Families, please take a few minutes to look over our Student Handbook here: https://5il.co/6zgq
Your child also brought home a signature page that needs to be signed by both parent and student and returned to the office by Friday (you’ll also find it on the last page of the online handbook).
Thank you for partnering with us to make this a wonderful year for all!
Our hallways were full of energy, smiles, and excitement as students and staff kicked off the new year together. A big thank you to our incredible teachers, staff, and families for helping make the day such a success.
Here’s to a year full of learning, growth, and great memories—we’re off to a fantastic start!
Back-to-School Reminders for Tomorrow
Dear Parents and Families,
We are so excited to welcome students back tomorrow! As we start the new school year, here are a few important things to know:
Arrival & Breakfast
- Breakfast will be served until 8:20am.
- Students who arrive after 8:20 will be offered a granola bar, milk, and fruit. These items must be eaten in the lunchroom and finished by 8:25am.
- No food may be taken into classrooms.
Dismissal (Grades PK–4)
- Students will be dismissed in three groups: bus riders, parent pickup, and walk/daycare.
- 3:28pm: Bus students will be walked out and loaded onto buses. Parent pickup students will exit Door 1 with an adult to meet their parents.
** To help dismissal run smoothly, parents will not be allowed into the building between 3:25–3:35pm. After 3:35, you may come in to see a teacher, stop by the office, or pick something up.
- 3:35pm: Walkers and daycare students will be dismissed, after buses have departed to reduce traffic.
** If your child’s after-school plan changes, please contact the office by 2:30pm so we can get the message to their teacher.
Closed Campus – Grades 9–12
- Students in grades 9–12 will have a closed campus for lunch until September 16, when the first eligibility report is run.
- After that date, eligible students may check out through the office to leave campus for lunch.
Lockers & Locker Rooms
- All students will be issued lockers for the school year.
- Locker rooms will only be used for changing during Physical Education classes and for home games.
Detention
- Detention will be held Monday–Thursday after school.
- If your child is assigned detention, you will be contacted by the principal or teacher.
- Students may serve detention the day it is given or the following day.
- Sports and activities do not excuse students from detention.
- Reasons for detention may include aggression/fighting, bullying, disrespect, disruption, inappropriate language, lying/cheating, property damage, and similar behaviors.
Attendance
- If your child will be late or absent due to illness, please contact the office first thing in the morning.
- Attendance is checked at 9:00am. If your child is not here and we haven’t heard from you, the office will call to confirm.
Thank you for your help in getting the year off to a smooth start. We are looking forward to a great first day back!
Warmly,
Mrs. Lindsay Widicker,
K-12 Principal
Join us in the New Gym at 6:00pm to meet the staff and hear important updates for the new school year.
📚 6:30–7:30pm – Visit your classroom and connect with teachers
- Enjoy games and treats on the lawn, provided by our amazing Parent-Teacher Organization!
We can’t wait to see everyone and kick off another great year together!
Students in grades 3–6: get ready to hit the field! A sports physical is required before you can participate in practice, so be sure to get that taken care of before the first day.
Football practice kicks off next week! Parents and players, please be sure to check the travel schedule online to stay updated on bus times and locations: http://bit.ly/4lXO8fM.
The 2025 Football Schedule for JH & JV have been updated. You can check them out by clicking this link: bit.ly/4oc7xLq
We’re excited to welcome Mrs. Donna Noyes as our 8th Grade Science and Social Studies long-term substitute teacher this fall! In addition to this role, she will serve as a para educator, providing support across classrooms at Fessenden-Bowdon School.
Mrs. Noyes brings 9 years of experience as a para educator with East Central Center for Exceptional Children and is looking forward to another great year at FBS!
Donna and her husband Scott have three grown children, a bonus daughter, and several beloved grandbabies. They enjoy traveling, hiking, and spending quality time with family. Watching their grandchildren and family grow is one of life’s greatest blessings.
A big thank you to everyone who participated in the girls' golf and cross country survey! Your input is so valuable as we work to provide more opportunities for our students.
Based on the responses, we’re excited to share that there was enough interest to form a girls' golf team next fall! While we aren’t able to get everything in place for this year, since the season begins very soon, certain pieces need to be in place earlier in the year. We’re looking forward to building a team for the 2026 season.
As for cross country, there wasn’t quite enough interest at this time. However, if your student enjoys running, we strongly encourage participation in spring track, especially in the longer distance events!
Thanks again for your support and engagement!
Calling all 7th & 8th grade boys basketball players!
Join us for an open gym this Sunday, July 27 at 7:00 PM at B.M. Hanson Elementary in Harvey. It's a great chance to get some shots up, play with your teammates, and start getting ready for the season. See you there!
We’re excited to welcome Lindsay Widicker as the new K-12 principal at Fessenden-Bowdon School!
Mrs. Widicker has been part of our school community for the past three years as the elementary special education teacher and previously served as the administrative assistant for 2 years. Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, she moved to Bowdon 13 years ago.
Mrs. Widicker is married to Hans, and together they have three children: Wyatt (12), Jillian (10), and Cooper (8). She also serves as the city auditor in Bowdon and volunteers as an EMT on the local ambulance.
In her free time, Mrs. Widicker enjoys camping, traveling, learning, and spending time with her family. She’s looking forward to a great year of working and learning alongside our amazing students, staff, and families!
Rocky will be driving a bus route and serving as a para for the East Central Center for Exceptional Children at Fessenden-Bowdon. He subbed in both roles last year and we’re excited to have him officially joining the team! Rocky brings over 30 years of nursing experience and a caring presence to his work with students.
Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Rocky moved to the Bowdon area about 10 years ago. He and his wife, Darla, have four grown daughters and five grandchildren. In his spare time, Rocky enjoys golfing, watching sports, and spending time with his grandkids.
Welcome, Rocky! We’re lucky to have you with us this year!
Junior High and High School registration is right around the corner! Please use the link below to sign up for a registration time:
🔗 JH/HS Registration Sign-Up - http://bit.ly/4lUkjNj
Registration slots are available on:
Friday, August 1
Monday, August 4
Tuesday, August 5
If these dates don’t work for your family, no problem—just reach out to Mrs. Widicker to schedule a different time.
Also, Mrs. Heinz and Mrs. Fike will be available during registration to answer any questions you may have about dual credit classes, career planning, and college readiness.
We’re looking forward to a great school year and can’t wait to see you!
After stepping in to cover 5th and 6th grade English Language Arts at FBS this spring, Ms. Jessica Hawkes is returning for her first full-year position teaching junior high ELA for grades 5-8!
Ms. Hawkes has spent the last two decades working as a communications professional, writing, editing, teaching, and translating in various contexts and five different languages. Ms. Hawkes earned BA degrees in Spanish and French from NDSU, studied advanced Spanish grammar at Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain, and has nearly completed her master’s degree in Global Cultures from King’s College London.
On her family's farm outside of New Rockford, and with the help of her housemates, Ms. Hawkes manages a small nonprofit animal sanctuary with about 90 furry and feathered residents. In addition to animals, she loves music, crafting, books, travel, and more hobbies than she can list. She brings a passion for language, art, poetry, and storytelling to the classroom.
Ms. Hawkes is now excitedly preparing her classroom and is beyond thrilled to be joining the faculty at FBS. Most of all, she can’t wait to see the kids!
(Fun fact: Ms. Hawkes’ father was Mr. Les Wagner, who taught science at our school in 2000-2001!)
