Click here to meet the Indian Education Program Staff and learn about the programs and resources they provide in this Feature Column by Indian Education Program Coordinator Melody Staebner.

The 2020 Global Teacher Prize Winner, Ranjitsinh Disale from India, formally presented the Fargo Public Schools Development Foundation with a check to support two annual scholarships for Fargo EL refugee & immigrant students.

The scholarships were created by 2018 North Dakota Teacher of the Year and 2020 Global Teacher Prize Top 10 Finalist, Leah Juelke. Ranjitsinh will be donating a total of $55,000 to the scholarships over the next 10 years.

The Gladys Ray Award was created in honor of Gladys Shingobe Ray. In her family’s words, she was a dedicated lifelong human rights advocate and volunteer, who served her community through involvement in many organizations and by assisting in the development of many programs. She advocated for all people, especially American Indians, children, and the homeless.

Lauer was invited to join this committee due to his work as a reviewer with School Library Journal and had a hand in curating the list of the best picture books for 2022. Check out the list for some great recommendations!

Community members are invited to nominate a deserving Fargo Public Schools teacher, administrator, or support staff member for the annual Staff Recognition Awards Program. The program honors FPS staff members who serve our students with excellence. Online instructions, forms, and the application process can be found at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/StaffRecognitionProgram. Nomination forms are AVAILABLE and will be accepted through December 16.

Fargo Public Schools deeply values the nearly 2,000 staff members who ensure our students receive a high-quality education in a safe learning environment. To honor our employees, the District annually awards the following:

• Teacher of the Year Award − awarded to a certified staff member
• Administrator of the Year Award − awarded to a principal, assistant principal, director, or coordinator
• Support Staff of the Year Award − awarded to an educational support staff member, custodial/maintenance department staff member, or nutrition services staff member

Community organizations, business partners, teams, and individuals are invited to assist in providing meal baskets that will be distributed to families of elementary, middle, and high school students in Fargo Public Schools before the winter break. FPS Student Wellness and Family Facilitators will assist in the determination of recipients.

Each meal basket provides a full meal for a family of four with additional food staples to assist during the time away from school. Click here to read more about the FPS Meal Basket program.

As Belle, a young small-town gal, and a prince trapped in an enchantress' spell find they need to help each other out. The prince, in the form of a beast, must learn to love and be loved in order to be transformed back into his old human self and the clock is ticking before the curse becomes unbreakable.

The December 8-10 performances are at 7:30 p.m. with the December 11 performance at 2 p.m. in the South High School theater. Tickets can be purchased at the FPS Online Theater Box Office.

Apply to join the Fargo Public Schools team and be the leader they need! Current openings include Food Service Staff, Paraeducators, Custodial Staff, and more! Click here to view all open positions and apply.

Stay Strong! Avoiding school absences through the winter months is crucial for academic success. Missing school and falling behind on assignments can create school-related anxiety that only gets worse as time goes on. Connect with a teacher or counselor if you are feeling behind or overwhelmed.

Trollwood Winter Academy offers a variety of youth performing arts classes, running from January 10 through February 19, 2023. These informative and unique sessions in vocal music, dance, improv, stage combat, and stage makeup are offered to middle school and high school students in Grades 5-12.

AVAILABLE CLASSES (click links for class descriptions):

• Middle School Musical Theatre Audition Prep (Grades 5-8)
• High School Musical Theatre Audition Prep (Grades 9-12)
• Improv (Ages 13-18)
• Stage Combat (Ages 13-18)
• Stage Makeup (Ages 13-18)

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 online by the end of January 2023 to your school PTA as directed by them. All participants will be invited to the North Dakota PTA Reflections Party in early April. Last year, Fargo had two national award winners.

Click here to read more about the board-approved legislative priorities in this Board Column by Board Member Robin Nelson.

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 November 22 meeting of the School Board.

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