Edgemont School District 23-1

Some of the Primary learners have been learning some new dance moves in PE. Check out this video of the macarena. Part of the audio has been muted because of copyright reasons, but you can still enjoy their moves. https://youtu.be/S5GC24h_eUg

Help wanted: We are looking for an energetic person to help clean our buildings! This is a part-time position (20 hours a week) and starts at $14.00/hour. We are also looking for substitutes for the kitchen and for the classrooms. This position gives a person a lot of choice about the number of hours they would like to work, as well as the age of children or the area they would like to be involved in the school. For more information, please contact Amy Ferley (605-662-7254), or apply by coming into the office for an application or on-line through our website (edgemont.k12.sd.us).

As we finish up our 12 Days of Mogul Christmas, we want to recognize the most significant feature of our school… it’s the Moguls themselves! Edgemont Mogul's past and present are part of an exclusive club of individuals. These individuals subscribe to a particular set of standards and beliefs. Edgemont Moguls are intelligent, kind, hardworking, generous, creative, and honorable. They have grit and show resilience in the face of adversity. Though Moguls eventually leave our classrooms, we know that our classrooms don’t leave their hearts. As they say, “Once a Mogul, Always a Mogul.” https://youtu.be/CJz6D07vFts

Edgemont truly has fantastic teachers and administrators. To celebrate the 11th day of the 12 Days of Mogul Christmas, we would like to recognize all the work teachers and administrators put into making Edgemont one of the best schools. The engaging lessons, the laugh-out-loud plays, the high ACT scores, and the walk across the graduation stage can all be attributed partly to an Edgemont teacher(s) or administrator(s). They give our students the gift of literacy and, in doing so, improve their students’ lives dramatically. Edgemont teachers empower their students to become independent, advocates, and, most importantly, employable! Teachers and administrators are never done with their work and rarely leave the school without student papers in tow to look over once home. They attend professional developments over the summer and constantly meet to evaluate the educational approach at Edgemont. Most importantly, teachers and administrators are often an added safety net for today’s youth. They not only work to serve the brains of young learners but also the body. They make sure the Dental Bus comes, bring in counselors, provide speech services, bring in nurses to teach health topics and also to provide health checks, provide flu shots, educate parents/ guardians about the dangers of the internet, feed students all day long, arrange Christmas gifts for those who might need a little help with providing Christmas cheer, and spot kids for the field trips that would otherwise be financially impossible. They act as watchdogs to protect our students both on and off campus. Simply put, teachers and administrators do more than “just teach.” They wipe tears and put bandaids on knees and elbows and give parents the piece of mind that their child is cared for while they leave them for the school day. Teachers and administrators are honored to do the work and choose to do it year after year, despite the ever-changing circumstances they face. If Covid 19 has taught us anything, it is that we need schools and excellent teachers and administrators to fill them. The staff from Edgemont School wishes you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

School board members are the unsung heroes in communities throughout the country. They establish the vision and goals for the public schools in their district, and they set standards for the performance of schools and superintendents. Most school board members are elected by people in their community to represent their values, views, and desires for the public schools in their district. As selected leaders in their community, they consistently communicate with the public to keep community members abreast of challenges, ideas, and progress. School board members are tasked with an important responsibility: educating nearly 50 million children – almost nine out of every 10 students – who receive their education in public schools. Board members are more than policy-makers and administrators; they are advocates for students and their parents and entrusted to engineer a better future. We know part of the puzzle that makes Moguls great is our school board. We’d also like to recognize that our current School Board President, Gary Darrow, has been School Board President for ten years now. Also, Susan Humiston has been on the Edgemont School Board since 1991 and the State School Board Association, ASBSD, for more than 20 years! Thank you Gary Darrow, Susan Humiston, Shane Miller, Justin Printz, and Dustin Ross for all you do for the Mogul family!

The Primary Class spent part of their time together on Tuesday making Gingerbread houses and trying lefse. Thank you to Mrs. Hollenbeck and the high schoolers who shared the Norwegian tradition of lefse.

Teacher aides, or teacher assistants, work with a teacher in the classroom to provide extra help and attention to students. They help enforce classroom rules and help supervise children during free-time like recess and lunch. They may work with students one-on-one or in groups to help reinforce lessons the teacher discussed. Teacher aides often help teachers track assignments and attendance, prepare lesson materials and equipment and more. Ultimately teacher aides make a big difference in the classroom and help our students achieve their greatest potential. Moguls are great because they have awesome adults on their team supporting their learning throughout the day. Classroom aides are an important part of that team and we are so grateful for all the love and care they bring to their position. Thank you classroom aides for all you do!

To celebrate the eighth day of Mogul Christmas, let’s take a moment to recognize all the real world learning that takes place in Edgemont. Teachers at Edgemont utilize Project Based Learning to engage students to learn in new and exciting ways. Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. In Project Based Learning, teachers make learning come alive for students. Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience. As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills. Project Based Learning unleashes a contagious, creative energy among students and teachers. While teachers of all ages utilize this approach in Edgemont, some of the most recognizable examples of Project Based Learning in Edgemont are our Senior Experience Projects. Each year seniors complete a Capstone experience that requires seniors to work on a project of their choice for the entirety of the year. This project is no small feat and often requires a minimum of 20 hours dedicated to a product, a ten page research paper, two presentations (one 15 minute and 30 minute presentation), work with a mentor and advisor, and a portfolio entailing all of their work. The entire process often takes hundreds of hours. While this process is tedious for seniors, it is the culmination of many years practice at Project Based Learning. The hope is that students leave school with more than just a minimum understanding of course material but rather the ability problem solve, network, and self direct their learning. Check out the images below to see some examples of Project Based Learning happening in Edgemont.

