SchoolTalk
FPS e-Newsletter for April 11, 2024
- SPOTLIGHT -
Cabinet Column - 2025-26 School Calendar Draft
View the 2025-26 School Calendar draft and read more about the process of creating it in this Cabinet Column by FPS Associate Superintendent Dr. Robert Grosz.
Feature Column - Medicaid Billing
Read more about Medicaid billing in this Feature Column by FPS Assistant Director of Standards Based Instruction and Special Education Shelby DiFonzo.
Feature Column - The Best PD is Down the Hall
Recently, a group of 15 middle school and high school science teachers participated in a learning walk through two Fargo Public Schools elementary schools and one high school. The goal was to explore and reflect on our teaching practices concerning Tier 1 instruction, classroom management, and the use of proficiency scales.
Read more about the learning walks and see responses from the participating teachers in this Feature Column by FPS Science Facilitator Allie Kollman.
- NEWSMAKERS -
National Library Week
Thank you to all Fargo Public Schools library staff that make each of the libraries in the District special places for our students to grow! This week, April 7-13, is National Library Week. Take some time this week to thank your library staff for the hard work they do!
Staff Recognition Program Nominees
Fargo Public Schools thanks all of its staff members for helping the District fulfill its mission of educating and empowering all students to succeed! To honor our employees, the District annually holds a staff recognition program. FPS staff and community members were invited to nominate a teacher, administrator, or support staff member who they feel is serving our students with excellence. Read the full list of nominees for the 2024 FPS Staff Recognition Program.
NDIAAA Hall of Fame
Congratulations to North High School Principal Travis Christensen on being inducted into the North Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Hall of Fame! Christensen received recognition for his induction at the NDIAAA Spring Conference Awards Banquet on April 7 at the Holiday Inn in Fargo. Read a full bio of Christensen.
FMAYS Founders Concerto Competition
Congratulations to Davies High School senior Rick Peng on winning first place in the Fargo-Moorhead Area Youth Symphonies Founders' Concerto Competition! As a result of winning the competition, Peng will perform the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the FMAYS Symphony Orchestra at its concert at 7 p.m. this Sunday, April 14 at Concordia College Memorial Auditorium.
Catalyst Certification
Congratulations to Washington Elementary School Paraeducator Hannah Schoepp on becoming the first Fargo Public Schools paraeducator to achieve Supporting Whole Group Catalyst Approach certification!
The Catalyst Approach is a comprehensive professional development and implementation model based on observation of more than 50,000 classrooms and school-wide common spaces. It aims to accelerate deep implementation of skills that lead to the creation of improved classroom and school leadership, relationships, and culture.
LETRS Cohort
Congratulations to the 2023-24 LETRS participants that completed Volume 1! This is the first cohort of cross-district teachers to complete this course.
LETRS is comprehensive professional learning designed to provide early childhood and elementary educators and administrators with deep knowledge to be literacy and language experts in the science of reading.
- YOUR FPS -
Early Release Day - April 19
Fargo Public Schools will release students two hours early from school on Friday, April 19. Contact your school for more information regarding early release days and how they will affect your child's schedule
No School - April 22
There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, April 22 due to a scheduled day off. Classes will resume as regularly scheduled on Tuesday, April 23.
Davies Play - The Tempest Opens Tonight
Davies High School presents The Tempest on April 11-14 in the Davies High School theater. Thursday to Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. with the Sunday performance at 2 p.m.
The Tempest, written in 1611, is said to be William Shakespeare's last play. It involves a unique and fantastical world where spirits roam, reality is elusive, and illusion abounds. After 12 years marooned with his daughter Miranda, Prosper who is the deposed duke must choose between the desire for power and the freedom that comes with compassion.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and are available at the Fargo Public Schools Box Office.
Parent Guidance Mental Health Series - Social Media
In an effort to proactively support students' overall well-being, Fargo Public Schools is partnering with ParentGuidance.org to deliver monthly webinars developed by licensed therapists. The next webinar is at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday, April 16 with the topic "Social Media: Protecting Your Child." Protecting children from technology that moves so fast is difficult to manage
The series features three upcoming sessions:
- April 16 - Social Media: Protecting Your Child
- May 7 - Effects of Screen Time
- May 21 - Understanding Video Game Addiction
Summer School
Registration for Fargo Public Schools' Summer School 2024 is open. FPS Summer School offers opportunities for students from elementary through high school to participate in programs focused on academics, athletics, arts, and more. View Fargo Public Schools' Summer School 2024 offerings.
