Garretson Blue Dragon Tales

October 2020

Superintendent's News by Mr. Guy Johnson

Garretson Approved to Provide All Children with Free Lunch and Breakfast

We are pleased to announce that the Garretson School District has been approved to provide free lunches and breakfasts to all children aged 0-18 in the District through the month of December 2020. The State of SD recently approved a waiver that opens a stream of Federal funding intended to ensure that all children have access to nutritious food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our program has been approved to begin on October 1, and will continue through December 31, 2020.

The program is available for all children aged 0-18, even if they do not attend school, or if the family has opted for distance learning, they are still eligible for the program. Meals can be picked up between 10:00 AM and 10:30 AM for those not in attendance at school. A delivery option is also available for those who need it. If your children do not physically attend school, but you would like to participate in the program, please call the school office to ensure that we have prepared enough meals to meet the demand.

The program will provide breakfast and lunch for each child. Students who wish to purchase extra milk or a la carte items or additional entrees will need to have money in their account to pay for those items.

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Fuel the Dragon

On the first Wednesday of the month, Palisade Oil donates 10¢ per gallon of fuel bought from all of their pumps.

September's donation of $367.37 was given to Garretson TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Use) .

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MS/HS Hallway Happenings from Mr. Chris Long, Principal

Greetings from GHS/GMS, we’re already through six weeks of school. It’s fantastic to have our students back in the classroom and we’re excited to be watching them achieve in the classroom, compete in athletics, march in band, rehearse in choir and everything in between. As much as things have changed, there is still a lot the same. Please take a moment to read through the information below, much of it would have been covered earlier but it’s still not too late to be useful.

Campus Parent/Infinite Campus

Stay on top of your student’s grades by downloading Campus Parent on your devices. You will search for “Infinite Campus” on your device. Here is a link to help you further.

https://www.infinitecampus.com/audience/parents-students

Campus Parent not only keeps you updated on grades, but also attendance, lunch balances, class schedules, etc. It’s a great tool to keep you updated with information regarding your child. You can also use it to put money in your student's lunch account. As always, if you have questions, please contact Norinda.Sandbulte@k12.sd.us or call her at 605-594-3451, Ext. 305.

Homecoming Happenings

The Garretson 2020 Homecoming was a success. Despite many modifications in regard to outside attendance, our students still got to enjoy a homecoming coronation. Congrats to all the royalty and to King Evan Bly and Queen Peyton Hove. Our students played Ruff-N-Tuff Volleyball, Powder Puff Football (Sophomores were the champs this year), held a pep rally, decorated floats and had a parade. All this while doing their best to meet the expectations placed on them.

Hat’s off to our kids, staff, student council and community for a great week.

Multimedia Multi-tasking

Mr. Schrank and his multimedia class has been quite busy this fall implementing the new podcast ~ “Blue Dragon Buzz” ~ which can be found on Spotify. If you haven’t had a chance to take a listen, take some time to do so. Just another opportunity for our students to explore different areas of media. They also continue to do edits and add content to the Garretson School Channel on Alliance Communications. Check out their work on Channel 230.

Social Media

Just another reminder to use the following social media accounts to keep in touch with what is happening in the school.

Facebook – Garretson Blue Dragons (@GarretsonBlueDragons)

Twitter - @GHSBlueDragons

Many of our activities also have @Twitter accounts that are worth a follow. These are administrated by coaches at the school. Take a moment to follow them if you’re so inclined.

Garretson Football - @BlueDragonFB

Garretson Boys Basketball - @BlueDragonBBB

Garretson Volleyball - @BlueDragonVB

Garretson Soccer - @GarretsonSoccer

Garretson Girls Basketball - @BlueDragonHoops

ICU

Our ICU program at GHS and GMS has changed just a little this year. ICU is on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Our 1:30pm outs on Wednesday are used for teachers to work with E-learning students and students that may have had to miss school for a variety of reasons. Teachers may also reach out to and make arrangements with students and parents for extra help on Wednesdays.

