S u t h e r l a n d P u b l i c S c h o o l M a y 2 0 2 0

2020 Sailor Graduates - Congratulations to the Class of 2020! You have reached another milestone and you have a solid foundation for achieving many more accomplishments. Although the 4th-quarter of the 2019-20 school year has been extremely disappointing and like none other, the 2020 graduates will forever have the distinction of having the most “Unique Graduation Ceremony in School History”! The 2020 Commencement will be the most talked about, the most remembered and the most astonishing one! We commend our seniors for embracing and staying positive through this unique and historic event. Graduation creates changes for not only students but also parents. To the senior parents we say “Thanks” for supporting and encouraging your child. It’s been a pleasure to get to know and watch our seniors through their educational experiences. Best of luck pursuing your careers and post-secondary education!

Retirement - Mrs. Jackie Jenner will be retiring at the conclusion of this school year. She started her employment with the Sutherland School District 19 years ago. She has been a dedicated and dependable employee. Mrs. Jenner has many talents and served the district in numerous capacities. Her initial employment was part-time, which included office duties, assisted with dispensing student medication and lunch duty. Mrs. Jenner then went full-time with ever evolving duties; elementary classroom para, recess duty, JH & HS Choir accompanist, also accompanist for Veteran’s Day Programs, Christmas & Spring concerts, SPVA and District competitions, Show Choir and Graduations. Then on to assisting SPED teachers, working 1-on-1 with SPED students in the classroom, job coaching and attending numerous field trips and workshops. Mrs. Jenner has seen a lot of changes over the years with curriculum, technology and facility upgrades. She stated, “I’m grateful to Sutherland Schools for the opportunity to be a part of the school system these past 19 years and hope that I’ve made a difference in some small way to those that I’ve been associated with”. The school district has been blessed to have her service the past two-decades! We wish her the best as she enters her retirement!

Technology - Our school district has been fortunate to have the technology to enhance and expand our students’ learning. The past fifteen years we have been 1to1 with 9th-12th laptops and the last 3 years our JH has had laptops. All of our technology resources: hardware, software and training has been beneficial for delivering instruction and especially this current 4th quarter. With the COVID-19 experience our technology became very appreciated! Our teachers were able to move to “Remote Learning” because of the technology resources. The reason our school is equipped with technology is because of the School Board’s past and continuing vision. The board is to be commended for their vision, long-range planning and goal setting.

NAUTICALN e w s

DAN KEYSER, SUPERINTENDENT

S u t h e r l a n d P u b l i c S c h o o l M a y 2 0 2 0

DUSTIN MITCHELL, HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

As we continue our journey of Remote Learning, we continue to improve and modify things to accommodate our staff and student needs.  Quarter 4 is a Pass/Fail quarter.  The Quarter 3 grades will become the final Semester 2 grades.  It will be very important that students pass Quarter 4 to earn semester credit!  Teachers are available through Zoom and email during school hours and days we are in session.  We are encouraging all students to check for assignments each week and finish those on time.  If they have late assignments they can finish those for up to 70% credit.  Please contact teachers if you have questions or concerns.      Mrs. Brunz has been busy finishing up our 2020-2021 schedule for grades 7-12.  She has contacted students through email to get schedule requests and build the best schedule possible.  She has also sent directions to students who will be taking dual credit courses.  Please make sure you follow the directions she has given to ensure that scheduling with Mid Plains Community College is successful.  Once we have finished the schedule we will send it out to students.  If you have any questions on scheduling please contact Mrs. Brunz.  cathy.brunz@spssailors.org.     We would like to welcome Ashley Parker to the Sailor family.  Ms. Parker will be our Agriculture Instructor and FFA sponsor starting in the Fall.  She is originally from Douglas, Wyoming.  She attended and graduated from Casper College where she livestock judged and earned a two year degree.  She was recruited to Colorado State University where she also livestock judged and finished her college degree in Ag Education.  In the Fall of 2019 she completed her student teaching in Sterling, Colorado.  In the Spring she helped the district fill a staffing need as an 8th grade math teacher.  Please help to welcome Ashley to our Sailor family.  ashley.parker@spssailors.org.     We would also like to thank our parents and guardians for being supportive of their children during this time.  We understand this may be a difficult time for you and you are helping to ensure students needs are met at home and supporting their education.  If you or someone in the community need assistance please use this form.  If we can help, we will.  https://tinyurl.com/ycxkdxgx .      Finally, we want to recognize our Senior Class of 2020.  We have a virtual graduation ceremony planned on May 9th at 10:00 am and we will also do an in-person ceremony on August 1st at 10:00 am.  The virtual ceremony will be shared on our YouTube page and social media for everyone to view.  After it is released at 10:00 am, we will have a parade of graduates in their vehicles around town.  We invite all community members, family, and friends out to their doorstep to cheer on our graduates.  If you do not live in town, you can park your car at the baseball field/pool parking lot or the Rodeo Ground parking lot and we will drive by on South County Road.  Please make sure you are following the social distancing requirements and stay in your vehicles.    Seniors, thank you for being leaders to your peers and taking the challenge that Covid-19 has created head on.  You will always be remembered, as well as remember this time. We have valuable lessons to learn and you will be a stronger person because of this experience.  Gaining perseverance and determination to work hard for success in all that you do!  

