Principal's Message
Happy New Year! Welcome back! We hope everyone had a healthy and safe winter break.
Just a reminder that the end of Semester 1 is on January 24. This is a great time to reflect on your scholar's current progress. Please connect with them about anything they need to wrap up to finish the semester strong! There will be no school for students for Grading and Reporting on January 25th and January 26th. Second Semester begins on January 29th. We will be mailing report cards out the first week in February so be watching for those!
Again, welcome back to the new year! Thank you for all of your support. Remember we are here to support, encourage, partner together and engage students in their learning. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you or your student.
Warmly,
Dr. Amy Cochran
Principal
763.502.5401
Mark your calendar!
January 5- Free family movie night at FHS auditorium
January 15- No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 24- 7th and 8th Grade Dance
January 25- No School- Evaluation and Planning
January 26- No School- Staff Development
January 29- First day of semester 2
Upcoming Dates!
February 6- Grade 6 Winter Band/ Choir
February 7- 8th Grade Registration Night at FHS
February 12- African American Parents Involvement DayFebruary 15- History Day
February 19- No School- Presidents Day
February 22- Incoming 5th Grade Parent NightFebruary 27- 7th/8th Grade Band Winter Concert
Requires Schools to Provide Menstrual Products to Students in Grades 4-12
In response to legislation passed by Minnesota lawmakers last spring, Fridley Public Schools will make menstrual products available to students in grades 4 through grade 12. The products, limited to menstrual pads, will be available in dispensers at no cost to students and will be located in restrooms regularly used by students in these grades. The legislation requires that these products be available to students by January 1, 2024.
Research has shown that one in four teens missed class due to a lack of menstrual products, and this legislation is aimed at removing the barrier of limited access to menstrual products for students. Staff have installed product dispensers and waste receptacles. If you have any questions about the availability of these products, please contact your school's health office or building principal.
Pre-order yearbooks!
Yearbooks are available for pre-ordering!
The link below; you will need to create an account and add your student's name. Then you will be able to order your 23-24 year book. If you have additional questions, please email questions to celeste.acosta@fridley.k12.mn.us
Registration is now open through Campus for winter sports! Click HERE for registration instructions. Remember - all student athletes must have a valid sports physical in order to participate.
The sports that are available for middle school scholars:
MS Boys Basketball (7-8) - January 8 - Coach Bobick
You may register online through Campus. Please contact Mr. Ferry at 763-502-5550 or email matthew.ferry@fridley.k12.mn.us if you have any questions.
Check out the flyer for all of the different athletic and activity opportunities at FMS!
Athletics and Activities Reminders
Please remember the expectations/guidelines for Fridley High School events:
1. A middle school or elementary student MUST be accompanied by their Parent/Guardian to any Fridley HS Athletic or Fine Arts Event. Middle school students will not be able to purchase a ticket without a paid parent or guardian present. These students must sit with their parents or guardian and be supervised at all times.
Thank you for your help to ensure that our events are a safe and fun place for students and families!
FMS Musical for 2024!
The FMS Drama Department!
FMS Musical for 2024 will be... Annie Jr.
A new & modern spin on a classic musical!
*AUDITIONS:
January 22-23 (3:15-5pm)
*Attend ONLY ONE audition day not both
FMS Choir Room
Open to ALL 6th, 7th, & 8th Graders
(If Cast - Rehearsals start Jan 29th almost every day after school 3:15-5pm)
Performance Dates - March 13-16
Questions - Contact Mr. Johnson at 763-502-5624 or jeffrey.johnson@fridley.k12.mn.us
Nutritional Services Information
Hello Families-
Did you know that students can receive 1 free breakfast and lunch each day at school? Students are encouraged to grab a breakfast before school and a hot breakfast if offered 2-3 times per week. Students can pick from a variety of daily options, but they must take a reimbursable meal which includes a ½ cup fruit. At lunch time students must take a minimum of the entree and a ½ cup fruit or vegetables. Students can take more fruits and vegetables and 1 milk with their lunch meal. We continue to offer a hot and cold daily entree item. Please check out the monthly menus to see what we are cooking in the kitchen. Nutritional Services continues to purchase as much food locally and provide a variety of school prepared entrees and convenience items. Encourage your student to try a new food.
