Ms. Simmons' Secondary Scoop

The Elkton American Legion Auxiliary is encouraging all staff and students to wear the color purple on Mon, 4/15 in support of the Purple Up for Military Kids program.

Midterm for 4th quarter is Wed, 4/17. Grades will be posted by Thur, 4/18. While many students have summer on their minds this time of year, please encourage your student(s) to finish the year strong!

Please click the link directly below to access our spring state testing schedule and mark your calendars. While state tests are one snapshot of student performance, they are highly reviewed to evaluate student, school, and district progress towards proficiency in state standards. Please help your student(s) set appropriate goals and ensure they have a well balanced breakfast and adequate sleep the night before.

Our last IXL Snapshot opens on 5/1 and will be completed before students turn in their laptops for summer break. This will provide all of us the opportunity to review month-to-month progress, along with the gains made throughout the entire academic year.

The 7-12 Spring Concert will be Tue, 5/7 at 6:30 PM.

• Order of Performance: JH Band, JH Choir, HS Band, & HS Choir

• All JH students arrive no later than 6:15 PM. Students will check in with their assigned staff member in the lunchroom. Band students will then go to the band room to get ready for their part of the concert. Anyone not in band will find their spot in the reserved section of bleachers in the north gym.

• After the JH Choir sings, students will be instructed to do one of the following:

• Band kids will come with me to the band room to put instruments away, then we will all go back to the north gym together.

• Anyone not in band will sit on the reserved section of bleachers for the remainder of the concert.

• All HS students arrive no later than 6:40 PM and report to the band room. Those in band will get their instruments ready and warm-up. Those not in band will wait in band room. All HS students will walk to the gym together.

• JH Dress code: Students are asked to dress up for the concert and avoid wearing jeans, graphic tshirts, sweatshirts, etc. As with the winter concert, concert black will be encouraged but not required. Anyone with concerns or questions on this can reach out to Ms. Terkildsen or Mrs. Kylie Erickson as they are happy to help.

• HS Dress code: Concert black is the requirement for the concert with one exception. If they would like to add a splash of color (like shoes or a tie in a different color) that will be okay!

Our last day of school is Tue, 5/14. Students will dismiss at 2:15 PM.

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 Mirista 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.

As fall activities are now underway, please take a moment to read through our expectations for spectators at Elkton events. By adhering to these expectations, students and fans can contribute to a supportive and spirited environment that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game. Go Elks!

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.

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. Mirista Bushman or Mrs. Bonnie Yackley by calling the school or emailing mirista.bushman@k12.sd.us / 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,