April Newsletter
Ben Franklin Middle School
From the Desk of the Principal
Welcome to this month’s edition of the Ben Franklin Middle School Newsletter! As we spring into another month, I'm excited to share with you some updates and happenings within our school community. From important academic events like the NDSA State Testing to the launch of spring sports, there’s a lot to look forward to. Also, we’d like to touch on how we can all contribute to maintaining a positive and focused environment, especially during the "spring fever" season.
As we approach NDSA State Testing period, it's crucial for our students to be at their best, both mentally and academically. This year, the testing at Ben Franklin will take place during a window that extends from April 8th to April 19th. To ensure our students are well-prepared, we encourage families to assist students in being well rested and reminded simply to try their best. Attendance at school during this window is also crucial, and we appreciate you doing your best to ensure your child is in attendance each day.
Spring brings not just warmer weather but also the excitement of new activities at Ben Franklin. This season, our students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities including track and field, soccer, and several school clubs. Students should read their school email for more information. Additionally, be on the look out in the morning announcements for more specific details and reminders.
As we revel in the warmer days, it’s important to remember the importance of maintaining our school-wide expectations. This season, we're placing a special emphasis on two critical guidelines: ensuring that cell phones and earbuds are off during school hours, and the importance students arriving to classes on time.
The use of cell phones and earbuds can be a significant distraction from learning, and to foster an environment conducive to education, we ask for your cooperation in reminding your students to keep these devices off and away during school hours. Additionally, arriving to class on time is not only a mark of respect for our teachers and fellow students but also crucial for students' own learning experiences. Let's work together to reinforce these habits at home, ensuring our students understand the value of focus and timeliness in their academic and personal lives.
In conclusion, this spring season at Ben Franklin Middle School is filled with opportunities and responsibilities. As we look forward to engaging academic events and the excitement of new extracurricular activities, let's also stay committed to creating a supportive and distraction-free learning environment. By working together—students, families, and staff—to emphasize the importance of rest, attendance, and adherence to school guidelines, we can ensure that everyone can make the most of this vibrant time of year. Here’s to a productive and enjoyable spring at Ben Franklin Middle School!
No School Days in April
- Friday, April 19th is our last Early- Out day of the year- students will be released at 1:40pm
- There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, April 22nd
Upcoming Events
April 19
- Early Out Day
April 22
- No School (Snow day)
April 26
- Mid-quarter 3
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.
Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
Hello,
FPS Special Education Leadership seeks membership from the following to provide insight and to support the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) in the understanding of staff perspectives:
- (1) Non-teaching school staff
- (1) Student Representative
Those interested in volunteering for the FPS SEPAC can fill out the following application at the link below by April 12th, 2024:
Staff/Students interested in serving on FPS SEPAC
What can you expect at a SEPAC Meeting?
- Review and discuss current processes related to special education in Fargo Public Schools.
- Prioritize special education initiatives.
- Receive updates related to special services in the school district and at the state and national levels.
- The council has adequate time to discuss issues among themselves and plan the agenda for the next meeting.
If you have additional questions regarding the FPS SEPAC, please contact Shelby DiFonzo at difonzs@fargo.k12.nd.us
Thanks!
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 to everyone who contributed to meals for teachers for conferences! They were greatly appreciated!
Please join us for our last meeting for the 2023-2024 school year on Monday, May 6th. We will elect 2 new board members and discuss end of the year budget items.
Celebrations
All State Band
Junior High Middle Level All- State Band took place on Friday, March 8- Saturday, March 9th at Mandan High School. Their clinician was Erin Cole Steele from Phoenix, AZ. Great job to Kathryn Wald- flute, Ava Hodges- Clarinet, Marie Gourde- Clarinet, Sophia Pederson- French Horn and Lucas Toay- Trombone. Lucas also got first chair in the state! All of these students represented Ben Franklin so well and we're so proud of their accomplishment!
State Spelling Bee Champion
MathCounts Team and State
The BFMS State MATHCOUNTS Team competed at state in Bismarck on Monday, March 25. In the team round, the four-person team of Everett Enz, Chelsea Erstad, Luna Gasevic, and Emily Gates got second place. In the individual round, the following students placed in the top 30; Luna Gasevic 13th place, Lawrence McCartney 12th place, Everett Enz 6th place, and Emily Gates 3rd place. Emily will be traveling to nationals in Washington DC to represent North Dakota as an individual and on the four person North Dakota Team! Congratulations to all of the competitors!
Emily Gates, Chelsea Erstad, Lawrence McCartney, Luna Gasevic and Everett Enz at State
Emily Gates will be traveling to MathCounts Nationals!
Science Olympiad at State
Science Olympiad Regional competition was on Thursday, March 28th in Valley City. Ben Franklin had 3 teams competing this year! All three teams did awesome! Teams placed 1st, 5th, and 6th; they got 20 gold medals, 20 silver and 12 bronze medals in total.
The greatest number by individuals is:
5 medals - Vuk Ljepoja 6th grade- 4 gold, 1 bronze
4 medals - Hannah Wiltse - 2gold 2 silver
4 medals - Nessa Birkeland- 2gold 2 silver
4 medals- Josie Nielson- 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
Ben Franklin qualified to go the state competition held at NDSU on April 20th. Congratulations to you all!
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