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Judy Withrow Coordinator of Gifted Services

1100 Broad Ave. Findlay, Ohio 45840

419-425-8296 jwithrow@fcs.org

Mary Ann Clarke ............... 419-427-5437 mclarke@fcs.org Terri Hooper ..................... 419-427-5495 thooper@fcs.org Patty Majors ...................... 419-425-8310 pmajors@fcs.org Loveda VanDerMolen ....... 419-425-8373 lvandermolen2@fcs.org Kate WInger ...................... 419-425-8240 kwinger@fcs.org Kristin Woodhull ................ 419-425-8332 kwoodhull@fcs.org

In This Issue…

Intermediate .......... p. 2-3

Middle School ....... p. 3-4

High School .......... p. 4-6

Of Interest to All ... p. 6-7

Calendar of Events ... p. 8

Sept. / Oct. 2009

E-mail mclarke@fcs.org

to receive this

newsletter electronically.

Coordinator of Gifted Services

1100 Broad Ave. Findlay, Ohio 45840

Judy Withrow, K-12 . 419-425-8296 Terri Hooper, Asst. .. 419-427-5495 Mary Ann Clarke, Asst…419-427- 5437 Stacy Douglas ......... 419-425-8310 Jenna Potteiger ....... 419-425-8373 Kate WInger ............ 419-425-8370 Kristin Woodhull ...... 419-425-8332

In This Issue… Intermediate ................. p. 2 Middle School .............. p. 3 High School ............... p. 4-6 Of Interest to All ........ p. 6-7

Calendar of Events ...... p. 8

Findlay

Here’s your chance to continue volunteering for FEP this summer! Findlay Enrichment Programs will receive a grant from the Marathon Golf Classic proceeds to help fund COSI on Wheels for intermediate students. To receive the funds FEP must volunteer at the Golf Classic on July 15, 2015. We have an easy assignment, valet parking, plus the volunteers may get to interact with a celebrity. FEP needs six volunteers to each do a four-hour shift at Highland Meadows Golf Club on July 15. Three volunteers will be needed in the morning and three in the afternoon. Valet-parking volunteers must be at least twenty-one years old. Another opportunity is to help with the cleanup on Monday, July 20 from 8:00-10:00 A.M. FEP will need to have three volunteers for the cleanup. There are no age restrictions for this job. Each volunteer will receive a T-shirt, ball cap, free parking, a grounds badge good for the entire week, access to the volunteer tent when working and a volunteer party ticket. Another opportunity to help FEP is through purchasing a Charity Ticket. There are two types of tickets: a Weekly Clubhouse Ticket - $120 and a Weekly Grounds Ticket - $60 (both run July 13-19, 2015). FEP will receive 100% of each ticket sold. The Clubhouse Ticket will allow the buyer access to the clubhouse and grounds Monday through Sunday and the opportunity to purchase food and beverages in the clubhouse. A Weekly Grounds ticket will allow the buyer access to the grounds Monday through Sunday with concession stands located throughout the course for purchase of food and beverages. Use this site to purchase either Weekly Grounds tickets or Weekly Clubhouse Tickets: www.marathonclassic.com. When you purchase tickets online you will also be able to designate the charity you wish to give 100% of the ticket cost to.

Click on the Charity Ticket program for the list of eligible charities.

Choose only one charity per Exchange Ticket (we hope you will choose FEP).

Write your choice on the tear-off portion (no copies or faxes) and send to:

Marathon Classic Charity Ticket Program 4405 Dorr St. Toledo, OH 43607 You can also purchase Weekly Grounds tickets at Kroger at a price of Two for One and designate a charity. Please contact Judy Withrow, 419-425-8296 if you would like to volunteer or have any questions.

Serving with you, Timothy Kent Bechtol FEP Board President tkbechtol7@gmail.com 419-425-4020

MESSAGE FROM THE

PRESIDENT…

Findlay Enrichment Programs, Inc. March-April. 2015 Vol. 28, Issue 4

Don’t miss the JSA Community Dinner on April 9 at First Presbyterian Church! Call 419-425-8296 for tickets. Proceeds support a maternity clinic in Tanzania.

P. S., If you have any dinosaurs lounging around, they can come to Camp Discovery! Call Judy Withrow to donate dinos or dino books (see page 6)…..

FEP Newsletter Mar./Apr.. 2015 Page

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The STEM Classroom . . .

