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FPCS Communications Department

News Archive

8.6.08 - Communications Survey
The FPCS Communications Department works with FPCS community members to build an understanding and support for Fairview Park City Schools. Above all, the Communications Department fosters an environment of open and honest communication aimed at building trust and credibility with the district's key internal and external audiences.

FPCS would like to know what popular forms of media you use to receive information about FPCS. Tell us by completing our simple online eSurvey.

To complete the eSurvey, click here.



8.6.08 Campus Security Systems

Over the summer break, FPCS installed new security systems at Fairview High School, Mayer Middle School and the Early Education Learning Center.

The key purpose of new security will keep people from entering district campuses after designated times (see below).


All parents and visitors must enter through the school's main entrance. Those inside the buildings will be able to leave throughout the day, but will have to buzzed through the main entrance to get back into school.

"We live in a wonderful community where we all feel safe and secure," said FPCS Superintendent Brion Deitsch. "Thankfully, modern technology helps us protect our most precious assets, our children. I greatly appreciate your patience while we implement these measures to insure the safety of our students and our staff."

Early Education Learning Center
Currently all wiring is installed for the new security system. EELC is waiting to receive a touch monitor for parents to enter a personalized code to drop off or pick up their children.

Gilles-Sweet Elementary School
Gilles-Sweet will continue to enforce the security system they used last school year. Currently, doors are propped open for students to enter the building from 8:15 to 8:30 a.m. Afterwards, doors will remain locked from the outside of the building. All parents and visitors must enter the building from the main entrance.

Lewis F. Mayer Middle School
All doors will be unlocked until 8:40 a.m. Afterwards, doors will remain locked from the outside of the building. All parents and visitors must enter the building from the main entrance.

Fairview High School
All doors will remain unlocked until 7:45 a.m. Doors will remain locked from the outside until 3 p.m. unless for sporting events.

For further information, please see the campus that pertains to you or your student.

7.30.08 - New Course Offered at FHS
For the 2008-09 school year, FHS is introducing an Integrated Media Arts class. The year-long class is designed to offer FHS students a unique opportunity to explore the world of filmmaking. Students who participate in the program will get the opportunity to become certified in Apple's Final Cut Pro, an up-and-coming industry standard film-editing software.

In addition, students will learn the fundamentals of creating scripts, designing storyboards, production (lighting, filming, audio), post-production (editing) processes and presenting their work.

"I am extremely excited to provide our students with this real world learning opportunity," said Integrated Media Arts instructor Chris Kaminski. "I believe it is critical that we as educators continue to embrace change and provide our students with interesting and relevant curriculum that challenges them to reach their greatest creative potential. This is a progressive effort to offer our students opportunities to thrive in the media-rich environment they live in."

7.18.08 – New FHS Associate Principal/Athletic Director
At the July 15 FPCS Board Meeting, the board approved Christopher Vicha as the new Fairview High School Associate Principal/Athletic Director. Vicha's duties begin August 1, 2008.

"I'm excited and impressed by Chris' enthusiasm, work ethics and excitement to get the job done in a first class manner," said FHS Principal, Kevin Liptrap.

Vicha is joining FPCS from North Ridgeville School District where he was an English teacher and Basketball Coach for the past five years. He graduated from Baldwin Wallace College in 2003 with a Bachelors of English Education and received his Masters of Education Administration from the University of Cincinnati in 2007.

"I'm very excited to be working with the Fairview Park City Schools," said Vicha. "I'm looking forward to building strong community relations between the schools and the community. And I'll do my best to make it a successful school year."

"Chris Vicha is a quality young man who will bring a positive attitude and high level of enthusiasm to our district," said FPCS Superintendent Brion Deitsch. "The most effective form of positive staff development is through hiring, and Mr. Vicah's skill set is no exception."

Vicha's duties as associate principal include: assisting the building principal in the areas of student discipline, teacher evaluations and program development. As the Athletic Director he will be responsible for administering inter-scholastic policies and procedures, purchasing all athletic equipment and supplies, and overseeing the preparation of the facilities for representatives of the press, visiting scouts, participating teams and officials.

7.16.08 - New FHS Head Football Coach
At the July 15 FPCS Regular Board meeting, board members approved David Latkovic as the new head football coach.

"I'm real excited to be here and it is an honor coaching these kids who have worked really hard for us," said Latkovic. "We look forward to getting better this year."

Latkovic joined FPCS as an assistant football coach and high school English teacher the beginning of the 2007-08 school year.

"We are very happy to have David as the head football coach as well as one of our English teachers," said FHS Principal Kevin Liptrap. "We look forward to the stability he will offer our football program."

Latkovic joined FPCS from John Marshal High School in Cleveland where he was a high school English teacher and the head coach for the Football team. Prior to that Latkovic taught at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, which is his alma mater. He graduated from Wittenberg University with his Bachelor of Arts in English and is working towards his Masters in English at Cleveland State University.

