Issue 34 June 2017

Presorted Standard ECRWSS US Postage Paid Permit #1 Harrisburg, SD 57032 To Current Resident

Harrisburg Days Insert Included!

J U N E

2 0 1 7

H A R R I S B U R G

Made possible with the generous support of: The Harrisburg School District The Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce The Harrisburg Economic Development Corporation

H O M E

O F

T H E

T I G E R S

TigerTimes.HarrisburgDistrict41-2.org 605.743.2567 ext. 6143

MONDAY, JUNE 5 City Council Meeting, 6pm FRIDAY, JUNE 9 - SATURDAY, JUNE 10 Harrisburg Days TUESDAY, JUNE 13 Planning Commission Meeting, 6pm WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14 Park Board Meeting, 6pm MONDAY, JUNE 19 City Council Meeting, 6pm WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 Deadline for Ads & Articles

Vandalism Will And Should Not Be Tolerated!

Every year the city crews work hard to make sure that the parks are maintained for our residents and visitors use and enjoyment. It is disheartening when someone intentionally destroys park equipment, courts, dugouts, fencing, city buildings and fixtures.

Vandalism costs thousands of city tax dollars each year in clean-up efforts and other costs that could be spent on improvements instead of repairs. When a person defaces, alters or destroys someone’s property, he or she may be required to clean-up, repair or replace the damaged property or more substantially, face criminal penalties in the form of fines, jail time or both.

Parks are open to the public from sunrise to sunset.

Curfew for any person under the age of 16 years 10:00 p.m. - 5:00 a.m. on any Sunday – Thursday and 11:00 p.m. - 5:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday, unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or custodian.

Please talk with all of your children about vandalism and if you or they see any vandalism occurring or that has happened, please report it as soon as possible.

You can contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 605-764-5651 or call Crime Stoppers of the Sioux Empire at 605-367-7007.

Peddlers/Solicitors It’s that time of year... To see a list of peddlers with an active peddlers license and the relevant ordinances, go to the City website at www.harrisburgsd.gov You do have the right to request to see someone’s peddler’s license! No peddler shall peddle door to door between the hours of 8:00 pm and 9:00 am the following morning, except by specific appointment with or invitation from the prospective customer.

FYI: Petition circulators do not need to be registered with the City in any way; and there are a few out in Lincoln County right now.

Seeing The Blessings Of Harrisburg Through New Eyes ADRIENNE MCKEOWN, PRESIDENT, HARRISBURG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION & CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Maybe it’s because it’s springtime and new life is starting to appear. Or maybe it’s because—as I write this—graduation weekend is upon us and the promise of something new and exciting is on the horizon for our students, both here in Harrisburg and at Augustana University where I work as the Director of the Alumni Association. More likely, though, my vision adjustment has come because I’ve had the opportunity to spend the past 48 hours with a woman who has traveled to the United States from China for the very first time.

Angela is a graduate student at Augustana, about to receive her master’s degree in education. She completed all of her coursework online, but she felt a calling to come to the U.S. and see this place where she earned her degree. During her stay, my family had the opportunity to host her for two evenings. I learned a great deal about China during that short time, but I learned even more about how blessed we are to live here in Harrisburg.

Here’s just a sampling of Angela’s comments that made me refocus on how good life is here: “It is so peaceful. There is so much space.” It’s true, but I often don’t think about it. I realized as we drove home that even just that short drive through the country between

Sioux Falls and Harrisburg allows one time to look up into wide open skies and look out across the prairie. Angela shared that in her “small” city in China (which has a population of 7 million, by the way), it is common for buildings to be 30 stories high. She said that everyone is always in a hurry, and it’s very stressful. She found great peace in our openness, a peace that I know exists and yet take for granted. We are blessed to live in our small town and have the opportunity to see the beauty of nature.

“The school was so nice. This is the way schools should be.”

