Montevideo Public Schools

📆SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER:

NO SCHOOL
Friday, August 29th &
Monday, September 1st - Labor Day

Meet Brady Kienitz, one of our new teachers at Sanford Elementary School!

Hello! My name is Brady Kienitz and I recently graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St.Peter, MN, where I majored in Elementary Education and played on the men’s basketball team. I graduated high school from MACCRAY in 2021. My parents are Wendell and Kelli Kienitz, and I have two sisters, Katie and Trisha, and two brother-in-laws, Michael and Jake. In my free time, I love playing and coaching all sports and going out on the lake! I will be teaching 4th grade and will also serve as C-squad boys basketball coach and a junior high baseball coach. I am super excited to be a Thunder Hawk!

Help us give Mr. Kienitz a warm welcome to the Thunder Hawk team!

Meet Emily Frank, our new music teacher at Sanford Elementary School!

Hello! My name is Mrs. Frank. I am thrilled to be the new music teacher at Sanford Elementary School! I grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where I fell in love with making music anywhere I could. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Luther College, where I also met my husband, Mr. Frank, while playing the saxophone! I recently graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with my Master's degree in Instrumental Performance. In my free time, I love to explore state and national parks, spend time with my cat Tabby, and make delicious food with my husband. I am excited to start making music with the students in Montevideo!

Help us give Mrs. Frank a warm welcome to the Thunder Hawk team!

Meet Jody Gatchell!
Jody joined our team in May of this year as our new Director of Maintenance & Grounds for the school district.

A little bit about Jody...he is a U.S. Army veteran, lifelong entrepreneur, and dedicated community leader. After serving 8.5 years in the military, Jody built and ran a successful auto body repair and refinishing business in Arkansas for 25 years before selling it to move back to Minnesota. Outside of his professional role, Jody is passionate about health, fitness, and became a nutritional coach to help others start on their own health and fitness journey.

Welcome to the Thunder Hawk team, Jody!

We welcome our Thunder Hawk staff to the 2025-2026 school year! It was great to see everyone for an exciting kick off to another academic year. Congratulations to Kati Birhanzl, Career Coordinator at the Montevideo High School, named Montevideo Teacher of the Year!

We look forward to welcoming students back to school on Monday, August 25th! It’s a great time to be a Thunder Hawk!

Reminder: Open House - Tuesday, August 19th.

We are excited to welcome Mike Trewick to the Thunder Hawk team as our new Activities Director at Montevideo Public Schools! Please join us in giving Mike a warm Thunder Hawk welcome!

"Hello Thunder Hawk families! My name is Mike Trewick, and I am your new Activities Director. I am excited to join the Montevideo community that has such a rich history in its Activities and Athletics. I have spent the last 16 years as part of the St. Cloud School District, most recently as a Dean of Students and coach at St. Cloud Apollo High School. For over 30 years I have been lucky enough to coach and work with amazing student athletes at St. John's, St. Mary's and St. Cloud. Let's work together to help and empower our students to reach their full potential. Go, Thunder Hawks!"

The Montevideo School Board recognized A.D. Jesse Nelson for his exemplary performance during his tenure at the school district. Congratulations, Jesse! Best wishes as you begin your next endeavor! #HawkPride

ATTENTION! WE ARE HIRING!
Come & work with us at Montevideo Public Schools! Earn a competitive wage and health insurance benefits! There are many job openings at the Montevideo Public Schools that begin right away. Get paid for on-the-job training!

The Montevideo School District has immediate openings for the following positions:
1. 14 paraprofessionals
2. Five food service employees
3. One person to help in the library at an elementary school.

How to apply:
1. Go to the Montevideo school district website and apply online today! https://www.montevideoschools.org/page/employment
2. Call the Montevideo School District at 320-269-8833.

Join our team!

Online Registration for the 2025–2026 school year is now OPEN! Please log in to the JMC Portal on the school's website at www.montevideoschools.org to complete your student's registration, update contact information, sign forms, and pay student expenses, including Chromebook Insurance. Complete your student's registration by Open House, Tuesday, August 19th. If you have any questions, feel free to contact your school office. Thank you for helping us get ready for a great year!

¡La inscripción en línea para el año escolar 2025-2026 ya está ABIERTA! Inicie sesión en el portal de JMC en el sitio web de la escuela, www.montevideoschools.org, para completar la inscripción de su estudiante, actualizar su información de contacto, firmar formularios y pagar los gastos, incluido el seguro de la Chromebook. Complete la inscripción de su estudiante antes de la jornada de puertas abiertas, el martes 19 de agosto. Si tiene alguna pregunta, no dude en comunicarse con la secretaría de su escuela. ¡Gracias por ayudarnos a prepararnos para un año excelente!

