The 2023 Fargo Public Schools State of the Schools Address presented by Superintendent Dr. Rupak Gandhi is available to view digitally on demand on the FPS YouTube channel. Watch the State of the Schools Address below.

Traditionally, Fargo Public Schools has presented its State of the Schools Address alongside its annual public focus group event. FPS has received feedback that it may be preferable to conduct more localized focus group opportunities and allow school communities to go to their neighborhood schools rather than one large centralized event for the whole District. This year, the annual public focus group will be held at each individual building in the fall, with all schools covering the same topics.

All of Fargo Public Schools' high school hockey teams joined together to host the annual Stick it to Cancer fundraiser on Thursday, January 19. The Stick it to Cancer night featured five hockey games and raised money through a silent auction, bake sale, t-shirt sale, and miracle minute bucket donations. All funds generated are donated to Lend a Hand Up to provide financial help to local families in medical crisis.

South freshman Clara Motschenbacher, who battled Hodgkins Lymphoma Stage 4B this past year, performed the ceremonial puck drop for the South/Shanley vs. West Fargo boys varsity game. After five months, 28 rounds of chemo therapy in Fargo and 17 rounds of radiation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Motschenbacher is in remission.

Becky Atkins, a special education paraeducator at North High School who is battling breast cancer, dropped the puck for the girls game.

Discovery Middle School presents the musical Into the Woods Jr. on January 26-28.

Into the Woods Jr. twists familiar fairy tales into a new story. When a baker and his wife learn they have been cursed with childlessness by the witch next door, they embark on a quest to retrieve specific objects required to break the spell. Along the way, they meet Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Jack (who climbed the beanstalk) and more familiar characters.

The January 26-27 performances are at 7 p.m. while the January 28 performance is at 2 p.m. in the Discovery Middle School theater.

Join the Fargo Public Schools team and be the leader they need! Fargo Public Schools is now hiring paraeducators, food service staff, custodial staff, and more! Click here to view open positions and apply today!

STEP INTO THE SPOTLIGHT this summer at Trollwood! Trollwood Performing Arts School 2023 summer registration is now open, click here to register.

Trollwood offers a full array of classes and performance opportunities for students from kindergarten through graduated seniors! Take a look at the Trollwood Summer Programming Brochure.

High school and middle school students may participate in as many classes or performance programs as they desire all for one fee. Register before March 1 and save up to $50 on registration fees!

Mrs. Laura Kowatch’s sixth grade English students at Discovery Middle School got a bug-eyed surprise when they entered class on Tuesday, January 24. The students were invited to try eating roasted, seasoned crickets and mealworms at the start of class as part of a unit on "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen.

Click here to read more about "Bug Day" in Mrs. Kowatch's class.

Giving Hearts Day, a 24-hour online giving event, is coming up on Thursday, February 9. The day is a large fundraising event that benefits North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota non-profits. Each organization finds a sponsor to generously match donations. Trollwood Performing Arts School and the Fargo Public Schools Development Foundation are both taking part. Tax deductible donations can be scheduled now. You may also wait to give on February 9.

Click here to donate to Trollwood Performing Arts School.

Click here to donate to the Fargo Public Schools Development Foundation.

Express the voice that's inside of you, and unleash your creativity through Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and/or Visual Arts in the National PTA Reflections arts contest. Every year, students Pre-K through 12th grade across the country create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This year's theme is "Show Your Voice." Click here for more details about the contest.

Submit entries by next Tuesday, January 31 to your school PTA as directed by them. Or if your school PTA is not promoting the Reflections contest, you may enter directly to the North Dakota PTA here. All participants will be invited to the North Dakota PTA Reflections Party in early April. Last year, Fargo had two national award winners.

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 January 24 meeting of the School Board.

The Davies High School and Discovery Middle School bands came together for the annual "Eagles Play!" combined band concert on January 23. Each of the Discovery sixth, seventh, and eighth grade bands performed a musical number. And the Davies Concert Band, Davies Symphonic Band, and Davies Wind Ensemble performed. The concert concluded with a grand finale featuring about 500 band musicians from all six bands performing the song “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey and the Davies school song.

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
Facebook: facebook.com/fargopublicschools
Twitter: @fargondschools