School began on Wednesday, August 16, 2023.  After twelve school days, we enjoyed our first vacation days. We did not have school on Friday, September 1, due to a teacher inservice.  Also, there was no school on Labor Day; the holiday fell on Monday, September 4.  School was two hours late on Wednesday, September 27, due to a water issue throughout the schools and town.  There was no school on October 9 due to Columbus Day.  The first nine weeks ended on Friday, October 13.

     For the seventeenth time ever, the Milbank School District completed the second nine weeks before the Christmas break.  The second nine weeks ran from October 17 through December 21.  Parent-teacher conferences took place on Monday, October 16, and Wednesday, October 18. There was no school on Friday, October 20 (Comp Day). We had a three-day break for Thanksgiving (22nd-24th) for the third straight year, and the Christmas break lasted from December 22 to January 2.  School resumed on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.

     January 3 through February 29 mark the dates of the third nine weeks.  We have two snow days built into the schedule in the event that winter weather invades. There was no school on Friday, January 15, 2024, due to teachers' inservice.  Almost one month later, on Monday, February 12, and Wednesday, February 14, parent-teacher conferences (2:30-7:00) took place. Everyone enjoyed days off on Friday, February 16, and President's Day on the 19th of February. There was no school on Friday, March 1, due to teachers' inservice.

     The final stretch of the year lasts from March 4 through May 14.  Spring Break days took place on March 14 and 15.  We did have a snow day on Monday, March 25, due to heavy snow on Sunday; this was the first time missed due to weather during the school year. That was followed by a second straight snow day on Tuesday, March 26.  Any additional snow days would have to be made up. March 29 and April 1, a Friday and a Monday, were free from school to celebrate Easter.  Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 3:15 PM, will mark the end of another successful school year.  With the students, parents, and teachers all working together, there is no doubt that positive growth will take place! 

Mom, thank you for everything you've done for me!
Best wishes as you move on!!!

FYI:  Wednesday, May 26, 2004, was Milbank's last day of school...and final day ever...in the old Milbank Middle School building!!  Many good memories remain from that building.  A gorgeous rainbow covered the old school on that evening of the final day.

Other school dismissal notes:
2008-2009 school year: We had five snow days: December 15, January 12, February 26, March 10, and March 31; we did not have to make up any school days.
2009-2010 school year: School was called off on Thursday, November 12, 2009, because of the large percentage of students who attended the SD State 11A Football Championship.  School was dismissed at 12:00 on Wednesday, January 7, due to snow (84th day of school), and school was cancelled on both Thursday and Friday, January 7 and 8, 2010.  School was released at 2:30 due to freezing rain on Friday, January 22. Again, school was cancelled on Monday, January 25 (blowing snow), and it was two hours late on Tuesday, January 26.  Our fourth and fifth full snow days occurred on Monday and Tuesday, February 8 and 9, and that was followed by a two-hour late start on Wednesday, February 10.  Tuesday, February 16, saw our sixth snow day of this school year (poor roads due to blowing snow).
2010-2011 school year: We dismissed school at 1:00 on Monday, December 20, due to snow, and that spilled over into a two-hour late start the following day (December 21). We also dismissed school early, this time at 12:30, on Friday, January 7, due to blowing snow (84th day of school). School began two hours late (snow) on Tuesday, January 11, Tuesday, January 18 (cold and blowing snow in the evening), and on Monday, January 24 (cold and blowing snow in the evening).  Our first full days of no school came in a group of four: Monday, January 31, Tuesday, February 1, Wednesday, February 2, and Thursday, February 3.  A couple more two-hour late starts occurred on Monday, February 7, and Wednesday, February 9.  For the fifth time, school was cancelled on Tuesday, February 22, due to poor country roads. Our sixth and final snow day occurred on Wednesday, March 23, a day before our two-day spring break vacation.
