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May Newsletter
Ben Franklin Middle School
From the Desk of the Principal
It's hard to imagine that we are down to double digits for the 23-24 school year, but here we are! We've had so many exciting things happening at BFMS the last month, please make sure to see the celebrations section of this newsletter for more information.
May 3rd the North Dakota State Assessment portal closed for the year. I am happy to announce that we had 100% of eligible 6th grade students complete the test, no easy task! A huge shout out to all of the BFMS staff who made testing this year a success. An added change to our testing this year was in part thanks to our generous PTO that donated healthy breakfast snacks to all BFMS students for testing days. In looking at preliminary results, the percentage of students proficient at BFMS exceeded the state and district average in many areas.
The end of the school year is generally a time for reflection in schools. Our goal as a school this year was to work on developing community and belonging in our school, and to establish systems and structures to how staff collaborate with one another. I am proud of the work our staff and students have done this year in both of these areas. We have shown growth as a school community and overcome challenges that have come our way. Our teacher teams are working more collaboratively than ever and analyzing data and sharing out strategies for student success.
Finally, thank you to all of the families for their support of BFMS this year. One thing is for sure, when we all work together, students benefit! I hope you all have an amazing summer ahead with many memorable moments!
All my best,
Kirstin Hanson
P.S. If you like to plan ahead like I do, some dates for the family calendar!
- Last day for BFMS students: Thursday, May 30th
- BFMS Incoming 6th Grade Orientation: Tuesday, August 20th
- Back to School Night for 24-25: Thursday, August 22nd
- First Day of the 24-25 school year: Wednesday, August 28th
FPS End of Year Culture and Climate Survey- Family Survey
Fargo Public Schools is currently conducting a parent survey and would like your input. The results will be used to improve the environment and relationships at your child’s school. The survey will end on the last day of clases; we hope you are able to take it.
To complete the survey, please select the survey link at the top of the page or go to the Fargo Public Schools website. This survey is anonymous, takes no more than 5-8 minutes to complete, and is smartphone compatible, too.
Thank you for your input!
Our goal is 90% family participation, please take a few moments to help us reach that goal!
No School Days in May
- There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 27th for Memorial Day
- Thursday, May 30th is the last day of school for students
LOCKER CLEAN OUT
Thursday, May 30, 2024 is the last day of classes for students. All school lockers must be emptied before the student leaves/completes their school year. Any items left in the lockers will be thrown or donated. Ben Franklin will not be responsible for items left in lockers.
END OF YEAR CHECK-IN
Ben Franklin library books will be due on Wednesday, May 15th. All students will be turning in their PLDs on Wednesday, May 29th. We want to remind everyone that ALL MATERIALS MUST BE TURNED IN BY THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. This includes PLDs, PLD chargers, textbooks, as well as library books. Any items that are not turned in by the last day of school will be marked lost and an invoice will be sent home.
Students can see what they have checked out by going to the library catalog and logging in (upper right corner). From there, click “My Info” on the blue ribbon. This is also where you can see what is checked out, and if there are any fines on your account. These fines could be from PLD repairs, lost or damaged books/textbooks, lost PLD chargers, etc. If you have any questions, please call the Ben Franklin Library at 701-446-3625. Thank you for your help in getting all of our materials returned!
After a long winter, spring blooms with hope. Parent coaching can be that breath of fresh air that guides you to sunnier days. Parent Coaching is a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL resource provided by your school district that connects you with a coach and content created by therapists. All coaching correspondence is HIPAA protected. Click here to register for on-going support from a coach: https://cookcenter.info/coaching
Fall 2024 Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration for Fall 2024 opens online at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/registration on February 1. Your child must be age 5 by July 31, 2024 to attend school in the fall.
Registration is a two-step process:
STEP ONE: REGISTER ONLINE
Complete online registration forms at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/registration. For assistance, please contact your child’s school to schedule an appointment to complete in-person.
STEP TWO: SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION
Upload or bring the following documents to your child’s school by August 27 to finalize registration.
- Child’s certified birth certificate
- Child’s immunization record with 5-year shots
- Document (i.e. current city utility bill and bank statement) that includes parent/guardian name and current address for verification
If you do not know which school your child will attend, call 701.446.1043 or check online at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/boundarymaps.
If you need help in PowerSchool (Fargo Public Schools online registration software), please call 701.446.1006
Trollwood Registration
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED this summer at Trollwood! Trollwood Performing Arts School 2024 summer registration is NOW OPEN!
Trollwood offers a FULL ARRAY of CLASSES and PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES for students from kindergarten through graduated seniors! This summer we are offering more than 40 classes and four large-scale performance opportunities for middle school and high school students as well as well as week-long sessions of our elementary program, ArtSpark.
