Our teachers and staff return today for the 2023-24 school year! There are a lot of new things happening and we are excited to start another great year! Please join me in welcoming a few new people to the district: Kacee Polly is teaching 6th grade; Rebecca Heumiller is teaching 7-12 Social Studies; Ted Rieke is a new paraprofessional at the high school; and Deanna Hasty joins the elementary staff as our Library Media Aide. We also have a few returning staff members taking on new roles. In new positions this year we have Lorie Thomas teaching K-8 at the Spring Valley Colony, Lisa Bergeleen is the Cyber School Facilitator, and Jen Roduner is teaching 4th grade. We are fortunate to have all our teaching positions filled this year in a time where many districts have significant gaps in their teaching staff.
One of the biggest changes this year is, of course, the construction of the new auxiliary gym and recreation center. While there are still numerous items to complete, the project is moving quickly and is scheduled to finish on time (November 2023). The interior work is going well as are the changes to the parking lot. You may have noticed that the wind tower and greenhouse were removed to increase the parking available on the south side of the building. The new lot almost doubles the available space for parking near the front entrance.
While there are a lot of projects in the works, we remain committed to providing an exceptional educational experience to every one of our students. Our teachers and staff are highly dedicated and regularly go above and beyond to make sure that the needs of each student are met. We are excited for the new school year and are looking forward to having students back on August 21!
Upcoming Events: August 17: Back to School Night (Elementary 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.; Middle/High 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.) August 18: Home Football vs. Mt. Vernon/Plankinton (7 p.m.) August 21: First Day of School August 22 and 24: Early Bird Volleyball Tournament at Alexandria (5 p.m.) August 25: Home Football vs. Scotland/Menno (7 p.m.)
Our full activity schedule and much more is available on our website at www.wessingtonsprings.k12.sd.us.