This page is no longer being updated. Please check the Miller School website https://www.miller.k12.sd.us/ , the school app, or the school Facebook page for updates.
Thank you!
Thank you!
The Junior High and High School Music Department presented their Awards Concert on Friday May 10th. Students were recognized for their many musical achievements throughout the school year.
Seniors who have made major contributions to the Music Department throughout their high school career were presented with the following awards:
|
Best of luck to our MHS athletes at the State Track Meet in Sioux Falls!
|
Mrs. B-K and the elementary staff would like to wish Ms. Rick and Mrs. Schumacher the best of luck! Thank you for everything you have done for our students! The high school and junior high staff said farewell to Mr. Schumacher, Mr. Ketelhut, Mr. Whetsel, Ms. Luczak, and Mr. Heasley as they move on to new adventures! |
Even though the weather was a little gloomy, the elementary had an awesome day at track and field day! Thank you to all of the parents who organized events and worked at them, our kitchen staff who brought us our lunch picnic style, the staff participating and having fun with their students, and the students for helping us all to have an amazing day!
Members of the National Honor Society received a grant from the Miller Area Foundation to purchase trees to plant at Crystal Park. They were able to complete this project today! Thank you to the Miller Area Foundation for the grant, to Blevior for the beautiful trees, and to Ron Hoftiezer and the crew from the City of Miller for all their help in getting the trees planted! |
The fourth graders visited the nursing home to plant flowers, pull weeds, rake leaves, and pick up sticks. They ended the visit by singing to some of the residents and shaking hands as they introduced themselves. It was a great way to demonstrate citizenship and kindness! The kids and the residents had a great time! |
The MHS track team had a great day at the Central South Dakota Conference meet held in Miller on Saturday, May 11, setting two new conference records!
The girls medley relay, consisting of Jolie Palmer, Gracen Werdel, Paige Werdel, and Madeline Nye, clocked a time of 4:24.33 which erased the previous record set 45 years ago in 1975 by a team from Wessington Springs. Senior Alex Schumacher set a new record in the 800 m run with a time of 1:58.14, beating the previous record set by Adam Peterka of Miller back in 2007 by 1.66 seconds. |
The second grade students wrapped up their chick incubating project. Students identified the temperature and humidity percentage needed to incubate eggs in an incubator. At day 6 eggs were candled to get a glimpse inside the egg. The second graders also learned about the life cycle of a chicken. Thanks to Andrea Flores, Kristin Kolda, Kelly Hague, and Billie Sherwood for donating eggs so students could participate in this project! |
The third graders enjoyed the petting zoo! Thank you, Mr. Ketelhut and the FFA crew! |
|
The fourth grade took their end of the year field trip to the Laura Ingalls Wilder's homestead in De Smet on Wednesday, May 1st.
They started the trip visiting the cemetery where the Ingalls family is buried. Then had a picnic at the park and headed to the homestead where they learned all about what it was like being a homesteader in South Dakota. They learned about the Homestead Act, stood on a sod dugout, tied ropes, made corncob dolls, ground wheat, and rode in a covered wagon to the schoolhouse. All the students had a turn in driving the horse team. The students had a great day! |
Wear Green on Friday, May 3, 2024 to Support Mental Health Awareness!
Did you know that 1 in 5 Americans will experience a diagnosable mental health condition this year? By joining the “Be Seen in Green” challenge during Mental Health Month this May, you’re not just wearing a color, you’re shining a light of hope and support on mental health for millions. Aiming to educate Americans about mental health and mental health conditions, Mental Health Month was started in 1949 by Mental Health America. Over the years, we’ve engaged millions in our mission through media, events, resources, and screenings. This tradition continues with a vibrant display of solidarity: wearing green to symbolize our collective commitment to mental well-being.
Why wear green? As the official color for mental health awareness, green represents renewal, hope, and vitality. Wearing green, whether it’s a complete outfit, a simple green awareness bracelet, or lighting up your building, symbolizes unwavering support for mental health. Participating in this challenge sends a powerful message: Mental health is important, and by joining together, we are advocating for and supporting mental health. |
The fourth grade class had a presentation by Jon Dunlap who is a Wildlife Conservation Officer. He spoke to the students about animals native to South Dakota. The students had to try to identify each fur. They were able to handle the furs and horns of several animals. A big thank you to Mr. Dunlap for visiting our class! |
Our students performed so well at the Redfield Spelling Bee!
Congratulations to all of our qualifiers-Colsen Kolda, Jackson Schaefers, Nora Droz, Kayli Roeber, Chad Stevens, Ella Saienga, Kaden Cremer, Lincoln Beranek, Luis Damaso, Jake Werdel, Hunter Cain, Croix Reimann, Landon Tanner, Adeline Mutschelknaus, Grace Saienga, and Cannon Reimann. Our students won six of the eight grade level contests!!! First Grade-Jackson Schaefers 1st place Third Grade-Colsen Kolda 1st place Fifth Grade-Jake Werdel 1st place, Chad Stevens 3rd place Sixth Grade-Grace Saienga 1st place, Cannon Reimann 2nd place Seventh Grade-Croix Reimann 1st place, Hunter Cain 2nd place Eighth Grade-Landon Tanner 1st place, Adalie Mutschelknaus 2nd place What a great day to be a Rustler! |
Isaiah Gortmaker, Miller High School sophomore, was recently selected to be a part of this year’s South Dakota High School Honor Choir. Students had to audition for the choir with a memorized solo, sight singing, tonal memory, acapella singing and a written test on musical terms and key signatures. This year the camp will be held at the University of Sioux Falls from July 28-August 2 with the final concert Friday evening. |
You are invited to a “Parents Night Out” on May 13th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Campus Center, Blackburn Hall, in Huron. This event is for parents, caregivers, and educators who are interested in learning more about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and how to have conversations with teens about these issues. The night will include a presentation by Community Counseling Services, Prevention Specialist Kennedy Appel and Panel discussion featuring Sovanna Beekman (Diversion Coordinator with Beadle County State's Attorney), Gretchen Nassan ( CCS Outpatient Therapist), and Stephanie Viatohi (Huron School Resource Officer) Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention resources will be provided as well as a light meal. |
The MHS Student Council held a fundraiser to benefit alumni Eric Ames.
For a donation, students could wear hats and staff could wear jeans to school, there was a cash jar competition to choose a staff member to get pied in the face, and students could pay a dollar to pie the "winner". The fundraiser culminated today with Mr. Schumacher getting pied by four students. A total of $1323.86 was raised! To participate in Eric's favorite prank while he was in high school, click here :-) |
Congratulations to our MHS Jazz musicians & vocalists! The MHS Jazz groups participated in the SDSU Jazz Festival on Thursday April 11th where the Jazz Band received first place! Joanlei Baker and Isabelle Poindexter earned outstanding soloist awards! The Vocal Jazz also won first place, with Laura Evans receiving an Outstanding Soloist Award! |
Announcing the winners of the local spelling bee! The following students advance to the Spelling Bee in Redfield on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
|
The Miller Jazz groups performed their annual Pops Concert Tuesday evening April 9th in the theatre. The Junior High Jazz Band opened the concert with Charlee Jensen as a soloist. The Vocal Jazz group performed their competition pieces featuring Aleah Schlechter and Laura Evans while the High School Jazz Band featured soloists Joanlei Baker, Isabelle Poindexter, Ben Wangsness and Maya Howard. Intermission entertainment included Ben Wangsness, Emily Poindexter, Isabelle Poindexter and Laura Evans. Special recognition was given to the seniors for their years of commitment to the jazz program. The evening concluded with the annual tradition of “handing down” the jazz shoes and jazz socks. Outgoing senior Joanlei Baker presented the jazz shoes to Ben Wangsness and outgoing senior Tanner Wallman presented the jazz socks to Madeline Nye. |
Thank you to the Miller Area Foundation for their generous support for our students and community!
Mrs. Boomsma-Kelsey is shown receiving a check for the Backpack Program from the Miller Area Foundation Board of Directors. The Backpack Program is so beneficial for students in need by providing non-perishable food items on the weekends. Additionally, members of the National Honor Society gratefully received a check for the purchase of trees which will be planted in our community by the NHS members in early May. Also, special thanks to the Miller Class of 1952 for their donation to the Miller Elementary for school supplies. |
To promote our school lunch program, on Fridays through the remainder of the 2023-24 school year, the Miller School District will be offering free lunches to all students! The initial tray will be free for students kinderstart-12th grade on Fridays. Seconds, a la carte items, drinks, extra milks, etc. will be charged as normal. |
Contest Aimed at Safe Driving Among TeensTo promote safe driving in South Dakota, the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety and South Dakota Broadcasters Association are giving away $20,000 — including $10K to one lucky student and $10K for the school program of their choice.
To enter the contest, students need to take a two-minute safe-driving quiz at LessonLearnedSD.com by April 30. Please encourage driving-age students to take the quiz and to always be responsible when driving |
Miller Music Department is pleased to announce the upcoming Annual Pops Concert scheduled for Tuesday, April 9th, at 7:00 PM in the high school theater. Sponsored by Miller Music Parents, this event will feature performances by various musical ensembles from both junior high and high school levels.
Highlighting the evening's program are performances by the MHS Vocal Jazz and MHS Jazz Bands, performing their competition selections. Soloists for the MHS Vocal Jazz ensemble include Aleah Schlechter and Laura Evans, while the MHS Jazz Band features solo performances by Joanlei Baker, Maya Howard, Isabelle Poindexter, and Ben Wangsness. They will travel to Brookings on Thursday, April 11th for the Brookings Optimist Jazz Festival held on the SDSU Campus at their School of Fine Arts. The Junior High Jazz Experience will also be performing at the Pops Concert. The ensemble includes all junior high band students and gives them the opportunity to experience a variety of jazz and pop music. The next performance for the junior band will be the annual Miller Instrumental Contest held on Saturday, April 27th. Community members are encouraged to support the event by attending the Pops Concert and contributing to the fundraising efforts of the Miller Music Department. By doing so, attendees not only enjoy an evening of musical entertainment but also play a vital role in sustaining and enhancing music education opportunities for students within the Miller community. |
Congratulations to the winners of the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary annual poem & essay contest about Americanism!
