Ms. Simmons' Secondary Scoop

It's hard to believe, but the end of quarter 3 is quickly approaching on Tue, 3/12. Report cards will be printed on Thur, 3/14 and mailed home. Please review this progress update in preparation for parent-teacher conferences.

The next IXL snapshot is taking place between 2/29-3/12. I'm so excited to see how much our students have grown in math & ELA proficiency since their last snapshot!

Spring parent-teacher conferences will be held in the north gym on Tue, 3/19 from 2:30-8 PM and Wed, 3/20 from 2:30-4 PM in a first come, first served format. Sign-up links to reserve a specific time will only be utilized by those indicated below. School will dismiss both days at 2:15 PM. Here are the details:

• Mrs. Wold & Mrs. Yackley will still do a sign up & conduct conferences in their classroom/office. Mrs. Wold's conference link is available HERE & Mrs. Yackley's conference link is HERE.
• Special Education teachers will conduct conferences in their classrooms; if their door is shut, please wait outside the classroom until the door opens.
• K-12 specials teachers (art, music, PE, & band) & Mr. Harming will all be in the north gym during conferences.
• Teachers will be spread throughout the north gym. A handful of teachers may briefly step away from their table to attend their own child's conference; thank you for your understanding as they do this as quickly as possible.

Please click the link directly below to access our spring state testing schedule and mark your calendars. While state tests are one snapshot of student performance, they are highly reviewed to evaluate student, school, and district progress towards proficiency in state standards. Please help your student(s) set appropriate goals and ensure they have a well balanced breakfast and adequate sleep the night before.

SDSU graduate student, Ms. MaKayla Griffin, is continuing to work with us this semester. Ms. Griffin is finishing her Master's degree in school administration and joining us in Elkton for her 7-12 principal internship. Ms. Griffin will be with us about 13 hours per week, primarily on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Welcome to the Herd, Ms. Griffin!

Secondary students are allowed 10 excused absences per semester. If your student needs to miss school for an appointment, please call the school or email Karla or Mirista in advance. All students will check out through the front office. Please remember, an absence due to a medical or dental appointment is excused, but it still counts towards students' total absences per semester. Please strive to make planned appointments on days off, Wednesday afternoons, or schedule the earliest or latest available appointments. Missing two days of school a month results in over 3.5 weeks missed during the school year. I sincerely appreciate your help in keeping our students in school as much as possible.

As fall activities are now underway, please take a moment to read through our expectations for spectators at Elkton events. By adhering to these expectations, students and fans can contribute to a supportive and spirited environment that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game. Go Elks!

It's a common question parents/guardians ask their student(s), and access to online lesson plans provides meaningful conversation concerning homework and what students are learning. Online lesson plans also open lines of communication when students miss school. Students can first check online to see the plan for each of their classes, and follow up with the teacher(s) to complete what was missed. I hope this continues to be a valuable resource for our families.

While junior high and high school students are striving towards independence, there are three important ways to stay connected to your student’s education:

1. Please make sure all current contact information (cell phone, mailing address, & email address) is provided to the school. All three of these communication outlets are used regularly throughout the school year.

2. Please login to the Parent Portal at a minimum of once per week to check your student’s grades and attendance. If you do not have an account, please contact Mrs. Mirista Bushman or Mrs. Bonnie Yackley by calling the school or emailing mirista.bushman@k12.sd.us / bonnie.yackley@k12.sd.us.

3. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and download our free app, “Elkton School District, SD” to stay up-to-date with school events and activities.

Website: https://www.elkton.k12.sd.us/
Phone: (605) 542-2541
Facebook: facebook.com/ElktonSchool53
Twitter: @ElktonSchool

A few back-to-school reminders as we head into our new year:

• Link to the JH/HS student handbook

• Link to online lesson plans

• Link to all school activities

As always, please let me know if there's anything I can do to serve you and our secondary students.

Sincerely in Education,