I want to express our gratitude for everyone who has helped keep our students safe, healthy, connected and learning this school year!

How to Promote Good Attendance at School:

-Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.

- Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

- Keep your child healthy and make sure your child has the required shots.

- Try to schedule extended trips when school isn't in session.

- If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.

- If your child must stay home due to illness, ask the teacher for resources and ideas to continue learning at home.

Resource: Attendanceworks.org

Our STEAM Ahead Event:

We had just under 600 people attend our Family Engagement Night on November 14th. We appreciate the families that participated. Additionally, thank you to the following who partnered with us for this event: Monument Health, Journey Museum, Star Base, 4H, Pizza Hut, and McDonalds. We want your feedback. Please take a couple minutes to complete the survey: https://forms.gle/p9rPNnffPQfQDJXRA

November House Meeting:

Students worked in their house meeting groups to create holiday cards to support soldiers that are deployed. This activity focused on citizenship and say thank you when given something.

Lost and Found:

If you are missing anything, I highly recommend having your students take a look at our lost and found. Parents are also welcome to come peruse the lost and found. With the drastic weather changes, the amount of items are increasing steadily! We will be donating items not retrieved during the holiday break as we are running out of room to store all the items.

Inclement Weather/School Closings:

On mornings when school is cancelled or a late start occurs, every attempt will be made to notify the radio and television stations by 6-6:30 a.m

In addition to the announcements on select radio and television stations, parents will also be notified by telephone via School Messenger (previously known as School Reach) in the event of school closing or early dismissal. School Messenger messages will come from the district level. Please let the school office know if you have changed phone numbers recently so we may make those updates in our system.

Lunch Times:

Kindergarten (Abell, Marcoe, J. Anderson) : 10:50-11:20

Kindergarten (Jones, Woods, T. Anderson) : 11:00-11:30

1st Grade (Snyder, Hoppe, Wilson) : 11:10-11:40

1st Grade (Dillman, Treloar) : 11:20-11:50

2nd Grade (Kleinsasser, Schubauer, Monahan) : 11:50-12:20

2nd Grade (Dahl, Inhofer) : 12:00-12:30

3rd Grade (Stagner, Seyer) : 12:10-12:40

3rd Grade (Russell, Romey, Williams) : 12:20-12:50

4th Grade (All) : 12:45-1:15

If eating school lunch with your student, please bring the exact amount - $4.85

There is not change available in the lunchroom.

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D is crucial to bone health. Vitamin D regulates how much calcium and phosphorus are absorbed and stored in the bones. It also supports a healthy immune system response and has a positive impact on mental health.

One of the body's major sources of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight, so during warmer months, children and adolescents can maintain healthy levels of vitamin D with time in direct sunlight. In colder months, kids may need to rely more heavily on dietary sources of vitamin D to meet their level of need.

Where can kids get vitamin D?

Direct exposure to sunlight allows the body to synthesize vitamin D, but throughout winter months when kids spend much of their time indoors, they're likely going to need to rely on dietary sources for vitamin D.

Vitamin D naturally occurs in these foods:

• Salmon (100-250 IU)
• Sardines (300 IU)
• Tuna (236 IU)
• Mackerel (250 IU)
• Shiitake mushrooms (100 IU)
• Hard-boiled eggs (20 IU)

For more kid-friendly options, look for foods that are fortified with vitamin D — meaning vitamin D is added during processing. Checking nutritional information on a food's label can help you determine how much vitamin D the food has been fortified with. Foods fortified with vitamin D often include:

• Milk (100 IU per cup)
• Yogurt (100 IU per cup)
• Cheese (100 IU per 3 oz.)
• Breakfast cereal (40-100 IU per serving)

How much vitamin D do kids need?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 IU of vitamin D per day for babies that are under one year old and 600 IU for toddlers, older children and adolescents.

Children’s Wisconsin, February 2023

The American Legion Riders-Black Hills Chapter visited Sturgis Elementary to talk about flag etiquette. Student assemblies instructed and educated on symbolism, rules and expectations and flag folding to name a few topics discussed. The group also donated a $250 Walmart gift card to help with student needs in our school! Thank you so much, we greatly appreciate it!

Sturgis Elementary hosted approximately 500 students and family members for our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) night on Tuesday, November 15th! Guests had the opportunity to participate in engaging activities, such as Egg Drop, the Planetarium, Starbase, CAMSE@BHSU, marble mazes, to name a few. What a fun and educational evening!

A huge thank you to The Journey Museum, Monument Health, Meade County 4-H, Pizza Hut, our high school helpers, teacher volunteers and McDonald's for donating the cookies!

It’s been a busy, but fun start to the school year in the Sturgis Elementary Library.

Our youngest students have been introduced to a string of new authors and are learning the basics of libraries and how they serve our schools and communities.

Those who are a little older have followed authors and illustrators through online interviews discussing the artistic process, the book industry, and where ideas come from. My goal is to make these professionals accessible to students and their work tangible examples of dedication, practice, and success. We are also exploring new ways to access stories and content, most recently with an introduction to podcasts. Frequently our lessons are supplemented with STEAM topics (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.)

We are not alone in adding STEAM to our library curriculum. Historically, libraries have always been on the forefront of connecting people to the information they need or want. As these skills become more critical, we are excited to encourage their interest so they can explore independently in our non-fiction section and beyond.

Finally, thank you for all you do to support and encourage a love of reading for your child at home. Those quick stories before bed make such a huge difference in their days and in their life. Thank you for that and all you do to make this such a wonderful place to teach.

Have a great remainder of the year,

Heidi Kruse, MA - Certified Teacher Librarian

District Librarian & Media Specialist

Students in third and fourth grade can sign up for student council and serve for one trimester. The first trimester student council discussed ideas to improve our school climate and build a safe, happy community. They also picked one activity to complete at school and a community service project. To improve school climate, students made a Fall into Kindness bulletin board and wrote thank you cards to staff. Student council members ended the trimester by cleaning up the area around the school as their service project.

2237 W. Sherman Street • Sturgis, SD 57785

(605)347-5066

Patrick Reinard, Transportation Manager

Educating youth takes a community effort, and because of that the Meade School Board is encouraging parents, guardians and other interested patrons to volunteer their time, knowledge and talents.

Members of the community bring new energies and resources into the schools and expand the walls of the classrooms. School volunteers enrich the educational program and strengthen the schools’ relationships with homes, businesses, public agencies and private institutions. All volunteers in the Meade School District do so without pay or employee benefits, except for workers’ compensation. For those interested in volunteering.

Mail to Meade School District, 1230 Douglas Street, Sturgis, S.D. 57785.

Katy Jutting, Assistant Principal

Email: MeadeSESOffice@k12.sd.us
Website: https://www.meade.k12.sd.us/sturgis-elementary/
Location: 1121 Ballpark Road, Sturgis, SD, USA
Phone: 605-347-2386