Knight News

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

May 18th - Orchestra Concert - 7:00 PM - Auditorium

May 20th - Activities Fair - 6:00 PM - Media Center/Commons/Main Gym

May 20th - Choir Concert - 7:00 PM - Auditorium

May 25th - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day

May 26th - Last Day of School for Grade 12

May 27th - Semester Testing Schedule - Periods 1, 3, 5, 7

May 28th - Semester Testing Schedule - Periods 2, 4, 6, 8

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

May 29th - Graduation Practice - 10:00 AM - Betty Engelstad Sioux Center - Arrive by 9:45 AM - ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED FOR ALL GRADUATES PARTICIPATING IN THE CEREMONY

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

The Main Office will be undergoing renovations this summer beginning on June 1st. The Main Office will be relocated to the Media Center and access to the public will be through door #13 on North 5th Street. We will be closed to the public June 1st while we transition to our new space.

The registration window for GFPS High School Summer School is now open through May 22, 2026

Before registering, all students and families are strongly encouraged to review the Summer School Handbook in its entirety. The handbook contains important information regarding attendance expectations, grading, course requirements, behavior expectations, and program procedures. Understanding these details ahead of time will help ensure a successful summer school experience.

Please note that summer school courses are offered based on student enrollment. Course offerings and schedules are not finalized until the registration window has closed, and classes may be adjusted, combined, or canceled depending on enrollment numbers.

We encourage families to complete registration by the posted deadline after reviewng the Summer School Handbook. We encourage students to visit with their School Counselor or Associate Principal with any questions regarding their course selections.

Thank you for taking the time to carefully review the information and plan accordingly.

GFPS HS Summer School Handbook Link: https://docs.google.com/.../194rQYzTbch62Cx8mmgZ.../edit...

Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSd28XxveKn9as.../viewform

Please congratulate these students on being chosen for induction into the National Technical Honor Society on May 6th. NTHS honors the achievements of top CTE (Career & Technical Education) students and provides scholarship opportunities. These students undergo a rigorous process before being inducted and must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Riley Anderson, Hailey Anderson-Tibiatowski, Sara Andre, Rylee Bertleson, Aiden Bina, Karter Bossert, Hailey Chesoli, Isaiah Cormier, Sophie Derenne, Lucas Fischer, Afton Gowan, Kaidence Grimaud, Benjermin Haugen, Keenan Hopper, Kevin Johnson, Alysa Jumonville, Kaeden Kjonass, Halle Kohlmeier, Kendra Kuznia, Kendyl Lewis, Andrew Magenau, Tucker May, Kelsie McLaughlin, Kasen Panzer, Jacie Reardon, Jeri Ryan, Sydnee Sandberg, Braelyn Scott, Blake Solberg, Emily Sorvig, Bailey Tebelius, Delilah Willis, Lander Wocken

Pictured below are the 2026 NTHS Inductees.

Congratulations to these GFC seniors who achieved the North Dakota Seal of Biliteracy and Global Seal of Biliteracy for 2026. These awards recognize seniors who demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one other language and an understanding of culture.

The following students have earned the North Dakota Seal of Biliteracy:

Gold Seal:

Alexa Cucalon Garrido, Spanish

Silver Seal:

Hayden Berringer, Spanish

Sam Christman, Spanish

Sophia Huschle-Wendt, Spanish

Daizy Simek, Spanish

Additionally, the following students have earned the Global Seal of Biliteracy, a globally recognized micro-credential, at a level of Functional Fluency:

Sam Christman, Spanish

Alexa Cucalon Garrido, Spanish

Tucker May, Spanish

Daizy Simek, Spanish

The Central Post Prom Committee would like to recognize and thank the following businesses and individuals for supporting Post Prom. We could not do this event without your help and generous donations. We greatly appreciate your commitment to providing a safe & fun event for our Central Knights!

7 Brew

American Crystal Sugar

Amundson Dental

Ault Construction

Bank Forward

Bergstrom Electric

Bernie's

Brady, Martz & Assoc PC

Budget RV

Buffalo Wild Wings

C & R Cleaners & Laundry

CL Linfoot

Cole Papers

Coke

Construction Engineers

Crumbl Cookie

Dairy Queen - North End

Dakota Refrigeration

Dakota Sales

Danel Orthodontics

Deeks Pizza

Economy Plumbing

Face & Jaw Surgery Center

Frandsen Bank & Trust

Gate City Bank

Grand Forks Central Boosters

HudSun Wellness Center

Ironhide Equipment

L&M Meats

Lunseth Plumbing

Manvel Booster Club

Manvel Bean Company/Knudson Farms Company

McKinnon Company

ND Eye Clinic

NetSpec

Nodak Electric

Now or Never Nutrition

Petcetera Animal Clinic

Popolino's Pizza

Plato's Closet

Red Pepper

River Cinema 15

Rydells

Salon South-Sherry Fjestad

Scheels

Sublime Nutrition

Texas Roadhouse

Thermal Air

Valley Vision Clinic

Whalen's Moving & Storage

Widmans

Individual Donations (monetary and giftcards)

Michelle & Phil Ruse

Desiree Tande

Kristina Lee

Wendy Nielson

Lisa Tollefson

Shelia Bjornson

Andee Meyer

Miranda Kleven

Nicole Wilhelmi

Andy & Callie Schneider

Activity Participation Fee Refunds may be issued if certain criteria are met. If you believe your student qualifies for a refund, please download and fill out the refund form below and submit it to our office.

• To be eligible for a refund, your student must not have played in any games, left in good standing, and returned any borrowed uniforms/equipment.
• Requests must be made during the same school year the fee is paid.
• Paper copies of the refund form are available in the main office upon request.

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

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.

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.

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.

Recording link to the March 4th scholarship information session with Jim Upgren from the ND Dept. of Public Instruction:

• https://mygfschools.zoom.us/rec/share/NZpV48ewV7q1794YUY5Wk0AbWR-vdyYDwLXzERkh5H-cHIEY6FioTCKfim7jwss-.lsqq1YHmB_VseI_j?startTime=1772669088000
  Passcode: B?8Y83.v

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

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/