Senior of the month
February’s senior of the month is Kaylee Mitton. Kaylee is the daughter of Jim and Billie Mitton of Plain City. She has been involved in Golf, bowling, track and field, FCCLA and National Honor Society. After graduation she plans to pursue a career in teaching and become a golf instructor. When asked what advice she has for the underclassmen, she replied, “As cliché as this saying may be, I encourage all underclassman to not be afraid of trying new things. Getting out of my comfort zone and trying new things is what led me to my success and it is what is leading me to a bright and successful future. I will be forever grateful to have been a student at Fairbanks High school, and lucky to have known the all of the hardworking student and staff members.” (Photo submitted)
Snow days affect hybrid learning
By: Callie Kitchen
In the midst of February, there have been more occurrences of overnight snow and ice leading to closings and delays of schools.
With hybrid learning, students at Fairbanks High School only get two days of in-person learning per week.
With the increase in snow, delays and closings have affected the hybrid learning days.
The cancellations have left the teachers with unbalanced teaching days.
When the teachers cannot see certain students in person because of cancellations their teaching schedule is unbalanced.
The conflict of students and teachers meeting face to face to complete work has increased as well on the 2 hour delay days.
In some cases when the snow days occur, teachers may not get to see students for a whole week.
The plans that the teachers had planned for in-class days have to be revised, either in canceling them or finding a new subject that can be taught online.
The students who need extra help in their subjects have found it challenging as staff cannot help them in person. Although google meets, zoom and other over the computer meetings can be scheduled, most students need direct help in front of them, causing a more challenging aspect to their work.
Furthermore, students who struggle to complete their online assignments are more likely to get behind in assignments from cancellations.
Snow days have affected hybrid learning tremendously giving multiple challenges to both students and teachers.
FFA to celebrate organization
By: Montana Burns
Next week is FFA week which is very important to the Fairbanks FFA.
During this week, the chapter celebrates their organization and shows their support. They have several themes for the week which will be posted around the school and shared on social media. Everyone is invited to participate.
Livestock Judging is also coming up and members are going to begin to practice for the virtual competitions this year due to Covid. They are starting to plan out the banquet and decide what to do based on Covid protocols and how to keep it up to standards.
Student Council adjusts to COVID-19, Homecoming Week carries on
By: Madeline Conroy
Even though Fairbanks wasn’t able to have a dance like they normally do, due to COVID-19, the student council still planned special events to make homecoming as exceptional as possible. The lobby was decorated with the theme “Winter Wonderland,” and there were dress-up days where students could wear PJ’s to school and had an ugly sweater day. To make up for not being able to do a pep rally, the student council also made a video of what would normally happen at a pep rally. Student Council members had the winter sports team captains record a few words about their season and had Mr. Jeff Powell say a few words about the homecoming court members. Special thanks to junior Danielle Hoover for putting this video all together.
To make the week more special and to spice things up a little bit, there was a trivia game that every high student could participate in to test their knowledge about court members, homecoming history, and even facts about the principal and superintendent. Although homecoming week was not normal this year, the student council was still able to make it special and enjoyable. Congratulations to the 2021 winter Homecoming King, Mason Cushman and Queen, Linsey Eddy.
New Social Studies teacher highlighted
By: Linsey Eddy
In a year like no other, school students, parents, staff, and teachers alike had to make some large adjustments to get comfortable in an ever-changing environment.
Mr. Seth Vipperman truly stepped up to the plate as a new teacher, filing a social studies position for the school year at Fairbanks.
In his first year in a classroom of his own, Mr. Vipperman learned to cope with unique challenges- the biggest of these being the inconsistent shifting between learning levels. He noted that the changes in schedule coupled with a lack of the more exciting social aspects of school like Friday night football games and homecoming dances has had a noticeable impact on students’ motivation for schoolwork. Because of this, Mr. Vipperman says that he has “really learned what it means to be flexible,” and the important role of reaching students in need of a helping hand.