2011-2012 school year: We dismissed at 1:00 on Tuesday, February 28, due to a winter storm warning.  The storm officially hit at 3:40 on Tuesday and continued to dump 9.5 inches of heavy, wet snow into Wednesday morning.  That had two results: (1) our first full snow day on Wednesday, February 29, 2012, and (2) a two-hour late start on Thursday, March 1.
2012-2013 school year: School began two hours late on Monday, December 10, due to a weekend blizzard (72nd day of school).  We had our first full snow day on Thursday, January 31, because of extremely low temperatures--high was -8 on the 102nd day of school.  School began one hour late on Friday, February 1, due to those same freezing temperatures.  Our second snow day occurred on Monday, February 11, as a result of heavy snowfall over the weekend.  We had a two-hour late start on Tuesday, February 12.  School released at 11:45 due to blowing snow on Thursday, February 14.  Our second two-hour late start occurred on Monday, March 4, and that was due to freezing rain during the nighttime hours.  We began the first day of the fourth quarter with our third two-hour late start due to freezing rain and snow that hit us over the weekend.  The third snow day of the year took place on Monday, March 18, due to high winds and blowing snow in the night (note: this snow day results in having school on Monday, April 29).  School was one hour late the following day, Tuesday, March 19.  Thursday, April 11, was our fourth full snow day due to heavy snow that lit us up last night; it was nothing compared to the ice storm and damage that the people of Sioux Falls had to face (note: this snow day results in having school on Wednesday, May 22).  A two-hour late start followed on Friday, April 12.  School released at noon on Thursday, April 18, due to heavy snow.
2013-2014 school year: School began one hour late on Monday, December 2, due to ice (67th day of school).  Our first early release came at 1:00 on Wednesday, December 4, due to snow and the possibility of the wind picking up.  Our first full snow day took place on Monday, January 6, due to the extremely cold temperatures (lowest since 1997).  It would've been our 84th day of school (see 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years to see what took place on the 84th day both of those years).  The first snow day was followed by a two-hour late start on Tuesday, January 7, (the official 84th day of school) due to remaining cold temperatures.  We used our second full snow day on Thursday, January 16, due to blowing snow.  School was two hours late on Monday, January 27, because of extremely low wind chill temperatures; the straight air temperature in the morning was -15.  Again, school was two hours late on Friday, March 7, due to freezing rain in the night.  Milbank dodged a bullet and missed most of the snow, but ice and drifts resulted in an hour late start on Tuesday, April 1.  On Wednesday, April 16, school was released at 2:00 due to heavy snow in the Milbank, Summit, and Revillo areas.  Interestingly, we released school early almost one year ago exactly--on Thursday, April 18--due to heavy snow.
2014-2015 school year: School began two hours late on Tuesday, November 12, 2014, due to a foot of snow that fell throughout Sunday night and into Monday (53rd day of school).  School was dismissed at 1:30 on Monday, December 15, due to freezing rain and wind (75th day of school) and was one hour late on Tuesday, December 16 (76th day of school).  No surprise here--the 84th day of school meant a two-hour late start due to extremely low temperatures (Wednesday, January 7).  Then, due to blowing snow, school released at 12:15 on Thursday, January 8, the 85th day of school.  We experienced our first full snow day on Tuesday, February 10, on the 107th day of school because of too much freezing rain and ice.  Our second and final allotted snow day occurred on Tuesday, March 3, due to blizzard conditions overnight and into the morning.
2015-2016 school year: About eight inches of wet snow in the greater Milbank area resulted in our first snow day on what would've been the 64th day of school (Tuesday, December 1).  Our second snow day came 15 days later on Wednesday, December 16, the 75th day of school, due to snow and slippery conditions that came overnight.  School was one hour late on Monday, February 8, due to blowing snow.
