The Raider Report

Article by: Bella Malisch

Homecoming week started with Coronation on Tuesday night. Many fun events such as class skits, trivia, and the crowning of king and queen took place. This year's royalty was Emily Matson, Bella Malisch, Camlin Schneider, Kim Trygstad, and for the boys Jace Schiernbeck, Brock Eppe, Dillon Renaas, and Brayden Hansen. This year ORR added a new tradition of each court asking a teacher past or present who has made an impact on their life to walk them up to the stage. This went over great and will continue throughout the future years. Returning kings Caden Hojer and Logan Trygstad crowned new king Jace Schiernbeck and returning queens Alivia Bickett and Julia Trygstad crowned 2024 queen Emily Matson. Congratulations to the new 2024 homecoming royalty! Wednesday night the streets of Rutland were painted with names and homecoming slogans. This tradition is a great addition to ORR homecoming it creates a out of class gathering to mingle and laugh with friends. Thursday night the Lady Raiders faced Elkton/Lake Benton and played very well but fell short. Friday started with float building followed by a yummy lunch cooked by the school board with the parade to follow. To end the night the Football boy took a victory over Sioux Falls Lutheran. Being all together throughout the day brought us closer together as ORR and helped build better class relationships! The joy brought by simply being one school district meant so much so many of us. Lots of laughter and memories were made and shared. Through all that fun stuff dress-up days were starting with Tuesday decade Day K-5 had the 70s-90s and 6-12 dressing as 90-2000s. Wednesday was gone fishing and off to the spa lots of fun hats and robes. Thursday USA day filled with red white and blue. Friday is spirit day, tons of Raiders gear and jerseys.

September 2024

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year and what a great year we have had so far! As the first year of the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland consolidated school district, last year our district experienced a great deal of change. A new school district, a new school board, a new administration, and a new identity created an environment ripe for the inevitable – yet necessary – change. This school year will be no different when it comes to the inevitability of change. Aging buildings required that we locate all 6th – 12th grade students in one location. Additionally, multiple retirements as well as previous staff moving on to other opportunities required the hiring of many new staff members. These are only a few of the factors that have been and will continue to be the impetus for adjustments during this current school year. Moreover, ongoing reflection on best practices for establishing the most effective and efficient environment for student learning and success will translate into more change as we move forward.

While the future direction of ORR has not been fully determined, the outcome of the Opt Out Vote on Sept. 17th will further cement the course we will take while pursuing the shared vision of our district: “To build a school family that helps each member write their own success story.”

For those who dislike change, I share the words of renowned American psychologist Abraham Maslow: “In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.”

I recognize the appeal of staying within the boundaries of what feels familiar and safe. However, clinging to only what we know and are comfortable with can prevent us from discovering new possibilities and achieving even greater success. I challenge each of you to embrace change as an opportunity, not a threat. Step into the unknown. Face challenges with courage and gratitude for circumstances that could very well be the catalyst for discovering your full potential.

#RaiderPride

Article by Hanna Coomes

One of this month's senior spotlight is Brock Eppe. Brock's parents are Chuck and Danielle Eppe, and he has two sisters, Emma and Abby. His favorite school memory is his National FFA trip to Indianapolis. The teacher that had the most impact on Brock's life is Mrs. Eppe, his mom, it is also his science teacher. Brock was involved in football, FFA, NHS, track, baseball, and trap shooting. When Brock was little, he wanted to be a doctor. He is planning to attend SDSU after high school to become a surgeon, pre-med. Brock said he had pretty lame excuses when it comes to not getting his homework done. A fad Brock is embarrassed from being apart of is skibidi slang. His favorite class he has taken is current events because he enjoyed keeping up with the news and learning how to dig deeper into topics. Brock's favorite school meal is pizza. Brock's advice to younger students is don't waste time. A quote he lives by is" Keep your face always towards the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you." - Walt Whitman.

The third and fourth graders are focused and motivated to improve every time they are on their iPads and keyboards. Congratulations

Article by: Eva Sheeks

The Humanity Launch took place on August 23, 2024. 6-12 students spent the first half of the day with them in a retreat. After students were released for the day, the staff spent the rest of the day with both leaders for Professional Development. We started off the day with introductions of everyone. Then we went right into a dance that was choreographed by the director's granddaughter.

We then got into groups of mixed grades and did a listening activity. After that, we went in pairs of twos with people that we don't talk to much and had moments to get to know each other. We repeated that two times with different people. The director then told us about her daughter and her story. Throughout the retreat, we were reminded of the importance of time, listening, and truly being present in the moment. We finished off the day with a fun dance party at the end.

In August, Brookelyn Riedel, Garet Wicks, Lucas Wall, and Zayd Anderson volunteered with Feeding South Dakota. They did so to accumulate NHS service hours. These students then reached out to Mrs. Hoeke and Ms. Hinker about making this a school-sanctioned volunteer program. On Monday, September 9, 4 members of the ORR National Honor Society Chapter volunteered with Feeding South Dakota. Hattie Hanson, Zayd Anderson, Emily Matson, and Izzy Pickard volunteered at the Madison, SD location which is held at the 4H grounds. The students were each assigned a specific food item and worked to distribute the food. Senior Zayd Anderson said he would participate monthly if given the opportunity as it was fulfilling.

