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- Written by: Missy Hermes
- Category: Districtwide News
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The regular meeting of the School Board of Independent School District No. 544 was held in the Community Education Room, Roosevelt Education Center. Chair, Melanie Cole, called the meeting to order at 5:15 pm. The following members were present: Kirby Anderson, Jeney Christensen, Melanie Cole, Kelli Graff, Missy Hermes, and Stephen Vigesaa. Jeff Drake, Superintendent, was also present.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Missy Hermes, clerk, established a quorum.
Stephen Vigesaa made a motion to approve the agenda as presented. The motion was seconded by Jeney Chistensen and carried unanimously.
Melanie Cole offered the resolution of acknowledgements for the following and moved for its adoption:
Thank you to the Otter Elementary PTO for their donation to Cleveland School for the One School, One Book event.
The motion was seconded by Kelli Graff and upon roll call vote being taken, the following voted in favor thereof: Kirby Anderson, Jeney Christensen, Melanie Cole, Kelli Graff, Missy Hermes, and Stephen Vigesaa;
and the following voted against same:
None.
Whereupon said motion was declared duly passed and the resolution adopted.
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- Written by: Jesse Thorstad
- Category: Districtwide News
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The income tax filing season is officially open. The Minnesota Department of Revenue is informing families that they can qualify for valuable tax benefits on their 2024 income tax returns.
Child Tax Credit
- Families may qualify for a Child Tax Credit of $1,750 per qualifying child with no limit on the number of children claimed. They can receive a refund even if they do not owe tax.
- For more information visit our Child Tax Credit webpage or watch our video on the Child Tax Credit.
K-12 Credit and Subtraction
- Minnesota has two tax relief programs for families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade: the K-12 Education Subtraction and K-12 Education Credit. Both programs help lower taxes and may provide a larger refund
- For more information visit our K-12 Education Subtraction and Credit webpage or watch our video on the K-12 Education Credit and Subtraction.
Free Tax Preparation
- Families may qualify for free tax preparation through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or AARP Tax-Aide. These programs prepare federal and state income tax and property tax refund returns.
- To find a free tax site near you visit our free tax preparation webpage.
Promotional Materials
- Find useful links to our videos, handouts, newsletter articles, and social media examples to promote Minnesota tax credits.
- For links to these materials, visit the department’s promotional materials webpage.
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- Written by: Jesse Thorstad
- Category: Districtwide News
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Kennedy Secondary School is proud to announce the winners of its annual Middle School Spelling Bee. After a fierce competition, Eli Schlosser from 6th grade emerged victorious as the champion, while Jacob Warner from 8th grade claimed the runner-up position.
The Spelling Bee, held on January 15, challenged students with a diverse range of words, testing their vocabulary and spelling skills. All of the participants demonstrated exceptional spelling abilities throughout the competition, showcasing their dedication to academics.
Eli and Jacob will represent Kennedy Secondary School at the upcoming Regional Spelling Bee on February 11th. We wish them the very best of luck as they compete against the top spellers from other schools in the region.
The Spelling Bee is coordinated by Baylee McKinney
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- Written by: Jeff Drake
- Category: Districtwide News
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We have officially passed the halfway point of the school year. I'm pleased to share an update on the district’s goals.
District Goal #1: Otter Preschool Students Will Meet All Kindergarten Readiness Goals
At Otter Preschool, we understand that kindergarten readiness encompasses a wide range of skills, from academic foundations to social-emotional development and the ability to navigate the school environment. Our dedicated teachers are focusing on building these essential skills every day.
A crucial element of readiness is fostering independence and autonomy. We're helping our students develop these vital life skills by teaching them how to follow school routines, schedules, and procedures. From preparing to go outside and managing clothing changes to navigating the cafeteria and trying new foods, these seemingly small steps are building blocks for future success.
Academically, our students are engaging in daily activities that nurture early literacy and numeracy. We're fostering a love of reading by teaching them how to interact with books, listen to stories, and recognize letters, all while introducing them to a rich and varied vocabulary. In math, we're focusing on counting objects, developing number sense, and even introducing the concept of elapsed time using timers to manage schedules.