Edgemont Moguls are amazing musicians. Mrs. Hollenbeck, our music teacher, guides learners through their years at Edgemont to grow from humble kindergartners to senior stars on the stage. The magic she creates is the result of exposing kids to years music, plays, instruments, and culture. As a result of her efforts and those supporting her, Moguls have graced stages across the nation. We are proud of our musical heritage at Edgemont and we will continue to shine through our musical talents. Thank you for supporting the Mogul Arts. Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. - Victor Hugo

“They (Veterans) didn’t go to war because they loved fighting. They were called to be part of something bigger than themselves. They were ordinary people, responding in extraordinary ways, in extreme times.” - Col. Terry DeRouchey Edgemont Moguls are proud Americans. We recognize that our Veterans make our school and community better and we are thankful for their service. Edgemont School is proud to both employ Veterans and teach the children of local Veterans. We honor them in many ways including: - Having a different elementary student lead the Pledge of Allegiance on the school loud speaker daily - Upper Elementary students hang the American flag on the flag pole daily - Participating in the annual Veterans Day Program - Holding American History and Civics classes - Practicing civil discourse in our classes daily - Singing and playing the National Anthem before games - Showing our gratitude through service - Participating in VFW Essay competitions annually Edgemont Moguls are grateful for our American rights and for those who defend them. If you haven’t had a chance to see this year’s Veterans Day Program or you’d like to see it again please check out the program out below. It is shown in a series of 4 YouTube videos posted below on a playlist. Thank you again Veterans. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFHu28oY_ibY-_Z4_vdnJQ0aff3WOfFZy

Edgemont Moguls are blessed to have many fun traditions that have been passed from year to year. Our traditions set us apart from a world that continues to conform and institutionalize our holidays and practices. They help a make a Mogul. Some of our favorite traditions include: - Seniors spray painting their names on the Football Field at Homecoming - Freshmen painting the “E” - Burning of the “E” - Elementary Halloween Parade through the school - Formal Christmas concerts - Finding the runaway gingerbread men in Elementary Spanish - Cooking with the Kindergartners - Passing the Mogul Throne to the next lucky recipient - Seniors passing out flowers to their family and friends and graduation - Reading Dr. Seuss for Read Across America Week - Pop-sickles on the first and last day of school Each tradition we partake in remind us that we are uniquely Mogul. We take pride in our traditions and will continue to practice them into the future in hopes of fostering the next generation of Moguls. Do you have a favorite Edgemont Mogul tradition?

Edgemont has amazing athletes. We are so proud of all the hard work they and their coaches put into the game each season. Win or lose, we know that our students leave better people after finishing a sports season. Check out the video below of former Edgemont graduate and two time Track State Champion, Morgan Peterson, Class of 2022. We might be a small school but we are mighty. Come watch our girls basketball team play December 19 at Noon. Also, check out the boys and girls basketball team on December 30 at Buffalo at Noon. Go Moguls! https://youtu.be/jvb0Gb_FEwY

To celebrate our third day of Mogul Christmas we would like to recognize Edgemont's awesome FFA Chapter. Under the guidance of our ambitious FFA Advisor, Brady Joseph, our chapter has grown since its inaugural year and our students continue to further their knowledge of agriculture science all while making lifelong friends along the way. A new addition to the curriculum this year is Food Science and it is fun to see students in the Home Economics room practicing their newfound skills. Also, the Edgemont FFA invites you to their Second Annual Dodgeball Tournament this Saturday. Six man teams are invited to enter for $25. The tournament takes place at noon in the Edgemont Gym. There will also be a $5 Taco Bar. We hope to see you there! The Edgemont FFA is grateful for the outpouring of support our community has shown them. The Edgemont FFA wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I am so sorry for the late notice, but we are going to postpone our elementary concert that was scheduled for tonight until Monday, December 19 at 6:30. Stay safe and stay warm!

We’re on the second day of our 12 Days of Mogul Christmas. Each day we will share another reason why Edgemont Moguls are awesome. Today we will focus on art because we have a lot of great Mogul artists both past and present. Mrs. Cortney, our talented art teacher, always has a new challenge for her learners and one of her recent endeavors required the elementary students to draw their teachers. Needless to say, the drawings have been a hit with both teachers and students. Check them out below. Remember to check out student art at the upcoming Fine Arts Fair on April 3, 2023. Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and color, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end of the day. — Winston Churchill.

We've continued "traveling" to other countries to learn how they celebrate the holidays. We've visited Germany, Australia, and Russia.

So sorry!! 10:00 am start for school Wednesday, December 14!

We are going to have a late start on Wednesday, December 14. Stay safe and warm! High school students, make sure you log into Canvas and check your emails! Your reviews are posted and we really wan you to be ready for finals!

To celebrate the 12 days until Christmas we are going to feature 12 reasons it’s awesome to be a Mogul. Each day will feature a different aspect of what makes Moguls great. Today we celebrate the language learning that happens everyday in Edgemont Schools. Students k-12 have access to Spanish classes and new this year we have American Sign Language available to Middle School students. Furthermore, one of our seniors, Bridget Neville, is learning American Sign Language for her Senior Project and is working with the school of the Deaf. We are proud of Edgemont students past and present and love to see where their love of learning languages will take them! To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world. – Chinese Proverb

We will not have school on Tuesday, December 13, due to the upcoming winter weather. Please stay warm and stay safe!