St. Francis Middle School

The October edition of the SFMS Newsletter is now available at the following link: https://www.smore.com/tnufd

Congratulations to the Hall of Fame Class of 2023! Joining the Hall were the 1980 Girls Softball team; Dr. Bruce Gleason, class of 1976; Barrett Golyer, class of 1994; and Magdalyn Mae Ewen, class of 2013. To read more, go to https://www.isd15.org/article/1263130

School pictures taken at St. Francis Middle School on Sept. 21, 2023, are now available for families to view and order online. To view and order go to https://shop.jostenspix.com/login You will need to enter the following information: ST FRANCIS MIDDLE SCHOOL Event Code: FE95723 Also Needed: Infinite Campus Unique Student ID

Remember to wear your Saints Pride gear Friday for the final day of Homecoming Week

Join us this Friday, Sept. 22 at 5 pm in the Carlson/Foley Performing Arts Center as we induct the 2023 St. Francis High School Athletics/Activities Hall of Fame class. This year's honorees are 3 SFHS graduates and the 1980 State Tournament Softball Team. Maggie Ewen - 2013 grad, Barrett Golyer - 1994 grad, and Bruce Gleason - 1976 grad, will join the 1980 Softball Team in the HOF. Since 2009, thirty-six individuals and four first time State Tournament teams have been inducted.

Our first 90-minute late start of the school year is tomorrow, Sept. 20. This is an opportunity for our staff to conduct professional development. Please note that buses will be running pickup schedules 90 minutes later than normal pickup as well.

The latest SFHS Today is now live at https://youtu.be/oeNxZaJUgdQ. This week features pieces about Homecoming Week, Kody's Closet, a Teacher Feature, Random Question Thing, SFHS Sports, a new segment

St. Francis Middle School Picture Day is Thursday, September 21, 2023. Our retake day will be Thursday, October 26, 2023. Parents will be able to access their student's pictures using the Jostens event code FE95723, and their students ID number. To order pictures, go to: https://shop.jostenspix.com/login

Referendum information can be found at https://www.sfstrongfuture.org/

Homecoming Week themes have been announced. Check https://www.isd15.org/article/1243374 for more information.

Check out the first edition of SFHS Today for the 2023-24 school year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdqMKuutLqg

Never forget. 9.11.01

CONGRATULATIONS to SFMS 8th grader Anniston Rolf who broke the St. Francis High School 5k record yesterday at a meet in Rockford. While competing for the varsity Cross Country team, Anniston ran a 19:41.6 for the 5k course. The previous record was 19:46 by Maria Laudenbach in 2017.

SFMS VOLLEYBALL REGISTRATION CLOSING SOON Registration will be closed the evening of Friday, September 8th. If you have not registered yet please do so as soon as possible. As a MSHSL requirement we will need an up to date physical form for participation. The registration website and physical form can be found here: https://stfrancis2054a.cf.affinetysolutions.com/?p=2890 If you have any questions, please contact our Activities Director: Colten LaChance

Welcome back students! We're excited to have you back in our buildings.

There is currently an issue with routing information on Infinite Campus for our Transportation Department. The issue revolves around either pick up/drop off times or the location of the bus stop. We are working on the issue and hope to have it resolved soon.

St. Francis Middle School is still hosting 6th Grade Orientation sessions this week. If you have not attended one, and would like to, here is the link to sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjR8usNnDcZ1lfiq_-s44ePC_BKUFey1noj9mG-F8Kf65-fQ/viewform?usp=sf_link Please note, today, August 21, the front parking lot is being resurfaced. Please park along the south sidewalk near the Transportation Building. Use the sidewalk to enter Door #1 (front door).

Vote for our own Grady Brunn for the Prep Redzone Preseason 5A Player of the Year in Minnesota. https://prepredzone.com/2023/08/vote-minnesota-5a-preseason-player-of-the-year/

St. Francis Area Schools is committed to providing high-quality education that equips each student with the knowledge and skills they need to reach their full potential. We believe that every student has the potential to achieve great things, and we are committed to providing them with the classes, programming and tools they need to succeed. However, our district faces significant challenges in meeting these goals as funding for education has not kept pace with the educational needs of our students. As we prepare for the school year, our district is also looking ahead to the November special election, where district voters will be asked to consider a proposed plan that would provide additional funding for our schools. This funding would allow us to: • Enhance vocational education and trade programming to prepare students for high-demand careers. • Expand hands-on learning for STEAM programming. • Provide supplies and materials across all grade levels. • Ensure access to up-to-date technology. • Attract and retain quality staff. Over the past nine years, our district has reduced our budget by $11 million to deal with a budget shortfall due to inadequate state funding. St. Francis Area Schools receives $1,347 less funding per student than the state average, placing our school district among the region’s lowest for per pupil funding. Over 70% of school districts in Minnesota rely on voter-approved operating levies to provide additional funding to support the day-to-day operations of schools, including curriculum, materials and supplies, student programming and services, and staff compensation. St. Francis Area Schools does not have a voter-approved operating levy. This means we spend hundreds of dollars less per student than area school districts. On Tuesday, November 7, St. Francis Area School District voters will consider two ballot questions - a 10-year, $325 per student operating levy and a 10-year, $880,000 annual capital projects levy - to increase funding for our district and provide a strong future for our students, staff and schools. This is an important community decision. We want residents to have the information they need to learn about our challenges, the proposed plan to address them, and the tax impact on local property owners. We encourage you to explore our new website, www.sfStrongFuture.org, for detailed information about the referendum.

School supply lists are located at the following links: St. Francis High School: https://sfhs.isd15.org/o/sfhs/page/school-supply-list St. Francis Middle School: https://sfms.isd15.org/o/sfms/page/school-supply-list St. Francis Elementary: https://www.isd15.org/o/sfes/page/school-supply-lists-elementary East Bethel Elementary: https://ebes.isd15.org/o/ebes/page/school-supply-lists-elementary Cedar Creek Elementary: https://cces.isd15.org/o/cces/page/school-supply-lists-cces