ETHAN, S.D. — There are a lot of things going well at Ethan Elementary School. The school in Ethan, which boasts a population of around 350 in the southeast corner of Davison County, has an excellent attendance rate and student proficiency scores across the board that would be the envy of most any school in South Dakota. ADVERTISEMENT Those factors are all a reason the school was recently named a National ESEA Distinguished School. “Given the fact that there are at most only two per state, this one is pretty special,” said Tim Hawkins, superintendent and elementary principal for the Ethan School District. Ethan Elementary School and Timber Lake Elementary School are the only two South Dakota schools to receive the recognition in 2024. The recognition is bestowed by the National Association of Elementary and Secondary Education Act State Program Administrators, which recognizes schools that have a poverty rate of 35% or more, and demonstrate exceptional overall performance in academics, close the achievement gap between student groups or demonstrate excellence in serving special populations. It is the first time the school has received the award, Hawkins said, but not its only recent recognition for excellence. The school was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2022 for its student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates, among other factors. The school was honored to receive that award, but the recent ESEA award is even more prestigious, with less than 100 bestowed on schools around the nation in 2024. “Like we told the kids when we found out about it, there were, I believe, 382 schools that received the National Blue Ribbon School award. But we are one of only 99 to receive this, so yeah, that’s pretty special,” Hawkins said. ADVERTISEMENT Ethan Elementary School is being recognized for its performance in Category 1 of the award, which covers schools exhibiting exceptional student performance and academic growth. Part of that excellence is the school’s high attendance rate. Ethan Elementary School holds a 97% attendance rate. That’s well over the state average of 87% and means the elementary school’s roughly 160 students, out of an overall K-12 enrollment of about 300, are almost always in class and ready to learn. Hawkins, who said that percentage could have been even higher if not for a couple of students who dealt with extended illnesses last year, gives credit to district parents for putting a high value on attendance and education in general. “You have to be present if you’re going to learn. It’s really difficult if you’re not in the building to hear all the things that are being talked about, and seeing the different things being presented,” Hawkins said. “It really comes down to the parents. They’ve got to be willing to get their kids to school, and we’re really proud of our parents down here in our school district, because they do value education and they do make sure they get their kids to school.” The attendance rate for both Ethan Elementary School and Timber Lake Elementary School, which logged a 99% attendance rate, were cited as examples by South Dakota Department of Education officials as to why they outperform their peers in fighting absenteeism. Joe Graves, secretary of education for South Dakota, praised both schools for their performance in the category. “Both Ethan Elementary and Timber Lake Elementary are examples of academic excellence, and can be deservedly called Distinguished Schools,” Graves said in a statement. “One of the keys to their success comes in the form of strong attendance. These students are consistently in school.” ADVERTISEMENT Good attendance means students rarely fall behind in their studies, and Ethan Elementary’s academic performance during the 2023-24 school year reflects a student population that is up on their studies and doing well on tests. Students at Ethan Elementary School posted proficiency scores of 69% in English Language Arts, 78% in math and 79% in science. That’s well above the state average for South Dakota students, who logged average proficiency scores of 51% in English Language Arts, 44% in math and 43% in science. If the bulk of the credit for getting students to class on a regular basis goes to the district parents, the credit for effectively getting lessons across to students in the classroom goes to the teachers, Hawkins said. “It definitely comes down to your teaching staff first. The staff that we have here – they take pride. They have expectations, and they take pride in trying to reach those expectations,” Hawkins said. “And they do a phenomenal job getting that across to our kids. To not settle, to do their absolute best. Our teachers are phenomenal at getting that point across to them.” The student body and faculty were on hand for a special presentation on the honor Tuesday, Nov. 26 at the school gymnasium. There, officials with the South Dakota Department of Education offered remarks and congratulations to the school on its success. Shannon Malone, director for the division of learning and instruction at the South Dakota Department of Education, told the assembled audience that both students and teachers at the district had reason to be proud of their accomplishments. She added that Ethan Elementary’s proficiency test scores were “incredible.” Malone told the Mitchell Republic following the presentation that such celebrations were an exciting time for officials with the South Dakota Department of Education. ADVERTISEMENT “It is exciting. It’s evident that this school has a great culture and a great environment when students and staff want to show up day in and day out, but it’s also evident every single year their test scores are rising to the top across the state, in both ELA and math. I think they are an example that we can showcase to other schools across the state what hard work and perseverance means,” Malone said. “(Ethan Elementary is) just doing a great job.” The recognition is a nice affirmation of the hard work the elementary students and staff put in, but the award is a district-wide honor, Hawkins said. There is a close connection between the middle school and high school students and the elementary students, which is itself a reflection of the overall support that comes from the Ethan community itself. It all starts at home with the parents and flows through the town and halls of the schools, he said. Following the presentation Tuesday, Hawkins said students would get a chance to celebrate with some relaxation time, perhaps a few board games and other activities. It’s a well-earned break leading into the Thanksgiving holiday, and one for which every Rustler can be proud of. “We’re going to give them an opportunity to do what they would like, and it’s going to be school-wide. We get everybody involved, even though it was our elementary school (that received the recognition), our junior high and high school kids do so many things with our elementary school,” Hawkins said. “So it truly is a school-wide event.