Poems – Mrs. Haigh & Mrs. Gibson– 3rd Grade
|
On Monday, April 8 beginning at 12:43 p.m. and lasting until 3:06 p.m. a partial solar eclipse visible across the United States will be visible in our area. A narrow band stretching from Texas to Maine will experience a total solar eclipse. To safely observe the eclipse, it is critical to use specially made eclipse glasses. Permanent eye damage can result from looking directly at the Sun, even during an eclipse. Specially made glasses will be provided to the students and staff at the school and are available to the public at the Hand County Library. Hopefully our area has clear skies that day so we can take advantage of this opportunity to see the eclipse! The next solar eclipse visible in our area will not be until January 2029. Here is a link to Time & Date, and a link to the NASA site with more information about the eclipse. |
Renowned broadcast journalist and founder of the non-profit organization Emily’s Hope, Angela Kennecke, will deliver a vital message on the growing epidemic of fentanyl poisoning to the students at Miller High School on April 10, 2024, at 1:30 p.m.
The public is invited to attend. With record-high rates of overdose and fentanyl-related deaths, Angela will educate students on the dangers of fentanyl in today's illicit drug supply. |
The second through sixth grade students completed a kindness chain during Kindness month. The goal was to "break the record" from last year. They were very successful!
2nd grade: 775 links 3rd grade: 500 links 4th grade: 450 links 5th grade: 675 links 6th grade: 403 link __________________ Their record total is 2803_ For a total of: 200 feet (measured by the second graders) which reached almost all the way down the hallway! |
The Miller Music Department hosted its second annual Vocal Contest for 5th through 8th graders on Saturday March 23rd. There were a total of 59 entries including 7 large groups.
Large Group ratings were: 5th Grade Superior, 6th Grade Superior, 6th Grade Boys Superior, 6th Grade Girls Superior, Junior High Superior, Junior High Boys Superior and Junior High Girls Superior Plus. Thank you to our accompanists Jean Jennings Sinkbeil, Jennifer Boomsma Kelsey, SuAnne Meyer, Phylis Melius, Abby Haiar, Collin Otteson and Cleo Kleinsasser! Thank you to our judges Janice (Hargens) Gilbert, 7-12 vocal music teacher at Tea Area High School and Kym Lebeda, choir director at Lyman School District. |
Elementary Families: Here is the Elementary April Newsletter from Mrs. B.K.! Click here to read all about it! |
The first graders are published authors!
The students in Ms. Rick's class wrote a book called "All Around the World" and Ms. Hosman's class wrote a book titled "Hello! From Around the World" where they each wrote about a different country. The published books have arrived and everyone was very excited to receive their copies! |
Flat Stanley Takes a Trip!Mrs. Gesinger's fourth grade social studies classes are learning about the different regions of the United States.
They are sending Flat Stanley to friends and family that live in different states. The students will share their pictures and information when Stanley gets back to South Dakota! |
Congratulations to Brylee Wallman and Tanner Wallman for being selected by Dakota Energy to participate in the Rural Electric Youth Tour of Washington D.C. in June!
Brylee & Tanner will meet as many as 1,500 high school students from across the country and spend a week in the nation’s capital. They also will tour and attend many historical sites and events during the week. This trip is paid for by Dakota Energy. Electric cooperatives are committed to educating America’s youth about America and the role electric cooperatives play in developing strong rural communities. |
Congratulations AAU Wrestlers!Congratulations to our Elementary AAU Wrestlers who participated in the State Tournament held last weekend!
Nolan Nye, Rowdy Jones, Lilliana Hargens-Flores, Kash Pugh, Rowen Werdel, Jacen Jensen, Easton VanDerWerff, Morah Swartzendruber (6th place), Macy Johnke (5th place), Toby Jones (6th place), Kallan Peterson (8th place), Colsen Kolda (2nd place), Kalley Teason (4th place), Hazel Wells (2nd place), Kohen Resel (5th place), Jake Pugh (4th place), and Emmitt Waldrop (6th place). Congratulations to Will Hosman, 7th grader, who earned second place and Tyson VanDerWerff (Preschool State Champion)! |
GO FOURTH – Free State Park Day Pass for South Dakota fourth graders!
The South Dakota Departments of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) and Health want all South Dakota fourth graders to take advantage of the “Go Fourth” program which encourages kids and their families to get active, get outdoors, and get healthy!
This program seeks to give the students exposure to local natural resources and a chance to start a lifetime of healthy habits by providing them with their choice of three state park discounts: 1) a free family day pass, 2) half off an annual park license or 3) a free 3-year subscription to the Conservation Digest. Click this link for more information: |
Laine Warkenthien from the Miller Lions Club will be at the elementary school in the afternoon on Friday, March 22 to conduct vision screenings for students.
The screenings will be completed upon request from a parent/guardian, and a signed consent form must accompany the child. Forms will be sent home with children in grades KS-6th, and any 7th-8th grade student can pick up a form from the elementary office. Click here for more information and the consent form. |
In Mrs. Ketelhut's fourth grade math class the students have been studying fractions and solving story problems involving recipes. Then they decided to put the fractions and recipe to use and made no bake cookies. The students doubled the recipe, measured all ingredients, and used a hot plate to boil the ingredients. Finally, the students enjoyed their creations!! |
America’s Field Trip is a nationwide scholastic contest crafted to actively engage America’s youth in commemorating and celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The program provides elementary, middle, and high school students the opportunity to submit artwork, videos, or essays illustrating what America means to them.
|
See a few examples of the planned field trips below:
|
The Miller Music Department will host the 2nd Annual Vocal Contest on Saturday March 23rd. All 5th through 8th grade students are participating in the contest. Seven large groups will perform, followed by approximately 50 solos and small ensembles.
Students will be performing in the theatre, high school band room and high school chorus room for two judges. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend and support the students for their accomplishments. Concessions will be available. Schedules have been sent home with the students. The following is a condensed schedule:
|
Use this link to schedule an appointment to give blood.
|
Congratulations to MHS senior Joanlei Baker for being named the Touchstone Energy Scholar of the Week! Joanlei will be featured on Dakota News Now. Click this link to go to the feature. |
Congratulations to the following students who earned Rustler Rewards and had their name drawn this month- Lawson Wagner, Hazel Wells, Autumn Wetz, Isaac Odden, Max Schaefers, TJ Rogers, Jacen Jensen, Kortnee Blake, Shaelee Jensen, Ariana Flores, Sophia Hargens-Flores, Zoha Malik, and Nolan Peterson. |
|
The application period for the last Tutor Tracks term (running March 18-May 3, 2024) is now open!
Tutor Tracks is a FREE seven-week, guided tutoring program designed to firm up SD elementary and middle school students’ foundations in Reading, Grammar, or Math. Program tutors are Black Hills State University and Northern State University teachers-in-training. MHS graduate Abby Ketelhut is one of the tutors offering help with this program! To participate in Tutor Tracks, parents/guardians can apply here. This program accommodates as many students as tutor schedules allow, so get applications in now for the best chance of being accepted. This could be the extra help your student has been looking for! |
MHS musicians senior Tanner Wallman (Euphonium) and freshmen Isabelle Poindexter (Trombone) participated in the South Dakota State University Honor Band Festival. Tanner and Isabelle spent 12 hours in rehearsal which culminated in a concert performance at SDSU's Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center in Brookings.
The Festival Band also composed their own musical selection while in rehearsals. Tanner Wallman made use of his accordion skills to solo during the final concert at the SDSU Honor Band Festival. |
The elementary students have been working on increasing their kindness this month and identifying their acts of kindness. They are working hard on their chain this week. It is gaining strength and increasing in length. The second graders' goal is to have the chain longer than last year and go out the front door of the elementary building. Last year we had around 1800 links! |
As part of FFA Week the fourth graders made butter with the FFA kids. They started shaking whipping cream in a glass jar until they made whipped butter. The fourth graders thought it was going to taste sweet, so they were surprised when it didn't. Next, salt was added, and the kids continued to shake the jar until it was solid butter. They enjoyed the end product with saltine crackers. Thank you Mr. Ketelhut and FFA kids for a great activity!! |
SDSU invited high school students from throughout the region (South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and North Dakota) to participate in the fourth annual Honor Band Festival, to be held on February 23-24, 2024.
The SDSU Honor Band Festival is designed to be an exceptional honor band experience for talented students. Two MHS musicians, senior Tanner Wallman and freshmen Isabelle Poindexter, will be performing in the "Festival Band" and Miller alumni Kaden Sivertsen is performing with the SDSU Wind Symphony. The event is being livestreamed at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 24 and can be viewed at this link. |
Joel Christensen, Andrew Fink, Larry Arbogast, & Mike Namanny
|
Sharon Davis, Bernie Rombough, Travis Foreman, & Vernon Kuper
|
Let’s Celebrate “Read Across America” and Dr. Seuss’s birthday! The elementary students & staff are going to have some fun dress up days February 26th through March 1st to celebrate reading!! Reading is a fundamental skill that helps students build a strong foundation. Reading to children helps them become better readers and instills a love for reading at a young age! |
Many thanks to Ken Meyer at Complete Hemp Processing in Winfred, SD and Tanner Landstrom at Next Level Ag in Alpena! The Integrated Science class took a road trip to learn about how hemp fiber is processed and used, as well as soil testing & health. What a great opportunity to learn about the some of the science behind agriculture right here in South Dakota! |
Mrs. B-K and Mrs. Kaltenbach would like to thank the parents who nominated them for the 2024 Special Education Staff of the Year in South Dakota. Seventy-eight nominations were accepted from parents/guardians across the state for special education staff members who made an outstanding impact in the education of their child. |
On February 13th during the double header basketball games with Faulkton, the senior female athletes from MHS were awarded certificates marking the 38th observance of National Girls & Women in Sports Day.
"Lead Her Forward" continues to be the theme and is the kickoff of the 52nd Anniversary of Title IX. This marks the annual celebration that increases visibility for female athletes and calls attention to the positive influence of sports participation for females. Each year, the SDHSAA and the Miller School District honor senior participants to increase the visibility for female athletes of all ages and call attention to the positive influence of sport participation by girls & women. |
The second through sixth grade students were busy spreading kindness. They made Valentine's cards for organizations in the community such as the nursing home to share for the "Make Kindness the Norm" activity.