STEM News from Bigelow Hill, Chamberlin Hill, Lincoln & Wilson Vance

Stacy Douglas Kristin Woodhull 4th grade…. . Mark Twain once said, “In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.” Engineers and scientist alike have developed and created a multitude of tools over the years that allow for the convenience of our weather reports. With the weather in mind, the STEM students have been busy studying and building separate gadgets that allow scientists to gather data and predict weather patterns. While building and testing anemometers one day, a student sincerely announced, “I didn’t know weather was so fun and complicated. Maybe I will be a weather reporter.” With this one child’s confirmation, the objectives of the STEM program are certainly solidified in the students’ minds.

5th grade….

How Strong Is YOUR Beam? The fifth grade STEM class recently had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Steve Ernst, a civil engineer with Marathon Petroleum Company. He came to Wilson Vance to challenge the STEM students to create the most structurally-stable concrete beam. The class first brainstormed applications for concrete structures in society. The students then worked in small teams and learned about the materials that make up concrete. They discovered that even when given a “recipe” for construction, there still can be many variations. The students had to problem-solve with Mr. Ernst as they constructed the beam because they discovered that things may go wrong during a project. The challenge they faced was how to fix the problems!

Following construction and curing of the beams, Mr. Ernst returned to STEM so that the students could test the beams for strength. Once again the students were challenged to estimate, brainstorm, and problem solve how construction can be improved. The strongest beam held over 10 kilograms of weight! Two of Mr. Ernst’s sons are in the STEM program, and he generously volunteered to come in to work with the STEM students. All materials were provided by Mr. Ernst, and he came with a fabulous lesson plan as well! We would like to offer our sincere thanks for this visit that helped our students learn what the “real world” might be like in a civil engineering career!

In the first step, students mix ingredients for their construction project.

Students continue work on constructing the beam.

Testing the final product for strength!

Christina Horn and Ali Ernst work on building an

anemometer.

FEP Newsletter Mar./Apr.. 2015 Page

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REACH NEWS . . .

Kate Winger, Donnell Jenna Potteiger, Glenwood 6th grade…. REACH sixth graders have just finished literature circles based on genre interest. Students were responsible for reading assigned sections, completing individualized jobs, and participating in discussions for each section. At the end of the book, each group created a commercial to encourage others in the class to read the book. Building on that experience, they are now moving into a detailed Author Study and coinciding project. Students are responsible for reading two books by an author of their choice, researching the author, and creating a slide show that includes pictures related to the author and books, along with a recorded voice narration that they will script and record. 7th grade… Seventh graders also just finished up literature circles. To conclude our unit, however, they all read mysteries. They were responsible for splitting their book into equal sections, assigning daily jobs for each member, and participating in regular group discussions. At the end of the book, they too had the opportunity to create a commercial for the book in order to share highlights with the class. Next, we began transitioning into our slavery unit by researching early America, creating a timeline of major events in slave history, and reading Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen. After reading about the traumatic events that surrounded slavery, students will have an opportunity to watch the movie version of the book, and then they will write about the differences and similarities before we continue with our unit.

8th grade… Eighth graders just finished up a challenging adventure called Novel in an Hour. Although we actually extended this challenge beyond an hour, it was a fun way to introduce the students to a new author. Each student was given a random chapter or two from a book called Or Give Me Death by Ann Rinaldi. Students were confused at first because they couldn’t figure out what was going on, based solely on their chapter. Eventually, through a detailed discussion, students were able to order their chapters into the correct sequence, and we had a complete story! This process led into Ann Rinaldi literature circles. Students chose a Rinaldi book and a group to work with. They were also responsible for dividing their book into sections, assigning jobs for each section, and participating in the daily discussions. At the conclusion of the book, they will have a chance to use their creativity to produce a commercial summarizing their book for the class.

Roman Nikolaev, Lauryn Humphreys and Kate Foster deep

in book discussion.

Ammar AlAhmad, Toni Beltz and Jared Fleckner discussing their book choice.

Evelyn Kutschbach, Jocelyn Feasel, Julie Keppers, and Tori Ritzler getting ready to film their commercial based on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Johnathan Armstrong, Kevin Kuhn, Adam Gilbert, Caden Skellie, and Avery Charles reenacting the Boston Tea Party.

FEP Newsletter Mar./Apr.. 2015 Page

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ROBOTICS II

A Time Warner representative, Christine Mackin, visited the Robotics II class on January 27, 2015. Time Warner sponsors the robotics classes after school and in the evening for Findlay Enrichment Programs. Thank you Time Warner!

