🍎Custer Elementary (JK-6th Grades) Open House - Aug. 19 ~ 4-6 pm

🍏Hermosa School (JK-8th Grades) Open House - Aug. 19 ~ 4-6 pm

📚Custer Jr/Sr High School (7th-12th Grades) Open House - Aug. 19 ~ 5-7 pm

School Supply lists are available on the school website. Look for the lists under each building's menu. See www.csd.k12.sd.us. The district will supply some basic items such as pens, pencils, colored pencils, blunt-tipped scissors, loose-leaf paper, notebook paper, glue bottles, 8-color paints, Expo markers, and highlighters. For Custer and Hermosa students in grades JK-8, the supply lists will specify what items are needed to be purchased. Sending boxes of tissues/Kleenex throughout the year would be much appreciated at all school bldgs!

HERMOSA HALF-TIME PRESCHOOL PARAPROFESSIONAL – one paraprofessional needed part-time to assist teacher with students at the Preschool located at the Hermosa School for 3.875 hrs/day, $17.50/hr, starting 8/15/24. Will work according to school calendar. Interested applicants must complete the online application. Two years of college preferred or must pass the state-required paraprofessional exam prior to starting. Contact Custer School District, 527 Montgomery St., Custer, SD 57730, 605.673.3154. Open until filled. EOE

PRESCHOOL PARAPROFESSIONAL – one paraprofessional needed full-time to assist teacher with students at the new CSD Preschool located at the Custer Armory/School Admin. Bldg, for 7.75 hrs/day, $17.50/hr, starting 8/15/24. Will work according to school calendar. Interested applicants must complete the online application. Two years of college preferred or must pass the state-required paraprofessional exam prior to starting. Contact Custer School District, 527 Montgomery St., Custer, SD 57730, 605.673.3154. Open until filled. EOE

SPECIAL EDUCATION PARAPROFESSIONALS (2) – two full-time paraprofessionals needed to assist teachers with students with special needs at Custer Elementary School, for 7.75 hrs/day, $17.85/hr, starting 8/15/24. Will work according to school calendar. Interested applicants must complete the online application. Two years of college preferred or must pass the state-required paraprofessional exam prior to starting. Contact Custer School District, 527 Montgomery St., Custer, SD 57730, 605.673.3154. Open until filled. EOE

SPECIAL EDUCATION PARAPROFESSIONAL – one paraprofessional needed full-time to assist teachers with students with special needs at Custer Elementary School/Early Childhood Intervention Program located at the Custer Armory/School Admin. Bldg, for 7.75 hrs/day, $17.85/hr, starting 8/15/24. Will work according to school calendar. Interested applicants must complete the online application. Two years of college preferred or must pass the state-required paraprofessional exam prior to starting. Contact Custer School District, 527 Montgomery St., Custer, SD 57730, 605.673.3154. Open until filled. EOE

Coaching Openings - Apply Online
Current employees send letter/email of interest to AD Joey Kortemeyer joey.kortemeyer@k12.sd.us all others must complete an application.

1. HS Asst. Football Coach - $3,138 - starting August 2024
2. HS Student Council Advisor - $3,138 - starting fall 2024
3. HOSA Advisor - $2,745 - starting summer or fall 2024
4. FFA Advisor - $2,745 - starting summer or fall 2024
5. Jr HS Football Coach - $1,961 - starting fall 2024
6. Custer Jr HS Boys Basketball Coach - $1,961 - starting winter 2024
7. HES Boys Basketball Coach - $1,961 – starting winter 2024
8. Head Competitive Cheer Coach - $4,706 - starting August 2024
9. Assistant Cheer Coach – Football Sideline - $3,138 - starting August 2024
10. Prom Advisor - $510 – starting spring 2025

SUBSTITUTE CLEANERS - needed at all schools to fill-in for staff when needed. Must complete CSD classified application packet and complete a criminal background check. $17.25/hr DOE.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS - needed at all schools. Must complete CSD substitute application packet, submit proof of highest level of education, and complete a criminal background check prior to starting. Contact the CSD Admin. Office for a packet, or apply online at CSD.k12.sd.us, which will include the fingerprint/background check materials. Minimum requirement, HS graduate. Pay range $110/day-$135/day. Retired CSD Teachers start at $135/day.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Custer School District, 527 Montgomery St., Custer, SD 57730. PH: 605.673.3154 FAX: 605.673.5607, Mon.-Thurs., 8-3 p.m. and Fridays closed.

