FHS Bi-Weekly Community Newsletter

We had another great week at Faribault High School. Our Career Day went very well with over 30 local businesses in attendance. Students had the opportunity to network, try hands on career activities, and explore new job opportunities. It was wonderful seeing our students and our community come together for this event. In this week's newsletter, we share essential information on Capti Testing, our 9th grade Career Navigator Day, parent groups, the end of first quarter and much more. Thank you for taking the time to read this week's newsletter. As always, let me know if you have any questions.

In partnership with families and our community, Faribault High School provides a high quality education that establishes critical thinking, belonging, and respect. We empower every student to find success as lifelong learners and citizens.

- Mr. Molitor

At Faribault High School, we strive to establish a high-quality learning environment that provides students with a sense of safety, belonging, and respect. We're collaborating with all the school buildings in the district to provide a SOAR learning environment. This acronym stands for:

S: Safe

O: On task

A: Accountable

R: Respectful

These key expectations help ensure students have an optimal learning environment that empowers them to succeed.

On October 27th, some students will be asked to take part in the CAPTI test. This is a statewide reading diagnostics assessment. If your student is taking the test, we have already reached out to notify you. Please have a conversation with your student about the importance of doing their best on these assessments.

Can you believe we are already coming close to the end of the first quarter? This means we are almost half way through the semester. Please check your students grades on Infinite Campus and have a conversation with them on the importance of turning in missing work, communicating their needs with the teacher, and in some cases retaking tests.

On Friday, November 6th, our 9th grade students will be going over to South Central for a Career Navigator Event. Students get the opportunity to attend eight different sessions lead by professionals in a wide variety of careers. This all takes place on the Faribault South Central Campus.

FHS Parent Sessions: azurbriggen@faribault.k12.mn.us

Ashlan Zurbriggen is hosting virtual parent sessions that talk about how to support your students in a variety of different topics. Please see the schedule and sign up below.

Thursdays - Online

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Join us over your lunch break with your camera on or off for an informative session packed with tips and resources.

10/29 - Back To School- Helping Your Teen Thrive This Year

11/5 - Navigating Teens and Social Media

11/12 - Teens and Sleep

11/19 - Talk So They’ll Listen- Building Deep Connection with Your Teen

Register by filling out the Google form:

Link to the form

Can’t make it?

Contact Ashlan to set up a FREE

one on one online session about any topic

*Information above is pictured in the flyer below.

We are excited to announce our upcoming Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences on Monday, November 9, from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Friday, November 13, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please note that all teachers will take a lunch break from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on November 13.

This is a wonderful opportunity to meet with your student’s teachers, discuss their academic progress, and receive technology support. We look forward to seeing you there!

We invite you to join us for our second Parent Listening Session on Monday, November 9, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This session offers the opportunity to participate in open dialogue regarding your and your student’s experiences at Faribault High School. We look forward to collaborating with you to celebrate what is working well and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend!

October 23rd, 2026

PSEO for Juniors and Seniors:

If your student is currently participating in PSEO and plans to continue next semester, the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Notice of Student Registration Form 2026-27 will need to be submitted to the FHS Counseling Office by October 30th, 2026. This is a state deadline to be eligible to continue.

Seniors

Special Application Fee Waiver

It's Homecoming week on our campus and we are excited to extend the celebrations to the students working on their applications - so we're waiving the fee! When a student submits their Common App to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities between October 24 - November 1, we are waiving the $55 application fee. They will automatically bypass the payment screen so they can apply for free. Please share with your students!

October is College Knowledge month in MN. This is the perfect time to apply to colleges and universities!

Fall College Knowledge Month:

Many colleges and universities waive application fees during College Knowledge Month (October). Included is a list of where and when students can apply to MN colleges for free: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oXgY5vaG9JFT2clshfmyW5mIz8EHRWxV/vie

Mark your calendars for our FAFSA Completion event! The Counseling Office will host a help session on Monday, December 7th, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the FHS Media Center. Financial aid representatives from local colleges will be available to help families and students complete the FAFSA. More details on what to bring will be shared closer to the event.

