FPS Team Wins ND Auto Skills Championship

Posted on May 15, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

On May 10, the tag team of high school seniors Tyler Lilleoien, Davies (left), and Andrew Myogeto, North, faced off against teams from Bismarck, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Wahpeton, Williston, Minot, Oakes and Valley City in the North Dakota Ford/AAA Auto Skills Competition at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds. The hands-on competition pits student teams against the clock to diagnose and repair uniformly bugged vehicles, and takes the quality of their workmanship into account for final score.

Lilleoien and Myogeto scored a come-from-behind victory against their opponents. They had a slow start, but worked quickly and presented their vehicle to the judges first.

Lilleoien and Myogeto will represent North Dakota in the national finals on June 10 in Dearborn, Mich. Tom Cross is the auto tech instructor at South High School, where the FPS program is hosted.

For more information on the national competition, visit: http://www.autoskills.com/about.html

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District announces new Davies principal

Posted on May 8, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

The Fargo Public Schools announces today that Troy Cody has been named to the position of principal at Davies High School to begin the 2012-13 school year. Cody, who has been an assistant principal and activities director North High School for the past 5 years, will replace outgoing principal Dr. Jeff Schatz, who will become the District’s superintendent on July 1.

An alumnus of the University of Mary, Cody began his education career with St. Anne’s School (Bismarck) as an elementary and middle school teacher. He went on to teach math and coach athletics at school districts in St. Marie’s, ID; Granada, MN; and Fairmont, MN, before coming to the Fargo Schools in 2007.

In addition to being the activities director at North High School and a past head coach for football and boys golf, Cody has been a leader at the state and local levels. He has served on the boards of directors of the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders and the North Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. While at Fairmont, Cody also served in positions as lead union negotiator and education association president.

Cody holds a master’s degree from Southwest (Minnesota) State University. He obtained his K-12 Administration degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. He is also a nationally-certified athletic administrator through the NIAAA.

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North High student elected International DECA president

Posted on May 3, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

Fargo North High senior and North Dakota State DECA President Morgan Thompson has been elected as the DECA international president for 2012-13. Thompson was elected to the post late Tuesday evening by delegates among the 12,000 high school students attending the four-day International Career Development Conference in Salt Lake City.

Thompson, who was planning to enter the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities next fall to study marketing, will delay her college experience by a full year to take on the responsibility. In her capacity, she will serve in advocate, advisor, and ambassador for the international organization. Thompson will spend a significant amount of time traveling in that capacity over the next 12 months: initially for officer training, and then followed by meetings with legislators, attendance at conference and corporate events, meetings with state and local DECA chapters, and other visits as a representative of the organization.

“This has been an amazing experience,” Thompson said. “Running from North Dakota, you don’t always have the odds on your side. But meeting with people and expressing your passion for the organization, all of the hard work made everything come together in the end.”

Thompson was elected to DECA’s top post by a first-round simple majority of the 397 delegates, a rare event in the caucus-based campaign of the conference.  (North Dakota has only 4 delegates.) North High chapter members and North Dakota delegation spent four days campaigning and caucusing with other attendees.

Thompson and her staff raised over $9,000 this year for the campaign from F-M area individuals and businesses. Her platform, “Light The Way,” was based on three goals: (1) creating a lasting impact so that the future organization can grow; (2) increasing and improving communication between the chapters, and state and national offices; and (3) utilizing social media to increase the organization’s membership, retention and activation.

Thompson’s first goal is significant. Congress cut $140 million from the Perkins Act in FY2011 as a part of its debt reduction efforts. The Perkins Act funds Career and Technical Education, which is the foundation for student organizations such as DECA.

North Principal Andrew Dahlen believes that Thompson is up to the task. “International DECA has selected one of North Dakota’s best and brightest as their next president,” he remarked. “Morgan is an intelligent, creative and articulate young woman.  She will be able to use her expertise in leading the International DECA organization to new heights.  We are very proud of her.”

In addition to being active in DECA, Thompson is also a member of the North High varsity tennis and volleyball teams, FCA, and student council.

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District taps Erickson for Bennett post

Posted on May 1, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

The Fargo Public Schools announces today that Tricia Erickson has been named to the position of principal at Bennett Elementary to begin the 2012-13 school year. Erickson, who has been at the helm of Lewis & Clark Elementary for the past 15 years, will replace outgoing principal Manix Zepeda.

An alumna of Concordia College, Erickson began her career in education in the Fargo Schools as a part-time kindergarten teacher at Washington Elementary. She later taught at Clara Barton and Centennial Elementary Schools before becoming a part-time assistant principal at Centennial. Her first principal assignment was at Hawthorne Elementary in 1994.

Erickson has served on the Board of Directors of the North Dakota Association of Elementary School Principals and the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders. She is also a past president of the Fargo Education Association.

Earlier this year, Erickson was named the North Dakota Distinguished Principal of the Year by the NDAESP. She is in consideration for the national award, which will be presented in Washington, DC, in October.

