Whitewood Elementary

As the year comes to a close, we would like to thank all of our families for their patience and support throughout this school year. There have been many changes, and we know change can be hard. We truly appreciate your understanding, encouragement, and partnership as we worked through each transition together. Thank you for being such an important part of our school and for continuing to support our students and staff every step of the way. We look forward to seeing you in August!

The last day of school is Wednesday with an early release at 1:00. There will be no after school program.

Teacher Appreciation Week was a huge success at Whitewood Elementary! Our teachers were spoiled with delicious meals, fun games, prizes, and so much more throughout the week. We are thankful for the support from our amazing community businesses and our PTO that helped make the week extra special.

A huge thank you to BJ's Food and Fuel, Bullwhacker's, Marathon Gas Station, Crooked Horn Coffee, and A & J Clothing for your generosity and support of our staff. We appreciate you helping us celebrate our wonderful teachers!

Our book vending machine gave away 464 books to students this school year! Students earn books by filling punch cards with 10 punches for working hard, showing kindness, and being respectful. We love celebrating positive choices and helping students build a love for reading one book at a time!

Congratulations to our May Wrangler's of the Month:

K: Kenny

1st: Huntley

2nd: Zac

3rd: Kyle

4th: JT

5th: Jacob

Way to go Wranglers!

Our Kindergarten through 2nd grade students had a great time on their field trip to the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery! Students enjoyed feeding the fish, exploring the hatchery, and spending time playing together at the city park. It was a fun-filled day full of learning, laughter, and sunshine!

Students walked or biked to school on May 13th to get outside and get active! Enjoying the fresh air and a fun start to their day while promoting healthy habits and exercise. A special thank you to the Whitewood 8-10 Club for providing prizes for participating students!

The graduating senior class came to visit Whitewood Elementary! Our students loved cheering them on and wishing them all the best as they begin their next adventure. We are so proud of these graduates and excited to see all they accomplish in the future!

Whitewood Elementary’s 4th and 5th grade students also had the opportunity to participate in the walk-through, making the experience even more special and inspiring for our younger students.

Despite the rainy weather, Wrangler Day was filled with fun from start to finish! The day began with a PaperPie book fair in the library and a bake sale hosted by the Student Council, followed by the talent show. Students showcased their talents through magic, dancing, and singing performances for families and peers. Hamburgers were served for lunch, and students enjoyed eating with their families.

The afternoon brought even more excitement — and rain! Students enjoyed stations including a dunk tank and cotton candy station. Thank you to the Whitewood Fire Department for filling the tank!

Afternoon stations included hula hooping at the Whitewood Public Library, dummy roping, face painting, drumming, and relay races.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Wrangler Day such a memorable success!

It was time for the annual Whitewood Elementary 3rd through 5th grade dodgeball tournament (cue the Rocky music!). This year, each class got to choose an adult to join their team!

3rd grade rocked it with Miss Heather, 4th grade dominated with Mrs. Olson, and 5th grade amazed everyone with Officer Bach on their side. After some intense games and awesome teamwork, 4th grade came out on top and earned the dodgeball championship title for the 2025–2026 school year! 🏆

As we begin planning for the upcoming school year, this is a friendly reminder for families with students entering Kindergarten and 6th grade to review your child’s immunization records.

State school immunization requirements must be up to date before students begin the school year. If your child will be entering Kindergarten or 6th grade next fall, please schedule any needed vaccinations with your healthcare provider or local clinic.

Throughout the school year, Mrs. Wood’s class teamed up with the Whitewood Public Library to write letters to senior citizens at Peaceful Pines Assisted Living.

Students had the opportunity to meet their “postage pals” in person during a special visit to Peaceful Pines! Students toured the facility, played bingo and games, and spent meaningful time building connections across generations. What a wonderful experience for our students and community!

Mrs. Wood's 5th grade class had the opportunity to participate in an amazing youth program called STARBASE! STARBASE is a National Guard Youth Program through Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC) in partnership with local school districts. The program provides hands-on learning experiences focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) while also building teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills. Students had the chance to explore exciting activities and challenges designed to inspire creativity and learning in a fun, engaging environment.

We are so proud of our 5th grade class! On May 5th, they celebrated their exciting transition to middle school with a fun outing to Pizza Ranch alongside their families. Their day began with a tour of Sturgis Williams Middle School, where students got a glimpse of what’s ahead and the opportunities waiting for them!

On May 8th, our 4th grade class celebrated the end of their journey at Whitewood Elementary with a special day of excitement for what’s next. Students enjoyed Pizza Ranch with their families and then took a tour of the middle school. We are so proud of these amazing kids and all they’ve accomplished!

Mrs. Wood’s class had a blast searching for hidden folders throughout the school and working together to escape the aliens! Students used colored clues to help track down each folder. One favorite clue was: “What’s a cat’s favorite color?” Answer: “Purr-ple!”

This month we will be spotlighting our amazing teachers and staff who will be leaving Whitewood Elementary:

Mrs. Zacher has been a valued part of Whitewood Elementary for the past 5 years, and while we are sad to see her go, we are excited for her as she continues her teaching career in Spearfish. We are incredibly thankful for the time, talent, and care she has shared with our students and school community. Her dedication, kindness, and passion for education have made a lasting impact on so many students and families. We wish Mrs. Zacher all the best in this next chapter and know she will continue to do amazing things!

Mrs. Mollman has been part of the Whitewood Elementary family for the past 6 years. While she is not leaving the district, she will be taking a leave of absence to focus on her most important job — being a mom! We are so grateful for the care, dedication, and positivity she has shared with our students and staff over the years. She will be greatly missed around the halls of Whitewood Elementary. We wish Mrs. Mollman all the best during this special season of life and cannot wait to see her again in the future!

Ms. Cerrina has been our super SPED para for the past 6 years and will be heading to the Learning Lab at Sturgis Brown High School next year! While we are sad to see her leave Whitewood Elementary, we know she will do an amazing job in her new role. Her students have been lucky to learn from her kindness, patience, and dedication, and we know many of them will be excited to see a familiar face again someday when they make their way to the high school. We wish Ms. Cerrina all the best in this new adventure and thank her for the impact she has made at Whitewood Elementary!

Ms. Myla has also been our super SPED para for the past 2 years, and we appreciate her so much!

Next year, Ms. Myla will be heading to Sturgis Williams Middle School where she will continue being a positive influence and support for students. While we will miss seeing her at Whitewood Elementary, we are excited that our students will have a familiar and caring face waiting for them at the middle school. Thank you, Ms. Myla, for all you have done for our students and school. We know you will do amazing things in your new role!

Mrs. Whitted left Whitewood Elementary in March to pursue her real estate license. While we were sad to see her go, we are so thankful for the time, care, and dedication she shared with our students and staff during her time here. Mrs. Whitted made a positive impact on so many, and we wish her all the best on this exciting new endeavor!

The Student Council members enjoyed their annual member trip to Run Wild in Black Hawk for a day filled with fun and friendship! They ended the day by enjoying lunch together at Sonic. Thank you to our Student Council members for their leadership and positive impact throughout the school year!

Student Council members sold baked goods on Wrangler Day! Thank you to all who purchased a delicious treat!

The next PTO meeting will be August 17th at 3:10 in the staff lounge. We hope to see you there!!!

Thank you to all of our PTO members for making Teacher Appreciation Week a success!

Email: lexi.ridley@k12.sd.us

Website: https://www.meade.k12.sd.us/whitewood-elementary/
Location: 603 Garfield Street, Whitewood, SD, USA
Phone: 605-269-2264