Spartan Spotlight
May 2020
Greetings from North High School
I hope this correspondence finds you in good health and looking forward to the summer months.
The big question that everyone asks is “What is happening with graduation?” Graduation has finally been defined as the date of May 31st at 1:00 pm. It is going to be outdoors at the Football/Soccer Stadium. This has been suggested by Governor Burgum and along with the recommendations of the CDC. There will contingency plans for possible weather delays and will be communicated via our blackboard system. Graduation will be live streamed and posted on our website. Unfortunately parents, guardians and guests will not be allowed to attend. A virtual graduation is still being planned and will be posted on May 31st at 6:00 pm and will include the senior slide show. It will be different than the live streamed graduation. Families are encouraged to have watch parties with their family and graduate. More information was mailed to each graduate this week.
I would like to say thanks to our students and staff for their work and patience during the Coronavirus Pandemic. We have had excellent student attendance and we encourage students to push to the very end. We have also recognized that eLearning has some challenges and we have adjusted the 2020 Semester Two grading scale. The new scale is:
A 90 – 100
B 80 – 89
C 70 – 79
D 60 – 69
P 50 – 59 (credit earned)
U 0 – 49 (no credit earned)
There will be no F’s given for semester 2 classes. In addition, students who earn a “P” will earn credit. Underclassmen who earn an “U” will be allowed to retake the class to improve their grade and receive credit. Please visit with your son/daughter’s counselor for any clarification.
The last two days of classes are May 26 and May 27. We are referring to the last two days as “Review and Wrap-up”. Students are required to attend the Zoom meetings and check out with their teacher.
Student pick up and drop off is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28. Students will drop off their textbooks, library books, PLD’s (Personal Learning Device), uniforms, instruments, music folders, cameras, technology equipment and all “stuff” on these days. Please use the following schedule for student’s assigned time:
Sincerely,
Andy Dahlen, FNH Principal
National Honor Society Inductees
North High recognizes and honors students for outstanding achievement. Students achieve this recognition based upon exemplary scholarship, service, leadership, and character, the four guiding principles of the National Honor Society.
The following students are new and current members of the National Honor Society. Senior students received gold honor cords in recognition of this honor when they picked up their caps and gowns. National Honor Society Advisors are Joan Clark and Emily Schneider.
Seniors: Katelyn Arman, Tasha Branden, Puja Chhetri, Anna Clower, Mackenzie Conlin, Nicholas Crommett, Robert Darrah, Erica Flores, Caleb Fritel, Alisha Geske, Brita Griffin, Gunnar Hager, Michael Hallquist, Jensen Hanneman, Samuel Harmon, Josie Hell, Sydney Jensen, Luke Kallod, Ellen Kenninger, Mackenzie Kirkpatrick, Gabrielle Kramer, Adam Madrigal, Andrea McClary, Kaylee McClary, Sophie Mickelson, Audrey Miller, Justin Milliard, Hadley Mineer, Josephine Mohror, Teegan Nordstrom, Tate Schloesser, Tyler Schweigert, Ethan Shafer, Jacob Shelver, Cailey Swanson, Mason Taragos, Tori Trenda, Ella Walen, Cindy Wang, Julia Zachariason, Jaden Zander.
Juniors: Reece Anderson, Maggie Benson, Tonya Berg, Aiden Carlson, Grace Dejong, Kennedy Folden, Beau Hager, Addison Hammes, Chase Hansen, Samuel Harr, Isabelle Haugen, Samantha Jackson, Hannah Johnson, Leah Johnson, Maycoll Johnson, Kimberly Kadrmas, Mickey Kenney, Bergen Lindahl, Annachelle Luz, Megan Middaugh, Georgia Paul, Isabelle Puhl, Jordyn Punt, Julia Ross, Abby Simenson, Laura Simmons, Rebecca Van Vleet, Ryann Vetsch, Addison Watson, Joshua Worral, Caleb Yokom
Senior Scholarship Recognition
ACT Perfect Score
Congratulations to Philip Dowdell who received a perfect score on his ACT test. State law requires North Dakota high school juniors to take the ACT or WorkKeys assessments. The ACT test can be taken more than once. Students are scored separately in math, science, English, and reading, and those results are used to compile a composite score, which can range from 1 to 36.