Just a reminder that ICU is not a negative. It’s a time to get students some extra help and help them catch up if they’ve had to miss instruction for whatever reason.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher conferences are a little over a month away. The school will be getting information out in the coming weeks to inform parents of the plan for our conferences. What we know is there will be some sort of P/T conferences set up. Specifics to follow. Thank you for your patience.

E-Learning Opportunities (Even if not an E-Learner)

Unique to the 2020-21 school year is the ability for students that need to miss school to still attend class via an E-Learning format. Each teacher has set up Google Classroom where much of the school work is posted. Also, each teacher has a permanent Zoom link that students can access if they are unable to attend school for any reason. If they are not in school, but attend the Zoom meeting of the class they will not be considered absent. Please encourage your students to join in if at home and feeling up to it.

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Elementary Expressions by Mrs. Teresa Hulscher, Elem. Prinicipal, SPED Director

Our school year is off to a great start and not just in the classrooms, but on the court and fields as well! If your family is one that likes to cheer on our Blue Dragon teams, you may have noticed some of the safety measures we’ve put in place to not only ensure safety, but to make events more enjoyable for those in attendance. Spectator expectations are:

1. Attendance at extra curricular events is voluntary, and as such, fans who attend assume the risk for taking precautions that will keep them safe.

2. Fans are expected to keep appropriate distance between themselves and others at all times when attending Garretson School District events. Fans are responsible for their own proximity to other fans.

3. The use of a face covering is highly recommended for people attending the event.

4. Fans are expected to be in the stands and seated. Fans will not be allowed to loiter in the hallway, lobby, stand in doorways or generally be outside the normal seating areas.

5. Concessions will be available, but offerings will be limited. And will consist of pre-packaged foods to ensure that workers do not handle food directly. The number of workers will be limited. Concessions workers are required to wear gloves, and masks when within six feet of another individual.

6. All Children in grades 5 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Children in grades k-5 are expected to be seated with their parents. Children must be accompanied to the restroom & concessions area by a responsible adult.

7. At the athletic complex, fans are expected to be in the grandstand or standing along the fence around the track area. Children must be either seated in the stands with parents, or at the fence with parents.

8. Students in grades 6-12 are expected to be seated in the student section, or if they prefer, with a parent. Students may only be out of their section for bathroom and concessions and will not be allowed to run free in the facilities.

9. There will be no fan / player mingling after the game. At the conclusion of the event, all spectators are expected to remain in the stands until the teams have left the floor or field. No post-game handshakes are allowed.

Elementary students have been shown a video, made by our high school multi-media class, that explains what these new expectations mean to them. The biggest changes are highlighted above. So far, our students (and their parents) have done a wonderful job! Thank you for supporting our teams and for doing your part in helping us keep everyone safe! Go Blue Dragons!

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Meet Mrs. Lauren Stoterau, 4th Grade Teacher, Volleyball Coach

My name is Lauren Stoterau and this is my first year teaching 4th grade here in Garretson. Previously, I taught 4th grade and coached volleyball and track in Flandreau for 3 years. Prior to teaching and coaching, I attended high school at Aberdeen Central and went on to get my Elementary Education degree and play volleyball at Northern State University. This past summer my last name changed from McCafferty to Stoterau as I married Chad Stoterau, who graduated from Garretson back in 2012. I live on a hog farm just north of town, where we have thousands of pigs, along with a puppy named Stella and a cat named Smokey. When I'm not at school, I enjoy listening to audiobooks, drawing, and watching Disney movies.

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Tech Tips with Mr. Matt Schrank, PK-12 Tech Coordinator

The Blue Dragon Buzz Podcast

Have you heard the news? The Garretson High School Multimedia Class has started its very own Podcast. Last year we released a YouTube Channel, which is still going to get some of our attention, but this year we have expanded our reach to listeners around the world. We have released a few episodes already. Our plan is to release one episode per week, the release day is usually Friday or Saturday. The episodes a range from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. The purpose of this Podcast is to share information on what is happening in our school building, as well as entertain our listeners with fun games and content. What might you hear in any given episode? An interview with a coach or an athlete, biweekly segments like, Wurdz R Hard with Carson, or Hair Products with Brad. You will also hear us discuss some in-depth changes that happen in school and how we can affect positive change around the building.

