Iroquois, SD

Our electronic sign is finally in and running!! What a fantastic addition to our town. If anyone is coming our way from out of town, slow down a little and check it out. Some landscaping needs to be done yet but we have some gals trained on using it and following our annual Sports Day we’ll get the necessary downloads and it will be ready for community posting. Right now we’re using it to advertise the schedule for the Sports Day weekend, July 11, 12 and 13th. This sign is a direct result of our Horizons Study Circles and the assessment of community needs that resulted from that. Thanks to all participants in those Study Circles. Great things DO happen when people get together and discuss things.

As I am writing this, we are in the process of painting a house for a gentleman who is disabled. Volunteers are scraping the house, getting it ready to paint. One of our Community club members has a paint sprayer and has volunteered to paint it.
A beautiful cool evening last night allowed us to get a good start.
As part of our strategic plan, we want to beautify our little town, one house at a time.
Flowers have also been planted around town to help spruce up the town.
We want to have everything done in time for our sports day events that will be held in July.

ON Sunday, May 5th, our Horizons group decided to sponsor an open house to showcase our beautiful school. It was a beautiful day. Several local people showed up to take the tour and to look at the exhibits that were on display at each classroom.
We had several new families come and take a look around and possibly enroll their students.
Our group served refreshments during the tour. We also provided free bussing to the open house for those families that live in Huron.
We think it was a success, and we plan to have another open house again this August when we are ready for school.
New carpet is being installed this summer in the elementary end, and some painting and cleaning will be done by then.

The elementary students, along with their teachers and P.T.O. created literacy baskets to raffle off to raise money for the summer reading/writing programs as well as many other literacy activities throughout the year.  Each basket or container contained a book or books, along with items that go along with a theme.  Winners for the baskets were announced during the elementary awards program.  Preschoolers created a baking basket using “If You Give a Moose a Muffin.” Kindergarten selected a rainy day theme with “The Napping House” and activities and games to do on a rainy day.  First grade selected Junie B. Jones and a Hawaiian theme.  Second grade put together a western basket.  Third grade filled a wash tub with Laura Ingalls Wilder books and pioneer items.  Fourth grade used a bait bucket and filled it with fishing supplies.  Fifth grade created a tricksters basket filled with games and puzzles.  And P.T.O. filled their basket with chocolate! 

This fundraiser brought in over $250 for literacy projects.  Thank you, to all who donated items for the baskets and those who purchased chances on them. 

    Monday afternoon, the elementary students participated in the Summer Reading and Writing program kick-off. Student and teachers dressed as cowboys and cowgirls to go with the theme of the program. Barb Madison read to the entire group before the children were divided into teams. Each team rotated to five different stations including: singing songs around the campfire, branding and decorating their journal covers, making saddle bags, lassoing, eating s’mores, and running barrel races and playing horse shoes. Each child has a summer reading and writing goal to work toward. Children achieving their goal will earn prizes and the special opportunity to participate in fun activities at the beginning of the next school year. The elementary teachers plan a summer reading and writing program each year to help the children practice these important skills throughout the summer months.

Iroquois middle school students heard opportunity knock and answered the door. The Junior Class put on A Treasured Night last Friday complete with a pirate’s theme flaunting a pirate’s ship, a treasure chest, treasure and rocky waters under a full moon.  The Treasured Night was not exclusively enjoyed by just the high school students attending Prom nor did it last just one night. Middle School students held a middle school dance, with chaperones, taking advantage of all the prom decorations and enjoyed karaoke into the night as well as group dancing. Refreshments were enjoyed and student’s carriages arrived at 11:00 to take them home.

This year’s Sports Day will be held July 12 and 13 in Iroquois. We are once again going to have a Town and Country Showcase in the Fire Hall. If anyone is interested in setting up a booth, please contact Marlys Peskey at 546-2359 or 546-2426. We would love to have you be a part of this year’s summer event.
In addition to the T & C showcase, there will be lots of exciting things happening in Iroquois that weekend. A parade will kick off the day on Saturday starting at 10 am with the theme, ” Small town, big dream”. there will be mud drag races, bed races, kid’s games, just to name a few.
Last year’s event was very successful.

Iroquois will once again hold a city wide clean up day on Saturday, April 27th at 9:00 am. The dumpster will be by city hall starting on Monday, April 21st. We could use a crew to help go around the town and clean up our town. Bring your gloves and pickups.
we can have dinner at the Pancake Benefit Breakfast that will be held at the Legion Hall that Saturday from 8-1 pm.

Upcoming Events

April 9, Wednesday, UMW meets at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 6:00 p.m.

April 11, 12, 13, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, area students attend “Acquire the Fire” in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

April 11, Friday, No School            

April 12, Children’s Theater production of “You Look Marvelous” at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday in the south gym.

April 13, Sunday, Pancake Feed at the Legion for the Iroquois Heritage Museum.

April 14, Monday, School Board Meeting in the high school library at 8:00 p.m.

April 16, Wednesday, Sonshine Gang meets after school at the Methodist Church.

Our Iroquois Horizons/Community Club, and Sports Day Committee held a joint planning meeting Monday night. Cheryl Jacobs of the SDSU Cooperative Extension Services was present to discuss the completion of the Horizons Project in the Iroquois Community. Committees reviewed their progress on community goals and objectives in the strategic plan.

Setting up park benches is one project currently underway. Community members may donate money to purchase a park bench in memory of someone. Benches will be placed in Woodall Park, at the school playground, and near the sand volleyball pit and horseshoe pits.

A chain link fence has been donated to the Iroquois Day Care. Volunteers are needed to help move and set up the fence.

A pancake feed is being planned for April 27, at the Legion, as a fundraiser for R.J. Frankfurth, who was recently injured in a car accident.

Sports Day will be held July 11, 12, and 13. Four Wheeler races are being planned for Friday night. Saturday’s events will begin with a “Walk for Life.” A parade will be held later in the morning with the theme “Small Town, Big Dreams.” Bed races will follow the parade on main street. The Iroquois Heritage Museum will be open on Saturday with living history activities for kids of all ages. A town and country show will be held on Saturday, with exhibitors selling their products. Softball, volleyball, and horseshoe events will be held at the park. Saturday evening a kids’ movie will be shown and a street dance will be held. The class of 1988 will hold its 20 year reunion. Sunday morning, a community church service will be held in the park. Mud drag races will be held later in the day. The Sports Day committee will continue to meet monthly to finalize plans.

The next Horizons/Community Club meeting will be held Tuesday, May 6, in the high school library. All interested individuals are encouraged to attend.
Monday, April 7th a meeting was held.