residency Documents." You may email documentation to kbroughton@hse.k12.in.us.
https://www.hseschools.org/about/enrollment
Withdrawing Your Student: If your child will be withdrawing from HSE School District over the summer, please notify FJH Registrar Kim Broughton, kbroughton@hse.k12.in.us. Please include name of the student you are withdrawing, which school or city you are moving to, and current grade level.
Orchestra News
On Saturday, March 6, 2021 six students from the FJH Orchestra program competed at the Virtual ISSMA Solo and Ensemble competition.
Earning Gold ratings in Violin solos:
Isabella Murch
McKenna Stine
Bronwyn Sundquist
Earning Gold rating in Cello solo:
Lily Spilker-Bryant
Earning Gold rating in Bass solo:
Veronica Bowman
Earning Silver rating with Violin solo:
Grayson Barnes
Please congratulate them on their excellent performances!!!
Hearing Screening for Virtual Students
All virtual students who would like to have a hearing screening are welcome to come into school Friday, May 7th from 10:00-11:00.
These are hearing screenings only and do not take place of a full audiological evaluation. Students can be dropped off at the front doors and screenings will take approximately 5-10 minutes.
If that time does not work for you, please email Amy Doyle at adoyle@hse.k12.in.us.
2022 Washington DC Trip (7th Grade Sign-ups)
Dozens of 7th grade students have already signed up for next year’s Washington DC class trip and taken advantage of the early bird discount, first access to the Flag Scholarship Assistance, and smaller payments for getting registered early.
It’s not too late to take advantage of all these benefits if you still register by June 4th. All the details are included in the informational packet passed out by your child’s social studies teacher a few weeks ago. However, you can also find this same information and also sign up on our trip website: https://worldstrides.com/custom/fishers-jr-high-school-dc-194748/.
Can’t decide? No worries, next Fall there will be another open registration period when school starts up again.
Steve Heiniger, trip sponsor
Ms. Sangiorgio's Class Wins Bracket!
Our BEST class won the March Madness tournament (we had Baylor as our team).
We had a popsicle party outside!
Eco Science Challenge
The Eco-Science Challenge encourages innovative Hoosier students to work towards finding solutions to current eco-science issues. Both small and big initiatives are welcome as we work together to positively impact our communities and beyond. FJH was represented by 4 students this year, 3 of which received honorable mentions.
Submitted projects were also judged separately by Subaru SIA. On behalf of Subaru, we are pleased to announce that Adam Koltuniuk is the winner of the Subaru STARS award and a plaque.
In addition, Fishers Junior High will receive $3,000. His project was selected based on the creativity of the problem and the difficulty of the experimental design. Further, judges were impressed with the data collected and how it was presented.
FJH Heirloom Tomato Plant Fundraiser
The Fishers Junior High Charger Gardening Gang will be providing the community with Heirloom Tomato Plants for $3 each.
FJH Learning Garden will earn 40% of the proceeds from the sale of these locally grown tomato plants. The proceeds will help fund the future FJH Outdoor Classroom in the Learning Garden!
We are partnering with our FJH PTO to collect payment and order details, but all of the money raised will go to the Learning Garden.
Link to order form (click here)
Available Varieties:
Cherry/Grape – our students love these
Large Round Red – good on everything
Slicers – perfect for sandwiches
Yellow/Orange – low acid
Beefsteak types – strong & flavorful
Salad Varieties – selections good with greens
Our Best Sellers – unique & fun varieties
FHS Dance Team Tryouts
Interested in becoming a member of the 2021-2022 FHS Dance Team?
Tryouts will take place May 17th, 18th, and 19th from 6:30-8:30 PM at FHS in the aux gyms and is open to all FHS students in grades 9-12.
Students must be present all 3 days of tryouts.
To register: Complete the google form link below and sign/return the Team Policy and Emergency Medical forms (found in our team handbook) on the first day of tryouts.
Google Form Registration Link: https://forms.gle/C2hT9MPNGZELjvKy8
Team Handbook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RT0g5h92csZD2-DWe0Ffq5tNloNbgFB3/view?usp=sharing
For more information, visit our Facebook page Fishers-Dance-Team or contact Coach Katy at fishersdanceteam@gmail.com. Thanks!
Mudsock Registration for Fall Sports
Online registration opens May 1st for fall sports and runs through May 31st at myathletics.com. Most practices and games take place on school and city fields within the Hamilton Southeastern School District and the city of Fishers.
Find all fall program information packets here.
Fall Program Offerings Include:
- Soccer - (pre-kindergarten – high school)
- Football - (Flag K-2nd, Rookie tackle 3rd, Modified tackle 4th, Tackle 5th – 6th)
- Girls Volleyball - (4th – 8th)
- Co-Ed Field Hockey - (2nd – 11th)
- Cheerleading - (K-6th)
- Cross Country - (1st – 12th)
- Fall Baseball - (1st – 9th)
- Fall Softball - (8U – 14U)
Everyone Plays. Registration scholarship opportunities are available for families on free or reduced lunch within the district. Families can apply for one per season per child and must apply and be accepted during our open registration period. For fall sports these dates are 5/1 – 5/31. Email info@myathletics.com for more information.
Chinese Language Opportunity
Sponsored by the U. S. Department of Defense, Ball State University is offering a free summer camp for current Grade 8-12 students to study Chinese language and culture in July 2021.
The location is our Fishers Building at 12175 Visionary Way, Fishers, IN 46038.
This is a great opportunity for your students to experience a fun college class early.
For more information, please visit https://www.bsu.edu/academics/collegesanddepartments/modern-languages-classics/activities-opportunities/star-talk
Thank you very much! Liu Li (李柳), PhD Associate Professor of Chinese Department of Modern Languages and Classics Ball State University
Phone: 765 285 8236
Email: lli5@bsu.edu