NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 6: FEBRUARY 2021
A Message from the Principal
Greetings Fridley Middle School students and families:
February is an exciting month! The first day of Semester 2 starts on February 1 and marks the beginning of the second half of our school year! We are also so excited to welcome our hybrid students back into the building- 5th and 6th Grade on February 1st and 7th and 8th Grade on February 16th! And in February we celebrate Black History Month and our Nation's Diverse History! It is an exciting month and a lot to look forward to!
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 and all of your support during these difficult times!
Amy Cochran
Principal
Fridley Middle School
Mark your calendar
February 1 - Semester 2 Begins
February 15 - No School - President's Day
Report Cards
Nutritional Services
Updated Meal Pick Up for 5th-6th Grade Students Return to in Person Learning
With 5th and 6th Grade student returning to hybrid learning, we need to inform you of changes for meal pick up for those students.
- Last day of 5 day meal pick up for 5th and 6th grade student only will be Thursday, January 28, 2021.
- Starting on February 2, 2021, children assigned to the Stripes group should pick up free meals on Tuesdays from 4:30-6:00 pm at Fridley High School door 15. You will receive 3 breakfast, 3 lunches and 3 snacks for your child to eat on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
- Starting on February 4, 2021, children assigned to the Paws group should pick up free meals on Thursday from 4:30-6:00 pm at Fridley High School door 15. You will receive 3 breakfast, 3 lunch, and 3 snacks for your child to eat on the following Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
- We ask that you try to pick up during your assigned day, but if you cannot you can pick up during the other High School meal pick up time.
- There will be no 3 day meal bags available during Wednesday meal pick up times.
- 5th and 6th grade students will receive free breakfast and lunch when they are attending in person learning at school.
All meals served in school and at meal pick are free to all children ages 1-18 regardless of income level.
Fridley Nutritional Services Meal Pick Up locations and times remain the same for children ages 1-5 (not in school) and 7-12 grades and those enrolled in Fridley Learning Academy:
- Tuesday Nights 4:30-6:00 at Fridley High School door 15
- Wednesday 11:30-1:30 at Fridley Middle School main entrance
- Thursday 4:30-6:00 at Fridley High School door 15
If you have any questions regarding meal pick please contact Renee Arbogast at 763-502-5022.
National African American Parent Involvement Day
FMS Learning Site
Check out our Fridley Middle School Learning Site for resources and information related to distance learning. We hope this site is a useful tool for you to find up-to-date resources as well as specific grade level information.
Students of the Month
Every month students are awarded Student of the Month by their teacher for showing our IB Learner Profile Traits and showing GRIT. Congratulations to all our December Student of the Month award recipients!
Ada Paquette
Jayden Vang
Mostapha Abdullahi
Yusuf Abdi
Edwina George
Keith Boshey-Cross
Alex Johnson
Lorenzo Hampton
Aseiya Kedir
Marquez Williams
Dre’Ciona Adams
Serafina Moore McCormick
GRIT Scholar of the Week Raffle Winners
Congratulations to the GRIT Scholar of the week raffle winners for the week of January 11-15th.
Nehemiah Walker
Bokeem Washington
Ava Wilson
Lizandro Picon Hidalgo
Jennifer Nguyen
Aidan Andler
DeSean Martin
Summer Osell
Congratulations to the GRIT Scholar of the week raffle winners for the week of January 18-22nd.
Da’Zira Robinson
Connor Gould
Imran Mohammed
Danielle Roberts
Wyatt Davis
Marie-Victoire Kolibe-Gnamikou
Aralyn Thomas
Kaleigh Pha
The GRIT Team will reach out to the winners for them to pick and receive their prizes.
Media Center Updates
Check out (no pun intended) the Media Center’s Google Site! On the Media Center’s Google Site, you can find information on checking out books during COVID-19, new and featured books, links to helpful online resources like Destiny Discover, and more!
Health Office
Immunizations
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe." We are missing a lot this fall as a result of the pandemic. As a school, we are required to collect school immunizations on each student.
As 5th and 6th grade hybrid scholars resume school on Feb 1st, those students who are missing vaccinations will not be able to attend in-person school until they are completed. A letter was mailed to those families. Please connect with your child’s clinic for reassurance that it is safe to return to your clinic for vaccinations and well-childcare checks. Per our district policy, all immunizations must be current. Please call the health office at (763-502-5426) if you have questions.
COVID-19 alert
Common question
Should children get their routine vaccinations during COVID-19?
*Children who are not protected by vaccines may be more likely to get diseases like measles and whooping cough. As communities are opening up, it's important for parents to work with their children's doctor or nurse to make sure their children stay up to date on routine vaccines.
For additional information on vaccines for children, please click on link below:
Routine Vaccination During the COVID-19 Outbreak | CDC
A CDC report released in May 2020 found a troubling drop in routine childhood vaccinations as a result of families staying at home. While families followed public health warnings about going out, an unfortunate result was many missed routine vaccinations. CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend every child continues to receive routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Influenza Season!