2016-2017 school year: Heavy, wet snow and then strong winds resulted in no school on Friday, November 18 (Day 58).  Then, on Tuesday, November 22, a late notice was given that school would start two hours late due to freezing rain; an hour later it was decided to cancel school (60th day of school).  Yes, both of the built-in snow days were used before December 1.  We had a one-hour late start on Wednesday, November 23, due to fog (61st day of school). Another one-hour late start due to blowing and drifting occurred on Monday, December 19 (77th day of school).  School was released at 12:00 on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 (84th day of actual school--86th day if you count the two snow days we've had), due to blowing snow.  A two- hour late start occurred on Monday, March 13, due to eight inches of snow that fell on Sunday (127th day of school--125th day we actually met).
2017-2018 school year: Due to a power outage in the entire town, school began one hour late on Tuesday, November 14.  School released at 1:00 due to incoming freezing rain, snow, and high winds on Monday, December 4 (67th day of school).  There was a one-hour late start on Tuesday, February 20, due to snow accumulations through the night (112th day of school).  Three days later, on Friday, February 23 (115th day of school), school began one hour late for the third time this school year and the second time due to a hit of snow.  Our first full snow day occurred on Monday, March 5 (121st day of school). A winter storm warning was in effect for the day and that led to a school notification at 6:00 AM; this was our first full snow day in March since March 3 of 2015.  Our second full snow day came on Tuesday, March 6, as approximately 13 inches of wet, heavy snow covered the Milbank area.  This was the 122nd day of school).  What would have been our 138th day of school became our third full snow day.  Due to snow that arrived in the night and continued into the early afternoon hours, there was no school on April 3, 2018.  Because we were allotted two snow days, this third day results in an added day at the end of the year.  A Sunday snowfall resulted in a two-hour late start on Monday, April 9, the 141st day of school.  Blizzard conditions that overcame almost the entire state of South Dakota eventually led to an early release at 1:45 on Friday, April 13, the 145th day of school.
2018-2019 school year: Our first snow day occurred on Thursday, January 24 (Day 96); the announcement came at 7:16 on the night before due to an expected ground blizzard.  Four days later, on Monday, January 28 (Day 98) our second of two allotted snow days was used.  The email notification arrived at 8:32 PM in the midst of snow and wind.  Though Monday was clear throughout the day, drifting in the country along with very cold winds made the cancellation a wise decision.  Then, around 5:30 PM on that Monday, the domino effect began with schools cancelling school due to incoming historic low temperatures.  Milbank followed suit by announcing the next two days (Tuesday, January 29, and Wednesday, January 30), would be called off; both days would be made up later.  Thursday, January 31, began with a two-hour late start because of the still-present extreme cold. The fifth full snow day of the year came on Thursday, February 7, due to blizzard conditions the previous night and throughout the day, and that was immediately followed by our sixth snow day on Friday, February 8, as a result of Thursday's blizzard conditions and wind through the night.  School released at 12:15 on Tuesday, February 12 (Day 105), due to anticipated winds to possibly whip up the very light snow that fell throughout the night.  School began two hours late on Wednesday, February 13 (Day 106), because of drifting in the country. For the third consecutive day, on Thursday, February 14 (Day 107), school time was lost because of more blowing snow; school was released at 1:00.  Our seventh full snow day occurred on Wed., Feb. 20, due to 8 inches of snow; the eighth day came on Mon., Feb. 25, as heavy drifting made traveling difficult.  The ninth full snow day fell on Monday, March 4, because of drifting and anticipated high winds.  School was two hours late on Tuesday, March 5, due to drifting in the country.  School began one hour late on Monday, March 11, caused by heavy snowfall on Saturday. Two days later, school was again one hour late due to fog and poor rural driving conditions.  After a good streak of full school days, Milbank schools had to release at 12:30 on Wednesday, April 11, due to an incoming winder storm.  Full snow days number 10 and number 11 occurred on Thursday, April 11, and Friday, April 12, as a huge snow system covered much of South Dakota.  The Milbank area got around 17.5 of heavy, wet snow.
