Ben Franklin Middle School
September 2022 Newsletter
Paraeducators!
Books for 6th Grade!
Bus Expectations!
Message from the Principal
It is so great to have students and staff back at Ben Franklin Middle School! I cannot say enough about our amazing students who have exceeded all of my expectations.
All 6-8th grade students will be taking the AimsWeb+ fall assessment in the next two weeks. This is a brief reading and math assessment that will take place during students regularly scheduled classes. The data collected during these assessments will help us in better meeting the instructional needs of all students at Ben Franklin.
Fall activities are in full swing! Our student athletes have been practicing for the last several weeks and will have competitions beginning soon. We encourage all students and their families to attend Ben Franklin games if they are able to show your school spirit and support out student athletes. The activities calendar is linked below!
Parent teacher conferences will be taking place in person the evening of October 11th and October 13th. We hope to see all of our students and families during this time, so please make arrangements to attend if you are able.
Celebrations
- 6th grade students have done an absolutely AMAZING job with lockers. Every teacher I have spoken to has been so impressed with the patience and skill of our incoming students. Thank you for all the extra support and practice!
- A special shout out to all of those students who have arrived at school between 8:00 and 8:40am each day. We have changed the morning routine and you all have caught on so quickly. Multiple staff have complimented your willingness to talk quietly, ask for help, and follow staff directions. Keep it up!
I want to thank all the parents, guardians, and families who support our school and students, we could not do this without you!
Mrs. Hanson
BACK TO SCHOOL BASH
Fargo Public Schools is throwing a party on the pavement to celebrate the start of the 2022-23 school year. Students, parents, and staff are invited to the Back to School Bash from 5-7:15 p.m. on Thursday, September 8 in the south parking lot at the FPS District Office 700 7th Street South.
The Bash will feature free burgers and hot dogs until supplies run out, along with a DJ, dunk tanks, bouncy houses, a keynote speech by motivational speaker Frederick Edwards, and prize giveaways with a grand prize drawing at 6:45 p.m.
School Photos
If you paid for your student to receive an Activity Pass, when they receive their Student ID Card it will have an "A" on it to designate that they purchased the Activity Pass. You can still purchase Activity Passes in Powerschool/SchoolPay for $30 which covers admission for your student into all regular season district high school activity events.
Attendance
Research shows that attendance is the single most important factor in school success. Attendance is located next to Student Services or by calling Mrs. Buerkley at 446-3610.
Absences: Parents/guardians are reminded to call the attendance office at 446-3610 to inform us of your child’s absence before 9:00 a.m., the morning of the absence. Feel free to call the attendance number at any time, 24 hours a day, to leave a message. You can also email our attendance office at bfattendance@fargo.k12.nd.us. This message should include the student’s name, ID number, grade, the date(s) and reason they will be absent. If no phone or email contact has been made, the student must present a written excuse, signed by his/her parent to the attendance office when returning to school. Any absence not verified by phone or note will be considered unexcused.
Tardiness/Returning to School: Students coming to school after classes have begun or returning to school after an appointment must stop by attendance for a return slip. They need a signed note or doctor’s note to check in unless we have already received a phone call.
Upcoming Events
September 7
- School Pictures *Picture ordering forms will be sent home with students on Friday, Sept. 2nd.
October 11th
- Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8pm in person at BF
October 13th
- Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8pm in person at BF
- Picture retakes
School Lunch Information
Families will need to pay full price for student meals or fill out an application to qualify for free or reduced price meals. Applications are available on the Nutrition Services Department website.
Meal prices for the 2022-23 school year are:
- Secondary Breakfast $1.60
- Secondary Lunch $2.75
- Extra Milk $0.40
Families can add money to their students' lunch account through school pay on their PowerSchool account, or there is a drop box outside the main office. If you have any questions about this our clerical staff will be happy to help.
Titan Replacing NutriSlice for Menus
ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING DURING SCHOOL HOURS
Fargo Public Schools is pleased to announce that we use the Raptor Visitor Management System in all of our schools to strengthen our program of campus safety for students and staff. Part of keeping students and staff safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times, and the Raptor system will allow us to do so. The Raptor system will allow us to better screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools to provide us with a safe environment for our students and staff.
Visitors should enter the main doors #4 by ringing the doorbell. Upon entering the school building, visitors will be asked to present an ID, such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system. Once entry into the building is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of their visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork.
Meet our SRP, Officer Horner!