The Summer Food Service Program runs through Friday, August 15th! Kids 18 and under receive free meals! Stop in and eat!

Location/Open Site:
Sanford Elementary School
(Please buzz in at the Main Entrance on 13th Street of Sanford.)
412 S. 13th Street, Montevideo

Meals/Times:
Breakfast 7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Lunch 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Have you ordered your school supply kit yet? If you dread back-to-school shopping, this is an option you’ll love! Kits are up to 20% less than supplies at most major retailers. If you want to buy a kit that contains everything your child needs for the upcoming year, purchase it before the July 15th deadline. School supply kits are available for grades K-8. Supply kits will be sent directly to the school, where you can pick them up during open house in August. Go to: https://www.myimpacks.com/montevideo-public-schools/ - Select your school - Select your child's upcoming grade - Enter your child's first and last name - Select "Add to Cart" - Check out Impacks, our school supply partner, is a business on a mission to help students and classrooms. They’ve pledged to match the first $5 of each donation made during the checkout process. Donating is optional, and funds raised will go towards critical needs at our school.

Minnesota Summer Eats Food Service Program - Kids 18 and under receive free meals! Stop in and eat! Location/Open Site: Sanford Elementary School (Please buzz in at the Main Entrance on 13th Street of Sanford.) 412 S. 13th Street, Montevideo Dates/Days: Tuesday, June 3 - Friday, August 15 (Closed Thursday, June 19th & Friday, July 4th) Meals/Times: Breakfast 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. Lunch 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

School Calendar Reminder: School is closed today in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. No Summer Food Service and no Summer School.

Last weekend, 25 of our Thunder Hawks Clay Target Team competed in the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League State Trap Shooting Tournament. The weather was a little different than last year. In 2024 the temperature was around 96 degrees. In 2025 we started the day at 53 degrees and overcast with little to no wind. Our kids all shot well and our team finished in 1st place for the day in the Novice division. Anya Burmeister also took 1st place in the Novice division shooting 80/100. Iver Heinrich led the males in the same division with a 81/100 finishing in 3rd place. In the Junior Varsity division Brayden Stone led our team with a 90/100 and on the girls side Destiny Rittel shot a 77/100. Varsity was led by Ethan Andresen who shot a 90/100. Our team didn’t have any girls shooting varsity this year. The divisions are determined by your season average over 5 weeks. Job well done to all the students who participated! Ethan Andresen and Jackson Viessman will also be competing at the State Skeet Tournament which will be held on Tuesday, June 24th. For more information on the State Skeet Tournament, visit: https://mn.usaclaytarget.com/minnesota-skeet-shooting-championship/ Good luck to Ethan and Jackson! Go Hawks!

WE'RE HIRING ~ JOIN OUR TEAM! Job opportunities: - High School English Teacher - 3rd Grade Teacher (Sanford Elementary) - Special Education Teacher (Sanford Elementary) - ESL Teacher (Ramsey Elementary) - .2 FTE CTE Position (High School) - ESL Paraprofessional (Ramsey Elementary) - ESL Paraprofessional (Middle School) - Special Education Paraprofessionals (Elementary & middle school levels) - Special Education Paraprofessional (Hawks Nest Early Childhood Center) - Academic Success Coordinator (High School) - Social-Emotional Learning Interventionist - Math Interventionist 5-8 (Middle School) - Library Assistant (Ramsey Elementary) Apply today! https://www.montevideoschools.org/page/employment

Twenty-five (25) students from our Montevideo High School Clay Target Team will compete at the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League State Trap Shooting Tournament on Saturday, June 14th in Alexandria, Minnesota. Montevideo competes in Class 6A and will begin shooting Round 1 at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Good luck to all of our state tournament participants! Go Hawks! For all tournament information, including schedules, field assignments, leaderboard & awards, visit: https://mn.usaclaytarget.com/minnesota-trap-shooting-championship/

Shameless bragging post........

Students in Brandee Shoemaker's 6th grade math class wait all year to create a tessellation project. Students start with a 4x4 (inch) square and manipulate the paper to create original tessellations. Students then have the chance to have their name selected to paint their design on a ceiling tile. Great work, Hawks!

🎉📚 SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER! 🕶️🍉 Shoutout to all of our students, staff, and parents who made it through another school year—you did it! 👏✨ Enjoy a safe and relaxing summer!

For those following along on livestream: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mn/montevideo/organization/4662/montevideo-high-school Here is the QR code for the commencement program: https://qrco.de/bfyeoE