NON-DISCRIMINATION
The Custer School District 16-1 does not discriminate on the basis of race or color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy), disability, sexual orientation, age, religion and creed, military/veteran status, or marital status, in admission or access to or treatment or employment in its programs and activities: and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. For inquiries concerning the District’s compliance with Title VI or the Age Discrimination Act please contact the Superintendent of Schools, 527 Montgomery St., Custer, SD, 57730, (605) 673-3154; for Title IX please contact the Activities Director, 1645 Wildcat Lane, Custer, SD, 57730, (605)673-4473; or for Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) act please contact the Special Education Director, 527 Montgomery St., Custer, SD, 57730, (605) 673-3154. For further inquiries contact the South Dakota Regional Office for Civil Rights, Kansas City Office, U.S. Dept. of Education, One Petticoat Lane, 1010 Walnut Street, Suite 320, Kansas City, MO, 64106, phone (816) 268-0550, TDD (800) 877-0599, Fax (816) 268-0559, e-mail: OCR.KansasCity@ed.gov

The track and football field will be closed for roughly 2 weeks (weather dependent) for resurfacing the track. We will sent out notification when it is available for use again. Thanks for understanding and sorry for any inconvenience.

The fall schedules were updated at last week’s AD meeting. You can always tell by the update date on the bottom right hand corner of document. The most recent date should be 7/25/24.

Schedules can also be accessed through the new CSD website: https://jrsr.csd.k12.sd.us/o/jrsr/page/wildcat-activities

Hermosa activity bus will start running on Aug 12. It will pick up at the Hermosa School at 3:00 and will leave from Custer at 6:30 pm.

The bus will follow this schedule Monday – Friday Aug 12 – 16 and Monday – Tuesday Aug 19 – 20.

Once school starts, the bus will run Monday – Thursday. It will pick up the Hermosa MS football players at the school at 2:45 (because the driver needs to be back in Custer for an after-school run). For the return trip, the bus will leave from Custer at 6:00 pm sharp. It will pick up at the high school (5:40pm), then the armory (5:50), then the football field (6:00pm).

Click here for full soccer practice schedule

High School and Middle School Football Parent Meeting: Thursday Aug. 8 @ 7 pm @ Custer High School

*Practice schedules and Game Schedules will be given out.

*Program Information will be presented.

First Day of High School FB Practice: Monday Aug. 12, 4-6;30 pm

*All student athletes must have their physical and physical packet completed before they receive equipment and practice.

*SDHSAA Heat-Acclimatization Regulations will be followed.

*Practices will be Monday-Friday 4-6:30 pm until school starts.

Head Coach - Russ Evans - russell.evans@k12.sd.us

• Aug. 12, 13, and 14 @ 7:30am-8:30am ~ Cross Country Mini-Team Camp @ Track
• Aug. 14 - @ 6pm ~ Parent Meeting @ Jr/Sr HS
• Aug. 15 @ 4pm ~ 1st Official Practice @ Jr/Sr HS
• Contact coach Karen Karim karen.karim@k12.sd.us for more info.

Golf practice begins August 12th, 8:00am at the golf course. Parent meeting TBA.

