Ms. Simmons' Secondary Scoop

The 24-25 school year is off to an incredible start! With the first IXL snapshot of the year completed, individual student goal setting will now take place. Please also save the date for parent-teacher conferences on Mon, 9/30 and Wed, 10/2. They will be here before we know it!

Homecoming week is right around the corner! The student council and staff have been working hard to plan a memorable event.

Dress Up Day Reminders:

• Appropriate clothing that meets our dress code is required

• Hats are allowed but teachers reserve the option of asking them to be removed if any quizzes/tests are being conducted

• If any outfit item causes a distraction, it can also be asked to be removed

Monday, 9/16

Dress Up Day: USA Day - wear red, white, & blue

3:30/4:30 PM: JH VB (away) vs. Sioux Valley

4 PM: XC (away) vs. Arlington

4/5 PM: JH & JV FB (home) vs. De Smet

7 PM: Coronation in the north gym

Tuesday, 9/17

Dress Up Day: Mismatch / Inside Out Day - stripes & polka dots, mismatched shoes & socks, clothing inside out, etc.

3:30/4:15/5/6/7 PM: Volleyball (home) vs. Chester

Wednesday, 9/18

Dress Up Day: Elementary - Pajama Day, JH/HS - Throwback Day - wear an outfit from a different decade

Thursday, 9/19

Dress Up Day: Color Wars

Seniors - black, Juniors - white, Sophomores - grey, Freshmen - pink, JH - green, Elementary - blue, Staff - neon

4/6/7:30 PM: Volleyball (away) vs. De Smet

Friday, 9/20

Dress Up Day: Spirit Day (Elks/Blue & White) &/or Homecoming Shirts

2:15 PM: Parade

2:45 PM: Pep Rally at the stadium

4 PM: JH FB (home) vs. Great Plains Lutheran

5:30 PM: Student tailgating on practice field

7 PM: Football (home) vs. Great Plains Lutheran

Saturday, 9/21

11 AM - Competitive Cheer @ Brookings Invite

7-10 PM - Homecoming Dance in the lunchroom. Cost is $5 per student; snacks provided. Officer Kriese will be present.

We are looking forward to a wonderful homecoming week and hope it will be a highlight for our entire Herd community.

I wanted to provide proactive communication to my 7-12 parents/guardians and inform you that I will be having back surgery on 9/12. I will need to be out of the office for 2-4 weeks following the surgery. During this time, I will strive to complete as much work from home as my recovery will allow. Please know we have procedures in place to cover various duties in my absence. I want to thank the Elkton administration and staff for their understanding and assistance during this time. I look forward to being back at school with staff and students as soon as I am able.

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.

In an effort to cut down on injuries and other safety concerns, horseplay is included in the discipline matrix at the secondary level as approved by the school board in July 2023. Horseplay is defined in the student handbook as rough, rowdy, or boisterous play or pranks, such as pushing, shoving, putting someone in a headlock, jabs, pulling a chair out from someone, dunking, or other actions typically described as “just joking” or “messing around.” Consequences for horseplay will first be a verbal warning, then after school detention if it happens again, and then ISS if there is a third offense. As always, the secondary student handbook is linked at the bottom of this newsletter and available to view on the school website.

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 (karla.denison@k12.sd.us) 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.

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. Bonnie Yackley by calling the school or emailing 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
• Link to spectator expectations for all home activities

As always, please let me know if there's anything I can do to serve you and our secondary students.

Sincerely in Education,