SchoolTalk

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, Fargo Public Schools students will see several new opportunities during their middle school experience. These include World Language in sixth grade, a new Project-Based Learning course in seventh grade, and a High School Readiness course for all eighth grade students. These changes are designed to give students more opportunities to explore their interests, develop important skills, and prepare for high school and future career paths.

Read more about the new middle school learning experiences in this Feature Column by Director of Standards-Based Instruction Dr. Liann M. Hanson.

Across Fargo Public Schools, schools are leveraging the strengths of students and educators to support better student outcomes. One way of making this happen is by using the Building Assets, Reducing Risk model. BARR is a proven model that improves the education system predicated on two pillars – relationships and data. It is designed to create strong schools and communities by empowering students, teachers, and families with data, so that schools can re-align existing resources to nurture a unified and personalized culture of support and success for every student, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Read more about the BARR Model and the impact it is having on the District in this Feature Column by the FPS BARR Coordinators.

Along with Music in Our Schools Month, March is also Theatre in Our Schools Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the vital role theatre education plays in shaping students and strengthening communities. Theatre programs foster creativity, confidence, and collaboration. These skills extend far beyond the stage and will benefit students moving forward as they continue their education and enter the workforce.

Read more about the role theatre education plays for students in this Feature Column by Performing Arts Facilitator Patrick Thiel.

Congratulations to Washington Elementary School Positive Behavior Technician Allison Larson on being named the Fargo Public Schools 2026 Support Staff of the Year! The announcement was made by Superintendent Dr. Cory Steiner as a surprise during a Washington staff meeting. Read more about her in this special edition of the District newsletter.

Congratulations to Longfellow Elementary School Instructional Coach Kristina Olson, North High School Math Teacher Rachel Hummel, and Washington Elementary School Paraeducator Hannah Schoepp on completing the Catalyst Whole Group Demonstration Project! Schoepp is the first North Dakota educator to become Catalyst Support Whole Group Demonstration Certified.

Fargo Public Schools has 123 Catalyst certified educators, 73 educators taking part in a Catalyst Demonstration Project, 13 Catalyst Whole Group Demonstration Educators, and one Supporting Whole Group Demonstration Educator.

Congratulations to all Fargo Public Schools students who were state qualifiers at the National History Day Eastern Region Contest held at North Dakota State University. Students from North High School, South High School, and Davies High School qualified for the National History Day state competition, which will be held April 14 at the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum in Bismarck. View all of the Eastern Region state qualifiers.

Congratulations to Davies High School Senior Fallon Passanante on being named the Eastern Dakota Conference Girls Basketball Senior Athlete of the Year! Passanante was recognized with the award at the East Region Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 7 at the Scheels Center.

Congratulations to Davies High School Basketball Coach Matt Veit on being named the Eastern Dakota Conference Girls Basketball Coach of the Year! Veit received the award at the East Region Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 7 at the Scheels Center.

Congratulations to Jefferson Elementary School Principal Beth Olson on receiving the Champion for Children Award and Fargo Board of Education Member Robin Nelson on receiving the Advocate of the Year Award from Families United for Self-Empowerment! Olson and Nelson were presented their awards at the Women in Unity event on Saturday.

Meet Davies High School Speech-Language Pathology Paraeducator Caela Slaathaug in this week's Employee Spotlight.

The Fargo Public Schools Human Capital Department wants to shine a spotlight on its valuable employees who have a tremendous positive impact on the District's students, staff, and families. The District's educators are crucial to achieving our goal of educating and empowering all students to succeed and are dedicated to the idea that we are stronger together. HC has selected FPS staff members who are deserving of greater recognition and will highlight them each week.

There will be NO SCHOOL next week, March 16-20 for Spring Break. Classes will resume as regularly scheduled on Monday, March 23.

View the 2025-26 District School Calendar to see school out days and other important dates throughout the school year.

Due to the storm day on December 18, school will be in session on Monday, April 6. Fargo Public Schools is utilizing the make up day built into the District calendar for this day.

Help your school! Register for kindergarten as early as possible! Kindergarten Registration for Fall 2026 is open until May 15 at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/kindergartenregistration. It is important to register your child as soon as possible to give FPS and your future school enough time to provide students the best possible experience. Your child is eligible to attend school in the fall if they turn 5 by July 31, 2026.

Visit the FPS kindergarten registration webpage to learn more about the registration process. A second round of registration will reopen in July with a different process.

Fargo Public Schools yearbooks have been digitized and are now available online for alumni and interested community members to explore. This collection preserves decades of student memories, traditions, and school history all accessible from anywhere. Visitors will need to sign in to an alumni network account, available to alumni, staff, or community members, to access the yearbooks.

