Fort Dodge Community School District

Each week, iJAG students from FDSH visited Duncombe Elementary to support younger learners, and the impact has been incredible! Through fun, hands-on games they created themselves, the high school students helped build reading and math skills while forming meaningful connections with the younger students.

This partnership is a great example of students helping students grow, learn, and lead. We’re proud of our iJAG leaders and grateful for the chance to build these cross-age learning experiences!

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Each week, classes at Butler Elementary had the opportunity to win a "Golden Award" for following expectations and excelling during their Specials time. As a reward to the students who won the most Golden Awards, they spent time with Nik Myers from Southside Martial Arts, playing games and working on skills.

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Mr. Porter visited Ms. Bruns' Kindergarten class and read, "Oh The Places You Will Go"


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Fort Dodge Senior High TAP arranged a Graduate Panel of Former FDSH Students who participated in the Voc Rehab and TAP program. The goal of the graduate panel was to show the current students that they can be successful, find jobs, or go to college. Eight former students participated in the panel- three submitted videos with advice for current students, five were there in person.

Forty-seven audience members asked questions and got advice. On video, graduate Samara Taylor, who is a freshman in college, discussed how she had supports while in high school and how they didn’t allow her to make excuses. Graduate Alan Bishop, who works as a custodian at a retail business, said he was happy to be done with high school and out making a living. Graduate Ethan Bloom, who is also in college and working, discussed his disability and how he pushed through, reminding students to stick to getting through high school. Bloom said, “Surround yourself with the people who want to see you grow and get to the finish line.”

The in-person panelists focused on sticking to school work, making it to graduation, and asking for help when needed. Graduate Sydney Derrig, who is currently looking for work, and Logan Schwieger, who is about to graduate from Iowa Central, both talked about losing close family members and how they overcame it. Graduates Dalton Coppinger, who is employed as a custodian, and Baylee Wilson, who works at a convenience store, both discussed problems in high school with negativity from others. They said surrounding yourself with positive people helps. Graduate Landon Moeller, who works for a beverage distributor, discussed his disability and getting help. All panelists discussed their paid jobs and job sites while in high school.

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After finishing a unit all about eggs, Ms. Palmer’s Culinary Arts students at FDSH put their skills to the test by making made-to-order egg sandwiches for staff!
From prep to presentation, students took the lead in creating delicious, customized breakfasts while gaining real-world kitchen experience.

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Throughout the school year, students in Profe Hinders’ Mejor Juntos (Better Together) group at FDSH built a special pen pal connection with English language learners at Duncombe Elementary. They exchanged letters, shared stories, and practiced their writing skills—all while forming friendships across schools.

To wrap up the year, the pen pals met in person for the first time and enjoyed an afternoon of Bingo and games together!

This partnership is a powerful example of how building relationships between high school and elementary students supports language learning, boosts confidence, and reminds our students they’re not alone on their journey.

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Students at Butler Elementary who achieved perfect attendance were celebrated with a special pizza lunch with Mr. Porter and Mr. Davidson!
We're proud to recognize these students for their commitment to showing up and doing their best each day.

A big thank you to Papa Murphy’s for supporting our celebration by providing free pizza certificates! Community partnerships like this make a big difference, and we truly appreciate the support.

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Ms. Adams’ Leadership class at FDSH recently took time to recognize and celebrate community leaders who inspire them. Each student identified someone they admire and shared why that individual’s leadership makes a difference. The class also explored and discussed different styles of leadership, highlighting the many ways people can lead effectively. Special thanks to Godfather's Pizza and Tropical Smoothie for providing food, and Chic-fil-A for donating gift cards!

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Community Health Center visits our students at Duncombe and Butler Elementary to bring dental services directly to them. This partnership allows students to receive exams, cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments, and sealants during the school day.

These services are available from CHC through Medicaid, private insurance, or a sliding fee scale for families who are underinsured or uninsured. By offering care at school, we help remove barriers that might prevent students from getting the dental care they need. Parents don’t have to take time off work, and students miss less class time. Plus, receiving care in a familiar environment can help students feel more at ease, especially when they see classmates doing the same.