Knowing that Angela is a teacher in an international school, I thought she might enjoy seeing what an American school is like. Thanks to my fellow Augie alumni at Liberty Elementary, Angela was able to visit and observe a couple of Tiger Reserve classrooms during her stay. She was so impressed by the way the children are valued and nurtured and by the lessons they were being taught that day.

She spoke with great excitement about the interactive activities and how everyone at the school was so welcoming. My family has been part of the Harrisburg school system for six years now, and I know we have tremendous teachers, programs, and opportunities as Tigers. But again, it becomes commonplace, and we come to expect that Harrisburg will have the best of the best in our schools. It’s easy to forget that it takes all of us in this community working together with the faculty, staff, and administration to make our schools great. Moreover, we take for granted the technology

we have available, not just in Harrisburg, but throughout the U.S. I think my son’s jaw literally dropped when Angela shared that they do not have Google or YouTube in China. The government doesn’t allow it. We are blessed to live in this country where we have the freedom to learn and explore.

“The people are so sweet— very polite.” This one doesn’t really come as a surprise. We know we’ve got a whole lot of “Midwestern nice” going on here in Harrisburg. Still, hearing her describe her hometown and the crowded streets of impatient people, horns honking, cars in gridlock, I couldn’t help but think that the four-way stop at Cliff & Willow during morning rush hour all of a sudden didn’t seem so bad. Sure, we get irritated with one another at times when things around town aren’t progressing as quickly as we would like them to. But overall, we rally behind each other and the tasks at hand.

We are blessed to live in a community where people are friendly, supportive, and come together to get the work done.

It’s amazing how a fresh perspective can really focus your vision. After spending a couple of days seeing Harrisburg through new eyes, it’s easy to spot the blessings. And, to borrow a line from my alma mater, it’s easy to “imagine the possibilities” of what can happen in Harrisburg when we recognize those blessings and continue to work together to make Harrisburg a great place to call home.

THE TIMES • Page 2

Slow Down In Town Warmer weather is here! This means families are ready to get out of the house and enjoy the weather by taking walks, riding bikes, playing in their yards, etc. Please slow down while driving through residential streets, speed limit is 20 mph and WATCH FOR CHILDREN! Be aware and SLOWER IS SAFER!

Thank You! The Times wishes to thank Mrs. Kaye DesLauriers’ Composition II team at HHS for much of the content published in the newspaper. We also thank Jon Klemme for sharing many of the images you see in the Times and on social media. Hannah Abbott and Kennedy Pirlet are Tiger Times Assistants responsible for preparing the newspaper to be sent to you in your homes and businesses. We thank them for their hard work each month!

Code Enforcement MICHAEL MCMAHON PLANNING & ZONING ADMINISTRATOR Code Enforcement will be enforcing the provisions of our city’s nuisance regulations. We will be issuing violation notices for such things as: Inoperable or unlicensed vehicles, •

vehicle parts (including tires),

•

building materials,

•

garbage,

•

discarded appliances or furniture,

•

parking on lawns in front of or beside homes,

•

campers, boats, or trailers parked on City streets for more than 72 hours,

•

campers and other vehicles obstructing sidewalks,

•

unfenced swimming pools, and

•

property maintenance violations such as peeling paint and damaged trim or siding.

This is all done to keep people safe and keep our City looking good!

Also as a reminder, our neighborhood parks are open from dawn until dusk and no alcoholic beverages are allowed.

Enjoy your spring and summer and stay safe!!

City Contact Information CITY WEBSITE – www.harrisburgsd.gov Make sure to “Like” The City of Harrisburg on Facebook for city notices at: http://bit.ly/ CityOfHarrisburg Mayor: Julie Burke-Bowen Email: Julie.BurkeBowen@Harrisburgsd.gov Phone: 605-743-5872 ext. 20 Ward I Alderpersons: Ryan Berg Email: Ryan.Berg@Harrisburgsd.gov Phone: 605-743-5872 ext. 23 Ryan Wolbrink Email: ryan.wolbrink@Harrisburgsd.gov Phone: 605-743-5872 ext. 21 Ward II Alderperson: Allison Sanderson Email: Allison.Sanderson@Harrisburgsd.gov Phone: 605-743-5872 ext. 24 Ryan Olson Email: Ryan.Olson@Harrisburgsd.gov Phone: 605-743-5872 ext. 22 Council Meetings: City Council meetings are held the first and third Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Liberty School Board Room unless announced otherwise. If a meeting falls on a City holiday, typically the meeting will be scheduled for the following Tuesday.

