Incredible job to all our secondary band and choir students on their performances earlier this week! Special thanks to our music teachers, Ms. Terkildsen and Mrs. Kylie Erickson, as well as our custodial staff for their time and effort to make it all possible. Bravo!

For those students failing or near failing any class(es), putting in extra time at school for support will be vital before the end of the semester on Thur, 12/21. Teachers are available both before & after school & during study hall to provide extra assistance. Besides these daily options, I am setting aside Wednesday in-service time on both 12/13 & 12/20 from 2:30-4 PM to provide two more opportunities for students who are behind/struggling to work with their teachers. Please make every effort to prioritize this time so we can finish the semester strong.

Check out the video link below to see how the 7th grade girls basketball game ended yesterday. Coach Hockett said, "It was so awesome! It was also awesome to see the upper classmen in the gym cheering for them and going wild after she made it!"

School will dismiss at 1 PM on Thur, 12/21 for winter break. School will resume on Wed, 1/3.

The PTO is selling Elk Pride Puzzles! A 40-piece puzzle is $15 and a 500 piece puzzle is $20. They are hoping they will be here by Christmas. Thanks for supporting the Elkton PTO!

Click on the link below to reserve your puzzle(s) today:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094BADA82CA0FF2-46403536-elkpride?fbclid=IwAR07Nl7YT2tqZOqr__nQUZTHhMU_kdoTTZ_oO4ConxJRVKpM8rqrhK2LxpA#/

It is my pleasure to introduce SDSU graduate student, Ms. MaKayla Griffin. Ms. Griffin will be finishing her Master's degree in school administration and joining us in Elkton for her 7-12 principal internship. She joined me at school this past Wednesday for a building tour and orientation, and she will officially start on January 3. Ms. Griffin will be with us about 13 hours per week. 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,