The District Insider
Volume 7, Issue 7 | February 2020
Gabbi Cormier, an 8th grade student at Valley Middle School, was selected as a semifinalist in the nationwide Mars 2020 “Name the Rover” essay contest.
Students across the United States were invited to enter the contest, and 52 semifinalists per grade level group (kindergarten-4th grades, 5th-8th grades, 9th-12th grades) were selected.
Cormier selected the name Cueillir.
“In French, cueillir means ‘gatherer.’ The term gatherer means one who collects information in an effort to better understand complicated things. This is exactly what the rover will be doing at the beginning of July 2020,” said Cormier. “Scientists have four main goals, which include gathering evidence of possible previous life, evidence of current climate, soil samples to prove if life can exist, and experiments dealing with the effectiveness of natural resources in the Martian environment.”
Three finalists per grade level group were announced on January 21 and advanced to the final round of judging, which includes a public vote. NASA plans to announce the selected rover name on February 18, exactly one year before the rover will land on the surface of Mars. The winner of the “Name the Rover” contest will win a trip with up to four family members to see the Mars 2020 rover launch.
“We are most proud of Gabbi and her accomplishments,” said Todd Selk, principal at Valley Middle School. “She is creative, curious, and enthusiastic about her learning. On top of that, Gabbi is a wonderful young person, representing herself and our school with the highest integrity.”
The Mars 2020 rover is a robotic scientist weighing more than 2,300 pounds. It will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for a future return to Earth, and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.
The naming contest partnership is part of a Space Act Agreement between NASA, Future Engineers, of Burbank, Calif., and Battelle Education, of Columbus, Ohio.
For contest and prize details, visit https://www.futureengineers.org/nametherover.
Grand Forks Public Schools, through the Grand Forks Foundation for Education, will participate in Giving Hearts Day on February 13.
Giving Hearts Day is a 24-hour online fundraiser for charities in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. The event is hosted by the Dakota Medical Foundation, the Impact Foundation, and the Alex Stern Foundation.
Grand Forks Public Schools is raising funds to ensure a seat on the bus, at the lunch table, and in the classroom for at-risk students, those experiencing homelessness, and students in foster care.
“We know that the future of our community starts in our schools. As we continue to serve, understand, and empower our youth, we become more aware of the importance of securing a seat for every single student,” said Jennifer Modeen, school social worker and homeless liaison at Grand Forks Public Schools. “With the help and partnership of the Grand Forks community, we can make a profound difference. We know the future of our students and our community depends on it.”
All gifts $10 or greater will be matched thanks to the generous funding of Rydell Cars.
“We would like to thank Rydell Cars, their employees who volunteered their time and talents, and the Rydell family for their commitment to our community,” said Emilia Hodgson, director of the Grand Forks Foundation for Education. “They continue to step up and support our schools and lift up our students who need it the most.”
For more information, please contact Hodgson at 701.787.4867 or ehodgson290@mygfschools.org. The donation webpage can be found http://www.givingheartsday.org.
The longest-running giving day in the country, Giving Hearts Day has helped participating charities raise more than $70 million since its founding in 2008.
Help Spread the Word!
If you'd like to help spread the word about Giving Hearts Day, please feel free to use the messaging and image below!
Can our Grand Forks Public Schools students count on you on Giving Hearts Day? We are raising funds to ensure a seat on the bus, at the lunch table, and in the classroom for at-risk students, those experiencing homelessness, and students in foster care. Donate to the Grand Forks Foundation for Education on February 13 at givingheartsday.org and help us ensure they have a seat. Gifts of $10 or more will be matched thanks to the generous funding of Rydell Cars. #SecureASeat #GFSchools
Can @GFSchools students count on you? Donate to the @GFFEAlumniNet on 2/13 at givingheartsday.org and help ensure our students have a seat on the bus, at the lunch table, and in the classroom! Gifts of $10+ will be matched by @rydellcars. #SecureASeat #GFSchools #ILoveGF
On @givingheartsday, February 13, the @gffoundationforeducation will be raising funds to ensure a seat on the bus, at the lunch table, and in the classroom for at-risk students, those experiencing homelessness, and students in foster care. You can help by setting a reminder to donate on 2/13 at givingheartsday.org! #SecureASeat #GFSchools #Ilovegf #gfiscooler
Sample Text Message - LONG
Hello friends and family! GFPS is raising funds on Giving Hearts Day to ensure a seat on the bus, at the lunch table, and in the classroom for at-risk students, those experiencing homelessness, and students in foster care. I hope you will join me and consider donating on 2/13 to the Grand Forks Foundation for Education at givingheartsday.org. Gifts of $10 or more will be matched thanks to Rydell Cars. Thank you!
