October Newsletter
Win the Day!

Zach Dillavou
Middle School Principal
zdillavou@forestcity.k12.ia.us
641-585-4772
Issue note: Different email clients have different displays. If you see a small box with dots in it, please click it and it will expand to view all of the articles
As we move through the mid term of the first trimester, I’d like to thank the students, parents, and staff for making the start of the 2017 school year a very successful one. We will continue to strive for academic growth and positive social interaction in working with all our students. With the students, parents, and staff working together the Forest City Middle School will be a positive and caring learning community.

The mid term date for the first trimester was Friday, September 29th. The middle school will not be holding parent teacher conferences during this mid term time.

Middle School conferences will be held at the end of the trimester on November 13th and 14th from 3:00-7:00 P.M.

Parents will receive a mid term report card the week of October 9th explaining how your child is doing academically at this point in the school year. Please take time to discuss your child’s progress with them and contact any of your child’s teachers with questions.

As a reminder, on Friday, October 13, all middle school students will have a day off of school. The middle school teachers will be involved with an in-service training that day.

All school staff can be reached via telephone (585-4772) or email; email address is first initial, last name @forestcity.k12.ia.us, i.e.  zdillavou@forestcity.k12.ia.us .
Sincerely,
Zach Dillavou,
Middle School Principal
Thank you to everyone who attended the Internet Safety presentation on September 27!

We also wish to thank our partners and contributors: County Attorney Adam Sauer, Police Chief Doug Jensen, NGT CEO Brian Blodgett and the Ministerial Association.


If you were not able to attend the Internet Safety presentation, please check out the video and presentation link below with useful tips!

  • Page 6: 12 Apps Parents Should Know About
  • Page 14: Apps to Monitor Kids Online Usage



‌
Students Tour Hanson Fine Arts Center Construction Site
I n conjunction with Construction Week, students toured the construction site of the new Hanson Fine Arts Center.

Kingland Construction and FCMS teachers Mr. Wedemeier, Mr. Uhlenhopp and Ms. Take coordinated the opportunity.

Before visiting the site, students previewed drone footage of the building process to date and learned about the engineering of the building. Students also learned about the many career options in the construction industry including the various skilled trades, project managers and types of engineers (civil, electrical, mechanical and structural).

Facts learned:
  • Construction cost is $9.3 million. The concrete alone cost over $1 million.
  • It will take 150 cement trucks to complete the cement work.
  • It will take about 200 people working together to complete the build. 
  • Many different companies collaborate all at once in the process. 
  • The cable pit is 16 feet deep.
  • One pre-cast wall section weighs almost twice as much as a Winnebago Diesel Pusher. 
  • It took two years of planning before the building process could even begin. 

Student Highlights:
  • Standing in the middle of stage.
  • Watching the workers do their tasks.
  • Imagining what the completed building will look like.
  • Seeing how big it looks from the inside.
  • Getting to walk down to see it. 

Here is a link to the website created by the Master Builders of Iowa. www.buildiowa.org

And here's a video from September 30 that shows the current construction progress!

Motivational Speaker Craig Hillier to Speak on October 23
We are excited to have motivational speaker, Craig Hillier join us for a morning of fun on October 23.

Craig has a passion to work with students and educators. He has spoken to over two million people since 1990. His high-energy programs and contagious enthusiasm captivate audiences throughout the United States. Participants find themselves engaged in a story and then suddenly they are on their feet with an activity that drives the point even further. His programs are known to be upbeat, fun and educational.

The program he will be sharing with us is titled,“Stretch Yourself” because everyone has the ability to “stretch” to a new level.
"Stretch Yourself" looks at three important qualities teens can adopt and/or improve:
  • Resilience: Turning setbacks into comebacks by “re-silencing” the voice of doubt.
  • Respect: Understanding people are inherently different. Thank goodness! Becoming more accepting of others means respecting differences.
  • Responsibility: Taking responsibility, a critical component of a great life. The responsibility component inspires students to positively deal with mistakes and own their life decisions.
Unity Day 2017

Forest City Middle School will be taking part in Unity Day on October 25, 2017.

The Unity Day 2017 initiative is to stand together against bullying and to be united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

We will be incorporating different activities during the week like “Mix It Up Day” at lunch and students will dress in a certain color for each grade. Our goal is to come together as a school in support of each other.
Twitter Talk 
Follow us @ ForestCityMS

Teacher Twitter accounts:
@fcms_read_gal
@zdillavou
@FCMSOlsonK
@WedemeierMr
@Uhlenhopp15
@ELPFC
@helgesont
@dcbang

Forest City Middle School
(641) 585-4772
We use SchoolWay to notify our community about weather related changes to our schedules. Share this with family and friends. More information at SchoolWay