NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 5: JANUARY 2022
Happy New Year!
Just a reminder that the end of Semester 1 is on January 27. There will be no school for students for Grading and Reporting on January 28th. In addition, January 31st is a planning day for teachers and a blended learning day for students. Students will not learn in person on that day and more details will be coming soon about the schedule for January 31st. Second Semester begins on February 1. We will be mailing report cards out the first week in February so be watching for those!
Again, welcome back to the new year! Thank you for all of your support. Remember we are here to support, encourage, partner together and engage students in their learning. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you or your student.
Warmly,
Amy Cochran
Principal
Fridley Middle School
Mark your calendar
January 17 - No School - Martin Luther King Day
January 28 - No School - Evaluation/Planning Day
January 31- No In-Person School- Planning Day for staff- Blended Learning Day for students
February 1 - Semester 2 Begins
Attendance Matters
Masks
Nutritional Services
This is a reminder that breakfast and lunch is free to all students this year. We encourage all students to come and eat breakfast with us. Students need to have their bar code to help the breakfast and lunch lines move quickly. Please come and eat with us so your student can be their best in class. Extra milk, double entrees and Ala Carte are NOT FREE and your student must have money in their lunch account to purchase those items. Money can be added online or given to the office. If you have questions, please contact Renee Arbogast at 763-502-5022.
7th and 8th Grade Musical Auditions
Auditions for "Willy Wonka Jr." will be held on January 10 and 11 at 3:15 in the FMS choir room (158). This is open to all 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. All play rehearsals will be after school starting Tuesday, January 18, and transportation is available. Performance dates for the play will be on March 10, 11 and 12. We hope to see many students come and try out!
Please check your student's school supplies
African American Parent Involvement Day is coming up on Monday, February 14
National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) is a day for all parents to come to their child's school, see what their day is like and to support their child's educational future. Some of the goals of NAAPID are to:
o Promote parent involvement in their child's education
o Address the serious achievement gap facing African American students
o Promote and provide strategies for all parents and students to take full advantage of the educational process at all levels of the educational system (preschool through college)
More details on this day to come.
6th Grade News
This year, 6th graders have the chance to join a Math Masters team. The team will practice weekly on Tuesdays & Wednesdays after school and the start date will be announced after returning in January. Students who join the club will have the opportunity to compete in a statewide math contest on Saturday, March 5th. Students do NOT need to compete in order to join the after school club. We will be focusing on challenging math concepts and developing a love of mathematics. Please contact Coach Rifley at rifley@isd14.org or 763-502-5526 with questions or to register your scholar.
Fridley Middle School Winter Sports
Please click on the following link for lots of information including sports schedules and how to register for sports and fine arts activities.
*If you have any questions please contact either:
Matthew Engelhardt, 763-502-5413, matthew.engelhardt@fridley.k12.mn.us
Michael Reynolds, 763-502-5418, michael.reynolds@fridley.k12.mn.us
Health Office
Influenza Season!
Connect with your child clinic to schedule a flu shot with your primary doctor. Good hand washing is the BEST PREVENTION!
Screening Tool
Covid 19 Updates and Reminders
Notification
Fridley Public Schools will continue its practice of notifying the Minnesota Department of Health of any lab confirmed positive case in its schools. Parents/Guardians will also receive direct communication if their child is identified as a close contact of a confirmed positive case. Notification will include the most current information on symptoms that parents can watch out for and monitor.
Health/Safety Reminders
- Please keep your child home if he/or she is not feeling well. Notify the school if someone in your household has been exposed to, has symptoms of, or has tested positive for COVID-19.
- Properly wearing a face covering/mask is a universal protection strategy that can help minimize the spread of COVID-19.
- Remember to send your child to school every day with a mask. They are required on school buses and inside our school/buildings.
- If your child is 12 years and older, consider having him or her vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccines are free and are available to all Minnesotans ages 12 years and older.