Hello, my name is Officer Joshua Horner. I am currently assigned as the School Resource Officer at Ben Franklin Middle School. I have been with the Fargo Police Department for 7 years. This will be my first year as an SRO. For those of you who don’t know me well I was born and raised in Fargo. I graduated from Fargo South High School in 2008. I got a scholarship to play football at NDSU so I decided to go there. After playing football for a few years I graduated from NDSU with a Criminal Justice BS and a minor in Psychology. In 2014 I was hired by the Fargo Police Department. I have worked evenings, nights, and days on patrol at the Fargo Police Department. As this being my first year as an SRO I will be visible and available to all students. As for my family life I have a wife, 5 kids (12, 11, 8, 7, and 3) and two dogs.
Lockers
School Nurse
The Nurse is a support staff that works with medication issues, consultations and safety issues. The school nurse will not diagnose medical issues.
Hours -typically 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Monday-Friday
If you have questions call Nurse Ellen Sondreal @ 446-3640.
Health Information needs to be completed yearly online. Since little of the information on this card may change from year to year, the data is stored and you will simply be doing an update of this information as needed. Please remember that our school nurse needs permission to administer Ibuprofen, Tums, or Tylenol (Acetaminophen). If you wish this to be an option, please indicate this online.
Emergency Care Plan: If your student has a health issue that will require more than standard first aid care, a special form called the “Emergency Care Plan” will need to be completed by a parent/guardian and signed by the student’s Health Care Provider. These forms will be available at registration from the school nurse and are on line as well.
Medication at School: Daily medication, short-term antibiotics, and OTC medications: A “Medication Administration” form must be completed by a parent/guardian and signed by the student’s Health Care Provider. Medications brought to school must be in their original containers.
Self-Administration Medications: If a student needs to carry a medication on them while at school a “Medication Self-Administration” form must be completed by a parent/guardian and signed by the student’s Health Care Provider. If a student needs an Asthma inhaler, make sure they have their inhaler with them. The “Medication Self-Administration” form should be brought to school as soon as possible. Medication forms also need to be renewed each school year.
All required forms are also available on the Ben Franklin website under “Quick links - District Forms – Medication Forms” or at this link below: http://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/Page/446
Immunizations
This is a reminder that every child entering grade 7 is REQUIRED to receive a Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (Tdap) vaccine and Meningococcal vaccine. To receive optimum disease coverage and ensure school requirements are met prior to entering grade 7, it is
recommended your child receive these two vaccinations once they turn 11 years of age. All students in 7th and 8th grade should have one dose of Tdap and Meningococcal recorded on their immunization record before the start of the 2021 -2022 school year. Please bring a copy of the updated immunization record to the school, email it to bfnurse@fargo.k12.nd.us or fax to 701-446-3698. For questions pertaining to your child's immunization record, please call your child’s healthcare provider or Fargo Cass Public Health at 701-241-1360.
Canvas Support For Parents/Guardians
Evidence Based Reporting Support for Parents/Guardians
Parental Communication- E-Alert Directions
Content E-Alerts are sent to users who have subscribed to a homepage or website section of interest. You will receive an email notification when newsletters, daily announcements or School Board agendas are posted.
Click here to sign up and begin the process of setting your subscriptions.
Content E-Alert Directions: In order to provide the best possible communication between our district and your household, we request that you complete 3 easy steps to sign up and subscribe to E-Alerts for sites and sections that you find relevant.
Click the link above to sign up and begin the process of setting your subscriptions.
Step 1 - Enter your First Name, Last Name, and Email Address
Step 2 - Select the areas of Fargo Public Schools that you wish to receive notifications
Step 3 - Click Sign Up at the bottom of the page
You will receive an email that will contain a link to verify your account. You may unsubscribe at any time by using the Unsubscribe Link at the bottom of the email notification.
STAY CONNECTED!
Ben Franklin has several helpful links that can be found on our webpage at https://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/benfranklin
You will find links for:
· Monthly Newsletters
· School Calendars
· Daily Announcements
· PowerSchool & SchoolPay Logins
· Student Handbook
· School Menus
· District Forms
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact our school office at 701-446-3600.
Mrs. Kirstin Hanson
Principal
6th Grade Principal
Ms. Jennifer Olson
Assistant Principal
8th Grade Principal
Mr. Matt Quintus
Assistant Principal/ Activities Coordinator
7th Grade Principal