Welcome to Fort Wayne Community Schools' community newsletter. Each month we share news from our schools and important District information. Have an idea for a story? Please share it with us!

Hungry for a victory, North Side High School students impressed Arby’s executives and judges to win the Arby’s National 3DE Case Challenge.

In effort to attract younger customers, Arby’s tasked the student groups with developing a way to improve and enhance the customer experience for teenagers. The ninth grade students created and programmed an app where customers can play a game and receive restaurant rewards. North Side’s winning presentation was chosen from among four groups nationally.

Last year, North Side High School's team received an honorable mention in the national competition.

Listed as they appear in video below:
Madison Sherrod, Ariq McCain, Kyler Cooney, Zen Gunawardhana and Karma Conley

It was an incredible journey for the Snider High School Robotics team. The young engineers won the Rookie of the Year Award at the First Robotics Indiana State Competition which put them in a position to compete at the First World Championships in Houston, Texas.

The competition started strong for the Snider team, winning their first four matches and climbing to an impressive 10th place in their division. But then in two crucial matches, a fellow alliance robot broke down. That left Snider's team at a disadvantage. The team competed in a total of 10 matches against some of the top robotics teams in the world and finished with a record of 4-6.

As the 21 students, two teachers, three mentors and three parent chaperones boarded the bus home, they knew that this was just the beginning of what’s to come for the Snider High School Robotics Team.

A student who attended Brentwood Elementary in the late 1960s recently presented Principal Matt Meighen with a surprise donation as a part of the AWS Foundation Pay It Forward Day.

AWS Foundation tasked Turnstone Self-Advocates with selecting non-profits in their communities that made an impact on their lives for a special donation. Mark Rasor is one of the Self-Advocates and a former student of Brentwood Elementary.

Recalling his time at Brentwood, Rasor said when he attended the school there was a wing where students with disabilities would go to get assistance. Having these resources available when he was in school helped him to succeed and eventually graduate from Northrop High School in 1977. That’s why he wanted to give back and recommended Brentwood Elementary/Buschor HEAR Preschool for a $2,000 donation. The school will use the money to support students with special needs.

Pay It Forward Day was started in 2007 to show how a small act of kindness can make a big impact.

In early April, students and staff members gathered on the sidewalk in front of North Side High School to honor the memory of Mayor Tom Henry. Mayor Henry was a friend of FWCS. He frequently visited classrooms throughout the district where he would read to students and give a few lessons on being mayor. We appreciate his strong support of the city's schools and willingness to partner on numerous initiatives. Councilwoman Sharon Tucker was selected to complete Mayor Henry's term.

Members of the Fort Wayne Community Schools Class of 2024 will be celebrated as they receive their diplomas May 31 and June 1 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

In addition to the in-person ceremony, FWCS will livestream each high school’s graduation on the school’s website, LTV 24 (Frontier) or 54 (Comcast Xfinity) and the LTV 24/54 YouTube channel for those unable to attend.

Two Fort Wayne Community Schools students were recently named winners of Purdue Fort Wayne's Summit Scholars Competition. Jeanelly Hernandez and Joshua Roper will both receive full four-year scholarships.

CHAPMAN SCHOLAR: Jeanelly Hernandez, a student at South Side High School in Fort Wayne, is the daughter of Domingo Hernandez and Teresita Rodriguez. She plans to major in communication sciences and disorders. Her school activities include involvement with the International Baccalaureate Program, French Honors Society, National Honor Society, membership in the French and Key clubs, and varsity tennis.

The Chapman Scholars Program is made possible by Howard Chapman and his late wife Betsy. The Chapman's established the four-year scholarships, in which the recipients may pursue any degree at Purdue Fort Wayne.

DOERMER DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR: Joshua Roper attends Snider High School in Fort Wayne. Roper is the son of Steven and Sheila Roper. He plans to major in marketing and management. Roper’s extracurricular activities include varsity cross country and track and field, indoor track, and band.

The Doermer Distinguished Scholars Program is made possible by the late Richard T. Doermer and his family’s foundation. Doermer was a well-known and well-respected businessman and philanthropist who had a great fondness for this university.

I am Elizabeth Taylor Garcia. I was born in Mexico. I am now 34 years old. I have two daughters Alana and Aremi. I am a cosmetologist, life coach, trainer and co-founder of “Mas Mujer” (More Woman) in Fort Wayne. It’s a program that promotes, values and teaches women how to be successful at any businesses they want to start. We also network between our members to improve our visibility here in the Fort. I recently began collaborating with WEOC - Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center.

I arrived here in May 2021. I think Fort Wayne is a beautiful place to live. I still remember my first winter here. It was cold, but I had a great reason to stay here; I fell in love. I met my husband, Hugo, for the second time. We had not seen each other in about 15 years, and now we are very happy together. The weather was not the problem for me; it was the language. Now I am learning English at the Bill C. Anthis Career to improve my communication with others.

In August 2022, I started studying with the Adult English Language Learners Program. Julie Shriner was my teacher at the beginning level. I still remember that I was very nervous on my first day of school. She was wonderful! she taught us step by step and she encouraged me to study. Day by day, my English level got better. In five months, I moved to the intermediate level with Lisa Deck. My experience in that environment and the resources she offered us was a lot of support for me. Then, eight months later, I advanced to class with Christine Milakovic. I thank her for all the support she gives us. I learned a lot through all my teachers. They truly blessed me with their expertise and love.

It is very easy to learn at this school. I have had so many different experiences. I am grateful for every person I have met here. It is fantastic to be able to meet so many international people and learn about different cultures. One of my favorite pastimes is taking our class field trips. It is impossible to forget such memories today as I think back over my time here as a student. At this school, students and teachers are working together for our community, people need help and education.

Now, at doctor appointments, I can understand how to take care of my family and me. I am learning the rules of this society. My communication skills have improved so much. I’m thrilled! Because if I can understand, I can do anything. I understand almost all videos and even others who have a different accent, not just American accent. Just yesterday, I was able to tell my daughters something important in English. They are proud of my progress. I recently got a job offer because I have improved so much. My confidence has increased so much that I even volunteered for the opportunity to share my story. This is just the beginning of my success.

FWCS Continuing Education Career Coordinator Chelsea Harris would like to send a huge shoutout and congrats to the FWCS Continuing Education adult welding students. They spent the last 10 weeks learning how to MIG weld. All 16 adult welding students in the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 classes earned a certification in welding. Thank you to instructor Cale Shields from Freedom Academy for all of his hard work in helping the students succeed.

School is still in session, but we are gearing up for the new school year! Our new teaching positions are now available on our job board at www.fwcsjobs.org. Be the first one to complete your application, and let us know you are interested. We are looking for people like you to teach our future generations.

Email: publicaffairs@fwcs.k12.in.us
Website: fortwayneschools.org
Location: 1200 South Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, IN, 46802, USA
Phone: (260) 467-1000
Facebook: facebook.com/FWCommSchools
Twitter: @FWCommSchools