This project was made possible through the generous support of our donors, whose commitment helped bring these yearbooks from the shelves to the screen so they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Explore the collections:

• North High School
• South High School
• Davies High School

Whether you are a former student, staff member, parent, or community member, we invite you to share your stories and celebrate your time at Madison, Roosevelt, and Horace Mann elementary schools.

Your memories matter. By sharing photos and written reflections, you will help preserve the legacy of these schools while shaping the next chapter of learning for future students. Click here to upload your photos and reflections.

FPS and ICON Architectural Group are collecting photos and written comments that will be brought together to influence the design of the new Horace Mann Elementary School and possibly be used in a legacy wall — a visual feature that celebrates the identity of a former school. These displays often include class photos, mascots, and memorable moments that shaped the community. Over time, they become natural gathering places where people pause, remember, and reconnect.

North High School presents the play Peter and the Starcatcher at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday-Saturday, March 12-14 and at 2 p.m. this Sunday, March 15 in the North High School theater.

The Tony-winning play tells the story of how a miserable orphan comes to be the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up, also known as Peter Pan. From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the depths of greed and despair and the bonds of friendship, duty and love.

Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults and can be purchased on the Fargo Public Schools Online Theater Box Office website.

Help your youth and their classmates! Research shows that one student's absence negatively impacts the learning of an entire classroom.

Encourage youth to be in class every day they're not sick to support the success of every student.

Fargo Public Schools invites parents and caregivers to share their thoughts through the Districtwide Climate and Culture Survey. Schools and district staff use the results to review current practices and to plan for the upcoming school year.

This input helps shape decisions that support students, families, and staff. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and gives parents and caregivers a chance to share their experiences in our schools. Caregivers are invited to complete a survey for each school their child attends this year. This feedback is important.

The Mental Health Series from parentguidance.org is a powerful resource designed to support family mental health and well-being. Experts agree that adult involvement is important in a child's success. When caregivers have helpful tools, it benefits children, strengthens families, and contributes to a thriving community. Click here or on the image to view the MHS calendar March.

The Mental Health Series features an Ask a Therapist LIVE event on March 24, which offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with a licensed therapist. Register here.

EXPLORE THE MAGIC this summer at TROLLWOOD! Find your voice, tell your story, and stand out, as you explore a vibrant array of performance opportunities, technical theatre experiences, and more than 40 performing arts classes designed for students currently in Grades K-12. Trollwood summer registration is now open.

The Fargo Shines! Middle School Solo and Ensemble Festival is coming up on Saturday, May 2 at Davies High School. The festival gives middle school students an opportunity to perform in a competition setting with judges to help them feel more comfortable and prepared for high school music contests. Students who would like to participate can sign up with their sectional teacher.

Through a partnership with the State of North Dakota, Waterford Upstart, an on-demand early learning program, is provided at no cost to families. The program helps prepare children for kindergarten and gives families the tools, coaching and resources to prepare their child for a bright future. Learn more and apply.

The Fargo Public Library has a number of events for kids and teens coming up next week during Spring Break, including Paws for Reading at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 14; Chess Club at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 17; Birding Fun for Kids at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 17; Amazing Owls: Owl Story and Pellet Dissection at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 17; K-Pop Demon Hunters Trivia at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 19; and Library Lair for Teens on Thursday, March 19; and is accepting submissions for the Northern Narratives Writing Project and Northern Narratives Jr. for Kids through March 31. For more information about these events, visit www.fargolibrary.org.

The Governmental Affairs Committee has remained actively engaged throughout the 2026 interim legislative session. Committee members Nikkie Gullickson, Katie Christensen Mineer, Jason Nelson, Kristin Nelson, and Robin Nelson have collaborated with the administrative team to develop a comprehensive work plan in preparation for the 2027 North Dakota Legislative Assembly.

Read more about the work of the Governmental Affairs Committee in this Board Column by GAC Chair Robin Nelson.

The Board of Education of the City of Fargo meets in regular session on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, beginning at 5:30 p.m. To find Board meeting agendas and schedules, a broadcast link, an archive of past meetings, and more, visit the Board of Education webpages on the FPS website.

Read the Board Briefs from the March 10 regular meeting of the School Board.

South High School welcomed more than 65 community members to share their experiences and career paths with students during Career Day on March 4. Presenters represented a wide range of professions, from skilled trades and technical careers to healthcare, public safety, business, education, media, and the arts, offering valuable insight into the many paths students can pursue after high school. (Photo courtesy Adrienne Eider)

This newsletter is published weekly on Thursdays during the school year when classes are in session. Material for publication is due by noon on Tuesday of the week of desired publication.

Email: comments@fargo.k12.nd.us
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us
Location: 700 7th Street South, Fargo, ND
Phone: 701.446.1000