Ramsey Elementary School

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! Today’s weekly staff spotlight shines on Lauren Blenker! This is Lauren's first year as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Ramsey Elementary School. Lauren is from Cold Spring, Minnesota. She enjoys reading, painting/drawing, and spending time with her friends, family and her cats. A fun fact about Lauren is that she likes to hike, and she has hiked the highest point in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Welcome, Lauren! We are happy to have you on our team! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

Happy National IT Professionals Day! Today we celebrate our Tech Team who keep our systems running smoothly, protect our data, and enable us to thrive in the world of technology. Their dedication and expertise ensure that our schools run efficiently and individuals stay connected. We appreciate our Chief Technology Officer Scott and our Building Techs: Serena, Jordan, Wendy, Mary, Dan, Monica and Grace for all they do. Thank you! #ITProfessionalsDay

Question of the week! Q: How do I learn more about how this referendum will affect my tax amount? A: Visit the property tax information page on our website and use the calculator feature to determine your tax impact https://www.ehlers-inc.com/microsite/montevideo2023nov/. #MontevideoForward

Congratulations to this week's and last week's MES Super Hawks! Keep up the positive behavior!

Stay informed on the district's facilities referendum by attending a Community Info Session: September 21 at 5:30 p.m. @ the High School October 16 at 6:00 p.m. @ Talking Waters October 17 at 12:00 p.m. Noon @ the Montevideo Community Center October 26 at 6:00 p.m. @ the High School Mark your calendar. We hope to see you there! #MontevideoForward"

SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER Friday, September 15th 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

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! Today’s spotlight shines on Kathy Jessen! This is Kathy’s second year in the district and her first year at a new position as an ELL teacher at Ramsey Elementary School. Kathy grew up on a farm west of Clarkfield and currently lives on a hobby farm between Montevideo and Clarkfield with Rick and their two dogs. Kathy loves spending time outdoors, where she enjoys her garden and dogs. She also enjoys fishing and upland hunting. Kathy says being a part of the Thunder Hawk community has been a great experience for her this past year, and she has truly enjoyed meeting so many wonderful staff and students. Thank you, Kathy, for your hard work and dedication to Montevideo Public Schools! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

Stay tuned on our social channels as we answer a frequently asked question about the district's facilities referendum every week until Nov 7. We want to make sure your questions are being heard and answered. This week's question is: Q: How is this facilities referendum different from the last one? A: - Cost Reduction: We've put in the effort to lower the project's total cost by carefully resizing sections of the building while preserving essential improvements. - Career and Technical Education (CTE) is essential to the Montevideo area. Therefore, this referendum proposal revised the new high school to include new woods and manufacturing shops, Ag labs, and classrooms to support the new CTE space and provide our students with the skills and knowledge required for these careers. - Same Vital Improvements: Despite cost-saving adjustments, we're committed to delivering the same essential improvements our schools urgently need. - Community Feedback: We've actively incorporated the valuable input from our community, with a strong focus on addressing concerns related to the overall project cost. This has guided us in creating a more balanced and fiscally sustainable proposal that respects the financial considerations of our residents. #MontevideoForward

Did you know public school funding in Minnesota creates a unique opportunity for the Montevideo Public Schools and our local taxpayers to make extensive improvements to our facilities by capitalizing on significant state equalization funding provided for bond referenda? Learn more on our website: https://www.ehlers-inc.com/microsite/montevideo2023nov/ #MontevideoForward *Chart shows estimated sources of payments for debt service on the proposed bonds over the life of the bonds. Estimates assume no changes in property values, state equalizing factors, or in-state law. “Agriculture Land & Buildings” excludes taxes on the house, garage and one acre of land, which are included with “Residental / Other.”

We will have two questions on the November 7 Special Election Ballot. The change made to Question 1 on the ballot from the last referendum includes reducing the tax impact on taxpayers. Question 2 remains the same as the previous referendum and will only pass if question one is approved. More information on the referendum can be found on our website: www.montevideoschools.org/page/referendum #MontevideoForward

A special election is being held on November 7, and Montevideo Public Schools will have two school facilities referendum questions on the ballot to address district-wide needs. Since the previously failed referendum in the Spring, we've been listening to the community feedback and looking into other options for our schools' facilities planning. With much of the feedback received revolving around the cost of the referendum, we've found an option to reduce the tax impact and scale back spaces while keeping the important learning areas intact. Visit our website for more information on the referendum: www.montevideoschools.org/page/referendum #MontevideoForward