COVID-19 Vaccines
- COVID-19 vaccines are currently available free of charge to all Minnesotans ages 12 year and older.
- Please follow this link to learn more, to schedule a vaccine for yourself, family member or child who is 12 years or older: COVID-19 vaccines
COVID-19 Testing
- COVID-19 saliva tests are available to all Minnesotans at no cost.
- Regular screening testing is an important mitigation strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools.
- Any parent/guardian who wishes to order a test kit for their children and/or family members can use this link to order a free COVID-19 saliva test kit through Vault Health.
Dressing for the Cold Weather
District Treat Policy
Please see policy below-
Fridley Public School District Policy 533 Student Wellness prohibits parents and families from bringing birthday or celebratory treats such as cupcakes, cookies, cake, chips, and juice into the school. Instead, to celebrate special events, parents often send non-food items, such as stickers, pencils and erasers that their child can share with his or her classmates.
Transportation Update
Winter brings an expectation of 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 company (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 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, click here.
Our Bus Companies:
- 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 – 763-432-6806 (Van)
Cindy McKay
Transportation Coordinator
Fridley Public Schools
763-502-5026
Student Learning During School Building Closure
As we plan for winter, we want to share this annual information with you regarding our procedure for school building closures and student learning when school buildings are closed.
Notification of school building closure
In the event that school buildings have to be closed, the school district will inform parents/guardians through multiple channels. District/school will send parents an email, text message and will also call parents directly. In addition, the closure will also be posted on the district website as well as local television channels. The district uses the parent contact information on the Campus Parent Portal to communicate with parents/guardians. Please make sure that your contact information is accurate on the Parent Portal.
School building closure due to inclement weather
When severe weather conditions create hazardous conditions that pose life-threatening risks for students and staff, the superintendent of schools may need to close school buildings and implement the district’s E-Learning Plan.
- The district’s E-Learning Plan will support learning for students in grades PreK-12 for up to five days a year when school buildings are closed due to inclement weather.
- There may still be a need for a traditional snow/cold day, but the district will make every effort to utilize E-Learning days to continue learning.
- An E-Learning day is considered an instructional day and attendance is taken.
- On an E-Learning day, students will learn from home through online instruction provided by students' individual teachers through SeeSaw (PreK-K) or Google Classroom (Grades 1-12).
- Students in grades 7-12 who are enrolled in the full-time Fridley Online Academy will have no change in their learning day.
- As we near winter, each school will share more information with parents/guardians prior to any school building closure.
School building/classroom/program closure due to COVID-19
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has approved the provision of short-term online learning to allow for flexibility in learning formats during the pandemic. In case of a COVID-19 situation that requires a school, program or classroom to temporarily transition to online learning, Fridley Public Schools will implement its MDE approved Blended Learning Plan for students.
- We will follow our district’s Blended Learning Plan that will allow students to continue to learn at home.
- Blended learning “blends” short-term online learning in place of regular in-person learning in the event groups/buildings need to isolate due to a COVID-19 spread.
- Students will learn from home through online instruction provided by students' individual teachers through SeeSaw (PreK-K) or Google Classroom (Grades 1-12).
- Our district has been provisionally approved to provide short-term online learning in order to allow flexibility during the pandemic.
- Each school will share more information with parents/guardians prior to any classroom/program or school building closure.
2022 Minnesota Student Survey
Fridley Public Schools, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) will be administering the Minnesota Student Survey (MSS) this school year. The Minnesota Student Survey began in 1989 and is one of the longest-running youth surveys in the nation. It is conducted every three years across Minnesota’s secondary schools. The survey is anonymous and is conducted to gain insights into the world of students and their experiences. The results of the survey will help our schools understand the health and well-being of students and may be especially beneficial amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fridley Public Schools students in grades 5-12 will participate in this survey during school in February 2022. Families may preview the survey when it becomes available from MDE in mid-January and may also choose to opt their child out of taking it. We will send you more details prior to the survey being administered.
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.
- 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 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
Employment Opportunities
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