Curriculum and Instruction Newsletter
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As we wrap up the first module of our literacy curriculum, we are thrilled to celebrate the incredible progress of our elementary students. Whether your child’s classroom refers to the program as Wit & Wisdom or its new name, Arts & Letters, the mission remains the same: building deep language comprehension by exploring world-class books, articles, and fine art. This integrated approach ensures that students aren't just learning to read, but are reading to learn. Throughout this first module, students have been hard at work strengthening their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills by diving deep into specific, high-interest topics that build a lasting foundation of knowledge.
The transition to the name Arts & Letters reflects the program's blend of literature and visual arts, yet the rigorous learning experience remains unchanged. By focusing on a single topic for several weeks—ranging from The Five Senses (K) and A World of Books (1st) to The Season of Change (2nd), The Sea (3rd), A Great Heart (4th), and Cultures in Conflict (5th)—students move beyond surface-level facts to become true subject-matter experts.
We are incredibly proud of the curiosity our students have shown and look forward to the new discoveries awaiting them in Module 2!
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Ms. Cannon-Bailey’s 3rd Grade class at Brooks Hill had the opportunity to video chat with two deep ocean experts who are doctoral candidates at the University of Delaware. This connected to students’ module 1 learning about exploring the deep oceans and its incredible sea creatures. |
To celebrate their learning, Ms. Jock and Ms. Mariotti’s 1st graders at Jefferson Ave brought in their favorite books for a show and tell and completed a little writing piece to hang in the hallway. |
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This year our Special Class 8:1+3 programs are pleased to support Aided Language Stimulation to improve the communication skills of our students. Aided Language Stimulation often refers to modeling language use with an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device or modeling with a static board. The goal is to model language without expectation and to model while simultaneously speaking.
We are excited to be able to provide each of our programs with a device for communication modeling. Speech-language pathologists, our district assistive technology specialist, and our BOCES assistive technology specialist support our teams with training and ongoing implementation. Look at our students go!
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Students at Martha Brown recently took up the task to create their own board games. Fun fun fun to be had, and look at the creativity! See below for more examples, straight from the minds of Fairport students! |
K-12 teachers are currently piloting eDoctrina, a digital platform that links assessments directly to learning standards. This tool provides teachers with instant data on student progress, making it easier to identify specific learning gaps. By using these real-time insights, our staff can quickly adjust instruction to better support individual student growth across all grade levels. |
Our Dudley & Brooks Hill first graders kicked off our district visits to The Strong Museum of Play for the Bear Bucks program. These young learners explored the basics of business and financial literacy alongside the familiar Berenstain Bears. By creating their own mini-business plans and practicing "pricing" and "budgeting" through role-play, students applied foundational math skills to real-world scenarios. This hands-on trip made learning about money and communication both fun and memorable, helping our youngest students build a solid start in problem-solving. |
The JP 7th and 8th-grade Science Club recently visited the RMSC and Seneca Park Zoo. In addition to exploring the permanent collections, students focused on the Electricity Theater’s Tesla Coil show and the traveling NASA "Astronaut" exhibit to study electromagnetism and aerospace engineering. The trip also included a visit to the Seneca Park Zoo, where students observed the Savanna habitat and learned about regional conservation efforts. |
We are delighted to welcome author Stacy McAnulty to the FCSD. Stacy is an award-winning children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, and still dreams of being an astronaut! She writes fiction and nonfiction picture books, early chapter books, and middle-grade novels. Stacy thinks of herself as a story engineer—creating fun and intelligent books for fun and intelligent kids. All elementary students had the opportunity to hear her speak about the processes she uses to create her books and what it is like to be a working author. |
Additionally, on March 12 FHS will be hosting Tad Roach, a colleague and personal friend of Bryan Stevenson - human rights attorney and author of the bestselling novel Just Mercy, which was later adapted into a feature film.
Bryan is also the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, dedicating his career to helping the poor and incarcerated people in the criminal justice system. Tad is a Learning and Engagement Specialist for the organization and is a former teacher and principal, who was actually born and raised in Buffalo, NY. Just Mercy was recently added to the 10th grade English curriculum. The book, as well as the organization itself, also have connections to curriculum related to the Social Studies and Business departments.
We welcome both Stacy and Tad to the Fairport community. Please stay tuned for additional author visits in the spring.
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The Fairport Central School District (FCSD) has received a generous grant from the Bosch Community Fund Board of Trustees. This funding will support the implementation of project-based learning experiences for students in grades 7-12, as well as the purchase of VEX Robotics kits and Drones. |
We continue to move forward with the integration of the SchooLinks platform, which supports our secondary students in academic planning and post-graduation preparation. Students have been using SchooLinks since last year, and our seniors are the first class to complete their college applications through the platform.
SchooLinks allows students to access the platform at their convenience and complete activities throughout their high school careers to prepare for post-graduation plans. Next steps in the integration include building the capacity to track credits and requirements for CTE, the Seal of Biliteracy, and the Seal of Civic Readiness. Our goal of full implementation next year will allow students to engage more fully in the scheduling process by submitting course requests through the platform, expediting scheduling and improving graduation requirement tracking.
Feedback from teachers, counselors, and students has been positive, with many noting that SchooLinks is intuitive and user-friendly.
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The Fairport Music program is celebrating our Music Honorees! This year, ninety Fairport Central School District students have been selected for All-County, Area All-State, and/or Conference All-State ensembles. These students were selected based on their exemplary scores during the Spring and/or January Solo Festivals. Seven students across various FCSD ensembles were selected for the ultimate honor group, Conference All-State. |
Our high school photographers are currently preparing their submissions for the annual "Through the Student Lens" exhibition at Image City Photography Gallery. For this regional show, each school selects ten standout works to be displayed in a professional gallery setting. This process gives students a firsthand look at the professional art world, from final editing to gallery-standard presentation. We look forward to seeing our students’ creativity represented alongside other talented young photographers from across the area. |
Fairport High School recently hosted the Mobile Museum of Tolerance (MMOT), a world-class interactive educational center that aims to inspire students to stand up against injustice and build a society rooted in mutual respect. We are pleased to share that this transformative experience was provided entirely free of charge for our students. By bringing history to our doorstep, the MMOT challenged our students to move beyond being mere bystanders and to consider how empathy and courage can combat hate.
During the visit, several classes participated in the "Civil Rights Movement" and "The Power of Ordinary People" programs. These workshops allowed students to explore the struggle for equality and the profound impact that individual choices have on the course of history. By examining how everyday citizens can create positive change, our students gained a deeper understanding of their own agency and the importance of advocating for dignity and justice today.
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Students in the NASA HUNCH program recently participated in Preliminary Design Review (PDR) Conferences. During these sessions, student teams presented their hardware prototypes to a panel of NASA engineers and industry professionals. This experience requires students to defend their technical designs and solve real-world challenges faced by astronauts, providing them with valuable professional feedback and workforce experience.
Our 6th graders at Martha Brown had an out-of-this-world experience this month! We were thrilled to welcome Fairport parent and NASA scientist Dan Batcheldor to our school. During a special second-period presentation, Dan shared his professional expertise in space exploration, giving our students a unique look into the world of STEM through the eyes of a member of our own community. We are so grateful he could join us!
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Prepare to learn! On March 26th, JA hosts their Science Fair from 6-7 for grades 3-5! There are sure to be fascinating projects that just might rock your world! |
FHS Drama Club is presenting The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical March 5-7! Here is a glimpse into an FHS theater class and a peek at a model for the set. Tickets are now available!
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