Questions, please contact coach paul.kelley@k12.sd.us

The district will provide basic supplies like pens, pencils, paper/notebooks, highlighters, Expo markers. If high school teachers want students to purchase any specific supplies for their class, students will be notified on the first day of classes. 🙋🏻‍♀️However, parents are encouraged to send boxes of tissues/Kleenex - it would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance!! 💜

Just wanted to share that the High School main commons floor will be getting waxed, starting next week, 7/29 - 8/5. If you need access to the high school during this time, you’ll need to use the entrances on the east and west.

The official announcement was recently made by the SD Dept. of Education of the $225,000 Workforce Development Grant to CSD for construction of the CTE/CHS building expansion. A big thanks to Eve Trandem and Nora Smolnisky for their work on this grant!

PIERRE, S.D. – Four South Dakota Workforce Education Grants totaling $840,051.39 have been awarded to South Dakota public school districts. The Workforce Education Grant program is designed to make transformative change for career and technical education (CTE) programs offered in middle and high schools throughout the state.

“High quality CTE programs give students the knowledge, skills, and experiences to be prepared for postsecondary education and the workforce,” said Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education Joseph Graves. “Partnerships among secondary education, postsecondary education, and business and industry lay the foundation for modern CTE programs

South Dakota schools receive $6.4 million in CTE grants

PIERRE, S.D – In a historic move, the South Dakota Department of Education has awarded 36 grants totaling $6.4 million to school districts to purchase innovative, industry-grade equipment for career and technical education (CTE) programs.

“We gave schools a definite challenge to carefully examine their needs and let us know how we could help truly set their CTE programs up for long-term success. Our districts rose to that challenge. I am excited by the opportunities this grant will afford our students, and in turn our communities and businesses throughout the state,” said Secretary of Education Joe Graves.

CTE programs integrate academic knowledge with technical skills, preparing students for careers through hands-on training and industry-aligned curriculum. By emphasizing real-world applications and essential employability skills, CTE equips students with the tools they need for success in both college and the workforce in fields such as agriculture, healthcare, hospitality, engineering, and more.

The scale of this unprecedented, one-time grant opportunity was made possible by funds available to the department through the American Rescue Plan and the federal Perkins grant.

The recipients of the grants are as follows: to see full list of schools click here

• Custer School District, $226,875.35;

We asked Mrs. Block to share a little history of her almost 3 decades of coaching cheerleaders at Custer Jr/Sr High, now that she has decided to retire from coaching. Here is what she wanted to share:

"I started coaching football cheerleading, with Kim Webster coaching wrestling cheerleading, and Kay McKee coaching basketball cheerleading. I can count at least 14 coaches I’ve worked with over the years. I’ve been blessed with a lot of good help, and they all brought a variety of improvements to the program. When I started in the old high school (armory building), there was no designated place for cheerleaders to practice, so we practiced in the hallway outside the small gym for years until 2005 when the new high school was built. Our uniforms and equipment were stored in the closet under the old stage (which was later converted to the weight room). Still no designated place for us to practice in the new high school, so we practiced in the commons. Again far from ideal, as the tile floor was unforgiving when anyone fell from a stunt, and much like the hallway in the old building, there was a constant flow of people coming and going through the commons, so a lot of distractions. It was a game changer when we finally got a suitable place to practice when the “hot box” became available (aka the old mechanics shop at the armory, aka the old wrestling room). Our own room with an office for the coaches, a locker room for the cheerleaders to change in, our own bathroom (complete with a urinal 😊), and a somewhat high ceiling for most stunts, although not high enough to practice basket tosses, and we have to practice extensions under the skylights 😊. Coach Mechelle Powers was instrumental in securing that room as the cheer room, and she was responsible for putting the floor-length mirrors on two walls. We were finally able to see ourselves and how routines looked, which made many skills easier to teach. She also had the two other walls painted purple, which may seem superficial, but it makes it much easier to see arm movements against the darker wall. Cheerleading is the season that never ends: practices for the fall season start the 1st week of August through the last week of October, about 3 weeks ‘til basketball practice starts, through early March, then planning for the cheer banquet in the spring, then tryouts for next year, then meetings to plan summer camp, open mats, and fundraisers for the summer.

