December 17, 2020
Dear Southern Door Community,
As winter begins and we experience the shortest days of the year filled with so much darkness, may we remember how important it is to bring "light" into the lives of others.

During this pandemic, the needs of our community are greater than ever. So many generous donations are helping us to meet the food and holiday needs of some of our students and their families. We are so fortunate that Southern Door is such a caring community!

Even though we may not be able to gather as always and enjoy our usual traditions, we still have much to be grateful for! As our students get ready to leave on Friday for winter break, we take this time to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, healthy & safe holiday season, and better New Year in 2021.

Yours in Education!
Patti
Patricia Vickman, Superintendent
"Peace and Great Joy" A 2020 Holiday Greeting -
Mike McGowan

As this year ends and a new one begins, we look forward to celebrating old traditions and starting new ones. We embrace family, community and culture. Serving others while taking care of ourselves is a wonderful gift for all seasons. Mike McGowan who works with our students and our staff offers a special message of reflection for all of us.

Click on this link to access his message.
IN THIS ISSUE
*School Board Update
*Important District Communicatios
*FFA Members Receive Awards
*SD Staff Honored with Special Donation
*Renard's Cheese & Lions Club Donations
*Music Booster Fruit Sale Update
*Senior Holiday Meal Drive-Thru
*Faces of Covid Videos & Reminders for Families
*Public Health & Hospital Facebook Live
*Caring Closet Needs
*Free Foods Program for Youth and Community During the Holidays
Community Information:
--Give the Gift of Reading
--North Pole Drive-Thru
SCHOOL BOARD UPDATE
Click on this link to access a summary of Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting. Click on this link for the Supt.'s Good News Report.
IMPORTANT DATES
Note: Please closely monitor the school calendar and sign up for rschooltoday updates so you are made aware of cancellations and postponements, especially now with the ever changing times.

Thursday, Dec 17 - Twisted Tinsel Thursday (holiday hats & hairdos)
MS Basketball vs Marinette

Friday, Dec 18 - Festive Flannel Friday
HS Girls Basketball vs West DePere

Winter Break Begins for Students - School Resumes January 4

Monday, Dec 21 - Staff Development Day - No School for Students
6p Door County Medical Center Facebook Live with Public Health and COVID Update
HS Boys Basketball @ Little Chute; HS Girls Basketball @ Algoma

Tuesday, Dec 22 - Staff Development Day - No School for Students
HS Girls Basketball vs Brillion
HS Boys Basketball @ Algoma

School Resumes Monday, January 4
IMPORTANT DISTRICT COMMUNICATIONS FOR FAMILIES
Calendar Update - To continue to assist with the increased planning needed to address both on-site and remote learning needs, two additional planning/professional development days (similar to those next week) are planned prior to spring break. The revised school calendar is posted on the website and can also be found at this link.

Facility Access for Non-School Sponsored Winter Sports Groups - After ensuring that all facility needs, and health & safety protocols are in place for our school-sponsored teams, the district will open its facilities on a limited basis for non-school sponsored youth winter sports groups (basketball & wrestling) for the months of January & February. Click on this link to access the letter that went out on Wednesday to all families.
FFA MEMBERS RECEIVE NATIONAL AWARDS

Anna Olson, daughter of Eric and Julaine Olson, received a $1,000 National Supervised Agricultural Experience Grant sponsored by Caterpillar. Anna's plan for the grant money is to purchase a dairy heifer calf to continue expanding her dairy cattle herd. This will allow her to continue growing her skills as a young dairy entrepreneur.

Chloe La Crosse, daughter of Jeremy and Tracy La Crosse, received a $1,000 National Supervised Agricultural Experience Grant sponsored by California Certified Organic Farmers. Chloe's plan is to purchase a wagyu heifer calf with hopes to one day practice raising wagyu beef organically.

SAE grants are designed to help FFA members create or expand Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects, a requirement that all FFA members must complete. An SAE requires FFA members to create and operate an agriculture related business, work at an agriculture-related business or conduct an agricultural research experience. Upon completion, FFA members must submit a comprehensive report regarding their career development experience. 

