The team will have one more public performance on November 23rd at 7:00 at the Wyndmere Gymnasium. The team will then had to Jamestown on the morning of the 25th. Congratulations and best of luck at the state contest!
Earlier this month, Norma Kjos and the 1-Act Play Cast and Crew traveled to Lisbon for the Region I Contest. After a day of numerous outstanding performances the results were tabulated and our team is headed back to the state contest! The team finished second and will now head to the state tournament held on November 25th and 26th in Jamestown. This is such a great accomplishment for Norma and her cast and crew. It is exciting and even more impressive when you consider how young they are. There isn't a senior in the group so it bodes well for future success.
Special congratulations go out to Paul Moffet on his superior acting award and Charlie Moffet on hi The team will have one more public performance on November 23rd at 7:00 at the Wyndmere Gymnasium. The team will then had to Jamestown on the morning of the 25th. Congratulations and best of luck at the state contest!
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The 2013 National Blue Ribbon Ceremony program will be held on November 19th from 11:10-2:30 (CST). The event will be live-streamed at http://liveeventaccess.com/blueribbon/ The event will begin with remarks from the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to be followed by a luncheon. The award ceremony will begin after the luncheon. Our very own Mrs. Link and Mrs. Hodgson will be representing the school at the award ceremony.
I would also like to remind the community about the Blue Ribbon Award recognition program. The program will be held on November 21st, at 7:00 in the Wyndmere gymnasium. Please plan on attending to help us celebrate our elementary's national recognition. Earlier today, an unsuspecting Mrs. Jacobson was attending the Title I Awards Luncheon in Bismarck. Little did she know that in a matter of moments she was going to be recognized for her outstanding dedication to her profession. Moments later, Deb Jacobson was named the 201 The Title I program was established by the Federal government to ensure all students are meeting our challenging academic standards. It is a program that so many of our students have benefitted from over the years. However, it is rarely the program that creates success. It is instead the people behind the program. For years, Mrs. Jacobson has been our Title I program here at Wyndmere. What she has done for her students is something I know they are forever grateful for. While her room is on the far end of the elementary I know many students that still go back to see her because she has meant that much to them. While we at Wyndmere have always known what an asset Mrs. Jacobson is to our school, I am very happy that the rest of the state is now aware of it. On behalf of the entire Wyndmere School, I want to congratulate Mrs. Jacobson! Our school is very proud to call her our colleague and know how deserving she is of this honor. Recently we receive the news the Wyndmere Elementary School is being recognized as a 2013 National Blue Ribbon School. I can’t tell you how excited I am for all the people who have made this possible. This award validates the hard work of all of our students, educators, families and communities that have strived for the excellence our school is receiving this attention.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Blue Ribbon Schools serve as models for other schools throughout the nation and school personnel are also sought out as mentors by their peers. In a lot of ways I feel this is what we have always envisioned here at Wyndmere. Neighboring towns and schools respect our school and staff, however this same respect is now coming from the state and national level. This is without a doubt one of the highest forms of recognition a school can receive. I would like to thank all of our staff for all they have done to make this happen. Working in education is rarely an 8-4 job with countless hours spent in the classroom on the weekends or on extra work at home. It is this dedication that is one of the foundations of building towards an award such as this. Next, I would like to thank the parents and community. The overwhelming support for the school is felt each and every day. Without the backing of the parents and community much of what we do here at the school could not be accomplished. The reinforcement our students receive at home is yet another one of the foundations for our success. Finally, I want to recognize our students because the elementary school wouldn’t have received this award with out them. Schools can be recognized as either an “Exemplary High Performing School” or “Exemplary Improving School”. Our school was the former as the result of years of our students putting their best effort into all that they do. Our students’ scores were once again rated as the best of the best. In the upcoming months some exciting things will happen around here. In November, Mr. Hanson and a staff member or two will be invited to Washington, D.C. to be recognized with other award winners. Our school is also in the early stages of setting up a celebration here at the school for the students, parents, staff and community. Please keep an eye out for more information in the upcoming weeks. Once again, congratulations to the Wyndmere Elementary!!! This is just another reason why I truly am honored to get a chance to work here at Wyndmere! I have to say that today is one of my favorite days of the year. Nothing is better than seeing kids show up to school for the first day. Outfits are new, countless stories from the summer, and smiling faces (especially on the parents). There is an energy that is so difficult to explain. It is this energy that is one of the reasons I love being in education.