Presidential Scholar Semifinalist
National History Day Competition Results
The National History Day Contest encourages students around the world to conduct historical research on a topic of their choice. Students enter these projects at the local and affiliate levels, with top students advancing to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park.
Congratulations to
Jordan Garske
1st place in the state history competition for his paper on DNA. He is now eligible to compete in the national competition.
Congratulations to
Lexie Schwarz
For special prizes in the Junior Division with an award of $150 for her paper U.S. women's soccer team.
ND Roughrider District Senior of the Year
Congratulations to North High School senior Erica Flores on being named North Dakota Roughrider District Senior of the Year. Flores is coached by Clover Ellingson and assistant coach Christian Novak. She was chosen for this award because of her dedication to forensics activities and her commitment to the NSDA Code of Honor.
Congratulations
Congratulation to Karlie Goschen on being selected to play in the annual North Dakota High School Coaches Association/Optimists all-star volleyball series!
Speech and Debate National Qualifiers
Congratulations to the North High students who qualified for the 2020 National Speech and Debate Tournament. The tournament will be held online in June, 2020.
Congratulation to our Retiring Teachers
Julie Hawley
2000-2020
Don Smith
1991-2020
Shelley Zietz
2008-2020
North High Teacher of the Year
Congratulations to Keith Lehman on being named Teacher of the Year! The Student Council collects nominations for Teacher of the Year and presented to this Mr. Lehman to during a zoom meeting on Friday, April 24.
In Memory of Rodney Capistran
On Wednesday, April 15, Fargo North High School geometry teacher Rod Capistran suffered a medical emergency during a virtual distance learning class he was teaching from his home. A paraeducator was a part of the virtual class, and Mr. Capistran’s spouse was at home at the time. The paraeducator called 911 and emergency personnel arrived. After receiving care at a local hospital, Mr. Capistran passed away in the evening on Friday, April 17.
Mr. Capistran was a long-time geometry teacher at Fargo North, joining the staff in 2003. “My heart is heavy with the notification of the death of Rod Capistran,” says Andy Dahlen, principal of Fargo North High School. “He was kind, gentle and had a passion for teaching. He might have been the most requested teacher at North High School because of his demeanor. I sometimes referred to him as a big teddy bear. His core values included being kind to everyone, and he will be missed by the Spartan family, current and former students, his colleagues, and his principal.”
The entire Fargo North and Fargo Public Schools family sends their deepest condolences to the Capistran family during this time of mourning. A memorial service will be planned for a later time.
Fundraiser for a Memorial Scholarship
Please check out the link below for a fundraiser for a memorial scholarship in Rod Capistran’s name.
Reminder: Upcoming School Out Day
All Distance Learning classes will resume on Tuesday, May 26.
FPS Summer School Changes Due to COVID-19
Fargo Public Schools’ Summer School Programs are changing due to COVID-19.
English Learner, Middle School and High School summer school programs will be offered using a hybrid model. A new registration book has been posted online. Registration will be open through May 22.
Elementary Enrichment and Transitions programs are currently continuing as planned; adjustments will be made and announced at a later date if COVID-19 restrictions remain in effect.
The Adult Learning Center (ALC) and Even Start Family Literacy will follow their schedule in the current distance learning format. Extended School Year programming will be offered through a distance learning model.
Please visit the FPS Summer School website – https://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/SummerSchool – for additional Summer School information.
NCAA Eligibility
Seniors planning to participate in a Division I or Division II college sport after graduation should visit with their counselor or Mr. Christensen to make sure all eligibility requirements have been fulfilled.
Spring Activities
At its board meeting on May 1, the North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) directors voted to cancel North Dakota's winter and spring activities due to COVID-19. For more information on the decision, please visit the NDHSAA website.