Upcoming summer arts programming will help students rekindle their affection for the arts, boost their creativity, and pave the way to future success, whether they aspire to pursue a career in the arts or any other profession. Register before March 1 and save up to $50 on registration fees!
High school and middle school students may participate in as many classes or performance programs as they desire all for ONE FEE! We encourage students to participate in classes as well as a performance opportunity!
*Note: grade levels refer to student's grade during the 2023-24 school year.
Notes From the Nurse
If you are wanting to be ahead of the game & your student is needing to get updated with their immunizations, please take a look at the dates and times available and schedule that appointment TODAY!!
Fargo Cass Public Health is offering Back to School Clinics by appointment on the following dates:
Wednesday, August 7th
Wednesday, August 14th
Wednesday, August 21st
Tuesday, August 27th
Please call Public Health at 701-241-1383 to schedule your student(s).
Thanks so much!
From the PTO
Thank you for all of your support this year of the Ben Franklin PTO as we support Ben Franklin students and staff!
We will celebrate staff during a TOTALLY RAD Staff Appreciation Week, May 6-10! You can donate to a snack bar by signing up at https://signup.com/go/nKhsHbr or the Amazon wish list at Amazon.com or donate VENMO at @BenFranklinFargoPTO.
Join us at our last meeting for the 2023-2024 school year on May 6th at 6:00 in the library. We will discuss end of the year funds, plans for next year and vote on board positions.
Celebrations
BFMS Dessert Concert
The annual BFMS Dessert Concert took place on Thursday, April 11 at the Fargo Masonic Center. The concert featured the Ben Franklin Roobinators, 8th Street Singers, Crystal Strings, and 8th Grade Jazz Band. The audience enjoyed delicious desserts provided by the Masons. Proceeds from the concert along with generous donations from the Masons amounted to $2750 and will be used for International Music Camp scholarships for Ben Franklin music students. Thank you to the Fargo Masons for generously supporting the music students at Ben Franklin!
Science Olympiad
The Science Olympiad State Competition was held on Saturday, April, 20th at NDSU.
Ben Franklin Middle School team placed 2nd overall. The team earned 8 gold medals, 4 silver medals, 6 bronze medals and 4- 4th places. NDSU Microbiology and Biotechnology department rewarded 6th grader, Vuk Ljepoja and 8th grader Hannah Wiltse for getting the gold for Disease Detectives with a $25 prize for each. All of the kids did awesome and we are very proud of them!
MATBUS Student Artwork winner
Congratulations to Ben Franklin 7th grader, Kaylee Trana, for winning the City of Fargo's MATBUS Art Wrap Contest. The theme of the artwork was environmental stewardship and climate resiliency. Her artwork will be on a city bus for 1 year. Great job Kaylee!
POSITIVE MOTION ASSEMBLY
Patrick Kasper partnered with Bell Bank to bring SCHOOL BELL ROCKS to Ben Franklin. It is an interactive and entertaining program featuring positive motion and positive message for middle schoolers using dance and music. The students had a blast!
Careers on Wheels
Seventh graders from Ben Franklin participated in Careers on Wheels at the FargoDome on Friday, May 3rd. They explored careers involving vehicles and mobility outside of the traditional office setting. Students toured large-scale work vehicles and learned about the careers that employ them. Students prepared for the event with classroom career activities and had a follow-up survey after the presentations. The goal of this event is to assist students in recognizing career opportunities and identifying potential post-secondary education experiences.
UNDELIVERED EMAILS
If you use Hotmail or Gmail and you suspect you are not receiving school notification emails, you can add the noreply@fargo.k12.nd.us email address to your account as a safe sender, which will then allow these messages to be delivered. The easiest way to do this is to just add the address to your contacts/people list. Click here for a guide on how to do this.
PARENTAL/FAMILY COMMUNICATION
Communicating with parents and families is always our goal at Ben Franklin Middle School.
You may subscribe to Ben Franklin's Newsletter and Daily Announcements on our website by going to “Content E-Alerts” on our website. Parents/guardians can sign up to receive alerts about new Daily Announcements, Newsletters, etc., for each school your students attend. E-Alerts are sent to users who have subscribed to a homepage or website section of interest. You will receive an email notification that content has been modified.
You may also want to add our school calendar to your personal calendar. This will help you stay informed about all the activities that are happening at Ben Franklin.
Ben Franklin Middle School
Jennifer Olson, Assistant Principal
Matt Quintus, Assistant Principal/Activities Director
Nick Hawkins, Discipline Assistant
Website: https://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/benfranklin
Location: 1420 8th Street North, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701-446-3600