Beyond academics, social-emotional development is paramount. Our students are learning how to engage respectfully with classmates and adults. We provide opportunities for them to resolve conflicts constructively and practice managing a range of emotions, from frustration and anger to sadness, joy, and happiness. We also empower our students by using choice strategies, supporting their ability to make decisions and experience natural consequences.
Finally, we're actively working to redefine our early intervention services. We are creating intentional pathways to increase the time students recently identified for early childhood special education spend in the school setting. This will ensure they receive the individualized support they need to thrive.
District Goal #2: Achieving Grade Level Literacy For All Students
We are employing a number of strategies and initiatives to ensure that all students are successful readers. This includes:
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- Written by: Jesse Thorstad
- Category: Districtwide News
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Subcategories
School Board
Minutes from the meeting of the Fergus Falls Public Schools School Board.
KSS News
News from Kennedy Secondary School, our grades 5-12 building.
ALC News
The Fergus Falls Area Learning Center is a choice alternative education program. “Our mission is to foster a caring and respectful environment with a focus on real world learning.”
The Area Learning Center of Fergus Falls has a long history of providing educational options, and has been in existence since 1982. Students and their parents have a variety of program options to choose from when enrolling at the Area Learning Center of Fergus Falls. These program options include: Middle School ALC; High School Day Program; Independent Study; Credit Recovery; and Credit Recovery Summer School. All students must meet state criteria for participation in an alternative school. Students are eligible to participate through age 21.
Relationships and challenging curriculum are a key components of the programs the Area Learning Center. The ALC is committed to establishing and maintaining relationships with students, parents, and community supports, along with working to meet individual student needs. The ALC applies a variety of techniques to support students in earning their high school diploma.
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Advisory: Students enrolled in the day program are a part of an advisory where students participate daily in discussion topics, team building/leadership activities, community building activities, and skill building activities.
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Restorative Justice Circles
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Structured day program with feedback to students on classroom behavior and credit earned toward graduation every class period of the school day.
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Credit Recovery built within the school day.
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Individualized curriculum pace.
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MAAP Stars participant for 10 years at the high school level.
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Community Service Projects: Toys for Tots; Pay it Forward
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Work Experience and On the Job Training
The REACH program is a school within a school model, alternative education program for middle school students. The program is located within the Kennedy Secondary School.
Academic skills are emphasized in conjunction with workplace and community living skills needed to be successful in the community. Learner performance is monitored and encouraged through daily and weekly monitoring of individual progress. Academic, social, and communication skills are evaluated daily.
The Day Program is designed to meet the needs of students not successful in the traditional high school setting ages 14 to 21. Students attend a traditional length school day that is a combined class schedule of structured classes and independent study classes. In a structured class, a student works in a small classroom setting to meet the course objectives to earn high school credit. In an independent study class, the student works individually on a course facilitated by a certified instructor at their own pace to complete a course. Student progress toward graduation in the areas of attendance, behavior, and course credit earned is evaluated with each class period. The Day Program operates on the school district calendar and is in session from 8:25 – 3:20 daily.
The Independent Study program is designed to meet the needs of students that are unable to attend a traditional school day program. Students choose this option when they are already attending an educational program full time and still need additional credit to graduate, have passed their graduation year and only need a small amount of credit to graduate, are working full time, parenting, or have any other obstacles preventing them from attending the traditional school day but aspire to achieve. Digital curriculum is used to meet the varied student academic needs. A certified teacher works with students to facilitate learning.
To be considered a full time student, a minimum of 20 units of work must be completed at a passing grade level each week. Independent Study students have the freedom to choose which classes, and how many classes they will work on each day. Some coursework can even be done from home. This flexibility can help cut out some of the stress of trying to juggle keeping up with school along with other obstacles that may be in place.
If you are interested in enrolling in an alternative program please contact your high school counselor.
For more information please email or contact the Area Learning Center at 218-998-0544, ext. 9230, or email the Area Learning Center at: