Fridley High School Newsletter

This message serves as a reminder to our families about important dates and procedures for the school. Key points include:

1. Semester One Completion: The opportunity for scholars to complete work or assessments for semester one ended on January 23rd, with final grades submitted on January 27th.

2. Semester Two Start: Semester two began on January 22nd, offering scholars a fresh start.

3. Cell Phone Procedure: There is a renewed emphasis on the cell phone procedure, with families being informed that more communication and potential cellphone contracts may occur for scholars that are struggling to follow the rules during instructional time.

4. Upcoming Events:

- Pre-ACT: January 29th (only for 9th graders during the school day).

- ACCESS Testing: January 27th-30th, with make-ups planned for the following week.
- Earning College Credit Night: February 12th.

These points highlight the school's commitment to scholar success and the importance of adhering to policies. We also want to continue our growth through communication and connection with our Fridley community.

Kelly McConville

Principal

mcconville@isd14.org

Lamii Zarlee

Assistant Principal

zarlee@isd14.org

February 7 - Free Family Movie Night in FHS Auditorium @ 7pm

February 10 - African American Parent Involvement Day

February 10 - 14 - FHS Snow Week

February 12 - Earning College Credit Night @ 6p.m.

February 17 - NO SCHOOL

February 24 - Adapted Bowling Begins (7-12 grades)

February 27 - FHS Choir Open Mic Night in FHS Auditorium @ 7pm

March 1 - FHS Speech Meet

March 3 - Girls Badminton begins (9-12 grades)

March 5 - FHS/ALC Conferences 4-8pm

March 7 - NO SCHOOL

March 10 - Softball (9-12 grades), Baseball (9-12 grades), boys and girls track (9-12 grades) begin

Students may be excused for family vacations for up to 10 school days with prior approval from the Principal. To request approval, parents/guardians must submit a request at least two weeks before the planned vacation. The request should include the student's name, grade, and vacation dates. The Principal will review the request and provide a response within five school days.

This policy aims to balance family needs with the importance of maintaining consistent attendance and academic performance.

To help 12th grade students complete their FAFSA, the College & Career Center will be hosting FAFSA Help Nights in the high school media center on February 10th from 3pm-6:30pm and February 27th from 3pm-7pm. Please complete this form if you plan on attending a FAFSA Help Night in February : CLICK HERE

The College & Career Center will continue to host two FAFSA Help Nights per month to the end of the school year. Questions on the FAFSA? Contact Matt Kiefer at kiefer@isd14.org or 763-502-5790

We are excited to announce that Mr. Lamii Zarlee has been awarded the prestigious Assistant Principal of the Year Award from MASSP! This recognition celebrates his exceptional leadership, dedication, and unwavering commitment to fostering a positive learning environment for both students and staff. Mr. Zarlee consistently goes above and beyond, creating innovative programs, supporting colleagues, and making a lasting impact on the school community. His passion for education and his ability to inspire others make him truly deserving of this honor.

Celebrating Black History Month

February is Black History Month, a time to honor and celebrate the achievements, history, and culture of Black Americans. Throughout the month, we’ll be hosting a variety of events and activities to commemorate this important occasion.

From engaging in inspiring presentations to fun and educational activities, there’s something for everyone to participate in. Be sure to keep an eye out for event announcements and updates.

Let’s come together to learn, celebrate, and reflect on the contributions that have shaped our world.

Aloda Sims

Equity & Inclusion Coordinator

Congratulations to our students who participated in the 2025 Tri Metro Choir and Band Concert. They had the opportunity to perform with a professional director infront of parents and the community of Columbia Heights.

Grade-Level Google Classrooms

Students have access to grade-level Google Classrooms. There is important information being posted on the grade-level Google Classrooms weekly. Students are encouraged to check the grade-level Google Classrooms for information about registration, graduation, upcoming events, schedules, student expectations, and more.

ACT retakes (12th grade):

12th graders who are interested in retaking the ACT test, should sign up by creating an account on the ACT website. www.act.org . The ACT test does have a fee ranging from $50-$67. Fee waivers are available in the SSS office for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch.

Upcoming ACT tests/registration deadlines:

Test: April 5 Deadline: February 28

Juniors will take the ACT at Fridley High School on April 8th

. Information will be coming soon for juniors.

Earning College Credit at the High School and PSEO

The Earning College Credit at Fridley HS night has been rescheduled for Wednesday, February 12th at 6:00pm in the high school media center. During this meeting, students and families will learn more about concurrent enrollment, DP classes, articulated courses, and PSEO. This meeting is mandatory for any student who plans on doing PSEO next year.

Extended Day – Credit Recovery

If you are a sophomore who is 16 years old or a junior or senior and need credit recovery, please schedule an appointment to see your dean. Credit recovery is offered at the high school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Credit recovery is required for any student who fails a required course for graduation.

Senior On Track/Not ON Track Letters

Letters to families of students who are credit deficient will be mailed home soon to update families on any credit recovery needs. These letters will reflect posted grades from 1st semester. All credit recovery will need to be completed by the end of May in order to participate in commencement.

Course Changes for 2nd semester

When students request courses during the registration process in February of last year, they agree to pursue the chosen courses to completion. Since schedule changes have a serious impact on class sizes, teacher assignments and overall master schedule, they need to be kept to a minimum. Please use the following list below as a guide to schedule corrections:

- The student does not have the prerequisite(s)

- The student failed the class

- There is an obvious error (two classes at the same time)

- To add a class that is needed to graduate

- The schedule is unbalanced

Schedule changes will not be made for:

- Request a specific teacher

- Request a specific trimester

- Change lunch periods

- Have a class with a friend

- Leave to attend non-school sanctioned occupational activity

You might also notice a slight change in your students' schedule since the beginning of the year. We do, at times, move student schedules to balance class size within a semester and between semesters. We appreciate your understanding on this matter.

