Knight News

GFC Families,

As the close of 2024 draws near, the staff at Grand Forks Central High School would like to wish all a joyous and peaceful holiday season. Our hope is that all find comfort in the blessings of life during this time, while supporting those in need around us.

Be well!

Jon Strandell, Principal

Dec. 16th - Holiday Concert - 7:00 PM - Auditorium

Dec. 18th - Early Release - 1:00 PM

Dec. 23rd - Jan. 1st - NO SCHOOL - Holiday Break

Jan. 3rd - In-District Transfer Requests Are Due

Jan. 9th - Semester Testing Days for Periods 1, 3, 5, 7

Jan. 10th - Semester Testing Days for Periods 2, 4, 6, 8

Jan. 10th - End of Quarter 2, End of Semester 1

Jan. 15th - Early Release - 1:00 PM

Jan. 20th - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development

In-District transfer approvals are contingent upon available space in the appropriate grade level or program, satisfactory academic achievement, attendance, and/or behavior. In-District transfers can also be revoked at any time by the school principal or district administration. Transfer forms can be obtained at each school site. Separate applications must be filled out for each student. Separate applications are also required for elementary, middle, and high school.

Congratulations to Nancy Greenwood, Art Instructor at Grand Forks Central, for being honored with the prestigious Fall North Dakota Art Educator Award by the North Dakota Art Education Association (NDAEA). The Fall Art Educator Award aims to recognize excellence in the field of art education and celebrate outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the profession.

The nomination and selection process for the award involved thorough evaluation of submissions and supporting documentation by the NDAEA Board Members. Nancy has been honored as the Fall ND Art Educator, recognizing her exceptional dedication, passion, and contributions to the field of art education. This accolade positions Nancy as a contender for the prestigious titles of ND Art Educator of the Year and National Art Educator of the Year. Should she receive this distinguished honor, she will be recognized during the National Art Education Convention in Louisville, KY, taking place in March. Please join us in wishing Nancy the best of luck in this esteemed competition and congratulating her on this remarkable achievement!

The Grand Forks Central Student Council once again sponsored a Giving Tree event at GFC. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of students and staff, 140 requests for local children were filled! Last Wednesday, students from Student Council and National Honor Society gathered to wrap and organize the gifts. Pictured below from left to right are: Caitlyn Shawstad, Jade Carlson, Aniah DuBray, Madison Kiley, and Aubrey Hensrud.

JROTC held their annual food drive at GFC this December. The donations were brought to the Community Violence Intervention Center in Grand Forks to help support their mission of providing safety and healing services to those who have experienced violence within our community. The Battalion Staff who planned the food drive are pictured below l to r: Jasmin Carlton-Krese (GFC), Declan Shepperd (GFC), Aidan Johnson (GFC), Michael Norman (GFC), Ethan Rash (GFC), Misan Subba (RR), Joseph Weber (GFC), Demarica Arneson (RR).

Senior Planning

Seniors and parents/guardians are encouraged to review the materials from the one-on-one planning conferences with Ms. Loftus that were held January through May 2024. Please check your progress for planning your first step after high school with the checklist.

2025-26 FAFSA

The opening for FAFSA was December 1, 2024. The first step in the FAFSA is for students to get an ID number by going to studentaid.gov. Students have had the opportunity to get one-on-one help with the 2025-26 FAFSA at GFC five times so far this year. Please see Ms. Loftus if you would like this opportunity.

Choice Ready Scholarship Dashboard

Seniors should check their Scholarship Ready Dashboard to see their progress toward earning the ND scholarship. On the lower left side of the opening PowerSchool screen select Scholarship Ready. Students should check to see if they need to take ACT, WorkKeys or the ASVAB to help them qualify for the scholarship.

Trade School and College Visits

Seniors are encouraged to visit trade schools or colleges before the end of December 2024. Go to the school’s website to sign up for a group or individual visit. Make sure to make an appointment with the admissions and financial aid offices.

Scholarships

Seniors should go to the GFC counseling webpage and click on the scholarship listing every week. Other websites that list scholarships are finaid.org, collegeboard and fastweb.

For questions about the information above, please see Denise Loftus, Senior Counselor, in the Counseling department.

GFC band students shared the holiday spirit by playing carols at local downtown businesses.

Calling all Central Knight Parents who want to join a super fun committee!

The Post Prom Committee will hold their first meeting at 7:00 PM on January 20th, 2025 by the Tavern in the Canad Inn. All parents and guardians are welcome to join!! This committee is to help organize prizes/donations and volunteer at the after prom party held at Northern Air on May 10th. If you are interested and can’t join us that evening, contact Laura Kendall at 701-330-8391 or Tera Vanyo at 218-779-5082.

The American Legion North Dakota Boys State 2025 is now taking applications. Boys State will be held June 8-13, 2025, at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton. Boys State is a nationally recognized experience in politics, government and leadership. Two delegates each year receive an all-expense paid trip to attend Boys Nation in Washington, DC. For more information please visit with your counselor or visit:

https://ndboysstate.org/

The WorkKeys test is a requirement of the North Dakota Career and Technical Education Scholarship. Students must pass all three tests: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, Workplace Documents to qualify for the scholarship. Each exam is $13.50. See Mrs. Manske in the Counseling Department to register for the exams.

If you have questions about whether you should take this test to qualify for the ND CTE Scholarship, see Ms. Loftus in the Counseling Department.

Testing Dates:

• January 13
• February 13
• April - date to be announced

The 2024-2025 yearbook will be sold online again this year on the Friesens website:

https://ybstore.friesens.com/403870.

The cost is $55.00 plus a $2.75 processing fee. All payments are processed by PayPal, but a PayPal account is not required to complete the purchase. At checkout, the purchaser can choose to pay with a debit or credit card instead of using a PayPal account.

• Senior pictures and senior baby pictures are due by May 1st and can be emailed at any time before that to: centralyearbook@mygfschools.org

All meetings are held in the GFC Library/Media Center (2nd Floor) at 7:00 pm.

January 6th

February 3rd

March 3rd

April 7th

May 5th

Like so many others, we are in need of some fine folks to fill out our staff at the school known as The Finest in Dakota! Please follow the link below to view the open positions at Central (and all of the Grand Forks Public Schools) that include paraprofessionals and custodians. Be part of the work to make a positive change in a student's life at Grand Forks Central!

Mr. Jon Strandell - Principal

Dr. Gabe Dahl - Associate Principal A-K

Mr. Mike Wilber - Associate Principal L-Z

Mr. Tony Bina - Athletic Director

Main Office : 701-746-2375

Attendance Line: 701-746-2482

Main Office Hours 7:00 AM-4:00 PM

School Doors Open at 7:30 AM

Location:

115 N. 4th Street

Grand Forks, ND 58203

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GFPS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GrandForksPublicSchools/