There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 26th due to the holiday.

The last day of school is Thursday, June 5th.

Dear Ben Franklin Families,

As we enter the final stretch of the school year, our theme is Finish Strong; Together. This time of year brings excitement, celebrations, and the opportunity to reflect on all the growth our students have made.

We are encouraging our students—and their families—to lean into our Ben Franklin Guidelines for Success: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, and Have a Growth Mindset. These values guide everything we do and help us finish the year with the same focus and pride that carried us through it.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we can ensure our students end the year on a positive and successful note.

All my best,
Kirstin
Principal, Ben Franklin Middle School

Attention Ben Franklin students and staff: A Penny War has been declared! In order to support our teacher, Mrs. Pandan and her family during this difficult time of her son’s cancer, we are going to collect coins and raise money! Each grade will bring in and donate as much change/coins as they can and the grade that raises the most money in coins will get to have their grade-level principal PIED IN THE FACE in front of the whole grade- Mr. Quintus for 6th grade, Ms. Leibersbach for 7th and Mr. Snyder for 8th grade. The collection jugs for each grade will be in the display case in front of the main office. The war ends on May 16th and then we’ll count the money and declare a winner! Staff, please contribute to whichever grade you’d like to see win. Let’s get those pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters flowing! Thank you!

AND as a bonus, Officer Horner has agreed to get PIED as well if the whole school can raise $1000!!!

As we come to the end of the school year we'd like to take a moment to recognize the following staff and thank them for their years of service to Ben Franklin and Fargo Public Schools! We wish Sue and Ann all the best in retirement!

All library books are due back on Friday, May 30th so please encourage your students to start returning them. Students will be turning in their PLDs on Tuesday, June 3rd.

As a reminder, BFMS has a Tardy Policy for our students. If a student arrives to their class after the bell they are marked tardy for the class. Our school has set consequences for students who earn a tardy to class including:

• 1st Tardy- Warning/Conversation
• 2nd Tardy- Warning/Conversation and guardian is contacted by the teacher
• 3rd Tardy- Guardian is contacted by the teacher, before/after school detention is assigned, and a behavior report is submitted to the principal.
• Additional Tardies will be earn additional detentions, guardian contacts, and behavior reports.

Beginning this semester, BFMS will also have a Truancy-In School Policy for students. If a student arrives to their class 10 minutes or more late or leaves the classroom without a pass, they are marked TRU-IS. Parents will be notified by text and email the following morning if their student had this attendance code the previous day. For every period of TRU-IS students are assigned before/after school detention.

Detention can be served before school from 8:10-8:45 am and afterschool from 3:45-4:30pm in room 143. Students are expected to serve all detentions to participate in before and afterschool co-curricular and extra curricular activities.

Thank you for your continued support of our students and staff. We are looking forward to an amazing 2nd Semester!

For the summer, FPS is offering three new enrichment opportunities for students exiting grades 6 and 7:

· Heros, Battles, and Legends – A dive into the Greek and Roman gods, heroes, and epics.

· The History of Fargo, Directed by You – Students will create their own video about aspects of Fargo’s history. Master film technique and learn about your home.

· Organization Through Art – Self-expression through art, discussions, and bullet journaling.

More information on our website: Middle School Program - Fargo Public Schools

Registration is open now.

Frequent questions:

· Because these are teacher led programs, space is limited – Register Early to ensure your seat!

· These will be held at Carl Ben Eielson – shuttle bussing is provided from many schools across the district (schedule in the registration materials).

· Yes – These will be FUN and engaging!

· Current 8th grade students should access High School programming.

• At the end of the 2024-2025 school year 60%, or 530, BFMS students will be proficient on 100% of the Skills in All Content Areas.

• At the end of the 2024-2025 school year, the average score of secondary students who believe all students are treated with respect will increase compared to the 2023-2024 school year.

• By the end of the 2024-2025 school year 90%, or 797, BFMS students will identify a trusted adult as measured by counseling minute meetings twice per year.
• Behaviors reported to occur in the classroom will decrease from the start to the end of the 2024-2025 school year as measured by the PowerSchool reporting form and/or EduClimber Data.
• The number of periods of TRU-IS (In School Truancy) will decrease as compared to the 2023-2024 school year as measured by PowerSchool Attendance Report monthly.

Fargo Public Schools is excited to introduce the Mental Health Series Platform from ParentGuidance.org, a powerful new 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.

The May Mental Health Series calendar is attached and tailored to the needs of Fargo Public Schools. The calendar provides April’s mental health resources and events including:

What’s Included:

· Key Dates: Schedule of live webinars for May, with each event starting at 6 & 8 PM CT.

· Topic Highlight: District-selected focus topic tailored to the needs of your students, families, and staff.

· Access Details: Instructions on how to join live sessions.

Ask a Therapist LIVE event is on May 7th, and is part of the Mental Health Series platform. This event takes place once per month and offers a unique opportunity for parents to engage directly with a licensed family therapist. Parents can ask questions anonymously and receive personalized answers in real-time.

Going to kindergarten is important for children. It helps them build upon all the learning that they have done so far. In kindergarten, children will learn skills they will build on throughout their formal education and throughout life. It is important to register early to allow FPS enough time to plan ahead for the school year to give students the best experience possible.

Kindergarten Registration for Fargo Public Schools opens on February 3. If your child turns 5 by July 31, 2025, they are eligible to attend school in the fall. Visit FPS kindergarten registration webpage to learn more about the registration process.

