Principal's Corner
Happy Friday, Fruita Fam! Only two weeks to go until Holiday Break. We have been taking NWEA exams in Math this week, and we'll follow up with NWEA ELA testing next week. Girls Basketball kicks off their season with games on Monday and Tuesday next week. There is a parent meeting for students interested in attending Central High School's STEM programming next year on Monday, December 8 from 6-7PM. There is also an Orchestra Holiday concert on Thursday, December 11th at 6:30PM at the Old Fruita Middle School, at 239 Maple St.
Powderhorn opens up this weekend, and we hope to see many of you up on the Mountain!
*Friday Theme for December: Ugly Holiday Sweaters/Holiday Outfits
Please check out the Thanksgiving edition of our student newspaper, The Fruita Feed ! Mrs. Morgan's 9th Hour Journalism students worked have put together a great Thanksgiving edition of the paper.
Friendly Reminder-Chromebooks checked out for short term use (illness, vacation, work catch up etc) are not to be kept at home for the year. Please return all Chromebooks and chargers that your student may have checked out. Thank you for your help with this.
FMS uses a Google Calendar to share information with Families. We encourage you to check this each week in the Friday Facts newsletter for all our up to date information. You can also add it or any of the activities we have on it to your own personal calendar. Friday Facts Calendar
FMS Hours of Operation
Monday-Thursday 7:30am-3:30pm
Friday 7:30am-1:30pm*
*Staff/Main Office is not available after these hours due to meetings and duties assigned to them. We will not be answering the main office phone or the doorbell. Thank you for your understanding.
Fruita Middle School has been recognized by the Colorado Department of Education as a Performance School for school year 2024-25! This is based on CMAS testing and participation results from the Spring of 2025. It is the highest rating schools can receive, and we are very proud of our students and staff!
The Live Wires (8th grade team) got the champions award (1st overall) and the top robot game score of 440 pts. The live wires were also one of 9 teams to advance to the state tournament on December 6th!
(This team includes: Makayla Allyn, Kaeden Cooney, Chloe Dawson, Olivia Hughes, Kendall Hoen, Reshawn Johnson, Asher Seriani, Ava Seriani, and Elsie Wallace)
The grave robbers (7th grade team) got 8th out of 46 teams on the robot game with 230 pts.
(This team includes: Joseph Bade, Liam Barber, Grayson Clarke, Stratton Doyle, Jonathan Krauss, Noah Lindbloom, Konner Sauer, Nd Zoe Winterowd)
The Lego cats (6th grade) got 13th out of 46 teams in the robot game with a score of 195 pts.
(This team includes: Makayla Bunn, Lincoln Chynoweth, Ella Johnson, Tucker Rolfe, Carson Sparks, and Blake Stephenson)
Congratulations to Mrs. Cooney for receiving the Mentor of the Year Award!
Teams also presented to judges about their robot and innovation project and did fantastic! It was a great weekend for Fruita Middle School and all teams did amazing!
Butter Braid delivery was delayed ...
Because of the snow last Wednesday, the company postponed our delivery to next TUESDAY, December 9th. Thank You for supporting the FMS Choirs!!
It's Holiday Concert Time!!!
Thursday, December 11: Orchestra.......OLD FMS, 6th grade @ 6:30pm, 7th-8th Grades FMHS @ 7:30pm
Monday, December 15: Choir........OLD FMS, concert at 7pm
Wednesday, December 17: Band........OLD FMS, concert at 6:30pm
Please join our music ensembles for some festive holiday music!!
Current 8th graders need to start thinking about high school options for 2026-2027.
Central High School STEM Program: December 8
If you're student is interested in the STEM Program at Central High School there will be a parent meeting on Monday, December 8 from 6-7pm in Central High School's Library (550 Warrior Way, Grand Junction, CO 81504).
Fruita Monument High School Information Session: December 9
The amazing counseling staff from Fruita Monument High School will visit FMS on Tuesday, December 9th during 1st hour. They will be talking with all 8th grade students about their options at FMHS. This presentation will help students prepare for the registration process that will take place during the Spring. Students are encouraged to come with any questions they might have about FMHS and the opportunities that await them there.