Families who paid Student Activity Fees for the Spring of 2020 can request a refund, a transfer of the fee to a lunch account or select to donate the fee by completing an online form. If a form is not completed by the close of the school year, the fee balance will be transferred to the student's lunch account. For graduating seniors or students transferring out of the district, remaining funds may be transferred to a sibling, refunded, or donated to a fund used to financially assist low-income student athletes.
Trollwood Summer Season Cancelled
Enrolling/Exiting School During Closure
School Website Updates
2020-2021 Registration Dates
Fall registration dates have been set so mark your calendar. It’s important your student attend to have their school picture taken, pick up their class schedule and receive their Personal Learning Device (PLD).
Parents/guardians are reminded to login to your Parent/Guardian PowerSchool Account and complete the 2020-2021 registration packet for your student(s) . Look for more information in our August newsletter.
Freshmen Orientation
- Wednesday, August 12 Noon-4:30 pm
- Tuesday, August 18 8:00 am - 12:30 pm
Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors
- Thursday, August 13 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Physical Exams for 2020-2021 School Year
The NDHSAA Board has recently decided that for the coming school year any physical exams completed for the 2019-2020 school year will be accepted during the 2020-2021 school year upon submission of a parent/guardian & athlete signed waiver (Form B). This means that rather than having to have a physical exam for 2020-2021 the athlete can use the one they had for 2019-2020 if this Form B is filled out and submitted to the school.
The links are below to the PDF and Word version of this Form B.
- https://ndhsaa.com/uploads/files/NDHSAA-Preparticipation-Form-B.pdf
- NDHSAA Preparticipation Form B - Word Fillable
The family will still need to return the completed form to Keri VanEnk. Families can complete and return this right away if they would wish to. This can be done by email (vanenkk@fargo.k12.nd.us), by regular mail to Fargo North, or by dropping it off at the building if/when restrictions on doing so are lifted.
E-Alerts
ACT Exams
At the time of this writing, the June 13 test has been cancelled. Additional information can be found at www.act.org.
ACT Exam Registration Information
North High School Code: 350-568
ACT Basic Fee: $52.00
ACT Plus Writing Fee: $68.00
Late Registration Additional Fee: $30.00
SAT Exams
At this time, College Board is unable to administer the June 6, 2020 SAT. Students who were previously registered for the exam can transfer the registration to a future test date. According to College Board, if it is safe from a public health standpoint, they will offer monthly SAT exams every month beginning in August. Refer to the College Board website for additional information. https://pages.collegeboard.org/sat-covid-19-updates
E- Transcripts
High School sophomores, juniors, and seniors can now process transcript requests electronically through eTranscripts. Students request their transcript securely and at their convenience through their PowerSchool account.
1. Students log into their PowerSchool account and click on the icon with the arrow/box
2. Click ND Education Portal
3. Click tab with student’s name
4. Send Transcript
5. Choose college transcript needs to go to
Please allow 2 days for approval.
If you have any questions, please stop by the Counseling Office or call Nikki at 446-2412.
Senior Pictures
The deadline for submitting a senior picture for the yearbook has passed. All senior pictures turned in after March 1st will be required to send late fee payment of $10.00 via mail to the main office (801 17th Ave N) when submitting their picture. ID pictures will be used for all seniors who did not submit a senior picture. If a ID picture was not taken, the student will not be in the senior picture pages of the yearbook. If you are still needing to turn in a senior picture, please email it to: fnhyearbook@fargoschools.org.
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.
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 picture is inappropriate.
Yearbooks
Reminder! Don’t forget to purchase your 2019-20 yearbook. Only $60.00. You can do this by logging into your School Pay account.
Don’t miss out on your memories of North High School.
Immunization/Sun Safety
Immunization Update: Grades 11 and 12
For the school year 2020-2021, a second dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is required for students entering eleventh or twelfth grade. This means your student will need proof of two doses of MCV4 before returning to school in the fall. This rule went into effect for the school year 2018-2019, so many of the seniors (Class of 2021) should have already received this vaccine last year. Ideally, children should receive one dose of MCV4 when they are eleven to twelve years old and a booster dose on or after their sixteenth birthday. Please schedule with your child’s health care provider or your local public health. Please have your child receive this booster prior to the start of the school year. Also, remember to bring in proof of the immunization documentation to the school.