Although much of what Mr. Vipperman has learned this year has been a result of COVID circumstances, he still found the highlights of teaching in numerous ways. From sharing school memes and TikToks with his classes, to advising the mock trial team, Mr. Vipperman has truly connected with his students. He assures that despite the unpredictability of this school year, seeing kids overcome their challenges and reach those “light bulb moments” has made everything worthwhile.
As for the future, Mr. Vipperman hopes to continue teaching US History- as long as the school is in close proximity to a Chipotle. He wishes to thank the Fairbanks community and staff for welcoming him as a Panther for the year, and for their continued patience and support through the ups and downs of this year.
Mock Trial teams compete virtually
By: Aubrey Tillman
Both Fairbanks Mock Trial teams competed in the district competition on January 30th over Zoom. The teams put in an amazing amount of time and effort but unfortunately it did not lead to an advancement for either team. Fairbanks Red competed against the state champions from two years ago and only lost by one point. Team Captain, Aubrey Tillman, is extremely proud of the challenge they posed to Indian Hill in their second trial. Between the two teams, Fairbanks took home four outstanding witness awards. These awards were truly deserved by the recipients: Emma Kelly, Danielle Hoover, Grace Belmonte, and Kennedy Knurek. All the witnesses showed their knowledge of the case and skill during their trials. Both teams held their own with their objections and arguments and are excited to continue to improve for the future. Seniors, Aubrey Tillman, Emma Hoffman, and Madeline Conroy were impressed with the dedication and passion seen in the younger members of the program and are excited to see where they will take the program in the coming years. They would like to thank everyone involved for making their senior session amazing, even under unexpected circumstances. While mock trial is over for the season, they are just getting started on their path to victory next year.
FCCLA kicks off Kindness Week
By: Aubrey Tillman
The Fairbanks FCCLA chapter was super excited to start out February with a bang. National FCCLA week (kindness week) was the second week of February and the officer team is very happy with what they were able to pull off even under unusual circumstances. The week started on Tuesday with member appreciation day part 1 and a to-go pizza party for members during lunches. The week continued with teacher appreciation day on Wednesday. The officer team came in on their remote day to deliver letters from students and hot drinks to the high school and middle school staff. They enjoyed seeing their teachers’ reactions when they were surprised with kind notes from their students. Kindness week wrapped up with to-go pizza party part 2 on Thursday! During all three days, members could be spotted wearing their yellow FCCLA shirts and spreading kindness throughout the school. The chapter is so happy that they have been able to still bring joy and smiles to their community despite the pandemic. In January, they were able to partner with NJHS to make 100 blankets to send to Project Linus. With the help of Marysville Meijer, they were also able to create 70 meal kits for members of the community who are in temporary living situations. The officers are still working on a plan for the rest of the year but are excited to see what happens next for the Fairbanks FCCLA.
2021-22 plans underway
By: Ally Gerty
Preparation for the 2021-2022 school year has begun. Students have received their papers and instructions on how to sign up for their classes next year. For some, this can be a stressful time, but for others it can be very exciting. Next year’s seniors are realizing that their time in high school is coming to an end and are making the most of it. But for younger students, they get to decide which classes they’ll take for their first few years of high school. The common goal is to receive the needed credits to graduate while simultaneously making the best out of the year. To ensure that, Fairbanks is always offering new and exciting classes. One of those new courses being offered is Anatomy, which is available for next year’s juniors and seniors. Whether the year is back to normal or still with Covid guidelines, we can count on the staff and administration working their hardest to make it an amazing school year for all students.
NHS induction will be held next month
By: Hunter Jackson
For the month of February, the Fairbanks NHS has been continuing its community service in their standard ways of road cleaning, running athletic gates, and food pantry donations. They are excited to announce that after being delayed due to the snow this week, the tapping for the newly inducted members will be conducted on March 2nd. The induction ceremony will be held on March 11th with members making plans for the event to be safe within the pandemic guidelines.