Montevideo Public Schools

Reminder: Join us tonight for Letters & Art Night at Ramsey Elementary School! 5-6pm: Free pizza dinner, celebrate the art of your pre-K to 5th grader on display 5:30-6:30pm: Read with a "celebrity reader" guest, take home a new book We hope to see you at this free & fun family event!

We all want our children to work hard and learn to be responsible members of the community. Every day, our Montevideo Public School board members are leading the way by example. They give hours of their time so our children can have a first-rate education. Thank a school board member today!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! This week we are proud to shine a spotlight on Kelly Bednar! Kelly teaches third grade at Sanford Elementary School, coaches Junior High track, and enjoys helping out with the volleyball program as well. She has worked in the district for seven years. Kelly grew up in Ramona, South Dakota. She is a graduate of South Dakota State University (SDSU) with a degree in Early Childhood Education, an English Second Language endorsement and an Elementary Education Certification. Kelly received a Master of Science in Education with Reading emphasis degree through Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU). Kelly and her husband Joe have two sons, Brooks (4) and Hayes (1), that keep them on their toes. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys spending time with family, going to the lake in the summer, exercising, baking and house renovating. A fun fact about Kelly is she has as many siblings as she did high school classmates – four! We are grateful to have you on our team, Kelly! Thanks for your hard work and dedication to teaching and coaching! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

Today is School Bus Driver Appreciation Day in Minnesota! School bus drivers play a crucial role in our school systems and are important figures in children's lives. We appreciate and recognize the invaluable contributions they make to public education and student safety. Join us in thanking all of the Montevideo school bus drivers at Clark Transportation for going above and beyond every day to safely transport our students to school, to activities, and back home. They are: Dennis Clark, Roland Clark, Gerri West, Dale Janssen, Matthew Olson, Brian Clark, Paul Toft, Shelly Larson, Bradley Larson, Steven Evenson, Paul Dezeeuw, Amy Dingfelder, Julius Hamann, Lou Kuno, Caty Fowler, Robb Miller, Kipp Yackley, Amy Reidinger, Kelly Aalfs, John Albrecht, Kevin Norman, Jake Fiscus, Chloe Nelson and Allen Angrimson. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO! #HAWKPRIDE

SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER NO SCHOOL - Friday, February 16 & Monday, February 19th Have a nice Presidents' Day Break!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! We are proud to shine this week’s spotlight on Gregg Zeidler! Gregg teaches first grade at Ramsey Elementary School, and this is his sixth year at Montevideo Public Schools. Gregg grew up on a dairy farm in Annandale, Minnesota. He is married to Kristin who works as a Title I teacher at Ramsey. They will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this year! Gregg and Kristin have three daughters. Shaylee graduated from Montevideo this past year. Calli is in 10th grade, and Lily is in 8th grade. Gregg enjoys traveling with his family and the planning involved, as well as keeping track of the Minnesota sports teams. Gregg says, “I have been so appreciative being part of the Thunder Hawk community and seeing the positive impact that a wide variety of adults have made in my daughters' lives. There are so many individuals who genuinely care for our students. We are truly better together.” Your dedication to teaching and genuine care for your students truly makes a difference, Gregg. Thanks for all you do! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! We are proud to shine this week’s spotlight on Janelle DeZeeuw! Janelle is a Food Service/District Office Administrative Assistant. She started with the school district in 2017 as a part-time administrative assistant in the middle school office. She moved to her current, full-time position in the district office in 2018. Janelle grew up on a farm north of Montevideo, and she attended Ramsey Elementary School (K-5), Central Middle School (6-9), and Montevideo High School (10-12). Janelle’s husband Jim is a fuel transport driver for CHS. They have two adult boys, Adam and Tyler, who are both engaged to be married. Their youngest son lives and works in Montevideo, and their oldest son lives and works in the Twin Cities area. Janelle & Jim have one pet cat named Moose who tolerates them living in “his” house! Janelle’s hobbies include reading, puzzles, playing games, camping, snowmobiling, boating & ATV trail riding. She also loves to travel, exploring new areas of the state and country. She doesn’t always get her way, but when Janelle and her husband travel, she loves turning off the main route and trying a different way. She says, “You never know what memory you might make, or things you might see or learn about, by getting off the beaten path.” Your dedication and hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, Janelle. Thank you so much for all you do! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

This week is National School Counseling Week 2024, "School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused," sponsored by the American School Counselor Association. Montevideo Public Schools would like to recognize our high school counselor Gabby Mazer for being actively engaged in helping students and focusing on positive ways to enhance students' academic, career and social/emotional development. Thank you for all you do each and every day to help our students succeed, Gabby! #HawkPride #NSCW

HELLO FEBRUARY! SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER Friday, February 2nd is an Early Dismissal - Staff Development Day Friday, February 16 & Monday, February 19 - NO SCHOOL - Presidents' Day Break