The Kind Heart Project In quiet deeds, let kindness bloom. Anonymously, like sweet perfume. Take heart-shaped notes, each one a sign, Of love and care, in your design. Leave them where weary souls may find, A gentle touch upon your mind. With simple words, like "You are loved," Or "You're enough," from skies above. In random acts, let love impart, A healing balm to every heart. Far in these gestures, big or small, Make kindness the norm for one and all. --randomactsofkindness.org |
Region Music ContestThe MHS Music Department participated in the Region IV Music Contest held February 7th in Aberdeen. Twenty students were entered in ten events.
Picture 1: Members of the Vocal Jazz ensemble who received a superior rating were: Front row: Gabby Werdel, Emma Pugh, Arielle Miner, Jocelyn Kienow, Cassi VanDerWerff, Brylee Wallman, Jolie Palmer Back row: Laura Evans, Cayper Werdel, Madeline Nye, Madison Kopecky, Aleah Schlechter, Kate Lichty Picture 2: Members of the All-State Chorus ensemble who received a superior rating were: Front row: Laura Evans, Aleah Schlechter, Emma Pugh, Cayper Werdel Back row: Isaiah Gortmaker, Jesse Hughes, Tanner Wallman Picture 3: Vocal soloists who earned a superior rating were: Laura Evans, Isaiah Gortmaker and Emma Pugh Picture 4: Senior Tanner Wallman earned a superior rating on his euphonium solo “Canzonetta” Picture 5: Freshmen Isabelle Poindexter and Jake Gibson both earned superior ratings on their trombone solos. Picture 6: Freshman Allyana Skinner earned an excellent rating on her piano solo Picture 7: Senior Joanlei Baker earned a perfect score and superior rating for her piano solo. |
The MHS band is selling butterbraids for their 2026 band trip. Butterbraids can be ordered from any 7th - 12th grade band student or online at: https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/e19a9ae5-6e60-4d1e-a122-217b188dce4e |
Lake Area Technical College is excited to announce the Annual Robot Games/STEM event for students in grades 6-12! Robot Games is a Capstone project for the Lake Area Tech 2nd year Robotics/Electronic students in which the skills they have learned are put to the test. This event is FREE to everyone! Go to this link to register. |
|
The second graders have started their kindness challenge for the month of February. Each of the students designed a flower to place on their locker. Each petal signifies something they like about themselves. They identified today it is easier for them to be kinder to others than it is to themselves. Each week, the Kindness Challenge will be reviewed with them. A variety of educational assignments will be provided throughout the month related to kindness. Keep an eye out for more updates! |
More 100th Day Fun!Mrs. Engle's Kindergarten class had Mr. Engle's high school students come in and help make something with 100 marshmallows. Mrs. BK came in and read a story to the class as well, and Ms. Hosman's class came in and shared what they wanted to be when they grow up.
Mrs. Gesinger's fourth grade class celebrated the 100th Day school by participating in a variety of activities. They raced to put together 100-piece puzzles, wrote stories about what they will be doing when they're 100 years old, licked a sucker 100 times trying to reach the bubble gum and several games were played centering around 100. The fifth graders in Mrs. VanZee's class put together 100 piece puzzles. It was a fun day! |
Order your elementary yearbook!Miller Elementary yearbooks are on sale. 20 pages, softcover.
Go to the website inter-state.com/order and enter the code 81508S. Online ordering ends on Feb. 20, 2024. Delivery is to the school. Please use your teacher’s last name for online ordering. |
Students in kinderstart through sixth grade had the opportunity to attend a cheer camp hosted by the basketball cheerleaders.
After learning cheers and stunts in the morning, the little cheerleaders performed at the basketball games that afternoon vs. Platte-Geddes. |
The elementary staff and students had so much fun celebrating our 100th day in school! The students are 100 days closer to their future career, so they dressed as who they want to be when they grow up. Mrs. BK had a great time reading books to students and discussing their future career choices. One of our future career choices was a magician, and Michael did an amazing trick for his class. Thank you to everyone for making this such a great day!
Kinderstart celebrated the 100th day of school by sharing 100 ways to be kind. Ms. Hosman's first graders had a day full of fun activities for the 100th Day! They wrote about what they wanted to be when they grew up and then presented to other classes. They also read books with the upper grades to total 100 books. The second graders celebrated by each student bringing 100 small food items to make a “100th Day of School Trail Mix” to enjoy. Different ways of counting to 100 were also discussed. A “Bucket List” of the career each student wanted to be in the future was created and students dressed up to resemble that occupation. Theses students are 100 days closer to that goal! Students also predicted where they would be in the school if they walked 100 steps from our classroom door. Then, 100 steps were taken to determine where that would exactly be at. The third graders enjoyed dressing up as their future career. They also listened to a “100th Day” book read by Mrs. B-K. Mrs. Gibson’s students completed 100th Day assignments in reading, grammar, and math classes. For the final project of the day, students were challenged to build a structure out of 100 toothpicks and 100 marshmallows. Their efforts were rewarded with 100th day cookies! The fifth and sixth grade students read 100 books to the first grade students to celebrate our 100th day in school! It was a great project for our older students to work with younger ones. Mrs. B-K is very proud of the fifth and sixth grade students for the work they did with this project! |
At Our Dakota Dreams Career Exploration Camps, students can take charge of their future and have a blast doing it. Incoming 7th and 8th graders can join our free, five-day career camp this summer. They’ll explore exciting careers, meet professionals and dive into hands-on activities that unleash creativity and ignite passion. With more camps than ever, there’s more reason to join. Help spread the word to your students and learn more at Our Dakota Dreams.
Find the application form here. Each camp will accept 100 participants. The deadline to apply is March 31. Students are expected to be notified of acceptance via email by mid-April 2024. If availability is limited at a particular site, preference will be given to students from school districts categorized as Title I or as having high absenteeism during COVID. The Dakota Dreams Career Exploration Summer Camps are a partnership of the South Dakota Board of Regents, South Dakota Technical Colleges, South Dakota businesses and industry, and the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE). The camps are funded with federal dollars available to DOE through the American Rescue Plan Act. |
The second graders designed beaver dams as a part of their science curriculum. Students brainstormed a list of the best materials to build a dam with, decided how they would make the dams, built the beaver dams in small cooperative groups, and then tested the dams with water to see if they could stop the flow of water. |
Miller Students Grades 6 through 12 were part of the INTERACTIVE LIFT OFF assembly put on by educators Dr. Gregg Talcott and Kim Bartling. Through music, games and a personalized message, a foundation of positive community and school culture is built. Themes addressed included initiative and effort, caring and compassion, and effective communication. Students were given strategies on how to “be a light” to impact bullying and change the world, starting right here at home. |
Cheerleader for a Day! Click here for the registration form. Contact Mrs. Engle for more information:
|
Attention Elementary Families: Stay in the know! Catch up on the latest in Mrs. B.K.'s February Newsletter. |
The last 2 weeks students in grades 2, 3, and 4 learned the importance of how to take a stand against name calling. Footprints have been placed throughout the elementary with their pledge to Take a Stand.
Students were educated on how to stay safe in such a situation: S: Say what you feel; A: Ask for help; F: Find a friend; E: Exit the situation. 4th, 5th and 6th graders also discussed cyberbullying and practiced scenarios of how to stay safe and when to Take a Stand. |
Hey Parents of 7-12 students:
We need your help to evaluate Career and Technical Education here at Miller School District. CTE equips students with the top five skills that employers want, including: flexibility/adaptable; lifelong learner/motivated to grow; job-specific skills (hard skills); soft skills; and passion about an industry. Please take the time to complete this survey no later than February 14th. |
The 4th -7th Graders in Mrs. Rogers classroom built rafts to rescue penguins in their Science class. They could only use 12 straws and 24 inches of tape. Weights were added to see if they would still float. Great activity that they enjoyed as they are studying Penguins and their habitats right now. |
Tickets for the State Wrestling Tournament are available. Please complete the attached form and return to the school before January 26, 2024 @ 3:00 p.m.
|
Before the holiday break, the fourth grade students in Mrs. Ketelut's and Mrs. Gesinger's classes donated money to buy Christmas gifts for the nursing home residents. Some of the students worked for their money, and some gave from their own savings. The students wrapped the gifts and then delivered them to the residents where they sang Christmas carols, visited with the residents, and then helped them open their gifts. Everyone had a wonderful time!! |
Merry Christmas from Miller Elementary School!
The lower elementary classrooms have TEAM Time (Together Everyone Achieves More) where classes are intermixed and work on reading/language arts concepts. Mrs. Baumberger's group has been rehearsing a reader's theatre during the past few weeks, and they performed it today in front of an audience. They created the backdrop and worked on public speaking; it was awesome! |
Mrs. Cudmore-Kremer led the sixth graders in some Minute to Win It strategy games. The most cheerios captured on the raw spaghetti without using your hands were 11!
The fourth grade students took turns drawing pieces of a creature and passing them from person to person to develop. The drawings were quite humorous! Henry and Marianne are the champions so far in the Stack Cup Challenge. They were very proud of their creation! |
Spring Semester Music Performance Schedule for 2024
February 7 Region Music Contest in Aberdeen February 23 and 24 SDSU Honor Band Festival in Brookings March 1 and 2 Middle School All-State Band in Mitchell March 21 through 23 High School All-State Band in Pierre March 23 Fifth through Eighth Grade Vocal Contest in Miller March 25 Northeast Jazz Festival in Norfolk, Nebraska April 9 Jazz Pops Concert in Miller April 11 SDSU Jazz Festival in Brookings April 27 Fifth through Eighth Grade Instrumental Contest in Miller April 29 Kinderstart through 4th Grade Spring Concert May 9 Fifth through Eighth Grade Spring Concert May 10 Junior High and High School Spring Concert May 18 Graduation |
The application period for the next Tutor Tracks term (running January 16-March 14, 2024) is now open!