Upcoming College and Military Rep. Visits

10/30: South Central College, during lunch 10:58 - 12:22, lunch room

11/5: St. Cloud State University, 11:30, during lunch in the lunch room

11/9: Carroll University, during lunch 10:58 - 12:22, lunch room

Free virtual college and financial aid events for Minnesota students and families! The series will cover the college application process and general financial aid information, details on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Minnesota Alternative State Financial Aid Application undocumented students, and other ways to pay for college. A fact sheet for schools is attached.

• Formerly called “Ready Set FAFSA”, this series has been renamed “College Planning Series” to include college planning topics beyond the FAFSA.
• All sessions will have simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Somali and Hmong. Information for families about registering for the series is available here.
• Students who attend a session or watch one of the recordings will be eligible to win a $1,000 scholarship (2 available)!
• Higher education professionals will available during each meeting to answer live Q and A.
• These sessions are a collaborative effort between the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Minnesota Department of Education, ECMC The College Place and Minnesota Goes to College.

Upcoming Career Fairs & Industry Tours

November 6 - Freshmen Career Navigator at South Central College

November 18 - Construct Tomorrow at Mayo Civic Center in Mankato

Upcoming FST Speakers and Career Activities

November 19

• Guest Speaker - Marissa Babcock from Weichert Realty - Careers in the Real Estate Industry

• Activity - Junior Achievement’s Dream Accelerator

Students attend Mayo Clinic Career Festival

FHS students attended the Mayo Career Clinic Festival held at the Rochester Mayo Civic Center on Monday, October 19. Students had the opportunity to participate in hands-on demonstrations, gather information about the large variety of career paths the Mayo Health System hires for, and attend general learning sessions. Students also learned about the training and employability skills that employers at the Mayo Clinic are looking for when hiring.

*Pictured Below are students participating in Mayo Clinic Health Fair and our Career Day event!

Please check out the linked newsletter below for all Community School updates!

• https://app.smore.com/n/5qme2

Starting in the Spring of 2027, Faribault High School has established new academic requirements to participate in any Minnesota State High School League activities. This policy is intentionally starting in spring to allow students the opportunity to take credit recovery classes to meet the requirements before going into effect. Once in effect, this policy will continue indefinitely for all seasons moving forward. The purpose of this policy is to help encourage students to stay on track to graduate in a four year time period.

Credits needed to participate in MSHSL activities

*Picture is also attached as a PDF

One of the many great things happening at Faribault High School is the abundant amount of extracurricular opportunities for our students. We are very excited to see our many incredible students showcase their talents throughout the school year in various after school activities. We hope you will join us in supporting them in everything from after school club events and sports to theater and music. Let's demonstrate our Falcon spirit and come together as a community to support our students at these events! Below I have linked websites that will inform you of our weekly events!

*Pictured above is our sports activities schedule for this newsletter. All information can be found in the Bound website linked above.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

This year, Faribault High School is continuing our "Every Day Counts" initiative, an effort to highlight the crucial importance of consistent student attendance. This initiative focuses on the importance of students coming to school every single day. We prioritize establishing an equitable educational environment that establishes a sense of belonging, safety, and respect for all.

Every single school day presents invaluable opportunities for students to acquire essential academic knowledge and vital social skills, preparing them for success beyond high school. When students miss a day of school, they are missing critical information that can have a deep impact on their education and their high school experience. We've observed that the more school a student misses, the more challenges they tend to face on their educational journey. Conversely, students who attend school regularly and on time are better prepared to succeed in their courses, stay on track for graduation, and are more thoroughly equipped for college or workforce readiness.

Please have a conversation with your students about the importance of attendance this school year!

Faribault High School

Email: nmolitor@faribault.k12.mn.us

Main Office: 507-333-6100