May | 2025

SCHEDULE NOTES

• May 23: Early Dismissal 1:50 p.m. ELEM and 2 p.m. MS/HS
• May 26: No School Memorial Day
• May 30: Last day of school 11:00 a.m. ELEM and 11:10 a.m. MS/HS Dismissal (Breakfast served, no lunch will be served)

Elementary School - June 3-20 from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Limited spots are available with a focus on improving reading and math skills (invite-based program). Free breakfast and lunch are provided via the Summer Food Program.

Middle School - June 3-20 from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Summer learning is open to students entering grades 5, 6, and 7. Free breakfast and lunch are provided via the Summer Food Program. Students will take part in fun hands-on science projects and reading and writing workshops.

High School - June 2- June 13 from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

This session is provided for students who need to remediate a course. Contact Mr. Baker at 641-585-2324 or kbaker@forestcity.k12.ia.us for additional information.

Summer Food Program is Back!

Free breakfast and lunch are available to students ages 2-18 this summer at the Forest City Elementary School. The dates and times are shown below. Please note that the program will not operate June 30-July 4 and July 22.

Summer and Back-To-School Highlights

With summer approaching, here are a couple of opportunities and reminders of things that you can do to get ready for the 2025-26 school year.

This month we wrap up highlighting our staff members completing their first and second year of teaching at our district. Get to know these new faces and learn more about them below!

Board of Education Recognition

As part of School Board Recognition Month, we commend school board members for serving as a Guiding Light for Student Success.

Thank you to the dedicated volunteers who serve on our local school board! They play a crucial role in providing direction for educating our future leaders. Please join us in saying thank you this month!

We are thrilled to share that our Business Manager & Board Secretary, Sara Meinders, has been nominated and officially appointed to serve on the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) Investment Board for a four-year term!

The IPERS Investment Board is responsible for overseeing the investment strategies and policies that ensure the long-term financial health of the retirement system. This appointment is a testament to Sara's expertise, dedication, and deep understanding of financial management. Sara's appointment signifies the trust and confidence placed in her to help manage and safeguard these essential resources effectively and responsibly.

Congratulations, Sara!

Thank You!

As the school year draws to a close, we wish our retirees the best! Thank you for your dedication to Forest City Schools!

Janelle Koch

High School Business Teacher

Began in 1994

Dan Millard

Maintenance Director

Began in 1994

Seal of Biliiteracy

Three seniors earned their Seal of Biliteracy! Corey Thoreson, Ella Johnson, and Dawson Sharp have demonstrated proficiency in both Spanish and English. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. They have been dedicated to their studies and recently took a four-hour state-approved exam and proved proficient in all four standards: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Way to go!

FCMS Holds Mini Relay for Life

The Forest City Middle School held its annual "Mini Relay for Life" week April 28-May 2!

Mini Relay for Life supports the American Cancer Society and the fight against cancer.

Students had mini lessons during Tribe Time about the dangers of vaping and the importance of sun safety. Fundraising efforts included "Penny Wars" between grade levels, selling raffle tickets to "Pie the Principal or Clean Sweep the Custodian" and a dance fundraiser at the end of the week.

5th Grade DARE Program

Our fifth-grade classes completed their DARE program and held graduation in early May. Through interactive lessons and thoughtful discussions, students learned valuable decision-making skills and strategies to resist peer pressure. Many thanks to Officer Ross Eiden for dedicating his time and expertise to guide our students through this important program. 

Our elementary students had a school-wide PBIS celebration Glow Dance Party! Students work to earn PBIS points for meeting and exceeding expectations around being safe, being respectful, being responsible, and being your best. They enjoyed celebrating their hard work!

The Kindergarten classes had a sight word Easter egg hunt at the end of April and sat on Eggs that they colored which eventually hatched into Peeps!

All of our third-grade students received the "Just Like Caitlin" book! Thank you to the Dickson and Luann Jensen family from Ames for this generous donation to students across the state, inspiring them to dream big and be "Just Like Caitlin"!

The middle school quiz bowl season is underway! The team has had several competitions this year at area schools and has represented Forest City well!

In 9th grade science class, students are actively applying their knowledge of ionic and covalent compounds through hands-on experiments. Using a Bunsen burner, they safely heat different substances to see how each type reacts—some melt, some burn with different colors, and others don’t change much at all.

This lab helps them see the difference between the two main types of compounds. Along the way, students also practice important lab skills like using safety equipment, handling tools carefully, and recording observations.

The activity connects to an Iowa science standard that encourages students to use the periodic table to predict how elements will behave based on their electron patterns, helping them understand why substances act the way they do.

Congratulations to our group of students who participated in the Special Olympics Track & Field Day at Okoboji High School in late April! We had five athletes who will advance to the State event in Ames on May 23. Way to go!

Participants include: Zacc Cox, Jose Querales Arroyo, Michael Crist, Gracie Conrad, Tavin Smith, Alex Eggers, Cooper Behrens (not pictured), and Eli Dyslin(not pictured).

FFA members attended the State FFA Convention in late April in Ames. Highlights include:

• Working with Meals from the Heartland helping set-up, make, and pack meals.
• Three members receiving their Iowa FFA Degrees
• Mr. Faught being honored as a top seven finalist for the Golden Owl Award
• Many awards and a lot of great learning sessions!

The high school student council recently held an Activities Fair for our high school and 8th-grade students! They were able to explore and learn about what activities are available to get involved in.

In the spirit of graduation, some of our middle school students helped create a board display of middle school staff's senior and graduation pictures!

Our school district has partnered with the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) to conduct a Needs Assessment Survey. The survey is designed to help us assess our strengths and areas of needed improvement, with a focus on improved student achievement. We would like your opinions and judgments in response to the brief survey linked below. The survey takes an average of 9 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous.  

Click the link below, or paste it into your browser and follow the instructions. Please complete the survey by May 20.  Thank you for your participation and helping to make improvements for our students.  



 https://forms.office.com/r/Y4wWQb6LVH