Tutor Tracks is a FREE seven-week, guided tutoring program designed to firm up SD elementary and middle school students’ foundations in Reading, Grammar, or Math. Program tutors are Black Hills State University and Northern State University teachers-in-training. To participate in Tutor Tracks, parents/guardians can apply here. This program accommodates as many students as tutor schedules allow, so get applications in now for the best chance of being accepted. More information can be found on the attachments and on the Dakota Dreams Online Tutoring Program webpage. |
For the last two weeks, led by Mrs. Cudmore-Kremer, Mrs. Schumacher's sixth grade class has been learning about feelings. They practiced identifying feelings and played feelings charades using a feeling, a famous person, and an action. Can you tell what they were acting? There was a lot of laughter and fun had by all. |
Ms. Hosman's class was asked to design a new suit for Santa as Mrs. Claus accidently shrunk his in the dryer.
They designed a suit and then wrote letters to Mrs. Claus explaining why their suit was the best. Mrs. Claus wrote them back and picked three winners, Fidel Zebadua-Ortega, Nora Droz, and Jackson Schaefers! |
Dear Mrs. Claus,
My Santa suit is the best! His shoes let him fly. The gifts in the bag are labeled so he doesn't have to look at his list. The suit is from American because it is red, white, and blue. The stars in the suit let him teleport. This is why my suit is the best! Sincerely, Fidel |
Dear Mrs. Claus, My Santa suit is the best! He has hearing aides so he can hear what the kids want for Christmas. He has yellow so the birds can see him. He has a rope so he can climb down the chimney. This is why my Santa suit is the best! Sincerely, Nora |
Dear Mrs. Claus, My Santa suit is the best! My Santa suit is warm. Santa has a GPS to keep track. Santa has a headset to guide him through a storm. This is why my Santa suit is the best! Sincerely, Jackson S. |
Congratulations to these Rustler Reward recipients for winning this month's book machine drawing, using their golden tokens to get a free book! Madalyn Kolda, Suttyn Pugh, Tobias Jones, Ellison Poindexter, Ida Saienga, Jenna Danburg, Charles Resel, Kohen Resel, Nolan Nye, Addysen Lindgren, Jake Werdel, Kaitlyn Burckhartzmeyer, Alex Ray, and Kynslee Mushitz |
Thank you to our fifth and sixth grade musicians and vocalists for a great concert!
Oral Interp finished up their 2023 season with their annual public performance and the State Festival. Madeline, Allie, Gabby, and Isabelle all performed at the State Festival, earning many positive comments from the judges, with Gabby Werdel earning a Superior ranking for her performance. Congratulations! |
The Elementary Student Council held a food drive for items to be donated locally to the Lions Club to be distributed for the holidays. Christian Haigh, Lucas Runge, Faith Bowar, Luis Damaso, Julia Bode, Tynleigh Asmus, Morah Swartzendruber, Cannon Reimann, and Harper Duxbury gathered items each day with the students donating a total of 1,464 items!! Thank you so much to our parents for their donations! |
The MHS Pep Band, under the direction of senior Drum Major Tanner Wallman, performed a pregame pep band set at Sunday's Sioux Falls Skyforce basketball game vs. the Iowa Wolves. Their performance at the Sanford Pentagon has become a tradition as this is the third year in a row that the band has performed for the spectators at the game. |
Parent/guardian nomination form for the 2024 Special Education Staff of the Year
The Office of Special Education Programs is accepting nominations for the 2024 SPED Staff of the Year Award. Parents/guardians can nominate a special education staff member who made an outstanding contribution to the education of their child. Nominees may include SPED teachers, SPED directors, speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school psychologist, or paraprofessional who have served in their profession for three or more years. Parents/guardians can submit nomination forms via this link:
https://forms.gle/ZoKazNoWj3AUqGe3A. Entries are due Jan. 19, 2024. The top five nominees will be invited to the 2024 South Dakota Special Education Conference luncheon in Sioux Falls on March 6, 2024, where the award recipient will be announced. Questions? Contact Stacy Holzbauer.
The Office of Special Education Programs is accepting nominations for the 2024 SPED Staff of the Year Award. Parents/guardians can nominate a special education staff member who made an outstanding contribution to the education of their child. Nominees may include SPED teachers, SPED directors, speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school psychologist, or paraprofessional who have served in their profession for three or more years. Parents/guardians can submit nomination forms via this link:
https://forms.gle/ZoKazNoWj3AUqGe3A. Entries are due Jan. 19, 2024. The top five nominees will be invited to the 2024 South Dakota Special Education Conference luncheon in Sioux Falls on March 6, 2024, where the award recipient will be announced. Questions? Contact Stacy Holzbauer.
The Queen's Gala event was a wonderful evening for all! Congratulations to all the participants and little snowflakes! Also, thank you to the MHS Jazz Band and MHS Vocal Jazz, as well as Serenity Dance Company for the entertainment. Senior Snow Queen is Maya Howard, First Runner-up & Miss Congeniality is Laura Evans. Junior Snow Queen is Bella Werdel, First Runner-up is Kyler Foreman, Second Runner-up is Olivia Nye, Third Runner-up is Yareliz Cortes-Soto, and Miss Congeniality is Paige Boomsma. |
The Rose Hill Baby Beef 4-H Club was inspired by the fourth grade nursing home/assisted living Christmas project. As a result, members donated funds collected from a pumpkin painting project to help the fourth grade class purchase supplies. Thank you for your generosity! 4-H members pictured are Adalie Winter, Cannon Reimann, Lawson Wagner, Hadlee Duxbury, Ollie Wagner and Harper Duxbury. |
Dave Blachford, from the Miller Fire Department, presented cash prizes to the winners of the Fire Safety poster contest. The winners were-Lauren Nye (1st place 5th grade), Jake Werdel (3rd place 5th grade), Grace Saienga (2nd place 6th grade), Brystal Wallman (1st place 6th grade), and Quinnely Miner (3rd place 6th grade). Our 2nd place winner in the 5th grade is a colony student. Congratulations! |
Here is the Miller School winter concert schedule. All concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Armory and everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy music for the holiday season!
|
The Oral Interp team competed in Flandreau on October 30th, with all competitors earning recognition for their performances:
* Gabby Werdel, Superior Plus * Madeline Nye and Allie Gortaker, Superior * Jake Gibson and Paige Boomsma, Excellent Plus * Isabelle Poindexter, Superior * Dylan Schnathorst, Superior At the Region Competition, the team did very well, with all performances advancing to the State Competition to be held December 1st & 2nd at Harrisburg: * Madeline Nye and Allie Gortmaker, 2nd in Duet and going to State * Isabelle Poindexter, 2nd in Humorous and going to State * Gabby Werdel, 2nd in Non-Original Oratory and going to State |
It's a mystery! The fourth grade students in Mrs. Ketelhut's class visited Mrs. Palmer's kinderstart class to enlist their help to find the missing monsters! The fourth graders created posters and wrote stories about the search for their pet monsters that have been missing since Halloween night. They shared their stories & posters with the kinderstart kids in the hope that they could assist in finding them! |
Miller School District has two paraprofessional openings-one at the elementary school and one at Millerdale Colony. If you are interested in applying for a position, please send a resume with three references listed to Mrs. Boomsma-Kelsey by emailing [email protected]. Applications will be accepted until November 30th. Employment will begin after Christmas break on January 4, 2024. |
Miller Junior & Senior High School students participated in the SD College Door War during their 5th period classes recently to learn of the various educational opportunities available here in South Dakota.
This was an activity that was promoted as part of SD FREE COLLEGE APPLICATION PERIOD that runs from OCTOBER 1 - NOVEMBER 30 each year. During the free application period, SD seniors are encouraged to explore and apply to any of the public technical colleges and universities free of charge. As of today, 93% of Miller High School seniors have applied to at least 1 SD school. If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities available, please stop by and visit Mrs. Van Zee, or visit https://ourdakotadreams.com/ |
Four standout MHS Band students participated in the Augustana Honor Band Festival on Saturday, November 11th. Tanner Wallman (Euphonium - Gold Band), Madeline Nye (Flute - Blue Band), Joanlei Baker (Alto Saxophone - Gold Band), and Joseph Baker (Alto Saxophone - Blue Band) showcased their musical prowess alongside 230 talented peers at the renowned Mary Sommervold Concert Hall, Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls. The students, selected from a pool of 400 nominees, dedicated 12 hours of intensive rehearsal to deliver a stellar performance at the Saturday evening concert. |
Congratulations to our FFA students and their successes at the District LDE held in Miller on Tuesday! The top 3 individuals and the top 2 teams qualify for the State LDE in Rapid City in December.
Creed:
|
The MHS Pep Band has been invited to perform for the Sioux Falls Skyforce vs. Iowa Wolves basketball game on Sunday, November 26th.
The game starts at 3:00pm with the band starting around 2:00. Anyone wishing to attend the game and watch the pep band can purchase discounted tickets via this link. |
Everyone is invited to the Armory on Thursday, November 9th at 10:00 a.m. for a program to honor our Veterans.
Hosted by the MHS Student Council, it will feature the kinderstart class, MHS chorus, a vocal selections by the 5th grade & 6th grade, the MHS band will play, Glenn Stewart will offer the invocation & benediction, and of course Jean Johnson will present Tootsie Rolls. Following the program a lunch sponsored by the VFW, American Legion, and American Legion Auxiliary will be served at the American Legion Hall. |
Ms. Hosman's first graders are participating in the "Adopt a Cow" program sponsored by Discover Dairy. Their adopted calf is living on a dairy farm in Nebraska and her name is Ruby. They also have a stuffed class pet named Ruby. Each student will get to take the "class pet" home and will then write in a journal about their adventures together! |
Here are some highlights from the Indoor Marching Show:
|
Nine members of the Miller Junior High and High School bands attended the NSU Band Clinic in Aberdeen. These students joined with others around the region, were split into two bands (maroon and gold), and had a full day of rehearsals which culminated in a mini performance that afternoon. Students attending were: Isabelle Poindexter, Jessa Resel, Bryleigh Resel, Bailey Brueggeman, Ben Wangsness, Charlee Jensen, Ashlyn Otto, Jake Gibson, and Landon Tanner. |
Adalie Winter, Riley Rogers, and Jate Werdel presented a check to Kim Jensen and Brooke Carr, Hands of Hope board members, in the amount of $933.67 from the Penny War funds raised by the elementary students last week.