We’re grateful for this partnership and the positive impact it has on the health and well-being of our students.

Fort Dodge Senior High Intro to EMS students put their skills to the test in a documentation competition!

Students received EMS scenarios and had to complete full reports using the same documentation format used by Fort Dodge Fire. Judges Chief Matt Price and EMS Supervisor Terry Evans reviewed each report and gave valuable feedback to help students sharpen their skills.

After a tiebreaker, Grace Nichols and Brandt Lawler took the win!

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FDCSD Central Office will close at Noon on Thursday, July 3.

All FDCSD Buildings will be closed on Friday, July 4.

Butler Elementary 5th-grade students created their own cars in Ms. Rake's Art Class🚗 Thank you to Brown's Shoe Fit for providing shoe boxes to make the body of the cars, and Hy-Vee for providing lids for the wheels! #proud2bFD

Iowa Select Farms and Henry's Heroes donated bilingual book carts containing 100 books to FDCSD elementary schools in April. Each cart contained English and Spanish versions of the same books. We are grateful for this generous donation, and the students were excited to see the new books! #proud2bFD

Non-Congregate Meal service has changed to Tuesday and Thursday pickup beginning today.
All meals will continue to be available at Duncombe Elementary.
Participants will receive meals for multiple days at each pickup.

Registration for the 25-26 school year is now open online! 🔴⚫ Dodgers - Please check your email or IC inbox for details and links to update your information in Infinite Campus to prepare for the upcoming school year. New Families must register in person at Central Office during business hours. We encourage everyone to be registered by July 18. #proud2bFD

All FDCSD students will receive free breakfast and lunch throughout the 2025-2026 school year. FDCSD is able to offer free meals through its participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP will help provide free breakfast and lunch to almost 3,700 students. During registration, families do not have to fill out the free and reduced application, but we are asking families to fill out the form to complete the household economic data section of registration. The household economic data will be used to help determine the amount of federal funding received by the district. Federal funding provides our Title 1 services for students who receive free or reduced-priced meals. #proud2bFD

Dodger fans can use the link below to purchase tickets online to this week's events 🔴⚫ https://bit.ly/47e0slF #proud2bFD

Preschool students at Early Childhood Center celebrated their last day of school in May with a Field Day! #proud2bFD

School Supply Lists are available online using the link below: http://bit.ly/4k7ms6j Thanks to the generosity of the Fort Dodge Community Schools Foundation, many basic supplies will be provided. #proud2bFD

Children in Kindergarten – Third Grade for the 2024-2025 school year were able to participate in the Pick a Better Snack Program. This aims to help children eat more fruit and vegetables. Ms. Erica from Webster County Health Department taught 30-minute interactive lessons once a month where children learned why fruits and vegetables are so good for their bodies, where and how these foods grow, and tasty ways to eat them. Lessons include tastings, education, and fun interaction to familiarize children with the foods they eat: - Students sampled zucchini “zoodles” with marinara sauce and learned what can be grown in Iowa in the summer. - Students compared two apples from the Community Apple Orchard and learned about plant parts and how plants transform from seed to fruit. - Students sampled sweet potato fries and learned about root vegetables - Students sampled kiwi and learned how they need support to grow from a trellis or other system. They tasted the fruit with skin on – Did you know it is high in fiber and nutrients? - Students sampled canned chickpeas with tajin and learned that seeds need water and warmth to sprout. - Students sampled pineapple smoothies and learned how far our food needs to travel when we cannot grow it in Iowa. - Students sampled raw sugar snap peas and learned that peas grow in pods and, like many other plants, also need support to grow. - Students sampled canned peaches with cinnamon and learned about pollination and how plants and animals help each other. - Students sampled spinach and fruit tacos and learned that leaves help make food for the plant through photosynthesis. We hope your children enjoyed exploring new fruits and vegetables and brought home what they learned. The Pick a Better Snack Program is brought into schools via SNAP-Ed funding through Iowa Health and Human Services.