Happy September!

I want to start off the newsletter this month by sharing my gratitude and thanks for our entire school community for your support! Our back-to- school events were warm and a bit scattered due to the closure of our main entrance, but we still had great attendance and cheerful spirits. Thank you for showing up and being so kind! I'm also very grateful to the FPS Facilities Department for their diligent work in ensuring we had air conditioning at BFMS for the first day of school.

The safety and security of all students and staff is our number one priority at Ben Franklin. We will be starting off this week by briefing staff in safety scenarios should a situation similar to that of Fargo South occur on our campus. Our building will also be completing a fire drill in the coming weeks to meet century code's requirement of a drill within the first 10 days of school.

Hopefully, you have heard about FPS's newly released Code of Character, Conduct, and Supports. This document is meant to communicate the rights and responsibilities for students, staff, and families of Fargo Public Schools. It will also help BFMS align our procedures in supporting students to meet the expected behaviors at school. With the launch of this document our Ben Franklin Staff Leadership Team revisited our building wide procedures to ensure alignment and clarity. Please review these documents and policies with your Ben Franklin student to support their educational success.

All my best,

Mrs. Kirstin Hanson

Principal

8th Grade Principal

Ben Franklin Middle School

School pictures for all grades will be on Wednesday, September 4th during the school day.

All students will be photographed for their Student ID Card and the yearbook, there is no charge for these photos. Picture forms were sent home with students on Friday, August 30th for those wanting to order pictures. Here is the link to order online:

http://Scherling.PreOrderPhotos.com/?AccessCode=T67KR4

Every student locker is equipped with a combination padlock loaned by the school.

Lockers should be kept locked at all times and combinations should not be shared with others.

Students are expected to utilize their locks and keep their lockers locked at all times. Lost or stolen locks will be paid for by the student and family. The charge for a lost lock is $8. Students are responsible for personal possessions at all times.

Students will be allowed to take home their PLDs starting this week.

· PLD Responsible Use applies both at school and at home.

• Responsible Use Policy
• Students will not be issued a PLD until this policy is signed off on in PowerSchool.

· Unless opting out, parents/students accepted the terms of the PLD Take Home Contract when registering. We ask that parents do not opt out of the PLD take home initiative unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Thank you for partnering with us in this extension of student learning.

Your child will participate in a physical education class every other day throughout the year. The goal of physical education is to develop physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. Students should dress for physical education in clothing conducive to physical activity with shoes appropriate for gym flooring and outdoor activity.

Students will not be changing for PhyEd classes, or using locker rooms, so they should dress accordingly on their PhyEd days.

Please opt-in to receive text messages from Fargo Public Schools. FPS has switched to a new mass communication system for the 2024-25 school year and you MUST opt-in to receive text messages from FPS. If you do not opt-in, you could miss important information from our school or the District. You can opt-in at any time by texting the word “YES” to 79041.

Shopping for Back-to-School? 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 is here to help. 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.

Elementary Breakfast $1.65

Elementary Lunch $2.65

Middle and High School Breakfast $1.85

Middle and High School Lunch $2.95

Adult Breakfast $2.75

Adult Lunch $4.00

Extra Milk $0.45

All families are encouraged to complete the free/reduced meal application in their PowerSchool registration forms.

Free and Reduced Price Meals Application

Students attending school are provided breakfast and lunch through the USDA National School Lunch Program. Students may qualify for federal and state assistance to cover the cost of meals. Households may qualify based on income and size, participation in a federal assistance program (SNAP, etc.) or other criteria. This school year, North Dakota legislature passed a bill that allows families to receive free meals if they fall below 200% of the federal poverty line. Families must submit a Student Fees Assistance and Benefits Application (also known as a Free-and Reduced-Price Meal Application) every year.

If families qualify, households can receive free meals and additional benefits such as:

• Waived (canceled) fees for school related activities such as band rentals, activity fees, exam fees, and others.
• Increase funding to the district for educational programs through Title 1 funding, foundation aid, e-rate for technology grants, and others.

Households wishing to apply for Free or Reduced-Price Meals may apply by submitting a Student Fees Assistance and Benefits Application. It is only necessary to submit one application per household.

For more information about Free or Reduced-Priced Meals or the Student Fees Assistance and Benefits Application, visit the FPS Nutritional Services Department website. If you need assistance with the application, call FPS Nutrition Services at 701.446.1153.

The PTO welcomes you to the 2024-25 school year! Everyone is invited to our meetings and participates in the PTO. Our first meeting is Sept. 9th at 6pm in the library at Ben. PTO relies on the generosity of our community. Please consider donating to support our Ben Franklin students and staff!

Venmo: @BenFranklinFargoPTO

Parents of 7th Graders:

If you have not updated your 7th graders vaccines, summer is a great time to do this. The Tdap and MCV4 vaccines are now required before entering 7th grade. When these are completed, please get a copy to the school. Drop off or email to: bfnurse@fargo.k12.nd.us

Medication Reminders:

If your student will be taking medication 2024-25 school year and has a doctor’s appointment this summer:

* please get a prescription for the medication from your provider. You may also ask the pharmacy to make a 2nd bottle that will be labeled appropriately for administering at school.

* If your student should need to take medication at school anytime during the year, please get a prescription from the provider, original bottle from the pharmacy (no zip bags or envelopes!) and parent, please bring to the school nurse.

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.

Kirstin Hanson, Principal

Jennifer Olson, 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