Trollwood Summer Registration
Expect the Unexpected! Experience magic, explore passion, and expand potential at Trollwood Performing Arts School with summer performing arts classes and performance opportunities for students currently in Grades K-12. Trollwood summer registration is now open.
Trollwood offers a full array of classes, performing opportunities, and technical theater experiences for every skill level, from elementary to middle school to high school. See the full list of Trollwood summer programming in this newsletter special edition.
- BOARD FOCUS -
School Board Schedule & Links
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 April 9 regular meeting of the School Board.
- IN FOCUS -
VA Awards Banquet
Nineteen students were recognized for their accomplishments at the inaugural Virtual Academy Awards Banquet. Qualifying students received letters in academics, student leadership, and volunteering; seniors received honor cords; and one graduate received their diploma. (Photo courtesy Scherlings Photography)
Paraeducator Appreciation
Davies High School celebrated its paraeducators on Paraprofessional Appreciation Day on April 3. The paraeducators enjoyed snacks and a banner expressing appreciation for their hard work. (Photo courtesy Kaity Dalzell)
Wishtree Celebration
Division Madness
Students in Mrs. Greff's third grade class at Bennett Elementary School competed in the spirit of March Madness as they participated in a Division Capture tournament. The winning students received repurposed trophies and medals from other contests, which tied in to a recent lesson on the importance of reuse and recycling. (Photo courtesy Tamara Greff)
Book Bracket
Ms. Monson's second grade class at Washington Elementary School staged a March Madness style bracket for books they read in class. After voting their way through the bracket, the students declared "Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates" by Cheryl B. Klein as their top book. (Photo courtesy Rachel Kenowski)
Buckle Up
Bennett Elementary School kindergarteners and first graders got a visit from F-M Ambulance as part of its Buckle Up With Bucky program. The students learned about the importance of seatbelt safety and toured a real ambulance. (Photo courtesy Sara Schafer)
Eclipse Party
Centennial Elementary School fifth grade gifted services classes capped their project of helping review NASA's Earth Science curriculum on solar and lunar eclipses with a party to celebrate Monday's total solar eclipse. The students watched NASA's eclipse live stream, made observations about the eclipse, and ate eclipse cookies. (Photo courtesy Kim Sandvig, Tracey Johnson, and Chris Hayden)
Scooter Town
Bennett Elementary School's gym transformed into Scooter Town USA for the first two weeks of April. Students rode scooters around the town set up in the gym and visited a gas station, ATM, veterinarian clinic, repair shop, and post office. (Photo courtesy Shannon Ysteboe)
One School, One Book
Centennial Elementary School participated in a One School, One Book school-wide reading event to help encourage a love of reading and build literacy in the community and at home. Librarian Mrs. Selensky and first grade teacher Mrs. Knudsen led the school in reading "Big Foot and Little Foot" by Ellen Potter. The school's principals read the first chapter in a video played in every class and each student followed a schedule of at home reading. During the morning announcements, students could win prizes by correctly answering trivia questions about the book. (Photo courtesy Kristen Knudsen)
Eagle Strings
On April 9, Davies High School hosted the Eagle Strings orchestra concert, which featured performances by orchestra students from Bennett Elementary School, Centennial Elementary School, Eagles Elementary School, Ed Clapp Elementary School, Discovery Middle School, and Davies High School. As a grand finale to the concert, all of the orchestras joined to play a song together.
Eclipse Glasses
Students in Ms. Monson's fourth grade class at Bennett Elementary School put on their eclipse glasses and tried to view the total solar eclipse on Monday. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and the cloud cover blocked their view. (Photo courtesy Sara Schafer)
Eclipse Viewing
Mrs. Troyers second grade class at Centennial Elementary School learned about solar eclipses this week. They tried to view Monday's total solar eclipse with eclipse glasses, but couldn't see anything due to the clouds. The class also watched an online stream as places in the line of totality experience the eclipse. (Photo courtesy Lindsey Troyer)
- IN THE NEWS -
Fargo Public Schools - SchoolTalk
Email: comments@fargo.k12.nd.us
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us
Location: 700 7th Street South, Fargo, ND
Phone: 701.446.1000