Career Technical Education and Community

School is back in session and we look forward to working together as a school district and communities to prepare each student for the future. This is an exciting time for students, parents and school staff as we move into a new school year. It is also an exciting time for our area communities and the surrounding area. The community is seeing increased job growth creating more and more opportunities for all of us. I believe in order to make our communities a better place the Meade School District needs to be an active participant and engage the community about the future.

This past year the Meade School Board engaged in a facility and demographic study. An area of importance cited was the expansion of Career Technical Education (CTE) opportunities within the school district. One of our roles as a district is to develop and expose opportunities to workforce entry, certificate programs, 2-4 year programs after graduation that develop into fulfilling and sustainable careers for our students.

It is important for community involvement and engagement with parents, local business owners, and community members to actively participate in discussions about what skills and industries are in demand locally. The purpose would be to ensure CTE programs align with the specific needs of the community, increasing the chances of students finding meaningful employment opportunities within the district after graduation.

We will be posting dates for meetings this fall and winter to engage the community and understand what are local needs. We invite you to participate by attending meetings, listening, asking questions and giving input about the future of your school and community.

A school board meeting was held Monday, September 11, 2023. Some important topics discussed and/or approved included:

• Approved SRO Agreements
• Approved Apptegy/Thrillshare Agreement
• Approved iAspire Education License
• plus more...

Take a moment to read the unofficial minutes or review the agenda for more details.

SBHS - Monday, Oct 2 & Thursday, Oct 5 (4:00 pm - 7:00 pm)

Middle Schools - Tuesday, Oct 3 & Thursday, Oct 5

Elementary, Rural and Whitewood - Monday, Oct 2 & Thursday, Oct 5

The Sturgis Brown High School Homecoming Royalty court for 2023, back from left: Bono Buchtel, Beau Peters, Dakarai Osborne, Zak Juelfs, and Cade Lemmel. Front from left: Rowan Swift, Capri Cammack, Novali' Dinkins, Zabree Bush, and Taylor Price. Pioneer photo by Tim Potts

“Scoopers in Vegas” is the theme of this year’s Sturgis Brown High School homecoming to be held Monday, Monday, Sept. 18, - Friday, Sept. 22. Spirit Week kicks off Monday with coronation, which begins at 7 pm at Woodle Field. Each day of Spirit Week, students and staff will dress according to that day’s theme. The parade will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22 beginning from Ball Park Road near Sturgis Elementary School.

Homecoming week concludes Friday with the football game against St. Thomas Moore at 6 pm at Woodle Field followed by a dance at the high school. Area businesses and organizations interested in participating in the parade with a float or other entry is required to fill out the registration form. Deadline to submit the form is Wednesday, Sept. 20!

Scooper Cards are being sold by Scooper athletes!!! Only $10 and full of great deals - contact a Scooper athlete or stop by Sturgis Williams Middle School to get yours. All proceeds go back to Scooper athletics

The activities entrance during the construction of the kitchen addition will be at the High School Main Office entrance. We apologize for the additional distance to events as we complete this needed project.

We have support staff and extra-curricular activity positions available for 2023-24 school year. Here are just a few, please go to the link to see all positions.

• Night Custodian
• Special Education Paraprofessional
• Food Service Head Cook

Did you know that you can volunteer to work in schools throughout the district? Fill out the volunteer form now!

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.

If you have a student that attends the Meade School District 46-1, and would like to receive a QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test Kit for a family member, please let your building principal know that you would like to receive one as we have them available for you. They are fast, easy and you can receive rapid results in 10 minutes. Each kit comes with two (2) tests and instructions.

For curriculum, technology and other information, check out their website.

Saturday, September 23!

FearlesslyKind is a program for girls in grades 4-8 that teaches how to create a kinder girl world. It's goal is to encourage open and honest conversation about girl world and help create a sense of support and sisterhood. Topics of the summit include, positive body image, conflict resolution, healthy relationships and leadership.

The Meade School District 46-1 will be going gold the last week of September (Sept. 25-29) in our schools and at our sporting events! Gold Swag will be available at the games that week, but would love for you to preorder by clicking on the link.

Shirt and sock orders are due Sept 18.

Whitewood Elementary offers a FREE after-school program to our district students and families. The after-school program runs from 3 pm to 6 pm Monday - Friday and hosts sports camps, science clubs, robotics group, a video-game design team, and so much more. This year alone, 90% of our students participated in our after-school program.

*Class sizes are limited, please call (605) 269-2264 for more information.

Any child in KG - Fourth grade is eligible to participate on a first come first serve basis. Capable Kids runs from 2:35 pm - 6 pm. Monday - Friday. Please call (605) 787-5295 to check on availability. All necessary forms required will need to be COMPLETED IN ADVANCE before your child can attend.

The After-School Program is available in the library from 3:15 pm - 5:15 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Three teachers will be available to help students with homework. Students should arrive by 3:30 p.m. but can leave whenever they complete their work if they have their own ride. Students who need a late bus pass are required to stay until 5:15 p.m. Any questions, contact Mrs. Buchholz at sandra.buchholz@k12.sd.us.

All Meade School District middle and high school student technology fee's ($25/student or $50/family) will be waived if families complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application, regardless of whether you qualify for the program or not. Unfortunately, the number of applications has dropped since COVID-19 and this puts our Title I funding at risk for our district.

Thanks to those that have filled out the applications! We are already seeing an increase!

Titan Family Portal is now LINQ Connect! Parents can deposit money directly into their child's meal account and can receive emails by clicking on the link "LINQConnect Family Portal" website and setting up an account.

September 18 - SBHS Coronation

September 18-22 - Homecoming (2 hr early release for students Friday, Sept 22)

October 6 - No School - Teacher In-service

October 9 - No School - Native American Day

October 11 - Special Board Meeting/District Goal Setting

Sturgis Chamber of Commerce Events & Facebook

Sturgis Community Center Newsletter & Facebook

Foothills Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook

Whitewood Chamber of Commerce & Facebook

Don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook, TWEET us on Twitter and FOLLOW Us on Instagram! It's a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest school events, cancellations, staff and student spotlights plus so much more! Our website is also full of informative information.