"David is very much a high energy individual and we are fortunate to have him as our head coach," said Superintendent Brion Deitsch. "There is no doubt that he will give 100 percent this season and by example he will get that in return from his players. Go Warriors!"

Coach Latkovic has started his duties as head coach for the Warriors as they prepare for the upcoming season.

7.11.08 - Enrollment Audit Saves District Money

This past February, the Fairview Park City School District Board of Education hired K12 School Consultants to conduct an ongoing audit to ensure that all students attending FPCS schools are residents of Fairview Park City Schools.

Since then, K12 School Consultants has discovered 12 students who do not reside in the Fairview Park City School District, but who were registered on the FPCS enrollment figures. Included in this number were students that were found to be residents of outside communities attending FPCS, and students attending charter schools, who resided outside FPCS, but were using addresses within the FPCS District.

"It is not uncommon that students attending a charter school change their residence during their enrollment at that school," said FPCS Treasurer Ryan Ghizzoni. "However, it is also common that the charter school involved does not document the change in address to the home school district. Because of the way charter schools are funded in Ohio, this results in the home district of the charter student, such as Fairview Park, being forced to incur the cost of the student even though the student is no longer living within its district boundaries. The cost to the Fairview Park taxpayer is roughly $5,000 per charter student. As it stands now, the costs for these students discovered by this audit will eventually be credited back to the district by the State. As far as the non-resident students attending the Fairview schools, the savings is even higher given the fact that the Fairview Park City School District does not have open enrollment. Consequently, the taxpayers of the Fairview Park City School District end up paying to educate students that are the responsibility of other cities and communities. Over the course of a five-year budget cycle the costs to educate the non-resident students found in the audit would have been well into six figures."

"Because of way schools are funded in Ohio, our community is responsible for the bulk of the costs for our public schools. While we are sensitive to the desire of non-residents to attend our schools because of their excellent quality and the state of the art facilities now present because of the Gemini Project, the plain and simple fact is the Fairview Park City Schools are for the residents of the Fairview Park School District. The school board, after it was convened in January of this year, believed this enrollment audit was of the up most importance to the Fairview Park community and its taxpayers, especially with all the positive steps taken in the district in terms of its facilities, curriculum and ensuring financial stability for years to come," said FPCS Board President Dennis Rehor.

"We have a good school district and we are working to make it an excellent school district," said FPCS Superintendent Brion Deitsch. "We understand peoples desires to want to go to Fairview Park City Schools, and encourage them to move here. At the same time, we need to ensure that the people of this community that are investing their time and money reap the benefits of this district."

7.1.08 - First Ring Takes Regional Approach to Promote Early REGISTRATION
Fifteen First Ring school districts surrounding Cleveland have joined forces to tackle a challenge that faces them all – late registration. If a family has moved over the summer or is changing school districts, the child must be registered in the new school district.  Unfortunately, many fail to register until school begins. This often means that the child has to catch up, and that districts cannot plan effectively for a smooth opening to school.  

Late enrollment occurs in many school districts, but it is a particular challenge for first ring suburbs around Cleveland. The school districts realized they share this issue, and could face it better together than separately. They agreed to combine resources and undertake a targeted communications campaign that will reach out to parents and urge them to enroll their child early. 

The early registration project marks one of the most significant collaborative regional efforts and is the first among the communications departments of the First Ring School Districts. The group has established a Web site www.enrollyourchild.com and a hotline 440.239.5919 to connect parents with enrollment officials from their school district. Marketing efforts began on June 23 with signs on RTA buses and Rapid cars throughout the target communities.  In early July, a radio advertisement, featuring U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones will air on WDOK, WZAK, WENZ, and WAKS. The radio spots and transit ads will run throughout July. Read entire release

7.1.08 - Income Eligibility Scale for Free or Reduced-Price Meals
Fairview Park City Schools announced the 2008-2009 year policy for students unable to pay the full price of meals or milk served under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast, After School Care Snack or Special Milk Program.  Please click on the following link to view the income eligibility scale for Fairview Park City Schools: Income Eligibility Scale

6.26.08 - New Online Calendar
Fairview Park City Schools recently uploaded a Google calendar application to the FPCS Web site. The user-friendly calendar will provide up to date information about events happening around the district.

To get to the online district calendar, simply visit www.fairviewparkschools.org and click on calendar in the menu bar on the left.

For calendar tips, click on one of the links below.

Calendar Tips(video)
Calendar Tips(pdf)

6.16.08 - Schools Cut Cost with Energy Saving Renovations
After an assessment of the buildings in Fairview Park City Schools in October 2007, H.E.A.T. Total Facility Solutions, Inc. identified ways the district could reduce energy consumption and utility costs.

