One of the biggest days of the year for any superintendent is when we get to welcome all of our staff members back from summer break. While the end of summer is always bittersweet, reuniting with our colleagues that we serve alongside with is so much fun. Annually, it is my honor and privilege to welcome our Fairbanks staff back at Convocation. Below is the message I share with staff today as we start the 2023-2024 school year together.
“As you all know, I am a sucker for themes. Themes for a school year can bring a level of focus and cohesion that grounds us through the work ahead. This year is an important year for Fairbanks Local schools for a variety of reasons. We have much to celebrate as well as strong focus on our continued growth together.
With all of these factors, I really struggled to develop a theme for the year. It started in March as we began looking at construction at the Elementary School. There are several inconveniences that occur with construction and a quote stuck with me “Big Things Big, small things small”. I thought this idea may help our perception of the inconveniences we may encounter while remembering the big things that are important items that fuel our work.
However, in Fairbanks small things matter. Small things that we know about students, families, and each other make us a special place to live, serve, and work in. Then one day while I was driving down Robinson Rd listening to Blink 182’s “All the Small Things”, I thought that was the theme. The small things make a difference in Fairbanks. As I kicked that idea around, making a difference really resonated with me and ultimately each of you care about the big things and the small things. Each of you show up every day regardless of circumstance to make a difference. Each of you are Difference Makers. We get the opportunity to make a difference and that is pretty awesome.
When we pull in the same direction, our school district makes amazing things happen. Look at some of the things from just last year that have happened
- 102 students walked across the stage in June for graduation. The Class of 2023 had over $2,000,000.00 in scholarship offers, were a part of 7 district athletic championships, and qualified for multiple national honors in FCCLA and FFA. Our graduation rate was 98.9% on this year’s state report card.
- 93% of our third graders passed the State of Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Test, 83% of 8th graders passed the 8th grade English Language Arts Test, and 91% of 10th graders passed the ELA II Test. These are the highest passage rates our schools have seen.
- Our schools have invested in new course offerings such as High School Project Lead the Way Engineering, Math Modeling & Reasoning, and additional Advanced Placement and College Credit Plus Offerings.
- The Elementary School staff has implemented the “Science of Reading” framework to support our youngest Panthers.
- The Middle School Robotics team qualified for the World Championships for the second consecutive year.
- Our financial services office was again awarded the Auditor of State Award.
- Phase I of the Master Facility Plan is underway. The Elementary School Addition will break ground in October or early November. Several renovations including middle school classrooms, high school locker rooms, and elementary school restrooms have all been completed. Phase I is all being paid for with current district funds. Our schools are also planning for Phase II of the Master Facility Plan.
Look around. Look at the people you work with. Look at the outcomes we are getting for students, families, our community, and each other. Look at the difference you are making everyday. I could go on about this, but I would like to highlight a few of our difference makers.
Andy James
Andy is our district’s mechanic. He works on buses, lawnmowers, vans, and any other piece of equipment he is able to. When needed, which is fairly often, Andy will jump behind the wheel of a bus and fill in for a team member. To know Andy, is to know a friend. He is always welcoming and wants to help in any way that he can. His work is exemplary. When confronted with a problem he does his diligence thinking through multiple solutions before proposing a solution.
What I love most about Andy is he advocates for his team. He cares deeply about the people he serves with. There have been many conversations about transportation, how to improve it, and Andy always fights for the people he works with.
We are lucky to have Andy James in Fairbanks Local Schools. He is a difference maker. Please give Andy a round of applause.
Jenny Burton
Jenny Burton has served as an intervention specialist in Fairbanks Local Schools for the past eight years. She is an alumnus and community member in Fairbanks. Jenny has a keen sense of meeting people where they are at, listening, and diagnosing the root cause of a student’s needs. In the most trying situations, Jenny is calm, caring, and solution oriented.
This year Jenny took a risk. She decided to receive her master’s in educational leadership and focus on special education leadership.She has jumped into a role that was not clearly defined. She is working alongside Ann Arthur to really connect with students across our district and serve our teaching staff. Jenny is taking a risk because she knows it will make a difference for Fairbanks.
We are lucky to have Jenny Burton in Fairbanks Local Schools. She is a difference maker. Please give Jenny a round of applause.
Lisa Keller-Cook
Lisa Keller-Cook has been serving our schools for years. She has served in the middle and high schools as a science teacher teaching various courses. Additionally, Lisa is our FEA president. This presents a unique role for her in the district. She finds herself in the middle of very difficult situations trying to balance competing interests. Lisa is thoughtful, kind, and cares deeply about students. She balances her teaching responsibilities with her role in the FEA.
Most importantly, Lisa is trusted across our school community. She is trusted by students – evident by the crew that hung out in her class every morning. She is trusted by our staff because she advocates, champions, and supports all of them – even people not in her association. I trust her completely and she provides perspective that sometimes I do not see.
We are lucky to have Lisa Keller – Cook in Fairbanks Local Schools. She is a difference maker. Please give Lisa a round of applause.
Being a Difference Maker goes hand in hand with being a Fairbanks Panther. Each of these individuals bring their unique talents, skills, and personalities to our school community. That is why each of you is here. You have something to offer that no one else can.
What also makes them a difference maker is they take those unique individual traits and align them to our district. They live the five expectations everyday in their roles. That is what makes Fairbanks so special. Our difference makers in this room recognize what they individually bring to the table and then match them to our school community. That is amazing!”
It will a great year in Fairbanks Local Schools!
- Adham Schirg, Fairbanks Local Schools, Superintendent
For Fairbanks 