Briefly...over the holiday...

Abbreviated Hallow this week, with just a few items.

Mid-terms were posted on Wednesday.  If there is any problem with viewing grades and progress, please notify the office at 743-2567.  Extra Help sessions will continue this week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and throughout December.  There are now 22 and one-half days left in the semester.

Oral Interpretation participants from Harrisburg performed extremely well two weeks ago.  Our team tied for for first with Tea for the region crown and in five of six competitions, Harrisburg members will be competing at state in Aberdeen this weekend.

Semester tests, the summative evaluations of each semester-long course are at the discretion of each teacher.  Please make certain students are checking in with instructors to clarify when, what and how these evaluations will be administered.  Teachers' assessment plans are posted on their websites.  There is NO change in schedule this year for semester test week.  Classes will meet as usual and it is the teacher's decision to select the appropriated assessment for each course.

winter is closing in.  Two things, first - a letter from Superintendent Holbeck was sent to all of you and is posted on the high school website in regard to school closing procedures.  Second, please remind students to take all precautions as the weather turns for their safety.  This includes dressing appropriately, having a survival kit in the car, and driving with the environment in mind.

Eight years ago, about this time, my daughter(shown in the picture below) was born.  Sitting with her and listening to her read last night, I tried to trace the pathway and history of those eight years...tried to reflect and wonder why I am so lucky to get to do this.  The day she was born, leaving my wife at the hospital for just a second to rush my son to daycare and skipping out of basketball practice, I showed up in the delivery room just as my new daughter was taking her first breaths.  She was so beautiful(they both were), I couldn't imagine a happier moment.  But as she grows, it only gets better - watching her incredible depth of curiosity, chasing butterflies in our back yard, wrestling and laughing with the dog, constructing little worlds in boxes and cartons and paper towers, standing on her bed singing with her guitar and Hannah outfit, painting rocks and learning how to swim, teetering on her new bike, batting and catching a ball, whispering with her friends, dressing her babies and cradling them, talking endlessly from 7:30 to 8:30 every night, jumping in my lap and holding on at the scary part, and asking me questions I can't answer...snoring softly on my shoulder, rolling over with a smile every morning when I kiss her resting cheek good-bye in the dark early hours...there's my daughter, in the water - everything she knows, I taught her...is there anything at all better than being a dad?  No.  Cherish this parenting time.  People keep telling me, "just wait until she gets to be (insert the age),  then you will find out"... I am still waiting - it just keeps getting better...just wish it wouldn't go so fast...please relish and revere every parent moment...it is our most important job, and the most significant legacy we will leave....Events at Harrisburg High this week...

Monday -     5:45 - Dance Committee Meeting - High School

                    Boys' Basketball Begins

Tuesday -   7:00  AM - FFA Parliamentary Practice

                     4:00 - After School Novice Debate

                      Quiz Bowl Team at Mitchell

Wednesday - 7:00  AM - FFA Parliamentary Practice

Thursday    -  7:00   AM - FFA Parliamentary Practice

                       7:00 PM -  Elementary Christmas Concert - Large Auditorium

Friday   -     7:00  AM - FFA Parliamentary Practice

                     State Oral Interp. at Aberdeen

Saturday - State Oral Interp. at Aberdeen

                    9:00 AM - Wrestling - At SF Roosevelt

                 FCCLA - "Christmas in the Kingdom"  - babysitting service - 1-5 PM - email Mrs. Kern

                    for more details at  Tracy.Kern@k12.sd.us.  Cost is $10.  Ages 3-8

                 7:00 PM - Tiger Nation Christmas Radio Show - featuring Mr. Jeff Gould and the All-State

                    singers - $5 advance tickets, $8 at the door.  Large Auditorium.

                  6:00- Staff Winter Carnival - Sioux Falls Convention Center

Sunday - FFA State Leadership in Pierre

We have overcome so much to get here, to this place, at this time...ambition can still lead, but contentment must satisfy the soul of our relationships.  

                 

Thanks to all of you...

Pancian.  Thankojan.  Danken.  Thought.  Kindly thought, favor, gratitude…. Early derivation of thanks and thank you.  To appreciate.  To recognize.  To credit.  To merit. To value.  To give worth.  Perhaps to deserve, to earn, to warrant.  To respect.  To esteem.  To treasure.  To cherish.  To regard. 

I hope this holiday gives all pause to really, sincerely show action of the words above.  We have so much.  We are so blessed.  Much of the civility for which we do and can live, comes from the simple, but genuine thanking of those around us, and for all we have.  Our perspective changes mightily when we realize the time we have is limited, the spectrum of our impact minute, and the course of our history finite.  Use the time wisely to make others know how esteemed they are in your life.  Reward the little things.  Make significant those you love.  My personal thanks to all of you.  Have a great Thanksgiving.

