Ramsey Elementary School

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

Congratulations to the MES students who have been named Hawks of the Week in February so far. Keep up the great work by continuing to make positive choices!

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

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

Hooray for our MES Hawks of the Week! Keep crushing it with those smart decisions!

Celebrating the MES Hawks of the Week! We're thrilled to announce last week's Hawks of the Week! Their commitment to Hawk Pride is truly remarkable. Congratulations to all of them!

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

The MES Hawks of the Week are consistently showing their Hawk Pride! Way to go, kids!

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

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

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!

SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER: Winter Break - No School December 25 - January 1

Lost & Found at Sanford If any of these items belong to your child, they can be picked up at Sanford.

Lost & hopefully found! Do any of these items belong to your child? If so, they can be picked up at Ramsey.

SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER Friday, December 15 is an Early Dismissal-Staff Development Day for Montevideo Public Schools. Winter Break - No School December 25-Janauary 1

From our Thunder Hawk family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! We are proud to shine this week’s spotlight on Erika Zachman! Erika is the district's Payroll & Accounting Specialist. She has worked for the school district for 6 years. Erika's hometown is Montevideo. She is a 2005 Montevideo High School graduate and a graduate of Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall, MN. Erika and her husband Phil have one daughter, Lyla. In her free time, Erika enjoys traveling, camping, golfing, hiking, kayaking and downhill skiing. Erika says, "I am very fortunate to be a part of this great Thunder Hawk community. I grew up as a Thunder Hawk, and I’m excited that my daughter gets to continue her education as one with the great group of educators and support staff we have here throughout the district." We're lucky to have you on our team, Erika! Thank you for all the hard work you put in daily! Know that it is recognized and greatly appreciated. #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

MES kicked off HAWK Pride last week! Students and staff had so much fun wearing their Hawk Pride shirts together. A BIG "Thank You" to our generous sponsors for providing these t-shirts for our MES students and staff: Friendship Homes, Clean Site, Edward Jones James Bulman, Hughes Real Estate & Auction Service, J & D Construction, Madsen Family Chiropractic, Outlaw Graphics, Tostenson Inc. and VFW Post 380. The sponsors are listed on the back of the shirt. HAWK Pride at MES implements PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports). It is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable and safe learning environments where everyone thrives. We Can't Hide Our HAWK Pride! - Have Respect - Act Responsible - Work Hard - Keep Safe