Spartan Spotlight
December 2020/January 2021
December 1, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The Thanksgiving break has just ended and it is hard to believe that we have entered the month of December. Thanksgiving is usually one of my favorite holidays but this year was different. I made the choice to stay at home and I missed the interactions with my kids and grandkids. I am hopeful that next Thanksgiving will be different.
Our school year is also been very different. We have had multiple schedules during the first three months of school. It has ranged from a hybrid model to all distance learning. We also had nearly 90 students select a virtual education through the ND Center for Distance Education. I have missed the concerts, the plays and excitement of our athletic teams. I am hopeful that we will be able to return to a more normal school year as soon as possible.
I want to spend my time in the newsletter article describing the goal for education in 2021. The year of COVID has forced us to be resilient. Students have had to become more independent learners and more responsible than ever before. Let’s continue to find a reason to push forward and to recognize our accomplishments. Hang in there.
I am hosting a virtual zoom meeting for parents/students who are interested in the second semester Virtual Academy. We are considering a more Guided Virtual Center for students who need more structure and support. We will also still have the ND Center of Distance Education option. The meeting will be held on Thursday, December 10th at 3:00 pm. We will be sending a link to all current Virtual Academy students/parents and to any other interested family. If you are interested in second semester options, please communicate your interest to your counselor.
Our newsletter is one way for us to communicate with our families. We are always open to your phone calls and emails because we are here to serve.
Stay safe,
Andy Dahlen
Principal
State Fall Cheer Competition
NDACDA Junior High and Middle Level Honor Choirs
Congratulations to Evelyn Gould and Abhijna Kavasseri who earned positions on the North Dakota American Choral Directors Association (NDACDA) Junior High and Middle Level Honor Choirs. Due to COVID-19, the NDACDA is cancelling the honor choir performance. However, the organization is providing a virtual opportunity for these students to attend workshops with professional musicians in February.
Boys Cross Country All EDC
Swim and Dive All EDC
EDC All Conference Football
Volleyball
Cross Country
Spartan Student Activities
Seniors - Cap & Gown Orders
Please make sure your senior placed their cap and gown order with Jostens. Seniors will have until Tuesday, December 15th to turn in orders with no late fee. Orders can still be placed after this date, however they will be charged a late fee. Packets are available in the Spartan Mart, school office or by contacting Jostens directly at 701-235-1828.
Final Days of the Semester
Traditional final days of the semester will look different this semester. Courses will have the option of giving a final, however it will not be a requirement although the course requirement will be the same. For example, if biology determines there is a benefit for having a final, then all teachers will give a final. If another course determines that their time, at the end of the semester, will used to wrap up a unit and give a unit assessment, then all teachers of that course will be the same.
The end of the first semester is Friday, January 15, a distance learning day. The schedule will not be altered for the end of the semester.
Visitors to North High
Masks
The Fargo Public Schools will require all students and all staff to wear masks that adequately cover both their nose and mouth. Exceptions will be made for students with medical, behavioral, or other challenges who are unable to wear masks/face coverings.
PROPER USE OF MASKS IN SCHOOL
Wash your hands before putting on your mask. Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin. The mask should fit snugly against the sides of your face.
Wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth helps to protect others in case you’re infected with COVID-19 but don’t have symptoms.
You should wear a mask in public settings when around other people who don’t live in your household, especially when it may be difficult for you to stay six feet apart.
Wear a mask correctly for maximum protection. The mask should fit snug around the face.
Don’t put the mask around your neck or up on your forehead.
Don’t touch the mask, and, if you do, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer to disinfect.
High School Meals
The days that students are not attending class in the building, meals are provided to all students at no charge. No student ID’s needed. Students should stop by door #28 (by the bus loop) after school to pick a meal up. If students are leaving early stop by the kitchen, the kitchen staff will have them ready for pick up!
Virtual Academy students who wish to receive meals are still required to fill out forms for Grab and Go Meals. These meals will be picked up at door #8 (North side on 19th Ave) on Fridays from 11:45 am - 12:45 pm.