Josh Huber, Glenwood science teacher, helps Robotics II

students with their project.

MIKE ANDERSON SHARES HIS TALENTS WITH FCS

Mike Anderson, Dulcimer Guy, was in Findlay from January 29-February 1. He had a jam packed four days! He shared his stories and his instruments (dulcimer,

nose flute, jaw harp) with students at Bigelow Hill, Chamberlin Hill and Lincoln intermediate schools and Donnell, Glenwood and Van Buren middle schools. On Saturday he worked with area dulcimer players who then performed along with him at a concert open to the public. Funday Sunday at Mazza rounded out his stay. Thank you to the Arts Partnership, Community Foundation,

Findlay Enrichment Programs, Findlay City Schools, First Church of God and Mazza for making his visit possible. Thousands of students enjoyed Mike Anderson’s wit and talents.

POWER OF THE PEN

Donnell and Glenwood’s Power of the Pen teams have had a very successful competitive season this year. Donnell’s team, coached by Kara Thomas, and Glenwood’s team, coached by Loveda Watts, both placed and had students place at the district competition on January 24th at Tiffin Middle School. Placing as a team, Glenwood’s seventh grade took first out of thirteen

schools. Individually, Donnell seventh- grader Megan Earhart was recognized as a best-of-round winner. Donnell’s eighth graders placed third in the competition. Lexi Rizor, Donnell eighth grader, was a best-of-round winner. Several students from Donnell and Glenwood, due to their success at districts, will be competing at regionals. We wish them the best of luck as they write their way closer to the state competition. Way to go Trojans!!

Glenwood’s 7th grade team placed 1st at districts. Team

members pictured here are Emma Wright, Morgan Tyree, McKenna Leonard, Kasey Wagner, Abby Omlor, Zedric Wilson

and coach Loveda Van Der Molen.

FINDLAY HS News . . .

HONORS CAREER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM (HCMP) The final Honors Career Mentorship breakfast will be held on April 16 with 17 students in Group III sharing their experiences. Thank you Jenne Cairns, Terri Hooper and Wendy Davidson for finding the mentors for these students. A big thank you to Findlay Enrichment Programs and Academic Booster Club for sponsoring the mentorship breakfasts. Students participating in Group III are:

Students & Mentors Students & Mentors

Jordan Amann General Surgery Dr. Richard Polder Findlay Surgical Associates

Rachel Reynolds Psychology/Music Therapy Amy Foley Heartstring Melodies

Austin Cameron Botanist Stephanie Miller Ohio DNR, Forestry

Cara Riker Business Accounting Jim Brachok Marathon Petroleum Co.

Cassidy Carrigan ESL Teacher Crystal Whipkey Findlay City Schools

Caitlynn Sayer Pediatric/Neonatal Medicine Dr. Ami Orr Blanchard Valley Pediatrics

Julie Cole Civil Engineering Brandy Gibbons Marathon Petroleum Co.

James Staschiak Business & Finance Paul Smith Marathon Petroleum Co.

Olivia Fenton Dermatology Dr. Michael Cairns BV Medical Associates

Luke Taylor Architecture Erin Curley RCM Architects

FEP Newsletter Mar./Apr.. 2015 Page

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Lauren Johnson TV/Film Director/Writer Scott Handel Ohio HD Video & Studios

Mason Williams Dentistry Dr. Johathan Davis Total Dental Care

Kendra Konecny Opthalmology Dr. Stephen Orr Spectrum Eye Care

Marissa Wintrow Risk Management/Actuarial Mark Braun Marathon Petroleum Co.

Faith LeFleur Architect Mike Arnold TFC Architects & Engineers

Chloe Wohlgamuth Pathology Dr. Heidi Budke BV Pathology and Lab

Audrey Miller Mechanical Engineering Ned Gerding Marathon Petroleum Co.

COLLEGE PLANNING SERIES

April 15, 2015

“College Comes Sooner Than You Think,” Periods 2-7 Ohio Northern University (Freshmen Only)

Teacher Sponsor: Matthew Best Counselor Sponsor: Kristi Gerdeman

MEETING OF THE MINDS

April 17, 2015

“Sam Rhine Genetic Conference,” Periods 1-8 Clay High School Auditorium Teacher Sponsors: Stephanie Toland/Mike Ruthenberg Counselor Sponsors: Mary Burget, Jenny Coulter, Ray Elbin, and Kristi Gerdeman

3.75 AWARDS BANQUET

The annual 3.75 Awards Banquet will be held on Thursday, April 16, with the dinner beginning at 6:00 and the awards to follow. We are encouraging all invitees and their families not only to attend the awards and dinner, but to remain in attendance throughout the ceremony, as leaving during the ceremony causes a disruption and detracts from the purpose of the evening. Expect the invitations to be mailed at the beginning of April to all qualified students and their families. If you have questions regarding the 3.75 Awards Banquet, contact your guidance counselor.