Netflix ( NFLX ) entered the NFL live-streaming arena with a spectacular debut on Christmas Day, setting a new streaming record for the league. Preliminary Nielsen data shows an average U.S. audience of more than 24 million for each of the two holiday matchups. The Kansas City Chiefs’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled in 24.1 million viewers on average, while 24.3 million tuned in to see the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Houston Texans. Adding to the excitement, the Ravens-Texans game featured a show-stopping halftime performance by Beyoncé alongside her daughter, Blue Ivy. While Netflix was the primary platform for viewers, some tuned in through local broadcasts in team markets or via the NFL’s NFL+ streaming service. The event surpassed the previous NFL streaming record of 23 million viewers for a January playoff game on Peacock. Smooth steaming and big wins for Netflix The success of Netflix’s NFL debut wasn’t just about the numbers. The stream was free of major technical glitches, a marked improvement over issues faced during last month’s Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing event on the platform. | “Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered,” said Bela Bajaria , Netflix’s chief content officer. NFL executives were equally enthusiastic. “The quality of the stream was fabulous, the production went off tightly,” said Brian Rolapp, the league’s chief media and business officer. “This further convinces us that Christmas is a great football day.” Expanding horizons in live-event streaming Netflix’s NFL deal is part of the streaming giant’s broader push into live events to bolster its advertising revenue. The league’s agreement with Netflix spans three years and allows for one or two games to be streamed next Christmas, depending on the schedule. The move into live sports streaming is just the beginning for Netflix. In January, the platform will start live-streaming WWE Raw as part of a decade-long partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment. Netflix has had a strong year , with its stock up 91% year-to-date, positioning it for its best performance since 2015. This growth reflects increased revenue and profit, with projections indicating a $39 billion in 2024 revenue and $8.7 billion in net profit, up 15% and 60% respectively from 2023. The company’s expansion into live sports, such as NFL games and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, has contributed to its solid performance, making it one of the top-performing stocks on the S&P 500.Zoom Q3 Earnings Preview: All eyes on growth in Enterprise unitA 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says
How to Watch the NBA Today, December 28How Dana Holgorsen adjusted Nebraska football's playbook to deliver instant results
Bricklayerdao: Merging Blockchain Agility With Real Estate Stability To Redefine Property Investment
End of an era: Deion Sanders reflects on coaching sons before Alamo Bowl vs. BYUHOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans made mistakes in every facet of the game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans to lose for the third time in four games. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, the defense gave up multiple big passing plays and Ka′imi Fairbairn missed a 28-yard field goal that would have tied it late in a 32-27 loss . “Just a disappointing loss for us,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We didn’t do anything well enough to win this game. Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negatives, too many negative plays.” Jimmie Ward had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter and the Texans tied a franchise record with eight sacks. Danielle Hunter led the group with a season-high three sacks and Will Anderson Jr. added two in his return after missing two games with an ankle injury. But the offense sputtered for most of the game as Joe Mixon was held to 22 yards on 14 carries. But Ryans refused to blame the offense for the loss. “Our offense did plenty," Ryans said. "They gave us enough points. On defense, we have to be able to stop them.” Chig Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled 70 yards for a touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 91⁄2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. It was the last of three big passing plays the Titans had Sunday. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine got in front of the defense and was wide open for a 38-yard TD catch that made it 10-7 late in the first quarter. Calvin Ridley had a 63-yard reception that set up their next touchdown in the second. “It was just way too many negative plays,” Ryans said. “Defensively, unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We didn’t play good across the board and that starts with me.” Despite this, the Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Fairbairn’s short field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. “The most frustrating part about it is out of all the bad things that happened, we still had a chance to finish the game,” Ryans said. “Everything that could go wrong, it went wrong. We still had a chance there to tie it up and finish the game, and we didn’t.” The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions Sunday give him five combined in the past three games. He now has more interceptions in 12 games this season (nine) than he had in 15 games as a rookie last season (five). “It’s no secret that I haven’t been playing well ... I’ve got to be harder on myself,” he said. “I’m not going to hold my head down. I know I can be a great player, but I’ve got to make better plays.