(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Salem-Liberty Elementary second grade teacher Lexie Schott, right, Lowell Elementary kindergarten teacher Alaina Jones and Director of Curriculum and Special Education Nichol Honaker spoke to the Fort Frye Local Board of Education Thursday night about new K-2 literacy curriculum. The district has been searching for over a year to find the right fit for their students and the group presented two options they believe have benefits.

LOWELL — The Fort Frye Local Board of Education met Thursday night in the Lowell Elementary gymnasium where they recognized board members after declaring January as Board Recognition Month, heard about the things going on with the Middle School Advisory program and listen to local educators about a new literacy curriculum for K-2.

“We don’t take this process lightly. There’s a lot of research, a lot of collaboration, a lot of analysis of what is best for our students and for the district with programming that they want to recommend,” Director of Curriculum and Special Education Nichol Honaker said.

The district has been searching for over a year to find the right fit for their students. The two programs proposed were the Wonders reading program from McGraw Hill for second grade and the Fishtank Reading Curriculum, also known as Fishtank ELA, for K-1.

The Wonders program was praised by Salem-Liberty Elementary second grade teacher Lexie Schott who talked about its benefits.

“The stories are amazing. They are relatable, informative, and some are recognizable,” Schott said. “Those students really enjoy them.”

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Fort Frye Middle School Principal Rachael Tullius, center, and teachers Kaitlin Hollister and Rob Nelson talked to the Fort Frye Local Board of Education Thursday night about the comprehensive advisory period and extracurricular program the school has implemented to support the academic, social and emotional needs of their students.

She added that the program “incorporates science and social studies” and “provides constant repetition of the concepts” for better retention.

For the Fishtank Learning program, Lowell Elementary kindergarten teacher Alaina Jones highlighted the engaging, recognizable stories, such as “Snowy Day” and “Into the Woods.”

“We were recognizing them from our own bookshelf, which we really appreciate it,” Jones said.

She said the program also includes activities like student-created murals that showcase their creativity and understanding that were on display for the board to review.

The cost-effectiveness of the programs was also discussed, with the Fishtank Learning curriculum being more affordable due to its digital format.

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Fort Frye Local Schools Superintendent Stephanie Starcher, left, presented Fort Frye Local Board of Education member Lloyd Booth with a certificate of appreciation Thursday during the board’s regular meeting in the Lowell Elementary gymnasium. The board announced January as Board Recognition Month.

“Teachers purchase one license, one site license for the district, which gives all the teachers access to lesson plans and the units. And then there are no student materials,” Honaker said.

The board voted later to accept both programs for the new curriculum.

The board also heard a presentation from Fort Frye Middle School Principal Rachael Tullius and teachers Kaitlin Hollister and Rob Nelson about the comprehensive advisory period and extracurricular program they use to support the academic, social, and emotional needs of their students.

“Middle school is some of the toughest years in your life. It is a timeless transition. They are making a lot of changes,” Tullius said.

To address these challenges, the school has structured the advisory period to take place at the end of the day, from 2:15 to 2:55 p.m.

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Fort Frye Local Schools Superintendent Stephanie Starcher, right, presented Fort Frye Local Board of Education member Johnna Zalmanek with a certificate of appreciation Thursday during the board’s regular meeting in the Lowell Elementary gymnasium. The board announced January as Board Recognition Month.

“We have really structured advisory time to meet those needs,” Tullius said.

She said this period is divided into different activities depending on the day of the week, including competition team meetings, math and ELA intervention and student council activities.

The math intervention program, in particular, has been a focus for the school.

“We sat down and we looked at the data,” Tullius said. “Our sixth grade team looked at the fifth grade state school scores, and if they got within that certain score, they are in math intervention.” These targeted small-group sessions allow teachers to provide personalized support.

Similarly, Hollister said the ELA intervention program has seen success in improving students’ reading fluency and comprehension.

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Fort Frye Local Schools Superintendent Stephanie Starcher, left, presented Fort Frye Local Board of Education member Stephanie Lang with a certificate of appreciation Thursday during the board’s regular meeting in the Lowell Elementary gymnasium. The board announced January as Board Recognition Month.

“Out of the seven kids reassessed from beginning in September to Jan. 23, four out of seven of the students increased their reading fluency rate and they increased their accuracy,” Hollister said.

Beyond the academic focus, the school has also prioritized building a sense of community and engagement through various extracurricular activities. Nelson highlighted the chess club saying, “It makes them use their brain instead of just Googling everything right there and computers, they have to think, and you would be shocked, some of the kids that you would think, ‘No way they’re gonna know how to play chess.’ And they’re really good at it.”

The school’s Student Council also plays a significant role in organizing events and fostering school spirit.

“They plan dances. They do some really amazing things,” Tullius said. “They collected cans for the food pantry. They made it a competition. Whatever advisory team won, they got a pizza party.”

Overall, the middle school’s focus on the advisory period and extracurricular activities reflects a holistic approach to supporting students during this critical developmental stage.

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Fort Frye Local Schools Superintendent Stephanie Starcher, left, presented Fort Frye Local Board of Education member Karri Schilling with a certificate of appreciation Thursday during the board’s regular meeting in the Lowell Elementary gymnasium. The board announced January as Board Recognition Month.

“It helps kids feel socially connected to the school. You know, if you’re not a member of an athletic team, you can still find a place and find your people, and we have just multiple links for kids to do,” Tullius said.

Superintendent Stephanie Starcher also announced during the meeting the Beverly Center Elementary was nominated for the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award. The award is a recognition program by the U.S. Department of Education that honors public and non-public schools demonstrating exceptional academic achievement, particularly in closing achievement gaps among student groups, essentially signifying a school as one of the highest performing in the country.

Starcher said only 14 individual schools in Ohio can be nominated to receive the award and the winner will be announced in September.

“Just to be nominated for this is a really big deal,” Starcher said. “And it’s because of the students, staff and community. And we are so proud of that.”

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Fort Frye Local Schools Superintendent Stephanie Starcher, left, presented Fort Frye Local Board of Education member Kevin Worthington with a certificate of appreciation Thursday during the board’s regular meeting in the Lowell Elementary gymnasium. The board announced January as Board Recognition Month.