The Fargo Public Schools (FPS) Development Foundation is pleased to offer a variety of scholarships for students at all four high schools. While scholarships are important to providing support for post-secondary education, they provide invaluable motivation and confidence for students to pursue their academic desires. Read this feature article by FPS Development Foundation Director Becky Bakke to learn more about scholarship opportunities and the benefits that come with them.

Music has an immense way of influencing moods. Listening to different tones and paces can evoke a multitude of feelings. But what happens to the person making the music? Fargo Public Schools students weighed in on that question. Performing Arts Curriculum Specialist Ainsley Rentfrow shares their answers in this feature column about Music in Our Schools Month.

Fargo Public Schools (FPS) will hold distance learning days for all students on the following dates to accommodate for staff COVID-19 vaccinations:

• Wednesday, March 31
• Thursday, April 1

Elementary and middle school activities are cancelled on these distance learning days. High school activities will be held based on the availability and discretion of the advisor/coach.

Congratulations to Davies High School students Kareem Kamel and Max Pritchard for earning perfect ACT scores. On average, only 3,700 students out of the 1.9 million who take the test every year get a perfect score of 36, according to ACT statistics. These standardized tests are often used for college admissions.

Kamel currently plays chess and is the captain for the Davies boys tennis team. He plans to study mathematics and computer science.

Pritchard is involved in theater and recently acted in the production of "Truckline Cafe." He plans to major in statistics and minor in English and Spanish.

Congratulations to the Davies High School girls basketball team for taking second place in the North Dakota High School Activities Association state tournament. They played Bismarck Century High School in the championship game.

Congratulations to the North High School and Davies High School boys basketball teams for also making it to the state tournament.

Davies High School junior Linnea Axtman has been elected to the North Dakota DECA state officer team. She will serve as Vice President for the 2021-22 school year. Axtman now works for the state program, planning various DECA related tasks including the Fall Leadership Conference and State Career and Development Conference. She and other leaders will be in charge of developing and growing the program.

Five North High School students competed in the North Dakota State DECA Conference on Monday, March 15 in Bismarck. Tonya Berg, Samantha Jackson, Sophie Thompson, and Erin Lawrence all qualified to compete at the 2021 DECA Virtual International Career Development Conference in April. Erin Lawrence was crowned State Champion in Apparel & Accessories Marketing. Sophie Thompson also completed her term as 2020-21 State DECA Vice President. Tonya Berg, Samantha Jackson and Sophie Thompson finished third in their respective events and Brett Skeldum finished fourth.

The North High School cheer team won the North Dakota Cheer Coach Association (NDCCA) Stunt Group Championship on Saturday, March 20 in Minot. This is the team's second state stunt title this school year after winning another in November 2020. The stunt group consists of seniors Mia Flatz, Jalana Steinmetz, Haylee Kenowski, and junior Emelia Thielman. Jalana Steinmetz was also rewarded with the NDCCA Senior Award. The team is coached by Leah Ramstad.

Fargo Public Schools (FPS) is offering FREE food boxes while school is closed for distance learning days and Easter break from March 31-April 2. All FPS students are eligible for food boxes, regardless of financial means. Orders must be placed by Monday, March 29.

Food Box Pickup

When: Wednesday, March 31 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: South High School, south student parking lot

• 2001 17th Avenue South

Order Deadline: Monday, March 29 at 12:00 p.m.

Order Link: https://forms.gle/JmSRXR1a1Za7JmzH6

*Please note: Separate orders must be placed for each child.

Register NOW for Fargo Public Schools kindergarten online at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/registration. Your child must be age 5 by July 31, 2021 to attend school in the fall.

Click here to learn more about the registration process and sign your student up for school in the fall of 2021!

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 PowerSchool help, please call 701.446.1030.

There will be no school on Friday, April 2 in observance of Good Friday. Classes will resume as scheduled on Monday, April 5. Fargo Public Schools wishes you a safe and happy holiday!

Please note: Fargo Public Schools will hold distance learning days on March 31 and April 1 for employee COVID-19 vaccination blitzes.

The halls of Centennial Elementary School were recently filled with historic figures and celebrities. Fifth grade students completed research and presentation projects for a living wax museum. They studied famous people, made poster boards, wrote essays, and dressed up as their subjects while presenting details about their lives. Read this feature article to learn about the historical figures that were chosen and how this project benefits students.

As part of Music in Our Schools Month in March, classrooms across Fargo Public Schools are celebrating. Students have been working hard to show off their talents. Please enjoy these virtual performances in the videos below. They include songs from the Ben Franklin Middle School grade 8 flute and bassoon players, the Carl Ben Eielson Middle School orchestra, and the Discovery Middle School orchestra.

Fargo Public Schools has dedicated members who oversee operation budgets. While the District has a sizeable fund balance safety net, the COVID-19 pandemic has produced fiscal hardships. In this feature column, School Board Member Jim Johnson breaks down where the District sits financially, where budget funds come from, and the fiscal challenges ahead.

Regular School Board meetings occur on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Meetings are held in the Board Room at the District office building. Read the Board Briefs summarizing the March 23 regular meeting of the Fargo School Board. For more information, visit the School Board website.

Project Renew, a support service designed by the state of North Dakota through the pandemic, has created a safe, online platform for students in grades 6-8 and 9-11 to share their struggles and successes. Project Renew will facilitate discussions and provide uplifting messages of hope for the future and coping skills to help students in the meantime. This series runs weekly through April 7. Grades 6-8 meet on Monday evenings, and grades 9-11 meet on Wednesday evenings.

Click here for grade 6-8 event registration.

Click here for grade 9-11 event registration.

Prairie St. John's is holding a t-shirt design contest for Mental Health Awareness Month in May. All Fargo Public Schools students are eligible to submit designs. The contest is part of Prairie St. John's initiative to bring mental health awareness into area schools. Click here for more information about the contest.

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: 415 4th Street North, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701.446.1000
Facebook: facebook.com/fargopublicschools
Twitter: @fargondschools