Ferguson Hall Freshman School News

Jaimie Sweet Principal

Dear Parents,

We are in the full swing of things after the first quarter of the school year. This semester will go by fast as we continue to work on curriculum and learning while preparing students for the second semester, state assessments and course selections for next school year.

We have planned an ambitious second quarter and students continue to impress us with their outstanding academic achievements, successful sports seasons, exciting activities, and spectacular performances from our arts department. The beginning of the second quarter is a perfect time to review your student’s progress toward achieving personal and academic goals. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to take this time to celebrate their successes and reinforce their plans for a strong start to their high school career.

We have before-school tutoring provided by Ferguson Hall teachers every Monday-Friday from 7:45 am - 8:10 am. This is a great time to make up missing work and complete assignments.

I believe that Ferguson Hall is a great place to be, and our staff works hard to make sure all students receive a quality education and a wonderful start to their high school experience.

Thank you for your continued involvement, support, and collaboration. It is through our partnership with our parents that we are able to continue to provide an excellent education to all students! Thank you for partnering with us on this journey.

Sincerely,

Jaimie Sweet

Jonathan Webb Assistant Principal

Dear Ferguson Families,

I hope that you are feeling great about our start to the school year. I cannot believe that the school year is already a quarter over! So many things have been going on around Ferguson it is easy to lose track of time. I am truly thankful for this community and the support it offers our students. This is an amazing 9th grade class and I know they will work hard and accomplish great things in their school career and beyond. It is a pleasure working with these bright young people every day.

I would encourage you to talk to your students about getting more involved with school activities. We post our daily announcements and have a list of extracurricular activities on Ferguson's webpage.

Research shows that 9th graders who are involved in extracurricular activities earn better grades, have better attendance, and report being happier overall. There is a club, sport, or activity for everyone at Beavercreek and if your child cannot find one - encourage them to start their own!

Thank you for allowing us the privilege of educating your children. If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at jonathan.webb@gocreek.org.

Lindsay Danver School Counselor

It’s hard to believe we are already moving quickly into second quarter! I have enjoyed working with your children and am looking forward to more opportunities to interact with them through the remainder of the school year.

I want to take this opportunity to inform you of some upcoming important timelines:

During 3rd quarter, students will be meeting with BHS counselors to begin scheduling for tenth grade. Please be on the lookout for information about class offerings, graduation requirements, and teacher recommendations as we begin this process.

During 4th quarter, we will begin state testing for courses with an end of course exam. Freshmen students enrolled in any level of Algebra 1B, Geometry, or Biology will take an end of course test for those subjects. For more information about the graduation requirements tied to state testing, please visit our program of studies.

We will continue to provide prevention and intervention supports to students in a variety of different ways. Please feel welcome to contact me with any academic, personal, or social concerns you may have about your child so we can determine the best way to support their individual needs.

My Voice Student Survey

Ferguson Hall gives a survey to all students called the "My Voice" survey. It asks students to give an honest appraisal of the culture of our building. 89% students reported feeling supported and accepted at school which is a tremendous accomplishment. We will continue to strive to reach the 11% of students who feel disconnected. 80% of students feel like there is a trusted adult in the building they can go to with a problem. We take pride in the connections we make with our students and will continue to try to reach the 20% who feel like they cannot come to staff with problems.

Challenge Day 2019

On November 1, Ferguson Hall staff and students will participate in Challenge Day. Students will start their day with a motivational speech by Nick Jackson. Afterward, they will break into groups and spend the day building integrity, compassion, empathy, and acceptance by playing games, having group discussions, and listening to their peers and adult leaders.

Ferguson Hall remains committed to making good citizenship a priority.

The National Conference for Community and Justice of Greater Dayton (NCCJ) will offer a program called Agents of Change for freshmen at Ferguson Hall. NCCJ focuses on strategies to empower current and future leaders for community transformation, by developing the tools and skills to combat bias, bigotry, and discrimination wherever it occurs. Agents of Change is designed to increase the awareness and sensitivity of high school students to cultural differences. It focuses on the issues of racism, classism, sexism, gender issues, and bullying. Equally important, it focuses on leadership skills to help communities deal with these issues and make their neighborhoods, work places, and schools a better place.

Don't take our word for it - hear what Ferguson Hall students have to say about our awesome first quarter!

