Welcome to Fairborn Intermediate School! We are Fairborn's 3rd - 5th grade school and we have

some very exciting things happening as we launch back to school. I am Mrs. Tammy Gendreau the

proud Principal of FIS, leading our Skyhawks with Ms. Lisa VanHoose and Mrs. Marissa Frazier,

Assistant Principals. As we continue the planning for this year, we have classrooms with a variety of

teaching and learning opportunities each day. I am happy to welcome you to our learning home, and

I hope this information will provide you with a look at FIS and what we have to offer.

Serving a population over 1,000 students, Fairborn Intermediate School is a community of learners

with a commitment to excellence in education. We strive to serve as partners with our families in the

growth and success of our students. We can’t reach our goals unless we work together with our

families. We know that families can be big or small and made up of many different combinations.

The connecting factor with the FIS Family is that we’re supporting each other in helping our children

grow, thrive, and succeed. Our partnership is critical!

1: Every student will be proficient in reading, writing and mathematics.

2: The academic accomplishment of every student IS an obsession.

3: The school can neutralize many challenges children bring to the classroom.

4: Student achievement is the number ONE topic of conversation.

5: School-to-Home connection is the most critical part of a positive learning community.

Instructional strategies at Fairborn Intermediate School are varied and reflect up-to-date research in

teaching and learning. Curriculum is based on the Ohio Learning Standards and is designed to

engage the learner in interactive thinking and problem solving.

In reading, a framework based on practices that provide the foundation for a balanced literacy

approach. The English/Language Arts (ELA) period is 120 minutes daily and includes reading,

writing, and language instruction. Daily academic work is guided by student needs, making

differentiation an important part of life in the classroom. We have several “layers” of intense

intervention to provide the support our students need in the post-COVID learning world. Our

teachers stress the importance of supporting the learner by assessing what the learner knows and

then designing an instructional program to help him/her learn what they need to know next. The

iReady program helps teachers and students know and understand the strengths of each learner as

it provides practice and reinforcement of skills in an individualized, personal program. The role of

the teacher is to support the learner through demonstration, explicit teaching, and the student works

to gain control over the process, skill or strategy. Teachers are working to implement the balanced

literacy framework with increased time for interactive, independent, and guided reading to improve

student achievement. Reading at home is one critical practice that we ask parents and families to support each and

every day. Our goal is to have all students read every day at least 20 minutes at home, ideally with

a parent, sibling, or caregiver. We hope you’ll join us at home, read with your children, and

encourage them to complete their reading logs. The benefits are immeasurable!

Math instruction is 80 minutes of our learning day. Students are encouraged to practice multiplication

facts at home to improve overall math success and in preparation for the Math Challenge. Students

who can complete 100 multiplication problems with 100% accuracy move on to take the Math

Challenge tests. Students who complete all 5 Math Challenge tests are recognized as Math Super

Stars. The Math Challenge is a special event held every Friday, and has become a wonderful FIS

tradition as we encourage students to learn their math multiplication facts!

In addition to 120 minutes in reading and 80 minutes in math, students have 40 minutes of

instruction in Science and 40 minutes of instruction in Social Studies daily or the weekly/quarterly

equivalent. The last year has brought new curriculum and new tools for Science and Math content

areas, and we’re excited about what the teachers and students will do with these great tools.

FIS is proud to offer several services and specialties to enable students to grow and mature as they

meet and exceed Ohio’s Learning Standards. Services include: Gifted instruction in classrooms at

accelerated levels; Title 1 Reading and Math Tutoring Services; speech and language support;

English as a second language; special education services for students with disabilities; reading

intervention built into the school day; counseling services; family and individual referrals for therapy

with Ohio Mentor; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; Military Family Life Coordinator to support our military

families; a district-sponsored summer school program and a free breakfast and lunch program for all

students. We are always looking for ways to include parents and families in positive school life. We

think these programs are a vital part of supporting our students while at school.

Fairborn Intermediate School also offers a variety of support services and expanded learning

opportunities for students. Encouraging positive social, and emotional health, we are a PBIS school

(Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports). This means that all students and all adults -

teachers, office staff, support staff, custodial staff, bus drivers, cafeteria staff - all of us speak the

same language and look for the same positive behavior. We provide all of the students with a

framework to clearly know and understand the expectations for a positive day; they will also learn to

correct their behavior and restore the classroom climate if needed. To do this, we have a robust

counseling and support program. FIS has two school counselors, a clinical counselor, and a

student-support specialist. These experts support students and staff to make sure we’re living and

working together in the most positive way possible. The restorative practices we use with adults and

students make every effort to keep us growing and learning in a positive, inclusive, and supporting

school environment.

Fairborn Intermediate students have the opportunity to participate in several invitation-only

extracurricular activities. The Student Council, Spelling Bee, Geography Bee, National Elementary

Honor Society, and Select Choir are invitation-only groups. As time goes, these activities may

increase if we’re able to add more time and more opportunities for active participation.

The home-school partnership requires a joint effort to improve student achievement, ensure students

become responsible citizens, and model a commitment to life-long learning. The Fairborn

Parent-Teacher Organization and volunteers from the Fairborn community, Wright Patterson Air

Force Base and Wright State University are actively involved in the instructional process as

volunteers.

We invite you to become an active participant in our school and community through monitoring your

child’s academic achievement and participating in school.

Our school is designed to meet the needs of third, fourth, and fifth grade students in a culture that

embraces individual differences, celebrates successes and is relentless in the pursuit of excellence

in everything we do. We invite you to join us as a partner in education. Our focus is on children and

improving teaching and learning. We also have fun along the way.

SCHOOL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH is available at school at no cost. If preferred, sack lunches

may be brought to school, but not glass bottles or soda/pop.

VISITORS must show a photo ID to enter the school's office. All visitors to student activities must be

listed on the student emergency card unless accompanied by an individual listed on the emergency

card. Your child’s safety is our priority.