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Things Will Look A Little Different In October

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Things Will Look A Little Different In October

Words can fail the dyslexic brain. Sometimes our students have difficulty finding the words that properly express what they are trying to say. This is why we believe so strongly in our visual arts program. It creates an outlet for our students to express themselves in brilliant and often unexpected ways. 

In case you haven't heard, October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. But it's also National Arts and Humanities Month as well. Every day throughout the month of October, we will be updating our homepage to showcase student art work through the years. We will be celebrating the many ways our students have used visual art as a way for personal expression. We hope you check back often and enjoy new pieces every day! 

But that's not all we are doing for Dyslexia Awareness Month. Join us on social media as we will be sharing more from our community to help spread awareness. You can "like" or "share" these posts to get the message out! You'll also find new blog posts right here on our News page.  

 

Jr. High Camp Tecumseh Trip

Jr. High Camp Tecumseh Trip

With the leaves changing and the temperatures cooling, it's that time of year where our 7th and 8th grade students are getting excited about this year's trip to Camp Tecumseh! Students, staff and volunteers will be gone October 24th and 25th for an adventure at the camp.  

Camp Tecumseh is a YMCA Outdoor Center located in northwest Indiana. The Tippecanoe River borders the camp. Camp Tecumseh is located in Brookston, Indiana. We participate in an outdoor education program called, The Foundations for Success. This program focuses on team building through the use of "life skills" - Trust, Problem Solving, Leadership, Self-Confidence, and Communication. Our students have had such an incredible time in year's past, and we expect this year to be no different! 

FILL OUT PERMISSION SLIP HERE

 

Learn more about Camp Tecumseh

American Folk Music and Folk Tales

American Folk Music and Folk Tales

The Performing Arts in America have evolved over the last 400 years. It is fun to remind students that ONCE UPON A TIME, we didn’t have any form of electronic entertainment. So how did people fill their time, other than with back breaking work? By getting together to share traditional music and stories passed down through generations. In fact, music in America evolved from three distinct genres brought by groups of immigrants in its formative years: Irish/Scots folk music, traditional African music, and European Christian Hymns.

We are exploring the development of these forms through singing songs like “Boil them Cabbage Down”, and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”, as well as creating percussion patterns for accompaniment.

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In Drama students are learning about the author Joel Chandler Harris and his Uncle Remus tales. Once again, these folk stories were handed down through an oral tradition brought to America by Africans. Students listen to the stories, evaluate the emotions expressed by each character, and then act them out in pantomime form.

These opportunities develop skills in identifying rhythmic patterns and notation, analyzing the playability of created patterns, and consistency in production of beat patterns. In addition, students are experimenting and observing how to act for an audience with expressive facial expressions, and precise hand and body movements. 

 

Julie Pappas

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DEAL: 40% Off At Land's End

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Fortune Fam! Land's End is running a Friend's and Family promotion where you can save 40% on regular priced items off their website. Now's the time to snatch up any uniform items you need. Those new high school gym shorts? Yep, 40% off! That cardigan you've been checking out? Yep, 40% off. To take advantage of the deal, at checkout, use coupon code: LESUFRIEND and PIN: 4911.

Sneak Peak at the Week

We're looking forward to another great week. Here's a look at what is coming up in our high school classes this week. 

Dust

Speech

This week we are going to be continuing our discussion about body language and non-verbal communication. Discussing 'Power Posing' and maybe sharing some ideas on how to use this super power!

By the middle of the week I will have introduced the concept graph depicting communication as 2 WAY process. Together we will start to identify all the different kinds of barriers that can interrupt this process (i.e. noise, age and gender gaps, language and cultural differences).

Comer

English IV

Continue reading The Importance of Being Earnest and studying vocabulary from the play.

Digital Arts

Finish our October bulletin board on famous dyslexics who have shaped our futures.

Math Lab

We'll be learning more about fractions and their equivalent percents.

Sheehy

English I

We are learning about the different types of Symbolism and how it relates to The Old Man and the Sea. Writing:  What are Direct Objects within a sentence and how do we label/diagram them?

Language Arts Lab I and II

(9-25) test (L/A Lab I) on prefixes, roots, suffixes.  We will be adding the negative prefixes and learning the 2+1+1 spelling rule.  An introduction to the P.O.W.E.R. way of writing will be presented as well.  

Ahearn

Pre Calculus

We will be using the trig table to find lengths of sides or measure of angles

Algebra 2

We are learning how to combine numbers in scientific notation.

Algebra 1

We are working on solving one variable equations.

Geometry

We are working on types of angles.

Tulbert

Biology/Anatomy and Physiology

Finishing their comparative Anatomy/Biology project that is due Wednesday. We should be starting dissecting a rat this week.

Psychology

Learning about research and designing a psychology research project to be implemented in the next few weeks.

O'Donnell

Geography

We will be working on the Canadian Provinces.  

Career/College Planning

We will be working on budgeting for an apartment after high school.

Government

We will be working on the U.S. Constitution.

Simon

Health

Chapter 4-Mental Disorders, Eating Disorders, Depression and Suicide; Quiz Friday the 29th.

