Iroquois, SD

It’s hard to believe we are planning for summer reading already! As we enter the last nine weeks of school, the Iroquois Elementary Literacy Team has started the wheels rolling for this year’s summer reading program, Summer Reading Roundup. Research has proven a positive correlation between reading and writing over the summer and ability to learn throughout the school year. The staff of Iroquois Elementary feels strongly about giving our kids the opportunity to keep their brains thinking throughout the summer. If you have a student or know a young person, please help to encourage them throughout the summer!

Stay tuned for more details about the rootin tootin activities at the buckaroo kickoff!

Saturday, February 9, the Iroquois Horizons group held their celebration.  The group came together to discuss and distribute the community’s strategic plan.  The extreme cold hindered attendance, but the evening provided much opportunity to share ideas and visit.  Piano and vocal entertainment was provided by music director, Rod Ulrich and middle school student, Phyllis.  Cheryl Jacobs, SDSU Extension coordinator, attended our meeting. 

An electronic sign will be installed this spring along highway 14.  Businesses, groups, and individuals will be able to use this sign to let others know what’s happening in our town.  The completion of this project will be possible only through the efforts of the entire community.  Fundraisers are being planned in March.  The elementary students are currently collecting coins toward this effort.  Any business, group, or individual wishing to contribute toward the sign may drop off their donation at the Farmers and Merchants State Bank. 

The Iroquois Area Community Club is sponsoring an Easter Egg Hunt for area children.  It will be held Saturday, March 22, from 2:00-4:00 p.m., in the south gym of the Iroquois School.  We hope many children will take part in the fun and treats!

I believe our community’s first step toward addressing poverty was to work together to become a Horizon Community.  Through this process, we have joined together to establish goals to address poverty. 

Being a small town, we lack many resources that larger communities can offer.  One resource we lack is opportunity for entertainment.  The steps we have taken to address this are creating a sand volleyball pit, and horseshoe pit in the city park, forming walking/exercise groups at the school, establishing a “Town and Country” showcase in the summer to promote local artisans and entrepreneurs, and erecting an electronic sign (to be in place in the near future) along Highway 14, to keep our community informed of upcoming events. 

Iroquois Housing has also taken steps to address proverty.  They have purchased lots, and have removed old buildings in the community.  This has greatly improved the appearance of our town.  They have built many new homes, providing affordable housing to current citizens as well as welcoming new ones. 

Since our study of povery in Iroquois through the Horizons Study Circles, I see some emerging trends in leadership. Citizens who I had never seen take positions of leadership are now doing so. In some instances, I am of the opinion that these people do not realize they are assuming leadership positions. And that sometimes makes the best leaders because they are just doing things they are interested in and leadership is just happening!
The blogging sessions are one example. A person who may be shy in public can express themselves through the anonymity of the computer blog and yet that is still leadership. Thus many more people are participating in leadership than might be normally possible. This also means different kinds of people are involved. I think it is great that some of our elementary kids have done some blogging and hope there is more of that in the future.
I’m not sure that the “new” leadership completly represents the demographic profile of our town, but it certainly comes closer to it than we have ever been before.
In conclusion, citizens of Iroquois, keep up the good work and only good things will come of our new leadership!!!!

Iroquois Elementary third graders celebrated Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birthday on Thursday, February 7 with an entire day of activities.  The children began their day, searching the discoverlaura.org website.  Next, they viewed and touched items and photos from the past with history in a trunk.  They were given old textbooks and time to read and study from them.  They later recited their lessons to their teacher.  Mrs. Johnson, R.S.V.P. volunteer, read to the children from By the Shores of Silver Lake, the fifth Wilder book she has read aloud to the third graders this year.  After lunch, the students enjoyed listening to one of the student’s grandfathers tell about the old days and how they used an old wooden wash tub, sausage maker, and corn planter, which he had brought into the classroom to show.  Sara, Iroquois 8th grader, visited the classroom again and played her violin.  The children also learned how to crochet, churn cream into butter, make rope, twist hay into sticks, grind wheat into flour, and make horn books.  Several parents and grandparents helped throughout the afternoon.  Later, the lunchroom staff use the whole wheat flour ground in the coffee grinder, to make whole wheat bread.  The students had this delicious treat topped with their homemade butter.  

Residents of Iroquois who are members of R.S.V.P.  are helping out where they can. They volunteer their time at the school, Churches, in private homes, ballgames, and with travel to Doctors.  Those who need help can contact the R.S.V.P. organization in Huron and they will contact help for you.

In what ways has this community’s knowledge about poverty changed? What evidence do you have of this?

Living in poverty?  I had never thought much about it until I attended the Horizons project.  Horizons helped me to understand that poverty is not just limited to a lack of income, but it also includes a lack of resources in our community.  Many small Dakota communities are experiencing the same effects of poverty as businesses and schools begin to close.  Now is the time to step forward, to make an effort to reverse the trend.  I have witnessed our community come together, to plan and work on projects, activites, and gatherings.  The people of Iroquois are showing their support by participating in community sponsored events, such as our recent soup supper and tour of lights.  People are talking, coming forward with ideas, and more willing to help achieve our community goals.  Our community members are more committed to one another and to our town.  Together we can make a striving community, a thriving community.

The Ronald McDonald Delta Dental Care Mobile is here at Iroquois School. It is a fully equipped dental office on wheels. Children can receive quality oral health services, including cleanings, preventive services, fillings, and oral health education. Children ages 0-21 who do not have a dental home will be treated. They accept Medicaid/SCHIP, sliding fee scale payments, and donations. No child will be turned away for inability to pay.

Jesse Fast, an Iroquois School graduate, a dental student at the University of Nebraska, is here working in the RMCM.

Farmers & Merchants State Bank of Iroquois sponsored the mobile unit.