Panther Pulse

Complete this form or simply click on the 'Subscribe' button at the bottom of the newsletter to subscribe.

What a year! The 2023-2024 school year has been a tremendous success for Fairbanks Local Schools. It has been highlighted by student learning and accomplishments. As you all know, we have tremendous young people that do amazing things everyday. These accomplishments range from academic accomplishments to athletics and the performing arts. Below are a few of my favorite highlights:

• The elementary school and district musicals were huge successes.

• FFA had 3 members place at state competition

• Several athletic programs, including boys basketball, volleyball, softball, boys soccer, cross country, and track and field, won conference championships and competed for district titles.

• Our 3rd, 8th, and 10th grade students scored the highest scores on state assessments in English Language Arts in our district’s history!

• New clubs at the elementary school, problem based learning at the middle school, and authentic learning at the high school provide new opportunities for students.

These are just a few of the highlights that our students accomplish every year in Fairbanks Local Schools. We are so proud of each of them, especially our graduating class of 2024. These Panthers will change the world! As we look back on 2023-2024, it has been a great year for Fairbanks. Have a great summer and see you soon!

For Fairbanks,

Adham Schirg

Fairbanks Local Schools, Superintendent

We are humbled and grateful beyond measure for the outpouring of compassion, love and support from our Fairbanks family and community since the tragic loss of our dear Blake.

We can never repay your kindness for the candlelight vigil, memorials, tributes, Dugout Club batting cage, sign and bench, the White Bronco benefit concert, the dedications of games and seasons to Blake including the baseball team, softball team, Summer Ball Association, the team shirts, bracelets, bows, stickers, signs, cookies, meals, cards, prayers and so much more. They will always be reminders of the special friends who cared for Blake, his love of baseball, his teammates, coaches, classmates, fellow students, the athletic department, faculty, administration, friends and families who have honored him, as well as uplifted and comforted us in many ways during our difficult journey.

With our deepest gratitude,

The Family of Blake Gorton BG#17

The Fairbanks Education Foundation hosted their first annual Purse Bingo in April and raised over $12,000! Founded by former Fairbanks staff, Mark Lotycz and Debbie Hagenderfer, the foundation's mission is to support Fairbanks opportunities to ensure that students have access to a high quality, globally competitive education.

Thank you for supporting Fairbanks students!

After the Great American Eclipse in March, students and science teachers, Mrs. Tebbe and Mrs. Keller-Cook decided to place a time capsule for future generations to enjoy. Working with design firm, Garmann Miller, the time capsule was placed in the FES addition which is under construction.

Fairbanks students will have a chance to see how the eclipse was viewed 'way back when' when the next total eclipse passes through Union County in 2099.

Ms. Cooper and students have been making music across campus this spring. From elementary and high school choir concerts and 5th graders folk dancing to the HS Drama Club’s performance of The Wizard of Oz, they’ve been very busy! The talent across Fairbanks is impressive!

Students in grades k-12 performed a musical version of the Wizard of Oz at Veteran’s Auditorium in April. Countless hours were dedicated by cast and crew members as well as directors and volunteers. The performance was a huge success and enjoyed not only by students and staff but also members of the community.

Our youngest Panthers took a trip to Safety Town this May where they met with local law enforcement, first responders, linemen and others to learn how to be safe. A few tips they learned were: wear a helmet when riding a bike, watch out for power lines and of course, stranger danger. Thank you Union County Department of Health for providing such a wonderful experience!

Students practiced patience in Miss. Hagloch’s first grade class this spring. 1H watched the journey of caterpillars as they formed chrysalises and eventually emerged as beautiful butterflies.

Kindergarten, 2nd and 4th graders held their spring concert in May. All grade levels did a wonderful job displaying their singing voices! Of course our youngest Panthers stole the show as they performed Old MacDonald while in costume.

Fifth graders had a profitable day, making just under $5,000 at their School Spirit Market.

Student entrepreneurs pitched their ideas for the market to the PTO board to see if they would invest in the production of their chosen good/service. Since the PTO purchased the bulk of the supplies, the profit also went back to PTO. The class of 2031 will help choose how the money is spent and it's their "gift" to the elementary students. There has been a lot of talk about purchasing something for the new playground.

The market was themed "school spirit" this year, so everything revolved around the Fairbanks Panthers. The group that earned the highest profit was Panther Putt Putt.

Other favorites included photos with Pete the Panther, basketballs signed by Varsity “stars” and Pamper Spirit the Pony.

Kids learned how specialization and division of labor offer a competitive economic advantage. They also learned how to determine unit costs, total costs of goods sold, and profit margin. Thinking of creative ways to market their product was something they all enjoyed!