* Probably one of the biggest challenges in coaching football cheer is Homecoming; it’s exhausting. We’re so busy leading up to that week and completely swamped during that week. Since we only get one real pep rally a year, the HOCO pep rally is a huge deal. It’s always a priority to make it engaging for the high school kids as well as the elementary. I’ve always tried to make it culminate with the Senior games; past seniors have literally told me that they’ve been looking forward to their Senior games since they watched them in kindergarten. Some of my most rewarding memories are when seniors (even the boys) have hugged me and/or thanked me after their senior pep rally.

* Over the years, I’ve been blessed with such great kids to work with; you get to know your students in a different way than the classroom allows. And in turn, I got to know many of their families, another blessing. I think many cheerleaders have joined just for fun and then found out that they’re really good at it. The sport sometimes reaches kids who otherwise wouldn’t be involved in anything athletic or other extra-curricular activities. It’s SO rewarding to watch a novice grow into someone with real talent. I’m a stickler for following the rules, so the cheer program not only teaches skill and flexibility but also responsibility, work ethic, teamwork, and commitment to something that’s bigger than themselves. I’m always so proud of the people the cheerleaders have grown up to be. And of course I’ve been doing this long enough that I’ve even coached the daughter of one of my former cheerleaders (Janae [Hahne] and Aspen Scherer). The downside of coaching this long is all the people we’ve lost: former cheerleaders Thuria Samara, Taylor Ziolkowski, Blake Lewellen and Michelle DeHaven; and former coach Jodi Larabee. It was Jodi’s idea to start a youth cheer clinic as a fundraiser, and we’ve done it twice a year ever since (33 clinics). It’s not only a fundraiser for us, but it’s really our only feeder program into varsity cheer. My biggest source of pride isn’t just the championships we’ve placed in; what I’m most proud of is starting the Jodi Larabee Pep in Your Step Award. When Coach Larabee was battling cancer, she told me she wasn’t afraid of dying; she was afraid of being forgotten. It occurred to me even before we lost her that this was something I could control; I could make sure she wasn’t forgotten. So I started this award as the highest honor a cheerleader could earn, and we’ve been choosing a recipient for the last 16 years. The plaque is displayed above the theater doors in the high school. Finally a word about our new endeavor: being the cheer coach has also made me caretaker of all uniforms, not only the recent ones, but some go back long before I started coaching, so some have to be upwards of 40 years old. I’ve gathered a variety of tops, skirts, warmups, t-shirts, etc. (72 items) and sent them to a company that upscales them into one-of-a-kind shirts, bags, etc. Then we’ll sell those to benefit the cheer program! So I’m still somewhat connected to the cheerleaders for now 😊 Watch for those, coming soon! This year I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like to teach without also coaching simultaneously, and just enjoying things like homecoming as a spectator! But the cheerleaders, past and present, will always have my heart. I thank them for all their hard work, and I was honored to be their coach."

We take this time to recognize her positive influence that has impacted so many students lives over her lengthy tenure! Her efforts, those seen and those unseen, are noted and so appreciated!

• Custer Jr/Sr HS Newsletter
• Custer Jr/Sr HS Facebook
• Custer Jr/Sr HS Counselor's Corner Website
• Custer Jr/Sr HS Student Council Facebook
• Custer Jr/Sr HS Choirs Facebook
• Custer Wildcat Booster Club Facebook
• Custer FFA Facebook
• Custer Youth and Alumni Foundation Facebook

Assistant Principal/Activities Director: Joey Kortemeyer - joey.kortemeyer@k12.sd.us

Custer Jr High Assistant Principal, AD & Counselor: Dusty Petz - dustin.petz@k12.sd.us

Administrative Assistant: Kelli Moore - kelli.moore@k12.sd.us

Location: 1645 Wildcat Lane, Custer, SD, USA
Phone: (605) 673-4473
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CusterJrSrHigh/

Need a Unique Gift Idea?

