Roughrider District News

Mr. Billeter

As we wrap up October, we want to take a moment to celebrate a great first quarter of the school year! A big thank you to all the parents for your support and involvement in your child’s education. Working together really makes a difference.

As we start the second quarter, please remember to work with our teachers and let us know if your child is having any difficulties. Staying informed is important, so be sure to check Infinite Campus for updates on attendance, grades, and lunch balances.

With November coming, temperatures will start to drop. Please make sure your child dresses warmly and checks the weather before heading out. When it comes to school closures due to bad weather, we try our best to make safe decisions for all students and staff. However, if you feel that road conditions are unsafe, please feel free to keep your child at home.

November also kicks off football playoffs and possibly state volleyball! Keep an eye out for announcements about any school closures in the coming weeks. Good luck to all our coaches and athletes as they enter this exciting time of year. They have worked very hard, so let’s come out and cheer them on!

For the latest news and updates, always check our school calendar on our website. Don’t forget to follow us on social media! We regularly share positive news about our students and staff, showcasing all the wonderful things happening at Southwest Public Schools.

Thank you for being an important part of our school community. Let’s keep working together to provide the best for our students!

November is one of my favorite months of the year. The temperatures finally drop, making mornings crisp and days beautifully pleasant. The fall colors are vibrant, and the holidays centered on family, gratitude, and kindness are approaching. Here at Southwest Elementary, we have much to be thankful for. Our wonderful and caring staff—including custodians, paraprofessionals, office staff, cooks, and teachers—makes our school a great place. I am blessed every day for the opportunity to work alongside them, and I know your children are in excellent hands. I am especially thankful for our supportive parents and community, but most of all, I am grateful for the amazing children we get to work with. They are the reason we show up every day!

The past few weeks have been quite busy at Southwest Elementary. Teachers and students have been diligently engaged in various school activities. We successfully completed our parent-teacher conferences last week, and we had a wonderful turnout. We value the relationship between school and home, and we appreciate all the parents who took the time to meet with teachers.

For a fun fall activity the High School FFA students came to the elementary to paint pumpkins with the preschool classes. The students made some wonderful masterpieces and enjoyed their time with the BIG kids. On October 31, the students had a fantastic time at their Halloween parties and enjoyed parading around the school for their parents to see. It is so fun to see all of the creative and spooky costumes that students bring for this event.

Our students are eagerly anticipating their performance at the Veterans Day Program at the high school on Monday, November 11, at 9:30 a.m. We recognize the importance of honoring our veterans for their sacrifices in protecting our freedom. We hope to see many of you at the program!

Making up homework for days missed!

The Southwest school has purchased a student assignment platform called Canvas. This platform allows students a chance to see what assignments were assigned and on what day they are due in the event they are ill or gone for activities. This also allows students at Southwest School to get their homework while at home.

Reminder to all parents, students’ grades, and missing assignments are available via the internet. If you have questions on how to check the status of your child, please contact the school and we will help you get logged on to the web page.

Dressing for the weather!

The year seems to be flying by quickly! With the weather changing it is important that

you help ensure your child is safe and dressed appropriately while riding a bus. Parents, the winter conditions always have the potential of getting a bus stuck or having a breakdown. The buses are monitored by radio and help is usually a few minutes away.

However, in the event a bus fails to run the temperature can drop very quickly due to the lack of insulation. This is why it is important to ensure your child is dressed

appropriately for the cold. Please help remind them that flip flops and shorts are not

proper clothing for winter. It is also important that they are wearing a coat when riding

the bus on those cold days. Thank you for your help ensuring you child is properly

prepared for the weather conditions.

In-climate weather is always a threat living in Nebraska. The school has a large list

of places we post school information. These include NTV, 10/11, KHAS-TV, KRVN,

KICK, KIOD, Weatherthreat.com and the schools’ new blackboard message system as

well as social media... Please check those places for information, if you are in question

as to our school closings. We will try to determine the plan based on the weather by 6:00 a.m. as that is when most bus routes are starting. Calling the school early will usually result in no information as we are out driving roads or calling people that can help us make a qualified decision on conditions in our district. Since the district is so large the weather and road conditions often differ significantly. Once the call has been made the media is alerted right away so people can plan for the day. If you are not on the calling system and would like to be please contact the high school office.

Scholarships

Seniors can access scholarship applications at www.swpschools.org

• Hover over the Jr. Sr. High School tab at the top
• Go to the bottom of the selection and choose “Senior Scholarships”
• Click the google link.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tUvMVTpzKq3umttYJmzwmBM64aNEs60AOFPMJARU_jQ/edit?gid=0#gid=0

*The spreadsheet is organized by monthly due dates so be sure to look at the months in advance, so you have time to fill the applications out before the due date. This is updated as I receive scholarships throughout the year.