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Construction group Ellaktor’s decision to return 85 cents per share to shareholders galvanized the Greek stock market on Friday, after its three-day recess, and drove the benchmark higher despite the limited trading volume one would expect from the festive season anyway. Mid-caps actually outperformed, while banks lagged. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,457.38 points, adding 0.59% to Monday’s 1,448.86 points. On a weekly basis it improved 0.34%. The large-cap FTSE-25 index expanded 0.50%, ending at 3,539.42 points, and mid-caps advanced 0.99%. The banks index earned 0.31%, as National rose 0.63%, Eurobank collected 0.49% and Alpha grabbed 0.25%, though Piraeus slipped 0.10% and Optima Bank dropped 1.41%. Ellaktor soared 9.64%, Helleniq Energy jumped 3.83%, and Motor Oil augmented 1.79%. In total 60 stocks secured gains, 39 suffered losses and 25 remained unchanged. Turnover was the lowest in over a month, amounting to 72.6 million euros, down from Monday’s €86.7 million. In Nicosia, the general index of the Cyprus Stock Exchange increased 0.67% to close at 213.94 points.8 Thanksgiving mistakes: Frozen or overcooked turkey, too many sides and other common holiday miscuesShares of Kohl's Corp. .css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);}.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);} .css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink{display:inline;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference){.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:200ms,200ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:0ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink020);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink030);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink030);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-color:var(--outlineColorDefault);outline-style:var(--outlineStyleDefault);outline-width:var(--outlineWidthDefault);outline-offset:var(--outlineOffsetDefault);}@media not all and (min-resolution: 0.001dpcm){@supports (-webkit-appearance: none) and (stroke-color: transparent){.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-style:var(--safariOutlineStyleDefault);}}}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);} KSS inched 0.70% higher to $14.39 Tuesday, on what proved to be an all-around favorable trading session for the stock market, with the S&P 500 Index SPX rising 1.10% to 6,040.04 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA rising 0.91% to 43,297.03. This was the stock's third consecutive day of gains.
How To Watch FIDE World Championship 2024 Game 3 - Chess.comSINGAPORE: It is a battle watched by a ballroom of hundreds, streamed to an audience of millions, and fought by two men representing two nations of billions. One is a young star, an 18-year-old who has shot to prominence. The other is a familiar face about a decade his senior. In a room measuring 10m by 7m by 2.7m, the champion takes on the challenger. Over the next few hours on Tuesday (Nov 26), the contest unfolds. They cross their arms, furrow their brows and shift in their seats. The crowd ebbs and flows but two men pay little heed. “Silence please” urge the placards held by volunteers, not that noise would have much effect anyway. Separated from the crowd by one-way mirror, the duo are oblivious to anything but the pieces in front of them. Welcome to the World Chess Championship. CHESS IN THE "VEINS AND ARTERIES" Taking place between Nov 20 and Dec 15 at Equarius Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa, the tournament is being held in Singapore for the first time. It pits the world champion, China’s 31-year-old grandmaster Ding Liren, against India's 18-year-old grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju. The FIDE World Championship match is held every two years. It features the defending world champion and a challenger, chosen through a qualification process culminating in the Candidates Tournament, which includes eight of the world's top players. Ding and Gukesh, the youngest challenger in championship history, will vie for the crown over a best-of-14 format. The pair have met three times, with Ding beating his Indian opponent twice and drawing once. And it was the Chinese player who took the first game on Monday. It is a contest that has attracted fans from all over the world. Mr Mohit Bhagwati and his family had planned their holiday around the tournament. But after failing to secure tickets for day one, they decided to push back their return flight. “Gukesh is representing our country. He’s the pride of our country. We are rooting for him, so we’ve come all the way to support him,” said the 36-year-old attending the event with his 7-year-old son Nakshatra. “Chess is running in the veins and arteries of all the children in our country right now, thanks to Gukesh and Vishy Anand.” Viswanathan 