Ala Carte in available most days during lunch and students must have money in their lunch account and their bar code to purchase items. They are limited to 1 beverage and 1 snack item per day. Please talk with your student about your expectations for Ala Carte purchases. You can see what your student is purchasing on the Campus Parent Portal under food service. If you have any Nutritional Services Questions please contact Kathy Backstrom at 763-502-5021 or Renee Arbogast at 763-502-5022.
If you have not completed the 2023-2024 Application for Educational Benefits, please complete the form through the Campus Parent Portal at https://fridleymn.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/fridley.jsp
The IB Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
Help is Available!
- Are you staying with a friend or family member? Currently in a hotel, shelter, or car? Are you displaced and not sure of what to do next? We have resources for you! Under the McKinney-Vento Law, your student is eligible for transportation provided by the district. Please reach out to your school social worker via phone or email to connect about next steps.
- Whether in person or online, our district-wide backpack program is up and running! If you are in need of additional food resources, please reach out to Ms. Beran at (763-502-5575) and she will coordinate getting items to you. It might look a little different this year, but please do not hesitate to reach out. If you have students in other buildings, please feel free to reach out to the school social worker as well!
Fridley Middle School Families!
The student support office, made up of our school social workers and school psychologist, is reaching out to let you know that we will be offering a variety of groups here at school covering topics such as Anxiety, Depression, Organization, and Social Skills.
Groups offer an experience where students with shared commonalities can discuss their struggles in a safe space, while receiving support and guidance from a mental health professional. Groups will be lead on a weekly basis.
If you have a student who you think could benefit from one of these groups, please reach out to our Student Support Office by emailing us.
Celeste Acosta, School Social Worker (Grade 5th and 7th): celeste.acosta@fridley.k12.mn.us
Jaimie Beran, School Social Worker (Grade 6th and 8th): jaimie.beran@fridley.k12.mn.us
Jeff Williams, School Psychologist: jeff.williams@fridley.k12.mn.us
Fridley Public Schools uses a variety of digital tools to support student learning. Depending upon the particular educational technology being used, our district may need to collect different types of student data, which is then shared with educational technology vendors through their online sites, services, and/or applications.
Under Minnesota’s Student Data Privacy Act, educational technology vendors are prohibited from selling or renting a student's information or from engaging in targeted advertising using a student's information. Such vendors may only disclose student data for K-12 school purposes and other limited purposes permitted under the law.
This act also requires districts to provide timely notice of the tool used, data collected, and contact information.
Download a spreadsheet that catalogs the full library of evaluated resources. If you have any questions or concerns about any digital resources used by your child, please contact your child’s teacher.
Access your students grades and attendance online!
All parents/guardians will need to have a Parent Portal account in Campus. The Parent Portal provides secure access to your child/children’s information such as class assignments, attendance, calendar, and grades. You can also use Parent Portal to pay for meals, fees, or school supplies.
There are many advantages of signing up for and using your Parent Portal account. It is convenient and easy to use, and gives you instant access to important information:
- Nutritional Services: Manage your child/children’s meal accounts
- Meal Benefits Application: Annual renewal made easier
- Activities & Athletics & School Store: Now includes shopping for school supplies
- Transportation: Access important updates and information
How to Activate your Parent Portal Account:
1. Go to Fridley Public Schools Home Page: www.fridleyschools.org
2. Select the Campus Parent Portal Login link in the top right-hand corner of the webpage.
3. On the Parent Portal login page, select New User.
4. Enter the Campus Portal Activation Key provided here: <this is the GUID>
5. Choose SUBMIT.
6. You will be asked to create a Username and Password.
7. Choose SUBMIT.
8. Your Campus Portal account will be activated.
Important Information Regarding Fridley Schools Transportation for this Fall!
This year, the transportation department will not require previously enrolled families to fill out our Transportation Request Form unless they fall under one of these four categories:
- They are new to the district
- Their address has changed since the last day of school (June 9th, 2023)
- They require a different drop off or pick up location including a daycare. If your student needs transportation from a daycare, please fill out the daycare information on the form
- They are entering Fridley Preschool
If any of these conditions apply to your student(s), please make sure to fill out the form so that we may ensure you get transportation right away in the fall. Please only fill out one form per student.