*The scholarships highlighted in red are not updated and the scholarships highlighted in green are always open and have differing due dates so be sure to look back on these frequently.

Seniors wanting to improve their ACT scores can take it through February to use on their college and scholarship applications.

Taking a campus visit this fall to the college of their choice is a great way to make final decisions and get all the information needed so seniors don’t miss deadlines at the college they plan to attend next fall.

Sophomores:

*You will be taking the ASVAB November 4th.

This is an aptitude test conducted by the military to help students find their strengths.

ACT

Register for the ACT at: actstudent.org

Southwest School Code: 280151

MCC Test Site Code: 024600

Test Dates (Saturday dates)

School Board Minutes

Board of Education Meeting

Southwest Public Schools

District 179

October 14, 2024

President Jason Neseth called the regular meeting of the Southwest Public Schools Board of Education to order at 7:31 p.m. on October 14, 2024 at the Southwest Junior-Senior High School in Bartley.

Present: Brooke Brooks, Jennifer McConville, Jason Kloepping, Jason Neseth, Superintendent Drew Billeter, Principal Tara Fries, and Patricia Smith.

Absent: John O’Dea and Duane Teter.

Visitors: Hillery Kelley and Derek Meyers.

Moved by Kloepping, seconded by McConville, to excuse absent board members, John O’Dea and Duane Teter. Ayes: McConville, Kloepping, Neseth, and Brooks. Nays: None. Absent: Teter and O’Dea. Motion carried.

President Neseth observed Open Meeting Law requirements.

Moved by McConville, seconded by Kloepping, to approve the board meeting agenda as presented. Ayes: Kloepping, Brooks, McConville, and O’Dea. Nays: None. Absent: Teter and O’Dea. Motion carried.

Notices of the meeting were posted at the Adams Bank and Trust in Indianola, the Stockmens Bank Bartley Branch, Post Offices in Bartley and Indianola, Southwest Elementary School in Indianola, Southwest Junior-Senior High School in Bartley, and published in the Valley Voice newspaper and on the school website. Notice of the meeting was given in advance to all

members prior to the meeting date.

Moved by McConville, seconded by Kloepping, to approve the claims as presented. Ayes:

McConville, Kloepping, Neseth, and Brooks. Nays: None. Absent: Teter and O’Dea. Motion carried.

The treasurer’s report was presented to the Board.

Moved by McConville, seconded by Kloepping, to approve the minutes of the September 9, 2024 Board Meeting. Ayes: Kloepping, Brooks, McConville, Neseth. Nays: None. Absent: Teter and O’Dea. Motion carried.

Moved by Kloepping, seconded by McConville, to approve the Southwest Teacher Association’s request for recognition as the exclusive bargaining agent representing the district’s certified staff for the 2026-2027 contract year. Ayes: Kloepping, Brooks, Neseth, and McConville. Nays:

None. Absent: Teter and O’Dea. Motion carried.

Moved by Kloepping, seconded by Brooks, to approve the proposed revisions to Policy 3003.1:

Bidding for Construction, Remodeling, Repair, or Related Projects Financed with Federal Funds.

Ayes: Kloepping, Brooks, Neseth, and McConville. Nays: None. Absent: Teter and O’Dea.

Motion carried.

Moved by McConville, seconded by Kloepping, to approve the quote from Wagner Chevrolet for two Chevrolet suburbans in the amount of $120,914.00 to replace the two illegal vans using funds from the depreciation fund. Ayes: Kloepping, Brooks, Neseth, and McConville. Nays:

None. Absent: Teter and O’Dea. Motion carried.

Superintendent Billeter asked board members to complete the superintendent evaluation and return them to President Neseth in order to take action according to Board Policy 4057 at the November 11 board meeting.

Superintendent Billeter reported on the approval of an emergency generator under DR-4778 for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. He had received no quotes from vendors he had contacted and felt the 25% share of district funds needed to purchase the generator could be used in other areas. The Board shared their opinions regarding the Beef in Schools Program giving the approval to proceed with the process. He also shared recent grant payment information with the Board.

Principal Fries reported on Parent-Teacher Conferences scheduled for appointments on Thursday, October 24, from 1:00-6:00 p.m. Completion of the Wonders Reading Training has been completed by staff members. She also discussed several possibilities for changing the stipulations of the 2025-2026 preschool applications.

Moved by Kloepping, seconded by McConville, to adjourn the meeting at 8:31 p.m. Ayes: McConville, Kloepping, Neseth, and Brooks. Nays: None. Absent: Teter and O’Dea. Motion carried.

Agenda for meetings will be kept continually current and available for public inspection in the office of the Superintendent.

The next regular board meeting will be held on Monday, November 11, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. at the Southwest Junior-Senior High School in Bartley with the postponement of the Americanism Committee meeting until the December board meeting.