FMS Newsletter

FMS Families!

Thank you so much for those who were able to attend our parent/guardian presentation about Achievement Season and our family BINGO night! We had a wonderful turnout! If you were unable to attend the session, you can find a link to the recording below. Check it out! We appreciate your partnership. One of our schoolwide goals is to focus on attendance and students arriving to school on time. Please do your best to ensure students are present each day and arrive in enough time to make it to class by 8 am.

We look forward to welcoming parents for our spring parent-teacher conferences. These will be held on March 6 and March 13 from 4:00 - 8:00pm. We look forward to seeing families and partnering with you.

As always, please let us know how we can best support you and your student. The education and wellbeing of our students is the utmost importance to us and we will continue to do everything we can to meet the needs of all our students. We are here to support, encourage, partner together, and engage students in their learning. Thank you for partnering with us!

Warmly,

Dr. Amy Cochran

Principal

763.502.5401

cochran@isd14.org

Matt Engelhardt

Assistant Principal

763.502.5403

engelhardt@isd14.org

Mark your calendar!

FMS and FHS Jazz Band Coffee Concert

• Monday, March 3rd at 7:00pm-FMS Cafeteria
  

FMS Scholastic Book Fair!

• March 3rd through March 10th -Media Center

FMS Parent/Teacher Conferences

• Thursday, March 6: FMS Parent/Teacher Conferences from 4:00 - 8:00 pm

• Thursday, March 13: FMS Parent/Teacher Conferences from 4:00 - 8:00 pm

Grades 5: Conferences will be held by appointment only. Teachers will send a sign-up link to schedule a time for parent-teacher conferences. Encore (Specialist) teachers will be in the front gym and no appointment is necessary to see them. Feel free to stop and see them before or after your scheduled conference with your student's classroom teacher. If you need assistance in scheduling a conference with your students teacher, please contact the main office at 763-502-5400.

Grades 6, 7 and 8: Conferences will be held on a drop in basis and you do not need to have an appointment, please come when it is convenient for you.

Grade 6- will be located in their classrooms. Grade 7 and 8- will be located in the cafeteria. Encore (Specialist) Teachers- will be located in the front gym and you do not need an appointment to see them.

NO SCHOOL

• March 7th (Staff Development Day)

FMS Musical:

• Thursday, March 20th at 7:00 pm - District Auditorium
• Friday, March 21st at 7:00 pm - District Auditorium
• Saturday, March 22nd at 2:00pm- District Auditorium

NO SCHOOL

• March 28th (Evaluation and Planning Day)

NO SCHOOL (SPRING BREAK!)

• March 31- April 4th

American Indian Education Powwow:

• April 12th from 3:30 to 5:30 pm (Champlin Park High School Fieldhouse )

5th/6th Grade Spring Jamboree:

• April 25th from 3:30 to 5:30 pm (More information to come)

MCA Testing

• Reading MCA: April 15 & 16

• Math MCA: April 22 & 23

• Science MCA (Grades 5 and 8 only): April 29 & 30

6th Grade Knowledge Fair

• Wednesday, May 7th at 4:30 pm- 6:00 pm FMS Cafe and Rm 129

FMS Spring Band/Choir Concert: May 13th

• 6th Grade Band/Choir Spring Concert: 6 pm- District Auditorium

• 7th Grade Band/7th and Choir Spring Concert: 7 pm- District Auditorium

• 8th Grade Band/Jazz Band Spring Concert 8 pm- District Auditorium

Incoming 5th Grade Student Orientation

• Thursday, May 15th from 4:30 - 7:30 pm- FMS (More information to come)

In effort to ensure that students are able to get to class by 8:00 am, we are making some changes to our morning routine. Please help us remind students they need to be in class and ready to learn at 8:00 am.

• Doors will open at 7:40 am.
• Breakfast will be served from 7:40 am - 7:58 am.
• Students entering after 8:00 am will need to sign in at the main office.
• We will no longer be serving 2nd Chance Breakfast.
• Students should get breakfast in the morning. We will offer bags on the breakfast line if students would like to place the items in a bag and eat them later. We will ensure we have items on the line that can be eaten at a later time.
• If students arrive after the start of the day, they will receive a yellow pass in the main office. They can use that yellow pass to get breakfast in the cafeteria until 9:00 am.