Students recently returned from the annual 8th grade trip to DC. They had an exhausting 3 days touring our nation’s capital and visited too many places to list, but here is a list of their top five favorite sites:

• Lincoln Memorial
• Holocaust Museum
• Twilight Tattoo performance
• Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery
• Smithsonian Museum of the American History Museum

• This year the Fairbanks FFA had a great day at the Ohio FFA State Convention. This year we had 5 proficiency finalists competing, Julie Heading 2nd in Ohio for Dairy Cattle Production, Evan Blumenschein 3rd in Beef cattle production placement, Hannah Sullivan 2nd in Sheep Production, 3rd in Veterinary Science, and 4th in Accounting. Also our officer books were recognized for earning a Gold rating, Our chapter was recognized for its charitable giving to Children's Hospital. Chloe Nicol was selected to play in the State FFA Band for the convention.

With over 120 combined years of service to Fairbanks, it's time to say "See you later!" We wish you nothing but the best in retirement!

• Ann Arthur, Director of Special Services

• Kristi Payne, Intervention Specialist

• John Finney, High School Social Studies

• Rob Riddle, Ag Instructor/FFA Advisor

Ann's retirement plans:

After 50 years in education, 44 of those at Fairbanks, Ann Arthur is hanging up her hat. Ann will become a grandma in the coming days and looks forward to spending time with her daughter and soon-to-be grandson at Lake Erie.

The thing that Ann will miss the most about Fairbanks is the sense of family and community that is fostered in the district. Having the opportunity to serve the students of Fairbanks has enabled Ann to develop many friends and contacts within the community over the years. Ann is grateful for the lasting memories that she will take with her into retirement.

A message from Mrs. Payne

I have loved teaching at Fairbanks for the past 18 years and am grateful for my time in education here. The community of Fairbanks is truly one of a kind! The way we care for, strive to make each other better and support one another is remarkable and something I will miss seeing on a daily basis. Teaching students with special needs has been my passion for 30 years and while I will continue to care deeply for all students, I am looking forward to spending more time with my family, especially my grandchildren. Even though I won't be teaching every day, I'll continue to be involved in this amazing community in other ways. I'll always be a panther at heart! ~Kristi Payne

A message from Mr. Finney:

Thank you everyone for making my experience at Fairbanks so rewarding. I will miss you greatly. The thing I will miss the most is the fact that every person on staff genuinely cares about the students and families we serve. It has been a true honor to teach at Fairbanks. I can think of nothing better in life than helping the next generation prepare for the future.

My plans for the future are to spend quality time with my 11 grandchildren, travel with friends and family, and of course, fish in as many lakes as possible. I also plan to stay in touch with the Fairbanks community through substitute teaching. - Mr. John Finney

A message from Mr. Riddle:

What I love about Fairbanks is the community, faculty and the amazing students. It has been a blessing to work here for so many years. What I will miss most is talking with students about their animal projects, sports and watching their faces light up.

My plans in retirement are to spend time with my grand kids, travel, raise show goats and take care of my wife. - Mr. Rob Riddle

Fairbanks Local Schools will be continuing its Master Facility work over the next several years. These steps are exciting and will help create a better learning environment for all of our students in Fairbanks. This update will provide a snapshot of where we are and where we are going.

Where are we now? - Phase I Update

• Construction is currently underway on a 7,000 square foot addition to the elementary school. This will provide six additional classrooms to the building.

• We are currently on schedule for completion and occupancy for the 2024-2025 school year.

• Our 2023-2024 kindergarten class is currently at 84 students. Next year’s class is tracking to be around the same size. Our previous ten years averaged about 65-70 students. Classes that begin at 70 will enter high school with around 100-105 students.

• Preschool will be returning to campus next year. We anticipate four sections of preschool - 2 morning sections and 2 afternoon.

• The addition will cost around $3.5 million dollars. The addition is being paid from the general and permanent improvement funds.

Where are we going? - Phase II Update

• In November of 2023, the community voted to make the permanent improvement levy permanent. Because of the change, the district is in the process of financing $11 million dollars to fund portions of Phase II of the Master Facility Plan.

• There will be a complete replacement of the middle and high school HVAC system. This work will begin in spring of 2025. Lead times for electrical and other system components are the driving factor for that timeline. High school replacement will be in spring and summer of 2025. Middle school replacement will be in spring and summer of 2026. The cost of HVAC and electrical replacement will be around $7.5 million dollars.

• The remaining monies will be spent on improving a secure school entrance, creating capacity in the middle and high school, and prioritized renovations according to the master facility plan.

• Plans to address curriculum, capacity, and athletic needs will be developed over the coming months. Please look for this information in upcoming communications.

Our district will host informational and feedback sessions over the coming months regarding district planning. Please look for this information heading into next school year.

Our district website, FairbanksPanthers.org has a ton of useful information from news updates, facilities planning, and levy information to parent resources for checking grades and adding money to lunch accounts. Please see below for some links that may be of interest.

• Community Connect - for information and dates of upcoming events like community coffee chats.
• Community Flyers - Local information including mental health resources, free tutor opportunities, family fun events, and sports leagues.
• Who Do I Contact? - Know who to contact for questions or concerns you may have.
• For Fairbanks Blog - Messages from the Superintendent
• Athletics - Purchase tickets and view sports schedules