Knight News

Mar. 1st - "Something Rotten" - Auditorium - 2:00 PM

Mar. 2nd - Choir Concert - Auditorium - 7:00 PM (changed from Mar. 9th)

Mar. 2nd - Booster Club Meeting - 7:00 PM - Media Center

Mar. 3rd - Post Prom Committee Meeting - Canad Inn - 6:00 PM

Mar. 3rd - Band Concert - Auditorium - 7:00 PM

Mar. 4th - Early Release - 1:00 PM

Mar. 5th - Orchestra Concert - Auditorium - 7:00 PM

Mar. 8th - Daylight Savings - Spring Forward 1 Hour

Mar. 11th - 13th - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

Mar. 16th - Driver's Ed Registration Opens (see below for details on how to register)

Mar. 18th - Early Release - 1:00 PM

Mar. 23rd - Knight Idol - Auditorium - 7:00 PM

Mar. 27th - End of Quarter 3

April 3rd - 6th - NO SCHOOL - Holiday Break

April 6th - Booster Club Meeting - 7:00 PM - Media Center

April 15th - Early Release - 1:00 PM

April 20th - Grand Cities Idol - 7:00 PM - RRHS Performance Hall

April 29th - Early Release - 1:00 PM

May 1st - Deadline For Senior Photos/Baby Photos for the Yearbook (more info below)

May 1st - Deadline to Purchase the 25-26 Yearbook (link and more info below)

May 4th - Booster Club Meeting - 7:00 PM - Media Center

May 13th - Early Release - 1:00 PM

May 13th - Graduation Cap/Gown Distribution in the Main Office

May 15th - Deadline For All Students For Independent Study, Online & Correspondence Course Work To Be Completed

May 25th - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day

May 26th - Last Day of School for Grade 12

May 28th - Last Day of School - Grades K-11

May 29th - Graduation Practice - 10:00 AM - Betty Engelstad Sioux Center

May 31st - Graduation - 1:00 PM - Betty Engelstad Sioux Center

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s) and Graduating Student(s),

Prior to graduation, there are a number of items that need to be completed. The following is a checklist of all obligations/deadlines that must be met by each student before a diploma will be presented.

May 1st

• Senior photos and baby photos (optional) for the yearbook are due on May 1st. Photos can be turned in any time prior to that date to Mr. Berglund or emailed to centralyearbook@mygfschools.org.

May 13th

• Caps & gowns will be distributed in the main office beginning on this date. Students who have a hold on their cap & gown must satisfy all holds before it will be released. A hold may be placed on any student who owes: detention, classroom or library materials, misc. fees or fines, technology items, device damage fees, athletic uniforms, other misc. items or if there is an academic concern. No personal additions will be allowed on caps, gowns, or honor stoles without prior permission from administration.

May 15th

• Deadline for all bills, fees, and fines to be paid (such as lunch accounts, media center, athletic equipment, lab equipment, or book damages).
• Deadline for all independent study, online and correspondence course work to be completed.

May 18th – 26th

• Seniors must complete the senior survey. Teachers will notify students when the survey is open.

May 22rd

• Deadline to opt out of participating in the graduation ceremony. Students who do not want to walk in the ceremony must notify Kristin Wilcox in the main office by this date. We must know exactly which students are walking so there are no gaps in the lines and names match up to students as they walk across the stage. Students who opt out will not be given their diplomas (or caps/gowns if purchased) until after graduation. Those items will be available at the school beginning Monday, June 1st. After 30 days, all unclaimed caps/gowns will be donated.

May 26th

• The final day of classes for seniors is May 26th.
• All detention time, tests and course work must be completed by this date. This deadline does not apply to independent study, online and correspondence course work, which must be completed by May 15th.

May 29th

• MANDATORY graduation practice is scheduled for Friday, May 29th at 10:00 a.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. All graduating seniors who wish to participate in the ceremony must attend practice and must arrive no later than 9:45 a.m. If you have a school sponsored event that conflicts with graduation practice, you must inform Mr. Strandell prior to May 29th that you will miss practice. Failure to be on time for practice or to secure permission from Mr. Strandell in advance to miss practice, may result in that student being removed from the graduation ceremony.

