Fairborn Intermediate School

Welcome to Fairborn Intermediate School (Grades 3-5)!

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.

About Our School

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!

Fairborn Intermediate Believes:

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.

Instruction

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.

Special Services

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.

Involvement

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.

Important Information

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.