FMS Newsletter

We look forward to welcoming parents for our spring parent-teacher conferences. These will be held on March 2 and March 7 from 4:00 - 8:00. We look forward to seeing families and partnering with you.

As always, please let us know how we can best support you and your student. The education and wellbeing of our students is the utmost importance to us and we will continue to do everything we can to meet the needs of all our students. We are here to support, encourage, partner together, and engage students in their learning. Thank you for partnering with us!

Warmly,

Amy Cochran

Principal

Fridley Middle School

amy.cochran@fridley.k12.mn.us

____________________________________________________________________________________________

February 28th- 7th/8th Grade Band Winter Concert

March 1st: Incoming 5th Gr. Parent Info Night

March 2nd: Spring Conferences (4pm-8pm)

March 6: FMS and FHS Jazz Band Coffee Concert

March 7th: Spring Conferences (4pm-8pm)

March 23rd: FMS Musical (7pm-8pm)

March 24th: FMS Musical (7pm-8pm)

March 25th: FMS Musical (2pm-3pm)

March 28th: FHS Spring Concert

Please join us for parent-teacher conferences.

Conferences for Grades 5 - 8 will be held the following dates and times:

Thursday, March 2 from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 7 from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Grade 5 and 6 will be scheduled by core classroom teacher. Please sign up for an appointment with your students teacher.

Grade 7 and 8- Arena style, no appointment necessary

Encore/Specialist teachers will be available arena style with no appointment needed.

Do you have an incoming 5th Grader? Please join us at Fridley Middle School media center March 1 from 5:30 - 6:30 pm to learn about your student's transition to Fridley Middle School. Information will be presented on Fridley Middle School, hear from current students, parents and teachers about their experience! We look forward to seeing you!

This evening is geared towards parents/guardians. We will have an event in May that will allow students and families an opportunity to visit the middle school, meet teachers, see classrooms, practice opening lockers and much more!

Please note the change of date that was originally printed in the district calendar.

Wants to invite you to join us somewhere over the rainbow!

March 23-24, 7pm & 25th, at 2pm

Students $4

Adults $10

(All tickets can be purchased at the District Auditorium box office before each show)

7th grade students in science will have Springbrook Nature Center specialists teaching lessons in class this month about ecological relationships which will culminate with a field trip either on March 15 or March 16.

This field trip takes place outside so make sure your child has appropriate winter clothing.

The Minnesota Department of Education requires that 5th - 8th grade students take the MCA Reading and Math test, as well as Science for grades 5 and 8. Students will test in April and May. We will test on the following dates:

Reading: April 25 and 26

Math: May 2 and 3

Science: Grades 5 and 8 only- May 9 and 10

More information about the MCA tests can be found at Minnesota Department of Education’s website http://education.state.mn.us/mde/fam/tests/

If your student is going to be out of school for an extended period of time, doctor's appointments, or has any health condition that we should be aware of, please make sure to bring in a doctor documentation. You can find medical forms on the district website as well.

Nutritional Services is seeing an increase in the number of students who have a negative lunch balance. Please check your student's lunch balance using the Campus Parent Portal. Money can be deposited online using your Parent Campus Portal via credit card or echeck.

Cash can also be turned into Kathy Backstrom in the High School Office. If you are having trouble paying for your student's meals, please complete the Application for Educational Benefits to see if you qualify for free or reduced priced meals. Applications can be completed at any time during the school year. If approved, you are still responsible for the outstanding debit. The Application for Educational Benefits can be found at https://www.fridleyschools.org/about-us/departments/nutritional-services/meal-applications If you have any questions about the application, please contact Kathy Backstrom at 763-502-5021.

Nutritional Services is continuing to offer new menu items and taste testing new recipes. Please check out the menu for our daily options. If you have any feedback about the menus, please contact me at renee.arbogast@fridley.k12.mn.us We look forward to seeing your students in the cafe.

If your families, income has changed, you can still apply for Educational Benefits (free/reduced priced meals). The application can be completed online through the Campus Portal at https://fridleymn.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/fridley.jsp If you do not have Campus Parent Portal access, paper applications can be found at your school's office or on the Nutritional Services Web Page. Please check your students lunch balance, we have quite a few students who have a negative lunch balance. If you are having trouble paying your outstanding lunch balance, please contact Kathy Backstrom at 763-502-5021 to discuss payment options. If your child is bringing a cold lunch and wants a milk, the cost is $0.55, and your child needs to have money in their account.