Sample Text Message - SHORT
Join me in donating to the GF Foundation for Education of Giving Hearts Day (2/13) at givingheartsday.org and help ensure GFPS students have a SEAT on the bus, lunch table, and classroom! Gifts $10+ will be matched!
Executive Director of Career and Technical Education Eric Ripley has been selected as the Vice President-elect of the Administrative Division for the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE).
The ACTE is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers.
The Administrative Division of ACTE informs members of current plans, policies, and issues of the organization and their implications for the development and improvement of CTE. It develops and promotes high professional standards among the membership and expands professional relations with other ACTE Divisions, agencies, organizations, and institutions, as well as provides opportunities for professional growth to meet the needs of all members of the division.
Ripley will shadow the incoming Vice President-Elect before beginning his three-year term in July 2021.
“Eric Ripley has been a leading Career and Technical Education advocate at the local, state and national levels. His passion for creating alternative academic and career pathways is evidenced by his leadership with CTE colleagues and administrators across the district and region,” said Dr. Terry Brenner, Superintendent of Schools. “Eric has been a leader with the Northern Valley Career Expo for high school students as he collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to propel CTE opportunities forward. Eric's selection as a national leader is an acknowledgment of his CTE leadership career.”
The election was open to ACTE’s membership of roughly 25,000 educators, administrators, and other CTE professionals.
TEARS is offering Adult Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) classes through May 2020. These 8-hour classes are to mental health what CPR is to physical health – learning to recognize the symptoms and how to be connectors for help. All classes are $20/person. The classes will be held:
February 2020
2/7: 5-9 PM, 2/8: 8 AM- 12 PM at Valley Middle School, Youth MHFA
2/21: 5-9 PM, 2/22: 8 AM-12 PM at Altru Hospital Meeting Room A, Youth MHFA
2/22: 8 AM-5 PM at Altru Professional Center, Adult MHFA
March 2020
3/20: 5-9 PM, 3/21: 8 AM-12 PM at Altru Professional Center, Youth MHFA
3/21: 8 AM-5 PM at Altru Hospital Meeting Room A, Adult MHFA
3/27: 5-9 PM, 3/28: 8 AM-12 PM at Red River High School, Youth MHFA
April 2020
4/3: 5-9 PM, 4/4: 8 AM- 12 PM at TBD, Youth MHFA
4/10: 5-9 PM, 4/11: 8 AM-12 PM at Red River High School, Youth MHFA
4/18: 8 AM-5 PM at TBD, Youth MHFA
4/25: 8 AM-5 PM at TBD, Adult MHFA
May 2020
5/15: 5-9 PM, 5/16: 8 AM-12 PM at TBD, Youth MHFA
5/23: 8 AM-5 PM at TBD, Youth MHFA
5/23: 8 AM- 5 PM at TBD, Adult MHFA
Participants must be 18 years of age or older and must go to both session dates. If you register for a class with two class dates back-to-back, you must attend both 4-hour dates to receive a certificate. You can register for classes by searching Mental Health First Aid on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/ or looking under Events on the TEARSGF Facebook page. Contact Moriah Opp (mopp@altru.org) with any questions.
Incoming Kindergarten Families-
We are excited to see you on March 12th as we prepare for your student’s kindergarten year at Grand Forks Public Schools! In order to help better prepare for your arrival at Kindergarten Registration, we would like you to take a few minutes to complete our online Pre-Registration form. This Google Form (http://bit.ly/Kindergarten2020) will allow us to capture information so we can begin your student’s enrollment now and cut down your waiting time at school that day.
If you have any questions, please contact your student’s school. Thank you!
Certified Staff
Support Staff
Food Service Worker (PT) - Valley Middle School
Food Service Worker (PT) - Valley Middle School
SPA Assistant - Summer School
Custodian (part-time) - Nathan Twining Elementary and Middle School
Dietitian - Child Nutrition
- Snow Removal (on call)
- Encore Para Program Application Pool
- Title I Paraprofessional Application Pool
- Special Education Paraprofessional Application Pool
- Lunchroom Paraprofessional Application Pool
- Food Service Worker/Cooks Application Pool
- Instructional Paraprofessional Application Pool
Coaching
- February 5 - Elementary Early Release at 1:30 p.m. (PLCs)
- February 10 - Grand Forks School Board Meeting (6 p.m, Mark Sanford Education Center)
- February 10 - School Board Public Forum (7 p.m., South Middle School)
- February 12 - Grand Forks Central/Red River High Schools One Hour Late Start (PLCs)
- February 18 - Grand Forks Air Force Base School Board Meeting (12 p.m.,
- Nathan Twining Elementary and Middle School)
- February 19 - Elementary Early Release at 1:30 p.m. (PLCs)
- February 24 - Grand Forks School Board Meeting (6 p.m, location TBD)
- February 28 - No School K-12/Mark Sanford Education Center Open (7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.)