Thank you for your partnership in helping students be ready to learn by 8:00 am.

We are thrilled to share our instructional plan for the next nine weeks, designed to boost student achievement and ensure every student feels confident and prepared. This exciting period focuses on building strong skills and strategies in Math and Reading, helping students grow academically and feel confident in their abilities. Alongside academic preparation, we're creating a positive, motivating environment with fun incentives to celebrate student progress and effort. One key way student achievement is measured in Minnesota is through the MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments), which students will take in April. While these assessments occur in April, we want to make sure our students have all the skills they need to succeed.

We shared information about Achievement Season on February 19. If you were unable to attend, click the links below to watch the presentation. It is available in English, Spanish and Somali.

You can also find more information in the attached folder by click the link below.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students thrive. Together, we can make this "Achievement Season" a great success!

Congratulations to our Golden Ticket Winners! These students received 10 stamps on their incentive sheets and were selected in a drawing to receive a gift card! Congratulations and keep up the great work!

Students may be excused for family vacations for up to 10 school days with prior approval from the Principal. To request approval, parents/guardians must submit a request at least two weeks before the planned vacation. The request should include the student's name, grade, and vacation dates. The Principal will review the request and provide a response within five school days.

On Friday, May 9th students in grades 5 and 8 will take the Minnesota Student Survey (MSS). The MSS is a survey that tracks a wide variety of youth behaviors, risk and protective factors and outcomes related to education, health, safety and well-being. MSS is completely anonymous and the data is confidential. The data cannot be tied back to students or their families. Everyone is able to participate in the MSS; however, any parent or student has the ability to opt-out. Students can skip any question or stop at any point.

It is the policy of the Fridley Public School Board that the District comply with the Federal Family Rights and Privacy Act and Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. Parents/guardians or eligible student has the right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education regarding an alleged failure by the District to comply with federal and state law. A complete copy of Policy 515 Protection and Privacy of Pupil Records is available on the website:

Below is the link to PPRA Policy (School Board Policy 515):

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone for helping our 8th graders through History Day this year. Whether you judged, helped proof read, gave a pep talk or just put up with the process -

THANK YOU. Please click the button below to review the results.

If you have questions regarding History Day, please contact

Mr. Cuthbert at 763-502-5548 or cuthbert@isd14.org.

March 20, 21 @7pm & 22 @2pm

*FHS Auditorium

*Tickets available at the box office only

$10 Adults, $4 Students

(Adult Discount Package - All 3 for $25)

Get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming our way (YAY!). Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them on their journey to becoming lifelong readers. AND—as always—every purchase at the Fair benefits our school.

Here’s what you need to know about the big event, which will take place from

· March 3rd – March 10th

o Hours: School Day, extended hours for Conferences

· FMS Media Center

Say goodbye to cash and hello to eWallet—your child’s digital payment account. Before the Fair, set up eWallet for worry-free, cash-free purchases. Anyone can contribute! Share each child’s eWallet so friends and family can add funds and give your kids more books to enjoy.

If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop at our school’s Book Fair online. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Every online purchase will also benefit our school. The countdown to more Book joy is on! Catch you at the Fair!

Fridley schools is collaborating with metro schools to host a spring Powwow on Saturday, April 12 at Champlin Park High School fieldhouse. Drumming, dancing, food trucks, feast and more! This has been a very popular event the last two years and even more people are expected this year! We are also looking for volunteers to help. Contact Jayna at Jayna.Gunderson@fridley.k12.mn.us or 763-502-5046.

The powwow flyer can be found on the American Indian Ed page of district website:

The Minnesota Department of Education requires that 5th - 8th grade students take the MCA Reading and Math test, as well as Science for grades 5 and 8. Students will test in April.