Interactive menus and pdf menus are posted on the Nutritional Services website. Please note that menus are subject to change due to supply chain and staffing issues. The most current menus are found on using the Titan link on the Nutritional Services web page. If you have any menu questions or concerns, please contact Renee Arbogast at 763-502-5022

Campus Parent - Infinite Campus

Tuesday 08/23/2022 Fridley Public Schools encourages all guardians who have children enrolled in the school district to use the Parent Portal.

fridleymn.infinitecampus.org

Please join us for the Spring Band and Choir Concert on Tuesday, March 28th at 7:00 PM in the FHS Auditorium, with performances by: Concert Band, Concert Choir, Varsity Band, Show Choir, and Jazz Band. This event is free and open to the public! Freewill donations also accepted.

Please remember the expectations/guidelines for Fridley High School events:

1. A middle school or elementary student MUST be accompanied by their Parent/Guardian to any Fridley HS Athletic or Fine Arts Event. Middle school students will not be able to purchase a ticket without a paid parent or guardian present. These students must sit with their parents or guardian and be supervised at all times.

2. Game Procedure that must be followed:

• No Bags, backpacks, balls of any kind may be brought into the Fridley Tiger Stadium

• All bags/purses are subject to being searched.

• All students must remain in the stands throughout the whole game. Concessions and restrooms are the only reasons to be out of the bleacher space.

Thank you for your help to ensure that our events are a safe and fun place for students and families!

• Student arrival begins at 7:45 am
• Free breakfast will be served from 7:45 - 8:05 am
• School day starts at 8:00 am: Students entering after 8:00 am will be marked tardy.
• Dismissal is at 3:00 pm

Remember to call FMS at 763-502-5400 to update your student's attendance if they will not be in school.

Please help us with after-school dismissal procedures:

• School ends at 3:00 pm.
• Busses and vans leave at 3:12. If your student rides a bus/van, please help remind them that they need to head straight to their bus/van after school so they do not miss their ride.
• Students who are picked up after school should go to the front loop to find their rides immediately after the 3:00 dismissal bell. The front vestibule is to be used in emergency situations while students wait, but not meant to be used as a long-term waiting area. There is NO after-school supervision after 3:15 pm so it is important that students are picked up right away. (5th and 6th-grade students who need after-school supervision can sign up for Tiger Club through the Fridley Community Center).

The student support office, made up of our school social workers and school psychologist, is reaching out to let you know that we will be offering a variety of groups here at school covering topics such as Anxiety, Depression, Organization, and Social Skills.

Groups offer an experience where students with shared commonalities can discuss their struggles in a safe space, while receiving support and guidance from a mental health professional. Groups will be lead on a weekly basis.

If you have a student who you think could benefit from one of these groups, please reach out to our Student Support Office by emailing us.

Alyssa Rademacher, School Social Worker (Grade 5th and 6th): alyssa.rademacher@fridley.k12.mn.us

Jaimie Beran, School Social Worker (Grade 7th and 8th): jaimie.beran@fridley.k12.mn.us

Jeff Williams, School Psychologist: jeff.williams@fridley.k12.mn.us

• Are you staying with a friend or family member? Currently in a hotel, shelter, or car? Are you displaced and not sure of what to do next? We have resources for you! Under the McKinney-Vento Law, your student is eligible for transportation provided by the district. Please reach out to your school social worker via phone or email to connect about next steps.

• Whether in person or online, our district-wide backpack program is up and running! If you are in need of additional food resources, please reach out to Ms. Beran at (763-502-5575) and she will coordinate getting items to you. It might look a little different this year, but please do not hesitate to reach out. If you have students in other buildings, please feel free to reach out to the school social worker as well!

For the 2022-23 school year all students eligible for transportation MUST request by this form: https://www.fridleyschools.org/-us/departments/transportation

Winter Weather Reminders From Transporation

• Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the winter weather.
• Your child is required to be at the scheduled stop 5 minutes prior to bus pick-up time.
• If the bus is more than 10 minutes late, your child should go home and call the assigned bus company (see below).
• Information about late busses is communicated through our messenger program, so please make sure that your contact information is accurate on the Parent Portal.
• If school buildings are closed due to severe weather, the district will communicate by email and phone, and on the district website, local news channels and district social media.

If your child receives bussing from outside of the Fridley school district it is through a program called NW Suburban. This policy dictates that if the student's service district or magnet school is closed, CSTrans-MN will not provide transportation to the school or any other location on that day. This means if your home district closes for weather you will not receive bussing to Fridley on that day.

Our Bus Companies:

· Route #’s 10 – 37: First Student (Champlin location) 763-421-5785

· R & D Transportation (Vans) 763-767-1804 (then select #1) (RD routes)

· Halo Transportation (Vans) 763-432-6806 (FR) routes

FRIDLEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

Phone: 763-502-5151 | Email: transportation@fridley.k12.m

With seasonal flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses on the rise, remember to keep your students home when they have a fever of 100 degrees or higher, are throwing up, have diarrhea, or are generally not feeling well.