Mrs. Schumacher's 6th grade class raised over $267 to win the root beer float party sponsored by Adalie, Riley, and Jate. These students coordinated the fundraising project to help those battling cancer. |
Here is the link to buy Miller Rustler State Volleyball t-shirts. Store closes tonight (November 8th) at midnight! |
World Kindness Day will be celebrated around the world on November 13, 2023. First introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, World Kindness Day offers an opportunity to highlight good deeds in the community and the common thread of kindness. This year's theme is "Acts of kindness start a ripple of change that can transform the lives of children, families, and entire communities."
Over the next two weeks Mrs. Cudmore-Kremer will be focusing on kindness. She has posted a turkey in the elementary hallway without any feathers. The elementary students & staff will be filling feathers with acts of kindness to add to the turkey. Kindness is a fundamental part of the human condition which bridges the divides of race, religion, politics, gender, and location. |
Congratulations to this month's Golden Token Book Machine winners! When a student earns a Rustler Reward, his/her name is put into a drawing for the Golden Tokens. Rustler Rewards are earned when students are recognized for doing things well and displaying good character. Pictured in the front from L-R are Ariana Flores, Samantha Waring, Falon Kusser, Emery Boomsma, Lillian Hargens-Flores, Braulio Zebadua-Ortega, Aubrey Coyle. Back row from L-R are Elien Engle, Nolan Caffee, Ivy Fawcett, Kendyn Yost, Ivan Caffee, and Hans Otteson. |
Taher (the hot lunch food service) is offering a Zoom family cooking class! Please share with parents for anyone wanting to join! Families who wish to attend need to register in order to get the recipe/list of ingredients they need. Families will cook together and prepare a family-friendly dinner for that night. The class is scheduled for November 15 from 5:30-6:15 pm. Please see the flyer for more information and to register. |
Week 10 - Shop the West Athletes of the Week are Gracen Werdel and Marshall Conkey.
Gracen Werdel, a sophomore Middle Hitter, has done a great job earning her position this year with her quickness and jumping ability. Last week against Highmore, she served 85.7% with 2 aces, had 2 kills, and 3 block assists. Gracen continues to grow in her volleyball talents and has become not only a front row player but also a server while playing defense in the back row during that rotation also. As soon as Marshall Conkey completed football season he moved on to his powerlifting season. Marshall has some meets coming up in December that he is preparing for and he is in the weight room every day getting prepared. Last year Marshall made huge strides in powerlifting, and this year look for him to take giant leaps. |
The Miller Junior High students did a team-building activity on socio-emotional learning on Friday afternoon with Mrs. Van Zee. The theme of the activity was: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn.
They discussed the importance of recognizing and choosing their “dream team table” or the people who sit at their table in life. They were asked who they consult when they make an important decision. Considering and connecting with those around us is part of the “Respect” section of the Rustler PRIDE acronym for the PBIS program. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is our school-wide approach for impacting school culture and addressing behavioral concerns effectively and consistently. Teaching students our expectations and rewarding those who meet them is the primary focus of the program. |
Representing Miller High School at the 71st Annual All-State Chorus and Orchestra Concert on October 27th and 28th in Rapid City were Isaiah Gortmaker, Emma Pugh, Ben Wangsness and Laura Evans. This year's chorus consisted of 924 singers from 142 schools under the direction of Dr. Ryan Person of Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. The orchestra comprised of 163 musicians from 30 schools under the direction of Dr. Mark Laycock of Wichita State. The All-State Chorus and Orchestra Concert is one of the largest SDHSAA events of the year. The concert aired live on PBS and will be rebroadcast on Thanksgiving Day. |
The MHS Oral Interp team has started their season. On October 21st, they traveled to Pierre where Isabelle Poindexter earned 1st place in her category.
On October 23rd they traveled to Brookings where they earned the following awards: Isabelle Poindexter, Superior + Gabby Werdel, Excellent + Dylan Schnathorst, Excellent Jake Gibson and Paige Boomsma, Superior Madeline Nye and Allie Gortmaker, Superior Isaiah Gortmaker and Braeden Naber, Excellent + Congratulations to the team for their hard work and dedication! The team has one more meet before Regions, which is November 13th in Chamberlain |
Week 9 - Shop the West Athletes of the Week:
Alex Schumacher Alex ran his final high school cross country race this past weekend at the state meet in Sioux Falls placing 16th. His work ethic, competitive nature, attentiveness to detail, place Alex in a special category. As an 8th grader, Alex qualified for his first of 5-state cross country meets. This season Alex has posted the 5th best 5000-meter time in Class A and 12th best for all 3 classes. Leading up to the state meet, Alex helped lead the cross-country team to its 4th consecutive Central South Dakota Conference and 3rd Big Dakota Conference Championship, along with 4th consecutive region championship. His teams were crowned state champions in 2021. In 2020 they place 5th, in 2022 8th and this year 9th. In 2021 and 2022, Alex earned Cross Country All-State recognition by the South Dakota Cross Country and Track & Field Coaches Association. The SDCCTFCA will be awarding Alex Academic All-State honors. He serves as an excellent role model. His leadership has had a huge impact on our team. With both individual and team success, he leaves a lasting legacy. Gabby Werdel Gabby has had an inspiring season for several key reasons. She arrived to the first day of practice with over 120 summer miles on her running shoes, fully ready for the next 200+ miles the season set before her. From this solid start, Gabby maintained key focus and drive throughout practices and competitions leading her to a new 5k personal record. We look forward to many more coordinated dress-up days instigated by Gabby next season! |
On Tuesday, October 10th, Jeremiah Haigh (F. Horn), Landon Tanner (Tuba) and Hollis Fawcett (Trumpet) participated in the Northwestern Area Middle School Honor Band Festival in Mellette, SD. The three were selected from nominations by a selection committee to participate in the ensemble. They spent the day rehearsing alongside other students from the region and were directed by Mr. Jared Opp - the band director from Gregory. Following their intense day of rehearsals, the NWMS Honor Band presented a concert. |
Congratulations to our Cross Country athletes! The boy's team finished the season with a 9th place finish at the State Cross Country meet, with two runners placing in the Top 25 - Pierce Baumberger (4th) and Alex Schumacher (16th)! Well done! Congratulations to all our athletes who ran at the state meet - Pierce, Alex, Isaiah Gortmaker (64), Chase Hurd (100), Jaymin VanDerWerff (120), Madeline Nye (60), and Gabby Werdel (110). What a fantastic finish to a great season! Go Miller Rustlers! |
Best wishes to our Miller Rustler Cross Country athletes as they go to compete in the State Cross Country meet on Saturday, October 21 at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls! Meet information can be found on the SDHSAA website https://www.sdhsaa.com/activity/cross-country-championships/ and SDPB is providing coverage of the meet at https://www.sdpb.org/hsactivities/sports/crosscountry/ |
A big shout out to Cooper Bebo and the customers of Pump 'N Pak! Every cookie sold during a recent fundraiser, Pump and Pak gave back $1.00 to Miller Elementary teacher Jennifer Gibson to offset expenses related to her cancer treatments. After selling 410 cookies, this resulted in a $410 donation! Thank you Miller Community for your continued support! |
MHS Senior Tanner Wallman has been selected to perform as a part of the 96th Annual National FFA Convention Band during the convention November 1st through November 4th in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tanner, euphonium player and Drum Major for the MHS Rustler Regiment Marching Band, will leave at the end of October to join band members from all over the nation in rehearsals to prepare for their performances. For those wishing to watch the livestream of the performance, information can be found on the National FFA Convention website and the performance will also be presented on the RFDTV channel. |
The Miller High School band, the Rustler Regiment, traveled to Aberdeen for the annual Gypsy Day parade on October 7th. The band received a Silver Medal award for their performance with comments highlighting their marching formation, carriage, and their color guard and dance corp auxiliary units.
On October 14th the band traveled to Brookings for the annual Hobo Day parade. The marching band has made an appearance that this parade every year for the better part of 40 years. For the third year in a row The Regiment received the “Grand Pooba Award”. The Grand Pooba is the head of the Hobo Day committee and, with the help of the committee, judges, announcers and SDSU leaders, the band who exhibits the most pride and spirit receives the award. The MHS Rustler Regiment and the Miller Junior High Marching Band will have one more performance this year at the annual Indoor Marching Showcase held in the MHS Armory on Monday, November 6th at 7:00pm. |
Congratulations to the Week 8 Shop the West Athletes of the Week
With first-place finishes in four of his last five meets, Pierce Baumberger is our choice for athlete-of-the-week. Pierce has fine-tuned his pre-race routine to have the utmost focus throughout his races. From the very first step, he sets himself up for his successes. As an absolute scholar of his sport, Pierce stays up to date on the latest and greatest in running, he provides feedback on workouts to his coaches and imparts encouragement and advice to his teammates. He helped lead his team to earn their fourth consecutive Central Conference, third consecutive Big Dakota Conference, and fourth consecutive Region champion titles. Without resting on his laurels, Pierce is eager to beat his personal 5k record set in 2022, and with his drive, we have no doubts he will obtain this goal at this year’s SD State Cross Country Meet. Allie Gortmaker’s consistent efforts have set her up to reach her peak at the ideal time in the 2023 season. She trimmed over a minute off her Action Club Meet in Highmore from 2022, set her new personal record at the Central Conference, and at the Region 4A meet her 5k time on the Chamberlain course improved by one minute and thirty seconds this season. Allie researched the competition ahead of the Region 4A meet, and she had immense drive and focus during her race. When she is not racing, you will find Allie either at the starting line sharing wise advice to younger runners or deep in the most desolate regions of the course to cheer on her fellow Rustlers. Allie has fully leaned into her team, and we are all better for it. |
The Miller Elementary Student Council helped "Petal It Forward" by delivering flowers to the nursing home and assisted living. The residents and staff loved seeing them and receiving their gift. The smiles of the students, staff and residents were amazing! Thank you to Blevior Floral in Miller for sponsoring such a great event! |
The Miller School District State Report Card is now available.
Go to our website https://millerdistrictreporting.weebly.com/ to see it. |
The Miller Rustlers are headed to the State Cross Country Meet! Show your Rustler Pride and support the team. State Cross Country t-shirts are available at this link. Store closes on Monday, October 17th at noon! |
The All State Chorus group traveled to SDSU in Brookings on Thursday October 12th. They spent the day at a workshop rehearsing the All State Chorus music with the SDSU music faculty. In the front row are Cayper Werdel and Emma Pugh. Row 2 Laura Evans and Aleah Schlechter. Row 3 Ben Wangsness. Back row Isaiah Gortmaker and Jesse Hughes. |
Congratulations to the Boys Cross Country team for winning the Region 4A title! Good Luck at the State Meet!
Boys Varsity – 5000 Meters, Team – 1st Place
|
Students earn Rustler Rewards by displaying acts of kindness and demonstrating character.
Each month one of the award recipients will have his/her name drawn from each classroom. Those recipients will get a gold token to be used at the book vending machine. The books are provided through funds we receive from our Book Fairs. Congratulations to our October winners! Great job to Wyatt Moser, Tatiana Cea Sanchez, Kaiser Kleinsasser, Miles Beranek, Jate Werdel, Reese Rogers, Justice Jones, Hadlee Gortmaker, Vanessa Price, Rook Huber, Colsen Kolda, Nicholas Allen, Easton VanDerWerff, and Nicholas Johnson! |
There will be a partial solar eclipse visible from our area on Saturday, October 14 between 10:21 a.m. and 1:06 p.m. with the maximum darkness at 11:41 a.m.
Do's and don’ts of viewing an eclipse: NEVER look directly at the sun! Do not use homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark sunglasses. Do use special solar filters, such as eclipse glasses, to view the eclipse. If you do not have special solar filter glasses, you can look indirectly by using a pinhole projector or, even easier, if you have shade trees at your location, look at the ground under the tree to see an image of the Sun coming through the spaces between the leaves. |
Ginny’s Safe House, serving Hand, Faulk & Spink counties needs our help! https://ginnyssafehouse.org/who-we-are/
Thanks to the Direct Your Labels™ program, we can raise money for Ginny’s Safe House as we shop for our groceries each week. Every time you shop at any local store carrying Our Family® brand products, clip and save your UPC barcodes – and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Every time we collect 500 UPC barcodes, we can turn them into a $25 check for the shelter. One place labels will be collected is the Miller High School Counselor’s Office. If you aren’t able to drop your UPC barcodes off in person, you can also mail them to Ginny’s Safe House, PO Box 347, Redfield, SD 57440. They do need original Our Family® labels to earn the $25, so please no photocopies. |
Week 7 Shop the West Athletes of the Week Teagan Foreman and Madeline Nye
Teagan was not able to play his senior year of football but he still continues to help the team in any way he can. I told Teagan that we could still use him as a coach and a motivator for the team and he has stepped up in both areas. Teagan is at practice everyday helping his teammates get better by coaching them up and making sure they are giving it their all. Discipline can take many forms and Madeline Nye has shown us immense discipline as she recuperates from a late-season injury. With the region meet in mind, Madeline has strictly followed exercise and recovery routines while also encouraging her teammates through the last three meets. Several teammates cheer as she arrives to practice naming her as an inspiration. We are so proud of the leader she has become for our team, and we look forward to having her ship-shape at this week’s meet. |
Kaihlyn Anderberg, sophomore Outside Hitter, is this week's Dairy Queen Athlete of the Week. This week's focus was not stat related; the focus was ACE! ACE stands for attitude, character& communication, and effort, energy, & enthusiasm. Kaihlyn is on both the JV and Varsity team; she exemplifies the qualities of an ACE teammate and player in practice and in competitions day in and day out! Congratulations, Kaihlyn, on your honor! |
Congratulations to the 2023-2024 Vocal Jazz members! Journey Palmer, Cassi VanDerWerff, Laura Evans, Kate Lichty, Emma Pugh, Madeline Nye, Brylee Wallman, Arielle Miner, Jocelyn Kienow, Cayper Werdel, Aleah Schlechter, Jolie Palmer, Madison Kopecky, and Gabby Werdel. Their first performance will be at the Annual Snow Queen Festival November 25th. |
Pipestone Holdings Sow Farm is providing funds to support the Table to Go backpack program at Miller Elementary School! Backpack programs are initiatives that provide children in need with bags of food they can take home to reduce food insecurity on weekends and school breaks. Fidel Zebadua presented a check to JoAnn Testerman of the Miller Methodist Church on behalf of Pipestone Holdings. The Miller School would like to thank Fidel, Pipestone Holdings, and members of the Miller Methodist Church for supporting this program that is so beneficial for our students! |
The Junior High Marching Band performed at the East Central Marching Festival held in Arlington on September 28th. They played for judges, local audience attendees and members of the other 25+ bands that attended the festival. Their next performance is the Indoor Marching Showcase scheduled for November 6th in the Miller High School Armory Gymnasium at 7:00 P.M. The band members will perform their marching selection along with some familiar pep band stand tunes. |
This week's Dairy Queen Athlete of the Week is JOLIE PALMER, sophomore libero. Her serve receive stats this week were a 2.224/3.0. Jolie was also named to the Redfield Pheasant Classic All-Tournament team. Her serving runs, consistent serve receive, and her defense in the back court were key to the Rustlers placing 2nd overall only falling to unbeaten and #1 Warner. Victories this week were against Chamberlain, Aberdeen Christian, Florence-Henry, and Belle Fourche. Jolie continues to play well and make plays using her athleticism and anticipation to be the best that she can be. Enjoy your hot eats and cool treats from the Miller DQ! |
Week 6 Shop the West Athletes of the Week Colby Harrell and Jolie Palmer
COLBY HARRELL Colby has been the leader of the football team as soon as last years season was over. He leads the team in tackles this year with 46, has 3 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery and 1 sack. On offense he leads the offensive line. Colby’s leadership makes him another coach on the field. Colby spends countless hours watching film every week and helps with the weekly scheme on defense. JOLIE PALMER Jolie Palmer was named to the Redfield Pheasant Classic All-Tournament team. Her serving runs, consistent serve receive, and her defense in the back court were key to the Rustlers placing 2nd overall only falling to unbeaten and #1 Warner. Victories this week were against Chamberlain, Aberdeen Christian, Florence-Henry, and Belle Fourche. Jolie continues to play well and make plays using her athleticism and anticipation to be the best that she can be. |
MHS junior and senior students traveled to the Career Expo in Mitchell. Each year more than 1,000 students from at least 25 area schools have attended this event. The goal of the Career Expo is to expose students to the technical skills needed to be successful in business and industry and to educate participants about the variety of opportunities in the area with hands-on activities representative of the skills necessary in the many career options. |
Elementary Families: Check out the latest information from Mrs. B.K. in the October Elementary Newsletter! |
Week 5 Shop the West Athletes of the Week. Congrats to Isaiah Gortmaker and Heather Resel
Isaiah Gortmaker: Isaiah is having a standout season. He is meeting the expectation we need from him as we get closer to our post season. His 5th place finish in the Big Dakota Conference and 6th place at the Faulkton Invitational, helped solidify our boys team to their 6th meet championship this year. Appreciate his work ethic and commitment. Heather Resel Heather Resel, senior setter and captain, tallied 106 assists last week in 4 matches against Redfield, Potter County, Sully Buttes, and Wolsey Wessington. Heather's ability to run the offense is proving successful by delivering great sets for her multiple hitters. Her serving has been consistent and aggressive in some key times including a big run against WW. |
This weeks Bebo Beef Players of the Week are Miles McPeak and Colby Kolda. Miles has been injured the last 2 weeks and still was only 70% this week. Even though the coaching staff did not plan on playing Miles, injuries during the game made us have to use Miles at center. Miles was perfect on all his snaps and played great when he was called on. Miles is always ready to go. Colby is Mister Consistent. He always runs hard and is almost impossible to tackle without at least 3 opposing team players. Colby had 124 total yards of offense and some great open field tackles. Colby is the workhorse of the team and is always up to the challenge. |
The MHS marching band, the Rustler Regiment, are led through the season by drum major Tanner Wallman; dance corps members Arielle Miner, Maya Howard (captain), and Dana Wallace; color guard members Brylee Wallman, Aleah Schlechter (captain), and Madison Kopecky; and banner carriers Sabrah Morris & Jami Propst.
The next event for the marching band will be the Hobo Day parade in Brookings on October 14. |
Miller Elementary student artwork from the 2022 – 2023 2nd graders was showcased at the Education Building at the 2023 South Dakota State Fair. Julia Bode – 2nd place ribbon for her Lorax Writing Activity, Bentley Colvin – 4th place ribbon for his Lorax Writing Activity, Brianna Dyer – 1st place ribbon for her Lorax Writing Activity, Xavier Hargens-Flores – 7th place ribbon for his Lorax Writing Activity, Justice Jones – 6th place for his Lorax Writing Activity, Max Schaefers – 5th place for his Lorax Writing Activity, Sawyer Morseth-Seeman – 3rd place for his Lorax Writing Activity, and Nolan Heasley – 8th place ribbon for his Lorax Writing Activity. Congratulations for this recognition of your creativity & hard work! |
The 2023-2024 All State Chorus has been chosen for this year. All-State Chorus members in the front row are: Laura Evans, Emma Pugh, Isaiah Gortmaker and Ben Wangsness. Alternates in the back row are: Aleah Schlechter, Cayper Werdel, Tanner DeHaai and Jesse Hughes. All-State Chorus will be held October 27-28 at the Monument in Rapid City. |
Heather Resel is the first recipient of the DQ Athlete of the Week and a $15 gift card. Heather's setting skills were on point last week totaling 106 assists in 4 matches vs. Redfield, Potter County, Sully Buttes, & Wolsey Wessington. Heather was also named to the CSDC All-Tournament Team. Congratulations! |
This weeks Bebo Beef Players of the Week are Talon Ping and Aitor Ortega. Talon has been a bright spot on the JV team this year and a Swiss Army knife on varsity playing multiple positions. Talon works hard everyday in practice and it shows on the field. Aitor has made incredible strides since joining the team and playing football for the first time ever. Aitor has become the varsity kicker and the top receiver and top defensive back on JV. Aitor is always staying late after practice to get better. |
Week 4 Shop the West Athletes of the Week.
Congratulations to Gabby Werdel and Colby Kolda! Gabby Werdel: Gabby had an impressive performance at the Big Dakota Conference. She continues adding to her accomplishments. In a field of some of the better runners in the state, Gabby’s conference 9th place finish is a tribute to her commitment and dedication. Gabby’s times continue to improve. She understands what this season has to offer. Her leadership helps set the tone in practice. She serves as an excellent role model to our younger athletes. Colby Kolda Colby has had a tremendous season so far this year. In 5 games he has over 500 yards rushing and a total of 712 yds of total offense. He is just shy of averaging a 150 yds of total offense a game and 1.5 touchdowns per game. On defense he has 21 tackles and 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 touchdown. Last week on homecoming he rushed for 80 yds and 5 tackles and an interception. Colby has been a force on offense and makes opposing defenses have to find ways to stop him. |
Paige Werdel has been awarded the AVCA/Maxpreps South Dakota Player of the Week. Paige is a sophomore outside hitter who tallied 49 kills in 17 sets during the week of September 11-17. She also added 21 digs and 3 blocks in the victories over #3 Northwestern, Faulkton, CEB, McLaughlin, Winner, and undefeated Mobridge Pollock. Paige's performance helped the Rustlers to repeat as BDC Champions and boosted the team's record to 10-2. Congratulations, Paige, on this national recognition! |
The final Take Out Athlete of the Week for the season is Jolie Palmer, sophomore libero. Jolie earned 84 digs this past week in the Rustlers' wins over #3 Northwestern, Faulkton, CEB, McLaughlin, Winner, and undefeated Mobridge-Pollock. Jolie's backrow defense helped the Rustlers repeat as BDC champions. Congratulations Jolie! |
Avera Medical Group Miller will be set up in the elementary commons from 1:00-7:00 pm on Thursday, September 28th during Parent Teacher Conferences giving flu shots. This is open to the public. If you would like to receive a flu shot at that time, please stop and see them. Bring your insurance card. |
Dress Up Days Themes:
|
Congratulations to our Homecoming Court and our 2023 Homecoming Queen and King, Shaylee Anderberg and Alex Schumacher! They were crowned at coronation Monday evening to preside over a week of fun activities!
|
Congratulations to the Shop the West Athletes of the Week for Week 3, Kellan Hurd and Gracen Werdel!
KELLAN HURD – Kellan not only solidifies his importance to our cross-country team but also football. As a dual sport athlete, Kellan balances his practices between both sports. For cross-country, Kellan joins some of his teammates at 6:30 a.m. freeing himself to attend football practice after school. Kellan has had impressive runs. His performances have contributed to our boys being undefeated thus far this season. In DeSmet, up against a strong field of runners, Kellan placed 22nd. He answers the challenge of everyone doing their part in securing team success. His importance in both cross-country and football cannot be understated. His commitment to both sports is commendable. In order to have the expected team success in both cross-country and football, Kellan is a vital part of the goals set. GRACEN WERDEL- Gracen has successfully made the jump from playing C team as a freshman to starting as a sophomore on both JV and V as a Middle hitter. Her vertical jump and lateral quickness are two aspects of her athleticism that have made her a middle blocker, even though she is outsized by most teams’ middles. She led our team in blocks last week in matches against Warner and Potter County. Her work ethic is unmatched as well as her drive to be the best that she can be for her teams. |
The Take Out Player of the Week for blocking: Gracen Werdel! Gracen led her team in blocks this past week accumulating 2 block assists vs Warner, and against Potter County she tallied 1 solo and 2 assists. Gracen’s vertical jump, quickness, and lateral movement make her a great middle blocker! She is a beast at the net even though she is outsized by most teams’ middles. Congrats on your awesome defense! |
Bebo Beef Players of the Week
This week there are 4 players of the week. Ethan Harrell, Jorryn Heilman, Isaak Hunter, and Kellan Hurd ETHAN HARRELL – Ethan stepped up on defense this week and had the 1st interception on the year for the team and then added another interception on a key series in the game. Ethan has had a lot to learn this year and has stepped up to the challenge. JORRYN HEILMAN – Jorryn has had to play all 3 wide receiver positions this year and this week had 2 huge catches for 67 yards receiving. His final catch, he came out of nowhere and made an incredible catch. ISAAK HUNTER- Isaak had a breakout game this week with 6 catches for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns. Isaak is a nightmare for opposing defenses to stop and will continue to have big weeks. KELLAN HURD – The hardest worker at practice and on the field every day. On Saturday night he was all over the field on defense with 11 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. On offense, he had 3 catches for 37 yards. |
Order your Dig Pink shirts for the volleyball match v. Hitchcock/Tulare on October 5, 2023. Pre-Order closes on Friday 9/15. Miller Residents - If choosing "Local Pickup" at checkout your order will be ready for pickup at the Miller High School Business Office. |
This weeks Bebo Beef Players of the Week are Colby Kolda and the Offensive Line.
COLBY KOLDA – Colby had a breakout game against Scotland/Menno this week. He led the offense with 225 yds rushing on 18 carries. He also had 7 tackles on defense. Colby can be electric when he has the ball and proved that with his first carry Friday night, when he broke through the line and took the ball 98 yds for the first score of the game. OFFENSIVE LINE- Trake Cowan, Riley Werdel, Oliver Fritzsche, Marshall Conkey, Colby Harrell, and Will Resel. No running back gets to 225 yds rushing without a dominant outing by the offensive line. The starting five led the way for Colby Kolda and Will Resel ended up playing every offensive line position but center. |
This week the Shop the West Athletes of the Week are Pierce Baumberger and Aleah Schlechter. Shop the West will be sponsoring the t-shirts for the athletes.
PIERCE BAUMBERGER - Pierce helps set the tone of expectation in each of our practices. He then follows through with that example at each of our meets. Pierce had an exceptional week in his back-to-back meet performances. At our first cross country meet of the season, Pierce placing 1st at the Mitchell Invitational. This was his 3rd consecutive crowing as meet champion. In capturing this year's title, Pierce the knocked 27 seconds off last year's performance. On Friday, Augustana University hosted the Twilight Invitational in Sioux Falls. In one of the most spectacular and highly competitive meets of our season, Pierce finished 16th, from a field that comprised of 422 runners from 5 states. He had outstanding performances in both meets. ALEAH SCHLECHTER- 24 kills, 18% kill efficiency and 86% kill percentage. Aleah switched roles last week because of a teammate’s injury and adapted her game to fit the expectations of the new position. Aleah is always trying to better the next ball and make sure her individual goals are cohesive with the team goals. |
If any community business, group, or individual would like to have an entry in the homecoming parade please call the school before 9 a.m. Friday, September 15th.
Entrants can still come Friday without calling, but a call would be appreciated. The parade lineup is at 12:30 p.m. in the armory parking lot. The parade route is the same as in past years. |
Junior outside hitter Aleah Schlechter's offense at the net last week earned her The Take Out Athlete of the Week. Aleah recorded 24 kills, 86% hitting, and 18% kill efficiency in the Rustlers’ two matches against Roncalli and Sully Buttes. Congratulations #5! Enjoy your hot eats or ice cream treat when you are at the window! |
The Integrated Science and Ag Plant Science classes went on a field trip to the Dakota Lakes Research Farm south of Pierre and then took a tour of the Mid Dakota Water Treatment Plant. At Dakota Lakes, they were out in the fields learning about healthy soil, crop rotation, cover crops, and other ag management practices. Thank you to Sam, Dwayne, Cody, and John for the great tour and for answering all our questions! And thank you to the folks at Mid Dakota for showing us all about where our water comes from and how it gets to us here in Miller! |
ACT STUDY SESSION OPPORTUNITY
Ms. Kristina Luczak, Miller High School teacher is offering a unique opportunity for students to complete an ACT study course over 4 weeks in Miller. There must be a minimum of 6 paid students on or before September 15th, or the class will be cancelled. The course will be opened to surrounding schools until the enrollment cap is reached, so get your registration in today!. The cost of the course is $50 per student, an excellent value for 8 hours of instruction in the areas of Math, English, Reading and Science in preparation for the ACT. All study materials will be provided. The next ACT exam in Miller is October 17, 2023 Classes would run from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the following dates:
Interested parties need to sign up NO LATER than September 15th so we can order materials. Please sign up by calling Robin at the Miller High School Office at 605-853-2455. Student cell phone number and email must be provided to register. Checks should be made payable to Miller School and brought on the first day of class. Cash is accepted, but no change will be available. |
Week 2 Bebo Beef player of the week:
DEREK BRUEGGEMAN - Derek has had to step into the hardest position to play as a sophomore and has been up to the challenge every day. This week he started the game with an interception but did not let it bother him and ended up throwing for 171 yds and 2 touchdowns, while also racking up 56 yds on the ground. Derek stays after practice almost everyday to practice throwing routes or anything else he needs to work on. He also is a leader in practice and in the weight room. |
The MHS athletic department would like to feature Male and Female Athlete of the Week. The first two recipients of this award are Madeline Nye and Alex Schumacher. From Coach McGough: Madeline and Alex are the leaders of the Cross Country team and they set the tone and expectations in practice. They set the standard to reach the teams ultimate goal. In the first race of the year Alex placed second, finishing only behind his teammate, and Madeline finished first. |
Congratulations to the MHS Cross Country Team on their success at the first meet of the season at Mitchell on August 28!
The varsity boys team won their division with Pierce Baumberger placing first, Alex Schumacher second, Isaiah Gortmaker fifth, Kellan Hurd ninth, Chase Hurd 15th, and Jaymin VanDerWerff 19th! The varsity girls also had an excellent outing with Madeline Nye placing first, Gabby Werdel second, Allie Gortmaker eighth, and Taytum Gortmaker ninth! The junior varsity and middle school athletes also had impressive results. An excellent start to a great year! Congratulations! |
Attention Elementary Families: The September addition of the Elementary Newsletter has been posted here - check out all the news from Mrs. B.K. |
The Minerva Chapter of National Honor Society hosted the Rustler Recognition assembly for the Junior & Senior High students. The purpose of the assembly is to bring the accomplishments and hard work of outstanding students in our school to the attention of all. Students were awarded medals & chevrons for academic achievement in the spring 2023 semester. Additionally, organizations and activities within the school were highlighted and Laura Evans performed a vocal solo. |
The Miller Area Foundation generously donated $5,000 to the Miller School to use towards the purchase of our new book vending machine.
