School year starts with growth, cultural focus

By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise

Enrollment is up this fall at Flandreau Public Schools. The district currently has 714 K-12 students, with a few more expected in the coming days. Thats compared with a typical enrollment of about 688.
This is a nice problem to have, said Cermak.
Teachers report less turnover than usual as the new year began, another positive shift for the district.
At Pleasant Valley Colony, Flandreau School officials are still working to fill a 5th8th grade teaching position. For now, the plan is to provide additional support for K-8 teacher Makenzie Bierschbach, who continues to serve as the Colonys lead teacher.
More details on the Colony school and its role in the district in a future Moody County Enterprise.
A splash of color now greets a growing student body each day at Flandreau Public Schools: ten of the 24 Tribal flags representing the Native Nations of students in the district.
Superintendent Quinton Cermak said the display is just the beginning, with the goal of eventually hanging all 24 flags in the Elementary Commons as a lasting reminder of student heritage. In a Facebook post, the district thanked the Teca Ospaye Youth Council for helping ensure students cultural heritage is recognized and celebrated.
The flags currently on display represent: Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, Spirit Lake, Sac & Fox, Fort Peck Assiniboine, Zuni Pueblo and Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.
While the flags highlight Native student heritage, Cermak added that the school is also looking at ways to reflect the broader diversity of the school, which includes a significant number of Hispanic and Filipino students.