Winter Break Meals
Fargo Public Schools (FPS) is offering free breakfasts and lunches to students during winter break. Meals must be pre-ordered by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 17. Meals will be available for pickup on Wednesday, December 23 at a variety of locations and times. Your pickup time and location can be selected when filling out the meal order form. Meals will include both cold and frozen food items. Student names and ID numbers are required at pickup. To order meals, fill out this Winter Break Student Meal Order Form.
Inclement Weather
2020-2021 School Year
With distance learning as an option during the 2020-21 school year, Fargo Public Schools administration has considered all options on how to handle a snow day, including cancelling school and making up the day on the days noted in the school calendar (April 30 and May 17), learning from home through distance learning, or cancelling the day and considering not making up the day if our school calendar exceeds North Dakota requirements for instructional hours.
For the 2020-21 school year, Fargo Public Schools will do the following if our weather prevents us from having school:
- School will be cancelled for the first one to two snow days that fall Monday through Thursday. If there is a snow day on a preplanned Friday distance learning day, distance learning will occur. If one to two snow days occur, we will make up the days on either April 30 and or May 17.
- Any additional snow days after two days will either be a distance learning day at home or will be cancelled and the makeup requirement waived.
When our winter weather hits, Fargo Public Schools will continue to communicate about our snow days and if any changes are needed. Please pay close attention to our District newsletter, SchoolTalk¸ and be ready for announcements on days when our winter weather hits.
If school is in session, and a parent decides that a student should remain at home due to weather conditions, that decision will be respected by the school. Parents should use their own judgment in determining if the weather is suitable for their children to make the journey to school. It is always up to parents to make the final decision about whether or not to send their student to school if they believe weather conditions present a safety issue. The absence for the day would be considered an excused absence.
If school is called off, parents will be contacted via the automated phone, email and text system based on the contact information supplied to the school office(s). Parents are encouraged to update contact information with the school on a regular basis so we have up to date contact information. This can be done through PowerSchool or by calling the school office. School cancellation information will also be broadcasted via local media, and will be posted across our website and social media sites (Facebook and Twitter).
If weather or a situation develops during the day, and it is determined that an early dismissal is in the best interest of the students, parents will be contacted via the automated phone, email and text system based on the contact information supplied to the school office(s). Parents are encouraged to update contact information with the school on a regular basis so we have up to date contact information. This can be done through PowerSchool or by calling the school office. School closure information will also be broadcasted via local media, and the information will be posted on our website and social media sites (Facebook and Twitter).
On mornings when weather conditions warrant additional time for students and staff to get to school, a two hour delay will be used. On these days, North High will begin school at 10:00 am. Buses will run later than the normal arrival time. Energy saver bus riders can add two hours to the scheduled times printed and expect the bus to be at the specified stops two hours after the printed times. The early run of these energy saver routes will not run.
E-Alerts
Stay Connected!
Fargo North has several helpful links that can be found on our webpage at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/north.
You will find links for:
· Newsletters
· School Calendars
· Daily Announcements
· PowerSchool & SchoolPay Logins
· Student Handbook
· School Menus
· Daily Planner
· District Forms
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact our school office at 701-446-2400.
Schedule
Daily Period Schedule
Distance Learning Schedule
Shuttle Bus Schedule
Information from the Counseling Center
2021-2022 Course Registration
Each year, students and families have the opportunity to review, discuss and revise their 4-year academic plan for graduation. Students or parents/guardians can request a meeting with their school counselor. Course selection and registration for the 2021-2022 school year will begin in January. During the registration process, students will review their graduation requirements and course offerings and revise their 4-year graduation plan. Students are encouraged to discuss their choices with their families, teachers, case managers and counselors. If you or your student would like to schedule additional time with a counselor to review his/her graduation plan and course choices, please call 446-2412.