City Offices Locations/Hours City/Finance Office: 301 E Willow Street Phone Number: 605-743-5872 Monday – Thursday – 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Fridays – 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

City Maintenance: 801 S Prairie Street Monday – Friday – 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Police - Lincoln County Sheriff Dispatch (Non Emergency) – 764-2664 Emergency – 911 HELP!Line – 211 SD One Call – 811 Post Office – 743-2791 Community Library – 767-7910 The City of Harrisburg contracts with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. In case of an emergency, dial 911.

For non-emergency calls, dial 605-764-2664 for dispatch.

Keep your garage doors closed at night and when not at home. If you keep your vehicle outside, keep it locked.

Speed limits in residential areas are 20 mph, please remember to SLOW DOWN. Reminder: Any chance of two inches of snow or blowing snow may trigger a snow alert, all vehicles should be removed from city streets to avoid ticketing and towing!!

HELP!Line Center is available 24 hrs. a day/7 days a week for any personal or family crisis. Dial 211

Publicly submitted articles do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or beliefs of the Harrisburg School District.

The Harrisburg School District has the right to decline publication of advertisements and/or articles that are deemed inappropriate for publication in the Times.

THE TIMES • Page 3

Street Light Outages To report a street light outage in any area other than the Greyhawk Estates Addition, please call Xcel Energy at 1-800-960-6235 or visit their website at www.xcelenergy.com. To report street light outages in the Greyhawk Estates Addition please call Southeastern Electric at 1-800-333-2859.

International Service Organization Looks To Help Local Youth One of the world’s largest civic service organizations has chosen Harrisburg, S.D. as its next venue for helping youth.

Volunteer members of Optimist International will be spending the next few weeks in Harrisburg, with the goal of organizing the Harrisburg Optimist Club.

It’s That Time Again!

On Monday through Friday during the school year, students who qualify (based on income) are able to utilize the free/reduced lunch program.

Under the Backpack Program, a 1-2 day supply of food is then provided to each qualifying child on Friday, sufficient to tide them over through the weekend. The Harrisburg School District is one of several that does not extend this Backpack Program through the summer.

There is a need. Again this year, the Harrisburg Area Food Pantry wants to fill this gap and needs your help to do so.

Beginning the week of June 11th, we will supply food to as many of these children as we can. Fliers are being distributed at local businesses to make families aware this is happening. We will have volunteers onsite at select locations for one hour per week providing a small supply of groceries for each child. During that same time, filled ‘backpacks’ will be available for pick up at the pantry for children who live in other areas of Harrisburg.

This will continue throughout the summer.

In order to do this, we need volunteers. This would make a great family activity! If you are able to help on any given Tuesday from 6:00 – 7:00, please text, email or phone with the date(s) that work for you. We would sincerely appreciate your help whether you can fill one time slot or if you’re available to help every week.

Along with this project comes a cost. Though many items will be provided, additional food may need to be purchased. If you are able, donations of any size would be appreciated.

We sincerely appreciate whatever you can do. Thank you.

Harrisburg Area Food Pantry 203 Prairie St, Harrisburg, SD 57032 harrisburgareafoodpantry@yahoo. com (605) 929-0599

“We are excited about helping the children of Harrisburg,” said Bob Christensen, who is organizing the local expansion effort. “We are looking for youth-minded individuals who would like to help us improve the lives of children in our community.”