May 31st

• Graduation Ceremony begins at 1:00 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Students must report to the holding area no later than 12:15 p.m. All students who participate in the commencement ceremony are expected to dress in an appropriate manner.
• The cap, gown, tassel, and shoes are all required. No personal additions will be allowed on caps, gowns or honor stoles without prior permission from administration.

Only students who have completed their graduation requirements will participate in the graduation ceremony. Graduation requirements include not only the academic requirements, but also completion of detention hours, payment of all fees and fines, the return of all classroom and library materials, technology items, athletic uniforms and equipment, miscellaneous uniforms and all other loaned materials.

The list of students who will be participating in the ceremony will be finalized on Wednesday, May 27th.

Thank you for your continued support of Central and your students throughout this year. I look forward to celebrating the achievements of the 140th graduating class at the commencement ceremony this year!

Mr. Jon Strandell, Principal

Grand Forks Central High School

Athletic Awards

Girls Wrestling

Team Placings:

EDC - Runner-Up

State - 4th Place (highest finish in school history)

EDC Individual Placers:

170: Kyah Wiley - Champion

190: Sky Kopp - Champion

130: Kaylee Kurz - Runner-Up

124: Shayla DeBlaere - 4th Place

136: Sarah Novak - 4th Place

148: AuLani Long - 4th Place

118: Caidence Aipperspach - 5th Place

155: Lexi Ray - 5th Place

State Individual Placers

170: Kyah Wiley - Runner-Up

190: Sky Kopp -Runner-Up

130: Kaylee Kurz - 3rd place

124: Maddie Look - 7th place

148: Aulani Long - 8th place

Boys Wrestling

Team Placings:

EDC - Runner-Up

State - 6th Place

EDC Individual Placers:

127: Gabriel Flores III - Champion

133: Cesar Cruz Jr. - Runner-up

139: Zachary Nelson - Runner-up

152: Rhys Safratowich - Runner-up

160: Landon Petron - Runner-up

172: Ayden Hinsey - 3rd Place

189: Logan Vorhies - 3rd Place

121: Henry Bonn - 4th Place

215: Ryden Torgerson - 4th Place

285: Eli Fischer - 4th Place

107: Royce Such - 6th Place

145: Lucas Weber - 6th Place

215: Ryder McNally - 6th Place

114: Lincoln Hoaglund - 8th Place

139: Jaden Cochran - 8th Place

189: Gage McNally - 8th Place

State Individual Placers:

127: Gabriel Flores III - Runner-Up

133: Cesar Cruz Jr. - 5th Place

152: Rhys Safratowich - 5th Place

172: Ayden Hinsey - 6th Place

189: Logan Vorhies - 7th Place

160: Landon Petron - 8th Place

215: Ryden Torgerson - 8th Place

In-Person Requirement

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, students enrolled in North Dakota Center for Distance Education (NDCDE) courses purchased by the Grand Forks Public Schools will be required to work on coursework in a designated area at Central from 2:05 - 2:55pm daily, ensuring structured supervision and support. If a family chooses to purchase the NDCDE course individually, students may choose where and when to complete their NDCDE coursework.

As a reminder, in order to be considered a GFPS-enrolled student, the majority of a student’s classes must be taught in the building, in-person, taught by a GFPS instructor.

Required In-Person Courses per Grade Level at Grand Forks Central

Grade 9 - 5 of the required 7 periods taught by a GFPS instructor in-person

Grade 10 - 4 of the required 6 periods taught by a GFPS instructor in-person

Grade 11 - 4 of the required 5 periods taught by a GFPS instructor in-person

Grade 12 - 4 of the required 5 periods taught by a GFPS instructor in-person

NDCDE and Physical Education

Beginning in the fall of 2026, students will need to meet the graduation requirement for physical education by taking in-person class(es) at GFC taught by a GFPS instructor. Once the graduation requirement has been met, a student may take a physical education class from NDCDE as an elective credit.

Be Aware: Course Selection Process and Schedule Changes

Due to the need to balance staffing levels and class sizes, as well as the move to a new scheduling platform statewide (from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus) this summer, student schedule changes will be extremely limited in the 2026-27 school year and moving forward. Changes will not be allowed after mid-April.

