As the end of 2016 draws near, some go into the new year with a profound disdain, while others are sad to see it go. Naturally the year had its up and its downs, but it all comes down to perspective. A lot happened in 2016 at South, some major changes and some minor tweaks, all culminating in a different South High than a year prior.

Perhaps the biggest change that occurred at South was the addition of the new Advanced Technology Center as well as the new main office. Work began in late March and was officially “opened” in October with a metal ribbon cutting. However, the main office was not moved until the last school day of the 2016 on December 23rd as part of the Redwing day of service. This dramatically improved the tech-ed area of South. Principal Mike Trimberger described the old facilities as “Outdated” and explained how they no longer were relevant with modern technologies. In addition to a new technology center South High also received a major physical education grant, thanks to the efforts of a Mr. Peter Toutenhoofd.

In June we saw the the last of the class of 2016 and with them the end of the inaugural year of Flex Mod. Depending on who you ask, you will hear a different story about how that first year went. Lower grades and conflicts galore were seen as negatives associated with the new schedule. On the contrary, it allows students to have greater leeway with their scheduling and allows students more opportunities to get help if needed. This was emphasized again with the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year. As we sit almost halfway done with the school year, it is evident that the first year growing pains are subsiding and things are operating smoother.

On that note I can not forget to mention the switch from Alpha to Skyward. It took some time and some headaches but after a month or so students and faculty could finally fully access the new grading system. With this we all could hear over the announcements that Skyward was down instead of Alpha, but don’t worry because downtown is working on it. Needless to say there’s still a few bugs that need to be worked out. Along with a new grading system students got a new chromebook that doesn’t require a case, which is really the only thing that got better with them. Isn’t technology great?

Moving to athletics let’s look on how things changed in 2016. A major change to South’s athletic landscape occurred when we said goodbye to the athletic trainer Maggie Bauer and welcomed David Stecker (Dave) to our Redwing family. We also said goodbye to long time head baseball coach Craig Kloes, who retired after years of great seasons for South. We also welcomed a new coach in Paige Riste who becomes a co-head coach of the award winning South High dance team. Let’s wish all our athletes and coaches, success in the the new year.

As the year comes to a close, we look forward to another great year at South High and all the possibilities that await. So, with that being said Happy New Year.