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! Shining in this week’s spotlight is Maddie Sletta. Maddie teaches seventh grade science at the Montevideo Middle School, and she is the head coach of the Thunder Hawk softball team. This year is Maddie’s seventh year teaching in Montevideo. Maddie is from New Ulm, Minnesota. She graduated from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, and she received a Master’s degree from Western Governors University in Middle Level Science. Maddie and her husband Tom have a two-year-old son named Ray. They live on a hobby farm outside of town so they have many pets and projects to tend to. Maddie’s hobbies include coaching softball in the spring and summer, gardening, traveling, hunting, fishing and many other outdoor activities. Maddie says, “It’s been fun getting involved with the Thunder Hawk community and getting to know so many great people!” We’re proud to have you on our team, Maddie, and we appreciate your dedication to teaching and coaching and your years of service. Thanks so much for all you do! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

Just a reminder - the Montevideo Senior Class has their Annual Scholarship Supper this Friday night, January 26. This will be the 53rd Annual Supper!! Montevideo will also be hosting a boys/girls basketball doubleheader on Friday. GIRLS BASKETBALL C - 4:00 TACC JV - 4:00 HS Gym Varsity - 5:30 HS Gym BOYS BASKETBALL C - 4:30 MMS JV - 5:30 TACC Varsity - 7:15 HS Gym

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! Shining in this week’s spotlight is Samantha Nokleby. Samantha is a Title I Teacher at Sanford Elementary School. This is her 8th year, six years at Ramsey Elementary School and the last two years at Sanford. Samantha is from Montevideo, and she is a 2012 graduate of Montevideo High School. She received a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota, Morris. Outside of work, Samantha likes to spend time with family and friends, bake, read, play piano and travel. A fun fact about Samantha is that she has a goal to visit all 50 states and all national parks, so during summer break she tries to hit as many new states and parks as she can! We’re proud to have you on our team, Samantha, and we appreciate your hard work and dedication. Thanks so much for all you do! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER: Friday, January 19th - Early Dismissal Day and End of Quarter 2 Monday, January 22nd - No School

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! We are proud to shine this week’s spotlight on Michael Oellien. Michael’s career journey has taken him from working at Mentor Network in Marshall, MN to becoming a Special Education Paraprofessional at Ramsey Elementary School. Michael’s hometown is Montevideo, where he grew up with his parents, Doug and Laura, and two older sisters, Amanda and Samantha. Michael has an AS degree in Computer Science. Outside of work, Michael enjoys spending time with friends, whether it’s watching TV and movies, playing board games, or simply catching up. Some hobbies that he enjoys are drawing, reading, and coin collecting. Micheal’s favorite quote is: Even dust can make a mountain. We’re so glad you’re on our team, Michael! Thanks for all of your assistance and support to our teachers and students at Ramsey Elementary School! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER: Monday, January 15th - Staff Development Day No School for Students Friday, January 19th - Early Dismissal Day End of Quarter 2 Monday, January 22nd - No School

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! We are proud to shine this week’s spotlight on Brittany Zamora! Brittany teaches fifth grade at the Montevideo Middle School. She joined our team of educators in August 2015. Brittany’s hometown is Starbuck, Minnesota. She graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) with a degree in Elementary Education, and she received a Master’s degree from Western Governors University in Technology and Instruction. Brittany is a coach for both boys and girls swimming. Her husband Fernando is a math teacher at the Montevideo High School. They have a son named Kyzer and a black lab named Meeko. Brittany’s hobbies include swimming, spending time with family, going to the lake in the summer, fishing and baking. Brittany says, “It has been so much being a Thunder Hawk! It is a great community with awesome people who support each other.” We’re so happy to have you on our team, Brittany! Your hard work, dedication, and passion for teaching and coaching are truly appreciated! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! Shining in this week’s spotlight is Ana Pineda, second-year teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL) at the Montevideo High School. Ana was born in Honduras and came to Montevideo in 2013. She is a Montevideo High School graduate, and she received her Bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota. Ana started working for Montevideo Schools as a paraprofessional shortly after she graduated from high school. She worked as a School Success Coordinator at the high school before getting her teaching position. Outside of work, Ana enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, and going on walks and to the movie theater with her husband. Ana says, “I feel fortunate to be part of the Thunder Hawk Community. It has been a great experience to work with wonderful staff and students.” We’re proud to have you on our team, Ana! Thank you for your dedication and hard work in all of your positions at Montevideo High School! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

On behalf of the Montevideo Public Schools School Board, we wish you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Have a safe and joyful winter break!

Please tune in to the latest Superintendent Stream. Happy Holidays to all! https://youtu.be/Bfwd9QWdYi4

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! Shining in this week’s spotlight is Molli Tostenson, Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) servicing grades 3-12. Molli is also a JH volleyball coach. This year is Molli’s fifth year with Montevideo Public Schools. Molli grew up in Montevideo and graduated from Montevideo High School. She received an undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders and a Master of Science degree in Speech Pathology from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is married to Ryan Tostenson (fellow Monte graduate), and they have one daughter Everly (4) and a yellow lab Laela. Molli enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching sports, going to concerts, golfing, traveling and relaxing at the lake. Molli says, “As a fellow Thunder Hawk graduate, I am blessed to be back in town to help the students in our community become successful communicators! It is also so fun to work alongside some of the teachers I had. I have so much fun watching my nieces and nephews play as Thunder Hawks in all of their extracurricular events. I'm excited to watch my daughter start her education here with a great group of educators and staff!” We’re proud to have you on our team, Molli! Thank you for being an exceptional teacher and for making a difference in the lives of our students. #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation