Montevideo Public Schools

Montevideo Public Schools will be open until 4:00 today for early voting in the district office located at the Montevideo Middle School. A reminder that the district office will be closed on Thursday, October 19, and Friday, October 20 due to MEA Fall break. Please take advantage of the opportunity to cast your vote.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! This week's spotlight shines on Melissa Erp. Melissa has been a Title One teacher for the school district since 2013. Melissa is from Montevideo and is a Montevideo High School graduate. She received her college education and degrees from Willmar Community & Technical College and Southwest State University in Marshall. Melissa has two children, Meghan and Justin. Her daughter Meghan is in her 4th year at NDSU, and her son Justin is a junior here at Montevideo High School. Melissa has been a Minnesota State High School League Dance Team Official since 1999. This keeps Melissa busy and in the stands during the winter months, and it allows her to do a little something extra with her daughter as she is a dance team official too. In the summer months, you can find Melissa back in the stands again, as she and Bryce attend many racing events at area racetracks cheering on her son who is a race car driver. Go #32J!! A fun fact about Melissa is that she loves 80’s TV shows, movies and music! We are proud to have you on our team, Melissa! Thanks for all that you do! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

Mark your calendar and plan to join us for the first high school band and choir concert of the year! Monday, October 30th* 7:00 p.m. at High School Gymnasium *Note the calendar change - NOT Monday, October 23rd as printed in the 2023-24 Calendar & Information Resource.

Montevideo Public Schools will be open for early voting this week Monday-Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the district office located at Montevideo Middle School. The district office will be closed on Thursday and Friday due to MEA Fall break. There are 2 weeks left of early voting, please take advantage of this opportunity to cast your vote.

Question of the week! Q: If both referendum questions pass, how much will the State of Minnesota pay towards the referendum? A: If both referendum questions pass, the State of Minnesota will pay approximately $25,137,100 towards the total referendum amount of $61,310,000. In addition, don't forget to join us for our community information sessions being held tonight and tomorrow! Tonight at 6:00 p.m. @ Talking Waters Tomorrow at Noon @ the Community Center #MontevideoForward

SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER No School - October 18-20, 2023 October 18 - Staff Development Day October 19 & 20 - Fall Break

Montevideo High School was proud to host our Minnesota Supreme Court Justice's for a day. Students and Staff heard oral arguments from both sides of a current appeals case in our gymnasium. There was even a Q & A session once the arguments commenced. Students from Dawson-Boyd, Lac qui Parle Valley, Yellow Medicine East, and Maccray joined our High School students for this once in a lifetime event. Our students created a menu, prepared, and served lunch to the Justice's and their staff. Click the Fox9news link below for a quick clip of the case. https://www.fox9.com/video/1294358

What's the difference between the last referendum and this referendum? We took the feedback we were given from the previously failed referendum and explored options for our schools' facilities planning resulting in an overall cost reduction of $5 million. Continuing our vision of Investing Today in Our Community's Tomorrow, we've reduced the tax impact while keeping the important learning areas at the forefront of the schools' design to provide modernized learning environments for all grade levels. Check out our website for more information on the referendum: https://www.montevideoschools.org/page/referendum #MontevideoForward

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! This week's spotlight shines on Rachel Paradee. Rachel is a Special Education paraprofessional at the Montevideo Middle School. She has worked for the school district for three years. Rachel's hometown is Sacred Heart, MN. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, camping, swimming at the lake, bonfires, and boating with her children. Rachel says, "The middle school is a great place to work and the staff is super kind and fun to work with!" We are proud to have you on our team, Rachel! Thank you for your service to our students and staff at MMS. #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

We are proud to congratulate our Social Worker, Charlynn Dahl who has been awarded the Minnesota School Social Worker of the Year for 2023. Click the link below for a bio on Mrs. Dahl. https://msswa.wildapricot.org/2023-School-Social-Worker-of-the-Year

Did you know there are tax programs available that property owners may qualify for? They include: Minnesota Homestead Credit Refund, Special Property Tax Refund, and Senior Citizen Property Tax Deferral. Learn more about these programs on our Referendum website: https://www.montevideoschools.org/page/referendum Attend an upcoming Community Info Session to learn more: Monday, October 16, 6:00 p.m. at Talking Waters, Montevideo Tuesday, October 17, 12:00 Noon at Montevideo Community Center Thursday, October 26, 6:00 p.m. at Montevideo High School #MontevideoForward

SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER Friday, October 6th is an Early Dismissal - Staff Development Day for the Thunder Hawks. Early dismissal times are: Ramsey 1:15 pm Sanford 1:20 pm MHS 1:25 pm MMS 1:30 pm

Keep an eye out for a mailer being delivered to all resident mailboxes soon with information about the district's facilities referendum! #MontevideoForward INVESTING TODAY IN OUR COMMUNITY'S TOMORROW

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! This week's spotlight shines on Sheila Koepke. Sheila is a Special Education teacher at the Montevideo High School, and she is the Jr. Class/Prom Advisor. She has been a Special Education teacher for 28 years, the last six years in Montevideo. Sheila's hometown is Granite Falls. She graduated as a Granite Falls High School Kilowatt. Sheila earned her undergraduate degree at Southwest State University and a Master's degree at St. Cloud State University. Sheila is married with two adult children. She enjoys spending time with her granddaughter and helping keep the family farm running. Sheila says, "I am a believer in the saying that it takes a village to raise a child. I am grateful for the many opportunities that the Montevideo community provides for our youth and the support they show our kids." Thank you, Sheila, for all that you do! Your hard work, dedication and passion for teaching are truly appreciated. #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

A BIG shoutout to our custodial and maintenance staff at Montevideo Public Schools! Today we celebrate National Custodian Day!✨ While many may not see the magic you work behind the scenes, we do! Your tireless efforts to keep our learning spaces at their best do not go unnoticed. On National Custodian Day, we want to thank you and tell you how much we appreciate you and value your dedication and contributions. You are a vital part of our school family! #HawkPride

Question of the week! Q: When and how can I vote on the referendum questions? A: There are three ways you can vote: - In-person, absentee/early voting at the District Office in the Montevideo Middle School, 2001 William Avenue, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:00pm now until November 6 - Request an absentee ballot by calling the School District Office at 320-269-8833 or E-mail: election@montevideoschools.org - In-person voting on November 7 Election Day at the National Guard Training and Community Center between 7:00am-8:00pm #MontevideoForward Investing Today In Our Community's Tomorrow

Please take a moment to watch Mr. McKittrick's latest Superintendent's stream with important information on the upcoming referendum. https://youtu.be/DDdSJEHYAe8 Have a great day! Go Hawks!

The sophomore class attended the Career Expo at SMSU to learn more about careers, labor market info and toured the campus. It was great to talk with a couple of MHS 2023 grads who were representing their colleges at the Expo. The sophomores also completed a formal career assessment when we returned to school which is an important first step to developing their future career paths. They were very engaged and represented Montevideo well!

The Minnesota Judicial Branch - Eighth Judicial District, has chosen Montevideo Senior High School as the location to hear oral arguments of a real case on October 11th. This program will give students an opportunity to witness the Court at work and interact with the justices.

It's Homecoming week which means that our recent alumni/college students might be visiting home this week and attending the Homecoming football game this Friday! Don't miss your chance to vote on the two referendum questions listed on the ballot for the November 7 special elections with early voting available at the District Office. We hope you'll cast your vote while home. #MontevideoForward