Optimist Clubs are known throughout the world for ‘Bringing Out the Best in Kids.’ Since each Club is autonomous, Harrisburg Optimist volunteers will decide how to serve the needs of the children in Harrisburg.

Clubs conduct scholarship programs, sports activities, mentoring programs, after-school programs, and

childhood cancer initiatives.

In Harrisburg Ken Munch says the new club will obviously focus on the community’s youngest members, but he added the club is seeking input from local leaders to identify specific needs and purposes.

“Those who best know what Harrisburg needs, are those who live here all year,” Munch said. “If you have an opinion about how we can best serve the community’s youth, please let us know. “Everyone is welcome to come!”

Optimist International is composed of 67,500 members in more than 2,600 Optimist Clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and other nations. Carrying the motto “Bringing Out the Best in Kids,” Optimist Clubs conduct 65,000 positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year.

For more information call Ken Munch 605 351 9062, log on to Facebook Harrisburg SD or www.optimist.org.

Harrisburg Food Pantry Receives Grant The Harrisburg Area Food Pantry is pleased to be the recipient of a $2,000 grant from Farm Credit Services of America. Farm Credit is dedicated to assisting organizations that make a positive, long term impact in Agriculture education, projects for young and beginning producers, and in supporting solutions for food and hunger issues.

These funds will be instrumental in promoting the Food Pantry’s mission, which is to lead and engage our community in the fight to end hunger in the Harrisburg Area.

Animal Ordinance The City of Harrisburg is contracted with the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society in Sioux Falls. Any lost animals or animals in violation of city ordinances will be brought to SFAHS, (605) 338-4441.

Licensing of Pets - Each Pet License Application shall be submitted with a license fee according to the following schedule: Neutered/spayed cat or dog: $ 5.00 Unneutered/unsprayed cat or dog: $ 10.00. Licenses and tags may be obtained at City Hall.

It is a violation for any person who owns or who has under his care any animal to allow said animal to run at large.

Any animal shall either be on a leash or tether controlled by a person, or properly secured to a leash which has been tied to an immovable object, or confined within an enclosure sufficient

Lawn Mowing Season Has Returned!

Spring has sprung and the grass is starting to grow like crazy! Please keep your lawn mowed and the weeds pulled or sprayed. Remember that you are responsible to mow and maintain the boulevard or ditch area between your yard and the adjacent street driving surface. We issue tall grass violation notices when grass exceeds eight inches in height. This can result in the issuance of a citation for a $150 fine and/or abatement of the nuisance at your expense (and abatements are very expensive).

We also issue violation notices for concentrations of weeds and noxious weeds.

to keep said animal restrained from escaping such enclosure. The fine for an animal running at large is $100.00.

The City and Sheriff’s Department receive many complaints of barking dogs. It is a violation of regulations for any person owning or possessing any animal to permit such animal to disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood by barking, howling, crowing, crying, or making other loud or unusual noises.

The person in charge with the care or control of any animal, shall remove and dispose of in a sanitary manner any excreta deposited by such animal upon said person’s property no less frequently than every three days and upon any public or other person’s private property immediately after excretion.

Anyone walking an animal on public or private property other than his own must

carry with him visible means of cleaning up any excreta left by the animal.

The fine for not promptly removing and properly disposing any excreta is $50.00.

You may find a copy of all the current City Ordinances on the city website www. harrisburgsd.gov Check out the city’s Dog Park located at 805 Kent Street.

Harrisburg Water Restrictions City of Harrisburg Water Restrictions are in effect year round. Watering restrictions apply to the sprinkling, watering, or irrigating of lawns. Trees, shrubs, flower and vegetable gardens may be watered as needed.

These restrictions are strictly enforced and failure to abide by them will result in up to a $200.00 fine.

Currently we are at a Level 2 Restriction which limits watering or irrigating of yards to 2 days per week using the last digit of your physical address.

Water use shall occur before 10:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m.