Erickson holds a master’s degree from Moorhead State University.

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BFMS students take a stand against racism

Posted on April 27, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

Earlier today, students and staff at Ben Franklin Middle School gathered outside their building for a few minutes in a show of solidarity.

Just before 9:00 a.m., students and staff locked hands for one minute to stand united against racism. The event was held in conjunction with the YWCA Cass-Clay, and is part of a larger national movement by the YWCA, “Stand Against Racism.”

At BFMS, this morning’s event was the brainchild of students in Leslie Beadle’s 6th grade class, who brainstormed ways to participate. They came up with the creation of a video and a school-wide “stand.” The video is made up of students and staff holding three-word phrases related to racism. It is posted to YouTube; the students also emailed it to Good Morning America.

As part of today’s activities, Beadle’s class will hold a cultural feast, bringing food to share that is a part of their cultural ancestry.

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Davies DECA achieves national “Top 10″ status for MDA work

Posted on April 24, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has announced that the Davies High School DECA Chapter has raised over $10,000 for MDA, which places the Davies club among the top ten chapters in the nation. The accomplishment also qualifies its members to attend the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) being held in Salt Lake City from April 28-30.

Hanson

Apte

Cariveau

The students at the core of the Davies effort are senior Austin Cariveau and juniors Maneesh Apte  and Jessica Hanson. The students reached their goal of $10,000 by organizing many activities including a golf tournament, a Davies student vs. staff basketball game, and a school dance.

Many local businesses also supported the activities with sponsorships in exchange for advertising rights at the events. Read the full press release from MDA.

The Davies DECA chapter advisor is Jason Holland.

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New permit requirements for North Dakota teen drivers

Posted on April 20, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

One of the most important things in a teenager’s life (or so they will tell you) is the obtaining of that small piece of 3” x 2” plastic laminate known as the driver’s license.  I often get bombarded with questions about North Dakota law and teen driving issues.  Obtaining a driver’s license is one of those issues brought up quite frequently at Ben Franklin, as a great deal of my 8th graders are beginning their quest to become a motorist on the streets and highways of North Dakota. 

First, let’s go over the new changes in the law.  House Bill 1256 is the bill passed into legislation in 2011 and is now in effect. Here are the changes: HB 1256 changed existing state law to make teenagers wait to drive without supervision until they are 15, and would also forbid them from using a cell phone while driving until they are 18. This bill also requires new teen drivers to get at least 50 hours of supervised driving experience in various conditions before they could drive without an adult.

Here are the requirements for getting a permit in ND: (Source: NDDOT Rules of the Road)

Instruction permits allow you to legally practice driving. They are valid for up to one year or the “duration of stay” date, whichever is less, if an immigration document is presented for proof of identity. Any time you operate with an instruction permit, a person with a valid license for the class of vehicle being driven, who is at least 18 years of age and has had at least three years of driving experience, must ride in the seat beside you. An individual other than the supervising driver and the permit holder may not be in the front seat unless the vehicle has only a front seat, in which case, the supervising driver must be seated next to the permit holder.

To receive a permit, you must first pass the written examination and the visual screen test. All applicants must be at least 14 years of age.

  • Those under 18 years of age must have parent or legal guardian approval and sponsorship. When a legal guardian signs, guardianship papers must be presented.
  • Individuals who are 14 or 15 years old must hold the instruction permit for 12 months or to the age of 16, whichever comes first; but no less than 6 months prior to completing the road test for an operator’s license.
  • Individuals who are 16 or 17 must hold the instruction permit for 6 months or to the age of 18, whichever comes first, prior to completing the road test for an operator’s license.
  • Individuals under 16 must complete a minimum of 50 hours of supervised practice driving in variable conditions. Your parent/legal guardian must then accompany you to the test site on the day of your road test and sign that you have completed this requirement.
  • NOTE: This is in addition to the formal driver’s education requirement.

So why did this happen?  Statistics indicated that due to a sharp rise in fatalities and injury accidents involving teen drivers, something needed to change. Consider these statistics:

  • From 2001-2009, North Dakota has lost 173 teens in motor vehicle crashes. In 2009, there were 16 fatal teen driver crashes and 545 teen driver injury crashes.
  • 37.5% of teen driver fatalities occurred on a Friday in North Dakota.
  • In North Dakota, the highest number of teen driver crashes occurred in December.
  • According to AAA, teen drivers in North Dakota are involved in a crash every 2.5 hours.
  • “Speed/Too Fast for Conditions” and “Attention Distracted” are the top two reasons cited by law enforcement in North Dakota for teen crashes.

(Source: www.ndteendrivers.com)

As prom season signals the end of the school year, forthcoming graduations, and the onset of summer, we need to be aware that the privilege to drive in our state should be taken very seriously. Your child is behind the wheel of a 4,000-lb. missile traveling most times between 25 and 65 miles an hour.  Talk to your teen about good driving habits. Keep the distractions in the car to a minimum, and always use seatbelts. For more information on teen driving, visit www.ndteendrivers.com.