COMPETITIVE COLLEGE DAY

On March 11, approximately sixty-five juniors met in the FHS library with admissions’ officers from Ohio University, The Ohio State University, Ohio Wesleyan and University of Cincinnati. Students participated in a simulation to learn what admissions’ officers look for in an application. FHS welcomed students from Riverdale, Liberty Benton, Arlington and Cory Rawson. Thank you to FEP and ABC for the admissions officers’ brunch prior to the workshop.

Students work on actual college admissions forms to learn the process.

MATH COMPETITION AT UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY

Six students from Findlay High School took the test for the American Mathematics Competition during the evening of February 25, 2015 at University of Findlay. As a sophomore, James Pepple took the AMC 10 which contained problems solved with algebra and geometry concepts while the rest of the students who are juniors or seniors took the AMC 12 test based on pre-calculus concepts. Kudos for these students who gave up their evening for this math test.

Pictured left to right are: Luke Taylor, Maddie Lawson, Bella Spearman, Timmie Dong, Jackie Fontana and James Pepple.

FEP Newsletter Mar./Apr.. 2015 Page

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JSA RAISES FUNDS WITH DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT

JSA sponsored a Dodgeball Tournament on February 20, 2015 in the FHS gyms. Over twenty teams participated in the games. Thank you Donnell and Glenwood for contributing so many teams. Proceeds from the event will go toward a maternity clinic in Tanga, Tanzania. . Good NEWS from the

Academic Boosters Club…

Recently, the Academic Booster Committee awarded 910 FHS students with academic stickers. Students who achieved a 3.0 GPA the first semester of this school year are entitled to discounts at local participating businesses. Congratulations to the 245 Freshman, 216 Sophomores, 223 Juniors and 226 Seniors. Keep up the good work! Thank you to all who supported ABC at City Barbeque. We raised over $300.00 that day!

OF INTEREST TO ALL. . .

Glorious &Trimphant Four students at FHS are National Merit Finalists: Noah Keppers, Sam Majors, Adam Seitz and Emily Stahl. Way to Go! Junior Scholar Joseph Tornes, FHS junior, will participate in the AIA High School Competition for Architects. Congratulations to Findlay High School We the People who placed 1st at the State We the People competition. They are State Champions once again!

WHO GETS THIS NEWSLETTER?

You may wonder why you are receiving this

newsletter. You may have a child identified gifted, be a

gifted/FEP supporter, a mentor or staff member. Hope

you enjoy keeping updated on gifted programs.

JSA COMMUNITY DINNER

The annual Community Dinner for the Junior

Statesmen of America (JSA) service learning project will

be April 9, 2015 from 5:00-7:00 at First Presbyterian

Church. Cedar Valley Café will cater the event. You can

purchase tickets from a JSA member, Mr. Barkey or Judy

Withrow at 419-425-8296 or jwithrow@fcs.org. The JSA

African project for 2014-15 is a maternity wing at a clinic

in Tanga, Tanzania. The cost of the dinner is $10 with $4

from every ticket going to this project. Carryout is

available.

Camp World will be held July 20-24, 2015 at Donnell Middle School. The theme for the daylong camp will be “Global Markets” with classes focusing on the cultures of these five countries: the Congo, Cuba, Japan, Spain and New Zealand. Here’s an opportunity for students to find out about these five countries’ food, music, art, sports, and language. The camp hours for Camp World are from 8:30-3:00 daily with lunch, t-shirt, and all materials included in the cost. Students who have completed kindergarten are eligible for Camp World. Call 419-427-5495 for more information.

WANTED: YOUR DINOSAURS!

The dinosaurs are coming to

Camp Discovery! If you have any

dinosaurs and/or books about dinosaurs, you can

donate those items to Camp Discovery. Please contact

Judy Withrow at 419-425-8296 for more information.

Thank you!