If your address ends in: 0, 3, 6 - you may water on Monday and Thursday 1, 4, 7 – you may water on Tuesday and Friday 2, 5, 8, 9 – you may water on Wednesday and Saturday

No watering is allowed on Sundays or between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.!

Should the level of restriction change, notification will be done by the following methods: city website, Tiger Times publication, and on your monthly water billing.

To establish a new lawn, new sod and seed watering permits are available for a one-time 30 day period. The permit is $25.00 and can be obtained from City Hall. Please contact City Hall at 743-5872 in advance if you are interested in obtaining a permit.

The Harrisburg High School irrigation system is not on city water and is not required to abide by the city’s water restrictions.

THE TIMES • Page 4

Harrisburg

Congratulates the

Class of 2017!

SPECIAL OF THE MONTH COUPON BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 6" or 12" Sub Expires 7/31/17

THE TIMES • Page 5

Have weekend plans?

You can join us Sunday night!

Sunday Services: 9:30AM / 11:00AM / 6:00PM 6101 S. CHARGER CIRCLE, SIOUX FALLS

339-FREE (9337) / WWW.RANSOM.CHURCH /

THE TIMES • Page 6

High School @Harrisburg High

Harrisburg High School 41-2 - SD

http://bit.ly/HHSTigers

Talented HHS Student Wins Western Governor’s Assocation Award HHS junior Mikki Brian’s work “Golden Sky” was chosen by the Western Governors’ Association as the winning entry for South Dakota.

Of the so many wonderful entries received, her unique and beautiful painting really stood out and captured the richness and culture of South Dakota. The organization was very pleased that her piece will represent South Dakota at the Western Governors’ Association Annual Meeting in Whitefish, Montana June 26th-28th.

At our Annual Meeting, they will display and judge the 21 state finalists’ entries to determine the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place, and “Best of Show” winners. With about 500 people in attendance, the governors, cabinet members, first spouses, staff, corporate sponsors, and media representatives will be judging. The entries will be displayed on easels provided by the Whitefish Performing Arts Center.

The 1st Place winner will receive $1,000, 2nd Place will receive $500, 3rd Place will receive $250, and the remaining state finalists will receive $200. An additional prize of $200 for “Best of Show” will be awarded. So, for now, as a state finalist, Mikki has won at least $200!

A huge thank you to Ms. Bird for all her help and support of our competition!

HHS Tennis Serves Up A Successful Season ADAM BISHMAN The boys’ tennis team achieved many of its goals this season. Mr. Matthew Termansen, the head coach, stated that his athletes have worked hard and strived for their goals. Due to the fact that Harrisburg introduced tennis to the district only two years ago, the team lacks both seniors and experience; however, working hard has been the athletes’ goal in an effort to improve their game. Already this year, the team won six games compared to their first year when they won zero. One doubles team won a game at the ESD conference, a match played by Cole Van Holland and Karter Lein. After their regular season play finished, the team turned their attention to state and are learning what it takes to win against the more established teams. In addition, they will be doing summer tennis and are recruiting to help build the program; their hope is to achieve more of their goals next season.

HHS Golf Swinging For Success BEN SCOTT At the Harrisburg School District, the girls’ golf season has just come to an end. Kali Gottsleben, the coach of the team, shared many positive comments about her team’s performance and the character that the girls have built over the season. When asked what the girls did well with this year, Coach Gottsleben said this: “Our girls have had a lot of persistence this year! We’ve had a broken arm, tests to move around, and some challenging days on the golf course. The girls have done a great job of persisting through these struggles and moving forward in practice and at our meets. The girls have also done a great job of putting forth a lot of effort and hard work in practice!” Most days after school, the girls practice; they practice nearby at Spring Creek Golf Course.