Students will earn tokens that will be used to "purchase" books from the machine. The first group of students to earn books will be our students who were Super Summer Readers at the Miller Public Library this summer. Each student earned between 1,000 and 2,000 points from Librarian Hannah Caffee!! We are very proud of their efforts and thankful for the program! Mrs. B-K would like to thank the Miller Area Foundation for making this possible and School Librarian Jill Simpson for all of her efforts to get us this beautiful machine! |
Homecoming Week Activities:
|
Dress Up Days Themes:
|
THE RUSTLER ANGEL FUND
The Rustler Angel Fund has been set up to allow community members to give monetarily to support some of the various financial needs that our students and their families face with the start of the school year and also for on-going costs that may arise throughout the school year. We believe in the importance of the chance for all students to participate fully in educational opportunities. Examples of these costs may include school supplies, clothing needs, medical needs, music programs, and extracurricular sports/activities. Angel Funds may also be used to help families with outstanding food service balances. Donors are able to specify how they would like their donation distributed (example: for school supplies). All donors will have the option to remain anonymous. Donations may be sent to: Miller School District 29-4 Attn: Rustler Angel Fund PO Box 257 Miller, SD 57362 Please contact Courtney Van Zee or Sara Gates with any questions. |
The Week 1 Bebo Beef, Miller Rustler Football, Players of the Week were Colby Kolda and Aitor Ortega. Colby had 2 touchdowns on the night. One receiving and one defensive touchdown. Colby ended up with 118 total yards on the night. Aitor Ortega took over the kicking duties this year straight from Spain! Aitor went 4 for 4 on extra points. Congratulations! |
The Take Out Miller Rustler Athlete of the Week is Shaylee Anderberg. Week #1 awards the player with the following attributes during preseason practices: positive attitude, good character, great communication, energy, effort, and enthusiasm. Shaylee was selected by her teammates to be the winner of this first-ever award. Shaylee will pick her "prize" from the many delicious menu items at The Take Out. Congratulations #9! |
Mrs. Stevens' second graders did a variety of fun activities to kick off the new school year. Students completed an activity where they discovered things each other liked. or could do. They each made a Friendship Tree with thumbprints from their classmates. Time was also spent getting rid of extra energy by doing classroom brain breaks. We are ready for a great year! |
On Tuesday, August 15th from 4:00-8:00 p.m. there will be an Open House at the school for students and parents. A meal will be served in the Ag Shop from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Community members are also invited to come take a tour of the new Ag Shop from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Come and go. There is still a bit of work to be done, but it will be open to our students soon! Come check out our amazing new space! |
Attention: Incoming 7th Grade Students & Parents! On Tuesday, August 15, 2023, 7th grade students are invited to an orientation beginning at 1:00 p.m. Students will have the opportunity to review their schedules, tour the school, organize their lockers, and ask any questions they may have. 7th grade parents are invited to a separate orientation session at 5:30 p.m. in the high school theater on August 15th. |
If any community member would like to assist the elementary students by providing healthy snacks, that would be greatly appreciated! Examples of snacks include goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks, etc. Snacks can be dropped off at any time throughout the school year at the Elementary School Office. This is an area of need that helps so many children! Thank you for your generosity and support! |
On Tuesday, August 15th from 4:00-8:00 PM we will host our Open House. This provides a great opportunity for your child to bring his/her supplies to school, visit with teachers, and fill out yearly paperwork. You can also take a tour of the new Ag Shop! A meal will be served in the Ag Shop from 4:00-8:00 PM. |
Elementary Families check out the latest newsletter from Mrs. B.K. here!
Work continues in the new ag shop! The electricians and plumbers are finishing up and soon the shop equipment will be returning! Plans are for the work to be completed by early August - just in time for the new school year! Be watching for an announcement for a date for an Open House where the new shop will be open for the public to come see! |
Congratulations to the Boys and Girls Varsity Golf Teams on a great season!
The boys had two individual participants this year, Derek Brueggeman and James Fritzsche. The Girls Team took home the 3rd place team trophy with Kaihlyn Anderberg and Jayce Pugh tying for 3rd place individually, and teammates Cassie VanDerWerff and Mackenzie Kopecky contributing on the 3rd place finish. There will be a welcome home recognition at the Golf Course on Monday, June 12th at 5:30 p.m. |
Everyone is still welcome to join the Summer Lifting and Conditioning group. There are 3 times this year, 6:00 a.m., 7:30 a.m., and 1:00 p.m. If none of these times work for you please contact Coach Heasley at (605)695-0087 or [email protected] to figure out alternative times. This program is designed for athletes in all sports and levels. Cost is $120 per athlete and $60 for each additional athlete in the family. All proceeds go to a T-shirt for the athlete and for purchasing new equipment for the weight room. |
The fourth graders met with Mr. Ketelhut's junior students to make butter.
The fourth graders have read about making butter in early days during Laura Ingalls Wilder's and Almanzo's time and in SD history. They were quite impressed by the process, but they were surprised at how different the butter tasted! |
Congratulations to these students in Mrs. Gibson's third grade class for earning the most pizza coupons from Wessington Cenex! Cassadee Deuter and Kendyn Yost achieved every reading requirement each month to earn the coupons. Way to go, kids, and thank you, Wessington Cenex, for supporting our young readers! |
Mrs. Boomsma-Kelsey celebrated with the 3rd-6th grade students at extra recess times due to 97% of the students increasing their Smarter Balanced scaled scores from last year on the Reading, Math, or both tests!
She gave them a challenge, and they met it! The Miller Press donated ice cream bars for the students to enjoy as another way of congratulating them on their hard work and perseverance during the tests! Mrs. B-K is really proud of these students and appreciates their effort! |
What a beautiful day for Field Day! Thank you to the sponsors, parents, staff, and students for making it a great day! Have a fabulous summer!!
Mrs. Simpson has been working on an inventory of the elementary library and has found that our collection of Elementary Yearbooks is incomplete.
If anyone has any of these missing yearbooks and are willing to donate them to the Elementary Library, please contact Mrs. Simpson. Thank you! missing years: 2018-19 2015-16 2010-11 2009-10 2007-8 2006-7 2005-6 2004-5 2003-4 2001-2 2000-1 1999-2000 Anything earlier would be appreciated as well |
Rose Hill Baby Beef 4-H Club Treasurer Harper Duxbury presented Librarian Jill Simpson with a donation of $305 to use in the Elementary Library. Also pictured are 4-H members Adalie Winter, Lawson Wagner, Hadlee Duxbury, Elementary Principal Jennifer Boomsma-Kelsey, April Fallis, and Peyton Beare. Thank you for your generous donation and support of our school! |
Jean Johnson presented students with awards for the Americanism Contest. Cooper Swartzendruber (1st place Essay and 2nd place in our District), Alexander Van Zee (1st place Poetry and 1st place in our District), and Jessie Coyle (2nd place Poetry). Not pictured is Riley Moss (2nd place Essay). Ida Saienga (1st place Poetry and 1st place in our District), Cassadee Deuter (2nd place Poetry), and Fox Palmer (3rd place Poetry). Allyana Skinner, an 8th grade student in Mrs. DeBoer’s language arts class, won the civic essay writing contest sponsored by the Miller Auxiliary Legion. “How to be a good American citizen” was the topic of this year’s contest. |
Thank you to all the students who participated in the Lego Expo!
It was tough to get all 50 the exhibitors in one picture, so we took pictures on two separate days. There were over 50 entries in the Lego Expo! We are very proud of all of these students and their creativity! We can’t wait to see how many entries we get next year! |
The Fourth Grade class participated in the "Go Forth" program created by SD Game, Fish and Parks program. The students were given information about several animals found in South Dakota. They were able to touch different types of furs. Every student also received a coupon for a free one-hour equipment rental at any state park in South Dakota. The students loved this learning opportunity. Thank you SD Game, Fish, & Parks! |
Congratulations to Mr. Otteson! He has been chosen as the Teacher of the Week by Dakota Broadcasting
FFA week will be May 8-12.
Monday, May 8 - Dress up: Blue FFA jacket, farmer, or Mr. Ketelhut Tuesday, May 9 - Drive your tractor to school/ farm safety in north parking lot Wednesday, May 10 - Farmer olympics for elementary Thursday, May 11 - FFA community breakfast Friday, May 12 - Petting zoo by track concessions More information and times will be coming soon! |
Miller FCCLA attended state conference this past week. Miss Knox took six different groups that gave presentations. Level 1 Food Innovations came back with a top Gold Superior! The students had a blast competing, attending workshops, and listening to some great guest speakers, among which was Governor Kristi Noem and Representative Dusty Johnson! |
The Miller Elementary Student Council invites students in Grades KS-6 to submit entries in the Lego Expo on May 1.
The divisions will be grades KS-K, 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. The categories to enter are: * Creative Rustlers (make whatever you want), * Medieval or Futuristic, * Animated (needs to have at least one part that moves), * Transportation, and * Cities. Students that want to enter should bring their creations to the school on Monday, May 1st. Student Council Member Lincoln Beranek built a Lego trophy to promote the event. Thank you! |
The Miller students had a great day at the Redfield Spelling Bee!
We are so proud of them! They represented our school very well! First Grade: Malachi Jones-second place & Ella Saienga-third place Second Grade: Colten Kolda-third place & Henry Haier -second place Third Grade: Lincoln Beranek & Tiffanie Myre Fourth Grade: Jake Werdel-fourth place & Lucas Runge Fifth Grade: Grace Saienga & Quinnley Miner Sixth Grade: Sage Yost-third place & Blaten Werdel-first place Seventh Grade: Landon Tanner- first place & Cody Fanning-fourth place Eighth Grade: Autumn Flor-third place & Allyanna Skinner-first place |
|
On Wednesday, April 19th, music composer, publisher and marching arts designer Randall Standridge of Jonesborough, Arkansas met with members of the 6th grade and junior high bands via Zoom.
The purpose of this meeting was to give the band members an opportunity to meet the composer of some of the selections they have been rehearsing this year and to give them insight into the stories that inspired those selections. |
The Hand County Conservation District gave a presentation about Arbor Day to the third graders.
The students learned many fun facts about trees, while receiving rulers as prizes for correct answers. One very lucky student even won a free roll of toilet paper for his correct answer! Best of all, each student was given their very own tree to plant at home! The students were also informed about a contest they may enter to win some Miller Bucks. Thank you, Hand County Conservation District! |