Juniors
FOUR YEAR ACADEMIC PLANS
Parents/guardians and students can request to meet with a school counselor annually to review, discuss, and revise four-year academic plans for graduation. Families can call the North High counseling office, 446-2412, for an appointment, or students can come to the counseling office to set up a time. FPS school counselors visit classrooms several times during grades 8-12, to develop and revise academic plans. Each year at FNH, students update their 4-year plan during course registration in February.
The first visit occurs during the spring of 8th grade, when all students create their first high school four-year academic plan in the computer program called RUReadyND. After that, students are encouraged to maintain and update the data in their plans.
In February, at registration class visits, students in grades 9-11 are given the resources to count credits, rework their academic plans and establish course work for the following year. During this class visit, students meet individually with their counselors.
One final credit count and review of the academic plan is completed in the fall of 12th grade. All seniors fill out a Graduation Application document with their counselors. This document is a final academic plan, detailing how all credits will be completed before graduation in the spring. Parents/guardians and students receive copies of the form, and the original copy is held by each student’s counselor for school reference.
Whenever a student or parent/guardian initiates an inquiry about credits earned, graduation status, or course selection, counselors are eager to discuss academic planning options.
WORKKEYS TESTING
Seniors may register with Lisa Metzger in the Counseling and Career Center to take or retake the ACT WorkKeys test (internet version) at North High. Cost to students is $12.00 for each of the three tests. If students are hoping to qualify for the ND Career and Technical Scholarship, they will need to achieve a score of at least 5 on each of the following WorkKeys tests: Workplace Documents, Applied Math, and Graphic Literacy. WorkKeys testing will be offered at Fargo North on Wednesday, December 9th and Thursday, December 10th. Students will take all 3 tests on one of those dates. Students will also need to meet additional requirements in order to qualify for this scholarship. Additional information about the WorkKeys is available at http://www.act.org/workkeys/index.html. Students should stop by the Counseling Center with any questions.
Scholarships
Check out this link for scholarships including eligibility/criteria, potential award, the application procedure and where to get an application. If you have any questions please call Lisa Metzger in the Counseling Office at 701-446-2413.
Dual Credit/Early Entry
If students are interested in earning college credit while in high school there are two options available to students:
· Take an online course offered through NDSCS – the North Dakota State College of Science
· Students who are enrolled in the following courses at North High are eligible to enroll in the Dual Credit option through NDSCS:
BIOL 151/151L – General Biology I & II
Mike Finneseth
BIOL 221/221L – Anatomy & Physiology I & II
Mike Finneseth
BOTE 171 – Medical Terminology
Heidi Horne
CHEM 122/122L – General Chemistry I & II
Rachel Consdorf
CIS 128/129 – Hardware I & II
Ullrich Reichenbach
CIS 164/165 – Networking Fundamentals I & II
Ullrich Reichenbach
HIST 103/104 – US History to/since 1877
Colin Kloster
MATH 103/104 - College Algebra/Trigonometry
Matt Wollan
MATH 210 - Elementary Statistics
Keith Lehman
MFGT 110 - Industrial Shop Practices
Lee Larson - STTC
MFGT 123 - Fabrication Methods 1
Lee Larson - STTC
POLS 115 – American Government
Derek Ouren
Students will be provided with the registration materials by their classroom teacher at the beginning of Semester 2.
*Students who are part of the Free and Reduced Lunch Program may apply for consideration to receive tuition assistance via the following link:
https://bnd.nd.gov/pdf/dual_credit_assistance_application.pdf
Early Entry students need to meet the following criteria to enroll in NDSCS classes:
1. Permission from parent/guardian.
2. Must be in grades 10, 11 or 12.
3. Minimum GPA of 3.0 recommended. Requests for Early Entry enrollment by students who do not have a GPA of 3.0 will be reviewed on an individual basis by an authorized NDSCS representative in consultation with the high school administration.
If you have questions, please contact Mandy Orth Gibney at 446-2416 or orthm@fargo.k12.nd.us.
ACT/SAT EXAM SCHEDULE
The ACT and SAT are college entrance tests required by most 4-year colleges. Students should check with the specific school they plan to apply to for the test needed. These tests are generally taken during the latter part of a student’s junior year and during their senior year. Register on the websites for the tests at: www.actstudent.org & www.collegeboard.com.
