IT’S STILL SUMMER, BUT SCHOOL STARTS SOON
Don’t look now, but school is right around the corner.
With the Fourth of July long gone, another South Dakota Chislic Festival in the books and postseason baseball underway, attention will quickly shift to another year in the classrooms and all that goes with it — whether we like it or not.
Freeman Public will begin the 2025-26 academic year Tuesday, Aug. 19 with a 12 p.m. dismissal. Freeman Academy and Menno will both start Wednesday, Aug. 20, with Menno letting out at 1 p.m.
The sports scene
Athletic practices start soon, too, with Freeman Public and Freeman Academy now competing together in all sports and Scotland and Menno competing together in everything except cross-country and volleyball.
Soccer at Freeman Academy, which is also open to students at Freeman Public, Marion, Parker and Viborg-Hurley, begins Aug. 11 with the first game Aug. 16 at home against Dakota Valley.
Football practices start Aug. 7, with Scotland/Menno competing in 9-man (Class 9AA) for the first time in the history of the gridiron cooperative about to enter its fourth season. The Trappers will begin play against Gregory Aug. 22 at Scotland.
This will be the final year for the Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy co-op. The Phoenix open at Parkston Aug. 22.
Freeman and Menno cross-country practices will begin Aug. 11, with the Watchdog Invitational at Beresford scheduled for Aug. 28.
And volleyball practices at Freeman and Menno will start Aug. 14, with Freeman at Irene-Wakonda Sept. 2 and Menno at Alcester-Hudson Aug. 26.
The Courier will being rolling out schedules and previews starting next week.