Many new things are in discussion stages and in the next weeks or months, you will hear further details.   I will make sure you are apprised as they become confirmed.  Here are a few snippets:

*Schedule for high school - our schedule, for many reasons, will change either in the spring or next fall.  Mr. Rollinger and I have collected input from staff and will meet this week, relay our information to staff once more and make a decision next week on our direction.  Some implications are smoother and less congested lunch, common study hall, staff common time for development(PLC's - Professional Learning Communities), more TAP and SSR time.

*Alternative School for high school students in need of another setting is on the table.  A committee will be meeting after Thanksgiving to move forward with criteria for selection of students, dynamics of the setting, etc.

*Laptops for every student, some times called "one-to-one".  There is evidence that if used appropriately, this tool can be of great utility to staff and students.

*Student portfolios as a capstone and proof of academic growth will begin with this year's freshman.  Seniors are beginning the process with senior projects, juniors will have increased responsibility and sophomores will be the bridge to a full-fledged senior experience that continues momentum into graduation.

*Project-based Learning(PBL) will continue to be examined.  Eight teachers are currently involved in all different stages and degrees of using this contemporary and relevant approach to instruction.

*Personal Learning Plans(PLP's) that students will electronically create to map a pathway to graduation that serves future pursuits.

*Work-release credits for those who choose this program.  Students will now have some minimal obligations, but will receive a credit for their time in the business world. 

All of these ideas mesh with a new vision and goals connected to students becoming independent decision-makers.  As these changes move forward, they will be directly related to students choosing their route to success and staff helping guide and facilitate this movement toward sound and thoughtful goals. Stay tuned.

School newspapers are a labor of love and perseverance - Mrs. Sylvia Kroger and her staff do a terrific job of keeping up.  Unfortunately, the Harrisburg setting, close to Sioux Falls without much business in our actual city, and with the giant Argus monopolizing advertising and publication, it is difficult to find a venue for getting our news out.  We are trying.  Our relationship with the Sioux Valley News has been OK, but our difficulty is in selling the advertising to have our insert each week.   So, we are compromising somewhat.  We are going to an insert once every two weeks and will also publish a school newspaper in-house each month.  We will try some other things in the future, but for now, we hope this will serve community needs.  As I have asked before, if subscriptions from our community could go up(they are only $20 for a year) or if we could see an increase in advertising, we actually could grow this paper.  But until then, we are at the mercy of economics.  If anyone has any suggestions, I am open to them.  Schools of our size, Madison, Garretson, Elk Point, Vermillion - they all have newspapers devoted entirely to them.  My understanding is the Argus has basically squeezed any attempted paper in our town out of business and then just makes the decision not to cover us much.  We really need this communication device.  I know Mr. Holbeck has gone to great lengths to try to lure a paper to our city, but to no avail.  A good example of the gap this lack of a paper creates was our Veteran's Day program last week.  It was fantastic, but very poorly attended by our community.  In the past week I have fielded some minor complaints of those not realizing we were having a program.  A paper would take care of this.  Even though it was in the Argus Leader, it does not meet our local needs.  

Not much more to say this week.  The leaves finally fall and activities end and begin in the never-ending cycle of American education.  Mr. Rich Schneider's(our middle school principal) father passed away this past week.  Attending the funeral in Farmer, a town of around ten people near Mitchell, there was much time to sit in the tiny, packed church and reflect on important things.  My mind kept returning to two things, that I had to get out to see my father and try not to miss any chance to spend time with him before he goes on.  And second, Alli Catherine Foreman, the newest Tiger in the district, just born to Mrs. Foreman.  One goes, one takes the place.  It all makes sense, but let's not miss the important parts.  Hug your children right now.  That's the important part.  Events coming up in the next two weeks at Harrisburg High School:

Monday -  7:00 - FFA Parliamentary Practice

                  3:00- FFA Officer's Meeting

                 Girls' Basketball begins

                 6:30 - Board meeting - Liberty

Tuesday - 7:00 - FFA Parliamentary Practice

                4:00 - After School Novice Debate

Wednesday -    7:30 AM - Staff Meeting

                       1:05 - Early Release

                       MID-TERMS POSTED BY 11:59 PM

Thursday - Friday - Thanksgiving Vacation

Monday -     6:30 - Dance Committee Meeting - High School
                    Boys' Basketball Begins

Tuesday -   7:00 - FFA Parliamentary Practice

                     4:00 - After School Novice Debate

                      Quiz Bowl Team at Mitchell

Wednesday - 7:00 - FFA Parliamentary Practice

Thursday    -  7:00 - FFA Parliamentary Practice

Friday   -     7:00 - FFA Parliamentary Practice

                     State Oral Interp. at Aberdeen

Saturday - State Oral Interp. at Aberdeen

                    9:00 AM - Wrestling - At SF Roosevelt