SchoolTalk

Read more about Inclusive Schools Week and how it aligns with the District's Strategic Plan in this Feature Column by Director of Standards-Based Instruction Dr. Liann M. Hanson and Director of Student Support Services Shelby DiFonzo.

December is a busy month for families filled with holiday plans, winter weather, and end-of-year celebrations. With winter break on the horizon, it can be tempting to see these final school days as less important. But the truth is: what happens in December can make or break a student’s success for the semester.

Read more about why December attendance is so important in this Feature Column by Assistant Director of Student Support Services Dr. Jen Sahr.

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. Meet Virtual Academy Counselor Vanessa Boehm in this week's Employee Spotlight.

Community members are invited to nominate a deserving Fargo Public Schools teacher, administrator, or support staff member for the annual Staff Recognition Program. The program honors FPS staff members who serve our students with excellence. More information can be found at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/StaffRecognitionProgram.

Fargo Public Schools deeply values the nearly 2,000 staff members who ensure our students receive a high-quality education in a safe learning environment. To honor our employees, the District annually awards the following:

• Teacher of the Year Award − awarded to a certified staff member
• Administrator of the Year Award − awarded to a principal, assistant principal, director, or coordinator
• Support Staff of the Year Award − awarded to an educational support staff member, custodial/maintenance department staff member, or nutrition services staff member

Nominations will be accepted online through 4 p.m. next Friday, December 12, 2025.

South High School presents "Seussical" December 11-14 at the South High School theater. This is a family-friendly musical, children are encouraged to attend, so Thursday through Saturday performances have a 6:30 p.m. start and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.

Featuring the beloved characters of Dr. Seuss, "Seussical" is fun for the whole family. The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust that contains the Whos, including Jojo, a Who child sent off to military school for thinking too many "thinks." Horton faces a double challenge: not only must he protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg, left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird.

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

The Ask a Therapist LIVE series from ParentGuidance.org and the Cook Center for Human Connection offers parents a unique opportunity to engage directly with a licensed therapist at 7 p.m. next December 9. Register here.

Ask questions of leading family therapists and take advantage of a free resource to help parents with important topics such as anxiety, depression, grief, suicidal ideation, child development and parenting, just to name a few.

AD-Ventures is a district publication intended to help families find activities for their children throughout our community. It is published on the first of each month during the school year (September through May).

AD-Ventures for Kids is for youth in grade levels K-5.

AD-Ventures for Teens is for youth in grade levels 6-8.

With winter sports seasons underway, remember Fargo Public Schools now offers high school sports fans the ability to purchase tickets and season passes online with GoFan Digital Ticketing! To purchase tickets or season passes, visit gofan.co or use the GoFan Mobile App, and search for your event.

Prior to arriving at the gate, have the ticket/pass open and ready on your mobile device by accessing your confirmation email or viewing the ticket in the mobile app. Show the ticket/pass to the gate workers and they will validate your ticket. You MUST use your mobile device, tickets cannot be printed for admission at the gate. Cash will still be taken at the gate, but fans are encouraged to use GoFan for ease.

For more information, including video tutorials, visit the Student Activities Department page on the FPS website.

Jefferson Elementary School celebrated being removed from the Comprehensive School Improvement list this November. Jefferson had been placed on the list because it was identified as being in the bottom 5% schools in the state in academic performance. The staff put plans in motion and worked diligently to improve the schools performance and now sees the fruits of their labor in successfully reaching their goal of being removed from the CSI list.

Jefferson works hard to make sure that all of it's students receive the best educations possible. They are now celebrating the rewards of that hard work. Jefferson held a school day celebration with its students and staff and also made the announcement to families at its Family Game Night.

Thank you to Choice Bank and its Wishing Well Committee for the donation of $3,850 to the Early Childhood Special Education program! The donation will ensure that each ECSE classroom will have access to an iPad.

Hollie Ibach of RDO Equipment was awarded this year’s Offutt Family Foundation Community Builder Program Grant. Hollie chose to support the Rob Arneson Memorial Scholarship. The generous $1,000 donation was made possible through contributions from both the Offutt Family Foundation and R.D. Offutt Company.

The Rob Arneson Memorial Scholarship, administered through the Fargo Public Schools Foundation, honors the life and legacy of longtime FPS educator Rob Arneson. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to a Fargo South High School senior who exemplifies well-rounded leadership, strong academics, and a deep commitment to pursuing a career in elementary education. This gift helps continue Arneson’s legacy of inspiring future educators.

Staff at the FPS District Office participated in a "food fight" with four teams competing to see who could collect the most food to donate to the Husky Hutch food pantry. In total, more than 1,400 items and $277 were collected to donate.

The Fargo Public Schools Foundation & Alumni Network is digitizing yearbooks from Davies High School, South High School, and North High School to build a permanent online archive on the Fargo Public Schools Alumni Network. The goal is to make decades of Fargo history accessible to every alum, wherever life has taken them. Those wishing to donate to help this cause can do so here.

The Foundation and Alumni Network are grateful for support

• Cost to digitize each yearbook: $55
• Total needed to complete the project: $7,040

The Minnesota State University Moorhead Library is hosting the annual Children's Book Sale next week featuring leftover titles from the 2024 Comstock–Gág Read Aloud Book Awards cycle. These books are in gently-used to brand-new condition and represent some of the best children’s literature published this past year. The sale is offering $10 games and toys books, $5 hardcovers, and $3 paperbacks.

Sale Dates & Hours:

• Tuesday, December 9: 1–6 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 10: 10–5 p.m.
• Thursday, December 11: 10–5 p.m. (Half Price All Day!)

All proceeds directly support the Comstock–Gág Read Aloud Book Awards program.

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 November 25 regular meeting of the School Board.

High School students from Fargo Public Schools and other regional school districts had the opportunity to find out which careers may be a good fit for them at the Health, Tech, and Trades Career Expo on Tuesday at the Fargodome.

More than 3,000 students from public and private high schools from around North Dakota and Minnesota visited the expo and envisioned their potential future careers. They got a first hand look at the work in the fields of heavy machinery operation, auto mechanics, fire rescue, EMTs, construction, and many more trades.

Fargo Public Schools and other area K-12 students came together to host the 19th annual Fill the Dome, collecting 100,369 pounds of food and raising nearly $45,000 in monetary donations. The 2025 event, themed “Be a SOUPer Hero” featured month-long activities of raising food and funds culminating in a two day event at the Fargodome led by the Metro Area Student Ambassadors.

On November 20, musician Matthew West visited Ed Clapp Elementary School and performed his song "Gobble Gobble" to the delight of the school's students, who sang along and danced to the song. West was in town for a concert that evening at Bethel Church, which is near Ed Clapp.

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