2019-2020 school year: Late-night snow and slippery conditions resulted in school being two hours late on Monday, December 9, 2019 (365 days after the Miami Miracle), on the 72nd day of our school year.  Our first full snow day occurred on Friday, January 17 (92nd day of school), due to an incoming winter storm; the announcement of no school came the night before around 9:00.  School was an hour late on Wednesday, January 22, due to high winds and blowing snow throughout Tuesday.  Icy roads caused another one-hour late start on Friday, January 31, the 102nd day of school (101st actual day of meeting at school).  The second full snow day fell on Wednesday, February 12, because of blowing snow; counting both full snow days, this was to be the 110th actual day of meeting at school).  A one-hour late start occurred on Thursday, February 13, due to extremely low temperatures (-17 in the night; 112th day of school). ((Note: the Coronavirus pandemic resulted in the closing of all of South Dakota's school from Friday, March 13, through Wednesday, May 20.))
2020-2021 school year: The first full snow day was somewhat of a surprise as the announcement came at 6:27 AM on Thursday, January 14 (92nd day of school), that there was to be no school that day due to an incoming blizzard.  Why a surprise? It had rained a little bit during the night and was quite a nice morning that featured Mr. Gauer visiting with the garbage man outside in a T-shirt and shorts for about 10 minutes.  (Notes: if school had been scheduled on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, it would've been cancelled due to a blizzard...and that would've been the 84th day of school; also, inservice was cancelled on Friday, January 15, due to blizzard conditions).  School was two hours late on Tuesday, February 16, the 112th day of school, due to temperatures that were expected to reach -19 degrees at the start of the school day.  Milbank schools released at 1:00 on Wednesday, March 10 (Day 128), as heavy snowfall began around the 11:00 hour; the snow that continued through midnight resulted in a two-hour late start on Thursday, March 11 (Day 129).  Another round of overnight snow resulted in a two-hour late start on Monday, March 15, the 130th day of school (the "130" includes our one snow day in January).
2021-2022 school year: On the day of our Feeding Frenzy, the call came in just after 5:00 AM that school would be two hours late on Thursday, December 16, 2021.  After a day of heavy fog in the greater Milbank area throughout Wednesday, rain followed in the 5:00 PM hour; that gave way to a heavy wind (gusts up to 40 MPH) and eventually snow.  Almost all area schools had announced a two-hour late start on Wednesday evening, and Milbank made the right decision to follow suit early Thursday morning, the 78th day of school. School began two hours late for second and third times this year on the 85th and 86th days of school (Wednesday, January 5 and Thursday, January 6) due to blowing snow throughout the night and low wind chills; the temperature in the early hours of Thursday fell to -11 with the wind chill at -31.  The notice came out at 7:03 PM on Wednesday about the two-hour late start.  The notice about our third straight two-hour late start arrived at 6:58 PM regarding Friday, January 7, the 87th day of school.  Air temperatures dipped to -21 during the night.  ((Note: we did miss inservice on Friday, January 14, due to a large amount of snow coming in on Friday).  The fourth two-hour late start of the year took place on Monday, January 25 (Day 97), due to snow and wind in the evening.  Our first full snow day of the year occurred on Tuesday, February 22 (2-22-22), on the 116th day of school.  A widespread blizzard got the blame, and the announcement arrived at 6:40 PM on Monday.  At 5:56 PM on Monday, the email notice came through that school would be two hours late on Wednesday, February 23, due to high winds and -30 wind chill temperatures; this was our fifth two-hour late start of the year.