We will test on the following dates:

Reading: April 15 & 16

Math: April 22 and 23

Science (5&8): April 29 & 30

More information about the MCA tests can be found at Minnesota Department of Education’s website http://education.state.mn.us/mde/fam/tests/

FMS Spring Band/Choir Concert: May 13th

• 6th Grade Band/Choir Spring Concert: 6 pm- District Auditorium

• 7th Grade Band/7th and Choir Spring Concert: 7 pm- District Auditorium

• 8th Grade Band/Jazz Band Spring Concert 8 pm- District Auditorium

Yearbooks are available for pre-ordering! Yearbooks will be $15.74 this year.

The link below; you will need to create an account and add your student's name. Then you will be able to order your 24-25 year book. If you have additional questions, please email questions to acosta@isd14.org.

March

• Spring sport registration is open through Campus.

• Registration questions: Contact Mr. Ferry

Spring Sports:

• HS Adapted Bowling (7-12)

• HS Girls Golf (7-12)

• HS Boys Golf (7-12)

• MS Baseball (6-8)

• MS Softball (6-8)

• HS Boys Tennis (7-12)

• MS Track & Field (6-8)

Did you know that Nutritional Services utilizes a variety of pre-made and school made items at lunch time? The lunch menus need to meet strict nutritional guidelines including calories and sodium. We offer 3-4 different vegetable choices and 2 different fruit options daily. Students must take at least 1/2 cup serving of fruits or vegetables on their tray.

We encourage students to take more items to ensure they get enough to eat. Our menu items are tested by students and we use student feedback to make menu changes. We recognize that some students may not like what is served everyday but we plan our menus to reflect the tastes of our student population.

Please encourage your students to try new menu items. It takes trying something at least 10 times before they know if they like it or not. Menus can be found on the nutritional services website and they can change due to supply chain issues. We continue to provide student favorites including mac and cheese, hamburgers, and pizza.

Remember that students are able to receive one breakfast and lunch at no charge each day. If your student comes through second chance breakfast for an additional breakfast, they will be charged. Please talk with your student about any extra charges on their meal account. Parents can find your student meal balances on the Parent Portal of Campus. Students are able to purchase Ala Carte if they have a positive lunch balance. Students can purchase one beverage and one snack item daily. Cash is not accepted at the cashier station during lunch. If you have any questions please contact Renee Arbogast at arbogast@isd14.org or 763-502-5022.

Emergency Sheets need to be updated and signed yearly. It is very important that we have the most current contact numbers in case of an emergency or illness. These forms will be updated at open house.

It is also important that we are told about any health conditions your child might have. This information is listed on the emergency sheet as well. If anything has changed over the summer, please call the Health Office about this.

Attention parents of 7th graders

There are additional immunizations that are required for 7th grade; Tdap and Menningococcal. These are required BEFORE starting school or a conscientious objection form must by notarized and given to the health office BEFORE school starts. Notification letters were mailed to parents in May. The immunization form is on the District Web Page under Health Services. Please make an appointment with your clinic to get these immunizations completed as soon as possible.

Per our District Policy, all immunizations must be current in order to start school. Please help in making it a great start for your child's school year by getting this done.

Minnesota State Law requires all students enrolling in school to be immunized against certain diseases or file a legal medical or conscientious exemption. If these are not obtained, your child will not be able to start school in the fall. The MN Department of Health has an immunization form you may use to provide documentation of your child's immunizations. It has been attached to this message.

Check parent portal for immunizations your child may be missing, https://www.fridleyschools.org/

Here is a resource for other options for low cost vaccinations through the Anoka County Immunization Clinic:

https://www.anokacountymn.gov/2285/Immunizations

This program is supported by Neighborhood HealthSource and is funded through a grant with the Anoka County Children Family Council (ACCFC). This year we will have two team members supporting our district. If you need support, please click the flyers below.

They are available to help with health insurance and medical/community resources. Benny is stationed at the Middle School on Friday's 8:00 am - 12:00pm in the health office.

We so excited we can offer this support again this school year. Please let us know if you have any questions.

This newsletter was created to give parents and students a place to check in for the most up to date information on multiple areas of our building. If you should have any questions, please reach out to us.

Email: cochran@isd14.org
Website: Fridley.k12.mn.us
Location: 6100 West Moore Lake Drive Northeast, Fridley, MN, USA
Phone: 763.502.5400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FridleyMS