NEW TEACHER SPOTLIGHT We are excited to welcome Jenna Vick to the Thunder Hawk family! Jenna is our new Elementary Music Teacher. Jenna is from Redwood Falls, Minnesota. She attended elementary school in Redwood Falls and middle school and high school at Wabasso Public Schools. Jenna graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University in May with a Bachelor's degree in Music Education. Jenna enjoys spending time with her family, especially her niece and two nephews! Also, in her free time, she enjoys going to the lake, hanging out with friends, reading, and playing with her dog, River. This is Jenna's first year as a teacher, and she is excited to begin this journey at Montevideo Public Schools! Welcome, Jenna! We wish you a wonderful first year of teaching as a Thunder Hawk! #HawkPride

NEW TEACHER SPOTLIGHT We are excited to welcome Kayla Harwick to the Thunder Hawk family! Kayla will be teaching first grade at Ramsey Elementary School. Kayla grew up in Montevideo with her mom, stepdad, brother, Gavin, and sister, Aubree, and she is a Montevideo graduate. Kayla graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She has the best English Springer Spaniel named Marley, who loves to run around the farm with Kayla's boyfriend, Josh. In her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, running, golfing, and spending time with friends. Kayla is excited to have the opportunity to teach in the wonderful community that she grew up in, and we are so happy to have her here! We wish you the best school year, Kayla! #HawkPride

NEW TEACHER SPOTLIGHT We are excited to welcome Lyndsae Dack to the Thunder Hawk family! Lyndsae is joining us as a Special Education teacher at Ramsey Elementary School. Lyndsae was born and raised in Montevideo as a Thunder Hawk and is a 2008 Montevideo graduate. She received her degrees in Special Education, Physical Education, Health Education and DAPE from SMSU in Marshall. Lyndsae has been married to her husband Erik for 12 years, and they have a 1st grader this year, Thea. Lyndsae enjoys curling up with a good book, the outdoors and spending time at the lake. Lyndsae is excited to return to the Montevideo Thunder Hawk family! Welcome, Lyndsae! We wish you a great year! #HawkPride

REMINDER - Online Registration is open for the 23-24 school year! Please update parent and student information, complete the registration process, and pay your Chromebook insurance fee through your JMC family portal before school open house on Tuesday, August 22nd. If you have any questions, please contact your school office. RECORDATORIO - ¡La inscripción en línea está abierta para el año escolar 23-24! Actualice la información de padres y estudiantes, complete el proceso de registro y pague la tarifa de seguro de su Chromebook a través de su portal familiar JMC antes de la jornada de puertas abiertas de la escuela el martes 22 de agosto. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con la oficina de su escuela.

Online Registration opens at 8:00 a.m. today, Tuesday, August 1st for the 23-24 school year! Please update parent and student information, complete the registration process, and pay your Chromebook insurance fee through your JMC family portal. If you have any questions, please contact your school office. ¡La inscripción en línea se abre a las 8:00 a. m. hoy martes 1 de agosto para el año escolar 23-24! Actualice la información de los padres y del estudiante, complete el proceso de registro y pague la tarifa del seguro de su Chromebook a través de su portal familiar JMC. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con la oficina de su escuela.

NEW THIS YEAR! Pay your Chromebook insurance fee through your JMC Family Portal! After logging into the Family Portal, click on Tuition/Fees on the left-hand side of the screen. Have a great day!

One more day to order school supply kits for the 2023-24 school year at www.unitedschoolsupplies.com. This great offer ends June 30th. Enter school 6-digit code: Sanford - 935823 Ramsey - 459950 Middle School - 325547 Enter your student’s name and NEXT YEAR’S grade level to properly label the kit.

Get your BACK-TO-SCHOOL Supply Kit for grades K-8 TODAY from www.unitedschoolsupplies.com! The June 30th deadline to order school supply kits is approaching fast. The kit is affordably priced and contains the supply list items requested by our teachers. Your student’s supply kit will be individually labeled and delivered directly to the school prior to the start of the new school year. Enter the school 6-digit code: Sanford - 935823 Ramsey - 459950 Middle School - 325547 Enter your student’s name and NEXT YEAR’S grade level to properly label the kit You can access school supply lists at www.montevideoschools.org. Select your school and click on the school supply list link. Contact your school office if you have any questions.

Did you know kids can get free meals during the summer? Food for kids up to the age of 18 is available at the Montevideo Middle School. No registration required and no forms to fill out. Just show up and eat! Where: Montevideo Middle School, 2001 William Avenue Dates: Weekdays through Friday, August 18 (Closed June 19, July 3 & 4) Times: Breakfast 7:30-9:00 a.m. Lunch 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Free bus ride to meal site leaving from Chippewa Valley Youth Club daily at 11:45 a.m., returning to the youth club at 12:45 p.m. This Institution is an equal opportunity provider.