SchoolTalk

Fargo Public Schools is excited to welcome our newest learners — the Graduation Class of 2039 — who will begin kindergarten in the 2026–27 school year! Registering your child now helps ensure a smooth start and allows us to stay connected with your family throughout the summer.

Kindergarten Round-Ups will be held May 4 through May 11! Set your kindergartener up for success by attending your school's Kindergarten Round-Up. These events aim to help students and families get more comfortable with their new school environment and know what to expect when they start school. You must be registered before you can attend a Kindergarten Round-Up.

This year, our kindergarten experience will begin a little differently as we focus on getting to know each child individually. During the first two days of school, August 26 or 27, families will schedule a 30‑minute one‑on‑one session with an educator for kindergarten assessments.

Read more about the new beginning to kindergarten; important dates to know, including the Kindergarten Round-Up schedule; and details about the registration process in this Cabinet Column by Associate Superintendent Missy Eidsness.

In times of financial pressure, balancing a school district budget requires thoughtful planning, careful prioritization, and continued focus on supporting students and staff. Like many other districts, Fargo Public Schools has worked through challenging budget decisions. An important part in understanding how we do this is recognizing that the District’s budget is not a single pool of dollars, but rather a collection of separate funds, each with specific purposes established by law.

Read more about the District's funds and how they can be used in this Cabinet Column by Chief Financial Officer Jackie Gapp.

A good day does not mean a perfect day. It does not mean everything goes as planned or that challenges disappear. Instead, a good day is one where we feel steady enough to move through what comes our way. It might include moments of connection, a sense of purpose, or simply getting through something difficult with a bit of support. Mental Health Awareness Month invites us to pause and consider something more personal and just as important: what does a “good day” actually feel like?

Read more about how to start defining good days in this Feature Column by Assistant Director of Student Support Services Dr. Jen Sahr.

A team of 21 Fargo Public Schools educators recently returned from the BARR National Conference, joining schools from across the country in a shared commitment to strengthening student success through relationships, data, and collaborative systems of support. Representing both current and future BARR schools, Fargo Public Schools was not only present as a learner within a national network, but also as a leader, contributing meaningful practices and outcomes that are shaping how other districts approach implementation.

Read more about FPS educators' involvement at the BARR National Conference in this Feature Column by Assistant Director of Student Support Services Dr. Jen Sahr.

Teacher Appreciation week is next week, May 4-8. Fargo Public Schools thanks all of our educators for their hard work and dedication to fulfilling FPS' mission of "educating and empowering all students to succeed" this Teacher Appreciation Week! Please show your appreciation for our educators next week. Educators provide impactful foundations for students to grow, and they have the ability to leave lasting impacts both in academics and citizenship. Their work changes lives on a daily basis.

School Lunch Hero Day is tomorrow, Friday, May 1! School Lunch Hero Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the hardworking food service staff working in our buildings each day, serving more than 150,000 meals a year.

This day, celebrated annually since 2013, was designated by The School Nutrition Association and Jarrett Krosoczka, author of the “Lunch Lady” graphic novel series. School Lunch Hero Day provides an opportunity for parents, students, school staff and communities to thank those who provide healthy meals to nearly 30 million of America’s students each school day.

Congratulations to Davies High School Junior Kaj Naujokas and Discovery Middle School Sixth Grader Lourdes Bad Bear on being voted the winners of the Fargo Police Department School Resource Officer Squad Car Design Contest!

The contest invited middle and high school students to design custom squad car wraps for Fargo Police School Resource Officers. The two winning designs will be professionally produced and applied to SRO squad vehicles for each winning school in the 2026–27 school year. The wraps will be unveiled at a later date.

Congratulations to Jefferson Elementary School third graders Fatima Haidari and Easton Nesmeier on being selected as the winners of the City of Fargo Earth Day Poster Contest! The winning posters will be displayed across Fargo on billboards and on the back of recycling trucks.

Both students are in Mrs. Thoennes' class and the class got to celebrate with a pizza party that was attended by representatives from the City of Fargo.

Congratulations to the Fargo Public Schools students who placed at the NDHSAA State A Speech Tournament on April 18 at Jamestown High School. FPS had five first place finishers. View the complete results.