However this is just day 1 of 175. The trick is to sustain this energy over the long haul. Easier said than done, but it is something we should all strive for. We as educators want this to be a place where students are excited to come to. While this is a little hard on one those two tests, pop quiz, and middle of winter days, it still is our goal. I have high hopes and goals for this year and I have encouraged our students and staff to do the same. We may not reach all of them but we sure are going to have a great time trying. Best wishes to all of our students and staff as we embark on the 2013-14 school year. As I was reminded by all of the smiling faces today...this is a great place to live and work! In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week, a few people wanted to say thanks. The work our teachers do each and every day should never be taken for granted. There are a few reasons why I feel Wyndmere has one of the best schools in the state and the teachers rank towards the top of my list. Thanks again! The elementary school shooting in Connecticut last Friday is something nobody will ever be able to understand. If you are anything like me I spent the following days thinking not only about the child I have at home, but the over 200 students that walk through our halls each and every school day. The nightmare of such an evil and tragic event taking place within any district’s school walls leaves me utterly sick to my stomach.
As a school district we feel it is important to share some information regarding school safety. Please know that our school district has conducted security drills and protocols are in place to prepare for a situation such as what happened last Friday. This training will continue to be ongoing as the repetition is important for our students and staff. However it is important to realize that no amount of planning or practice can always prevent something like this from happening. It is in those times that teachers such as those in Connecticut go to great lengths to protect their students. Those teachers are heroes for understanding the children’s safety were their number one priority. This is a message our own staff at Wyndmere understands very clearly. Given the situation I trust our staff whole heartedly to do what they must to protect our students. A couple teachers have asked me how they should answer questions from students on Monday. We plan to talk about what we have in place in our school to protect them, but also to review our procedures. This will be not done in a way to alarm the students, but instead to assure them. We as a school district do not intend to have a large discussion with our students. With the level of media and technology available in this world, it is safe to assume your children are aware of what has happened. It is our belief that is a conversation best done between parents and their children. If you are looking for some tips on how to go about this, please refer to some of the following websites. Counselors are also available in our school if you feel you would like your child to talk to someone at the school as well. Healthy Children.Org http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Talking-to-Children-About-Disasters.aspx Save the Children http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.8479773/k.2264/How_to_Help_Children_Cope_with_a_Crisis.htm My final point concerns firearms. A tragedy such as this seems to spark a vicious debate about gun control. I understand this is not the forum nor is it my place to convey my opinions. However, I do want to stress the importance of firearm safety. If you do own firearms, please take extreme care in ensuring your gun is securely stored. In closing, the safety of our students and staff will continue to be a top priority. Policies will always be assessed and changes made if needed. If you ever have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Very exciting activity today in the Community Center! Many of our seniors and juniors were able to present information to students, teachers, and community members in our first Native American Tribute Day. I for one was very impressed with our students. The exhibition was very professionally done and each of the students did an outstanding job in examining the history of so many Native American tribes. Great job to everyone involved! A few weeks ago, our comfort "bubble" as I like to call it was broken when a young student was approached on her way to school. I was proud of the young lady in how she handled it and it was a great opportunity to talk to our kids about safety and strangers. I hope you as parents were able to do the same.
Yesterday, the "bubble" was shattered with the shooting in Fairmount. The small schools in this region of the state are tightly knit. The staffs know each other and the students know each other even better. I thoughts and prayers go out to the student's family and the entire Fairmount Public School system family. It takes a lot of time to get past something like this and in all reality the physical damage will heal much faster than the mental wounds. As always our school, like many other look at occurrences such as these and continue to reevaluate how things are done in our school. Student safety is priority number 1 and we will continue to do everything we can ensure our students feel safe in these walls. |
Mr. SwensonMr. Swenson began his first year as Supt. in Holdingford Public Schools in the summer of 2015. Previously he spent 10 years as an administrator in Wyndmere ND. Archives
January 2017
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