Karen Dux

Crystal Coakley Receives the Jeffs’ Best Award!

The Jeffs’ Best Award was created by the Fairbury Public Schools Board of Education to highlight and celebrate the great work of our staff.On behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to congratulate Crystal Coakley, Jefferson Special Education Teacher, as the recipient of the April Jeffs’ Best Award!

These are her nomination statements:

I would like to Nominate Crystal Coakley for always being there for the students and staff. Crystal goes above and beyond what she has to do. It doesn’t matter how bad the students’ mornings/days are, she always finds a way to turn it around and make their day better. She is one that anyone can go and talk to about their day and she will sit and listen to you. We are very lucky to have Crystal in our school. She does so much for all the 3rd and 4th grade teachers. Crystal has a heart of gold for anyone that walks in her classroom.

She is one of the most flexible, encouraging, helpful, positive, and wise teachers I know. She is always more than willing to offer help whenever I need it. She is also willing to fill in for my class when I am gone because she knows how vitally important it is for the LIFE students to have consistency. Every time she has subbed in my classroom, she has always left behind materials to help my classroom be as successful as possible. She is literally such a life saver, and I am so incredibly blessed to be able to learn from her and work with her. I really cannot say thank you enough to her for how much she has helped me this year!

Crystal Coakley has volunteered to cover the Jefferson LIFE program when Ms. Oakes is absent since it is difficult to find a substitute for this position.
Crystal then has a sub in her position instead. That means not only is she stepping in to fill the LIFE position, she is also having to make sub plans for her classroom.
That is a great team member! On her own time, Crystal is working on building relationships with the LIFE students. This allows her to have built in connections with the students and makes for a smoother transition for all.

Crystal Coakley is a positive teammate who is always willing to do whatever the team and her students need. At Jefferson, we have discovered that our students in LIFE struggle with subs. When I brought this up to the team, Crystal immediately volunteered to help. We now have a plan that when the teacher is absent, Crystal will be her sub, This is extra work for Crystal but she is doing it because our kids need her. She has been spending her extra time in the room pairing with students to make transitions easier. She is the model of being a team player and of doing what is best for kids. I appreciate her.

Crystal is always willing to help me with any of my students. She has provided me with so many materials so my students and I can continue to experience success in my classroom. She has constantly supported and cheered me on since day one. I truly, and genuinely appreciate all the work she does, and all the help she has given me.

Congratulations, Crystal!

Product Distribution Activity

Intro to Business students were active participants in exploring product distribution during their marketing unit. A video and discussion introduced the concept of distribution and highlighted both direct and indirect methods of distributing products. Then students were placed into groups to research the advantages and disadvantages of the five most common modes of transportation used for distribution, which include railways, roadways, airways, waterways, and pipelines. The highlight of the lesson was a team challenge in which students competed to be the fastest group to distribute their product (20 plastic easter eggs) using all 5 modes of transportation before safely arriving at the marketplace.

FHS Alumni Questionnaire!

Once a Jeff, always a Jeff!

We are interested in gaining information on graduates of Fairbury High School to share with current students. We want to learn what the alumni of our school are doing and where they are! This is a great way to share your accomplishments, big and small, and show your Jeff Pride!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for your time!

https://forms.gle/nHCWpCx1smZquzxn6

Second Graders Study Printmaking

Second graders got a taste of printmaking this week. Students first used watercolor markers to create a design on plastic. Then students squirted their design with water. Last, students placed white paper over the plastic and let the water/marker soak into the paper. That’s it!

Fairbury Swim Team Registration Form

Registration Fee Per Swimmer $50.00
Swimmers 1 & 2 are $50 each, 3 or more are $45
Registration Fee Includes a Team T-Shirt
Registrations canceled on or before May 19th are fully refundable
Registration & Fees are Due by April 19, 2021

Download 2021 Fairbury Swim Team Registration Form

State Degree and Career Development Events

The Fairbury FFA Chapter had 36 members compete at the 2021 District 5 Career Development Events (CDE) Contest on Tuesday, March 2nd at Centennial High School. These 36 members represented Fairbury FFA well by competing in a variety of contests. Fairbury FFA had two District Championship Teams with the Ag Biotechnology Team and Agriscience Team 1. We also had some individual success as Page Nippert was the District Champion in the Agronomy Contest, Trayce Blas was the District Champion in Ag Biotechnology, Brook Tatro was District Champion in Agriscience, Tony Marschmann was Runner-up in Agriscience and Harlie Blas received 3rd place in Agronomy.