Congratulations Senior Class of 2020

S u t h e r l a n d P u b l i c S c h o o l M a y 2 0 2 0

JOSIE FLOYD, ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL

It has been a 4th quarter that none of us will forget and will forever be part of history due to our closure because of COVID-19.  New vocabulary words have been implemented into our daily conversations that have never been part of our school curriculum; social distancing, mitigation, remote learning, quarantine, Zoom,  global pandemic, and closure. I want to send a huge thank you to everyone who has worked diligently to bring a sense of calm,  peace, and grace and to allow learning to continue for our youth.  This has not been easy for anyone as we are all weathering the

same storm, but sailing on a variety of ships.  Everyone’s situation is different and we appreciate all of our SAILORS (parents, staff, kids, community).  We will get through this together as a SAILOR FAMILY because we are #SailorStrong.Our last day of remote learning for Sutherland Public School will be Friday, May 15th.  Please encourage your child to continue to do their lessons up until that time.  Our elementary teachers have done an outstanding job of preparing learning materials and lessons for your child.  Again, it hasn’t been easy for anyone and I am so proud of our staff for stepping up to the challenge and providing quality learning during this unprecedented time.  The staff has learned so many new things and have been able to deliver learning in not only paper form, but also digital formats.  If you have any questions or concerns at all during the

next few weeks, please know that we are available and willing to help.  Please just call the school or email your child’s teacher.

The relationships that were made at the beginning of the school year have been critical during this time.  As we have been ZOOMing through the 4th quarter, I am thankful for the strong relationships that were built during the first three quarters of the school year.  I am incredibly grateful for our opportunity to connect with our students via ZOOM, although I would much rather prefer our normal routines (walkie talkie time, handshakes, high 5’s, smiles…).  I have laughed, smiled and cried over the past six weeks as I have listened and watched your kids on ZOOM.  Kids are resilient and truly live in the moment, which is a lesson we should all be learning from our kids during this time.  I am looking forward to the ZOOM sessions we get to have over the next few weeks.

Although we are not finishing up the year as we typically would, it is even more important to celebrate successes from the year.  Your child entered the school year ready for their new grade level, not knowing what the year would bring.  Take time to think about where your child was 7 months ago and then be mindful to focus on what your child is doing now.  You have had a “hands on” opportunity to see what they are learning about and have been a huge part of this journey.  Even more so, than a normal school year.  Celebrate with your child and be specific about why you are proud of them.  Positive feedback can be very powerful and will help keep them motivated to finish our “remote learning” in a strong manner.TEACHER & STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK    May 4th-8th is National Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week.  We have created a form for you to share positive news with our staff.  Please use the following link to send a staff member a THANK YOU for all they do!  If you prefer a paper form, we will add it to our homepage (under the parent tab) for you to download and print.  The digital form can be accessed on the homepage as well (https://tinyurl.com/yapcdp44). Continued on the next page………

S u t h e r l a n d P u b l i c S c h o o l M a y 2 0 2 0

Teaching Assignments for 2020-2021    We are excited to announce teaching assignments for the 2020-2021 school year.  At this time, teachers have been assigned to the positions listed below.  Assignments are contingent upon any changes that occur over the summer.  If a class gains/loses students, assignments will be revisited to determine what is best for all students.  Class lists will be shared at Back To School Night next fall!Preschool & Junior Kindergarten - Ms. Bassett        Kindergarten - Mrs. Hampton1st Grade - Mrs. Copeland & Mrs. Wurst            2nd Grade - Mrs. Schow3rd Grade - Mrs. Anderson                    4th Grade - Mrs. Hopping5th Grade - Mrs. Samuelson & Mrs. Elfeldt            6th Grade - Mrs. Marquardt    With only a few weeks of the 2019-2020 school year left, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to spend time with your child both at Sutherland Public School and in ZOOM land.  I feel especially blessed to be the principal at Sutherland Elementary as each year creates many special new memories (this is one for the books) and it is very rewarding to see your children learn and grow.  Thanks again for sharing your child with us at Sutherland Elementary!                                       

~Mrs. Floyd

Elementary Check Out Days - May 18th & 19th - These days will be reserved for students to return all materials that belong to Sutherland Public School and also to turn in their remaining assignments.  