Students and families should carefully select courses and alternate courses that align with their career and personal aspirations.

• There will be no effort to compact schedules so students can end the school day early. Students should expect that classes may be offered at times that are not preferred. This means students may have gaps in their schedules and may have to take courses Periods 6 and 7. This includes juniors and seniors.

• Note to Parents/Guardians: Students have access to their course selections in PowerSchool through the tab on the left side of the screen named Class Registration. Please review selections with your student.

AP Biology - Monday, May 4 8:00 am

AP Chemistry - Tuesday, May 5 8:00 am

AP Government - Tuesday, May 5 12:00 noon

AP Eng. Lit. and Comp. - Wednesday, May 6 8:00 am

AP Physics - Wednesday, May 6 12:00 noon

AP World History - Thursday, May 7 8:00 am

AP Statistics - Thursday, May 7 12:00 noon

AP US History - Friday, May 8 8:00 am

AP Economics - Friday, May 8 12:00 noon

AP Calculus - Monday, May 11 8:00 am

AP Psychology - Tuesday, May 12 12 noon

AP Eng. Lang. and Comp. - Wednesday, May 13 8:00 am

The ND Scholarship Application for the Class of 2026 is open, and the deadline for students to apply is Friday, June 5. Students can check their progress towards the ND Scholarship through their ND Scholarship dashboard in PowerSchool. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Bailey in the counseling office.

GFPS Parents:

Grand Forks Public Schools Driver Education registration will be opening for 2026 summer classes on Monday, March 16th @ 8:30 AM for students in 8th - 12th grade . Three 8-day sessions with morning and afternoon time slots will be offered. These classes will be held Monday – Thursday. Driver instruction includes classroom curriculum, simulated driving experiences, and behind-the-wheel training. All instructors are licensed Driver Education teachers in North Dakota. Please note that your child is not issued a Driver's Permit at the end of our program. They will receive a Certificate confirming that they completed a Driver Education Course. Session dates and times can be found Here

The session fee for 2026 is $350.00. Registration will be available at MySchoolbucks.com or on the MySchoolbucks App.

You must have an account in MySchoolbucks and your student added under your account prior to purchasing a session. Sessions sell out fast, so please have your account created before March 16th.

Driver Education students must be 14 years old. Driver permits are encouraged, but not required to take driver education. Students must be in attendance every day during the session and time selected. Please choose sessions for your son or daughter with mandatory attendance in mind. If you are not able to make the session you selected after registration, please be aware that moving to another session may not be possible. If you have any questions, please contact us at (701) 795-2777.

If a student’s ID card is lost, a $10 replacement fee must be paid on MySchoolBucks.com for a replacement. After payment is made, the google form linked below must be completed. Replacement cards take 3–5 days to process.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OaKSU76lPf0K2xhrqo_0bgARmPwrNRcj9r2Z96JC5xA/viewform?edit_requested=true

The 2026 Junior/Senior Prom will be held Saturday, May 2nd. All tickets will be sold using an online ticketing software called Ludus, the same program used for prior dances and all GFPS theater performances. The tickets will be emailed to the buyer of the tickets and will need to be saved to scan the tickets for entry to the dance.

GRAND MARCH

Grand March will be held in the auditorium in two sessions. There will be a 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM session. Spectator tickets are purchased in advance $3 each and will be sold during 1st and 2nd lunch during the week before Prom. The cost will rise to $5 at the door.

Grand March will be live-streamed on the GFC Activities YouTube Channel. There will be an event link specifically just for Grand March posted on the GFC Activities YouTube site prior to Grand March. That link will be shared out closer to the date.

https://youtube.com/live/LqqJunxrZvA?feature=share

PROM

Prom will take place at Cloud 9 in downtown Grand Forks from 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM. Tickets for Prom are $25 each from April 20th - April 24th and will raise in price to $30 from April 27th - April 30th. Tickets will be sold during 1st and 2nd lunch during the week before Prom. Tickets will not be sold on Friday, May 1st.