Connect with your child's clinic to schedule a flu shot with your primary doctor. Good hand washing is the BEST PREVENTION!
Safety Precautions for In-Person Learning
- All students and staff must wear masks indoors
- Many staff will wear a mask and face shield
- Students will get a new cloth mask
- Frequent sanitizing upon entry and throughout the day.
- Social distancing when eating lunch
A Note from the Transportation Department
We are in the middle of winter and as is common during the season, we expect to experience extreme cold temperatures and/or heavy snow. The Fridley Transportation Department would like to share a few winter-weather transportation reminders with you that will help keep our students safe.
- 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. We do not expect the student to stay at the stop any longer than 10 minutes after the scheduled time. Should the bus be late by more than 10 minutes, the student should go home and call the assigned bus contractor (see below).
- Information and updates on late busses are communicated through our messenger program, so please make sure that your contact information is accurate.
- You may log in to your Parent Portal parent account and update your email or phone number.
- If school buildings are closed due to severe weather, the district will communicate with families ahead of time through email, phone call, and will also post the announcement on the district website, local news channels and district social media.
- For more information on school closures, visit our district website on school closures.
Our Contractors:
· Voigt’s -763-571-1241 #2 (Route #’s 1- 19,)
· 1st Student – Champlin 763-421-5785 (Route’s 20-32)
· R & D Transportation – 763-767-1804 press #2 (Van)
· Halo Transportation -432-6806 (Van)
If you have any questions or concerns, please email or call the Fridley Transportation Department.
Thank you and stay safe.
Fridley Transportation Department
Transportation Department
763-502-5151
Yearbook Ordering for the 20-21 School Year
If you are interested in ordering a yearbook for the 20-21 school year follow the link below to order:
http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A04023830
The cost is $20.
Wrestling Camp
Wrestling camp will be an opportunity for our 5th and 6th grade students to learn some basic wrestling skills and participate in other fun athletic events. This camp will start February 8th and run through March 25th.
Sign Up Instruction:
1. Log into Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
- If you do not have a Parent Portal account, here is information on how to sign up for one: INFINITE CAMPUS PARENT PORTAL NEW USER. Registration is also available in the student’s Campus portal account.
2. Click on School Store Tab.
3. Click shop Fridley Middle School
4. Choose Activity add to cart and check out.
5. Add payment method and submit.
Help is Available
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.
- Even during distance learning, our district-wide backpack program is up and running! If you are in need of additional food resources, please reach out to Ms. Beran 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!
Jaimie Beran – Fridley Middle School Social Worker
Phone: (763) 502 – 5400 ext. 5575 | jaimie.beran@fridley.k12.mn.us
Attendance Matters
Weather Related Reminders
Employment Opportunities
Ever wanted to work in a school or work with school-aged children? Are you awesome at communicating with children and love being around them? If so, please consider applying for our ParaEducator positions. These are 32.5 hours a week, eligible for full benefits and paid time off. Option for FREE single covered medical and dental insurance! In this position, you would work the same schedule as students. The pay ranges from $14.99-$16.71 an hour depending on previous para work experience. We currently have 5 positions open across the school district.
If keeping things clean, in good order and safe is something you love, please consider applying to our Custodial positions. We currently have 3 openings, all working 8 hours a day, second shift from (3:00pm – 11:00pm). The starting pay is $15.06 per hour (DOE), plus .50 per hour for working second shift. These are year-round fully benefit eligible positions. Option for FREE single covered medical and dental insurance!
Visit our website at https://www.applitrack.com/fridley/onlineapp/ to review the postings, job duties and qualifications and apply today!
Shop with Shutterfly and help Fridley Middle School at the same time!
Fridley Middle School has a custom online storefront where you can shop the extensive Shutterfly collection of photo books, gifts, premium stationery, keepsakes, home décor and so much more—and for every purchase made, Shutterfly will donate 8% to our organization.
It’s easy to support us:
1. Visit our Shutterfly Storefront at: fridleymiddleschool.ShutterflyStorefront.com
2. Click through to start shopping!
3. Purchase thoughtful gifts and keepsakes for friends, family and especially yourself.
4. That’s it! For every purchase made, 8% of the proceeds will go toward helping our organization.
It’s that easy. Plus, you can even use applicable Shutterfly discount codes to save on your entire order.
Please feel free to share this email with your friends, family and co-workers—the more orders we receive through our Storefront, the more our organization earns!
Peachjar
Fridley Public Schools uses Peachjar, an online flyer management service to share flyers to Fridley families. School approved flyers are now sent to parents electronically and posted on the school website. Parents can simply click flyers they receive through email or click the Peachjar button or icon on each school's homepage.
This 'green' initiative will save our schools tons of paper and reduces copy costs by thousands of dollars. In addition, posting school flyers in this electronic backpack removes a significant administrative burden from teachers, office staff, and volunteers.
Fridley Middle School
Email: amy.cochran@fridley.k12.mn.us
Website: www.fridley.k12.mn.us
Phone: 763.502.5400