Purple Star Award

Did you know? Ferguson Hall was recognized by the Ohio Department of Education as a Purple Star school. The Purple Star Award for military-friendly schools recognizes schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. Schools that earn the award will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display onsite. This is a tremendous honor and Ferguson Hall will continue to cherish and support our military families.

October Shine Award

Kiser Young

Kiser Young is a standout in the Freshman class this year! He does the morning announcements here at Ferguson Hall, and greets teachers and his "peers" every morning and leads them in the Pledge of Allegiance. Kiser asks for feedback from his teachers and fellow classmates as to how he can make the announcements better. Kiser is also demonstrating his citizenship by running for Class President. He wants to be a true leader for his class and asks for suggestions on how he can best represent them and help make things better. Kiser is friendly and always willing to lend a helping hand to teachers, staff, and other students. He cares for Ferguson Hall and he cares for the Freshman class.

1st Quarter Reward

488 students qualified for our 1st quarter reward. To qualify students needed to have 95% or better attendance, no unexcused absences, and no office discipline for the quarter.

Students were rewarded with an optional extra study hall to be used the week of 10/28/19. Great job to all the students who made it. Students will have the opportunity to earn our reward for 2nd quarter - a holiday party!

Freshman Orientation

600 Freshman attended our Creek Crew orientation on August 7, 2019. Over 100 upperclassmen volunteered their time to introduce 9th graders to Ferguson Hall. They took tours of the building, played fun games, and developed a support group before school began. Thank you to Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Barker for organizing our Creek Crew Orientation!

Parent Orientation

300 parents attended our first ever parent orientation held on August 7, 2019. These parents attended an information fair with 14 booths. They then heard Ferguson Hall's administration and guidance team present about the upcoming school year. These presentations were posted on the school's website for parents who were unable to attend.

Physical Education

& Health Dept.

P.E. classes just finished our second round of testing and the students showed great progress.

In Health we are learning about nutrition and how to make healthier choices. The students are all doing individual food worksheets to demonstrate the knowledge that they have learned.

Air Force Junior ROTC

With nearly 900 Air Force Junior ROTC units and 121,000 cadets world-wide, Beavercreek High School’s award of our own AFJROTC program in 2018 has been an outstanding addition to our school, district, and community.

With approximately 175 cadets, our program is one of the largest units in Ohio in our first year and are poised for future growth! Our program enjoys overwhelming school and community support because of the positive impact on our cadets, schools, community, and nation. Already, our program has contributed over 1,500 community service hours in the first semester alone!

Our instructors, Major Whitlow and Senior Master Sergeant Mackey, are retired Air Force veterans who lead, mentor, guide, and teach our cadets. We are honored to have this wonderful program housed in Ferguson Hall!

Library/IMC

Looking for a great new book to read this winter? Need reliable online resources for a project or research paper? Chromebook giving you problems? Then stop by your Ferguson Library for assistance! I can help! From online databases and e-books to hard cover books and the Chromebook hospital, the FH IMC has a solution. Hours are 7:35-12:15, 12:45-2:50. If you have any questions, please stop by or email me at angie.williams@beavercreek.k12.oh.us

School Fees

Please check with your child and see if they have received a school fees payment reminder from the front office. If you are unsure if you still have outstanding fees, please contact Ferguson Hall.

Lost and Found

If your child is missing a coat, hat, water bottle, or other item, please stop by the lost and found in the Ferguson front office. Our bin is overflowing!

Ferguson's Parent Orientation provided a luncheon for teachers to celebrate their hard work to start the year. Thanks to all the parents who provided the yummy food!

Important Dates

  • 11/1/19 - Challenge Day
  • 11/5/19 - Make up picture day
  • 11/25/19 - 11/29/19 - Thanksgiving Break
  • 12/17/19 - 12/20/19 - First Semester Exams
  • 12/20/19 - End of 2nd quarter - 1 Hr Early Release
  • 12/21/19 - 1/5/20 - Winter Break
  • 1/20/19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School
  • 2/17/19 - President's Day No School
  • 3/13/19 - End of 3rd quarter - 1 Hr Early Release
  • 3/23/19-3/27/19 - Spring Break
  • 4/6/19-4/17/19 - 9th grade state testing
  • 4/10/19 - No School
  • 4/13/19 - No School
  • 5/22/19 - Last day of school - 1 Hr Early Release