ACT Exam Schedule
North High School Code: 350-568
ACT Basic Fee: $55.00
ACT Plus Writing Fee: $70.00
Test Option Change Fee: $15.00
Late Registration Additional Fee: $35.00
SAT EXAM SCHEDULE
North High School Code: 350-568
SAT Fee $52.00 SAT with Essay $68.00
Change Fee: $30.00
Late Registration Fee: $30.00
Fee Waivers
If a student is unable to participate in an activity requiring a fee, waivers or other resources are often available to assist. The typical guideline used for eligibility is qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Students are encouraged to visit with their counselor if they may qualify or need any assistance.
ZAPS ACT Prep Seminar
Attention all students planning to take an ACT this year. Learn how to prepare for the ACT by attending the Doorway to College “ZAPS ACT Prep Seminar” being held virtually. Register for the seminar at www.doorwaytocollege.com Cost is $95.
Rape & Abuse Crisis Center
In partnership with Fargo Public Schools, the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center (RACC) is offering counseling services to North High students. Jana Battagler, a counselor from RACC, will be available to meet with students via video or phone to discuss a variety of topics including, but not limited to healthy relationships, friendships, bullying, coping skills, technology safety, healthy sexuality, and trauma. Students that are interested in participating in this support should contact their school counselor or the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center at 701-293-7273.
Open Door
Just a reminder, if you or your family are in need of personal hygiene supplies, household products, food or clothing, the North High School Open Door has a small variety of items. Students and families can access these items by contacting their school counselor. FNH encourages families to consider any needs they might have over school breaks and long weekends and contact the counseling office at 701-446-2412 prior to the break. If you need additional community supports, the counselors are available to help connect you with additional supports to meet your needs.
McKinney-Vento Homeless Services
Free/Low Cost Insurance
Is your child or another member of your family currently without health care coverage? If you would like information about any of the low-cost or free health coverage programs offered in your state please call toll-free: 1-877-KIDS NOW or 1-877-543-7669.
Healthy Steps insurance is for children who:
· are North Dakota residents.
· are U.S. citizens or qualified aliens.
· do not have health insurance coverage.
· are 18 years of age or younger.
· do not qualify for the North Dakota Medicaid Program.
Information
PTSA Monthly Meeting
Senior Pictures
Senior pictures should be emailed to our yearbook adviser at fnhyearbook@fargoschools.org. The deadline to submit a picture is April 1st. If a senior picture is not submitted, the student’s ID will be used. The picture submitted must meet the following criteria:
Senior Picture Policy
Any senior photos submitted to the Laconian yearbook committee must meet the following regulations:
- Vertical orientation
- 300 resolution (required for digital photos)
- In accordance with the school district’s weapons policy (Policy 5355), no weapons of any kind
- Must follow school dress code with the exception of school issued uniforms
- Domesticated house pets are allowed
- Only single-subject photos
- No accessories or props condoning or promoting illegal activity
- Deadline for senior photos must be met (April 1st)
- Must be taken in the past year
Yearbook editors have the right to refuse any pictures deemed inappropriate. Students will be asked to provide another picture if requirements are not met or if the picture is inappropriate.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Sitzler Erickson @ sitzlek@fargoschools.org.
Yearbooks
Students can purchase a copy of the 2020-2021 yearbook for the low price of $50 until December 1, 2020. After that date the cost for a yearbook will increase to $60. The “Laconian” is a full-color book with memorable stories, eye-catching photos, and cutting-edge graphics and layouts. You can pay through School Pay.
Bus Route Schedules
Fargo Public Schools 2020-2021 “Energy Saver” bus route schedules are available on the Fargo Publics schools website www.fargo.k12.nd.us/transportation. Schedules can also be picked up in the school office.