South High School

• Cora Wixo-Mcgavin, first in EPR
• Madison Arness, first in Impromptu Speaking

Davies High School

• Isabel Scherer, first in Impromptu Speaking
• Setiya Hamidi, first in US Extemporaneous Speaking and Speech to Persuade

Congratulations to all of the Fargo Public Schools students who placed at the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference held April 19-21 at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton. Students from North High School, South High School, and Davies High School competed in trades-related contests, such as carpentry, wood turning, plumbing, robotics, and welding. View the Top 3 finishers from FPS below:

South High School

• Nic Grieger, Gold in Maintenance and Light Repair

Davies High School

• Emberly McInerney, Gold in Wood Turning
• Payton Silbernagel, Gold in Cabinet Making
• Grady Ames, Silver in Cabinet Making
• Hunter Swanson, Silver in Plumbing
• Eben Sandford, Bronze in Plumbing
• Devin Nester and Conner Ronning, Gold in Robotics Urban Rescue

Congratulations to Kennedy Elementary School Second Grade Teacher Lindsay Perlenfein on receiving the Minnesota State University Moorhead Nibbe School of Teaching & Learning Innovation Award! The award was presented on Monday at the Dragon Legacy Luncheon: College of Education & Human Services.

The Nibbe Innovation Award celebrates outstanding educators who are advancing new ideas and approaches to education. Recipients of this award exemplify creativity and a commitment to improving educational experience through innovative teaching practices and new models of learning.

Congratulations to South High School seniors Michael Hamilton and Hosea Nakyoyo on signing their National Letters of Intent to compete at the next level. Hamilton will be competing in basketball at Rochester Community and Technical College. Nakyoyo will be competing in soccer at Concordia College.

Meet North High School Restorative Practices Facilitator Allison Law 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 TOMORROW, Friday, MAY 1 due to the unused school makeup day. Classes will resume as regularly scheduled on Monday, May 4.

Community members have one final opportunity to walk the halls of the historic Horace Mann Elementary School and say goodbye to a school that has served generations of students and been a staple in the Fargo community for more than a century.

Horace Mann’s administration is inviting the community to take self-guided tours of the more-than a century-old building from 5:30-8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13. The event will also feature the opening of a time capsule that was placed at the building’s centennial in 2015. The time capsule will be opened at 6:30 p.m.

Fargo Public Schools invites the public to a public comment meeting about the District’s application for Federal Title grant funds for the 2026-27 school year. Title funds are used to provide services to students who are homeless, professional development and training opportunities for teachers, services for students learning English as a second language, activities to support a well-rounded education for all students, and more. Title funds must be used for services above and beyond those provided to students through local funds.

The meeting for public comment on Title funds will be held next Monday, May 4, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Board Room at the District Office, located at 700 7th Street South, Fargo.

South High School presents Eurydice tonight, Thursday, April 30 to this Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee this Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m. in the South High School Theater.

Euridyce by Sarah Ruhl is a reimagining of the classic Greek myth, told from the perspective of the heroine, Eurydice, who dies on her wedding day and travels to the underworld. In the afterlife, she reunites with her deceased father and struggles to remember her life and love for Orpheus, while he journeys to rescue her.

Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults and can be purchased on the Fargo Public Schools Online Theater Box Office website. A fee will be charged for credit card purchases.

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. The survey closes today.

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 for May.

The Mental Health Series features an Ask a Therapist LIVE event on May 12, which offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with a licensed therapist. Register here.

Last Wednesday, South High School SRO Troy Nielsen of the Fargo Police Department presented a donation of $500 to South SkillsUSA program from Bell Bank as part of its Pay it Forward Program. Officer Nielsen presented the check to SkillsUSA Advisor Aaron Prestegaard on behalf of his wife, who is an employee at Bell Bank.

The Fargo Public Schools Building Trades homes built by high school students are for sale! Buyer responsible for lot, moving of the house, flooring, HVAC, foundation, and applicable taxes and fees. View the listings for the South High School house and the North High School house.

The Fargo Public Library has a number of events for kids and teens coming up, including the Library Lair for Teens, a weekly hangout for teens and tweens age 10-18 at the Dr. James Carlson Library every Thursday from 5-6 p.m.; a Teen Craft event for teens aged 12-18 to decorate a terra cotta planter at 4 p.m. Friday at the Northport Library; the Read to Comet the Mini Horse event in which emerging readers in grades K-6 can bring their own books to Comet the Mini Horse (registration is required) at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Dr. James Carlson Library; and The Northern Focus Photography Project for teens is accepting submissions through May 31. For more information about these events, visit www.fargolibrary.org.

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 April 28 regular meeting of the School Board.

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