Completion of Application for Educational Benefits
The Application for Educational Benefits still needs to be completed even with the Minnesota Free School Meals Program. The school district will be mailing households a post card in mid-August encouraging families to complete the application. See the link below for the application or it can be completed online at https://fridleymn.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/fridley.jsp (you will need your Parent Portal username and password). If you do not have a Parent Portal username and password, please contact Kathy Backstrom at 763-502-5021 or your School Main Office. An Application for Educational Benefits must be completed every year. If your family receives SNAP benefits or if you received Direct Certification letter from the district, you do not need to complete an application. If your income has changed due to job loss or change, please complete an application. These applications also help the district receive additional funding for support staff and teachers. As a household, you may also be eligible for discounted internet services, reduced activity or athletic fees including Park and Rec and reduced metro transit fares. When completing the application, please include all people living in the household including infants or young children, college students, and older adults who may be living with you.
Minnesota Free School Meals Program
The Minnesota Free School Meals Program provides state reimbursement to schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Students can have one reimbursable breakfast and one reimbursable lunch at no cost at school.
At breakfast, the student must choose at least 3 items to be counted as a reimbursable meal. The student must choose a ½ cup fruit as part of their breakfast.
At lunch, the student must choose at least 3 components to be counted as a reimbursable meal. The student must choose a ½ cup serving of fruit or vegetable as part of their lunch.
Breakfast
Breakfast is offered before school in the café. Second chance breakfast is offered to those students who missed breakfast before school. We encourage students to eat school provided breakfast to enhance learning and concentration in the classroom. Students must take a reimbursable breakfast which includes a ½ cup fruit.
Lunch
Did you know that we make a variety of our meals from scratch? We also use locally sourced products when we can and encourage students to eat lunch with us. We offer a choice of two entrée items and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Students must take a least a ½ cup fruit or vegetable along with two other meal components for a reimbursable meal. We continue to expand our main entrée items to reflect our culturally diverse district.
Use of Bar Codes at Breakfast and Lunch
The district will be using bar codes to record student purchases at the Middle and High Schools. Students will need to bring their paper bar code, student id card or the bar code found on the Student Campus Ap. A photo of the bar code also works at the cashier station. When students have their bar codes the serving lines move faster and you will be able to purchase ALA Carte if there is money in your account.
Additional Meals, Milk and Ala Carte Items
Students purchasing just milk will be charged $0.55. Students who want to purchase a second breakfast for $2.50, additional entrée for $2.50 or Ala Carte must have money in their lunch account. Students are not allowed to have negative lunch balances to purchase these items. To purchase Ala Carte students will need their bar code.
Online Meal Payments
To add money to your student’s meal account please go to Infinite Campus Parent Portal https://fridleymn.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/fridley.jsp If you are paying online, we ask that the minimum payment be at least $10.00. Money can also be sent to school with your student if you choose to pay with cash or paper check. Please include your student’s name, teacher’s name and lunch pin on the envelope. If you are having trouble accessing the parent portal please contact your School’s Main Office for someone to assist you. Middle School students can turn lunch money into the front office.
Monthly Menus
For an interactive student menus including food allergy information can be found at https://family.titank12.com/menu/PLUZN8 . If you would like to print a monthly menu, those can be found at https://www.fridleyschools.org/about-us/departments/nutritional-services/lunch-breakfast-menus We are continuing to prepare more items from scratch, incorporate more locally sourced items, taste testing new cultural dishes and asking for student engagement. The Middle School offers a choice between two entrée items daily.
Food Allergies
If your student has a medically diagnosed food allergy or is lactose intolerant, please contact Katie Joyce RD, Nutrition Coordinator, at 763-502-5028 to discuss your child’s needs. There are some additional USDA forms that must be completed.
If you have any questions regarding Nutritional Services, please contact Renee Arbogast at 763-502-5022 for assistance
Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf , from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632- 9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email: Program.Intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.