'Vishy' Anand is an Indian chess grandmaster, and a five-time world champion. "We were heartbroken (by the result on day one)," said Mr Mohit. "We'll only go once he wins!" In Singapore for a quick stopover after a business trip, Malaysian Kenneth Lim took the chance to catch his first international chess meet. "I haven't played (competitively) in more than ten years, so this is mostly opportunistic," he said. "How often do you get the chance to see a (World) Chess Championship, or any form of championship? So this was a good opportunity." A TREAT FOR SOME For local chess aficionados, the multi-day event is an opportunity like no other. “I was quite surprised that they put in a bid but it was a pleasant surprise. It’s good that the Singapore Chess Federation (SCF) has initiated this,” said 48-year-old Martin Lee. “It’s really superb. I’m very proud of Singapore,” said Mr Lee’s wife, Ms Pan Yilin. “It’s a treat for them to come here and it’s a treat for us to have them here as well.” The pair, who purchased tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday, said that they were looking forward to meeting chess legends in the flesh. Although not a chess player himself, Mr Jek Lim bought two tickets for him and his 10-year-old son Evan. Accompanying them were two of his son's classmates and their fathers. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience that doesn't happen so often, so it's good to get them immersed in the environment and watch the ... players play," he said. This is only the second time in the championship's 138-year history that it has been held in Southeast Asia, with the first being in Baguio, Philippines, in 1978. SCF chief executive Kelvin Goh said interest in the event had gone "way beyond" his expectations. Some fans arrived four hours ahead of time on the opening day, which experienced a full house of 400, Mr Goh told CNA. "Everyone is excited because nobody knows what to expect. Many chess fans have never attended a World Chess Championship in person ... People wanted to come and see what it was like." "It (day one) was better than I expected ... It was pretty overwhelming, I have to say," International Chess Federation (FIDE) CEO Emil Sutovsky told CNA. "I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people coming. That shows that the choice of the match (location) can have a longer positive impact in the aftermath of the event." Tickets for the weekends, like the opening day, are sold out. For the rest of the days, between 80 to 90 per cent of the tickets have been snapped up, Mr Goh estimated. Aside from the main event, the venue also boasts a fan zone where attendees can watch the match, play chess and interact with various renowned players. "Everyone is just enjoying the game," said Mr Goh. Tuesday's contest petered out into a draw, with Ding and Gukesh shaking hands to end the evening's proceedings. But there are more days to come, more moves to be made, and for ardent chess fans, more to look forward to.
Oklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris , a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94. Democratic Party members across Oklahoma remembered Harris for his commitment to economic and social justice during the 1960s — a period of historical turbulence. Harris chaired the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970 and helped unify the party after its tumultuous national convention in 1968 when protesters and police clashed in Chicago. “Fred Harris showed us what is possible when we lead with both heart and principle. He worked to ensure everyone had a voice and a seat at the table,” said Alicia Andrews, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. Harris appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year as a guest speaker for the Oklahoma delegation, where he reflected on progress and unity. "Standing alongside him in Chicago this summer was a reminder of how his legacy continues to inspire,” Andrews said. Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma and the DNC, said that there is no one else in public service whom she admired more than the former senator. “He was a friend, a mentor, a hero and my True North. Oklahoma and America have lost a powerful advocate and voice,” Free said in a statement. “His work for Indian Country will always be remembered.” “Senator Harris truly was an Oklahoma treasure and was ahead of his time in so many ways,” said Jeff Berrong, whose grandfather served in the state Senate with Harris. “He never forgot where he came from and he always remained focused on building a society that would provide equality of opportunity for all.” Harris served eight years in the state Senate before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served another eight years before his 1976 presidential campaign. State party leaders commemorated his work on the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, or the Kerner Commission, to investigate the 1960s riots. Harris was the last surviving member of the commission. Shortly after his presidential campaign, Harris left politics and moved to New Mexico and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. —- Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.No clear winner on B.C. election night, with NDP and Conservatives virtually tied