Attendance
Students are expected to be in their classes every day, except in the case of illness, school related activities, family emergency, or religious observance. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their children are in school unless a valid reason for absence exists. The Attendance Office asks that a student’s absence be reported by 9:00 a.m. If a student is not accounted for they will be recorded as truant. Please review the attendance policies found in our on-line student handbook. The Attendance Office may be reached by calling 446-2410 or 446-2411.
Detention
Does your student have detention? We have several opportunities for student’s to make up their detention.
Monday - Thursday
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
3:50 - 4:30 p.m.
Room 311
All detention needs to be served during times described above.
Students with outstanding detentions may not be able to participate in extra curricular activities until all detention has been completed. These activities include, but are not limited to: athletics, prom, plays, and school sponsored trips.
Notifications for Parents/Guardians
Fargo Public Schools 2019-20 Annual Report
As evidence of Fargo Public Schools’ commitment to our patrons, the FPS 2019-20 Annual Report is now available. It showcases the qualities and services of our school district and provides a wide array of information to familiarize families and the community with Fargo Public Schools. Report details include enrollment, staffing, and budget numbers. It also gives overviews of student services and student assessment data. Thank you for your continued support as we serve the citizens of Fargo by providing students an excellent educational experience. You can access the full document at this link.
State of the Schools Address & Public Focus Group
The Fargo Public Schools will hold the 2020-21 virtual State of the Schools Address & Public Focus Group on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Parents, staff and community members are invited to participate and are encouraged to pre-register by noon on December 30, 2020 by signing up online at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/focusgroup. Questions posed in the focus groups will concentrate on scheduling the school calendar and instructional time in Fargo Public Schools. Reading materials for attendees are available online. Focus group information will be sent electronically in advance of the event. For more information, visit www.fargo.k12.nd.us/focusgroup.
Written Notification of School Accountability Report
Dear Parent/Guardian,
North Dakota’s Insights dashboard provides important information about K-12 districts and schools. Insights features easy-to-read reports on multiple measures of school success, including:
- Test Scores
- Graduation Rates
- English Learner Progress
- Student Engagement
- State Accountability
Transparency to the Public
North Dakota is committed to informing communities about how well our schools are doing. North Dakota’s future success depends on tapping into the potential of all students so they graduate choice ready with the knowledge, skills, and disposition to be successful. State education departments are required to annually create an accountability report for every public school in the state. The school accountability reports outline how schools are performing on the accountability elements North Dakota selected within its ESSA plan.
How is our School Doing?
To find out more information about our School Accountability Report, visit the dashboard at Insights.nd.gov, select “Find My School”, and search alphabetically for our school. The school accountability report is posted under the Dashboard heading. Please note, the data made available to the public masks or hides data for groups with 10 or fewer students to protect confidential information about individual students. Therefore, if data is not available to less than 10 students, it will say “no data available”.
Family Engagement
We have strong plans for working to improve the educational programs at our school. We would like you and your child(ren) to continue to be active participants in our educational system. Please help support our high expectations for student achievement by participating in the school educational initiatives, offering input and support in our endeavors to raise student achievement, or volunteering at the school. Meeting our school’s goals will take a united effort, and I look forward to working with our families to ensure success for each student.
Continuous Improvement
All schools engage in continuous improvement for general support; therefore, our school has completed a continuous improvement plan through Cognia (formerly AdvancED). As part of the overall school improvement plan, a strategy map is generated for each school. Our strategy map, outlining our key school improvement initiatives, is available on the Insights Dashboard.
North High has a student membership count of 961, and it is not a participating Title I school.
If you have any questions regarding the information in the memorandum, please contact the school at 801 17th Ave North, Fargo ND or 701-446-2400.
Sincerely,
Andy Dahlen
Building Principal
Dispute Resolution Policy
Federal regulations require that each district adopt procedures for receiving and resolving disputes pertaining to Title programs.
