Moorhead Area Public Schools Community Newsletter

Community Newsletter • Spring 2026

Back-to-Back, Back-to-Back Titles for Spuds in St. Paul

Comebacks Propel Boys Hockey & Wrestler Ward to Second Straight Championships at Grand Casino Arena

In near-mirror images that happened just a week apart, the Spud Boys Hockey team and Boys Wrestler Billy Ward faced 4-1 deficits after the second period of their state championship matches with one frame left. First Ward and then Boys Hockey rallied to claim their titles by 5-4 finals and put their names on a bit of history.

A Sí-lver Anniversary for Spanish Immersion

The 2025-26 school year marks the 25th anniversary of the Spanish Immersion Program, which launched in 2000 at Probstfield Elementary School. Back at home at Probstfield after nearly two decades at Ellen Hopkins Elementary, Spanish Immersion has grown and continues to flourish a quarter century later.

Markus Krueger & Petra Gunderson-Leith

Class of 2000 & 2013

At the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Markus Krueger and Petra Gunderson-Leith work to keep local history fun and accessible for guests from around the region and around the world. Read on to learn more about their journeys and the role that their time as Moorhead Area Public Schools students played along the way.

Abdishakur Mohamed

Class of 2015

In just four years, Moorhead High alum Abdishakur Mohamed went from new arrival to business founder. Today, his company, Soma Employment Solutions, is now a statewide enterprise that connects local employers with talented members of our New American community, strengthening our workforce and our city.

Mike Husel

MAPS Operations Center - Bus Driver

Mike Husel is one of the longest-serving staff members at the district Operations Center, starting as a crossing guard in 1990 before becoming a bus driver in 1996. Watch our interview with him to see how he thinks the district has changed over the last 35+ years.

Eric Wicklund

MHS - Teacher & Nordic Ski Head Coach

When the Spuds Nordic Ski Team claimed the Boys Section 8A championship earlier this month, it marked a full-circle moment for Head Coach Eric Wicklund, a member of MHS’s very first Nordic Ski team in 2015-16.

MHS Construction Phase 2 Update: Take a Look Inside the Auditorium & Black Box Theater

Two of the last major spaces under construction in Phase 2 of the MHS Construction Project are the auditorium and black box theater. Take a look inside these two rooms to get an idea of what they'll look like when they open later this year!

Career Academy's Strand-Rysgaard and Johnson Earn Annual CTE Awards

The Moorhead High School Career Academy is celebrating statewide excellence after two of its leaders received top honors from the Minnesota Association for Career and Technical Education. Read on to see why Holly and Alison's peers chose them for this year's honors.

Career Academy's Rud Featured on New Car Enthusiast Platform

Chances are, if you’ve stepped into the automotive lab at the MHS Career Academy, you’ve seen Chantz Rud’s classic Chevrolet C10 up on a lift. Using his own vehicle to teach Spuds didn’t just spark engagement in the classroom—it also caught the attention of Reborn’s Built Not Bought video series.

Spud Administrator and MHS Student Among YWCA Award Nominees

YWCA: Congratulations to Ellen Hopkins Principal Carla Smith and MHS 11th Grader Sienna Lee, who are nominees for the 2026 YWCA Women of the Year awards! They will be honored during an event on Monday, April 20.

Moorhead Robotics Upgrades First Grader's Digital Hand

WDAY: In January's Community Newsletter, we brought you the story of the Spudnik Robotics Team's project to help Ellen Hopkins first grader Amarah Ramirez. In February, Spudnik representatives presented Amarah with an upgraded model to work even better.

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Moorhead High School orchestra students get surprise opera concert

Forum: During the first week of March, the F-M Opera's Joshua Kohl and Luke Norvell paid a visit to Mr. Eddleston's orchestra class to sing "Nessun Dorma" as the students played along. Other students watched from a gallery quickly assembled in the back of the room.

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Meet MSHSL Hall of Famer Rebecca Meyer-Larson

MSHSL: Over the past 30 years, Rebecca Meyer-Larson has turned the Spud Speech team into a Minnesota juggernaut that will attempt to win its 10th straight Class AA state title in 2026. This leadership, and her stewardship of the MHS theater department, made her a 2026 MSHSL Hall of Fame inductee.

Spuds Nordic Ski Seniors Lead Team's Historic Finish

Forum: This year's seniors, who have been with Coach Eric Wicklund since he started at Horizon East, led the Spud Boys Nordic Ski team to new heights with their first ever Section 8A championship. Hear more from the seniors who led the charge in 2025-26.

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Moorhead High hosts 39th annual Knowledge Bowl

WDAY: More than 250 students converged on Moorhead High School during the first week of March for this year's academic knowledge competition. The Spuds took first and second place on their home turf!

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