Virtual Academy: Grades K-12

Please read through the information below to make sure you're in the loop about all things VA.

This week is a special week to honor school counselors and the vital role they play in helping students. Our Virtual Academy counselor, Mrs. Boehm, is absolutely one of THE BEST. Whether it's course selection, testing, problem-solving, career lessons, meeting 1:1, tracking down resources, setting up special events, working with student activities - the list is truly endless! - Mrs. Boehm is an instrumental part of the Virtual Academy team and works tireless to support all of our students.

Please join me in wishing Mrs. Boehm a heartfelt THANK YOU for all she does! We are so lucky to have you!

First Semester Progress Reports have been posted. They can be found in your child's PowerSchool account under the Document Storage icon. These will also be mailed out with the NDA+ results.

Don't forget that some students are taking courses on TWO online platforms (Imagine Edgenuity and the North Dakota Center for Distance Education). Make sure you keep up in both!

At the conclusion of first semester, our staff got together to review progress and made nominations for our first “student of the semester." One student was selected from elementary (K-5), one from middle school (6-8), and one from high school (9-12) based on their attitude, academic performance, and leadership. The following three students were selected as our students of the semester.

“A” Honor Roll

The following students achieved a GPA of 3.5 – 4.0 for semester 1 and qualify for the A Honor Roll

• Kathryn Anderson, 8
• Gunnar Lang, 8
• Mya Houston, 9
• Lauren Steinlicht, 9
• Bailey Wanzek, 9
• Alexis Escobedo, 10
• Jonnah Groah, 10
• James Showalter, 10
• Liv Bendewald, 11
• Molli Bullis, 11
• Ryan Lee, 11
• AJ Olson, 11
• Hadley Sletmoe, 11
• Taylor Bracco, 12
• Oketta Emmanuel, 12
• Ashley Farris, 12
• Hailey Fisher, 12
• Morgan Haugen, 12
• Giselle Ide, 12

“B” Honor Roll

The following students achieved a GPA of 3.0 – 3.49 for semester 1 and qualify for the B Honor Roll

• Jericho Crane-Chase, 8
• Izabell Bercier, 10
• Augustine Maldonado, 10
• Ella Rudd, 10
• Carmen Waller, 10
• Fatma Abdala, 11
• Destiney Camp, 11
• Madyson Cummings, 11
• Ellie Schroeder, 11
• Emily Brekke, 12
• Kaia Davidson, 12
• Jovan Holeman, 12
• Marissa Reid, 12
• Adrianna Sayler, 12
• Haylee St. Claire, 12
• Elliott Sticka, 12

AJ Olson is currently a junior in FPS Virtual Academy. AJ says, “"I love having the freedom to work on my own but have the support from my teachers. The Virtual Academy has allowed me to work ahead and even graduate early. The Virtual Academy lets you participate in extracurriculars through other schools, for me I was able to continue being a cheerleader at Fargo North." In addition to being a cheerleader for North, AJ is also one of the inaugural members of our Virtual Academy Leadership Council and serves on the VA Counseling Advisory Committee. AJ is currently a junior, but due to her dedication and hard work, AJ will be moving to senior status and will be graduating this spring – one full year early. She plans to major in nursing.

Miles Seibel is a current senior in Virtual Academy. Miles says, "Virtual Academy has been great for me because it has brought me more opportunities that I can use for my future that public schools haven't been able to provide me. The flexibility of Virtual Academy has also made it so I can keep up with my job at Family Fare while also getting more into activities and hobbies I like to do in my free time like art, photography, gaming, and baking." Miles has been instrumental as a leader in Virtual Academy this year assisting with planning events and mentoring younger students during connection days. Miles plans to take a gap year to save money before enrolling at NDSU to major in art and design.

Thank you to all of our K-10 students who have come to the District Office to complete NDA+ testing these past three weeks. We had great participation and will be sending out reports with results along with semester 1 progress reports in the coming week. Also, thank you to all students 3-12 who completed the engagement survey. For those who have not completed this yet, a reminder email with more information will be sent this week. Below are some upcoming dates for spring testing that is coming up to mark on your calendars.

• February 21 at 1:00 pm: WorkKeys test for selected seniors to qualify for the ND Scholarship
• March 26 at 8:30 am: ACT testing required for all juniors
• April 9, 11, 16, 17, 18: Required spring NDA+/NDSA testing for students grades K-10. Grades K-2 and 9 will take NDA+ tests. Grades 3 and 5-7 will take NDSA English and Math tests. Grades 4, 8, and 10 will take NDSA English, Math, and Science tests. These tests are required by the state and each school must have a minimum of 95% of students participate or face penalties from the state. More information regarding your specific date and time will be mailed soon.

• February 13: HS Student Leadership Cookie Project
• February 16: Early Out
• February 19: No School
• February 21: WorkKeys test
• March 11-15: No School/Spring Break
• March 22: Connection Day #3 - VA Olympics 2024
• March 25: Academic Awards Ceremony
• March 26: ACT testing for juniors
• March 29: No School

Attendance is being taken in the Virtual Academy courses!

Remember that in Virtual Academy, attendance is taken retroactively for the week prior and is directly related to student pacing in the class. If the student is on pace, they're attending!

Elementary students in the Virtual Academy (Grades K-5) have the opportunity for tutoring support with Mrs. Bombenger each day from 1:45-2:30PM.

Feel free to connect with Mrs. Bombenger at this link: Elementary Tutoring

One risk in advancing technology is the temptation to copy and paste another's work as one's own. Please keep in mind that plagiarism and the use of AI technology are not appropriate in the school setting, including Virtual Academy.

The Imagine Edgenuity program has automatic checks for plagiarism and AI embedded into the online classes, and students will not earn credit for plagiarized work. Students plagiarizing or using the AI features in writing will also risk being removed from class and/or not earning credit.

Kindergarten Registration for Fall 2024 opened online at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/registration on February 1. Your child must be age 5 by July 31, 2024 to attend school in the fall.

Registration is a two-step process:

STEP ONE: REGISTER ONLINE
Complete online registration forms at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/registration. For assistance, please contact your child’s school to schedule an appointment to complete in-person.

STEP TWO: SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION
Upload or bring the following documents to your child’s school by August 27 to finalize registration.

• Child’s certified birth certificate
• Child’s immunization record with 5-year shots
• Document (i.e. current city utility bill and bank statement) that includes parent/guardian name and current address for verification

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 help in PowerSchool (Fargo Public Schools online registration software), please call 701.446.1006

Our students have been busy in their classes; keep up the great work! Also, remember that we have teachers to help support you in grades 6-12. (Elementary students can contact their NDCDE teacher directly for support.)

• Matthew Dahmen (Science) dahmenm@fargo.k12.nd.us (701)446-8606
• Madelyn Moore (Math) moorem@fargo.k12.nd.us (701)446-8607
• Laura Qualey (English) qualeyl@fargo.k12.nd.us (701)446-8609
• Rachel Schroeder (Social Studies) schroer1@fargo.k12.nd.us (701)446-8632

Counselor Support:

Vanessa Boehm - Grades K-12 - boehmv@fargo.k12.nd.us

Student Wellness and Family Facilitator:

Katie King - kingk@fargo.k12.nd.us

Holly Fiechtner, Principal of Virtual Academy (Grades K-12)

Email: fiechth@fargo.k12.nd.us
Website: https://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/virtualacademy
Phone: (701) 446-1602