Lost & Found:Items that were left at school will be set out on May 18th & 19th.  Remaining items will be taken to the Salvation Army in North Platte at the end of the school year!

Anchor Club—A Big Thank You!I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Anchor Club for significantly contributing to our educational community during the 2019-2020 school year.  The service of the outgoing officers has been greatly appreciated and we thank you for your dedication to the elementary

and our community.  This was the 13th year for the Anchor Club (Elementary Parent/Teacher Organization), and they have a multitude of accomplishments to place on their list of credentials!  Over the years, this organization has been busy teaching youngsters about bicycle safety, organizing the Halloween Walk & the Easter Egg Hunt, providing fundraisers, and purchasing materials/gifts for our staff.  Without the Anchor Club, the above activities would not have been possible.  For the 2020 school year, our goal is to have 1 parent from each classroom who regularly attends the monthly Anchor Club meeting.  This will provide active representation and participation from all classrooms and grade levels.  You will have an opportunity to sign up for this role on the Classroom Party letter that is sent home in August. If you are interested in joining an organization that works hard for our students, staff & community, please call Mrs. Floyd for more information.  I would love to see you get involved!  

JOSIE FLOYD, ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CONTINUED

S u t h e r l a n d P u b l i c S c h o o l M a y 2 0 2 0

S u t h e r l a n d P u b l i c S c h o o l M a y 2 0 2 0

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in TeamMates of Sutherland over the years. Whether you have been a mentee, parent of a mentee, a mentor, a board member, or faculty that supports TeamMates, my heart is so grateful for all of you! I love that we live in a community that shows up for our kids! Now, more than ever, we need more people to step up and become a mentor. We need to show up and be there for our youth because we can! We need to be there for each other after all the craziness of CoVid19 goes away. It is a confusing time right now for everyone and we will come out #STRONGERTOGETHER!!

Sign up now to become a mentor for the 2020-2021 school year at www.teammates.org

Always grateful,Teresa Hafer, TeamMates of Sutherland Coordinator

CATHY BRUNZ, GUIDANCE COUNSELOR

Wrapping up the end of the year seems unbelievable!  There are a few things to be aware of going into the summer.  First of all, future freshman through seniors have already registered for the 2020-2021 school year.  Before they check out for the summer, they will get to see their schedule and make any changes.  Dual Credit paperwork should already be turned into the college, but if your student has not completed this task yet, please have them get this in before summer break.  The next ACT is June 13th and one must register at www.actstudent.org by May 8th to avoid a late fee.  I have requested a fee waiver from ACT for every Junior.  Ask your student if they have emailed and received the code from Mrs. Brunz.  If you have a 2021 senior, tasks that could be completed over the summer are college visits, narrowing down their list of colleges to 5 or under, making a resume’, and thinking about which teachers, employers, etc that might possibly write them letters of recommendations in the fall.  When the class of 2021 returns in the fall, they will receive a folder with all the information they need for their senior year.  This folder will discuss timelines of when scholarships are due, when they can fill out the FASFA, when to apply to college, and everything in between so stay tuned to this.  They will also have a senior google classroom for scholarships that they will join before they can sign out at the end of the year.  If parents would like to be a part of that google classroom, please send your email with your student or send me an email at cathy.brunz@spssailors.org to join!

S u t h e r l a n d P u b l i c S c h o o l M a y 2 0 2 0

S u t h e r l a n d P u b l i c S c h o o l

Calendar April 30 & May 1, 2020 - Greenhouse plant sales start 5:00-7:00pm (4 - 5 people allowed at a time, follow proper hygiene and social distancing. Must wear a mask to enter the greenhouse. )May 3, 2020 - Virtual BaccalaureateMay 4 - 8, 2020 - Greenhouse sales continue 5:00-7:00pm May 4, 2020 - Checkout for SeniorsMay 4, 2020 - Virtual Honors Night May 9, 2020 - Virtual Graduation 10:00am, Parade through townMay 12, 2020 - Mobile Food Pantry 7:00pmMay 15, 2020 - Last day of Meal ServiceMay 15, 2020 - Last day of Virtual Learning for StudentsMay 18, 2020 - School Board Meeting 7:00amMay 18 & 19, 2020 - Checkout days for Students

P.O. Box 217

401 Walnut Street

Sutherland, NE 69165

Phone: 308-386-4321

Fax: 308-386-2426

www.spssailors.org