Christman

English 1

Introduction to American Poetry, explore the different poetry types.

English 3

Read and listen to the audio version of "Cannibalism in the Cars" by Mark Twain- one of three short stories written by Mark Twain, chosen by the class, work on plot outline for story.

English 4

Read and listen to the audio version of "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde, work on plot outline for story.

Photojournalism

Review close-up versus extreme close-up photography, continue working on assigned Lifetouch pages for the yearbook, start working on yearbook design covers using the Pixelmator app.

Visual Arts

Start final drawings of chosen object for cubism painting, add geometric lines on top of foreground and background, decide which set of complementary colors to use.

From the Dean's Desk - NHS

National Honor Society

Fortune Academy is going through the annual process of selecting new members for the National Honor Society.  At Fortune, Juniors and Seniors who have a 3.0 GPA are eligible for induction.  In keeping with the bylaws of the Society, here is the timetable that we using this year for selection.

For the week of 9-19-17 eligible students will be identified we will meet briefly during Intensive Study  to hand out applications and go over the details of filling out and returning the applications.   

All Applications will be due on Friday, September 22nd. 

For the week of 9-24-17 the Fortune Administration and H.S. staff will evaluate and vote on the applications.

For the week of 10-2-17 the results of the nominating process will be discuss with each applicant individually.  

If any student is elected to the National Honor Society we will have a ceremony the following week with friends and family.  

 

With Fortune Pride, 

Jim O'Donnell

 

 

Accommodations to help us along

TALES FROM ASTRO

I have been away from my Fortune family for the last few weeks recuperating from surgery. Today was my first day back. Boy am I ever relieved to be back here running through the halls. I have missed everyone so much.  

 During my time at home I started  thinking about how sometimes we need some accommodations to help us do the things we need to. Like I needed a soft bed to rest on, so I could heal.  Unfortunately, I needed to wear "the cone of shame" to help me not bother my surgery site. On the bright side, though, my owners gave me a lot of special attention. I needed that extra love during my tough time.  

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 While I had to be accommodated physically, students need to be accommodated in their learning.  Teachers do give them a lot of special attention that is exactly what they need to learn. Such as asking the students specific questions or giving them information  that will help them know exactly what to do. Teachers will not put as many math problems on a page, so there is more room to do the work. Visual supports, anchor charts, graphic organizers and checklists all help students be able to complete a task with confidence. Students also use technology to help them with written expression.  If only I had hands instead of paws so I could write them a letter, or if I could talk and use the speech to text app.  A talking dog...now that would be quite the accommodation.  Then I could really get some things done around here.  

A New Look For High School Gym

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Attention High School Parents: our high school gym uniforms are now online! Visit Land’s End to check out our new gear. Do you have a student participating in Fortune Academy athletics? We also have warm-up jackets and pants available as well to help you stay warm when the temperatures begin to drop. They're are also fun to wear on game days or spirit wear days!

UPDATED: DEAL EXPIRED 

Also, if you order today, you can save 25% on your purchase by using the Code: BRISK and PIN: 6149. The offer is only good for the day, so don't wait. 

Order today!

 

 

A Great Start to a Great Day

Our school community warms my heart. It is a special place indeed! Mornings begin with administrators waving, smiling, and giving hugs - welcoming our students to school. Mr. Chip can be found at one of the doors playing his harmonica or using a microphone to welcome students on campus. Teachers are waiting at the classroom doors making sure all students are greeted with a warm welcome. And that is just the start of a very typical day at Fortune.

What else is very special are our parents, grandparents and school board members who lend a hand on campus. You will find them volunteering in the lunchroom, building chair racks, listening to children read, or going on field trips. Fortune Academy has volunteers on campus every day. These helping hands are an important part of our school community.  I am honored to lead such a special school.

 

Yours for Fortune, 

Janet George

That was easy

Remember the Staples Easy Button? "That was easy," runs through my head every time I think about our four ongoing shopping fundraisers. Our small school community can literally raise thousands and thousands of dollars just by shopping with pre-purchased gifts cards from Scrip, using your Kroger Plus Shoppers Card, ordering from the AmazonSmile page, and clipping Box Tops. No kidding! If every Fortune family ordered just one Lands' End $100 Gift Card to purchase uniforms, the school would earn $1440.00! And that’s just one of over 350 Indianapolis area restaurants and retailers from which to choose. Just think how much you could give back to Fortune by purchasing gift cards from the places you frequent.

Recently I looked up my personal school contribution from Kroger. Scanning my Kroger Plus card each time I shopped there, I earned the school over $50 in one year. And all I did was select the school at Kroger.com. Now do you see why "That was easy," runs through my head all the time? So go ahead - push that Easy button and start shopping for Fortune Academy. Scrip order forms along with information on the other three fundraisers went home with students on Friday. Additional order forms and information are available at the front desk. 

And oh yeah, if Fortune collects $350.00 of Box Tops by November 1, 2017 students will receive a “Dress Down” Day in November. See complete list of participating products.

 

That was easy.