Registration

Registration for the 2025/2026 school year will start the week of February 3rd. Please visit the Fridley High School registration page for an updated registration timeline and a copy of the registration guide. We strongly encourage students to have conversations with family about registration. Click here for the registration webpage:

https://fhs.fridleyschools.org/academics/registration

Congratulations to these students for being recognized this month by their teachers for their incredible contributions to the learning environment and school community. These students demonstrate responsibility, respect, and realness in their classes at FHS. Way to go!

Congratulations (Left to Right) Marie Victoire Kolibe-Gnamikou, Andrew Rehlander, Lily Jasso and Brooke Yang.

Yard Signs Celebrating the Class of 2025 have now arrived and are for sale for $30/sign! Call or text Teresa Karsten to arrange for payment and delivery options. (651) 983-9723

Proceeds will pay for the end of the year senior class party.

If you have not yet filled out the Class of 2025 Graduation Survey, please do so! Your student can pick one up in the main office. This survey is mandatory for graduation. We need to know gown sizes and families if you need ADA seating this survey will reserve a spot for you or your family member at graduation.

If you have any questions regarding graduation please contact Ashley Davis (Principal Secretary) at 763-502-5602 or shoot me an email at adavis@isd14.org.

We have decided to move the FHS music department Lip Sync Battle to Friday February 7 at 4:00pm!

Be sure to come and support our community members with your vote! The audience will choose the winner live at the event through online voting.

Tickets for the event are $5 student, $10 adult and there will be concessions available for purchase.

Congratulations to our 87 Youth In Government students!

They represented Fridley well as participants in the annual Youth In Government Conference in Minneapolis and St. Paul where over 1,600 students simulated the Minnesota state government.

In every program, Fridley YIG students were leaders.

Fridley YIG students accomplished so much this year. While there are too many to name, here are a few standouts.

Yahira Baretto-Paredes was the elected Secretary of State during last year's conference. This year she was one of 3 statewide officers. She did an amazing job overseeing the elections this year. Sophia Good was elected last year to serve as the President of the Senate. She proved to be a strong leader in her program area. We also had over a dozen appointed officials leading programs like the congress, lobbyists, lawyers, and the media.

We were also proud of our students who ran for leadership positions next year! Congratulations to Amera Husein, who was elected as the Presiding Officer for next year's National Issues Forum.

The future looks bright for Fridley YIG. Becky Xiong was selected as the top 8th grader in her Leadership Corps group and Eleanor Auna was selected to give the speech for the 8th grade Leadership Corps program at the closing ceremony in front of 2,000 people!

Spring Sport Registration will open at the beginning of March through Campus.

Robotics team 2227 will participate in Week Zero of the 2025 FIRST Dive at Irondale High School on Saturday February 22. Wear your fanshirts on Friday February 21. Specators are welcome to come and watch on Saturday. Times will be posted on the team website at team2227.com

Thanks!

We have two new Health Navigators from Neighborhood Healthsource. Benny Tufte and Dois Salazar. They are available to help with health insurance and medical/community resources. Doris is stationed at the High School on Wednesday's 8:30am-3:00pm near the health office.

Fridley High School’s AVID seniors took center stage during a special Media Day on January 10. AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is an academic support program designed to prepare students for college eligibility and success. The program includes advanced coursework and an AVID Elective that emphasizes college and career readiness at every grade level. Through AVID, students develop essential skills to excel in high school, college, and beyond in today’s ever-changing world.

The event celebrated the seniors' achievements with a photoshoot as they showcased the colleges they have applied to, been accepted into, or plan to attend. These photos will be prominently displayed in school to inspire pride among the seniors and motivate underclassmen to pursue their own dreams.

Congratulations to these students for their perseverance and dedication!

February is "I Love to Read" Month. Students will be invited to compete in a Book Bingo, enter a reading challenge, read with pre-school students, and share their favorite books. This year our High School Cheer Team even created a special reading cheer! Parents and families play a crucial role in supporting schools and promoting the importance of reading. One way they can support schools is by encouraging their children to read regularly and providing them with a variety of reading materials at home. Parents can also engage in reading-related activities with their student, such as creating a dedicated reading time together or discussing books they have read. Share what your favorite books were at their age! By actively participating in "I Love to Read" Month and supporting their student's reading habits, parents and families help create a culture of literacy that benefits the entire school community.

Don't want to miss an announcement from us, or want to be alerted if your child is absent from class, as well as stay up to date on their coursework? Complete your Campus Parent Portal account. The Parent Portal is designed specifically for parents, providing school information at your fingertips with real-time access to announcements, attendance, assignments, Transportation, grades (if applicable), schedules and more. Parents can view all children they are assigned as guardian to and that are currently enrolled in Fridley Public Schools, grades PreK 12. Each parent/legal guardian should create their own account for their children.

Click to find out more information and for instructions on creating your account today!

Why don’t we allow cell phones in classrooms during the school day?

1. We prioritize real human interaction. We believe that learning the skills of in-person communication and collaboration are much more important. Students are already good at using electronics -- they do not need social media practice or gaming practice at school. One of the most important skills our students will learn at Fridley High School is how to get along and work well, face-to-face, with a variety of people.
   
   

2. Electronics are disruptive. Cell phones ringing and buzzing disrupt both the student and the class. We want students focused on the lesson, not who’s calling or texting them.
   
   

3. They cause drama. Students tend to say things online that they would never say out loud. We don’t need extra drama at school.
   
   

4. They get lost and stolen. Unfortunately, as wonderful as our FHS students are, phones are lost and stolen. While we try to help students problem-solve, the school is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
   
   

Students don’t need them. Every student at Fridley High School is given a chromebook for academic use.