Please teach your kids how and when to wash hands with soap and water, cover their cough, and how and when to use hand sanitizer, to help decrease the spreading of germs.

Please read the document below for our updated practices for maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment in Fridley Public Schools for the 2022-2023 school year.

Emergency Sheets need to be updated and signed yearly. It is very important that we have the most current contact numbers in case of an emergency or illness. If you did not attend open house, please reach out to our health office to update your information.

It is also important that we are told about any health conditions your child might have. This information is listed on the emergency sheet as well. If anything has changed over the summer, please call the Health Office about this.

Attention parents of 7th graders

There are additional immunizations that are required for 7th grade; Tdap and Menningococcal. These are required BEFORE starting school or a conscientious objection form must by notarized and given to the health office BEFORE school starts. Notification letters were mailed to parents in May. The immunization form is on the District Web Page under Health Services. Please make an appointment with your clinic to get these immunizations completed as soon as possible.

Per our District Policy, all immunizations must be current in order to start school. Please help in making it a great start for your child's school year by getting this done.

Influenza Season is approaching!

Connect with your child clinic to schedule a flu shot with your primary doctor. Good hand washing is the BEST PREVENTION!

Fridley Public Schools uses a variety of digital tools to support student learning. Depending upon the particular educational technology being used, our district may need to collect different types of student data, which is then shared with educational technology vendors through their online sites, services, and/or applications. Under Minnesota’s Student Data Privacy Act, educational technology vendors are prohibited from selling or renting a student's information or from engaging in targeted advertising using a student's information. Such vendors may only disclose student data for K-12 school purposes and other limited purposes permitted under the law. This act also requires districts to provide timely notice of the tool used, data collected, and contact information.

Download a spreadsheet that catalogs the full library of evaluated resources. If you have any questions or concerns about any digital resources used by your child, please contact your child’s teacher.

We have an important announcement we want to share with you. All parents/guardians will need to have a Parent Portal account in Campus. The Parent Portal provides secure access to your child/children’s information such as class assignments, attendance, calendar, and grades. You can also use Parent Portal to pay for meals, fees, or school supplies.

There are many advantages of signing up for and using your Parent Portal account. It is convenient and easy to use, and gives you instant access to important information:

Nutritional Services: Manage your child/children’s meal accounts

· Make online payments using checking, savings and/or credit/debit card to pay for your student’s meals.

· Families can also set up automatic payments to pay for meals.

· Check current balances and see any purchases made on your child’s account.

Meal Benefits Application: Annual renewal made easier

· Apply for Meal Benefits Application in Parent Portal

· Parents/Guardians must apply each year to qualify for free and reduced priced meals.

· By applying, you also help the district receive additional funding to support classroom learning.

Activities & Athletics & School Store: Now includes shopping for school supplies

· Sign up and pay for Activities and Athletics fees for your child

· View and shop for your child/children’s school supplies

Transportation: Access important updates and information

· Access your child/children’s transportation information on the Parent Portal.

How to Activate your Parent Portal Account:

1. Go to Fridley Public Schools Home Page: www.fridleyschools.org

2. Select the Campus Parent Portal Login link in the top right-hand corner of the webpage.

3. On the Parent Portal login page, select New User.

4. Enter the Campus Portal Activation Key provided here: <this is the GUID>

5. Choose SUBMIT.

6. You will be asked to create a Username and Password.

7. Choose SUBMIT.

8. Your Campus Portal account will be activated.

All Middle School students will need to update their account information by enrolling in the district Password Portal system. The Password Portal provides the security REQUIRED to protect their Fridley account information from digital theft and other possible cybersecurity threats.

If you have login questions, please go to the Fridley Public Schools Student Online Support (SOS) page at the following address: https://sites.google.com/isd14.org/student-tech-resources/home?authuser=0

Also, if you have issues, you can submit a Service Desk Ticket using the following link: https://fhs.fridleyschools.org/support/student-tech-support

Do you have a few hours a day to be paid to go to your child's school? We are hiring a 4- hour lunch supervision para! Hours are 10:30-2:30 on all student school days. Click the button below to apply!

This newsletter was created to give parents and students a place to check in for the most up to date information on multiple areas of our building. If you should have any questions, please reach out to us.

Email: amy.cochran@fridley.k12.mn.us
Website: www.fridley.k12.mn.us
Location: 6100 West Moore Lake Drive Northeast, Fridley, MN, USA
Phone: 763.502.5401
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FridleyMS
Twitter: @FridleyMSTigers