2022-2023 school year: Day 77 of school, which was Tuesday, December 13, was the first full snow day for the Milbank School District.  Freezing drizzle beginning Monday evening and continuing into Tuesday resulted in the notification coming in at 7:19 PM.  We followed that with a second snow day on Wednesday, December 14, the 78th day of school, due to icy conditions and snow.  This notification came in at 6:32 PM. Our third and fourth full snow days occurred on Thursday, December 15, and Friday, December 16, respectively; heavy snow and high winds were the cause.  One-hour late was the plan on the eve of Thursday, while a two-hour late start was the plan for Friday.  Neither of those held as school was cancelled in the morning of both days.  Those two snow days will need to be made up later in the year.  Due to an incoming onslaught of snow, wind, and extremely cold temperatures, school was called off on Thursday, December 22 (notice coming around 3:00 PM on 12-21-22); this was an e-learning day, so there was no need to make up this day.  Day 83, which fell on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, had Milbank  schools releasing at 1:30 due to incoming winter weather associated with a major storm that dumped high amounts of snow especially in southeast South Dakota.  The notice was given at 6:55 PM that school would be two hours late on Wednesday, January 4, the 84th day of school (yes, the magic returned!).  A second straight two hours late start came on Thursday, January 5, due to continued snowfall. The sixth snow day (an e-learning day) occurred on the 112th day of school, Wednesday, February 15, as a result of ice and blizzard conditions into Wednesday morning; the notice was pumped out on Tuesday evening at 7:08.  Milbank schools began two hours late and dismissed school at 2:00 all on Tuesday, February 21, due to bad secondary roads (notice came at 7:29 on Monday evening in regard to the 114th day of school) and then the start of snow falling in Milbank.  Also, school was called off the following day, Wednesday, February 22, in advance of the winter storm that was to hit the entire state (this notification arrived at 11:58 AM on Tues., Feb. 21).  Our eighth snow day took place on Thursday, February 23, as a result of heavy snow and high winds--the notification came in at 5:26 PM on the evening of Ash Wednesday.  School began two hours late on Friday, February 24, due to rough roads in the country and very low temperatures.  The ninth snow day arrived on Monday, March 6, the first day of the fourth quarter (Day 123).  Because of snow and wind that began on Sunday evening, the first notice arrived at 5:33 AM on Monday morning that school would be two hours late.  However, that was changed to a no school/e-learning day at 8:18 AM.  An early dismissal of 1:15 took place on Thursday, March 9, due to heavy incoming snow (Day 126).  The notice arrived at 6:01 PM on Thursday, March 9, that school would be two hours late on Friday, March 10.  The two-hour late start bug bit us again on Monday, March 13, due to blowing snow all day Sunday and into the evening. Snow day number ten needed to be added to the end of the year as the school board decided at its March 13 meeting that any future snow days would be made up--that became the case for the snow day on Friday, March 31, as a blizzard warning was the cause.  The notice arrived in teachers' school inboxes at 5:15 PM on Thursday, March 30 (it turned out that most of Friday was clear and calm as the freezing rain was delayed).  Snow day number 11 took place on Tuesday, April 4, due to an expected blizzard over a large chunk of the state (notice arrived on Monday, April 3, at 6:01 PM).  Ice and high winds brought about school snow day number 12 on Wednesday, April 5 (the day was originally two hours late but was changed to no school at 7:01 AM Wednesday morning).  Two of the three snow days will be tacked on to the end of the school year; the school board made the decision to end the school year on Friday, May 19.
2023-2024 school year: The announcement was made via email at 3:58 PM on Sunday, March 24, 2024, that there would be no school on Monday, March 25, due to heavy snow; Monday was to be the 137th day of school.  The cancellation of school announcement for Tuesday, March 26, arrived in the inbox at 5:16 PM on Monday afternoon with the reason beings blocked country roads and high winds.  So, the 138th day of school counted and did not need to be made up.

March of 2005 News & Notes
March 8    BBB Region Final @ Sisseton==MILBANK 51, CLARK 49!!!!!  UNREAL!!!
March 17  Milbank beat Lennox in first round of state tournament (55-53 in OT)
March 18  End of the third nine weeks; Milbank beat Tri-Valley 48-46
March 19  Milbank wins the State "A" Boys BB Tournament with a 59-53 win over Miller (Milbank's first state bb title since 1967)
Do you remember the MIRACLE SHOT made by Justin Peters fourteen years ago (as of 3-8-19)?
Link for an amazing Minnesota high school basketball shot that came shortly after Justin Peters hit THE SHOT in Sisseton: www.youtube.com
This is Justin's shot: www.youtube.com
Which shot do you feel is more impressive?

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