While the girls did a great job this year, Coach Gottsleben said that there were a few challenges for them to overcome. “We struggled on a couple challenging golf courses this year. Golf is a game where you are never satisfied with yourself and to be able to show poise and character through these difficult times can be a big struggle, but my girls do a great job of pushing through those tough days on the course!” Because these struggles were overcome, Coach Gottsleben felt content with the season and said that nothing would be changed going into next year. She has enjoyed watching the chemistry between the athletes and watching girls from middle school to high school work together to better their game. “Coaching golf is extremely rewarding because it’s so much like the game of life. It’s fun to watch the golfers grow as golfers, students, and as young adults throughout the challenging four or more seasons! You build great relationships with your golfers and you get to watch them have great days and help them in the rough days!” Golfing is a great sport that grants an opportunity for students at Harrisburg to learn a lifelong game. Congratulations on a successful season and the students, the faculty, and the parents of the Harrisburg School District wish the team more successful seasons to come.

National Debate: Gladiatorial Combat Of Intellect KENDALL LARSON The 2016-17 debate season has been very successful overall. We’ve gone through the good, the bad, and the plain astounding. As head debate coach Dr. McKee said, “We had a very good year. Our kids debated a bunch of rounds and that will make them stronger in the future. Throughout the regular season, we had our ups and our downs, but we peaked near the end. We have two teams going to NSDA nationals, three teams going to NCFL nationals, and a semi-finalist team in the state tournament. Couple that with the growth we saw on our speech side, I think it was a very positive year.” The two teams going to NSDA nationals are Hayden Cole-Landon Dinger and Hunter DuntemanBenjamin Menke. Both of these teams have worked above and beyond and have endured unjustified losses throughout the season, but they both pushed through to be two of the three best teams at national qualifiers.

“Keep going; Chances are you’ll lose a round you shouldn’t have, but continue moving forward to hone your skills and win those

close rounds,” says Hayden Cole, debate president. Because nationals are for the whole country, the competition is a lot harder; although, the team has had some experience in national circuit tournaments in places like Minneapolis. Dr. McKee elaborated, “National circuits tournaments are more challenging for a couple of reasons: First, they are so huge. They generally include over 100 teams from 10 or more states. Just the sheer volume of the tournament and the competition makes it a unique challenge for our team. Comparatively, in South Dakota debate, we are very likely to debate the same two-person team each week.” To add on to what Dr. McKee stated, the national tournaments are a lot longer and rarely end on time. These tournaments often take place inside of high schools or other large buildings. It is rare for a team in South Dakota to go to a national tournament, which is why going to national tournaments is such a big deal. Please support the debate team as they make their way to Birmingham this summer to compete in nationals!

HHS 2017-18 Drama Season Announced MICHAEL SMITH Harrisburg High School Dram Department is pleased to announce next school year’s slate of productions entitled “A Fairy Tale Season.” Our annual Variety Show will be produced during homecoming week followed by our Fall Musical - Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Game of Tiara’s by Don Zolidas will be our One-Act Festival entry and our season will be capped off with William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We look forward to a great year of theatre and will celebrate all of our student’s accomplishments at our Drama Club Banquet with entertainment provided by the Drama II class which produces the fifth and final show of our season.

After graduation, many of our drama club students and their families will be traveling to New York City for a once in a lifetime educational experience organized with EF Educational Tours. Here is the link to our tour’s website if you are interested in having your drama club student join us for this intense week of theatre education outside of the classroom - http:// www.efexploreamerica.com/tour-website/1893774YT .

THE TIMES • Page 7

Harrisburg Optimist Club Become a Charter Member!

Contact Bob Christensen bojiboblin@gmail.com

THE TIMES • Page 8

New Year, New Principal LOGAN HELMS Since current Harrisburg High School Principal Dr. Lein accepted a new position outside of the Harrisburg School District, current Assistant Principal Mr. Ryan Rollinger has been offered the role of principal. With this offer, he accepted.

When asked about how he feels becoming the next principal of the high school, Mr. Rollinger said that he is excited for the opportunities ahead; he is looking forward to continuing to grow Harrisburg into the future. Mr. Rollinger is most excited for the variety of programs available to the students, how the students can get to their main goal of graduating, and the addition of even more programs in the future.