The 36th annual Dessert Concert was held on Thursday, April 24, drawing a lively crowd for an evening filled with music and sweet treats. Sponsored by the Masons, this beloved tradition raises funds to support International Music Camp Scholarships for Ben Franklin music students. The concert featured impressive performances by the Roobinators, the 8th Street Singers, Crystal Strings, and the Jazz Band. Guests also enjoyed a delicious variety of desserts, generously provided by the Masons, making the night both meaningful and memorable.

On Saturday, April 26 Fargo shined as middle school band students from BFMS, CBE, Discovery, Heritage WF and Liberty WF arrived at Davies High School to play solo and ensemble music for area music judges. "Fargo Shines" Middle School Band Festival is a unique

opportunity for students to showcase their musical talents and receive valuable feedback from a respected music educator.

This festival is designed to help middle school musicians:

Demonstrate their skills by performing a solo or in an ensemble

Learn from experienced educators and receive constructive criticism

Be recognized for their musical achievements

Provide motivation to continue developing their skills

The festival is open to all band students in sixth through eighth grade. Students

Receive ratings of Star, I, II, or III. In addition, judges in each room will be awarding

Outstanding Performances to exceptional performers.

The music students at Ben Franklin completed in the annual March Madness Note Naming Challenge to see who could identify the most notes per minute. The winner from each sectional class went on to compete in the grade level tournament. The grade level winners were Clara Gruchalla for 8th grade, Helen Guo for 7th grade and Josh Wang for 6th grade. On Wednesday, April 16th the grade level finalists competed in the grand championship. Congratulations to this year's grand champion, Josh Wang!

The 2025 North Dakota Science Olympiad State Competition took place on Saturday, April 26 at NDSU in Fargo. This event brought together top-performing teams from regional competitions across the state to compete in various STEM disciplines, including biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering.

Our incredible team earned 2nd place—for the second year in a row! Their consistent performance reflects outstanding teamwork, dedication, and scientific excellence. We are so proud of their hard work and collaborative spirit.

Special congratulations to Josie Nielsen, Rilo Simmons, Beatrix Iverson, Evie Schell, Mia Heinrich, Nora Griffeath, and Vuk Ljepoja for winning individual 1st place medals in their events!

We’re proud of everyone’s hard work and teamwork! Way to go, team!

School Lunch Hero Day was Friday, May 2! School Lunch Hero Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the hardworking food service staff working in our buildings each day, serving more than 150,000 meals a year.

Thank you to our Kitchen Manager, Shelly Kosienski, and her crew for taking such good care of all of us at Ben Franklin!

Seventh graders from Ben Franklin participated in Careers on Wheels at Hope South on Friday, May 2nd. 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.

Team 6-1 did the “Eggstremely Exciting Egg Drop Challenge” last week. During our WIN (What I Need) time, students engaged in a STEM activity where they had to plan, build and drop their egg in the hopes it would not break. They had 7 minutes to plan using only materials provided and 15 minutes to build in silence. Overall, about 80% of eggs survived! Dean of Students, Mr. Snyder, got the honor of dropping the eggs off the roof. Great job everyone!

On Thursday, May 1st our RAAISE program students attended 2025 ABLE to Move at Cornerstone Bank Arena. ABLE to Move is a part of TNT's ABLE Games and allows students to experience ABLE Games for the first time. The event engages students in 60 minutes or more of physical activity and promotes inclusivity. The students had a great time!

*Join us TONIGHT for our last PTO meeting for the year at 6pm in the Ben Franklin Library!

*Help us show how thankful we are for our Ben Franklin teachers and staff during Staff Appreciation Week! Sign up to bring items to stock the lounge with snacks. Items can be brought to the office at any point from now until May 7th. Snack Sign Up . Items can also be purchased through the Amazon wishlist and shipped to school Amazon Wishlist .Donations can also be made to purchase items through school pay or Venmo: @BenFranklinFargoPTO . Thank you for showing our appreciation to Ben Franklin staff!

*Thank you for all of the ways you have supported the PTO this year! Your generous donations helped show our appreciation to Ben Franklin staff, supported supplies and activities for Ben Franklin students and strengthened our Ben Franklin community! Thank you!

Parents of 6th Graders:

If you have not scheduled your upcoming vaccines, summer is a great time to do this. The Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines are now required before entering 7th grade. When these are completed, please get a copy to the school. You can drop it off or email to: bfnurse@fargo.k12.nd.us

Medication Reminders:

All medications taken by students during the school day require a Medication Authorization Form to be completed, even if your student will self-administer. If your student requires any prescription or over the counter medication to be taken during the day, please contact the nurse to fill out the appropriate form. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and tums can be provided to students by the nurse, if authorized by a parent/guardian in Power School.

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.

We would like to remind you to always keep your student’s information up-to-date. If anything changes during the course of the school year, you will need to log in to your parent/guardian PowerSchool account and make the updates. Should the school need to get in contact with you or your student has a medical related issue, we need to be able to reach you or your emergency contact.

Want to join us for Spirit Wear Friday during the 2024-2025 school year by purchasing and wearing your own gear to show your Ben Franklin support?

Ben Franklin's School Store will remain open through the holiday season. Follow the link below to find items for purchase. Please note all orders will come directly to your home address as this is a third party company.

Kirstin Hanson, Principal

Jennifer Liebersbach, Assistant Principal

Matt Quintus, Assistant Principal/Activities Director

Jacob Snyder, Dean of Students

Website: https://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/benfranklin
Location: 1420 8th Street North, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701-446-3600