Ms. Simmons' Secondary Scoop

The end of Quarter 1 is quickly approaching on Tuesday, 10/17. Please encourage your secondary student(s) to make arrangements with teachers if extra assistance is needed before or after school or during study hall before Quarter 1 grades are finalized.

Mrs. Rochel with the Elkton PTO has the following info to share:

"Starting in Quarter 2, I will be coordinating a group of high school students to offer tutoring services to our elementary students. This will be happening on Tuesday mornings from 8 - 8:20 in the north gym. Students who have missing work, who need to practice their reading or math facts or just need a confidence boost that comes with working with an upper-class student are encouraged to attend. High school students who are interested in tutoring should sign up using the link below. They do not need to be present at every session. This is an excellent opportunity to practice their skill of leading with love and to add an activity to their resume."

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084BA9A623AAFE3-45052213-tutor?fbclid=IwAR00oLA8Yck5PS1r9B-O4O1fsU9hJ0-dvVt68j40pEkUOw38OqPNt9GF4BE#/

I shared earlier this school year that students will be completing diagnostic testing (also called snapshots) in IXL to evaluate their progression of learning and inform instruction. The first round of diagnostic testing was finished on Wed, 8/30. Round two of IXL diagnostic testing is happening now and will be wrapped up by 10/17. I encourage you to have your student(s) show you their scores and view their progress.

After completing this diagnostic test and reviewing scores, teachers will collaborate with students by engaging in one-on-one conferencing during class. It is my hope that these 60-90 second conversations will help students grow in their skills of setting, pursuing, and tracking academic goals.

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,