26th ANNUAL SPELLING BEE

The Literacy Coalition of Hancock County is sponsoring the 26th Annual Spelling Bee on April 28 at First Presbyterian Church. If you would like to support the spellers (Junior Statesmen of America and National Honor Society will each have a team), the cost of the luncheon is $15. Raffle tickets at $1 each are for two Indians tickets, two Reds tickets or a Pandora bracelet. If you would like luncheon tickets or raffle tickets, call Judy Withrow at 419-425-8296.

FEP Newsletter Mar./Apr.. 2015 Page

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SCIENCE COMMUNITIES STUDY SPACE

Sixty-five fifth graders, sixteen from each of the

intermediate schools, have been studying Space once a

week after school since November. These students,

chosen for their ability and interest in science, will

culminate this study with a field trip to Oregon, OH May

20 to the Challenger Space Center. All the students will

work in teams in the afternoon on May 5 at Chamberlin

Hill to prepare for the simulation on May 20. Students

have assessed their strengths in order to determine which

team they will be on (data collection, communication, et

cetera) in order to land a spacecraft on the moon in a

viable place on May 20. Thank you to the teachers who

are giving their time and skills to Science Communities:

Kim Betts (Bigelow Hill); Tina Gephart (Chamberlin Hill);

Danielle LaFountain and Kelly Ruhe (Lincoln); and Kerri

Harmon (Wilson Vance).

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES

Please remember to visit Findlay City Schools’ Gifted

website www.findlaycityschools.org/gifted.htm to see the

Summer Opportunities 2015 available for your child(ren).

The website is updated as additional information is

received.

KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS

Anyone who previously enrolled in Kroger Community

Rewards program on behalf of Jr. Statesmen of America

(JSA) or Findlay Enrichment Programs (FEP) will need to

re-enroll beginning April 1, 2015. All current members

must re-enroll for the program in order to earn funds for

JSA or FEP during 2015-2016 school year. This even

includes anyone who may have just recently enrolled.

Visit http://www.krogercommunityrewards.com and

click on “Columbus, OH” and click on “Enroll” to register

for the first time. To re-enroll, go to the website or

Kroger.com and SIGN IN. If you should have any

questions, please call 1-800-KROGERS.

FEP BOARD

The officers will be elected May 5, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

in the large conference room at the Washington

Administration offices. The nominating committee offers

these names for consideration:

Slate of Officers:

President: Open -- if you can serve, please contact

Judy Withrow at 425-8269.

Vice-President: Lameice Kenny

Treasurer: Michelle Montalbine/Amanda Brasfield

Secretary: Carrie Templin

FEP CONTRIBUTIONS

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT FINDLAY’S

ACADEMICALLY TALENTED STUDENTS, YOU MAY

BECOME A MEMBER OF FEP BY ATTENDING MEETINGS,

VOLUNTEERING, AND/OR PROVIDING FINANCIAL

SUPPORT!

Name

Address

City, Zip

Daytime Phone Evening Phone

Email address

I would like to be involved by:

Becoming a supporter of FEP with a

tax deductible amount of: (Please circle)

$100 $75 $50

$25 $10 $

Donating time or money for FEP programs

Please return to:

Judy Withrow

Findlay Enrichment Program, Inc.

Findlay City Schools

1100 Broad Ave.,

Findlay, OH 45840

Calendar of Events

Tues., April 7 HCMP, Group 3, Seminar 3, FHS, Room 271, 2:45 p.m. Thurs., April 9 JSA Community Dinner, 1st Presbyterian Church, 5-7:00 p.m. Wed., April 15 College Planning Series, “College Comes Sooner Than You Think,” periods 2-7, Ohio Northern Thurs., April 16 HCMP Breakfast, Group 3, Millstream Café, 6:30 a.m. Fri., April 17 Meeting of the Minds, “Sam Rhine Genetic Conference,” periods 1-8, Oregon Clay High School Sat., April 25 VAPA Identification, University of Findlay Wed., May 20 Challenger Space Center field trip, Oregon, Ohio June 8-12 Camp Discovery, 8:30-3:00, Donnell Middle School

July 20-24 Camp World, 8:30-3:00, Donnell Middle School

Please remember to visit Findlay City Schools’ Gifted website www.findlaycityschools.org/gifted.htm to see the Summer Opportunities

2015 available in the community and Ohio for your child(ren). The website will be updated as additional area summer opportunities are

received.

Read the FEP Newsletter online at …

www.findlaycityschools.org/districtinfo/gifted and join FEP! Call Judy Withrow for more details at 419-425-8296. If you would like to receive our FEP Newsletter by e-mail …

Please e-mail your request to mclarke@findlaycityschools.org and we will add you to the list.