Mr. Rollinger, who has been with the district for a number of years, has experienced many accomplishments as assistant principal. “I consider my greatest accomplishments to be the thousands of students I have assisted to their diploma over the last 7 years.” Of these

accomplishments, he has worked with some challenging students, helped those students find themselves, and watched them graduate. Because of the many accomplishments listed here and others more, Mr. Rollinger has received multiple individual rewards. He says that, “many of those are built off the staff and students I have had the privilege to work with.”

Human Development II Visits Local Elementary Schools DEB ROMBOUGH Students in Mrs. Rombough’s Human Development II (FACS) class at Harrisburg High School are gaining real-world experience working with teachers and students at the Harrisburg Freedom and Liberty Elementary schools.

Each student was matched with an elementary teacher in grades Pre-K through 5. One day each week during their normally scheduled class time, students In addition, Mr. Rollinger sees one visit and work one on one with students big change from assistant principal to gain hands-on experience working to principal. “As principal, my role with school-age children. Not only does will focus more on the staff and this give them an opportunity to see how development of programs and children learn and develop, they also get not as much with discipline.” Mr a glimpse of career options working with Rollinger, a man who stands toe to children. toe with challenge, sees only one. “I want to focus my efforts on making sure staff has the resources, time, and assistance to maximize their teaching. This will create the best programs and pathways for our students.” With the future, both near and far, in store, our district is excited to see where he will take the students next.

Nicole Vihlydal, Freedom Elementary 2nd grade teacher, shared this regarding the experience, ““It has been such a valuable experience for both the high schoolers and elementary students. They learn from each other through social interaction and hands on activities.”

After each experience, students are asked to reflect upon their visit and incorporate information they have learned from their human development course.

Some activities might include working with flashcards, playing math games or reading to and with elementary aged students.

Overall the response has been very positive from the high school students and the elementary staff and students.

Track Team Goes Full Speed ADAM ERICKSON With the track season soon approaching, the HHS track team is raring to go. Although the team graduated many talented seniors from last season, the Tigers also have a strong senior class this season with many returning state qualifiers. The seniors of 2017 will look to show leadership and guidance to the younger generation of the track team.

This year, roughly 110 kids will compete in track for Harrisburg; this is 10 kids more than HHS had out last year. Jack Anderson, who had a great sophomore season, will be returning; he was the long jump state champion last year.

After finishing at state in 5th place for the boys and 12th place for girls, the HHS team hopes to build off those finishes for this year. Because many kids were in Rapid for state basketball, the team was excited to get them back, then the track team is ready to go with a full roster. Since kids needed to train in the offseason, a lot of HHS track members spent time in the weight room and working on getting ready for the season. For the long-distance runners, they have been getting ready with distance training. With snow on the ground outside, the distance kids ran on the treadmills during the offseason. Sprinters have been working on their explosiveness, so they are ready to go for the second half of the season.

A huge contribution to the track team this year will be coming from the youth. Many of the younger athletes could make a big difference as well. The returning state qualifiers are not only looking to endure a great season, but also to return to state once again. A quote from Matt Genrich, assistant track coach, “Lots of experience returning that participated and performed well at state last year.” Becoming a state champ is in no way easy, but with great work in the offseason, watch out for the Harrisburg Tigers this year. The future looks bright for the HHS track team.

Horizon Happy To Receive Donorschoose.org Grant TODD SMIDT Horizon Elementary is extremely happy to recently receive money donations to fully fund a Donorschoose.org grant. Several parents and businesses stepped up to donate. We originally got the idea to apply for the grant after receiving a visit from a Horace Mann representative. The items we will be receiving are Snap Circuits, LEGO kits, K’NEZ model building sets, App enabled Sphero balls, and a WowWee toy robot. The items will be stored in our new STEM room and be used by teachers to teach some hands-on STEM projects and activities. We would like to thank Horace Mann and those who stepped up to make this happen!

Horizon Elementary