Congratulations to South High School Assistant Principal and Activities Coordinator Mike Beaton on being named the Fargo Public Schools 2025 Administrator of the Year! The announcement was made as a surprise by Associate Superintendent Dr. Bob Grosz at the end of an all school assembly. Read more about Beaton in this special edition of SchoolTalk.

South High School Senior Kalyssa Nelson was selected for the McCready Scholarship to attend Valley City State University. The $40,000 scholarship provides free tuition, fees, and books for four years of college. She was selected based on her academic performance and a written essay. Her parents were present to surprise her with the award on April 7.

Congratulations to North High School Senior Finn Kielty on being named a finalist for the NDHSAA/Farmer's Union Insurance Distinguished Student program! As a finalist, Kielty will receive at least a $500 scholarship to a college of his choice. The Distinguished Student winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship and the runner-up will receive a $1,000 scholarship. All six finalists will be interviewed on April 30 and the winner will be announced after interviews have concluded.

The NDHSAA Distinguished Student program was developed to recognize deserving young people who are the “backbone” of interscholastic activities, not necessarily the leader, but the individual whose participation in high school activities strengthens the program for participants, the school and the community.

Congratulations to South High School Speech & Debate Coach Christian Novak on earning the Donus D. Roberts Coaching Excellence Award from the National Speech & Debate Association!

Novak earned the reward by getting 10,000 coaching points. Coaches earn one point for every merit point earned by their students through competition, service, and leadership activities. Each point represents hours of practice, revision, and growth for students and dedicated coaching.

Congratulations to Carl Ben Eielson Assistant Principal Brian Marcus on being recognized as a Certified Athletic Administrator by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association!

To earn this distinction, Marcus has demonstrated the highest level of knowledge and expertise in the field of interscholastic athletic administration. The voluntary certification process included a thorough evaluation of the candidate's educational background, experience, and professional contributions, as well as a rigorous, comprehensive written examination.

Congratulations to the members of the South High School Drone Racing Team that qualified for the Fenworks Drone Racing Regional Tournament on May 3-4 at North Dakota State University. Three individual drone pilots qualified for the regional tournament, along with two teams, South Drone 1, ranked second, and Pink Fluffy Unicorns, ranked 17th.

Fargo Public Schools has been named one of United Way of Cass Clay's Top 50 Generous Workplaces. More than 650 businesses partner with United Way every year. These businesses serve as a role model for corporate social responsibility which in turn creates a culture of caring among their employees.

The Fargo Public Schools Human Capital Department wants to shine a spotlight on its valuable employees who have a tremendous positive impact on the District's students, staff, and families. The District's employees are crucial to achieving our goal of educating and empowering all students to succeed. HC has selected FPS staff members who are deserving of greater recognition and will highlight them each week. Meet Clara Barton Hawthorne Elementary School Administrative Assistant Shelly Reeder in this week's Employee Spotlight.

Set your kindergartener up for success! Get them registered before their school's Kindergarten Round-Up coming up in early May. These events aim to help students and families get more comfortable with their new school environment and know what to expect when they start school on Wednesday, August 27. Families will receive a tour of the school building and hear an overview of what a day of kindergarten looks like. Families must complete pre-registration prior to attending kindergarten round-up. Your child is eligible to attend school in the fall if they turn 5 by July 31, 2025.

Learn more and begin the registration process at https://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/registration

We want to hear from you! Help FPS improve how we serve our students and stakeholders by taking our Climate and Culture Parent Survey. The survey data will guide decision making, parent engagement, District and school improvement, and influence Strategic Plan decisions.

If you are a parent of a student enrolled in FPS, please click here to complete this survey. You may complete the survey for each student enrolled at FPS. The survey is anonymous and demographic data is optional.

North High School presents the musical Les Misérables on May 2-3 and 8-11 at North High School. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. except the Sunday, May 11 performance at 2 p.m.

A modern classic based on Victor Hugo's novel and featuring one of the most memorable scores of all time, Les Misérables is an epic tale of passion and redemption in the throes of revolution. In nineteenth century France, Jean Valjean is released from years of unjust imprisonment, but finds nothing in store for him but mistrust and mistreatment. He breaks his parole in hopes of starting a new life, initiating a lifelong struggle for redemption as he is relentlessly pursued by police inspector Javert.

Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults and can be purchased on the Fargo Public Schools Online Theater Box Office website.

Join Fargo Public Schools educators and professionals for a conversation about “The Anxious Generation” and the effects of cell phone and social media use on the mental health of students from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 13 at the Fargo Public Library Dr. James Carlson branch.

Jonathan Haidt’s book has cemented itself in the New York Times best-seller list each week since its release in March 2024 and has inspired conversation and legislation related to youth smartphone and social media use. Caregivers and community members are invited to be part of the conversation about how society’s “rewiring” from play-based childhoods to phone-based childhoods has harmed children and what strategies can be used at home and in school to help curb these impacts.

A free copy of “The Anxious Generation” will be available for up to 70 attendees. Learn more about the book and the author.

The Mental Health Series from ParentGuidance.org is a powerful resource designed to support family mental health and well-being. Experts agree that adult involvement is important in a child's success. When caregivers have helpful tools, it benefits children, strengthens families, and contributes to a thriving community. Click here or on the image to view the Mental Health Series calendar for May.

On May 7, the Mental Health Series features an Ask a Therapist LIVE event, which offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with a licensed therapist. Click here to register.

