Due to COVID-19 and travel concerns for inductees, families, and friends, our Watchdog Hall of Fame Steering Committee has made a decision to postpone our 2020 Watchdog Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony that was set to be held at the Bridges on September 12.
Below, you will find version one of our BMS and BHS newsletter. As things progress/change, we will keep you posted.
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CUlo5yxafhSZRrQmnAyRfh807pGH3cxsqdCIyh1pGSs/edit?usp=sharing
The Beresford School District is committed to a safe and secure learning environment for its 700 students and 100 staff members. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our District has developed a draft of our Return to Learning Plan and Protocols for the 20-21 school year—Normal Learning, Normal Learning with Accommodations, Modified On-Campus/Hybrid Learning, Remote Learning, and Virtual Learning with Edmentum and SD Virtual School.
At this time, our District’s plan is to begin the 20-21 school year as scheduled on Wednesday, August 19, 2020 with in-person delivery of instruction, “Normal Learning with Accommodations.” Our District will continue to monitor the virus and adjust plans and protocols if it becomes necessary for the safety of our students and staff. We have developed models that will allow us to switch to another method, as required by public health officials. All families should have a plan in place in the event that we must switch from one delivery model to another. These plans are subject to change as public health guidelines are updated.
The academic, physical, social, and emotional well-being of our students, staff, and families are vital during these challenging times. We know our 2020-21 school year will look much different than previous years due to the new health and safety measures that will be in place. The health and safety of our students, staff, and families will continue to drive our decision-making during the 2020-21 school year.
Our school board will give our District’s Return to Learning Plan and Protocols a first reading at a special board meeting on Monday, August 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the HS Library. A second reading and possible adoption will take place at the regular board meeting on Monday, August 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the HS Library.
We know there is a lot of apprehension and uncertainty leading into the 20-21 school year. As a District, we do not have all of the answers. We will continue to rely on guidance from the South Dakota Department of Health, South Dakota Department of Education, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is our hope that there will be a safe COVID-19 vaccine sooner rather than later and that we can all have some type of normalcy in the near future. Thank you for taking the time to review a draft copy of our District’s Return to Learning Plan and Protocols for the 20-21 school year by clicking on the link below.
https://5il.co/in3m
Brian Field, Superintendent
Please review our District's Indoor Commencement Protocols before attending tomorrow afternoon's graduation ceremony at 2:00 for the BHS Class of 2020. Please self-screen for COVID-19 related symptoms by using the provided form. Thank you. https://5il.co/im95
Due to the heat index and chance of storms and rain, the BHS Class of 2020 Commencement has been moved from the Stadium to the BHS Gym at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. We ask that you adhere to social distancing guidelines by using all three of our bleacher sections. Thanks.
Parents who have Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and 6th Grade students need to review the immunization requirements set by SDCL. Thank you.
Kindergarten Immunization Requirements https://5il.co/il3f
6th Grade Immunization Requirements
https://5il.co/il3b
The BHS Class of 2020 Outdoor Graduation Ceremony at Cortland Carnes Stadium on Saturday, July 25 at 2:00 p.m. will be broadcast live and free at the following link. https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/beresford-high-school-beresford-sd/evtb584a004b2
Our District is excited to host the BHS Class of 2020 Outdoor Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, July 25 at 2:00 p.m. at Cortland Carnes Stadium! The link below includes our Commencement protocols, including COVID-19 self-screening. Thank you. https://5il.co/idzh
Our District had 286 responses to our Return to School Parent Survey that represented 530 of our 700 students for a 75% response rate. Thank you parents for providing our District valuable feedback. Please click on the link to view the results. https://5il.co/id0f
Congratulations to Kamrynn Sveeggen for signing/enlisting with the South Dakota Air National Guard!
Kam, Thank you for your service!
It remains our District’s intent to have an outdoor graduation ceremony for the BHS Class of 2020 at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, at Cortland Carnes Stadium. The stage will be set up on the football field near the 50-yard line and Beresford’s sideline. Graduates will be seated in chairs located on the track. All parents, relatives, and friends will be seated in the stadium bleachers, the south aluminum bleachers, or aluminum picnic tables in the courtyard. We would ask all in attendance to do their best to spread out and socially distance as much as possible.
Due to the potential of extreme temperatures, it will be an abbreviated ceremony, and there will be no commencement address. The ceremony will be around 30 minutes in length. Each graduate will cross the stage to receive his or her diploma. Each graduate will pause as a school photographer (Michelle Maas from Maas Photography) takes a picture as each graduate receives his or her diploma from our school board president Deb Bergland. Upon receiving his or her diploma, each graduate will move his or her tassel from right to left.
After the ceremony, pre-packaged ice cream treats will be served to our graduates, their families, and friends near the concession stand and picnic shelter. No meal will be served as a number of graduates have planned their receptions after the graduation ceremony. Also, due to social distancing guidelines that have been set for indoors, no graduate table displays will be set up in our HS gymnasiums or lobby for public view.
We would ask our graduates to meet in the staff parking lot by 1:30 p.m. to receive instructions and take pictures with their classmates. Graduates—please have your cap, gown, tassel, stole, and/or honor chords/medallions on by 1:30 p.m.
The BHS Class of 2020 Outdoor Graduation Ceremony will be broadcast live and free on the NFHS Network at the following link: https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/beresford-high-school-beresford-sd.
We look forward to honoring our BHS Class of 2020 on Saturday, July 25, at 2:00 p.m. at Cortland Carnes Stadium!
Our District has made a decision to host an ACT Test at Beresford High School on Saturday, July 18. We have capped the total number of students at 36 and will be using four classrooms to administer the ACT. All students will be screened upon entering BHS and social distancing guidelines will be followed. We still have 18 spots reserved for our BHS Class of 2021. Please email Mrs. Pratt, Dr. Degen, or Mr. Field for the unlisted ACT Testing Center code for BHS if you plan to register for the July 18 ACT. The deadline to register is Friday, June 19. Thank you.
Our District would like to thank the Watchdog Education Foundation for awarding three grants to our schools: ELL Professional Development for Teachers, $5,000; Elementary Summer Tutoring, $5000; and Touch Pro Screen Video Kiosk in the HS Gym Lobby, $1000!
Our District would like to thank the Beresford Area Foundation for awarding three grants to our schools: ELL Professional Development for Teachers, $15,000; Elementary School Literacy Curriculum, $5000; and Touch Pro Screen Video Kiosk in the HS Gym Lobby, $5000!
Congratulations to Mr. Jan Antonson who will be retiring from our District after 31 years of service as a custodian at Beresford Elementary School! We would like to thank Jan for his commitment to our students, staff, and schools! We wish him the very best in his retirement!
Due to COVID-19, Beresford High School will not be a testing center for the ACT this summer on June 13 and July 18. If you are a student that registered, you should receive communication by way of email from ACT. Today, we found out that communication from ACT came late.
Our District has seven job openings in Food Service for 20-21: Director of Child Nutrition, NC Kitchen Manager, and Food Service workers. To review the job descriptions or make application, please click on the link. https://beresford.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
Our District has the following job openings for the 20-21 school year: Elementary School Admin Assistant and Director of Grounds & NC Custodial. To review the job descriptions or make application, please click on the link. https://beresford.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
Our District would like to thank BMTC for providing internet service for families whose children needed access to the internet to complete their online schooling this spring! Your support of our families, schools, and community is greatly appreciated!
Our District would like to thank our Thrive Nutrition kitchen workers for preparing and our District staff members for serving 15,418 meals from March 30 through May 18! Your efforts were greatly appreciated by our District, our students, families, and community!