If a parent, school personnel or any interested person wishes to file a complaint, the following process must be followed:
The written complaint must be sent via mail or e-mail to:
(Manager of Specific Title program)
Fargo Public Schools
415 North 4th Street
Fargo, ND 58102
Fargo Public Schools Title Managers
Title I Part A (Disadvantaged Students) - Jan Anderson anderja@fargo.k12.nd.us
Title II Part A (Teacher Training/Recruitment) - Robert Grosz groszr@fargo.k12.nd.us and Missy Eidsness eidsnem@fargo.k12.nd.us
Title III (English Language Acquisition) - David Burkman burkmad@fargo.k12.nd.us
Title IX (Discrimination/Sexual Harassment) - Brad Franklin franklb@fargo.k12.nd.us and Patty Cummings cumminp1@fargo.k12.nd.us
Section 504 (Students with Disabilities) - David Burkman burkmad@fargo.k12.nd.us
Any complaint must include:
- The date;
- The name of the district, unit, or individual the complaint is against;
- The name, address, and telephone number of the person making the complaint;
- A detailed description of the complaint, including specific facts; and
- The signature of the person making the complaint.
When a complaint is filed, the appropriate Fargo Public Schools Title Manager will investigate and issue a written response within sixty (60) calendar days from the date the complaint is received.
Reconsideration
Once a response is received from Fargo Public Schools staff, the person making the complaint has the right to have their complaint reconsidered. The complainant may submit a reconsideration request in writing to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and the U.S. Department of Education.
State Superintendent
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
600 E. Boulevard Avenue, Dept 201
Bismarck, ND 58505-0440
The Secretary of Education
U.S. Department of Education
555 New Jersey Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20208
Email Issue for Hotmail Users
Fargo Public Schools has received reports from some families using Hotmail accounts that they may not be receiving school and district notification emails. These reports are only coming from parents with Hotmail accounts, but not every parent with a Hotmail account is having an issue. The problem appears to be related to how Hotmail “learns” to help manage incoming email for each individual. If you have a Hotmail email address and you think you might be missing school notification messages, please follow the steps in this linked document to create a contact/people entry for the noreply@fargo.k12.nd.us email address. That process will add the email to your “safe sender” list and help make sure you see all emails from Fargo Public Schools.
Important Contact Numbers
North High Main Office
Main Office - 446-2400
Andy Dahlen, Principal - 446-2404
Mark Blanshan, Assistant Principal - 446-2499
Travis Christensen, Asst. Prin./Activities Dir - 446-2407
Kathy Cieslak, Assistant Principal - 446-2406
Jessica Geir, Administrative Asst. - 446-2405
Della Nystrom, Bookkeeper - 446-2409
Keri VanEnk, Activities Secretary - 446-2408
ATTENDANCE OFFICE
Stacey Bush - 446-2410
Wendy Peterson - 446-2411
COUNSELING and CAREER CENTER OFFICE
Nikki Brandenburger, Registrar/Secretary - 446-2412
Terri Court (A - F) - 446-2415
Mandy Orth Gibney (G - K) - 446-2416
Janelle Stahl Ladbury (L - R) - 446-2414
Kate Evenson (S - Z) - 446-2417
Lisa Metzger - Career Advisor - 446-2413
Mary Krueger, Student Wellness & Family Facilitator - 446-2456
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER
Officer Jason Abel, SRO - 446-2631
SCHOOL NURSE
Lori Thomas, School Nurse - 446-2486
ATHLETIC TRAINER
J.D. Darling - 446-2447
Jordan Wolf - 446-2447
NUTRITION SERVICES
Tammie Schaffer - 446-2517
DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR
- December 21 - PTSA Meeting via zoom 4:30 pm
- December 24 - January 3 - Winter Holiday Break - No School
- January 4 - Classes Resume
- January 18 - No School - Staff Professional Development
- January 25 - PTSA Meeting via zoom 4:30 pm
- February 15 - No School
- February 16 - No School - Staff Professional Development
Fargo North High School
Andy Dahlen, Principal - 446-2404
Travis Christensen, Activities Director - 446-2407
Mark Blanshan, Asst. Principal - 446-2499
Kathy Cieslak, Asst. Principal - 446-2406
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us/North
Location: 801 17th Avenue North, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701-446-2400