The Fargo Public Schools Virtual Academy is now enrolling students in Grades K-12 for Fall 2025. Online learning opens the door to a flexible, personalized education right from the comfort of your own home.

Online learning is more than just logging into a computer - it's a structured, engaging, and student centered experience. Successful online learners are self-starters, organized, responsible, confident communicators, tech-savvy explorers, flexible, and resilient.

With the right support from home, students of all ages can flourish in an online learning environment. Pre-enrollment is open now at virtualacademy.fargo.k12.nd.us.

The Fargo Public Schools Self-Directed Academy is now enrolling students in Grades 5-8 for Fall 2025. Students who may be a good fit for SDA possess intrinsic motivation to learn, set personal goals, and take ownership of their own learning.

The Self-Directed Academy learning model is built on the principle that learning should be self-directed, competency-based, and not confined by traditional time constraints. Project-Based Learning is embedded throughout the program, empowering students to have choice and voice in what they learn. It emphasizes mastery of concepts through personalized learning pathways facilitated by students, teachers and cutting-edge technology.

Learn more at the Self-Directed Academy website. Interested parents should contact SDA Principal Dr. Kelly Dietrich at 701.446.3004 or dietrik@fargo.k12.nd.us for more information or to take a tour.

Fargo Public Schools invites middle school students exiting Grades six and seven to take on a new adventure this summer with three new summer enrichment opportunities.

Students can dive into the exciting adventures of the Greek and Roman gods, heroes and epics in "Heroes, Battles, and Legends." They can create a video about the history of Fargo and master film technique in "The History of Fargo, Directed by You." And they can explore self-expression through art, discussions, and bullet journaling in "Organization Through Art."

The courses are offered at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School with busing available from many schools across the District.

Light up your summer! Spark your creativity, radiate confidence, and focus the spotlight on you at Trollwood Performing Arts School this summer with performing arts classes and performance opportunities for students currently in Grades K-12. Trollwood summer registration is now open.

Trollwood offers a full array of classes, performing opportunities, and technical theater experiences for every skill level, from elementary to middle school to high school. Learn more about Trollwood's summer programming in this special edition of SchoolTalk.

Seventh and eighth grade band students from all three Fargo Public Schools middle school band programs spent the day performing for their peers, listening to their peers, and learning and growing as musicians at the Big Floody Band Festival on Thursday, April 10 at Discovery Middle School.

Twelve middle school bands performed two to three musical selections each throughout the day. This event provided the students an invaluable opportunity to gain experience performing in a concert setting and learn to receive feedback from professionals.

Motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur Cara Filler spoke at all-school assemblies at South High School, North High School, and Davies High School on Tuesday, April 15. Filler’s message aimed to help students make healthy decisions this spring as they navigate the excitement of milestone spring events like prom and graduation.

Filler spoke with firsthand knowledge of the devastating consequences that can result from poor decision making. The day before her 18th birthday, her identical twin sister, Mairin, was killed in a high-speed car crash. She used that story to inspire students to make smart decisions, and offered students real-life tips for building resilience, becoming an impactful leader, and making positive choices while navigating young adulthood.

Summer EBT will be available to eligible families in North Dakota this summer. This program provides additional help for families with children to buy nutritious food when school is not in session. The benefit is $120 per eligible school-aged child and must be used within 122 days of issuance. Most families will get these benefits automatically, but some will need to apply.

Households already participating in SNAP, FDPIR, or TANF, they will be automatically enrolled in the Summer EBT program. Households not automatically enrolled and may be eligible, they can apply for Summer EBT by filling out a simple application. Learn more and apply on the Summer EBT Portal.

Sheds built by students at Davies High School are for sale. The sheds are 10 feet by 12 feet and are $2,100 for the barn style and $2,600 for the gable style. Buyers are responsible for pick up by June 15. To purchase a shed, contact Idette Graham at 701.446.1040 or grahami@fargo.k12.nd.us.

Fargo Cass Public Health, in partnership with Bike Walk North Dakota, will host a Bike Rodeo on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free event will take place outside in the FCPH parking lot, located at 1240 25th Street South, Fargo. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be re-scheduled to Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The bike rodeo will teach children the basic skills needed to operate their bicycles safely and will include a bike skills course, helmet fitting, bike safety check and prize drawings. If possible, attendees should bring their own bicycle and helmet.

Bike Rodeo sponsors include Bike Walk North Dakota, Safe Kids Fargo Moorhead, Paramount Sports, Great Northern Bicycle Co., Ducks in a Row Bike Club, and AAA.

The Fargo Public Library has several events coming up for kids and teens, including the Family Reading Rumpus on April 29; the Northern Narratives Writing Projects for kids, accepting entries through April 30; and the Northern Focus Photography Project for Teens accepting entries through May 31. Visit the Fargo Public Library website for more information about these events and more.

The Board of Education of the City of Fargo meets in regular session on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, beginning at 5:30 p.m. To find Board meeting agendas and schedules, a broadcast link, an archive of past meetings, and more, visit the Board of Education webpages on the FPS website.

Read the Board Briefs from the April 22 regular meeting of the School Board.

Literacy outcomes are improving for students at Bennett Elementary in Fargo, in part thanks to a partnership with Valley City State University. Read more here.

This newsletter is published weekly on Thursdays during the school year when classes are in session. Material for publication is due by noon on Tuesday of the week of desired publication.

Email: comments@fargo.k12.nd.us
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us
Location: 700 7th Street South, Fargo, ND
Phone: 701.446.1000