The Agronomy team placed 2nd overall and consisted of Harlie Blas and Page Nippert who received a purple ribbon. Cashe Kroll received a blue ribbon and Trayce Blas received a red ribbon. They will represent Fairbury at the State FFA Convention. Page Nippert won the contest.

The Agriscience Team #1 were District Champions and consisted of Brook Tatro, Leiah Allen, Alexis Mau who all received a purple ribbon. Ava Kroll received a red ribbon. Brook Tatro won the contest.

The Agriscience Team #2 received a purple ribbon and consisted of Tony Marschmann, who received a purple ribbon, Malayne DeBoer, and Adam Mascarenas who received a blue ribbon and Crystal Sokolik who received a red ribbon.

The Agriscience team #3 received a red ribbon and consisted of Jordan Hauschel and Madi Ohlde who received a blue ribbon and Jozalyn Kuzelka and Reis Blobaum who received a red ribbon.

The Ag Sales team received a red ribbon and consisted of Brook Tatro who received a blue ribbon and Alexis Mau, Ava Kroll and Leiah Allen who received red ribbons.

The Meats team received a red ribbon and consisted of Ashton McCown, Connor Gerths, Izyck Torkelson, and Malayne DeBoer who received red ribbons.

The Floriculture team received a red ribbon and consisted of Riley Wood who received a purple ribbon and Taryn Arnold, Taylor Gustafson, and Karly McCord who received red Ribbons.

The Livestock Management team one received a red ribbon and consisted of Madi Ohlde, Jordan Hauschel, Aidan Swanson, Reis Blobaum, and Izyck Torkelson. Team two received a blue ribbon and consisted of Brooklen Bear, Casidy Sipek, Emily Huss and Harlie Blas.

The Vet Science team received a blue ribbon and consisted of Lindsey Korthals, Shelby Klaumann, and Brooklen Bear who received a blue ribbon and Emily Huss who received a red ribbon.

Fairbury FFA Natural Resource team received a red ribbon and consisted of Abigail Judd who received a blue ribbon and Ashton McCown, Lindsey Korthals, and Mason Wood received a red ribbon.

Fairbury FFA had a Nursery and Landscape team who placed 3rd overall and qualified for the state FFA convention. The team consisted Riley Wood who received a purple ribbon Taryn Arnold, Taylor Gustafson, and Karly McCord who received a blue ribbon.

The Agricultural Biotechnology Team were District Champions and consisted of Trayce Blas and Sarah Engelman who received a purple ribbon, Abigail Judd who received a blue ribbon and Beckett Chappell who received a red ribbon. Trayce Blas won the contest.

The Agricultural Mechanics team received a red ribbon and consisted of Ashton Blobaum who received a purple ribbon, and Connor Gerths, Brendan Runge and Connor Heidemann who all received a red ribbon.

It was a great day for the Fairbury FFA Chapter and all members had a great experience in developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success.

Fairbury FFA has three members who will be getting their State FFA Degree. Taylor Gustafson, Brooklen Bear and Shelby Klaumann will be receiving their State FFA Degrees in April.

Button, Button, Who Has the Button

Button, Button, Who Has the Button

Third grade students are reading the book The Friendship War by Andrew Clements. In The Friendship War, sixth grader Grace’s relationship with her family and her best friend, Ellie is changing. Over the course of the book, Grace learns a lot about the meaning of friendship and the value of a good friend.

The students learn about school fads and how they catch on quickly. The students are familiar with these fads; fidget spinners, slime, and now buttons. But are they always a good thing? In the book the button fad threatens to break up Grace and Ellie’s friendship after they have been friends for years. Can their friendship be saved?

Andrew Clements said his inspiration for the book came from being a teacher where he saw trends come and go, but some things stay the same.

He said, “There are not many things as valuable as friendship. Who are your friends, why are they your friends, and what is really important to you?”

Students enjoyed looking at Mrs. Shinn’s button collection. Before finishing the book students will be making a button box to take home and start their own button collection.

Students Study Political Cartoons

Studying this cartoon today in social studies:

Questions from 7th graders: ‘What is radical Islam? ‘What makes someone follow radical Islam?’ ‘Why do these people dislike the United States after helping Libya with a no fly zone?

THOSE ARE ALL REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS! Wow! Well done 7th grade!

Kindergarten Class Learns About Shadows

Mrs. Moody’s Kindergarten Class has been learning about shadows. We investigated the questions, “How are shadows made?”, “Does our shadow change based on the time of day?” and, “Does everything make a shadow as long as it is blocking light”. We took our research outside and traced our shadows with sidewalk chalk. We also found other objects that created shadows and traced their shadows with chalk as well.