As we enter this time of the year, I often receive questions regarding how our District makes weather-related decisions. I would like to take this opportunity to share a bit about our process.

When determining whether to have in-person school, implement an e-Learning Day, or have a late start, we consider various factors. Our decision-making process involves analyzing multiple weather forecasting models, including input from the National Weather Service specifically tailored to our immediate area. We not only assess the current weather conditions but also take into account the predicted conditions for the entire school day.

Ensuring the safety of our students and staff is our utmost priority. We closely monitor temperatures, including wind chills, particularly during the times when students would be waiting at bus stops or walking to our buildings. If these temperatures pose a danger, it influences our decision-making. Living in southwest Minnesota, we are well aware of the impact of strong winds. Blowing snow can often prove to be more problematic on our roads than falling snow. Therefore, we collaborate with our bus company and leadership in our district drive to assess true road conditions.

As we begin the budget development process for the upcoming year, we have spent time this month reviewing our enrollment numbers and projections for future years. We are pleased to see more consistent numbers across grade levels compared to last year. Currently, our enrollment stands at 2525 students, excluding Preschool. This is a relatively stable figure, as we were at 2530 students on Jan. 1 last year. Despite individual fluctuations in student adds and drops, we observed more new enrollments in December than usual, and are projecting steady enrollment for the next year. As we are now beginning the work of building a budget for next year, this data serves as the foundation for our discussions.

This year, we have introduced an early childhood literacy team, which will meet monthly to discuss best practices in structured literacy, pacing guides, and updates regarding the READ act.

We are proud to announce the start of a new semester of classes for Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE). It is encouraging to see classes filling up early in the registration process, reflecting the enthusiasm among families for the opportunities offered by ECFE.

At Park Side, our focus this year revolves around developing students’ background knowledge and vocabulary. Monthly themes are incorporated, including “WOW words” – schoolwide vocabulary words used throughout the month to expand student language skills.

Our commitment to fostering a positive learning environment at Park Side is further exemplified by the implementation of the Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS) model. This research-based strategy aims to reduce problem behavior that hinders student achievement. By establishing consistent behavior expectations and providing support, we can regain valuable instructional time, equivalent to an average of four extra days of student instruction per year.

At Southview, our dedicated Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) teachers are utilizing the Second Step Curriculum to deliver weekly lessons to all students. This curriculum empowers students to build crucial social-emotional skills such as fostering positive relationships, managing emotions, and setting goals. By incorporating web-based materials and videos, teachers can facilitate discussions on everyday scenarios that resonate with students.

Based on winter assessment data, students eligible for English Learner (EL) services will be regrouped. At Southview, we are also implementing a new approach to pull students from core classrooms, ensuring that all EL teachers can collaborate, and group students based on similar needs. This will minimize disruptions to core teachers’ instruction time and provide more flexibility in catering to individual student needs and growth.

Our Middle School student council has hit the ground running after winter break with a bake sale and is planning various events such as a food drive for the local food shelf and Val-o-grams in February.

For our high school students, we are in the final stages of completing the 2024-2025 registration book. We will be meeting with 8th grade students from feeder schools in January and February to start the registration process.

To prepare our juniors (Class of 2025) for the statewide ACT exam on April 9, we are participating in the “On to College with John Baylor” ACT preparation program during lunchtime. This program will begin on January 29 and will utilize 30 minutes of the one-hour lunch period.

Recently, MPS staff attended a meeting with members of the Highway 23 Safety Coalition to review traffic patterns, discuss student driving behaviors, and propose traffic changes to enhance the safety of the intersection at the north end of Tiger Drive. It was a productive meeting involving various stakeholders. We continue to encourage students traveling from the Marshall city limits to enter Tiger Drive from Northbound Highway 23, making a right turn. Similarly, when leaving the school, we advise students to exit onto Highway 19, ensuring a right turn into a dedicated lane.

Our Work Experience Coordinator, Shanda Walker, arranged for local employers to visit MATEC advisory time in December to discuss interviewing skills with our students. This two-week program allowed students to learn about employers’ expectations, the types of questions typically asked in interviews, and gain valuable insights into different career paths.

In our welding and automotive classes, students continue to benefit from hands-on, project-based learning opportunities. Welders are using metal scraps to build various projects, while automotive students are engaged in diverse projects such as engine repairs, brake and suspension work, and fixing exhaust leaks. Such experiences foster curiosity and keep students engaged in the classroom.

In the MATEC “Living on Your Own” class, students have enjoyed engaging in various cooking activities, including making omelets in a bag, tater-tot hotdish, homemade cookies, and BBQ/sloppy joes. These meals were shared with the students on December 22nd before the holiday break.

We are proud to announce that Coach Marie Sample, the Girls Cross Country coach, was awarded the MN CC Coach of the Year by the “US Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association.” We commend Coach Sample and her programs for their outstanding achievements during her tenure at Marshall.

Efforts are also underway to upgrade our practice baseball and softball facilities. Maintenance work, including the addition of a significant amount of aglime, was completed in December. We look forward to a fantastic spring to finalize the project.

The MHS Boys Basketball Boosters, along with SMSU, hosted the annual BBB Holiday Showcase. This event brought together 11 area teams to Marshall, and the Tigers went 2-0.

Our Tiger speech team is preparing for an upcoming competition. Under the guidance of Coach Donna Van Keulen, the team has successfully involved more students in this exceptional program this year.

After 30 years of dedicated service to MPS, Lonnie Mercie, lead custodian at Park Side, has retired. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Lonnie for his hard work and commitment to the district.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement in our educational community. Together, we will strive for excellence and ensure a bright future for our students.