Palisade High School IB Program Application: Due January 14
IB Parent Information Sessions
Support Our Teams: Calendar Fundraiser!
Help us score big for our athletes! We're running a Pick-a-Day, Pay-that-Amount fundraiser through PTO to raise funds for new sports jerseys and grow our sports funds. Simply choose a day on the calendar, donate the corresponding amount, and know that your support will directly impact our teams. Every contribution gets us closer to providing our athletes with the gear and resources they deserve. Let’s make this a winning season—your support means the world to our sports programs! Thank you for helping us reach our goal!
Pick Up & Drop Off
Please review the Pick Up & Drop-Off Guidelines for FMS. The first few days of school can cause quite a log jam so please be patient and remember we are next to a high school with new drivers. Safety First!
Parents - a couple of Drop-off/Pick-up procedures to clear up:
Once students arrive on campus for the day, they are not allowed to leave campus to walk to Maverik or other areas off campus.
Do not use the west lot in front of the school. That is designated for staff parking.
Do not drive on the Canal Road
Do not park along the sidewalk curb on the northwest side of the building. This area is designated for Special Education pick-up, and it doesn't leave the buses enough space.
Only drop-off or pick-up in the East lot or the East drop off loop.The Main Bus Loop and the staff parking lot is NOT for pick up and drop off
When exiting the parking lot after school, at the corner of J Road and Fremont, please ONLY turn right or go straight through the neighborhood. Please do not turn left. You will be turning directly into kids crossing in the crosswalk, and it's a safety issue. We are trying to wave cars through to clear the parking lot as quickly as we can. If you are waiting to turn left, it backs traffic up. Turning left just puts more cars into the already hectic High School traffic.
Spelling Bee Club
Spelling Bee Club starts this week! Students will learn and practice word lists to prepare for the District Spelling Bee, which will likely take place in late January or early February 2026. We will meet before school Friday's from 7:30-7:55am in Mrs. Johnson's room (101).
If your student is interested in participating, please email roxanne@d51schools.org so I can connect with them and provide a permission slip, the official word list, and practice information. (They can also come and talk to me personally!) Spelling Bee Club is open to all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Last year, two Fruita Middle School students even advanced to the State Spelling Bee in Denver!
Why join the Spelling Bee Club?
Builds vocabulary and strengthens reading and writing skills
Improves memory, focus, and study habits
Encourages confidence in public speaking
Fosters healthy competition and perseverance
Provides a fun, supportive environment to challenge themselves academically
We’d love to see your student join us!
2025-2026 Yearbooks
GO AHEAD AND CROSS THIS ONE OFF YOUR LIST
Personalization and icons are only available for a short time. Combine that with your opportunity to save $5.00, and there really is no better time to order the yearbook and cross this off your never-ending to-do list! Price goes up after December 31st!!
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UNIQUELY THEIRS
Make the yearbook even more special by adding your student's name and personal icons to the cover.
*Minimum purchase requirements and eligibility restrictions apply.
Girl's Basketball Games start Monday!
7th Grade
Monday, Dec. 8 Away @ OMMS B/C/A
Tuesday, Dec. 9 Away @ GMMS A/B/C
8th Grade
Monday, Dec. 8 Home vs. OMMS B/A
Tuesday, Dec. 9 Home vs. GMMS A/B
First Games begin at 3:45pm
The district has a goal of achieving a 95% attendance rate for middle schools. We will be showing our weekly attendance rate in the Friday Facts each week. December 5: 91.31%
All D51 Middle Schools use Schoology as the platform for students and parents to see their class progress. Take a few minutes with your students this weekend to look over Schoology (available to students in Classlink).
6th Grade Parents and 7th & 8th Grade New Parents, you should have or will receive an email inviting you to set up a Schoology account.
If you need help with Schoology, including receiving a new code if you deleted the first email, you can complete the FMS Schoology Help Form on our Schoology Help Page
FMS Schoology Help Form: Fill this out if you can't access your student, are having trouble creating an account etc.
Tutoring Information: Mrs. Pietz Room B2 on Mondays and Wednesdays for 30 minutes after school, Mrs. McKee Room 178 (ELA) and Mrs. Johnson Room 169 (Math/Science) on Tuesdays for an hour after school.
Magic the Gathering/D&D Club Mondays after school until 4:00 in Mr. Cole's room 126. Bring your MTG decks. If you don't have a deck but still want to play, come and join us. Mr. Cole has thousands of cards and he can help you build a deck.
Chess Club Tuesdays after school until 4:00 in Mr. Cole's room 126. All are welcome. Even if you don't know how to play chess, come and learn.
Rubix Cube puzzle solvers, come to our new Cubing Club. Tuesday's from 3:15-4pm in Ms. Hernandez’s room #94. Don’t forget to bring your Rubix Cube!
DONE UNTIL FEBRUARY: ALL students from any grade are welcome to join Fruita Middle Quidditch Club where we play Quadball, a dodgeball/handball style game inspired by Harry Potter's Quidditch. We will play most Wednesdays after school from 3:20-4:20 with Coach Bonner, including an intramural tournament in the spring. Follow @fruitamidquid on Instagram and Facebook for more details and exciting things going on at FMS.
FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes will meet Thursday's after school until 4:00pm in Mr. Williams room 92. You don’t have to be a Christian, and you don’t have to be an athlete to join. Come join us for food, fellowship and friendship.
Trout in the Classroom Club! We’ll be raising rainbow trout—from tiny eggs all the way to small fry—before releasing them into a local river. It’s hands-on, it’s fun, and it’s a great way to learn about our environment. Meetings are every Thursday from 3:15 to 3:45 in Mrs. Edwards’ room #129. We hope to see you there!
Keep up to Date with FMS Activities!
FMS uses a Google Calendar to share information with Families. We encourage you to check this each week in the Friday Facts newsletter for all our up to date information. You can also add it or any of the activities we have on it to your own personal calendar.
Kids Aid is a local nonprofit organization. The backpack program is a food assistance program which provides bags of food to children in need of food for the weekend.
There is NO cost, and there are NO qualifications to participate in this program. If you feel your child/children would benefit, please complete order form above. The Backpack Program does not collect this information; it is used only for the schools to know who needs to receive the food.
Please visit our website at www.kidsaidcolorado.org for more information and/or to leave us feedback about our Backpack Program. Your feedback helps us to better meet your kids’ needs.
Program enrollment is on-going throughout the school year. If you have questions, please contact Rosanna Romero
FMS Contact Information
Fruita Middle School
1835 J Rd Fruita CO 81521
Main Office: 970-254-6750
Fax: 970-858-0486
Website: https://fms.d51schools.org/
Follow us on Facebook at: facebook.com/fmscougars
On Instagram at: @fruitamiddleschool
Main Office Staff
FMS Hours of Operation
Monday-Thursday 7:30am-3:30pm
Friday 7:30am-1:30pm
Staff/Main Office is not available after these hours due to meetings and duties assigned to them. We will not be answering the main office phone or the doorbell. Thank you for your understanding.
Administration
Jeremiah Johnston: Principal Jeremiah.Johnston@d51schools.org
Dr. Becky Streeval: Assistant Principal Student Last Names A-L Becky.Streeval@d51schools.org
David Neal: Assistant Principal Student Last Names M-Z David.Neal@d51schools.org
Counselors
Rosanna Romero: Student Last Names A-L Rosanna.Romero@d51schools.org
Kerri Spore: Student Last Names M-Z Kerri.Spore@d51schools.org
Secretaries
Katie Bosio: Attendance & Registration Katie.Bosio@d51schools.org
Taya West: Principal Secretary Taya.West@d51schools.org
Health Staff
Tara Tannous: Health Assistant Tara.Tannous@d51schools.org
Heather Lee: School Nurse Heather.Lee@d51schools.org