So if you are someone who has a 25 minute commute, or want to hear us argue about random topics, you might want to download this Podcast. How do you get it? You can go to Apple Podcast App, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, PocketCasts, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts and search for “Blue Dragon Buzz”.

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The Early Years by Mrs. Jacki Liester, Kindergarten Teacher

Everyone wants the best for their children, but if you don’t understand the importance of the earliest years in life and its role in the future, you might unknowingly deny them of future success. Research has shown that the investment in early education improves not only cognitive abilities, but also social skills, motivation level, and self-esteem. In fact, positive early childhood years can result in higher long-term earnings, better social status, and, most importantly, a happier life.

Following are some things to consider:

**Talk to your child. Children develop the first 1000 words of their vocabulary in the first three years of their life.

**Make time for your child. There is probably nothing kids would like more! It is the many little things you do — making popcorn, playing games, going shopping — that kids will remember.

**Take your children places! Experiences during the early years of life shape how children see the world.

**Your tone of voice, body language and every expression are absorbed by your children. This affects their developing self-esteem.

**Choose your words carefully.

**Let your kids know that everyone makes mistakes and that you still love them, even when you don’t love their behavior.

**Catch your child doing something right—and then tell them! These statements will encourage more good behavior.

**Set limits and be consistent with your discipline. The goal of discipline is to help kids choose acceptable behaviors and learn self-control. Being consistent teaches them what you expect. They will test limits, but they need those limits to grow into responsible adults.

**Be a good role model. Young children learn a lot about how to act by watching their parents.

**Show that your love is unconditional.

**Limit tv and electronic time. Early exposure to TV has been connected to attention disorders and sleep problems. TV and electronic use have been linked to behavior problems and to long-term effects on social development, classroom engagement, and academic achievement.

In bringing up children,

spend on them half as much money

and twice as much time.

-author unknown

Nurse's Corner

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October Calendar Link

October Calendar

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From the Desk of the Activities Director, Kevin Steckler

Participation in High School Athletics Has Long-Lasting Benefits

High school athletic programs have been studied for more than a century. Early studies focused on how athletics help create an identity and generated pride for participants and community members. These studies evolved to explain how participation brought about improvements in physical health, stress management and academics. Today there are numerous studies that focus on all types of participation benefits, but what sometimes goes unappreciated is the impact that high school athletics has on students after they graduate.

Participating in high school athletics has long-lasting benefits, especially when athletic leaders create an environment that challenges and rewards the growth mindset. When participants are supported in this way, they develop lifelong habits that last beyond high school.

Three off the most important participation takeaways that students continue to practice after graduation are: 1. Building Relationships Through Team; 2. Understanding Limitations and How to Push Past Them; 3. Foundations of Fitness

Part 1 ~ Building Relationships Through Team

Scoring the winning points, attaining a personal record in football, or volleyball are a few moments participants replay over a lifetime, but what students remember most from athletic participation is the relationship and celebration they share with teammates. High school athletes work together daily in strenuous practices preparing for stressful situations in search of positive outcomes. In this pressured environment students build relationships and learn to care for each other.

Being part of a school team is unique because no single outcome can be accomplished individually. Regardless of score, each game is dependent on the contributions of all team members. It is through these experiences that athletes develop a second family and learn to value each other; maximizing both team and individual potential, teammates learn to care for each other both on and off the field of play.

Essentially, athletics allows students to develop care and empathy. They learn to see things outside of their own personal perspective and feel for their teammates. This care for others transfers to post-high school experiences, and athletes can maintain this care and empathy throughout their lives.

Next Month Part 2 ~ Understanding Limitations and How to Push Past Them