Checking in with Camp on Campus where we saw archers, communicators, team builders and explorers across the district as the Class of 2030 (Fifth Grade!) took on their outdoor education unit. Over the course of a week the classroom moves outside whenever possible. Students come together for team building activities, do some geocaching and take in special sessions from outside presenters. The experience crosses curriculum, from life science and writing to art, music and PE, getting students up, moving, and discovering.
Public Service Announcement:
The St. Charles County Department of Public Health will partner with area organizations to provide FREE flu shots to those ages 6 months and older during a drive-through vaccination clinic from 2:30 – 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21 on the Yellow Parking Lot at St. Charles Community College.
Appointments are necessary to receive these vaccinations and may be scheduled online at https://sccmo.as.me/flufighters or by calling 636-949-1899.
Learn more at www.sccmo.org/flu.
Checking in at Flint Hill Elementary where Dana Mueller’s fourth-graders are focused on informational, scientific texts. Make no bones about it, they are deep into reading about skeletons! The students read about a variety of skeletons of living things, then learn how skeletons and muscles work together to move our bodies, and lastly study an account of how archeologists were able to locate and identify the skeletal remains of King Richard III.
Along the way, students learn about plenty of nonfiction text features such as headings, diagrams, and captions. And, of course, they are bulking up that vocabulary! They closed the unit by putting all of these new skills and knowledge together, writing informational pieces, and creating infographics about ways humans use bones and muscles in sports, and how animals use structures of their bodies to survive in their habitats.
Checking in at Westhoff Elementary with music educator Emily Satterfield and some of her fourth grade students. They were focused on playing a C chord, but working on so much more. Playing the ukulele builds body awareness and cognitive skills. Working together builds communication skills and social connections. Most importantly, working together makes music, and making music is fun!
S/O and a huge THANK YOU to our custodial team as we mark National Custodial Worker's Recognition Day. Thank you for all you do to have our schools ready for teaching and learning each day.
#FZSupt recognizes FZ Transportation's 20th consecutive annual Fleet Excellence Award. Download the FORTiTUDE podcast on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. Or listen here: https://www.fz.k12.mo.us/o/fzsd/page/fortitude-podcast
Wishing @ZumEastHigh @ZumSouth and @ZumWestHigh safe, fun Homecoming celebrations!
Last summer East High Project Lead The Way Biomedical teacher Carrie Stowers connected with Kyle Gaines of the St. Charles County Ambulance District. Stowers’ fourth-year students were interested in deeper CPR training than what they completed in their health class.
“We worked together to find a solution that would fit within class hours. The kids did a class called Heart Code - Basic Life Support,” Gaines said. “They did some online learning through the American Heart Association, and then we did a skills practice and test out. They asked amazing questions.”
All of the students in both classes plan careers in healthcare. “As a class, they reflected on what was gained in addition to being CPR certified,” Stowers said. “They are more confident about their abilities to actually perform CPR/AED on a real human. They feel more prepared for college classes. The students were especially grateful to SCCAD EMS for their knowledge in answering many, many questions and showing them the techniques in person.”
Public Service Announcement
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is October 12. Learn more at scccmo.gov/410/Election-Authority
Welcome to Finance Friday, some insight on school finance. The Board of Education held its annual tax levy hearing before the regular September meeting. The Fort Zumwalt School District levy is unchanged from last year, remaining at $4.59 per $100 of assessed valuation. It is the second lowest levy of the five school districts in St. Charles County.
What does this mean for you? The Hancock Amendment to the Missouri Constitution creates a set of checks and balances between the school district’s tax levy and the value of a taxpayer’s property. Did you know the Fort Zumwalt tax rate is 20 cents lower than it was 10 years ago? These local revenue sources provide 65 percent of Fort Zumwalt’s operating revenue.
Local revenue sources make public schools possible. These funds do not pass through the state or federal government. They cannot be withheld by the state and, unlike federal funds, they are not designated to be used on specific expenditures. Two thirds of the money it takes to cover the day-to-day expenses of teaching and learning, such as salaries, benefits, utilities and materials comes from right here in Fort Zumwalt.
As we wrap up #ArtsEdWeek, we approach the mid-point of first quarter ... already one eighth of the way through the school year! It's a big moment for 6th grade musicians, when sound starts to become music. Checking in at West Middle with band instructor Becky Fanning and orchestra instructor Rich Goodman, students have become familiar with their instruments and how to assemble them if need be, and are focusing on the techniques needed to get them to make music.
Tune in to hear from elementary students and recent grads about the League of Leaders and the power of common language in Pushing for Positive Peer Influence. It's at the center of all we do.
Watch or listen on our website: https://www.fz.k12.mo.us/article/834249
Download the new Fort Zumwalt App, subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast.
It's #ArtsEdWeek so we stopped by North High, where Jennifer Rericha's Ceramics I class was hard at work on their first major project, slab boxes. "We focus on the fundamentals of constructing artwork out of clay," Rericha says, and a theme of the student's choice. @FZInnovate
Did you know the federal program providing free school meals to all students expired? Please be sure to check your students' account balance regularly.
If you need the application to see if you qualify for free or reduced price school meals click "Free/Reduced Application Info" on our Student Nutrition website.
https://ftzumwaltsdmo.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fzsd/page/student-nutrition
We will always remember.
Why are flags at half-staff? By order of the President, the U.S. flag shall be flown at half-staff at all government buildings statewide, until sunset, on the day of interment in respect for the memory of Queen Elizabeth II. See proclamation: https://bit.ly/3Qup1k7
#FZSD is loving our new app! Access dining menus, news updates, & even notifications, right from your pocket. Set your default school & schools that send you notifications in settings.
Download for Android https://bit.ly/3w6NXGW
Download for iPhone https://apple.co/3zQUgQb
Mrs. Day's 4th graders at Forest Park Elementary kicked off their English Language Arts unit by talking to scientist and researcher Dr. Julia Stevens. (Dr. Stevens happens to be Mrs. Day's sister!) She shared her work in a variety of fields, including marine biology, which connected directly to the book 4th Graders are reading in class, and with research reports they will be writing later this quarter.
Checking in at FZW!
Volunteerism is a big part of the work done in Leadership classes at all Fort Zumwalt high schools. FZW’s Lee Hardy has built a strong connection with the City of O’Fallon to provide students an avenue to explore volunteer opportunities and to help the city with beautification work and other projects. Megan Piel visited this week to kick things off with the new class, starting with swag and snacks. #FZCommunity
Thank you @CentralCountyFire for dropping off backpacks for students in need. The outpouring of support from our community helps ensure all students are ready to start the school year on the right foot. When we all do our part, they all can reach their potential. #FZAllMeansAll