Secondary objectives for the assessment were to reduce maintenance costs, improve operating efficiency and improve lighting quality to help make the buildings more comfortable, with better temperature control, ventilation and air quality. Improvements include: replacing certain light fixtures with new energy efficient fluorescent fixtures, installing room occupancy sensors for lighting and temperature control, replacing incandescent exit signs with new LED exit signs, adding one new high efficiency boiler at Fairview High School, installing suspended ceilings at certain locations, installing occupancy sensors on refrigerated vending machines, providing a new internet based energy management system and replacing windows at the former Parkview Intermediate School, now Board of Education Office and Early Education Learning Center.

Since Gilles-Sweet Elementary was built with energy saving fixtures and efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in 2007, minimal renovations will need to be made to the building. The Board of Education Office, Early Education Learning Center, Fairview High School and Mayer Middle School will receive the majority of the renovations.

“These renovations are just another example of how the district is moving forward,” said Superintendent Brion Deitsch. “Resources saved and derived from this work will allow the district to apply them towards providing a quality education to our students in an atmosphere conducive to learning.”

Projected savings for the district will be $1.4 million over a 15-year period. Renovations will begin this summer

6.19.08 - Fairview Park Relay for Life Raised Over $42,000
Relay For Life came back to Fairview Park for the first time in two years, and raised over $42,000. From performances by the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team and Revolution Pie, getting the chance to win $500 worth of gift cards, to donating blood there was something for everyone.

Relay For Life gave the Fairview Park community a chance to join together and fight against cancer. Over 500 people camped out at the Fairview High School athletic track and field to take turns walking or running around the track. Because cancer never sleeps, each team had at least one representative on the track during the 18-hour event. At nightfall, luminaries lit the track to remember those who lost their lives to cancer, those who have survived and those who helped. This year's theme for the Fairview Park Relay For Life was "Get in the Game, Beat Cancer."

"Relay For Life brings awareness to a universal issue," said Fairview Park Relay For Life Event Chair Denise Devine. "And it provides a way for our community to come together and contribute to a cause that effects so many of our lives.

6.18.08 - District Announces New Administrator
At the June 17 FPCS board meeting, board members approved the hiring of Jeffrey Hicks as the new Early Education Learning Center Administrator. Hicks duties as Administrator will begin July 8, 2008.

“We are looking forward to having Jeffrey Hicks as a part of our FPCS team,” said Superintendent Brion Deitsch. “Having him on board is another step towards the goals that this district has set out to achieve higher quality education.”

Hicks graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1998 and his Master of Education in 2006. Upon graduation, Hicks obtained a job as a Specific Learning Disability Tutor at the Lucas County Education Service Center in 1998. He then went on to serve as a teacher at the Ottawa Hills Elementary School from 1999 until present.

“Only by working with community members can education truly be successful, as the schools culture is a product of the community in which it exists,” said Hicks. “I will uphold the high standards and tradition that are the Fairview Park City Schools.”

Hicks duties as the Early Education Learning Center Administrator will include: overseeing child care operations including staffing, training, scheduling and evaluating. He will also be responsible for maintaining financial records of clients, payments, supply fees and fund raising activities.

6.13.2008 - Virtual summer school now being offered to high school students
FPCS has decided to offer online courses for high school students instead of the traditional classroom setting. Using a web-based course will offer students more of a content learning environment rather than concentrating on test taking.

Students will still go to the high school for their courses, but class will be in the computer lab. High school guidance counselors will moderate the students.

2008 Summer School will be offered in two sessions: June 10-June 27 and July 1-July 18 (no class July 4).

"Virtual summer school is just another way to provide our students more options to succeed," said FPCS Director of Technology Mark Kostur.

6.10.08 - 2008 FPCS Employee Service Awards

Employee of the Year - Teresa Minerd
Teacher of the Year - Char Shryock	Administrator of the Year - Kevin Liptrap

Ten-Year Service
Nancy Szarek - Gilles
Diane Williams - Gilles
Pat Rehm - District
Rosemarie Randall - DAP
Kevin Buehner - Day Care
Jill Davis - Day Care

Twenty-Year Service
Kathy Ingersol - FHS
Dave LeBrun - FHS
Cheryl Melenick - Gilles
Lynda O'Conner - FHS
Ellen Schickel - Gilles
Sandy Bennhoff - FHS
Donna McMahan - Gilles
Kathy Hritz - FHS

Twenty-Five Year Service
Clare Ruffing - Gilles
Janet Lavelle - Gilles
Linda Lapping - Gilles
Mary Lou Huntz - LFM

Retirements
Mary Kay Wysong
Fifth Grade Teacher
30 yearsDiana Fischbach
Bus Driver
25 years

6.10.08 - Jessica Z. Finishes Second in State

Jessica Z. finishes second at the Ohio Division II State Track and Field Championship in the 3200 meter run with a time of 11:07.85.

"After the race Jessica was happy with her results. She has worked very hard over the past year to put herself in the state championships. Last year, she finished seventh in the 3200 meter run," said FHS Track Coach Richard Friel. "Jessica will be a senior next season, and that puts a lot of extra time into running camps and training year round for her sport."

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