You can also read and/or download the DOT’s Rules of the Road publication for more information on North Dakota driving rules. Drive safe.

(Dale Stoll is the School Resource Officer for Ben Franklin Middle School. He can be reached at stolld@fargo.k12.nd.us)

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The new Standards are coming

Posted on April 19, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

In a little over a year, Fargo Public Schools and other school districts in North Dakota will be moving to the Common Core Standards. The Standards are part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a nationwide, state-led effort to unify the academic standards that all U.S. high school graduates will meet. Its participants comprise state governors, state superintendents, K-12 educators, advisors and administrators from all across the United States.

The Common Core Standards encompass math and English language arts, which also comprises literacy in social studies, science, and technical subjects. They are built on the strengths of the best current educational standards of all states/representatives involved in the process.

So, what have we been using up until now? Why the change? What is the benefit?
To date, school districts across the country – including the District – have been using a set of curriculum standards created and required by their state education department. (Some, like Fargo, have expanded on the state standards to increase their rigor.) In effect, this means that what U.S. students are expected to learn over 13 years of education can vary widely from state to state. Moving to the Common Core Standards will unify the standards of all participating states and their school districts.

Will there be a visible difference in what children learn going forward?
Yes. For example, if the rigor of math standards are increased, one might see math concepts formerly introduced in the fifth grade be introduced in the fourth. In English language arts, there might be a shift in the things that students read and write about, or the types of research that they conduct.

How and when will we implement this?
The changes will not only find their way into our curriculum, but more importantly, become integrated into the Professional Learning Community (PLC) environment. PLCs comprise groups of educators; they collaborate for the purpose of answering four questions: (1) What do we want students to learn? (2) How will we know if they have learned it? (3) How do we respond when they don’t learn? And, (4) how do we respond when they already know it?

The administration, led by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Robert Grosz, is exploring the path to completing the Standards with other North Dakota school districts. Much of the foundation for that path involves curriculum writing projects, the development of assessment item banks (groups), and the planning of professional development opportunities. The North Dakota rollout for the Standards is July 1, 2013.

How is the federal government involved in all of this?
It isn’t, with the exception of providing funding for state departments of education to assist them in the move to the Common Core Standards.

How many states are involved in the CCSSI?
To date, 45 of the 50 states have committed to the Common Core Standards. (Those members of the Initiative have set a target for a nationwide assessment in 2015.)

Want more information? There are several resources online that simplify further explanation of the Common Core Standards, including the CCSSI website, Wikipedia, and YouTube videos by the Hunt Institute.

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District named “Best Place” for music education

Posted on April 18, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

The Fargo Public Schools has been named to the NAMM Foundation’s “100 Best Communities for Music Education.” The designation acknowledges schools and districts across the U.S. for their commitment and support for music education as part of the core curriculum.

NAMM’s “Best Communities” survey evaluates several criteria, including time reserved for music education, the budget, staff collaboration, professional development, how music standards are taught, equipment provided by the school district, and administrative support.

Thanks to the design of its music curriculum and staff commitment, students in the Fargo Public Schools receive high levels of music instruction on a weekly basis. Through highly-qualified teachers (over 50 percent hold a master’s degree or higher), FPS students in grades K-5 spend 100 minutes per week in music instruction. Middle school students (gr. 6-8) have sectional instruction every other day and large group instruction every third day, while high school (gr. 9-12) music instruction occurs daily. Nearly 40 percent of students in grades 7-12 (where music becomes an elective course) choose music courses as a part of their annual experience in the Fargo Public Schools.

This is the ninth year the District has made the “100 Best” list since the national survey debuted in 1999.

About the NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a non-profit organization with the mission of advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs from the international music products industry. For more information, visit the NAMM Foundation website.

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Mustangs take 9th at Math Masters competition

Posted on April 16, 2012 by fargoschooltalk

On Friday, five Madison Elementary fifth graders who are members of the Mustang Math Masters team, took part in the regional Math Masters of Minnesota Challenge at Ellen Hopkins Elementary School in Moorhead.

Alexis Triptow, Vinny Phan, Brianna Petersen, Emily Schuler, and Magenta Elton, competed individually and as a team on eight sets of mathematical problems in the competition. Under the direction of coach (and Title I math teacher) Toni Stith, the Mustangs placed 9th overall out of the twenty teams participating. Triptow took 5th place overall (out of 97 students) in the individual competition.

Math Masters of Minnesota began as a fifth grade math competition program in 1989 with teams from 44 schools taking part. In 1995, the competition was expanded to include sixth grade. This year, there are approximately 5,000 fifth and sixth graders registered to compete. A team selection test is provided to assist coaches in choosing students to represent their schools. Math Masters is designed to promote excellence in critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, as well as provide recognition to students for academic effort and achievement.

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