Article by: Brennon Bickett and Brayden Hanson

What is Prime you may ask? Prime preparing Raiders in mentorship and engagement. Prime is not a technical period, it's a space in between junior high lunch and high school lunch. Junior high Prime starts at 12:15-12:48, High school starts at 11:44-12:17.

What do we do each day? On Monday we have Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Which is Working through creating a culture of kindness curriculum. Tuesday is an ICU, which is a Study hall. Helping you get caught up. Wednesday is Leadership Day, which is a Policy workshop that goes through the student handbook and discipline matrix. Mentorship day is when you go to Ramona and spend time with the elementary. The class leaves Rutland after the 3rd hour (10:55), arrives in Ramona around 11:15, eats lunch/ recess, and leaves Ramona at 12:20 to be back by 12:45. Each Prime class will make a trip to Ramona. Thursday is PUB day, which is picking up a book and reading. You're not supposed to have any distractions just your book. Friday is WGO, which is What’s Going ON? You do team-building activities like whole sport art projects, letters to veterans, nursing home pictures/ notes, and community service projects.

Prime time is a time to get to know your fellow Raiders and Teachers, a time to become a leader within the school, a time to learn content outside of core classes, and a time to learn about yourself. Prime time is NOT a time to goof around, not an extra “thing” for teachers to plan, it’s not free time, not a study hall (other than ICU), and not a time to wander halls.

Article by: Bailey Hyland

Grace Steineke is the 2nd-grade teacher at the Ramona site. She is from Hartford, South Dakota and went to college at DSU. She enjoys reading a good book or going for long walks in her free time. As a new teacher, she is excited to learn along with her students. She describes ORR as welcoming! She was inspired to become a teacher because of her mom as well as teachers she has had in the past. Her advice is, Don’t care if it makes others happy, if it makes you happy that’s all that matters, and, Don’t dwell on the past, it can’t be changed. She hopes her students learn to be respectful and helpful to everyone!

Article by Brody Westall and Hyde Hanson

The ORR Raiders football season kicked off August 8th and energy was high. Fall camp was cut short this year due to school starting earlier the year. After fall camp we had the annual scrimmage where the team is split into white and black and plays each other. This year the black team won. The first week we played against Dell Rapids St. Mary’s and lost 0-38. However, the next week we came back and won our second game 42-16 against Sunshine Bible, a nice feeling after our loss last year.

The month of September got off to an energetic start this year with a homecoming win again Sioux Falls Lutheran. We ran a total of 7 plays throughout the game, and came out with a 52-20 win. The following Tuesday Junior High played Dell Rapids/Saint Mary’s at Dell Rapids. This resulted in a loss for the Raiders. The junior high team did not win but gained lots of experience. Beynon Lingbeck scored the first touchdown of the game with a 58-yard run. Hudson Pooler scored the next touchdown with a 60-yard touchdown.

When asked about the game, Coach Siegfried said “Overall, the kids played very hard against a solid opponent. The final score was 46-12. The JH raiders got better as the game went on, and they will continue to get better at practice everyday. I am very honored to be their coach this season.”

Article by: Cooper Merager

There has been a lot happening in the ORR elementary school. In the kindergarten classroom, the kindergarten has started a reading buddies program. We read with our buddies and then enjoy snacks with them afterward. The kindergartners have really enjoyed this time with the older kids and adults. It was just recently homecoming week for all of ORR K-12. The elementary shared the same dress-up days as the high school with some slight variation. On Tuesday their dress-up day was decade day 60s-80s. High school shared the same day different years 90s-early 2000s. Wednesday the dress-up day was gone fishing or off to the spa. That was the same for K-12. Thursday was USA day for all K-12. In the 5 grade classroom on the Rutland site, they have been busy. They did a class activity called "saving Fred". During the homecoming week, the 5 graders did a connected relay or 3-legged race. They put together a community puzzle as a class.

Article by: Emily Matson and Camlin Schnieder

The ORR volleyball team started practice on August 16. We had our first game against Canistota in Rutland on August 27th. The Junior High lost their game with a score of 14-25 and 22-25. They worked very hard to keep up! We had enough girls to have a C-team this year!! The C-team lost their game also. Their scores were 24-26, 16-25. The JV lost in 3 sets. The scores were 25-27, 25-18, 12-15. They were so close. They just couldn't finish. Everyone tried their best! The Varsity lost their game but worked hard together. Camlin had 11 kills, Bailey had 9 kills, and Bella had 3 kills. The score for varsity was 21-25,22-25,26-24 and 14-25. We won one set. We were so close in every set with them. On Thursday August 29th we played Howard. Junior High lost in 3. Their score was 20-25,25-18,10-15. The c-team won their game. The Jv also won their game. We do not have stats for those. Varsity we went 3-0. The scores were 25-21,25-22,25,23. On Thursday September 5th we played Elkton Lake-Benton. On Saturday September 7th the varsity and jv team both went 1-3. They played Flandreau public, Flandreau Indians, and Clark-Willow Lake. On Tuesday September 9th we played Dell Rapids St. Mary’s. The Junior High won their game in 3 12-25, 25-10,15-11 . Laney had 4 kills, Abbey had 3 kills, Brynnlee with 3 kills. The C-team lost their game in 3 25-23, 13-25, 12-15. Lily had 4 kills, Kenlee had 8 digs, Gabby had 7 digs. The JV team lost their game in 2 9-25, 14-25. Emma had 2 kills, Brooklyn Hyland had 5 digs, Madi had 4 digs. The varsity team lost their game in 3 20-25, 20-25, 23-25. Bailey had 8 kills, Emily had assist kills.