Sun Safety
As summer arrives, exposure to the sun’s damaging rays increases. The best protection against sun damage is preventing it from occurring. A suntan is not a sign of good health but is a result of injury to the skin. All skin types can suffer sunburn, premature aging and skin cancer. The following tips will protect your skin during outdoor fun…
Always apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors and use a generous amount. Reapply every 2 hours and after sweating or swimming. Sunscreens are used for adults and children age 6 months and older.
Choose a sunscreen that is:
· “Broad spectrum”. This protects against both Ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) rays.
· SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 30 or greater.
· Water Resistant.
Cover Up. For prolonged periods of sun exposure, wear clothing that is tightly woven and loose fitting. Ensure that clothes will screen out harmful sunlight rays by placing your hand inside that garment and making sure you cannot see your hand through it.
Wear sunglasses that block 99-100% of UV radiation. This will greatly reduce sun exposure that can lead to cataracts or other eye damage.
Apply lip balm that contains sunscreen because lips sunburn too.
Seek shade whenever possible. Shadow Rule of thumb: if your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun’s rays are at the highest intensity and you are at greater risk for sun damage.
Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while outside in the heat.
Avoid “peak” sunlight hours of 10 am to 2 pm for prolonged periods. Remember that 80% of the sun’s rays can pass through clouds and reflect off sand, water, concrete, and snow.
COVID-19 Website
F-M Community Resources
Meal Distribution
Now Hiring at Fargo Public Schools
Support Local Teachers - Fargo Kiwanis Club
If you know a teacher you believe deserves to be nominated, submit the following information to fargokiwanis@gmail.com by 4:30 p.m. each Friday. Names drawn will be notified the following Tuesday:
- Name
- Why they should be selected
- Contact Information
Metropolitan Opera Offers Free Weekly Student Streams
ND Academic & CTE Scholarships
North Dakota high school seniors who meet all requirements for either the ND Academic or ND Career & Technical Education Scholarships must submit an online application between January 1 and June 1, 2020 to https://www.nd.gov/dpi/parentscommunity/academic-and-cte-scholarship
Students and parents/guardians who would like more information should contact your student’s counselor or Career Resource Specialist, Hannalee Shaw, 701-446-2412.
Scholarships
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VKY7ShDTSvrQtmIE9Lh4YB4E0ZTKueBshy5zBNgO6_g/edit#gid=0
ND Scholars Program
The North Dakota Scholars Program is a merit-based scholarship that provides scholarships to North Dakota’s best and brightest high school graduates. The scholarship is a full tuition scholarship for students attending North Dakota’s public and tribal colleges and a tuition scholarship equal to NDSU/UND’s tuition for students attending North Dakota’s private institutions. For more information on the scholarship programs go to:
DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR
- May 25 - Memorial Day - No School
- May 26 - Review and Wrap up - periods 2, 4, 6, & 8
- May 27 - Review and Wrap up - periods 1, 3, 5 & 7 Student pick up/Drop off 1:00-3:30 pm
- May 28 - Student pick up/Drop off 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
- May 31 - Graduation 1:00 pm
- August 12 - Freshmen Orientation Noon- 4:30 pm
- August 13 - Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors Registration 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
- August 18 - Freshmen Orientation 8:00 am - 12:30 pm
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 OFFICE
Nikki Brandenburger, Registrar/Secretary - 446-2412
COUNSELORS
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
STUDENT SERVICES
Jamie Benson, Student Wellness & Family Facilitator - 446-2494
Mary Krueger, Student Wellness & Family Facilitator - 446-2456
Hannalee Shaw, Career Resource Center - 446-2413
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER
Officer Jason Abel, SRO - 446-2631
SCHOOL NURSE
Brenda Weisenberger, School Nurse - 446-2486
ATHLETIC TRAINER
J.D. Darling - 446-2447
Jordan Wolf - 446-2447
NUTRITION SERVICES
Tammie Schaffer - 446-2517
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