Custer Area Arts Council - CHS Theatre Seats Project

Sponsor a seat for $100 and get an engraved plaque on the back of the seat:

• BUY A SEAT PLAQUE TO HONOR YOUR FAVORITE THESPIAN, MUSICIAN, DANCER, LOVED ONE, CHS GRADUATE OR CLASS, OR ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS!

• The funds are then used for theatre improvements.
  

Donor plaques are $500 and are on not on the back of the seats, but on a large donor board.

501c3 Tax Deductible Contribution.

Make checks payable to Custer Area Arts Council.
Mail to: Custer Area Arts Council

25088 Shamrock Rd – Custer, SD 57730

Click here for the latest CES Newsletter

Click here for the CES Facebook Page - follow for more school information & announcements!

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Dear Custer School District Families,

We are thrilled to offer early childhood developmental screenings on August 27th and August 29th in both Custer and Hermosa.

📍 Locations and Appointment Details:

- Custer: Armory Building, South Entrance on August 27th (9am -12pm)

- Hermosa: Hermosa Elementary on August 29th (9am- 12pm)

Why are early childhood screenings important?

Early childhood screenings play a crucial role in your child's development by:

- Identifying Developmental Milestones: Screenings help determine if your child is reaching key developmental milestones in areas such as speech, motor skills, and social interactions.

- Early Intervention: If any delays or concerns are detected, early intervention can provide the necessary support and resources to address these issues promptly.

- Building a Strong Foundation: Early detection and support ensure that your child has a strong foundation for academic and social success in school.

- Peace of Mind for Parents: Screenings give parents valuable insights into their child’s development, helping them understand their child’s needs and strengths better.

Let's work together to ensure our children have the best possible start in their educational journey! 📚✨

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call our Special Education Department at (605) 673-2171.

Isaac Parsons will be starting his 11th year as a teacher at Custer Elem. He is also an assistant boys basketball coach.

Administrative Assistant Cindy Heyne - cindy.heyne@k12.sd.us

Location: 1415 Wildcat Lane, Custer, SD, USA
Phone: 605-673-4483
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CusterElementarySchool/

The Custer Elementary is collecting Lynn's Dakotamart cash register receipts. We receive cash back after so many receipts are submitted. Please drop them off at any school or the admin. office. Also, please save your pop tabs (also the tabs from cans such as fruit, veggies or soups) for children undergoing medical treatment. A pop tab collection drive is taking place presently for the Ronald McDonald House. You may drop these off items off at the admin. office/Armory or Custer Elementary.

Hermosa Family Newsletter - LOTS of Important information included in newsletter!

Hermosa Facebook Page - please follow for updated daily announcements

Hermosa Spirt Wear Store

August 19, 2024 ~ Hermosa Back-to-School BBQ and activities on the playground along with Student-Parent Boot Camp for all 5th & 6th grade students entering middle school along with any new 7th & 8th

grade students.

• 4:00-6:00pm - Elementary Preschool-4th Grade Open House
• 4:00-5:00pm - Middle School Boot Camp (All 5th-6th Grade Students & any new 7th-8th Grade Students)
• 5:00-6:00pm - 7th & 8th Grade Students Open House

Administrative Assistant: Jennifer Conley - jennifer.conley@k12.sd.us

Website: https://www.csd.k12.sd.us/Domain/11
Location: 11 4th Street, Hermosa, SD, USA
Phone: 605-255-4345
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HermosaSchool/

The Mission of Custer School District is to Educate Every Student to His/Her Potential.

Superintendent Mark Naugle - mark.naugle@k12.sd.us

Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent Jennie Anderson - jennie.anderson@k12.sd.us

Click here for all staff listing

Administration Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. ~ 8-3 p.m. & Fridays ~ closed

Website: www.csd.k12.sd.us
Location: 527 Montgomery Street, Custer, SD, USA
Phone: 605-673-3154
Facebook: www.facebook.com/custerschooldistrict