Chloe and Anna's applications were selected from among 5,968 applications nationwide. Congratulations to Anna and Chloe on this achievement!
Click on this link to access the form to make a similar donation in honor of an educator or community hero and bring the love of reading to children!
SOUTHERN DOOR HONORED FOR AMAZING EFFORTS THIS YEAR
We at On Deck Clothing Company wanted to provide you with this special certificate, honoring everyone at the Southern Door School District for the amazing work you have done for the children of our community, especially this past year.
 
We are grateful to have a school district which goes above and beyond to ensure our children are safe, happy and able to learn in an environment with their peers throughout this difficult time. Please share this with your staff members and congratulate them on all their hard work. Don’t forget to give yourselves a pat on the back too!
RENARD'S CHEESE DONATION

Franca and Alexis from Renard's Cheese presented the Southern Door County School District with a $5,000 check which was recently presented to Harly VanBrunt, elementary school counselor.
As a result of their giving, 12 families in need will benefit from their donation for Thanksgiving Meals and gifts through the Christmas Wish program. We appreciate the generosity of Renards to assist our students and families during the holidays.  
BRUSSELS LIONS CLUB DONATION
Brussels Lions Club President Jared Spude and Treasurer Jim Noll presented 50 holiday cards to Southern Door Superintendent Patti Vickman and Elementary Principal Cory Vandertie. The cards included a $150 food gift card to Marchants Foods. The cards will be mailed to families in the SD district selected by the school staff. On behalf of our students and their families, we appreciate this generous donation to families in need, from the Brussels Lions Club.  
MUSIC BOOSTER FRUIT SALE UPDATE
"Recently the Southern Door Music Boosters discussed the possibility of running the fruit sale, and while we would love to be able to do it this year, there are just too many unknown variables with logistics. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the sale for next year at this time.

We understand that this is disappointing to a lot of people, and we are certainly among them! Thank you for your understanding, and let's look forward to a musically busy and normal 2021-2022 school year! Sincerely, Southern Door Music Boosters"
SENIOR HOLIDAY MEAL DRIVE-THRU - A HUGE SUCCESS
Over 125 senior citizens visited us on Wednesday, were serenaded by our choir, and up their holiday meal in place of the traditional sit-down holiday party. This year's menu included traditional turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetable, and dessert. Ornaments created by the technical education department were door prizes for some of our seniors. A special thank you to our high school staff, students, and A'viands food service for sponsoring this annual event. Pictured are the drive-up delivery, the singers, and samples of the 3-D door prize ornaments.
DOOR COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER FACES OF COVID

Below are links to two very powerful videos done by Door County Medical Center with Door County individuals describing their emotional experiences as front-line workers dealing with a pandemic.

Click on the titles to access the YouTube links.


We need everyone to wear their masks, practice physical distancing, and be safe! Our community needs your support and needs you healthy!
VERY IMPORTANT HEALTH & SAFETY REMINDERS FOR ALL FAMILIES
1. If anyone in your household is exhibiting symptoms related to COVID-19, PLEASE do not send any of your children to school.
2. If anyone in your household has been tested for COVID-19 and are still awaiting results, PLEASE do not send any of your children to school
3. If anyone in your household has tested positive for COVID-19 and the person is still in isolation, PLEASE do not send any of your children to school.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation following the above quarantine guidelines. Continuing to practice the wearing of face covering/masks, frequent handwashing, physical distancing, and monitoring symptoms will help us continue to keep our students and staff as healthy and safe as possible. 
PUBLIC HEALTH AND HOSPITAL TO HOLD FACEBOOK LIVE DISCUSSION
Join Dr. Jim Heise, DCMC Chief Medical Officer, and Susan Powers, Public Health Manager/Health Officer of Door County Public Health, LIVE for a conversation about COVID-19 on Monday, December 21, 2020 at 6 p.m. Dr. Heise and Susan Powers will provide an update on what is happening in our community and address viewers questions and concerns. Log on to the Door County Medical Center Facebook page and wait for the video to begin.
CARING CLOSET NEEDS 
Do you have any gently used winter clothing such as mittens, hats, snow boots or snow pants that you are no longer using or are you able to purchase "new" items to donate? If so, please consider donating them to our school's Caring Closet. Donations may be dropped off in the Elementary/Middle School office during normal school hours, or sent to school with your child to add to the Caring Closet. Thank you in advance for your donation.