At Fargo Public Schools, we know that the success of our students is deeply rooted in the partnership between our staff and parents. Together, we create a community where every child feels supported, valued, and inspired to achieve their full potential. It’s this collaboration that makes FPS a special place for learning and growth.

Read about the important collaborations between FPS staff and parents to create an exceptional experience for every student in this Cabinet Column by Chief Human Capital Officer Dr. Jeff McCanna.

As the end of the semester approaches, both teachers and students are preparing to finalize grades. It is crucial for teachers to communicate and review each student’s body of evidence and letter grades. Likewise, parents should review their student’s gradebook and reach out to teachers with any questions or concerns.

Learn more about evidence-based reporting and how teachers calculate proficiency in this Feature Column by Science Facilitator Allie Kollman

Fargo Public Schools has launched a dedicated resource page to guide the Fargo Public Schools community through the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in education. This resource page serves as a guide for students, educators, and families regarding the use of AI in education and how FPS is approaching the use of AI to assist in student learning. Students and families can access the resource on the Fargo Public Schools public website, under Departments and Technology.

Read more about the AI resource page in this Feature Column by Library Program Facilitator Jen Hess.

Congratulations to North High School Math Teacher Sarah Volk on receiving the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching! Volk will receive a certificate signed by President Joe Biden and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.

The PAEMST program, administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, recognizes outstanding teachers for their contributions to the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Congratulations to McKinley Elementary School Principal Cheryl Janssen on being named the Region 5 Elementary School Principal of the Year by the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders! With her regional award, Janssen is nominated for the state-level Principal of the Year award.

The Fargo Public Schools Human Capital Department wants to shine a spotlight on its valuable employees who have a tremendous positive impact on the District's students, staff, and families. The District's employees are crucial to achieving our goal of educating and empowering all students to succeed. HC has selected FPS staff members who are deserving of greater recognition and will highlight them each week in the Employee Spotlight. Meet North High School Regular Education Proctor Adam Throndset in this week's Employee Spotlight.

The Board of Education of the City of Fargo is searching for its next Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Rupak Gandhi is resigning after seven years as the District's leader at the end of the 2024-25 school year. The Fargo Board of Education seeks an outstanding administrative leader who will provide strong leadership for the District and continue the tradition of excellence in education enjoyed by the district, students, and community it serves. The position will be open for application from December 20, 2024 through February 2, 2025. For more information, please the Superintendent Search webpage or Ray & Associates website.

There will be NO SCHOOL this Friday, January 17 due to a staff professional development day and next Monday, January 20 due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Classes will resume as regularly scheduled on Tuesday, January 21.

Fargo Public Schools' Early Childhood Special Education program is seeking Community Friends to join its preschool classrooms. Community Friends are typically developing peers who will join the ECSE classrooms alongside the students with developmental delays or disabilities. Students must be 4 years old by July 31 and pass a developmental screening to be eligible for the program. The program is free of charge for families, but parents must provide transportation. The ECSE sessions are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Click here to apply for the ECSE Community Friends program.

Light up your summer! Spark your creativity, radiate confidence, and focus the spotlight on you at Trollwood Performing Arts School this summer with 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. Learn more about Trollwood's summer programming in this special edition of SchoolTalk.

What does “Accepting Imperfection" mean to you? Students are invited to express their thoughts, and unleash their creativity through dance, choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and/or visual arts in the North Dakota PTA Reflections program. Every school year, students Pre-K through Grade 12 across the country create original works in response to a student-selected theme. Submissions are accepted online at the PTA Reflections website through January 31.

The Fargo Public Library's 2025 Winter Reading Challenge theme is "Reading is Snow Much Fun!" The challenge runs through March 1. Kids and teens can participate by registering and logging into the Fargo Public Library Beanstack app and completing reading initiatives, activities, and challenges to earn prizes. To participate, stop by any Fargo Public Library location or visit the library’s website for details. Grand prize drawings will be held in early March.

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 14 regular meeting of the School Board.

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