If you are bringing a guest from a different school, you will need to get a Guest Permission Form. This must be filled out prior to the end of the day on April 30th. That form must be brought to the dance in order for your guest to attend the dance. You will be turned away if you do not have that form.

Cloud 9 Information

• 322 Demers Ave
  Grand Forks, ND 58201

• Enter through the skywalk from the parking garage

REMINDER THAT ALL STUDENTS MUST SERVE ALL DETENTION HOURS IN ORDER TO PURCHASE TICKETS AND ATTEND THE DANCE.

The following are Prom expectations:

• Behavior

• All school events are alcohol and drug free. Students will be required to take a breathalyzer test at the door.

• Appropriate Dancing

• Students are required to dance appropriately....period!!!

• Formal Dress is Required

• Formal prom attire may be classified as a tuxedo or dress suit, including a tie, bow tie, and a shirt, which may include a vest or cummerbund. Dress slacks, dress shirt, and tie are also appropriate attire. Shirts are to be worn at all times.

• Traditionally formal dresses may be strapless or may feature spaghetti straps. Bare or open backs are acceptable; however excessively bare stomachs or bare midriffs are not permitted. Under garments should not be visible. See-through apparel and gowns or dresses with slits that are above the mid-thigh area are not permitted. Garments that are extremely tight or extremely low-cut are also unacceptable. Dresses with glitter on them will not be permitted.

Prom is a school event and the same rules listed in the Student Handbook will apply.

If you have questions, please contact Trevor Lennon, at 746-2205 ext. 6145.

The Post-Prom Committee is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help create an unforgettable night at Northern Air for our Junior and Senior Knights! If you’re interested in assisting with event planning or helping secure donations, we’d love to have you join us. Our next meeting will take place at the Canad Inn (behind the Tavern) on March 3rd at 6:00 PM.

Why?

Within ND Century Code, school districts have the opportunity to provide instruction via remote learning during school cancellation due to inclement weather days. When surveyed, GFPS families indicated they prefer to engage in remote learning rather than make up missed days due to inclement weather.

Teacher Expectations:

• Teachers post assignments in Google Classroom by 9:30am (10:00am grace period for teachers with 3 or more preps)

• Posts may include written directions, uploaded documents, or short voice/video recordings per teacher discretion

• Assignments should take 15-30 minutes to complete on average * NOTE: exceptions may be necessary for AP and Dual Credit courses to stay on pace

• Teachers will be available for meetings over Google Meet upon request between 10:00-11:00 am and 2:00-3:00 pm. Teachers will also respond to email periodically throughout the day.

Student Expectations:

• Students will check Google Classroom for their day’s assignments and complete their work

• Students will follow their building’s directions for attendance. Students who do not indicate themselves as present will be marked absent (unexcused) unless their guardian alerts the office of their absence.

• Students will communicate with their teachers via email or Google Classroom if they have questions

• A Google Meet can be requested through email

2025-2026 GFC yearbooks are now available to order online. The cost is $55.00 plus a $2.75 processing fee. All payments are processed by PayPal, but a PayPal account is not required to complete the purchase. At checkout, the purchaser can choose to pay with a debit or credit card instead of using a PayPal account. The 2025-2026 yearbooks arrive in the fall of 2026.

Link to order a GFC yearbook for the 2025-2026 school year:

https://ybstore.friesens.com/403870

Like so many others, we are in need of some fine folks to fill out our staff at the school known as The Finest in Dakota! Please follow the link below to view the open positions at Central (and all of the Grand Forks Public Schools) that include paraprofessionals and custodians. Be part of the work to make a positive change in a student's life at Grand Forks Central!

Mr. Jon Strandell - Principal

Dr. Gabe Dahl - Associate Principal A-K

Mr. Mike Wilber - Associate Principal L-Z

Mr. Tony Bina - Athletic Director

Main Office : 701-746-2375

Attendance Line: 701-746-2482

Main Office Hours 7:00 AM-4:00 PM

School Doors Open at 7:30 AM

Location:

115 N. 4th Street

Grand Forks, ND 58203

Follow us on Twitter: @GFC_Activities

Follow us on Instagram: gfc_activites

GFPS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GrandForksPublicSchools/