Article by: Zayd Anderson

The cross country season has just begun. This year, we have a prodigious team of 8! We already had our first two meets. We have 3 sixth graders this year who were only eligible to run the first meet, in Madison, as the meet in Garretson was a Junior Varsity and Varsity meet. Each runner who participated in both meets performed better in the second meet. One runner, Ancora Gilkerson, earned a medal for her impressive performance in Garretson at the Jesse James Cross Country Invitational.

Our cross country team is coached by Danny Frisby-Griffin (“FG”), with assistance from team captain Zayd Anderson. FG’s wife and grandson, Connie and Spencer, attend as many cross country meets as they can, as well as a few of the practices. Connie is super helpful, always offering water to the runners as they pass by her during the races, and Spencer does a great job motivating the runners by cheering them on.

We have a few races upcoming this month, including one in DeSmet on the 12th, Arlington on the 16th, Dell Rapids on the 23rd, Brookings on the 26th, and Castlewood on the 28th. Anyone is welcome to come watch the races and support the team.

One runner had an interesting input about cross country. Freshman, Ancora Gilkerson, said that the most exciting part of a race is the home stretch when you know you’ve successfully run the race, and the end is finally in sight.

Article by: Roman Malisch

There has been a lot going on in the ORR HIghschool. The 8th grade science class taught by Mrs. W was doing the STEM challenges for homecoming. The STEM challenge is where the students guessed how many droplets of water they could fit on a penny. The students first hypothesized how many droplets of water could on the penny. The most dominant hypothesis was 10 droplets of water. Then the students tested their hypothesis using a cup of water, a penny, and pipettes. The largest number of droplets of water reached was 71 drops. The students came to the conclusion that the tails side of the penny fit more droplets of water than the heads side.

7th grade has been talking about the steps it takes to get our food from farm to fork. This process included the many different careers involved in this process. The students learned that even if they aren’t interested in farming they can still participate in agriculture. The seventh grade agriculture also got to eat popcorn while they were taught about Orville Redenbacher's claim to fame which had taught them about the how he worked through different aspects of agribusiness. The popcorn that the students snacked on was not Orville popcorn but instead our local Dakota Brother’s popcorn.

Two other fun class activities that occurred this year were in animal science class and high school science. The animal science class created pictures of digestive systems of chickens, hogs, and cattle. They learned that hog’s digestive systems are the closets to a human digestive system. In 3rd and 6th hour high school science will be doing a STEM challenge. This STEM challenge will be building boats and seeing how much weight they can hold.

Article by: Hattie Hanson

One of this month's Senior Spotlights is Emily Matson. She has two siblings, Sine and Will, and her parents are Mike and Angela Matson. Emily has been involved in volleyball, basketball, NHS, student council, yearbook, track, basketball cheer, football cheer, band, and choir. Her favorite school memories are the conversations throughout the years in Mr. Koster’s science class. The coach who had the biggest impact on Emily is Crystal Hansen. She said Crystal dedicates so much time to Girls Sports and wants every individual player to be better on and off the court. When Emily was little she wanted to be a veterinarian. Now she plans to go to USD to be a dental hygienist. The favorite class she has taken is English. She said it’s interesting to learn about a language we speak everyday. Her favorite excuse to get out of homework was saying she likes to sleep. A fad she’s embarrassed being a part of is wearing her socks up to her knees. Emily’s favorite school meal is chicken patty on a bun. Her advice to younger students is to go to every sporting event, school dance, and hang out with each other outside of school. A life quote she lives by is; it is what it is.

Article by: Jace Schiernbeck

Miss Huper is the new Ag teacher and the FFA advisor. Miss Huper is from Wells Minnesota and she attended South Dakota State University. Miss Huper enjoys reading, playing tennis, Binge-watching, and card games with family. She is excited to meet new students and foster a strong FFA chapter she would describe ORR as inclusive. Miss Huper was inspired to become a teacher by her own high school FFA teacher. Her advice to her younger self would be to enjoy every moment with the company you have now, but be open to new experiences. Miss Huper life quote is to always be yourself and be bold. Be brave. Do great things! The one thing Miss Huper wants students to learn how to pronounce her last name- its “Hipper”.