Mitchell elementary school newsletter roundup: Mitchell Christian conducting annual Clean-a-Thon

Erik Kaufman, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
Updated ·5 min read

Apr. 5—MITCHELL — April has arrived at elementary schools in Mitchell, and while students and staff are still waiting for the spring weather to arrive, there is still plenty going on at the schools as they enter the heart of the second semester of the 2022-23 school year.

The Mitchell Republic reached out to the five local elementary schools — Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary, L.B. Williams Elementary, Longfellow Elementary, John Paul II Elementary and Mitchell Christian Elementary — in an effort to provide a brief rundown of events, activities and announcements from each school on a monthly basis. The Mitchell Republic will publish this information online as information is made available from the schools.

This month's roundup features students from Mitchell Christian School. The video, captured by Adam Thury, Mitchell Republic photographer, can be viewed below:

* The kindergarten through fourth grade classes will sing Thursday, April 20 at First Reformed Church for their Saints and Seniors Lunch.

* The third through fifth grades will take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. That test is scheduled for Monday, April 24 through Friday, April 28.

* The kindergarten through 12th grade will be taking part in the annual Clean-a-Thon. Students will be participating in community service day, and each class will be assigned areas to pick up trash and help the community look nice. The date for that event is set for Friday, April 28.

* The Bids for Kids Extravaganza will be held Friday, April 14 at the Highland Conference Center. Bids for Kids is the school's major fundraiser for St. John Paul II Elementary School and the Fair Formation programs. Tickets can be purchased at

www.bidsforkids2023.givesmart.com

or at the school office.

* The St. John Paul II Elementary School Joyful Noise Show Choir will have their debut April 13 at 7 p.m. during the MHS Show Choir Cabaret. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Performing Arts Center box office.

* There is an in-person PTO meeting set for Thursday, April 13 at 7 p.m. There will be a tour of the SmartLab and there will be an introduction to some of the activities that the students love.

* Fifth Grade Recognition — save the date! Fifth grade parents are asked to mark their calendars for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18 for the Fifth Grade Recognition Program. This will be held in the Mitchell Performing Arts Center (PAC). Please join us to celebrate and recognize the Longfellow fifth grade learners.

* Recipients of the Caring Kernel Award at Longfellow Elementary School included Shaun Hill, Asher Kaus, Brecken Murphy, Natalie Larson, Victoria Rocha and Grace Leiferman.

* March brought the Reading Madness Challege! And the Lions stepped up. When students read a book and scored 80% or above on their AR test, they got to put a basketball on the wall. Top readers were recognized and names were drawn for an upcoming basketball game, the teachers versus the readers!

For the full April newsletter from Longfellow Elementary School,

click here.

* Congratulations to Traci Wilson, a third grade teacher at Gertie Belle Rogers, on being named the Mitchell School District's Teacher of the Year at the annual Teacher and Classified Staff of the Year event! Wilson will now be alongside other Teachers of the Year in a regional format, and then ultimately a state and national Teacher of the Year selection process.

* Congratulations to Remington Jennings, Lawren Thunder Horse, Whynstyn Arens, Griffin Lyle, Madilynn Lanning, Ben McEntee, Oakley Howard, Marcus Wilson, Jaxon Strand and Brynn Hotz. These students were selected for March Caring Kernel.

* It's time for the South Dakota summative testing to begin for students in third through fifth grades. We will kick things off on Thursday, April 6 and continue through May 7. Please make sure your student is in school each day and on time. It is also important that they have a good breakfast on these days. Keep in mind that students are able to eat breakfast here.

For the full April newsletter from Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary School,

click here.

* It is that time again where you will need to log onto your parent portal and fill out the annual Information Update for the 2023-24 school year by May 1. This is how your child will be officially registered for next year. If you plan to relocate or go to a different school, please write a note to inform the school office. See the full April newsletter for details.

* This past month we had the opportunity to meet our future kindergarten and begindergarten students. What a great way to start planning for the upcoming school year. If by chance you missed this opportunity to meet our staff and learn more about how to help your child transition into kindergarten, please contact our office at 995-3090.

* What do light bulbs, socks and bicycles have in common? All these materials are being used to teach students about electricity throughout Central Electric Cooperative's service area. Co-ops in the Classroom is a program offered by Central Electric and its wholesale power provider, East River Electric Power Cooperative. The interactive presentation was delivered to fourth and fifth grade classes at L.B. Williams Elementary School on March 24.

For the full April newsletter from L.B. Williams Elementary School,

click here.

All school events, including dates, times and locations, are subject to change. For the latest information, contact your child's school. The events included in the roundup above do not entail a comprehensive list of all monthly activities.

Some events listed under the three public elementary schools — Longfellow, L.B. Williams and Gertie Belle Rogers — may be open to all public elementary school students. For more information, check with your student's particular elementary school.