Ms. Simmons' Secondary Scoop

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Picture Retake Day is Thur, 9/25! For more information, please visit www.schooltimephotos.com or call (605) 362-9221.

Homecoming is right around the corner, Sept 29 - Oct 3! The student council has been busy planning and preparing for a wonderful week. Please view the calendar of events so you stay in-the-know. Homecoming t-shirt order info will be sent via email next week.

Q1 midterm is Thur, Sept 18. Fall conferences are Tue, 10/7 from 2:30-8 PM and Wed, 10/8 from 2:30-4 PM. School will dismiss both days at 2:15 PM. JH/HS conferences will take place in the N gym on a first come, first served basis. More information will be communicated in the near future.

There are two seasons in South Dakota: winter and road construction!

It's very likely we will experience road construction on Highway 13, 14, and 324 for the foreseeable future. As many of you know, this has caused gravel road detours and one-lane traffic requiring pilot car patience. Please be in discussion with your student(s) about safe driving practices on gravel and appropriate leave times to accommodate for delays. Remind students of the upcoming harvest, which yields extra dust and the movement of deer. We will approach tardies with grace, and will work with you to communicate habitual tardiness if it becomes a concern. Communicating proactively with your student(s) that drive will help us all arrive to/from school safely.

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.

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 or Jill 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. 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

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

Sincerely in Education,